Somewhere between the invention of the toaster oven and the subscription economy, somebody decided it would be a great idea to sell knowledge online.
Then someone else thought, “What if we sold the ability to sell knowledge online?” And so here we are. Kajabi vs Skool.
If you’re reading this, you’ve likely been promised greatness through one or both. You might even be in therapy over it. That’s fine.
What matters now is this: you want to know which one of these things actually does what it says.
Let’s drop the chit-chat and get to what actually matters (Kajabi vs Skool).
Kajabi: For the Control Freaks (and I say that with respect)
Kajabi is not subtle.
It’s for people who want to build The Empire…funnels, upsells, email drips, opt-in popups, all while tracking open rates and debating whether Helvetica or Inter is the font that converts.
It’s got the works. Course builder with AI suggestions. Custom websites, hosted video, analytics dashboards, email marketing, payment processing, and probably a button that makes coffee.
Here’s the thing: Kajabi cost is $149 a month. And even at that price, you don’t get unlimited courses or members. That costs more.
Kajabi gives you the nice hotel experience: polished and pricey, but don’t invite too many friends.
Skool: Facebook, But You Actually Learn Things
Skool is simpler.
Simpler like a microwave. You can only do a few things, but those few things just work. Community? Check. Courses? Calendar for events? Sure. Gamification to keep people from ghosting? Clever.
You don’t get a website. You don’t get sales funnels. You don’t even get to rearrange much. If Kajabi is a custom-built workshop, Skool is the Ikea desk you assemble once and use forever.
But here’s what Skool nails: people actually use it. They log in. They post. They reply. They come back. That’s rare. Kajabi might win the tools arms race, but Skool wins on actual interaction.
And Skool cost is $99 a month…flat. No weird math, no plan tiers. Just one number. Well, unless you count the 2.9% transaction fee. But if you’re making money, you’ll live.
Also, Alex Hormozi, yes the stinking rich guy from Acquisition.com, became a co-owner of Skool
in 2024. He launched something called the Skool Games, a kind of leaderboard-driven contest
where community builders compete for prizes and mentorship. It’s part marketing stunt, part
growth engine. If you’re into that sort of thing, it’s a bonus.
What You Get vs. What You Actually Use
Here’s the problem with most software reviews…
They list every feature and pretend you’ll use all of them. You won’t. Most people don’t even finish their courses, much less split-test five pricing pages.
So let’s be honest. Kajabi vs Skool simply comes down to the type of person you are…
- If you want an all-in-one business machine and you actually enjoy tweaking email flows at 2am: Kajabi.
- If you just want to post content, create a community, and talk to humans like a normal person: Skool.
Kajabi is for people building a machine. Skool is for people hosting a clubhouse.
Pricing and Value
Kajabi Cost: $149/month. No transaction fees.
Skool Cost: $99/month. 2.9% fee on sales.
Math people will tell you this depends on how much you make. They’re right. If you’re selling a $1,000 course, Skool will take $29 off the top. If that makes you mad, get Kajabi. If not, you’re probably happy with Skool and don’t care that Kajabi lets you send out abandoned cart emails with dancing GIFs.
Also, Kajabi gives you marketing tools. Skool gives you people.
It depends on what you think sells courses.
So, if you want to slice your product like a pizza and charge per slice, Kajabi wins. If you just want to hand over the whole pie and be done with it, Skool does the job.
The Human Part
Here’s the thing no SaaS feature table will tell you…
People don’t stay for your video resolution or your email open rate. They stay if they feel like they belong.
Skool gets that. The community-first layout isn’t fancy. It’s not customizable. But it’s sticky. People talk. They engage. They earn points. It’s like Facebook without the uncles yelling about politics.
Kajabi has “community” too, technically. But it feels like an add-on. You get the sense the engineers were more excited about adding webinar automations than making a discussion board that doesn’t feel like a bulletin from 2009.
Analytics: Data You Can’t Ignore
Kajabi has analytics coming out of its ears.
Pageviews, click-through rates, opt-in conversions, refund stats, bounce rates, student progress, and probably a graph that tells you how close you are to being a millionaire.
The dashboard looks like it was designed for someone who gets excited about heatmaps. And maybe you are that person. In which case: great, Kajabi’s for you.
Skool? Skool says: “Here’s who logged in. Here’s who posted. That’s all you need.” And, honestly, it might be right. Most people don’t need to know that email #4 in a nurture sequence underperforms by 0.7%. They just need to know if anyone’s alive in the group.
