Kajabi vs Learnyst (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Kajabi grades higher than Learnyst: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Kajabi grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Kajabi
All-in-one platform for selling courses, coaching and communities
Learnyst
Course platform with DRM protection, apps and test series
Which one is for you
Pick Kajabi if
- Fits if you want site, email, checkout and courses on one bill and one login
- Works for coaches who sell courses, coaching and a newsletter to the same people
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you're just starting, as Basic is $143 a month even billed yearly
- Tight if you plan lots of offers, since Basic stops at 5 products and 2,500 contacts
- Skip it if you want your own branded app without paying $199 a month or moving to Pro
- Watch out: the trial rolls into Growth at $249 a month unless you cancel
- Watch out: other processors add 0.5% to 2% a sale, and extra contacts cost $125 a month per 25,000
Pick Learnyst if
- Fits if you sell exam prep and want DRM-protected video and mock tests
- Works for institutes that want their own branded app and can commit for a year
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you need Premium features: offline download, SCORM, 1080p video and API start there
- Watch out: branded apps need an annual commitment and are published under Learnyst's developer account
- Watch out: some listed features carry additional charges and prices are shown plus taxes
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as there is only a trial of unstated length
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAKajabiFair | 1.8GPALearnystWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DBasic is $143 a month billed yearly, and Kajabi takes no share of sales through Kajabi Payments, whose 2.9% + 30 cents is card processing. So $2,000 of sales a month costs $143, right where this category's dearest tenth starts. Use another processor and Basic adds 2%, another $40. | D$135 a month billed yearly is in the dearer quarter of courses and communities tools ($82), and offline download, SCORM and API access need Premium at $224 or Business. |
| Free plan and trial | DNo free plan. The 14-day trial covers the whole platform, but it rolls into Growth at $249 a month unless you cancel, so it's the kind that bills you at the end. | DA free trial exists, but the pricing page says only 'get started for free' and gives no length or card terms. |
| Features | BCourses with drip, assessments and cohorts, coaching, a community, unlimited emails, funnels and landing pages, upsells, affiliates, tax and paid newsletters. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the job; Basic just stops at 5 products and 2,500 contacts. | CCourses, cohorts, live classes, mock tests, DRM, marketing tools and apps. The listing's gap: offline download, SCORM, 1080p and API are on higher plans. |
| Ease of use | C4.34 from about 7,400 App Store ratings, mid-table for this category. And you're setting up a site, emails, funnels and a checkout before anything sells. | CNo store rating on record. You build courses and tests, and branded apps go through a publishing process. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Stripe, PayPal, Zapier, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign and a public API. No desktop app, which an A needs. An app in your own name is on Pro, or $199 a month extra. | BWeb, iOS and Android, with Google Tag Manager, GA4 and WhatsApp connections. No desktop app. |
| Best for | running a whole course business from one account | courses with DRM protection and test series |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Kajabi and Learnyst. How we grade
Price against what you get
Kajabi starts at $143 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Learnyst starts at $135 a month and scores 2.3.
Kajabi scores higher, and starts $8 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other course and community platforms on the chart, 3 score higher than Kajabi for less, and 12 score higher than Learnyst for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Kajabi also covers email campaigns and paid newsletters.
At a glance
| Kajabi | Learnyst | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $143 per month, billed annually ($179 billed monthly) | $135 per month, billed annually ($149 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the full platform; it rolls into the Growth monthly plan at $249 unless cancelled | Free trial available; the pricing page says "Get started for free" and gives no length. |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Kajabi | Learnyst Insight Private Limited |
| Price read from | kajabi.com | learnyst.com |
| Checked | Nov 9, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Kajabi
- No revenue share, but Kajabi Payments charges 2.7% to 2.9% plus $0.30 a sale in the US; using another processor (not PayPal) adds 0.5% to 2%.
- Basic stops at 5 products, 2,500 contacts and 2 admin users. Extra contacts cost $125 a month per block of 25,000.
