If you’re running an online business in 2026, you’ve probably asked yourself the same question thousands of other digital marketers, course creators, and agency owners are typing into Google right now: GoHighLevel vs Kajabi — which one should I actually use?
The truth? Neither is “better” in every situation. GoHighLevel is built like a Swiss Army knife for agencies and client-heavy businesses. Kajabi is laser-focused on helping creators sell knowledge products beautifully.
This guide breaks down the real differences using the latest official pricing and features. You’ll see side-by-side tables, honest pros and cons, and clear recommendations based on who you are and what you’re trying to build.
By the end, you’ll know exactly which platform deserves your time and money — and which one you should walk away from.
Overview: What Is GoHighLevel?
GoHighLevel (often called GHL or HighLevel) was created specifically for digital marketing agencies and businesses that manage multiple clients or locations. Think of it as an “agency operating system” — one dashboard where you run your own marketing while delivering white-labeled services to clients.
Core strengths:
- Unlimited contacts and users on every paid plan
- Full CRM with pipelines, custom fields, and deal tracking
- Native SMS, voice calling, and unified inbox
- Snapshots — the killer feature that lets you clone an entire client’s funnel, automations, and CRM in under 60 seconds
- White-label and SaaS mode (especially on the $497 Agency Pro plan)
In 2026, GoHighLevel doubled down on AI with Conversation AI, Voice AI, Content AI, and Funnel AI — all usage-based but rebillable to clients on higher plans.
It’s not the prettiest platform, but once you learn the snapshots and workflows, it becomes incredibly powerful for scaling client work without hiring extra staff.
Overview: What Is Kajabi?
Kajabi was built for course creators, coaches, and membership site owners who want to sell digital products without technical headaches.
Its entire focus is on the creator journey:
- Beautiful course hosting with cohorts, drip content, and progress tracking
- Polished membership communities and a branded mobile app
- High-converting checkout experiences and affiliate management
- Everything is designed to feel premium and professional
Kajabi doesn’t try to be everything to everyone. It stays in its lane — helping experts turn knowledge into recurring revenue through courses, memberships, and coaching programs.
The interface is clean, the member experience is excellent, and the brand feels high-end. If your business model is “create once, sell forever,” Kajabi often feels like it was made just for you.
GoHighLevel vs Kajabi: Feature Comparison
Let’s get into the details that actually matter when you’re running a real business.
CRM & Contact Management: Kajabi vs GoHighLevel
GoHighLevel wins hands-down here.
GHL gives you a true sales CRM with pipelines, opportunity stages, task automation, custom objects, and detailed reporting. You can track leads from first click to closed deal, assign tasks to team members, and run advanced segmentation.
Kajabi has a basic contact database and simple tagging/segmentation, but it’s not a full CRM. If you need pipelines, deal tracking, or sales team management, you’ll end up connecting Kajabi to something like ActiveCampaign or HubSpot anyway.
Real-world example: My agency client who manages 47 local businesses uses GHL’s CRM to track every lead source, appointment booked, and sale closed. On Kajabi, they would have needed three extra tools.
Course & Membership Features
Kajabi is clearly superior.
Kajabi’s course builder feels like Notion and Teachable had a beautiful baby. You get cohorts, live sessions, quizzes with conditional logic, progress tracking, certificates, and video hosting with transcripts and translations.
Communities are built-in and feel native — not tacked on like GHL’s version. The branded mobile app (included on Growth and Pro) lets students access content offline.
GoHighLevel has solid courses and communities now, but they still feel like “good enough” rather than best-in-class. If 70%+ of your revenue comes from courses or memberships, most creators I’ve worked with prefer Kajabi’s polish and higher completion rates.
Funnel & Website Builder: GoHighLevel vs Kajabi Funnel Builder
Both are strong, but they serve different purposes.
GoHighLevel’s funnel builder is more flexible for complex marketing campaigns. You get unlimited funnels, websites, landing pages, forms, surveys, and the ability to build full client funnels quickly with snapshots.
