Circle vs. Kajabi: Which Is the Best Choice for You? |

Oct 8, 2024

Circle was created in the year 2020 from some Teachable employees who realized the need for an online community platform to supplement Teachable's courses. Over time, it added a course platform of its own. Kajabi was launched 10 years earlier in 2010. Kenny Rueter wanted an online sales platform to sell his lawn-sprinkler he constructed, and as time passed it morphed into an incredibly popular course platform.

Both Circle and Kajabi are both big players of real estate in the creator economy. Therefore, if you're searching for an office space and you're wondering what is the best fit.


In this piece this article, we'll examine the difference between Circle with Kajabi. Because there's a lot of overlap in what they offer, we'll explore the two on the basis:


 

  • Courses        
  • Members and Communities        
  • Marketing & Business Tools        
  • Apps        


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Circle Vs. Kajabi: Comparison Chart


Circle

Kajabi

Asynchronous Course Platform

Live Courses

Only by mixing two platforms

Livestreaming Native

Advanced Marketing Features

Integrated Funnels

Page Building

What is the difference between a Community and a Course?

Email Support

Zapier Only

Built-In

Apps for every device

Yes (2 separate apps for course and community)

Branded Apps

Basic

Branded Apps

Additional Cost

Additional Cost

Pricing From...

$29/mo + $5/course sale

$69/mo





How to decide


It's crucial to realize the fact that these platforms were made for various things, such as courses vs communities. They all work better with the purpose they were designed. That means the primary question will always be what you're creating:


 

  • Circle is a more efficient platform for community and members.        
  • Kajabi is a more efficient platform to use for online courses and marketing.      


If you're on the line between these two, read on for a deeper analysis of how they rank for various attributes.


Circle Vs. Kajabi


Courses


Kajabi


Kajabi is a well-known course building, and the LMS offers a wide range of content to play with. It can handle different types of content: video, audio, text, surveys, quizzes, and even downloads. Table of Contents format is well-suited and allows users to view lessons before launching. The LMS offers the option of dripping content as well as including questions and assessments.


Kajabi app


Kajabi also works (sort of) in live-streamed courses but there are a few limitations. There's no native livestreaming within the Kajabi platform for courses. You'll need to utilize a third-party program similar to YouTube. However, Kajabi does have a distinct application - Kajabi 2.0-that has livestreaming and live-streamed meetings (we'll discuss it in the following section). This makes it possible to add an option for live streaming to your course (it opens in a new window), and the recording is able to be saved to the course's webpage. Since Kajabi incorporates email notifications users will be notified when a livestream is going to begin and join.


Finally, Kajabi was an early adopter with some AI tools for creating material. It can be used to create:


 

  • Lesson Content        
  • Descriptions of Course        
  • Sales Email Copy        
  • Copy of the Landing Page        
  • Social Media Content        
  • Sales Video Script        


Kajabi AI tools


But, they aren't embedded into the platform. That means that they're not public facing (which is awesome), but they don't offer anything you couldn't do with ChatGPT. ChatGPT account.


Another standout feature of Kajabi is the course pages. This feature Circle doesn't have. You can customize your course pages using drag-and-drop by adding sections, and then creating an entire course with the brand of your choice. It's a little like making a site for your course. It's a great way to showcase it in (Circle utilizes Course Spaces instead). We'll talk more about these below.


Circle


circle Courses


In Circle, delivering courses is done by opening a course space. The course experience is created using a table of content (an LMS model) which can then be connected to other community Spaces. The platform for courses can accommodate audio text, video, as well as downloadable materials for various styles of learning. Instructors can create the course content in asynchronous fashion and then preview it before it goes live.


In addition, Circle can handle live classes with its integrated livestreaming as well as a community component (more about this later). This allows a variety of possibilities for synchronous interactions and things like live classrooms, office hours and Q&As.


Which is the best?


As course platforms as platforms for teaching, both Circle and Kajabi both have advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, the best option for the specific purpose depends on what kind of class you want to run.


Kajabi is better for... Course creators who wish to create simple courses (asynchronous) with included marketing pages, as well as web designs that are flexible. Kajabi isn't as effective for live classes and learning experiences because of the disconnect between community and course capabilities (which we'll cover in a subsequent ).


Circle is best to... instructor who require live instruction in a group or asynchronous courses with live experience. In essence, if you're looking to do anything live for your students Circle has a better integration between live features and course platform than Kajabi does. And if you want an online community, it's even stronger.


One thing to keep in mind is that Circle offers more restrictions on storage and extra costs. Because courses count towards these limits, you might be charged extra for larger libraries of course materials.


Memberships and Community


Kajabi


Kajabi community - Circles


Kajabi does do communities and memberships but they're not its best feature. For a long time the Kajabi community's primary feature was limited to the forum feature that lives on Kajabi's course platform. It was a basic feature and could even include a basic discussion forum to an existing course.


But Kajabi recently acquired a company known as Vibely to provide essential community functions.


