Kajabi vs SamCart: What Coaches and Digital Experts Need to Know in 2025

If you're reading this, you have probably typed something into Google like "SamCart vs Kajabi" or "Which one is better? Kajabi or SamCart?"

But Kajabi and SamCart are both massive companies in the online business world and completely different platforms.

Kajabi is better regarded as an all-in-one platform while SamCart is focused specifically on selling. So if you are a coach, course creator, or selling anything that is digital products, using the wrong platform could lose you time, and ultimately thousands of dollars.

In this post I'm going to breakdown everything pricing, features, pros or cons and at the end show you a third option that could be EVEN better than either (in 2025).

1. Quick Verdict: SamCart vs Kajabi at a Glance

The truth is, neither option is flawless, as they each shine in different aspects.

If you're looking for selling power, ability to A/B test, and checkout wizardry SamCart wins.

If you want everything housed under one roof (courses + email + site) Kajabi wins.

But hold on, I'm not saying you just have to "pick one". Stay with me because later I will show you how both of these leave money on the table and how another newer platform takes care of those gaps.

2. SamCart Deep Dive: What It Does Best (and Where It Falls Short)

SamCart was founded on one principle: let's make checkout not boring. It wasn’t built like Kajabi, which wanted to be everything all in one, SamCart was laser focused on checkout optimization. That’s why even in 2025 people search “SamCart advanced checkout vs Kajabi checkout options” because the big talking point is conversion.

So what does it actually do best?

The checkout flow is smooth, fast, less distraction

Order bumps, one-click upsells, downsells… just all the tricks to raise your average order value

It’s not just as digital, you can sell physical + digital products right next to each other, which Kajabi doesn’t really handle that well.

And of course it has A/B testing as it’s baked in, so if you’re asking “does SamCart have A/B testing like Kajabi?”, the answer is yes, and better because Kajabi doesn’t push A/B testing the same way.

But here is the weak side… SamCart is still not a full home. You can’t really build full courses inside (they tried to add it but felt basic). There is no email automation built in so you always need to connect another tool like ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp, ConvertKit and a lot.

So if you want SamCart for digital product sales, the selling part works amazing. But if you’re trying to run your whole business just on it, you’ll feel the missing pieces very fast.

3. Kajabi Deep Dive: Strengths and Limitations

Kajabi has a different background. Kajabi never started as a cart. Kajabi started as an all-in-one platform designed to help course creators. The pitch was always this: stop duct taping various tools together and simply run your online course business under one roof.

What's strong with Kajabi:

Course creation is very polished, and significantly better than SamCart's. You can schedule lessons, quizzes, assessments, and embed video that is hosted with Wistia that is included with Kajabi. So when someone Googles Kajabi course creation tools vs SamCart, Kajabi wins every time.

It's not just courses. You can build a community, run memberships, coaching programs, podcasts.

Email marketing is built right into the system, no need for third-party integration if you don't want to. That is why many people compare "Kajabi email marketing integrated vs SamCart integration". Kajabi has email marketing and SamCart relies on third parties.

The website builder is included too, an entire site, with a blog and landing pages that include Kajabi branding.

The analytics and reporting are decent, you can see your sales numbers, email metrics, student progress, etc. (So yes, "Kajabi analytics vs SamCart sales analytics" is a question and Kajabi does give you more than SamCart.)

However, nothing is without flaws. Kajabi's biggest flaw is the cost. The lower tier removes features, and the higher tiers charge $199, to $399 per month, which is significant for small businesses. The checkout personalization is lacking and you can't go anywhere close to A/B or bump offers like SamCart offers. And it is not really meant for physical product sales, so if you are trying to sell T-shirts and courses out of the same shop, it is clunky.

So if you are a creator wanting content + marketing + community all together, Kajabi is great. It is just expensive, and if you are looking for heavy checkout optimization, you will be missing the heft SamCart gives.

4. Head-to-Head Comparison (SamCart vs Kajabi Features)

Alright let’s line them up side by side. Feature by feature. Because that’s really what people search for: “difference between Kajabi and SamCart checkout features” or “SamCart integrations vs Kajabi integrations.”

👉 Quick takeaway: if your top priority is affiliate management features SamCart vs Kajabi, or checkout power, SamCart is the pick. If you want courses, community, email, Kajabi wins.

