Video Transcript
Kajabi is an all-in-one platform at $143/month with courses, email marketing, and sales funnels built in. Circle is a community-first platform at $89/month with courses, events, and a 2% transaction fee. Short answer: Kajabi is better for knowledge businesses that need marketing tools and courses in one platform. Circle is better for community-centered businesses where courses support the community experience.
What Does Each Platform Actually Cost?
| Kajabi | Circle | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry (annual) | Basic: $143/mo | Professional: $89/mo |
| Mid/top (annual) | Growth: $199/mo | Business: $199/mo |
| Premium | Pro: $399/mo | Enterprise: custom |
| Transaction fees | 0% Kajabi Payments / 0.5-2% own Stripe | 2% Professional / 1% Business |
| Email marketing | Full, all plans | Not included |
| Sales funnels | Built-in | Not included |
| Community depth | Basic with gamification | Slack-like, events, live rooms |
| Course builder | Deep (quizzes, cohorts) | Functional (lessons, progress) |
| Mobile app | Branded app (Pro $399/mo) | iOS + Android (all plans) |
| White-labeling | Pro ($399/mo) | Business ($199/mo) |
| Products/contacts | 5-unlimited / 2.5K-100K | Unlimited / unlimited |
See our Kajabi pricing breakdown and Circle pricing breakdown.
The real cost comparison at $5,000/month revenue
| Platform | Plan + fees | Annual cost |
|---|---|---|
| Kajabi Growth | $199/mo all-inclusive | $2,388/yr |
| Circle Professional | $89 + $100 tx fees | $2,268/yr |
| Circle Pro + email tool | $89 + $100 fees + $50 email | $2,868/yr |
| Ruzuku Core | $99/mo + 0% | $1,188/yr |
Circle Professional looks cheaper than Kajabi Growth ($189 vs $199/month at $5K revenue). But Circle doesn't include email marketing. Add ConvertKit or similar ($50/month), and Circle's total exceeds Kajabi's. The value proposition depends on whether you need Kajabi's marketing tools or Circle's community depth.
Where Does Kajabi Win Over Circle?
All-in-one marketing eliminates tool juggling
Kajabi includes email marketing, sales funnels, landing pages, and checkout in one platform. Circle has none of these. If email sequences and funnel-driven sales are how you generate revenue, Kajabi consolidates what would be 3-4 separate subscriptions. One dashboard, one support team, one bill.
Deeper course creation tools
Kajabi's course builder includes quizzes, graded assessments, drip content, video transcription, and cohort scheduling (Growth plan). Circle's courses have structured lessons and progress tracking, but the depth isn't comparable for formal educational programs. If your courses are the primary product (not a community supplement), Kajabi's tools are stronger.
No transaction fees with Kajabi Payments
Using Kajabi's built-in payment processing means 0% platform transaction fees. Circle charges 2% on Professional and 1% on Business, with no path to 0%. At $20,000/month revenue, Circle Business charges $200/month in fees — Kajabi charges nothing (with Kajabi Payments).
Where Does Circle Win Over Kajabi?
Community architecture is fundamentally deeper
Circle was built as a community platform. Slack-like threaded spaces, rich member profiles, live rooms, events, and workflows (Business plan) create a more sophisticated community experience than Kajabi's community hub. If your members interact daily — posting, replying, attending events, joining live rooms — Circle's architecture supports that rhythm better.
Native mobile app on all plans
Circle provides iOS and Android apps for members on every plan. Kajabi's branded mobile app requires the Pro plan at $399/month. That's a $256/month premium for a feature Circle includes at $89/month. For communities with mobile-heavy audiences, Circle's accessibility advantage is significant.
White-labeling at $199/month
Circle Business ($199/month) includes white-labeling — removing Circle branding from your community. Kajabi's equivalent requires the Pro plan at $399/month. If brand ownership matters for your community, Circle gets you there for $200/month less.
Unlimited members and products
Circle has no caps on members or content. Kajabi Basic limits you to 5 products and 2,500 contacts. For community businesses that grow through free-tier members, events, and content marketing, Circle's unlimited model is more forgiving.
What Do Both Platforms Miss?
Here's what I've noticed after watching thousands of creators on both types of platform:
Who Should Consider Kajabi?
- Course-first businesses that sell through email and funnels. If your revenue comes from email sequences, webinar funnels, and course launches, Kajabi's marketing tools are its core value.
- Solo creators who want one platform. No tool juggling, no integration debugging, no separate bills.
- Creators at scale who want zero transaction fees. Kajabi Payments eliminates the 1-2% that Circle charges on every dollar.
Who Should Consider Circle?
- Community-first businesses. If daily member interaction, events, and live sessions are your core offering — with courses enriching the community — Circle's architecture supports that model naturally.
- Creators who need a mobile app without a $399/month plan. Circle's iOS/Android app on all plans is a major advantage for mobile-first audiences.
- Professional communities needing white-labeling. Circle Business at $199/month delivers brand ownership that requires Kajabi Pro at $399/month.
- Creators who already have email marketing. If you use ConvertKit or ActiveCampaign and love it, Circle lets you keep your existing stack and add community + courses without paying for Kajabi's marketing tools you won't use.
The Teaching-First Alternative
Both Kajabi and Circle treat teaching as secondary — to marketing (Kajabi) or to community (Circle). If what you actually do is teach structured programs with discussions, live sessions, and student support, Ruzuku is built for that. $99/month. Zero transaction fees. Unlimited everything. Discussion in every lesson. Native Zoom. Student tech support included.
Start free and see how a teaching-first platform handles courses + community differently. No credit card required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Circle cheaper than Kajabi?
Circle Professional ($89/month) is $54 less than Kajabi Basic ($143/month). But Circle charges 2% transaction fees and doesn't include email marketing. At $5,000/month revenue with an email tool added, Circle costs more than Kajabi Growth.
Does Circle have a course builder?
Yes — structured lessons with progress tracking and content scheduling. It's functional but simpler than Kajabi's, which adds quizzes, assessments, cohorts, and video transcription.
Does Kajabi have community features?
Yes — community with gamification, discussion threads, and member engagement on all plans. Circle's community is architecturally deeper with Slack-like spaces, events, live rooms, and workflows.
Which has a native mobile app?
Circle has iOS and Android apps on all plans. Kajabi offers a branded app only on Pro ($399/month). Circle's app is more accessible for most budgets.
Does Circle include email marketing?
No. You'll need a separate email marketing tool ($30-80/month). Kajabi includes full email marketing with automation on all plans.
Related Resources
- How Ruzuku Works — community integrated into courses, not alongside them
- Kajabi Pricing Breakdown — every plan, surcharge, and feature gate
- Circle Pricing Breakdown — transaction fees, add-ons, and scenarios
- Is Kajabi Any Good? (Honest Review)
- Compare All Course Platforms