Happy Valley

Circle vs Kajabi

Circle and Kajabi are both online courses & LMS tools. Circle is aimed at creators and small businesses, while Kajabi is aimed at creators. Circle costs less, from $89/mo versus $179/mo for Kajabi.

Circle

All-in-one community platform for creators and brands

Kajabi

All-in-one knowledge commerce platform

PricingPaid · $89Paid · $179
Starting price$89/mo$179/mo
Free planNoNo
Free trial14 days14 days
Built forCreators, Small businessesCreators
Platformsweb, ios, androidweb, ios, android
CountryUS · 2020US · 2010
Rating——

Choose Circle if

Creators and companies who want a premium, branded community with courses and payments.

  • Polished, flexible community experience
  • Courses, events and payments in one
  • Strong for creators and B2B communities alike

Look elsewhere if: Budget communities (Skool, Discord) or knowledge-heavy forums (Discourse).

Choose Kajabi if

Established creators and knowledge entrepreneurs with revenue who want one system.

  • Truly all-in-one; fewer tools to manage
  • No transaction fees
  • Strong funnels and email for selling

Look elsewhere if: Beginners validating a first course or those happy with best-of-breed tools.

Circle vs Kajabi pricing

Circle

  • Professional$89/moBilled annually; unlimited members, 3 admins, 2% transaction fee
  • Business$199/moBilled annually; 5 admins, 1% transaction fee, workflows, API
  • Scale$419/moBilled annually; 10 admins, 1% transaction fee, AI agents
  • Circle PlusCustomBranded mobile apps, unlimited admins, 0.5% transaction fee

Kajabi

  • Basic$179/mo$143/mo billed annually; 5 products, 2,500 contacts, 2 admins
  • Growth$249/mo$199/mo billed annually; 50 products, 25,000 contacts
  • Pro$499/mo$399/mo billed annually; unlimited products, 100,000 contacts

Circle · Key features

  • Spaces for posts, chat, events and courses
  • Live streams and video rooms
  • Paid memberships, tiers and gated spaces
  • Workflows for automation and member journeys
  • Branded mobile apps (Plus)
  • AI agent, analytics and API

Cons

  • Price plus transaction fees
  • Branded app is a significant add-on
  • Search and threading can be weaker than forums

Kajabi · Key features

  • Courses, coaching, communities, podcasts and memberships
  • Website, landing pages and funnel builder
  • Email marketing with automations and segmentation
  • Checkout, payment plans, coupons; 0% transaction fees
  • Analytics, affiliates and branded mobile app
  • Creator Studio AI for repurposing content

Cons

  • Expensive for beginners
  • Contact and product limits per tier
  • Email features trail dedicated tools

Circle vs Kajabi: FAQ

Which is cheaper, Circle or Kajabi?

Circle starts at $89/mo and Kajabi at $179/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.

Do Circle and Kajabi have a free plan?

Circle has no free plan, a 14-day free trial. Kajabi has no free plan, a 14-day free trial.

Which is better for small businesses, Circle or Kajabi?

Circle lists small businesses as a core audience, while Kajabi is aimed more at creators.

Not sure yet?