Introduction: Why Creators Are Looking Beyond Kajabi in 2025

Kajabi has long positioned itself as one of the most popular platforms for creators, coaches, and digital entrepreneurs looking to sell online courses and memberships. It offers a suite of tools under one roof — combining course hosting, coaching, email marketing, and community features — and for many years, it set the industry standard.

But as the creator economy continues to evolve in 2025, so have creators’ needs.

More creators today are looking for platforms that go beyond simply hosting courses. They want flexibility to monetize in different ways — memberships, coaching, digital products, challenges, and live events. 

They want automation that helps them scale without needing large teams or complicated tech stacks. They want built-in marketing tools that actually help them grow — not just more software subscriptions to juggle. And they want global payment support to serve customers wherever they are in the world.

While Kajabi still serves many creators well, these growing expectations have led to a surge in demand for Kajabi alternatives — platforms that offer more flexibility, better automation, and a more cost-effective way to build a scalable creator business.

If you’re currently researching the best Kajabi alternative in 2025, this guide is for you.

We’re going to objectively review some of the most popular platforms that creators like you are comparing, including Podia, Skool, Thinkific, Mighty Networks, Circle, and of course — Nas.io.

What to Look for in a Kajabi Alternative

Choosing a platform isn’t just about features on a pricing page. The right Kajabi alternative should support your entire business model — not just your next product launch.

Here are the key factors most creators are evaluating as they explore alternatives:

Global Payments

If you’re building an audience online, chances are your customers aren’t all in one country. Look for platforms that support multi-currency payments and handle international transactions natively.

Multiple Revenue Streams 

Courses are just one piece of most creator businesses today. You may want to monetize coaching sessions, digital products, memberships, paid communities, live events, or even challenges. The more flexible your platform is, the fewer tools you’ll need to stack.

Also read: How to Make Money Online in 2025: The Ultimate Guide

Built-In Automation & AI

Manual marketing, email writing, ad creation, and sales funnels can become overwhelming as you scale. Platforms that offer built-in automation — especially those starting to integrate AI tools — can save you huge amounts of time and reduce the need for outside help.

Community Engagement

For many creators, community is becoming just as important as content. Platforms that integrate communities directly into your business — rather than forcing you to bolt them on — make it easier to engage and monetize your audience long-term.

Simplicity & Scalability

The right platform shouldn’t require you to duct-tape 5 different tools together with Zapier just to run your business. The more that’s handled natively, the more time (and money) you’ll save as you scale.

Transparent Pricing

Finally, cost matters — but not just the monthly subscription price. Pay attention to how many additional tools, consultants, or integrations you’d need to pay for if your platform doesn’t handle certain features natively. 

First, let’s take a quick look at Kajabi itself first. 

Kajabi: The Original Course Platform with Premium Pricing

Best for: Course-first creators who want built-in email, sales funnels, and multiple product types — but who are comfortable managing much of their marketing manually or through extra tools.

Kajabi remains one of the most popular all-in-one creator platforms and offers a wide suite of features for creators.

Where Kajabi stands out:

• ✅ Courses, memberships, coaching, podcasts, digital downloads, newsletters — all included.
  
• ✅ Built-in email marketing, funnels, landing pages, and client portals.
  
• ✅ Native community features with web and mobile app support.
  
• ✅ Kajabi Payments supports more countries than before and includes options like Apple Pay, Klarna, Afterpay.
  

Considerations:

• ❌ No AI-powered business builder or monetization automation.
  
• ❌ Limited automation for ad creation or audience targeting.
  
• ❌ Still relies heavily on Stripe for payments and many countries remain unsupported.
  
• ❌ High pricing:
  
  • Basic: $149/month
    
  • Growth: $199/month
    
  • Pro: $399/month
    
  • No free plan available.
    

Bottom line:
Kajabi remains a strong option for course creators who want everything inside one platform, but its higher costs, lack of AI automation, and more limited global payments may require creators to stack external tools as they scale.

