So, you've decided to turn your passion and expertise into an online course. Congratulations - you're on your way to joining the many entrepreneurs who have started making a living by sharing their knowledge with the world!
Simply taking the plunge to launch an online course is probably the hardest choice you'll make on your online course creation journey. The second hardest? Choosing which online course platform to build and host your course on.
While there's plenty to write about how to build and sell online courses, you'll also need to find the online course platform that best fits your goals and design needs. Two of the top contenders in the online course platform are Kajabi and Thinkific.
Both Kajabi and Thinkific offer a variety of all in one platform features that allow you to build, host, and promote your online course. However, there are elements to each that may fit your online course business best - which is why I've built this Kajabi vs thinkific guide to help you navigate both!
In this comparison, we'll take a look at both Kajabi and Thinkific to showcase how each helps you create online courses. We'll also break down the most important elements to look for in both, such as:
The goal is simple - to help you start creating and selling courses that turn your expertise into profitable online courses. So let's dive in and take a look at Kajabi vs Thinkific - but first, a quick reminder on what each platoform is, and what they offer.
Kajabi is an all-in-one platform designed for digital entrepreneurs, including online course creators, coaches, and marketers. It provides a comprehensive suite of tools to help you create, market, and sell your digital products, such as online courses, membership sites, and coaching programs.
With Kajabi, you can:
Kajabi aims to simplify the process of creating and selling online courses by providing all the necessary tools within a single platform. This eliminates the need for course creators to juggle multiple tools and integrations, allowing them to focus on creating valuable content and growing their online business. And by adding your own branding to existing website and marketing tools, you can quickly personalize your course.
Thinkific is a dedicated online course platform that enables course creators to build, market, and sell their courses with ease. While primarily aimed at the educational sector, Thinkific has emerged as a competitor in the learning platform sector. Thinkific offers a user-friendly interface and a range of features specifically designed for creating and delivering online educational content.
With Thinkific, you can:
Thinkific focuses primarily on providing a robust course creation and delivery system, making it an excellent choice for course creators who want a dedicated platform for their online courses. While it offers some basic marketing features, Thinkific's main strength lies in its course building and student management capabilities.
70% of creators reported making the most revenue via online courses compared to digital products (63%) and subscription services (57%)
The State of Creators ‘24 Report, Kajabi
As a course creator, your primary goal is to create engaging and valuable content that you can successfully monetize. Both Kajabi and Thinkific provide powerful tools to help you build and sell your online courses, but let's dive deeper into how they compare in terms of course creation and monetization features.
Kajabi's intuitive course builder allows you to easily structure your content, incorporate multimedia elements, and design visually stunning courses that capture your audience's attention. With a variety of customizable themes and templates, you can ensure your courses align with your brand and stand out in the market.
One of Kajabi's key strengths is its built-in monetization features. You can easily set up different pricing options for your courses, such as one-time payments, recurring subscriptions, or payment plans. Kajabi also offers advanced monetization tools like upsells, cross-sells, and bundle offerings, allowing you to maximize your revenue potential.
Plus, when it comes to promoting your online course, Kajabi provides a comprehensive set of marketing tools. You can quickly spin up a landing page using their website builder and drive online advertising to dedicated landing pages. Plus, Kajabi makes it easy to add your digital downloads to your online course without the need for tons of technical expertise.
Thinkific's user-friendly course builder enables you to create professional-looking courses with ease. You can organize your content, add various media types, and customize the appearance of your course pages to match your brand. Thinkific also offers a range of themes and templates wthin the Thinkific app store to help you build your course.
When it comes to monetization, Thinkific provides flexible pricing options, allowing you to sell your courses as one-time purchases or recurring memberships. You can also offer coupons and discounts to incentivize potential students and boost your sales.
While both Kajabi and Thinkific offer monetization features, Kajabi takes it a step further with its advanced marketing and sales tools. Kajabi's built-in email marketing, landing pages, and sales funnels provide a comprehensive solution for promoting and selling your courses, all within a single platform.
Thinkific, on the other hand, focuses more on the course creation aspect and offers basic monetization options. To access advanced marketing features, you may need to integrate with third-party tools or services. So if you are looking to build and launch your course without the need to plug in a bunch of third party apps, Kajabi is an excellent choice.