Kajabi live rooms


The benefit:


 

  • The upgrade adds a chat component to Kajabi as well as a range of synchronous and asynchronous tools to connect. It included newsfeeds, events, chat as well as DM as well as live rooms. Links to your community could be placed on the landing page of a course.      
  • Kajabi has a space-function to arrange content. These they refer to as circles (not to be confused with Circle.so). Circles are distinct spaces which can be used to store different types of content.      
  • Kajabi 2.0 has more member directories that are customized with profiles that highlight the interests of members and successes.        


The negative


 

  • It's a separate platform (not an integral part of Kajabi). Kajabi 2.0 requires a separate login and separate application. Yes, users need two different apps to access the course as well as the community.      


Circle


Circle Livestreaming


Circle's communities are based around the feature Spaces. We talked about a course Space above. Creators on Circle can also create an event space as well as community, post, and chat Spaces. It is possible to post content such as audio, videos, podcasts as well as files and other media from other platforms through Circle's embed capabilities. All the community content is searchable.


Circle Spaces


In contrast to Kajabi, Circle has embedded AI writing tools into the platform for courses, which means that it improves communication and writing. Circle comes with profile pages for members that are turned off or switched on. member lists can be for an entire community or for a particular area.


Additionally, a Circle community includes personalized home feeds as well as automatically scheduled weekly digests to inform members know what's happening in the community. Additionally, Circle has moderation and administration tools that assist in the expansion of communities.


Which one is more effective?


Circle is a superior community platform. It was created for community as well as memberships. Kajabi is working to get up to these capabilities, however, using two different applications to accomplish the same thing that Circle can do with just one app is a dealbreaker for most creators.


Marketing & Business


Kajabi


Kajabi is a great platform for marketing. It has a number of options for hosting courses and making sales. It includes a page builder that supports drag-and drop building (we talked about in the previous paragraphs) and pages that can be used for various purposes: opt-in pages downloading pages, sale pages and so on.


Kajabi integrated marketing


Kajabi is also able to integrate marketing and email to sell courses. It also has built sales funnels. The funnels are linked to an email system that handles the segmentation of audiences, automated processes, and manage subscribers. Kajabi is a platform for sales, Kajabi offers bundles, free trials, coupons, and subscriptions, with tools to boost revenue, such as sales, abandoned cart recovery, and support for multi-currency currencies.


Circle


Circle does not have an abundance of built-in marketing tools it, so it's not as robust as Kajabi is. It is possible to add the possibility of a landing page in the course, with some modification of the design and copy and can even include an overview of the course. But Circle is not meant to make a website as Kajabi did.


After a person is inside, Circle has some integrated email notifications and digests that will keep people up to date on what's happening in a community-these emails can be white-labeled on some of Circle's higher tiers. Other than these, Circle doesn't have a built-in email software, therefore you'll need to integrate with the email program using Zapier.


As with Kajabi, Circle can manage the bundles of payments and payment in various currencies. It is easy to connect courses and communities (end activities) in order to increase sales.


Price


    Kajabi Price


 

  • $69/mo - Kickstarter (1 product, 1 funnel + 250 contacts)        
  • $149/mo - The basic (3 products, 3 funnels + 10,000 people)        
  • $199/mo - Growth (15 products, 15 funnels, + 25,000 contacts)        
  • $399/mo - Pro (100 products, 100 funnels + 100,000 contacts)        


    Circle


 

  • $49/mo + fee for transactions of 4% - Basic Plans (Community Only)        
  • $99/mo + 2.2% fee Pro Plan (add classes, livestreaming as well as branding)        
  • $219/mo + 1 percent fees- Business plan (add workflows, custom fields, email white-labels, and AI helper)        
  • $399/mo + .5 per cent fees for Enterprise (add SSO, and analytics, 10 admins plus 100 mods)        


Which is the best?


Kajabi is unquestionably superior to Kajabi for course marketing features. The marketing funnels are integrated that are pre-set for different applications. The platform has basic email program that allows you to tag and market to subscribers with a method you cannot use Circle. It also has additional capabilities for sales built into the platform to assist creators in earning.


But, Kajabi is also more costly. If you're planning to pay for Kajabi, ensure that you'll need the options it has to offer.


Apps


Kajabi


Kajabi really has two major apps: The Course app, and the Community app. However, it requires a third app for community analysis. The following are apps that can be found:


Courses: It is Kajabi's most popular app, which includes the course infrastructure, including text, videos, and the LMS. Additionally, it has the old Kajabi community features. It works well for asynchronous courses.


Kajabi main app


Community: This was the Vibely app. It's changed to Kajabi 2.0. The app offers community-oriented options like chat, conferencing, and live-time interactions.


Kajabi 2.0 - app screens


Kajabi Creator  The app is an app for managing the operations of a Kajabi company, that includes analytics and statistics to help you understand what's going on in your company and administration.


Kajabi Branded Apps It's the latest feature offered by Kajabi, offering branded apps available in the App Store as well as the Google Play Store. This includes branded push notifications. It's also important to note that branded apps can be the only means to get courses and community in one app.