Now, let’s look at 5 Kajabi Alternatives: 

1. Nas.io: The AI-Powered All-in-One Platform for Modern Creators

Best for: Creators who want maximum flexibility, built-in AI-powered automation, multiple monetization models, and global growth—all without stacking multiple tools.

Nas.io was designed specifically for how creator businesses operate today — blending multiple revenue streams, AI-powered growth tools, and global payments into one simple platform. For creators who are tired of duct-taping tools together, Nas.io focuses on helping you launch and scale faster, with far fewer moving parts.

Where Nas.io stands out:

• AI-powered business builder: Instantly generates product templates, pricing suggestions, and monetization strategies.
  
• Multiple monetization streams: Courses, memberships, 1:1 sessions, digital products, live events, challenges — all fully integrated.
  
• AI-powered automation tools:
  • Magic Reach: Automates marketing and re-engagement for your audience.
    
  • Magic Ads: Instantly creates ad copy, creatives, and targeting to help you scale customer acquisition.
    
  • AI-powered monetization coaching: Personalized guidance to optimize your income streams.
    
• Global payments: Accept payments from customers worldwide, in multiple currencies
  
• WhatsApp community integration: Manage and engage your community directly inside WhatsApp — the most widely used messaging platform globally without complex workarounds
  
• Eliminates tool stacking: No external CRMs, Zapier, or complex integrations required
  
• Affordable, scalable pricing: Start with a free plan; Pro plans start at ~$39/month
  

Who Nas.io is ideal for:

Solo creators, coaches, consultants, educators, and digital entrepreneurs who want one platform to handle their entire business — from sales to marketing to community building — while using AI to scale faster without hiring a large team.

Also read: AI for digital creators: how to build a 6-figure business 

2. Podia: Budget-Friendly Simplicity for Early-Stage Creators

Best for: New creators selling courses, coaching, and digital downloads with basic community features — on a very affordable budget.

Podia positions itself as a more affordable all-in-one creator tool and offers surprising flexibility at lower prices.

Where Podia stands out:

• Courses, memberships, digital downloads, webinars, coaching sessions all supported.
  
• Native community tools now included.
  
• Affordable pricing structure:
  
  • Starter: $39/month
    
  • Mover: $89/month
    
  • Shaker: $199/month
    

Considerations:

• No AI-powered business or marketing automation.
  
• Marketing features are limited (basic email sequences, no built-in ad support).
  
• Global payments are limited to Stripe-supported countries.
  
• As your business grows, external tools may still be needed for advanced funnels, CRM, or paid advertising.

Bottom line:
Podia offers a simple, affordable starting point for solo creators selling digital products — but creators who want full automation, global growth, or deeper monetization flexibility may eventually outgrow its capabilities.

3. Skool: Community-First but Limited Monetization

Best for: Creators who focus primarily on small communities, group coaching, or mastermind groups.

Skool takes a very focused approach to creator businesses — putting private community forums and live calls at the center of the experience.

Where Skool stands out:

• Clean, gamified community experience with leaderboards, badges, and engagement incentives.
  
• Includes a Classroom feature to deliver courses inside the community.
  
• Extremely simple flat pricing at $99/month.
  

Considerations:

• Limited monetization options: primarily memberships and courses inside communities.
  
• No digital products, coaching calendars, live event monetization, or global payments.
  
• No AI-powered business tools or built-in marketing automation.
  

Bottom line:
Skool works well for creators focused on private, tight-knit communities, but lacks the monetization diversity and automation most growing businesses eventually require.

Also read: Skool vs Nas.io: A 2025 Comparison for Coaches Monetizing Communities

4. Mighty Networks: Flexible Communities with a Learning Curve

Best for: Community-first creators who want deep community engagement tools with monetization options for courses, events, memberships, and challenges.

Mighty Networks has become a strong choice for creators whose businesses are centered around building engaged communities with courses and events layered on top.