5. Pricing Showdown (2025)

People are often surprised when they compare pricing for SamCart vs Kajabi, especially for the 2025 comparisons. Let's go through the pricing below.

SamCart Pricing (2025)

- Launch - about $79/ mo: good for selling basics, but you're missing A/B testing, etc.

- Grow - about $159 / mo: adds A/B testing, upsells, subscriptions.

- Scale - about $319 / mo: full suite, affiliate management, cart abandonment, advanced analytics.

Hidden Costs - there's no built-in email marketing tool, so you'll need an email tool ($30-100 a month), and there are still fees for payment processors (like Stripe and PayPal).

Kajabi Pricing (2025)

- Basic - $149/mo: up to 3 products, 1,000 active members and limited automation.

- Growth - $199/mo: allows for up to 15 products, more funnels, better automation, and no Kajabi branding.

- Pro - $399/mo: allows for 100 products, advanced automation features, and 20k active members, good for scaling.

Hidden Costs - for users who scale and grow, the higher tiers of the other products is almost mandatory. It is important to mention that while there isn't much checkout optimization, you may lose some conversions vs SamCart.

💡 What will it actually cost you in 2025 to get Kajabi vs SamCart? SamCart appears much more affordable at the basic tier of entry, but once I start adding my integrations and features that’s not always the case. Kajabi makes it look like I'm paying more because of the bundling of email + website + community.

👉 Is SamCart the better value for course builders compared to Kajabi? If you already have your email + website set, then absolutely the sales power of SamCart is worth the investment. But if you are wanting an all-in-one solution Kajabi will save you the headache from worrying about integrations but it will still cost you more up front.

6. Use Cases: Who Should Use SamCart vs Kajabi?

So after considering features and pricing, the big question is always "okay but who should actually use what?" Let’s make it simple.

SamCart is a better option if:

You're focused exclusively on selling digital products, or even selling mix of physical + digital product. Think ebooks or templates or coaching calls, maybe merch, or maybe couple hundred product run.

You probably already have your email marketing stack set up (Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit, etc). SamCart integrates into those products just fine.

You care more about optimizing for checkout conversion ratio than building a larger community based platform.

So if someone asked me "best e-commerce platform for digital goods Kajabi or SamCart" - SamCart is just built better for selling digital goods because it isn't made for selling physical goods and the checkout process is much simpler.

Kajabi is a better option if:

You're a course creator who just doesn't want to try to glue together 6 different pieces together.

You want all-in-one: course hosting, community / membership site, email, and website builder.

You run coaching businesses or group programs, Kajabi allows you to easily bundle coaching + courses + recurring memberships together.

Thus "SamCart vs Kajabi for coaching businesses" → Kajabi wins, as the coaching businesses lend themselves for the content + community + email nurture. And "which is better for membership sites Kajabi or SamCart" Kajabi again, because SamCart doesn't have a real membership/community engine.

Bottom line: SamCart = best for sellers, conversion-focused. Kajabi = best for creators, content-focused.

7. Where Both Platforms Fall Short

Let’s be clear. SamCart and Kajabi are solid tools, but you will run into issues with both tools down the line if you take this route.

The focus of SamCart is on checkouts, which is true and they are the big dogs in order bumps and upsells. But once the transaction is complete, SamCart leaves you in the lurch. There is no real CRM, no email automation built-in, no deep funnels, nothing for community, and no real customer tracking either. You always end up paying for additional tools to run the rest of your business. So, it’s powerful but somewhat one-dimensional...

Kajabi sells itself as an all-in-one. Courses, memberships, community, email, associated website builder. And they accomplish that to a satisfactory level. However, there are the fine prints to also be cautious about; plan limits, higher priced plans, contact limit, etc. If you try to grow past a few thousand users you practically have to sign-up for $199 or $399 plans to support your growing contact list. Checkout is weak with the Kajabi platform, and the analytics options are nowhere near as deep as other tools because they just don’t have it. If you plan to sell any physical products or have a ton of steps in your funnels - you should avoid as well.

So yeah, both solve part of the problem, but what if you need a unified platform without tradeoffs? A system that gives you the power of SamCart’s checkout engine plus the all-in-one depth of Kajabi… without punishing you on price or limiting your growth. That’s where highMpact steps in.

