Kajabi vs Teachable 2026: fees, payouts and which to pick

Teachable is the better deal for most course creators. Its $89 Builder plan takes 0% of sales, the same as Kajabi’s $179 Basic plan, and both charge 2.9% + $0.30 per US card, so Teachable Builder leaves you $90 more every month on sales where no tax is assessed, and stays ahead until $18,000 a month even when every sale is taxed. Kajabi justifies that gap only when its email, funnel and website tools replace subscriptions you would otherwise pay for.

How much do Kajabi and Teachable take?

Kajabi takes 0% on every plan, and Teachable takes 7.5% on Starter and 0% from Builder up, as of October 2026. With the revenue share gone on both, the real difference is the monthly price.

The spec table on this page shows Teachable’s take-home on Starter, $827, because Starter is its cheapest plan. Builder is the fairer match for Kajabi Basic, since both take 0%.

What do you keep on $1,000 and $5,000 a month?

The figures below are arithmetic on published fees, not reported earnings. They assume $10 one-time course sales, US cards, no sales tax assessed, monthly billing and each platform’s own payment processor.

At $1,000, processing costs $59 on all three. Kajabi then charges $179 for the plan, Teachable Starter takes $75 in fees plus $39, and Builder charges $89. At $5,000, processing is $295 everywhere and Starter’s 7.5% fee grows to $375, which drops Starter to last place. Builder stays exactly $90 ahead of Kajabi Basic, because the plan price is the only line that differs. If Teachable assesses tax on every sale, its 0.5% fee cuts that lead to $85 at $1,000 and $65 at $5,000, and Kajabi Basic draws level at $18,000 a month.

Yearly billing narrows that gap to $74 a month, $143 against $69. Our guide to creator platform fees explains how plan prices and processing stack up across other platforms.

Subscriptions carry the same surcharge on both. Kajabi Payments adds 0.7% to each subscription or payment plan charge, and Teachable’s Standard bundle adds 0.7% to recurring charges. International cards come to 4.4% + $0.30 on Kajabi Basic and in Teachable’s September 2026 fee guide.

Two fees can catch you out. Kajabi adds 2% on Basic if you run cards through your own Stripe account instead of Kajabi Payments. Teachable adds 0.5% on sales where it assesses tax, and in return calculates, collects and remits sales tax, VAT and GST in more than 45 countries.

Which pays out faster, Kajabi or Teachable?

Teachable pays out faster by default. Teachable Payments sends money to your bank daily, about 2 business days after each sale, and holds no reserve.

Kajabi Payments starts new accounts on a monthly payout with a 7 business day transaction delay. Daily or weekly schedules may open after your first sale, though Kajabi says availability varies by account. Kajabi also sells instant payouts that usually land in about 30 minutes, for 1.5% with a $0.50 minimum.

Teachable has its own waits. New Teachable Payments accounts can take 4 to 6 weeks to receive a first payout while Stripe verifies them, and Teachable holds payouts once earnings pass $500 until you file tax forms. We score Teachable 7 and Kajabi 6 on payouts.

Which helps you find students?

Neither Kajabi nor Teachable will find students for you. Both score 1 out of 10 on discovery in our reviews, because neither runs a marketplace that puts your course in front of new buyers.

The difference is in the tools for the audience you bring. Kajabi includes unlimited marketing email, landing pages and funnels on every plan, so you can capture leads, run a launch sequence and take payment from one account. Kajabi Basic caps your list at 2,500 contacts, and Growth at 25,000.

Teachable leans on other people’s audiences. Builder and higher plans include an affiliate program, so other creators can sell your course for a commission. Teachable’s pricing page also lists built-in email marketing and a site builder.

If you have no audience yet, our guide to choosing a creator platform covers where to build one before you pay for a course host.

What features actually differ?

Kajabi is a full business suite and Teachable is a course host with a checkout attached. The gap shows up in product limits, communities and mobile apps.

Kajabi Pro now bundles a branded mobile app and the API, which Kajabi used to sell as add-ons. That matters if you want your own app in the App Store, and not at all if you don’t.

Teachable’s 2026 move to Teachable Payments cost it some sales tools. Post-purchase upsells, gifting and the student referral program are gone, while checkout upsells rose from 3 to 10. Teachable Growth adds certificates and removes Teachable branding.

Kajabi scores 8 on ownership against Teachable’s 6 in our reviews, because your email list, website and checkout sit in one account you run.

Which should you choose?

Teachable wins on cost for nearly everyone, so start there unless you can name the tools Kajabi would replace. If Kajabi would let you cancel email, funnel and website subscriptions that together cost more than $90 a month, it pays for itself. Our list of the best platforms for educators ranks the other options.

• Pick Kajabi if you already sell several thousand dollars a month and pay separately for email marketing, landing pages and a website.
• Pick Kajabi if you want courses, coaching, a podcast, a newsletter and a community under one login.
• Pick Kajabi if you want a branded mobile app and can justify the $499 Pro plan.
• Pick Teachable if you sell courses and want the lowest monthly cost at a 0% fee, which is Builder at $89.
• Pick Teachable if you sell less than about $667 a month and want to test an idea on Starter at $39.
• Pick Teachable if you want daily payouts with no reserve.
• Pick Teachable if you want sales tax, VAT and GST collected and remitted for you.