Where Mighty Networks stands out:

• Offers memberships, courses, paid challenges, events, and communities.
  
• Native community platform with mobile apps (iOS & Android).
  
• New AI features like People Magic AI and AI Cohost help automate community moderation, onboarding, and engagement.
  

Considerations:

• No full business AI for monetization or marketing automation.
  
• Global payments still limited depending on Stripe integrations and your location.
  
• Pricing scales up quickly as you grow:
  
  • Community: $41/month
    
  • Courses: $99/month
    
  • Business: $179/month
    
  • Growth: $360/month
    
  • Mighty Pro: Custom pricing for white-labeled apps.
    

Bottom line:
Mighty Networks offers excellent community-building tools and limited AI-powered engagement support, but creators who want full business automation, ads, monetization coaching, and global payments may still need to layer in additional tools.

5. Circle: Modern Community Platform with Expanding Business Features

Best for: Creators who want beautiful private communities, some course delivery, and growing digital product support — but who are comfortable handling most marketing externally.

Circle has evolved significantly from its early “community-only” positioning and now supports multiple product types alongside its world-class community features.

Where Circle stands out:

• Supports memberships, courses, digital products, events, and paid communities.
  
• Excellent live streaming, video rooms, and engagement features.
  
• AI-powered features for community engagement (AI Agents, AI Workflows).
  
• Native branded checkout with global payment support.
  
• Full-featured mobile apps (iOS & Android).
  

Pricing tiers:

• Basic: $49/month
  
• Professional: $99/month
  
• Business: $219/month
  
• Enterprise: Custom pricing
  

Considerations:

• While AI exists for community management, there’s no AI-powered monetization, ad automation, or full business growth support.
  
• CRMs, email marketing, funnels, and paid advertising still require external tools.
  

Bottom line:
Circle delivers one of the strongest community-first experiences on the market, but business growth, monetization optimization, and AI-powered automation still require creators to assemble a separate tech stack.

Pricing & Value: Why Total Cost of Ownership Matters

When comparing Kajabi alternatives, it’s easy to focus on monthly subscription prices — but serious creators know that subscription cost is only part of the equation.

The real cost of running your business includes:

• Additional tools you’ll need for marketing, CRM, email, ads, payments, and community management.
  
• The time (or money) spent integrating multiple platforms together.
  
• Hiring outside help to manage complex tech stacks as your business grows.
  

Platforms like Kajabi, Skool, Circle, Mighty Networks, and Podia may serve specific needs extremely well — but most require you to bolt on extra tools to handle growth, automation, and monetization optimization.

Nas.io’s value comes from how much it replaces. By offering:

• AI-powered monetization coaching
  
• Built-in marketing automation (Magic Reach + Magic Ads)
  
• Global payments out of the box
  
• Multiple monetization types fully supported
  
• Native WhatsApp community integration
  

Creators save both time and thousands of dollars in additional software and consulting costs as they scale.

Also read: WhatsApp Feature: How to Use AI for Your Online Community 

2025 Platform Pricing Comparison: 

Platform	Free Plan?	Entry Price	Top Public Tier
Nas.io	✅	$39/mo	Custom (Platinum)
Kajabi	❌	$149/mo	$399/mo
Podia	❌	$39/mo	$199/mo
Skool	❌	$99/mo	$99/mo
Mighty Networks	❌	$41/mo	$360/mo
Circle	❌	$49/mo	$219/mo

Final Verdict: Which Kajabi Alternative Gives Creators More for Less?

When you step back from the features and price points, the real difference comes down to business value.

For creators who want to manage fewer tools, launch faster, and scale multiple income streams — without hiring teams or stacking subscriptions — Nas.io delivers more built-in capabilities for less total cost.

By combining AI-powered monetization coaching, built-in marketing automation, global payments, multiple monetization models, and WhatsApp community integration inside a single platform, Nas.io simplifies business growth in ways most platforms still require external tools to match.