8. highMpact: The Smarter Alternative

highMpact isn’t just another Kajabi alternative, or one of those SamCart alternatives you see on your feed or on a comparison site, written by someone who doesn’t run a business using the actual products. highMpact is built to be the best all-in-one CRM in 2025, built for creators, coaches, and small businesses that need power, simplicity, and no limits...

Here’s what makes it different:

Unlimited users/contacts: You won’t hit a wall, or be subject to a “scaling tax” that dashes your budget with every milestone.

2-way SMS + email built in: Nurture your leads across channels and tools without duct taping a tool from a third party.

Funnels, websites, courses communities: one dashboard, no more stack overload.

The CRM core is advanced: Track every customer through every stage and manage many different service lines, not just sales conversion transactions.

Concierge level support: Real help when you need it with fast reply, not “Admit you’re having a problem and we will respond in 72 hours, maybe”

Affordable, scalable pricing: You can grow without paying $197 a month for access to basic features.

And just to make the point clearer, a side by side...:

👉 But the bottom line is this: If you are looking for a Kajabi alternative to host your courses, or a SamCart alternative, that will not lock you in, highMpact is the better choice. It takes the best features of both products, expands on them, and gives you a simpler system that actually grows with you.

9. Conclusion: The Final Verdict

Let's be honest about it. SamCart is still the checkout champ. Nobody is arguing against upsells, order bumps, and making digital + physical sales easy. Kajabi is the all-in-one course center. It has courses, memberships, community, even email inboxes.

But in 2025, do you really need to choose between the two and live with half the puzzle? SamCart is a poor CRM while Kajabi locks you into tiers at a high premium while not delivering a good checkout experience. They both help and are marginalized.

That is why highMpact is the superior route. It gives you the checkout experience of SamCart, the all-in-one experience of Kajabi, and the critical piece both fail to offer: AN ACTUAL advanced system CRM with unlimited users, 2-way SMS + email, funnels, websites, courses, concierge support, and no scaling tax.

If you want to stop circulating tools for every upgrade, and stop paying more as you grow, then highMpact makes sense.

👉 Don't live with half the system. Try highMpact today.

10. FAQ: Kajabi vs SamCart (2025)

1. What’s the real difference between Kajabi and SamCart?

Kajabi is an all-in-one platform. You can build your course, website, email list, and even a community.
SamCart is more focused. It’s made for selling. Think checkout pages, upsells, and boosting conversions.

2. Can I use Kajabi and SamCart together?

Yes, you can. Some people use Kajabi to host their courses and SamCart to handle checkout.
But it can get messy juggling both and paying for both. If you want everything in one place, it might be better to look at something like highMpact, which combines both.

3. Which one is better for selling online courses?

Kajabi has great tools for building and managing your course. SamCart is better at selling it.
So if your course is ready and you care about checkout conversions, SamCart can help. If you’re still building and need the full setup, Kajabi might be easier. Or, again, highMpact does both.

4. Is Kajabi or SamCart more beginner-friendly?

Kajabi is easier for beginners who want to build everything in one spot. SamCart is simpler if you’re only focused on selling a few products. If you’re just starting and want long-term flexibility, look for something with built-in support and fewer moving parts.

5. Do either of them let me drip course content?

Yes, both let you unlock lessons over time. Kajabi’s system is more polished for this, especially if your course has quizzes or coaching built in. SamCart can drip content too, but it’s more basic.

6. Can I sell physical products with SamCart or Kajabi?

SamCart handles physical and digital products side by side. Kajabi isn’t really made for physical stuff. It’s better for digital products like courses or memberships.
If you want to sell both types, SamCart or highMpact will work better.

7. Can I customize my checkout page?

SamCart gives you more control here. You can add upsells, test different versions, and tweak your layout. Kajabi is more limited. It works fine, but it’s not built for deep customization. So if checkout experience matters a lot, SamCart wins this one.

8. Which one is more affordable for small businesses?

At first glance, SamCart seems cheaper. But once you add email, website, and funnel tools, it can add up. Kajabi looks expensive upfront, but it includes more.
The real answer depends on what you need or you skip the puzzle and go with highMpact, which includes it all for one price.