Circle


Circle has had an iOS application for a couple of years. However, their Android app released in 2023. That said, it's well-rated (4.5 rating for Google Play and 4.9 on the App Store). Also, unlike Kajabi it's all in Circle is in one app (courses and communities ).


Circle App -


Circle has recently also launched an option for branded apps which means you are able to get the app with your own branding. The Circle Plus app brings together all of the courses as well as community all in one spot. Circle Plus comes with branded push notifications. The app is still in its early stages and it's not yet available, however Circle has developed an app for Exit Five (a B2B community for marketing). ).


Which one is superior?


Both apps are excellent. However, the issue that Kajabi requires a number of apps to do the same thing that Circle can do with just one app is a snub. If you just wanted online course that was synchronous, the Kajabi app is a great choice. However, if you're interested in classes and a community, Circle is probably a more suitable option. If you use Kajabi users, they would need to install two apps, which could be detrimental to engagement.


If you choose to use a branded application, Circle gets the slight advantage too. They have a better performance record (Kajabi is just starting). Furthermore, Kajabi makes you pay for a branded app to get your courses as well as a community-something Circle is already doing.


A verdict


Let's go back to the point from which we began. Which is better, Circle vs. Kajabi? In all honesty, both platforms are a good choice. However, both platforms have some serious shortcomings.


 

  • Kajabi has a fantastic synchronous course delivery as well as solid marketing expertise, but it makes it possible to deliver live events using a separate platform and app. So what you get for the sale, you forfeit in engagement. Kajabi's AI capabilities aren't much to write home about-basically a white-labeled ChatGPT.    
  • Circle: Doesn't offer as much course or marketing capacity as Kajabi, however it has a more streamlined community function. But even Circle needs to host communities and classes in different spaces (AKA different areas within your group). Users must navigate to locate the appropriate spaces.    


Do you want a more effective alternative?





is the most highly rated social network on G2's list of community platforms. It is home to communities and classes for brands and figures like Tony Robbins, Mel Robbins, Jim Kwik, Marie Forleo, Matthew Hussey, TED Nuun, as well as Mindbody.


Here's what sets Mighty apart from both Circle and Kajabi.


streamlined experiences


Both Kajabi as well as Circle both have a disjointed UX between the community and classes. Kajabi due to the fact that these events are hosted across different platforms and applications. And Circle since they take place across different Spaces. Members must click around to find the appropriate event or Space to go with the course.


With Mighty Spaces, they are built to accommodate any kind of information you'd like to store. By turning off functions such as Activity Feed Chat, Activity Feed, Table of Contents (traditional LMS), People Explorer (Members) Recurring Events and One-time Events Pages (an article) or highlighted Hashtags.


This is the way it looks like:


MN - 2024 - Graphics - Space Templates


All that is left to do is put everything all in one location. Courses and events. Community and chat.


It turns into way higher engagement and better UX for members who don't need to search around to find what they're looking for.


 - Graphics - 2024 - Livestreaming GIF


Software specifically designed to engage


In the last year We discovered that we could predict with a 93% accuracy, which communities would succeed and which would fail.


All it came down to was the members. Are they able to meet? Do they talk to one another?


Member connection is a better predictor of success than host's content they make.


So, we designed our software to boost connection between members.


The result is:


 

  • The HTML0 is a People Explorer that helps members find others who share similar interests and background as well as those who reside in the same town.        
  • A welcome checklist as well as Profile assist functions to aid new members get off to the right start.        
  • A "Show Similarities" feature which makes use of AI to show you what you have in common with fellow members. You can also start conversations with just a single click.      


MN - Graphics - 2024 - Profiile + similarities


Hosting hosts in helping them build better
Engagement features aren't only focused on members.


Mighty is also a software that can help hosts increase engagement. This includes the...


 

  • Infinite Question Generator, which produces discussion questions, and then instantly posts them to the appropriate forums. It keeps the conversation going even when you're not online.    
  • "Activity Assist" to show you members who were absent and help you reconnect the members with just a click.      


MN - Graphics - 2024 - Animation Conversation-Starter


Another awesome community and course options


 

  • Quick community development. Just type a few words in Mighty Co-Host(tm) immediately and you'll have a Big Idea, basic brand identity, and your first Space. (Try for free)    
  • Writing prompts and improvements using the "make-it-better" editors for text.        
  • Quick course outline as well as suggested hashtags.        
  • A native ConvertKit integration to integrate community/courses, email, and 2,000+ embeds to integrate.        



MN - Graphics - 2024 - Apps


Additionally, you can purchase your courses and community on personalized apps, which are under your name within the App Store and Google Play Store. Mighty Pro has built 400plus branded apps for several of the most prestigious brands and creators.


Get branded notifications and livestreaming, design assistance, and proactive upgrades by the top-ranked branded app team for communities: Learn more here .


If you're eager to launch courses or a community using Mighty It, give it a try! It's free to try for 14 days (no credit card required ).