Kajabi’s funnel builder is simpler and more conversion-focused, with beautiful templates optimized for product launches and checkouts. It integrates seamlessly with their course and membership tools.
If you run paid ads to lead magnets and then nurture with SMS/email, GoHighLevel feels more natural. If your funnels lead straight into a $997 course, Kajabi’s checkout experience usually converts better.
Email & Marketing Automation: GoHighLevel vs Kajabi Automation
GoHighLevel edges it for most users.
GHL includes native 2-way SMS, voice calling, and powerful workflows that can trigger across email, SMS, calls, and even calendar bookings. The Conversation AI can handle replies autonomously.
Kajabi has unlimited marketing emails and solid automations, but no native SMS or calling. Their automations are clean but more limited to the “course buyer journey.”
For agencies doing lead gen or follow-up sequences, GHL’s multi-channel approach wins. For pure course launches, Kajabi’s email sequences are sufficient and often have better deliverability.
AI & Automation Capabilities
Both platforms added significant AI in 2025–2026.
GoHighLevel offers Conversation AI (chat/email replies), Voice AI, Content AI, and Funnel AI — all rebillable to clients on Agency Pro.
Kajabi has AI writing assistance inside the course builder and email composer, plus smart recommendations for content.
GHL’s AI feels more “operational” (handling customer service and sales follow-up), while Kajabi’s AI feels more “creative” (helping you write better course content).
Client/Student Management
GoHighLevel excels at managing multiple clients with sub-accounts, white-labeling, and team permissions.
Kajabi excels at managing thousands of students with access groups, progress tracking, and a premium learning experience.
White Label & SaaS Options
This is where GoHighLevel separates itself completely.
On the $497 Agency Pro plan, you get full SaaS mode — you can sell GoHighLevel as “YourBrand OS” to your clients, automate account creation, and add markup on usage. Many agencies recoup the entire $497 fee with just 2–3 clients.
Kajabi has zero white-label or SaaS capabilities. It’s strictly for your own business.
Integrations
Both have strong Zapier support and native integrations.
Kajabi integrates beautifully with payment processors and a few key tools (ConvertKit, Google Analytics, etc.).
GoHighLevel has deeper native integrations for ad platforms, calling, SMS carriers, and payment processors — plus a more powerful API on Agency Pro.
GoHighLevel vs Kajabi Pricing 2026 (Detailed Comparison)
Here’s the most up-to-date pricing as of February 2026:
GoHighLevel Pricing
- Starter: $97/month – 3 sub-accounts, unlimited contacts/users
- Unlimited: $297/month – unlimited sub-accounts, rebill at cost
- Agency Pro: $497/month – full SaaS mode, rebill with markup, advanced API
Kajabi Pricing (billed annually for best rates)
- Basic: $143/month (regular $179) – 2,500 contacts, 5 products
- Growth: $199/month (regular $249) – 25,000 contacts, 50 products, branded app
- Pro: $399/month (regular $499) – 100,000 contacts, unlimited products, custom code
Hidden costs to know
- GoHighLevel: Usage-based SMS, AI credits, phone numbers (can be rebilled to clients)
- Kajabi: Payment processing fees (2.9%+ on Basic down to 2.7%+ on Pro)
Value verdict: If you have 10+ clients or plan to white-label, GoHighLevel Unlimited or Agency Pro is dramatically cheaper at scale. For a solo course creator with under 25,000 contacts, Kajabi Growth at $199 often feels like the better value because you don’t pay for features you’ll never use.
Ease of Use & Learning Curve
Kajabi is noticeably easier for beginners. Most creators can launch their first course in a weekend.
GoHighLevel has a steeper learning curve — the power comes from mastering snapshots, workflows, and sub-accounts. Once you’re past the first 30 days, most users say they wouldn’t go back.
