Thrivecart vs Kajabi A 2025 Guide to Choosing the Best Platform for Your Courses
Last Updated on April 27, 2025 by Arjun
As an online course creator, choosing the right platform to host, sell, and manage your digital products is crucial to your success. Two popular options in the market are ThriveCart and Kajabi—both of which offer powerful features for selling online courses and digital products. However, after spending several months using Kajabi, I made the decision to switch to ThriveCart. In this review, I’ll share my reasons for making the switch, provide an in-depth comparison between the two platforms, and explain why ThriveCart emerged as the better choice for my business.
Table of Contents
- What is ThriveCart?
- What is Kajabi?
- ThriveCart vs Kajabi: Features & Functionality
- ThriveCart vs Kajabi: Ease of Use
- ThriveCart vs Kajabi: Support & Training Resources
- ThriveCart vs Kajabi: Pricing
- ThriveCart vs Kajabi: Affiliate Programs
- ThriveCart vs Kajabi: Online Course Platform
- Why I Switched from Kajabi to ThriveCart
- What I Like Most About ThriveCart
- My Final ThriveCart Review 6 Months In
What is ThriveCart?
ThriveCart is an all-in-one online checkout platform designed to help entrepreneurs, course creators, and digital product sellers generate revenue with ease. It provides tools for creating professional-looking checkout pages, setting up advanced sales funnels, and managing subscription payments.
The key selling point of ThriveCart is its simplicity and customization. With ThriveCart, you can create stunning cart pages, upsells, and even integrate with other third-party tools like email marketing systems, membership sites, and affiliate programs.
In 2024, ThriveCart is one of the most popular platforms for course creators due to its cost-effectiveness (one-time payment) and powerful sales features. ThriveCart also supports a range of payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal, etc.) and is highly adaptable for international businesses.
Key Features of ThriveCart:
- One-time payment model with lifetime updates (no recurring fees).
- Advanced sales funnel functionality with upsells, downsells, and bump offers.
- A/B testing to optimize checkout pages and increase conversions.
- Affiliate program management with automated tracking and payouts.
- Seamless integrations with popular platforms like Teachable, Thinkific, and email marketing tools.
What is Kajabi?
Kajabi is a robust all-in-one platform designed for entrepreneurs, course creators, and digital content sellers. It combines tools for creating, marketing, and selling courses, as well as membership sites, coaching programs, and digital products. Kajabi is best known for its course-building features and comprehensive marketing automation tools.
Kajabi is ideal for creators who want a complete solution without relying on multiple tools for hosting courses, collecting payments, or creating sales funnels. The platform offers extensive customization and drag-and-drop page-building tools, allowing you to create professional websites, landing pages, and checkout pages without needing any coding knowledge.
Key Features of Kajabi:
- All-in-one platform for course creation, website building, email marketing, and payment processing.
- Built-in email marketing and automation tools to grow your audience and nurture leads.
- Customizable course delivery options with support for video, quizzes, and assessments.
- Landing page and sales funnel creation with A/B testing features.
- Advanced membership site management for subscription-based content delivery.
ThriveCart vs Kajabi: Features & Functionality
When comparing ThriveCart and Kajabi, one of the first aspects to evaluate is their features and functionality. Both platforms provide tools for selling digital products and courses, but they approach things in different ways.
ThriveCart Features:
- Sales Funnels: ThriveCart excels in creating advanced sales funnels that include upsells, downsells, and bump offers. If you want to maximize revenue from each customer, ThriveCart’s funnel features are unparalleled.
- Checkout Pages: ThriveCart provides customizable checkout pages that are optimized for conversions. With A/B testing, you can tweak your checkout process for higher sales.
- Affiliate Program: ThriveCart’s affiliate program is one of the best in the industry, with automated commission tracking, easy setup, and full reporting capabilities.
- Integration Options: ThriveCart integrates with tools like Teachable, Thinkific, Zapier, and popular email marketing platforms (Mailchimp, ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign).
- Payment Flexibility: ThriveCart supports multiple payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal) and offers global payment options, making it easy to sell worldwide.
Kajabi Features:
- Course Creation Tools: Kajabi provides all-in-one course creation tools, including customizable video hosting, assessments, and course delivery options.
- Email Marketing Automation: Kajabi’s marketing automation is robust, allowing you to set up triggers and automations based on customer actions.
- Landing Pages: Kajabi offers customizable landing pages for course sales, opt-ins, and more. The drag-and-drop builder makes it easy to create pages without any technical knowledge.
- Webinars and Membership Sites: Kajabi offers built-in features to host live webinars and create membership sites, making it an ideal platform for subscription-based content.
- Payment Gateway: Kajabi also integrates with Stripe and PayPal, but it lacks the same level of international payment flexibility as ThriveCart.
Verdict:
- ThriveCart shines in its sales funnel functionality, A/B testing, and affiliate program management. It’s perfect if your main goal is to optimize your checkout process and boost revenue.