Okay, let's get to the question you really want to know - what's the price difference between Kajabi vs Thinkific? While price isn't everything (think of it as a business investment!), it's still a key part of getting your new online course off the ground. Here's what you can expect from both:
With Kajabi's Basic plan, course creators can have up to three products, three funnels, and 10,000 contacts. The Growth plan expands this to 15 products, 15 funnels, and 25,000 contacts, while also offering advanced automations and affiliate programs.
The Kajabi Pro plan provides even more room for growth with 100 products, 100 funnels, and 100,000 contacts, as well as three websites or landing pages and 24/7 support - giving you plenty of support for when you really launch your course creation business!
Thinkific's Free plan allows course creators to test the platform with one course and unlimited students. The Basic plan includes unlimited courses and students and additional features like custom domains and coupons. The Start plan adds more advanced features like memberships, bundles, and assignments.
As you increase your subscription to Thinkific, you'll gain more priority support, site admin accounts, and advanced reporting. The Expand plan offers unlimited products, admins, and additional tools for selling and managing a larger online course business.
Kajabi is an excellent choice for course creators who want an all-in-one platform that can handle their entire online business. Here are some situations where Kajabi really shines:
1. Creating a Full-Fledged Online Course Business
Kajabi provides all the tools you need to build a comprehensive online business, not just a course. With features like website building, email marketing, and sales funnels, you can create a professional online presence and market your courses effectively.
Kajabi's Growth and Pro plans offer advanced automations and affiliate programs, making it easier to scale your business as it grows. Whether you want to throw up a course and build your own website to go with it, or need to host tons of content for a variety of subscriber types, Kajabi can handle it all.
2. Simplifying Your All In One Online Tech Stack
If you want to avoid the hassle of integrating multiple tools and platforms, Kajabi is a great choice. It provides everything you need in one place, so you don't have to worry about connecting different systems or dealing with technical glitches. This can save you time and headaches, allowing you to focus on creating and selling your courses.
When You May Want to Sell Online Courses and More
Selling digital products is one of the potential revenue streams for many small businesses, coaches, and entrepreneurs. If you want to expand your offerings, Kajabi makes it easy to scale your business. You can easily add new courses, products, and membership options without the need for additional software or plugins.
In addition, Kajabi offers built-in marketing tools such as email campaigns, landing pages, and sales funnels to help promote and sell your digital products. This means you don't have to invest in separate marketing software or hire a team of professionals to handle your promotions.
"When choosing between online course platforms, you'll ultimately need to choose which best fits your course creation process and the customization options you want… I've found that Kajabi's automation features and robust features stand out the most."
- Amanda Olson
Thinkific is a powerful platform that excels in several key areas, making it an attractive option for many course creators. Here are some situations where Thinkific really stands out:
1. When You Want To Try Launching an Online Course Platform on a Budget
Thinkific's Free plan is a great way for course creators to get started without any upfront costs. You can create one course and start selling it to unlimited students, giving you a chance to validate your idea and start building an audience. As your business grows, you can upgrade to a paid plan with more features and tools.
2. Focusing Primarily on Educational Course Delivery
If your main priority is creating and delivering high-quality courses, Thinkific is a good choice. Among the online course platforms out there, it offers a user-friendly course builder, advanced quizzing options, and the ability to create learning paths and prerequisites. Thinkific also provides a mobile app for students, making it easy for them to access your content on the go.
When choosing between online course platforms, you'll ultimately need to choose which best fits your course creation process and the customization options you want. Both Thinkific and Kajabi offer sales and marketing tools that lend themselves toward creating and launching an entire course, but I've found that Kajabi's automation features and robust features stand out the most.
Thinkific does offer some compelling use cases, but they remain monstly education-focused, so you may miss out on some of elements that Kajabi can bring to the table. In terms of ease of use, both platforms do a great job at providing intuitive interfaces for course creation and management. However, Kajabi's interface is more modern and user-friendly compared to Thinkific's.
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Note: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. I only recommend products I use and love.
Amanda Olson is an award-winning designer and web developer with over 20,000 hours of experience in websites, design, and online marketing.