Kajabi treats you like a data scientist. Skool treats you like a human who wants to know if people are still paying attention.
Mobile Experience: Where the World Lives Now
Kajabi has a mobile app. It’s decent. Your members can go through your course while they’re in line at Target. You can even brand the app if you pay enough, which is neat if you want your name on people’s phones next to TikTok and Zillow.
Skool doesn’t have a mobile app. At least, not yet. The browser version works fine on a phone, but let’s be real…it’s not the same. If your people live on their phones, this could matter. If they’re mostly on desktop, it doesn’t.
So: mobile-first crowd? Kajabi wins. Desktop crowd that likes discussion threads? Skool holds its own.
Support: Who Answers When You Break It
Kajabi has live chat, a ticket system, help docs, webinars, and an academy full of videos. If you’re lost, they’ll help you. Eventually.
Skool has support too. It’s not as huge, but it’s fast and usually personal. Also, because Skool is simple, there’s less to break. You’re not going to get stuck trying to figure out whether you need a pipeline or a product or an offer or a tag-based segmentation flow.
Kajabi is like calling the IT department. Skool is like texting a friend who says, “Yeah, just click that.”
Branding & Customization: Controlling the Aesthetic
Kajabi lets you change almost everything.
Fonts, colors, layout, logos, domain names, the works. You can make it feel like your site. If branding matters to you, if you want it to feel “premium”, Kajabi gives you the toolbox.
Skool doesn’t.
It’s Skool, and that’s it. The layout’s the same for everyone. Your logo goes up top, but you’re living in their house. For some people, that’s annoying. For others, it’s one less thing to worry about.
If your brand is the product, Kajabi. If your content is the product, Skool.
Funnels, Upsells, and Capitalism in General
Kajabi wants to help you squeeze every dollar from your customer without them noticing.
You can build entire funnels with upsells, downsells, exit intent popups, one-click bumps, and thank-you page offers.
Skool doesn’t do funnels. You sell access to a group. That’s it. If you want a sales process, you’ll need a separate page builder and checkout system.
So if you’re the type who says “My LTV went up 14% last quarter,” you need Kajabi. If you say “People just Venmo me and I add them to the group,” you’re fine on Skool.
Affiliates: Other People Selling Your Stuff
Kajabi has a full affiliate system. You can give people links, track commissions, send payouts. It’s all built-in. You can even track who brought in which customer, and which affiliate is slacking.
Skool doesn’t have affiliate features. Want affiliates? Use a third-party tool. Or shout people out in the group and hope they appreciate it.
If referrals and partnerships are your game, Kajabi makes it easy. If you’re okay doing it manually, Skool doesn’t get in the way.
What About Free Communities?
Let’s talk free groups.
Not everything needs to be a paid course. Maybe you’re running a hobby group, a free coaching space, or a proving ground before the real offer.
Skool actually handles free groups well. You just set the price to $0. Done.
Kajabi can do it too, but it’s clunkier. You’re setting up offers, products, automations. Still manageable, just more steps.
If you want a “click to join” group without thinking too hard, Skool wins. If you want to track every lead that walks in the door, Kajabi’s for you.
Who’s It Really For? No, Really
Here’s the part where we talk about actual users.
Kajabi users tend to be coaches, marketers, info-product pros, agency types, and people who think like a business. They have offers. They run webinars. They have lead magnets and nurture sequences and even a branding deck.
Skool users are usually creators, coaches, consultants, and weirdos with fan bases. They value connection over conversion rates. Their offer is often: “Join the group. We’ll talk. You’ll learn.” It’s less transactional.
Neither is better. But they’re different.
Kajabi sells to sellers. Skool sells to facilitators.
The Big Secret No One Wants to Admit
Both of these platforms are good.
Really. Neither will ruin your business. Neither will make it for you, either.
Most creators don’t fail because of the software. They fail because they don’t show up, they don’t ship, or they try to make everything perfect before they post.
So if you’re stuck wondering which one to choose, flip a coin and get started. You’ll figure out in two weeks what you actually need. Then you can switch if you want.
Software doesn’t grow businesses. Doing the boring stuff every day does.
The Verdict
If you’re building a “business in a box” and you want every tool under the sun…and you’re willing to learn them
Kajabi is your box.