- Kajabi excels in course creation, membership sites, and marketing automation. It’s an excellent choice if you want an all-in-one platform that handles not just sales but also content delivery and lead generation.
ThriveCart vs Kajabi: Ease of Use
When it comes to ease of use, both ThriveCart and Kajabi are user-friendly platforms, but their interfaces and workflows differ significantly.
ThriveCart Ease of Use:
- ThriveCart is known for its intuitive setup process. The platform guides you through creating checkout pages, sales funnels, and product pages with ease.
- The drag-and-drop checkout page builder allows you to customize your cart without needing any design skills.
- Setting up affiliate programs and integrations with third-party tools is straightforward, and ThriveCart’s support documentation is helpful for beginners.
Kajabi Ease of Use:
- Kajabi’s user interface is highly polished, but due to the vast array of features (course creation, marketing automation, landing page building, etc.), it can feel a bit overwhelming at first.
- While the drag-and-drop page builder makes it easy to create content, some users may find the course creation process a bit complex compared to ThriveCart’s simplified approach.
- Kajabi’s marketing automation can be powerful but requires a learning curve to fully understand its potential.
Verdict:
- ThriveCart is easier to use for course creators and product sellers focused on sales funnels and checkout optimization.
- Kajabi is ideal for those looking for an all-in-one solution but may take a bit longer to get comfortable with its more complex features.
ThriveCart vs Kajabi: Support & Training Resources
Both ThriveCart and Kajabi offer solid customer support and training resources. However, the level of support and the types of resources available differ slightly.
ThriveCart Support:
- ThriveCart offers 24/7 customer support via email and has an active community of users who can help answer questions.
- ThriveCart’s training center includes video tutorials and step-by-step guides to help users get the most out of the platform.
- The platform also has an extensive knowledge base covering everything from setting up funnels to integrating third-party tools.
Kajabi Support:
- Kajabi offers email support and live chat (for higher-tier plans) to assist users.
- Kajabi’s help center includes detailed articles and tutorials, but some users have reported longer wait times for support compared to ThriveCart.
- Kajabi also offers Kajabi University, a comprehensive training program designed to help users master all aspects of the platform.
Verdict:
- Both platforms offer solid support, but Kajabi’s support can sometimes be slower due to the more complex nature of the platform. ThriveCart, on the other hand, is quicker to resolve issues and offers a more personalized experience.
ThriveCart vs Kajabi: Pricing
Pricing is a critical factor when comparing ThriveCart and Kajabi. While both platforms offer great value, the pricing structure is quite different.
ThriveCart Pricing:
- ThriveCart uses a one-time payment model with lifetime updates. This means that once you pay, you get access to all future updates and features without any additional costs.
- The platform offers different pricing tiers, but the most popular option is the $495 one-time fee (as of 2024). This tier includes all core features, including sales funnels, A/B testing, affiliate programs, and integrations.
Kajabi Pricing:
- Kajabi operates on a subscription-based pricing model, which can be more expensive over time.
- Kajabi’s plans start at $149/month for the Basic plan, with higher tiers priced at $199/month and $399/month. Kajabi 3 Months for $99: A Limited-Time Offer for Course Creators
- While Kajabi offers a 14-day free trial, the subscription cost can add up quickly, especially if you’re a small business or just starting out.
Verdict:
- If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, ThriveCart’s one-time payment is a clear winner.
- If you prefer an all-in-one platform with more advanced marketing tools and are okay with paying a monthly fee, Kajabi is the better choice.
ThriveCart vs Kajabi: Affiliate Programs
Both ThriveCart and Kajabi offer affiliate program management features, but they differ in terms of complexity and functionality.
ThriveCart’s Affiliate Program:
- ThriveCart’s affiliate program is simple to set up and offers robust tracking features.
- You can manage affiliate commissions, set up recurring affiliate payments, and easily track the performance of your affiliates.
- The platform provides automated commission payouts and detailed reporting, making it a great option for businesses that rely on affiliates to drive sales.
Kajabi’s Affiliate Program:
- Kajabi offers a basic affiliate program that allows you to set up affiliate links and manage commissions.
- While functional, Kajabi’s affiliate program lacks some of the advanced features offered by ThriveCart, like automated payouts and in-depth reporting.
Verdict:
- ThriveCart’s affiliate program is more advanced and customizable, making it the better option for businesses that rely heavily on affiliate marketing.
Conclusion: ThriveCart or Kajabi?
After spending months using both platforms, I found that ThriveCart offered the most value for my business due to its affordable pricing, sales funnel optimization, and robust affiliate program. While Kajabi excels in course creation and all-in-one functionality, I found ThriveCart’s simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and focus on maximizing revenue through sales funnels to be the deciding factors for my decision.
If you are a course creator or digital product seller looking for an easy-to-use platform that helps you sell more, ThriveCart is likely the better option. However, if you need a comprehensive, all-in-one solution with advanced marketing automation, Kajabi may still be the right choice for your business.
