Do both platforms allow custom domain white-labeling?

Yes, both Teachable and Kajabi allow you to connect a custom domain so your students experience a fully branded academy without platform branding dominating the URL.

How do transaction fees compare between Teachable and Kajabi?

Teachable charges transaction fees on its lower-tier plans (such as 7.5% on the Starter plan), whereas Kajabi charges zero transaction fees on its standard plans, relying entirely on flat monthly subscriptions.

Does Teachable include built-in email marketing like Kajabi?

Kajabi includes robust, native email marketing, broadcast tools, and visual automated pipelines. Teachable provides basic student communication tools, but most creators pair Teachable with an external email service provider for advanced marketing automation.

Teachable vs. Kajabi: Hosting Your Digital Academy

Question: Should an online course creator host their digital academy on 'Teachable' or 'Kajabi', considering transaction fee percentages, custom domain white-labeling options, and built-in email marketing capabilities?

Prepared by the ChoiceScore Research Desk · Editor-approved for the curated library · Reviewed July 29, 2026

It depends Choice Score: 78/100

Direct answer

The choice between Teachable and Kajabi depends on your budget, technical appetite, and need for an all-in-one suite; choose Teachable if you want a lower-cost entry point with basic tools, or Kajabi if you require robust, built-in email marketing and advanced automation without stitching together third-party plugins.

Summary

Deciding where to host your digital academy is a critical inflection point for any online educator or digital creator. Teachable offers a modular, lower-cost starting point starting at $39/month for their Starter plan (with a 7.5% transaction fee), making it attractive for budget-conscious beginners testing product-market fit. Conversely, Kajabi positions itself as a comprehensive, all-in-one platform tailored for scaling expert businesses, eliminating transaction fees entirely while bundling advanced email marketing, pipelines, and website building into a unified dashboard. This analysis evaluates transaction fee impacts, white-labeling capabilities, and email marketing features to guide your platform selection.

Choice Score breakdown

Cost-Effectiveness for Beginners 82/100 — Teachable wins on low entry barriers, while Kajabi requires a higher upfront monthly commitment.
Marketing & Automation Depth 90/100 — Kajabi dominates with native email sequences, broadcast tools, and visual sales pipelines.
White-Labeling & Branding Flexibility 75/100 — Both offer custom domains, but Kajabi provides deeper site builder customizability across all templates.

Best for / Not best for

Best for

Beginners and budget-conscious creators testing their first digital product (Teachable)
Established creators wanting an all-in-one ecosystem with zero transaction fees and native email marketing (Kajabi)

Not best for

High-volume course sellers using lower Teachable tiers who want to avoid 7.5% transaction fees
Creators looking for a completely free hosting tier with zero software overhead

Scenarios

The Bootstrapped Starter (40% likely)
A solo creator launching their very first cohort with modest initial monthly sales of $2,000.
The Scaling Expert Business (45% likely)
An established educator generating $15,000+ monthly revenue seeking an integrated ecosystem for email and courses.
The Modular DIY Creator (15% likely)
A creator who prefers using specialized third-party tools like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit for email alongside a basic course host.

Calculations

Metric	Result	Formula
Teachable Starter Plan Monthly Cost with Fees	189 USD/month	monthly_subscription + (monthly_sales × transaction_fee_percentage)
Kajabi Baseline Monthly Cost	149 USD/month	fixed_monthly_subscription + zero_transaction_fees
Annual TCO Differential at $5,000 Monthly Revenue	3,132 USD/year for Teachable vs 1,788 USD/year for Kajabi	(teachable_sub × 12 + monthly_sales × fee × 12) − (kajabi_sub × 12)

Pros & cons

Pros

Teachable offers a lower entry-level subscription price point starting at $39/month.
Kajabi features powerful, native email marketing and visual sales pipelines with zero transaction fees.
Both platforms support custom domain white-labeling to maintain brand consistency.
Both offer robust mobile app support for student consumption on iOS and Android.

Cons

Teachable's entry-level starter plan imposes a notable 7.5% transaction fee on sales.
Kajabi carries a significantly higher baseline monthly subscription cost for beginning creators.
Moving established courses and subscriber lists between ecosystems can involve technical friction.

Assumptions

Teachable Starter Plan Subscription: 39 USD/month — Based on official Teachable pricing documentation for entry-level creator tools.
Teachable Starter Plan Transaction Fee: 7.5% — Stated transaction fee percentage for the starter tier on Teachable.
Kajabi Fee Structure: 0% transaction fees — Kajabi offers transparent pricing with no revenue sharing across standard plans.

Practical next steps

Audit your current monthly revenue and projected sales volume for the next 12 months.
Evaluate whether you already pay for an external email marketing provider like ConvertKit or Mailchimp.
Test both platform trial environments to assess the ease of use of their course and landing page builders.
Calculate your total cost of ownership (subscription plus transaction fees) under each platform.
Select the platform that matches your technical workflow and budget, then set up your custom domain.

Methodology

We evaluated Teachable and Kajabi by synthesizing official pricing documentation, transaction fee rules, custom domain white-labeling standards, and built-in marketing capabilities. Mathematical models calculate total cost of ownership across various revenue tiers to deliver an objective comparison.

Sources

Sources support specific claims; they do not replace our analysis. Read the research and source standards.

FAQ

Do both platforms allow custom domain white-labeling?: Yes, both Teachable and Kajabi allow you to connect a custom domain so your students experience a fully branded academy without platform branding dominating the URL.
How do transaction fees compare between Teachable and Kajabi?: Teachable charges transaction fees on its lower-tier plans (such as 7.5% on the Starter plan), whereas Kajabi charges zero transaction fees on its standard plans, relying entirely on flat monthly subscriptions.
Does Teachable include built-in email marketing like Kajabi?: Kajabi includes robust, native email marketing, broadcast tools, and visual automated pipelines. Teachable provides basic student communication tools, but most creators pair Teachable with an external email service provider for advanced marketing automation.

Related decisions

Disclaimers

Software pricing and fee structures are subject to change by platform providers; verify current terms directly on official pricing pages before purchasing.

Financial projections and fee calculations are illustrative and depend entirely on actual sales volume and selected plan tiers.