Kajabi vs Substack
Kajabi and Substack are both creator monetization tools aimed at creators. Only Substack has a free plan.
| Pricing | Paid · $179 | Free |
| Starting price | $179/mo | Not published |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Free trial | 14 days | — |
| Built for | Creators | Creators |
| Platforms | web, ios, android | web, ios, android |
| Country | US · 2010 | US · 2017 |
| Rating | — | — |
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.
Choose Substack if
Writers starting out who value discovery and simplicity over control.
- Zero upfront cost; discovery network
- Simple, writer-focused
- Payments and hosting handled
Look elsewhere if: Publications with revenue that want to keep 100% and own SEO (Ghost, beehiiv).
Kajabi vs Substack pricing
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
Substack
- Free$0Free publishing, no monthly fee
- Paid subscriptions10%/of revenuePlus credit card processing fees
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
Substack · Key features
- Newsletter, podcast and video publishing
- Paid subscriptions with free and paid tiers
- Recommendations network, Notes and Chat
- Hosted site with custom domain
- Mobile app for readers
- Basic analytics and import tools
Cons
- 10% revenue share
- Limited design and SEO control
- Platform dependence
Kajabi vs Substack: FAQ
Do Kajabi and Substack have a free plan?
Kajabi has no free plan, a 14-day free trial. Substack has a free plan.