Which platform has lower overall fees for beginners?

For absolute beginners with low monthly sales (under $500/mo), Teachable's lower entry subscription of $39/mo is cheaper, even with the 7.5% transaction fee. As sales increase, Kajabi's 0% transaction fee model becomes much more cost-effective.

Do both platforms allow custom domain mapping?

Yes, both Teachable and Kajabi allow creators to map custom domains so your course storefront lives on your own branded URL rather than a subdomain.

How do their blogging and funnel builder capabilities compare?

Kajabi is built as an all-in-one business platform with advanced multi-step funnel pipelines, email sequences, and native blogging tools. Teachable focuses heavily on course creation, student management, and digital downloads, meaning you often need separate tools for complex marketing funnels.

Teachable vs. Kajabi: Which Platform Should Online Course Creators Choose?

Question: Should an online course creator host digital products on 'Teachable' or 'Kajabi', considering transaction fee percentages, built-in blogging and funnel builder capabilities, and custom domain mapping flexibility?

Prepared by the ChoiceScore Research Desk · Editor-approved for the curated library · Reviewed August 1, 2026

It depends Choice Score: 78/100

Direct answer

Choose Teachable if you need a lower initial software cost and are willing to patch together external marketing tools, or choose Kajabi if you require an all-in-one ecosystem with advanced native funnels, blogging, and zero transaction fees despite a higher monthly subscription.

Summary

Selecting between Teachable and Kajabi is a pivotal choice for online course creators balancing overhead costs against operational simplicity. Teachable offers lower-tier entry points starting at $39 per month with transaction fees up to 7.5%, making it friendly for early-stage validation. Conversely, Kajabi positions itself as a comprehensive, all-in-one suite that eliminates transaction fees entirely while offering sophisticated built-in funnel builders, blogging capabilities, and robust custom domain mapping. This report evaluates both platforms across transaction structures, marketing automation, blogging infrastructure, and overall creator value.

Choice Score breakdown

Transaction Fee Efficiency 70/100 — Teachable charges up to 7.5% on lower tiers; Kajabi has 0% transaction fees across plans.
Funnel & Marketing Capabilities 85/100 — Kajabi excels with native multi-step pipelines; Teachable relies more on integrations.
Blogging & Content Marketing 80/100 — Kajabi offers strong native blogging and site architecture; Teachable focuses primarily on course delivery.
Custom Domain Flexibility 90/100 — Both platforms allow professional custom domain mapping, though setup complexity varies.

Best for / Not best for

Best for

Beginners and budget-conscious creators validating a course idea (Teachable)
Established creators seeking an all-in-one funnel, email marketing, and course ecosystem without revenue sharing (Kajabi)

Not best for

Creators who want advanced automated funnels without paying high monthly subscription fees (Kajabi)
High-volume sellers who want to avoid transaction fees on entry-level plans (Teachable)

Scenarios

Bootstrap Creator (Low Volume) (45% likely)
An emerging creator generating $1,000 per month in course sales with minimal initial capital.
Scaling Expert Business (High Volume) (35% likely)
An established creator scaling past $10,000 per month in digital product and community sales.
Hybrid Stack Builder (20% likely)
A technical creator who pairs Teachable with specialized standalone email marketing and funnel software.

Calculations

Metric	Result	Formula
Teachable Starter Monthly Cost at $2,000 Sales	189 USD/month	base_subscription + (monthly_sales × transaction_fee_pct)
Kajabi Estimated Monthly Platform TCO	149 USD/month	flat_monthly_subscription + 0
Annual Fee Variance at $5,000 Monthly Volume	2,580 USD/year	(teachable_monthly_cost - kajabi_monthly_cost) × 12

Pros & cons

Pros

Teachable offers an accessible entry price point starting at $39/mo for new creators.
Kajabi features 0% transaction fees across its plans, keeping more revenue in your pocket as you scale.
Kajabi provides robust all-in-one native funnel, email marketing, and blogging tools without external plugins.
Both platforms support professional custom domain mapping for branding consistency.

Cons

Teachable charges up to 7.5% transaction fees on its entry-level Starter plan.
Kajabi has a significantly higher starting subscription cost, which can strain bootstrapped creators.
Teachable's native marketing funnels and blogging capabilities are more limited, often requiring third-party integrations.
Migrating an established course infrastructure between these platforms can be time-consuming and technically complex.

Assumptions

Teachable Starter Fee: 7.5% transaction fee — Sourced directly from Teachable official pricing page for the Starter tier.
Kajabi Fee Structure: 0% transaction fees — Sourced directly from Kajabi pricing documentation emphasizing no revenue sharing.
Illustrative Sales Volume: $2,000 to $5,000 monthly — Used as a baseline model to illustrate how flat vs. percentage fees impact total creator take-home pay.

Practical next steps

Audit your current or projected monthly revenue to calculate whether percentage transaction fees exceed flat subscription differences.
List your essential feature requirements, determining if you need an all-in-one marketing suite or just simple course hosting.
Test both platforms during their respective trial periods to evaluate user interface and student experience.
Configure your custom domain mapping on your chosen platform to ensure brand continuity.
Build your first pilot course module and sales page, then connect your preferred payment gateway.

Methodology

This analysis evaluates Teachable and Kajabi by extracting official pricing structures, transaction fee percentages, and core feature sets from verified provider documentation. Financial impact is modeled across varying sales volumes to determine total cost of ownership (TCO), while capability dimensions examine funnel construction, blogging infrastructure, and custom domain flexibility.

Sources

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

FAQ

Which platform has lower overall fees for beginners?: For absolute beginners with low monthly sales (under $500/mo), Teachable's lower entry subscription of $39/mo is cheaper, even with the 7.5% transaction fee. As sales increase, Kajabi's 0% transaction fee model becomes much more cost-effective.
Do both platforms allow custom domain mapping?: Yes, both Teachable and Kajabi allow creators to map custom domains so your course storefront lives on your own branded URL rather than a subdomain.
How do their blogging and funnel builder capabilities compare?: Kajabi is built as an all-in-one business platform with advanced multi-step funnel pipelines, email sequences, and native blogging tools. Teachable focuses heavily on course creation, student management, and digital downloads, meaning you often need separate tools for complex marketing funnels.

Related decisions

Disclaimers

Platform pricing, feature sets, and transaction fees are subject to change by Teachable and Kajabi at any time; verify current terms directly on their official pricing pages.

Financial outcomes and software costs will vary based on individual creator sales volume, refund rates, and promotional discounts.