The Kartra Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Kartra in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Kartra
The Insider’s Guide
Marketing suite with funnels, email, courses and membership sites
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among course and community platforms, read from Kartra’s own pages.
Made by Kartra Inc. · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Kartra’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Kartra’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 4 of the 18 other course and community platforms we grade
Kartra is an all-in-one marketing suite for online businesses. Pages and websites, funnels, checkouts, email and SMS campaigns, forms, calendars and a help desk sit beside hosted courses and membership sites. Plans are set by contact count, and only the cheapest one takes a fee on sales.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Kartra, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It's a big suite with funnels and sequences to set up, and passing your contact limit moves you up a plan mid-cycle.
- 1
Best for funnel-heavy course launches
Kartra is a marketing suite that also hosts courses: pages, funnels, checkouts, email and texts, calendars, a help desk and membership sites.
- 2
Paid plans start at $52 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $52 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed annually ($59 monthly).
- 3
You can try it first
14-day free trial of any plan, shown as a limited-time offer; 30-day money-back guarantee
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Pages, funnels and checkouts
A drag-and-drop page and website builder, a funnel mapper, pre-built campaigns, and checkouts that take card and PayPal payments.
- 6
Courses and membership sites
Host courses and membership sites with Kartra's own video hosting. Essentials allows 1, Starter and above are unlimited.
- 7
Email and SMS
Broadcasts and automated sequences by email and text, unlimited from Starter. Automations that tag leads by behavior start on Growth.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 4 of 18
That is against the other course and community platforms we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Kartra you would be making newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Kartra at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $52 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed annually ($59 monthly)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial of any plan, shown as a limited-time offer; 30-day money-back guarantee
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Kartra Inc.
- Category
- Courses & Communities
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for funnel-heavy course launches
Kartra is a marketing suite that also hosts courses: pages, funnels, checkouts, email and texts, calendars, a help desk and membership sites. Starter at $99 a month billed yearly takes no cut and unlocks unlimited courses. There's no community space in the listing, though, and automations wait for Growth at $189.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Essentials is $52 a month billed yearly, but it takes 5% of sales, $100 on $2,000, and allows 1 product. Starter at $99 takes no fee, so $99 a month is the real figure: above this category's dearer quarter ($59), short of its dearest tenth ($143). |
| Free plan and trial | C | No free plan. A 14-day trial of any plan is shown as a limited-time offer, and the listing doesn't say it needs a card; after that there's a 30-day money-back guarantee. |
| Features | C | Pages, funnels, checkouts, courses and membership sites with video hosting, email and SMS, forms, calendars and AI copy. The gap is community: there's no discussion space for students anywhere in the listing. |
| Ease of use | C | No App Store rating on record. It's a big suite with funnels and sequences to set up, and passing your contact limit moves you up a plan mid-cycle. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, with Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, Braintree, Zapier, Twilio, Zoom and Google Calendar. API access is only on Professional at $429 a month, and no apps are listed. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Kartra is for
- Great if your business runs on funnels, launches and email sequences
- Handy when you also want calendars, a help desk and texts in the same account
- Good for sellers moving several products through one funnel
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a community around your course, which isn't in the listing
- Pricey if you stay on Essentials, with 5% of sales and only 1 product
- Tight if your list grows fast, since passing the contact limit moves you up a plan
Good to know
Good for
- Marketers who want funnels, email and course hosting in one account
- Course sellers who also need a help desk and an affiliate program
- Businesses that sell several products through funnels
Worth knowing
- Essentials takes 5% of every sale and allows only 1 product, 1 course and 5 pages; higher plans take no fee.
- Passing a plan's contact limit moves the account up a tier automatically, with a mid-cycle charge.
- Automations, affiliates and the help desk start on Growth; API access is only on Professional.
- There are no add-ons for extra domains, languages or team members; more of any means a bigger plan.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$52
A month to start
Kartra is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $52 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed annually ($59 monthly).
Essentials
$52
per month for up to 500 contacts, billed annually ($59 monthly)
10,000 emails and texts a month, 5 pages, 1 product, 1 membership or course, 30 Kartra AI uses, 1 domain. Kartra takes 5% of each sale.
Starter
$99
per month for up to 2,500 contacts, billed annually ($119 monthly)
Unlimited email and SMS, pages, products, memberships and courses, video hosting, calendars, webinars, 5 team members. No transaction fee.
Growth
$189
per month for up to 12,500 contacts, billed annually ($229 monthly)
The tier for 10,000 contacts. Adds automations, affiliates, surveys and quizzes, a help desk, funnel simulation, 10 team members, 3 domains.
Professional
$429
per month for up to 25,000 contacts, billed annually ($549 monthly)
Everything in Growth, plus real-time funnel analytics, help desk live chat, API access and 5 custom domains.
Trying it first
14-day free trial of any plan, shown as a limited-time offer; 30-day money-back guarantee
Read from kartra.com on Oct 17, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save up to 22% with yearly billing
Kartra's pricing page lists yearly billing at up to 22% off: Essentials $52 a month instead of $59, Starter $99 instead of $119, Growth $189 instead of $229.
Stated on kartra.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Marketing suite with funnels, email, courses and membership sites. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, marketing automation, forms, surveys, email campaigns, help desk, online courses.