- There is no free plan. The branded mobile app is only in Pro unless bought for $199 a month.
- Basic has no AI credits; Growth gets 500 and Pro 1,000, and 500 more cost $15 a month.
Learnyst
- Branded apps need an annual commitment and are published under Learnyst's developer account.
- Offline download, SCORM, 1080p video and API access are on Premium or Business only.
- Some listed features carry additional charges, marked on the pricing page.
- Prices are shown plus taxes.
Key features
Kajabi
- Courses and coaching
- Courses with drip release, progress tracking, assessments and cohorts, plus coaching programs, memberships, podcasts and digital downloads.
- Communities
- Topic-based spaces with threaded posts, activity feeds and announcements, tied to product purchases. Basic and Growth include 1 community, Pro 3.
- Email, funnels and landing pages
- Unlimited marketing emails, landing pages and funnels on every plan, with broadcasts, sequences and automations triggered by what students do.
- Checkout and payments
- One-time prices, subscriptions and payment plans, coupons, order bumps, upsells, affiliate programs and automated tax calculation.
- Newsletters with paywalls
- Publish a newsletter from the same account and charge for it with paid subscriptions, premium issues or paywalled posts.
- Branded and Creator apps
- A mobile app with your own branding, included on Pro or $199 a month on other plans. A separate Creator app shows sales and contacts on a phone.
Learnyst
- Courses, cohorts and live classes
- Sell recorded courses, live classes and batches, with content dripping and automated certificates.
- Mock tests and test series
- Run mock tests and test series with analysis of results, listed on every plan.
- DRM content protection
- DRM protection is on every plan. The Business plan lists L1 DRM for stronger protection.
- Marketing tools
- Email, push and WhatsApp marketing, campaigns, coupons and referrals are listed on all plans.
- Branded apps
- Professional uses a common app. Premium brands the Android app and Business brands Android and iOS.
- Admin seats and roles
- Sub-admin seats rise from 5 to 25 to 50, and custom admin roles start on Premium.
Plans
Kajabi
Basic$143
per month for up to 2,500 contacts, billed annually ($179 monthly)
5 products, 1 website, 1 community, 2 admin users, no AI credits. Kajabi Payments at 2.9% + $0.30 a sale; other processors add a 2% fee.
Growth$199
per month for up to 25,000 contacts, billed annually ($249 monthly)
50 products, 1 website, 1 community, 11 admin users, 500 AI credits. Kajabi Payments at 2.8% + $0.30; other processors add a 1% fee.
Pro$399
per month for up to 100,000 contacts, billed annually ($499 monthly)
Unlimited products, 3 websites, 3 communities, 26 admin users, 1,000 AI credits and the branded mobile app. Other processors add a 0.5% fee.
Learnyst
Professional$135
per month, billed annually ($149 billed monthly)
5 sub-admin seats, 0% transaction fees, DRM protection, custom domain and a common Android and iOS app.
Premium$224
per month, billed annually ($249 billed monthly)
Adds white labelling, a branded Android app, affiliates, instalment pricing and 25 sub-admin seats.
Business$719
per month, billed annually ($799 billed monthly)
Adds branded Android and iOS apps, SCORM, 1080p video, gamification, API and SSO, and 50 sub-admin seats.
EnterpriseCustom
For needs beyond the listed plans; contact the sales team.
Ways to pay less
Kajabi
- Annual discount
Save 20% with annual billing
Kajabi's pricing page lists 20% off for annual billing: Basic $143 a month instead of $179, Growth $199 instead of $249, Pro $399 instead of $499.
Learnyst
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Kajabi or Learnyst?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Learnyst is cheaper to start with: $135 a month, against $143 a month for Kajabi. Kajabi starts at $143 per month, billed annually ($179 billed monthly), and Learnyst starts at $135 per month, billed annually ($149 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Kajabi or Learnyst?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Kajabi nor Learnyst has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.