Profit-first verdict
Basic is the sensible default. Growth is a capacity and workflow upgrade—not an automatic bargain.
Start with Basic only if five products, 2,500 contacts, one website, one community, and two admins are enough. Upgrade when a documented limit or missing workflow costs more than the $56 monthly gap. Do not justify Kajabi from course hosting alone; justify the full replacement stack.
Published plan prices
Kajabi costs $1,716 to $4,788 per year on annual billing
| Plan | Annual-plan equivalent | Month to month | Annual cash outlay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $143/month | $179/month | $1,716 |
| Growth | $199/month | $249/month | $2,388 |
| Pro | $399/month | $499/month | $4,788 |
USD prices checked August 23, 2026. Taxes, payment processing, currency conversion, optional apps, and implementation labor are separate.
Limits that force upgrades
Count the objects your business will actually create
| Capacity | Basic | Growth | Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Products | 5 | 50 | Unlimited |
| Contacts | 2,500 | 25,000 | 100,000 |
| Websites | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Communities | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Admin users | 2 | 11 | 26 |
| Cohort-Based Courses | Not listed | Included | Included |
A product is not the same as an offer. Model the courses, coaching programs, downloads, newsletters, podcasts, and other products you will maintain. Also count imported contacts, team members, and future cohort programs—not just what exists on launch day.
Payment-provider fee
An affected third-party provider can change Kajabi's effective cost
| Monthly gross through affected provider | Basic: 2% | Growth: 1% | Pro: 0.5% |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000 | $40 + $143 = $183 | $20 + $199 = $219 | $10 + $399 = $409 |
| $5,000 | $100 + $143 = $243 | $50 + $199 = $249 | $25 + $399 = $424 |
| $10,000 | $200 + $143 = $343 | $100 + $199 = $299 | $50 + $399 = $449 |
| $25,000 | $500 + $143 = $643 | $250 + $199 = $449 | $125 + $399 = $524 |
These examples exclude normal processing. Kajabi states the listed third-party provider fee excludes Kajabi Payments and PayPal and does not apply where Kajabi Payments is unavailable. Verify the rule for the account, business country, provider, and transaction type.
Two break-even tests
Growth does not become cheaper at the same point for every business
Provider-fee math only
Growth costs $56 more per month and saves one percentage point on an affected provider. The subscription-plus-provider-fee lines cross at about $5,600 in monthly affected-provider gross. Above that, Growth is cheaper than Basic on this narrow model.
Operations math
Upgrade sooner if one extra admin, more than five products, more than 2,500 contacts, cohort courses, or expanded automation avoids more than $56 of outside software or monthly labor. That is the more common reason to move.
Replacement-stack test
Give Kajabi credit only for tools you will actually cancel
| Function | Kajabi can cover | Evidence to collect |
|---|---|---|
| Website and landing pages | Site, blog, pages, forms, custom domain | Rebuild one production page and measure design or SEO compromises |
| Email and automation | Broadcasts, sequences, segmentation, triggers | Recreate onboarding, launch, abandoned-checkout, and renewal flows |
| Products | Courses, community, coaching, podcasts, newsletters, downloads | Build the exact product ladder and buyer library |
| Commerce | Offers, checkout, coupons, subscriptions, upsells | Test gateways, tax, refunds, failed payments, attribution, and payouts |
| Community | Access groups, discussions, events, custom pages | Test member notifications, moderation, mobile return habit, and analytics |
Decision rules
Choose the lowest plan that survives the next 12 months
Choose Basic when
- Five products and 2,500 contacts leave room to grow.
- Two admins can operate the business.
- You do not need native cohort courses.
- The integrated stack replaces enough real cost to justify $143.
Choose Growth when
- Product, contact, or admin limits are imminent.
- Cohort-Based Courses are part of the offer.
- Additional automation changes the operating workflow.
- Affected-provider volume or saved outside tools cover the $56 gap.
Choose Pro when
- Three websites or communities are genuinely required.
- Unlimited products and a larger team are operational needs.
- The additional $200 over Growth is cheaper than separate business units.
- You have verified the plan in a production-like trial.
Choose another platform when
- You need only course hosting and basic checkout.
- Your existing email and website stack already works well.
- Kajabi Payments and the available payout route do not fit.
- Learning depth matters more than marketing consolidation.
Frequently asked
Kajabi cost questions
Does Kajabi have a free plan?
Kajabi's public pricing page promotes a trial, not a permanent free operating plan. Confirm the current trial terms and renewal date before entering payment details.
Does Kajabi include payment processing?
Kajabi supports payment routes, but normal payment-processing charges remain separate. Kajabi also publishes additional provider fees for affected third-party providers; those are not the same as card processing.
Can Kajabi replace an email platform?
It can for many creator businesses, but rebuild the actual segments, sequences, triggers, deliverability workflow, forms, consent records, and reporting before cancelling the existing provider.
Is annual billing always cheaper?
The displayed annual-plan equivalent is lower, but annual billing creates a larger cash commitment and switching cost. Compare the dollar saving with the risk of paying for unused months.
Official sources
Verify current Kajabi pricing and payment rules
Kajabi links are currently direct and non-affiliate.