If you hate tech, start with Kajabi. If you enjoy building systems, GoHighLevel will reward you.
Before making a decision, it’s worth checking our detailed GoHighLevel review to understand how the platform works in real-world scenarios.
GoHighLevel vs Kajabi for Different Users
For Agencies (GoHighLevel vs Kajabi for Agencies)
GoHighLevel wins 9 times out of 10. The white-label, snapshots, and CRM make client delivery 3–5x faster. Agencies routinely use GHL to manage 50–200+ client accounts profitably.
Kajabi is rarely the right choice for agencies unless you only offer course-building services.
For Course Creators (GoHighLevel for Course Creators vs Kajabi)
Kajabi is usually the winner here. The student experience, completion rates, and built-in affiliate tools are superior. Many creators who switched from GHL report higher engagement and easier upsells.
For Coaches (GoHighLevel vs Kajabi for Coaches)
Depends on your model. If you do 1:1 or group coaching with heavy follow-up and SMS, use GoHighLevel. If your coaching is delivered primarily through courses and community, Kajabi.
For Local Businesses
GoHighLevel is the clear choice. Reputation management, review requests, booking calendars, and SMS campaigns are built for local service businesses.
For SaaS Resellers & Affiliate Marketers
GoHighLevel Agency Pro turns the platform into your own product. Kajabi has no equivalent.
GoHighLevel vs Kajabi Pros and Cons
GHL Pros
- Unlimited contacts on all plans
- True CRM and multi-channel automation
- Snapshots save hundreds of hours
- White-label/SaaS revenue opportunity
- Excellent for agencies and client work
GHL Cons
- Steeper learning curve
- Interface feels less polished
- Usage fees can add up if not rebilled
Kajabi Pros
- Beautiful, professional student experience
- Best-in-class course and membership tools
- Easier for beginners
- Higher perceived value for digital products
- Strong affiliate and checkout experience
Kajabi Cons
- Strict contact and product limits
- No native SMS or calling
- No white-label or agency features
- More expensive per contact at scale
When to Choose GoHighLevel
Choose GoHighLevel if:
- You manage multiple clients or locations
- You need CRM, SMS, and calling
- You want to white-label and resell the platform
- Your business involves lead generation or service delivery
- You’re comfortable with a more technical platform
Real example: A local marketing agency I worked with grew from 8 to 62 clients in 14 months using GoHighLevel Unlimited. They now generate an extra $8,400/month in pure software revenue on Agency Pro.
When to Choose Kajabi
Choose Kajabi if:
- 70%+ of your revenue comes from courses, memberships, or coaching programs
- You want the best possible student experience
- You value simplicity and beautiful design
- You don’t need a heavy CRM or client sub-accounts
- You’re a solo creator or small team focused on product creation
Real example: A mindset coach who switched from GoHighLevel to Kajabi Pro saw course completion rates jump from 34% to 61% and revenue increase 47% in the first 90 days.
GoHighLevel vs Kajabi: Final Verdict
Is GoHighLevel better than Kajabi? It depends entirely on your business model.
- If you run an agency, manage clients, or need full marketing automation + CRM → GoHighLevel is clearly better.
- If you’re a course creator, coach, or membership site owner focused on premium digital products → Kajabi is the better choice.
Many successful businesses actually use both: Kajabi for the front-end course delivery and GoHighLevel for backend CRM, SMS follow-up, and client management. But if you want just one platform, match it to your primary revenue driver.
In 2026, the marketing tools are better than ever — the real question is which one aligns with how you actually want to run your business.
My recommendation: Start with a 14-day trial of both this week. Build one funnel and one automation in each. The platform that feels exciting (not exhausting) to use is usually the right one.
Ready to decide?
Register for free trial on their respective official websites.
Here’s to building something that actually scales in 2026.
If you’re also considering a more enterprise-focused CRM, check out our detailed GoHighLevel vs HubSpot comparison to see how they differ in pricing, features, and scalability.