Pages, funnels, checkouts, courses and membership sites with video hosting, email and SMS, forms, calendars and AI copy.
- Pages, funnels and checkouts
- A drag-and-drop page and website builder, a funnel mapper, pre-built campaigns, and checkouts that take card and PayPal payments.
- Courses and membership sites
- Host courses and membership sites with Kartra's own video hosting. Essentials allows 1, Starter and above are unlimited.
- Email and SMS
- Broadcasts and automated sequences by email and text, unlimited from Starter. Automations that tag leads by behavior start on Growth.
- Forms, surveys and calendars
- A form builder on every plan, appointment calendars that sync with Google Calendar, Zoom and Google Meet, and surveys and quizzes on Growth.
- Affiliates and help desk
- Growth adds an affiliate program for partners and a customer support portal; Professional adds live chat to the help desk.
- Kartra AI
- Writes copy for pages, emails and texts: 30 uses on Essentials, 100 on Starter and 200 on Growth.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Stripe
- PayPal
- Authorize.net
- Braintree
- Zapier
- Twilio
- Zoom
- Google Calendar
Kartra is made by Kartra Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
4/18
Other course and community platforms it is graded above
Kartra's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 4 of the 18 other course and community platforms we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 0 of 18) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $52 a month, against a middle price of $41 for the category: 12 of the 17 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 6 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 19 course and community platforms we grade, cut by the letter each got. Kartra’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 3 of 18
- CFree plan and trialAbove 3 of 18
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 18
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 18
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 18
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 19 course and community platforms. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Kartra is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Kartra you would be making newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 11 of the 18 other course and community platforms grade higher. It costs $624 a year.
What you could make
- Online courses, forms, surveys and help desk: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox.
- Email sent in volume that still reaches the inbox.
- It plugs into other products, Stripe, PayPal and Authorize.net among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Kartra’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
systeme.io, Kajabi, Kit, Simplero and Podia
The 5 tools Kartra is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
systeme.io
Free plan · from $17/mo
All-in-one marketing suite with funnels, email, courses and community.
- systeme.io has a free plan. Kartra does not, though it has a free trial.
- Kartra also covers forms, surveys and help desk.
- systeme.io also covers booking links, sales pipeline and community.
- 2.0GPA
Kajabi
Free trial · from $143/mo
All-in-one platform for selling courses, coaching and communities.
- Only Kajabi lists iOS and Android apps.
- Kartra also covers forms, surveys and help desk.
- Kajabi also covers paid newsletters and community.
- 2.6GPA
Kit
Free plan · from $33/mo
Email marketing and paid newsletters for creators.
- Kit has a free plan. Kartra does not, though it has a free trial.
- Kartra also covers surveys, help desk and online courses.
- Kit also covers paid newsletters.
- 2.8GPA
Simplero
Free trial · from $59/mo
All-in-one platform for courses, community, email and coaching.
- Only Simplero lists iOS and Android apps.
- Kartra also covers surveys and help desk.
- Simplero also covers community.
- 2.4GPA
Podia
Free trial · from $42/mo
Website, store, courses, community and email for creators in one place.
- Kartra also covers forms, surveys and help desk.
- Podia also covers community.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Kartra free?
No, Kartra is a paid product, but you can try it first. 14-day free trial of any plan, shown as a limited-time offer; 30-day money-back guarantee.
How much does Kartra cost?
Kartra lists 4 plans. Essentials: $52 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed annually ($59 monthly).
What platforms does Kartra work on?
Kartra is available on Web.
Does Kartra offer any discounts?
Kartra publicly lists the following: Save up to 22% with yearly billing.
Does Kartra have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Kartra is listed for Web.
Does Kartra have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Kartra is listed for Web.
Is Kartra open source?
Kartra is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
What does Kartra integrate with?
Kartra's listing names Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, Braintree, Zapier, Twilio, Zoom and Google Calendar.
Who makes Kartra?
Kartra is made by Kartra Inc.
What are the alternatives to Kartra?
The closest alternatives to Kartra in our directory are systeme.io, Kajabi, Kit, Simplero and Podia.
How does Kartra compare with other course and community platforms?
Kartra's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 4 of the 18 other course and community platforms we grade, and level with 3.
Is Kartra good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Kartra C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $52 a month, against a middle price of $41 for the category: 12 of the 17 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Kartra?
To replace Kartra you would be making newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Kartra’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Kartra's own pages on 17 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Kartra Inc. Prices change, so check kartra.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
1,880
Tools graded, in 47 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
1,880
tools graded
47
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Kartra, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/kartra
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Kartra: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/kartra
Know someone choosing between course and community platforms?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/kartra/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded course and community platforms after Kartra, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Courses & Communities Insider's GuideEvery one of the 19 course and community platforms we grade, compared
- Circle Insider's GuideCommunity platform with courses, events, payments and branded apps2.8 GPA
- Simplero Insider's GuideAll-in-one platform for courses, community, email and coaching2.8 GPA
- systeme.io Insider's GuideAll-in-one marketing suite with funnels, email, courses and community2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Kartra’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Kartra is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Kartra Inc. Prices and plans change: check kartra.com before you buy.