If you just want to run a community and a course without thinking too hard about it?
Skool does the job.
And if none of this helped and you’re still unsure?
Just pick one, use it for 30 days, and cancel if it feels wrong.
That’s the one part they all got right: you can leave whenever you want.
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FAQs About Kajabi and Skool
1. Can I use Kajabi or Skool if I don’t have an audience yet?
Yes, but Kajabi makes more sense if you’re planning to build a list through landing pages and
email funnels. Skool works better after you’ve got a few people who’ll join and talk.
2. Do either of them support live video or webinars?
Kajabi does. You can run live webinars, gated events, and replays. Skool doesn’t support native
live video—you’ll need to stream through Zoom or YouTube and share the link in the group.
3. Can I host a podcast on Kajabi or Skool?
Kajabi has built-in podcast hosting. You can publish, distribute, and track stats. Skool doesn’t
support podcast hosting—you’d need to use a separate platform and link to it.
4. Is there a free trial for either platform?
Yes. Kajabi offers a 14-day trial (sometimes extended through promos). Skool offers a 14-day
free trial as well. You can test both without paying upfront.
5. Can I run both platforms at the same time?
Technically yes. Some creators use Kajabi for funnels and Skool for community. But you’re
paying for both, and there’s no native integration. You’d need Zapier or manual work to sync
data.
6. Do either have a marketplace or discovery feature for finding other courses or groups?
No. Neither Kajabi nor Skool have a built-in marketplace for browsing other people’s content or
groups. They’re private by design. You bring your own audience.
7. Can I sell physical products with either?
Kajabi supports digital-first products, but you can sell physical items with workarounds (like
setting up products and connecting Stripe). Skool doesn’t support physical product sales at all.
8. Are payments processed through PayPal or just Stripe?
Kajabi supports both Stripe and PayPal. Skool only supports Stripe right now.
9. Can I add team members or assistants to help manage content?
Kajabi lets you add multiple admin roles with different permissions. Skool allows team members
too, but with simpler roles—usually admin or moderator access for managing the group.
10. What happens to my content if I cancel?
On Kajabi, your content stays saved for a short time, but access is blocked until you
resubscribe. Skool deletes your group after a grace period, and there’s no way to export it
directly—you’d need to back up manually.
Glossary of Key Terms
1. Lead Magnet
A free offer (like a PDF or mini-course) to get emails from potential customers. Easy to set up in
Kajabi. Harder in Skool.
2. Funnel
A step-by-step path designed to guide someone from lead to customer—usually includes
opt-ins, emails, and upsells.
3. Drip Email
A scheduled sequence of emails sent over time, often used to nurture leads or onboard
customers.
4. CTA (Call to Action)
A prompt telling users what to do next—like “Buy Now,” “Join the Group,” or “Watch the Video.”
5. CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
A tool to track leads, users, and interactions. Kajabi has one. Skool doesn’t.
6. Checkout Page
The page where someone enters payment info. Kajabi lets you customize it. Skool keeps it
simple.
7. Gamification
Using points, levels, or leaderboards to make users more active. Skool does this well.
8. Conversion Rate
The % of people who take a specific action—like buying a course or joining a group.
9. Affiliate Program
A setup where others promote your stuff for a cut of the sale. Built into Kajabi. Not in Skool.
10. Landing Page
A focused page meant to convert visitors. Kajabi has a builder for this. Skool does not.
11. Community
A space where users can post, comment, and interact. Core to Skool. Optional in Kajabi.
12. Offer
In Kajabi, an “offer” is a combo of products and pricing. It’s how you package what you sell.
13. Pipeline
Kajabi’s term for a funnel builder that connects pages, emails, and automations.
14. Automation
Rules that trigger actions—like sending a welcome email when someone joins. Kajabi has this
built-in.
15. Hosting
Where your course videos and files live. Both Kajabi and Skool handle this for you.
16. Analytics
Data showing how users behave—Kajabi offers deep stats. Skool keeps it minimal.
17. Stripe
A payment processor. Both Kajabi and Skool use it. Skool only uses Stripe.
18. Course Builder
The tool used to upload and organize lessons. Both platforms include this.
19. Brand Customization
How much you can change fonts, colors, and layout. Kajabi gives you full control. Skool
doesn’t.
20. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Tuning your content to show up in search engines. Kajabi supports SEO settings. Skool doesn’t
focus on this.