Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes our verdict. Details.
systeme.io vs Kajabi is a $162 a month question. Kajabi raised its Basic plan from $149 to $179 in January 2026 and cut its contact cap from 10,000 to 2,500, with no grandfathering for existing customers. systeme.io’s equivalent plan is $17. What you give up is the course player and the polish. Whether that is worth $1,944 a year depends on what you sell.
systeme.io vs Kajabi: side-by-side comparison
| systeme.io | Kajabi | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Free, then $17/mo | $179/mo ($143 annual) |
| Mid tier | $47/mo | $249/mo ($199 annual) |
| Top tier | $97/mo | $499/mo ($399 annual) |
| Free plan | Yes, no time limit | No, 30-day trial |
| Contacts on entry plan | 2,000 free / 5,000 on $17 | 2,500 |
| Products or courses on entry plan | 1 free / 5 on $17 | 5 |
| Funnels | 3 free / 10 on $17 | Unlimited |
| Email sends | Unlimited | Unlimited marketing emails |
| Communities | 1 free / 5 on $17 | 1 |
| Affiliate program for your products | Every plan | Growth and above |
| Platform fee on sales | 0% | Kajabi Payments 2.9% + 30c on Basic, or a 2% surcharge with your own processor |
| Mobile app for students | No | Yes |
| Page export | No | No |
Prices checked September 17, 2026 on both pricing pages.
What changed at Kajabi in January 2026
For billing cycles on or after January 13, 2026, Basic went from $149 to $179, Growth from $199 to $249, and Pro from $399 to $499. Basic’s contact limit dropped from 10,000 to 2,500. The $89 Kickstarter plan was removed. Existing customers were moved to the new prices at renewal. That is the invoice most people arrive at this page holding.
Where Kajabi is better
The course player and the student experience. A mobile app your students can use. Coaching and podcast products built in. A better email designer. Deeper support. And the feeling that everything works together without configuration. If your brand is the student experience, this list matters.
Where systeme.io is better
Price. No platform fee on sales, where Kajabi Payments takes 2.9% plus 30 cents on Basic and using your own Stripe adds a 2% surcharge. An affiliate program on every plan, which Kajabi reserves for Growth at $249. Unlimited email sends. Funnels that are not the reason you upgrade.
The fee nobody prices in
At $5,000 a month in sales on Kajabi Basic with Kajabi Payments, the platform’s cut is about $145 plus the $179 subscription. On systeme.io it is $0 plus $17. Processor fees apply on both, and this is an illustration, not a quote.
Migration
Kajabi to systeme.io is a rebuild of courses and pages. systeme.io’s $97 Unlimited plan includes a done-for-you migration service; buy it for the move and downgrade afterward. Students get a new login. Plan for two to four weeks of running both.
Free plan, no card. Affiliate link.
Frequently asked questions
Can systeme.io host course videos?
Yes, with unlimited file storage on every plan.
Does systeme.io have a mobile app for students?
No. Courses are accessed in a mobile browser.
Will Kajabi prices go up again?
Nobody knows. The January 2026 increase applied to existing customers without grandfathering, which is worth knowing when you sign an annual plan.
Can I keep Kajabi for courses and use systeme.io for email and funnels?
Yes. Many do this as a halfway step. You still pay Kajabi, so the saving is small until you move the courses.
Related: systeme.io pricing, systeme.io review, systeme.io alternatives.