Kajabi vs LearnDash 2026: Creator Suite or WordPress LMS?
Quick verdict: Kajabi is our overall pick for Kajabi vs LearnDash.
Kajabi (4.2/5) is the hosted all-in-one with marketing built in; LearnDash (3.8/5) is the low-cost WordPress plugin with no marketing suite at all.
| Tool | Rating | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kajabi Best overall Best for teams | 4.2/5 | $143/mo (annual, Basic) | Kajabi is the all-in-one creator operating system: courses, coaching, podcasts, community,… |
| LearnDash | 3.8/5 | $259/yr (Essentials, about $21.58/mo) | LearnDash is the WordPress LMS plugin: a one-time annual license you install on your own s… |
Bottom line: Kajabi (4.2/5) for the creator who wants one login to run courses, email, website and community — Basic at $143/mo annual with 0% fees via Kajabi Payments, at the cluster's highest entry. LearnDash (3.8/5) for the cost floor on the WordPress stack: a $259/yr Essentials license with unlimited courses, learners and no per-sale fee, on top of your own $10-20/mo hosting. These are different businesses, not rivals at the same price: pick LearnDash when you own the domain, want zero platform lock-in, and skip the marketing suite; pick Kajabi when the email, funnel and website tooling is the point and the $143/mo bill is absorbable.
Pricing and details
Kajabi · 4.2/5
14-day free trial · $143/mo (annual, Basic)
Kajabi bills by tier, not by seat: Basic 5 products / 2,500 contacts, Growth 50 products / 25,000, Pro unlimited products / 100,000. Using Kajabi Payments carries 0% platform fees; routing through your own Stripe adds a 2% (Basic) / 1% (Growth) / 0.5% (Pro) surcharge. The priciest entry in this cluster — the 2026-01 restructure dropped the $55 Kickstarter and lifted every tier.
Basic $143/mo · Growth $199/mo · Pro $399/mo (annual)
Kajabi is the all-in-one creator operating system: courses, coaching, podcasts, community, email marketing, landing pages and a website in one subscription. It bills by product and contact volume, and its January 2026 restructure removed the cheap Kickstarter entry — Basic is now the floor at $143/mo annual.
Score breakdown
Pros
- True all-in-one: courses, podcasts, coaching, community, email (unlimited sends), landing pages and website in one login
- 0% platform fees when paying through Kajabi Payments; replaces a $150-250/mo tool stack
- Growth tier adds affiliates, advanced automations and white-labeling
- 30-day trial on all plans
Cons
- Priciest entry in the cluster: $143/mo annual ($179 monthly) — 3-4x the course-first rivals
- Steep learning curve: marketing automation on top of course hosting (ease 3/5)
- Own-Stripe routing adds a 2%/1%/0.5% surcharge by tier on top of Stripe's fee
Pricing verified 2026-09-19
LearnDash · 3.8/5
48-hour live demo (no card) · $259/yr (Essentials, about $21.58/mo)
LearnDash is a plugin, not a SaaS: you pay a yearly license (Essentials $259, Pro $399, Elite $599) on top of your own WordPress hosting (roughly $10-20/mo). Every plan includes unlimited courses and learners and no per-sale fee. Since the Liquid Web acquisition, new customers buy the bundled Essentials/Pro/Elite plans; legacy 1-site/10-site/unlimited licenses are grandfathered. MemberDash memberships are bundled into every tier.
Essentials $259/yr · Pro $399/yr · Elite $599/yr (annual, Liquid Web bundled plans)
LearnDash is the WordPress LMS plugin: a one-time annual license you install on your own site, with unlimited courses and learners on every tier. It bills by license (Essentials / Pro / Elite per year), takes no cut of your sales, and is the only cluster member priced annually-only.
Score breakdown
Pros
- Cheapest true cost at volume: $259/yr Essentials with unlimited courses and learners, no transaction fees
- Owns your data and domain — the WordPress stack stays yours, no platform lock-in
- Pro adds AI course/quiz builders, weighted grading, report cards and cohort groups; Elite adds multi-instructor front-end creation
- MemberDash memberships bundled into every tier since the Liquid Web acquisition
Cons
- Self-hosted: hosting (roughly $10-20/mo), security and WordPress maintenance are on you
- Annual-license-only pricing — no monthly option, and the $199 entry price quoted across Google is retired
- No native mobile apps; front-end experience depends on themes and add-ons
Pricing verified 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Which is better overall, Kajabi or LearnDash?
Kajabi is our overall pick (4.2/5 vs 3.8/5). Kajabi (4.2/5) is the hosted all-in-one with marketing built in; LearnDash (3.8/5) is the low-cost WordPress plugin with no marketing suite at all.
Do Kajabi and LearnDash offer free plans?
Neither advertises a free plan; check current trial terms before committing.
What does Kajabi cost?
$143/mo (annual, Basic) — Kajabi bills by tier, not by seat: Basic 5 products / 2,500 contacts, Growth 50 products / 25,000, Pro unlimited products / 100,000. Using Kajabi Payments carries 0% platform fees; routing through your own Stripe adds a 2% (Basic) / 1% (Growth) / 0.5% (Pro) surcharge. The priciest entry in this cluster — the 2026-01 restructure dropped the $55 Kickstarter and lifted every tier. Prices were last verified on 2026-09-19.