Kajabi Vs. Hotmart: Best Choice In 2025 [Full Comparison]

Kajabi and Hotmart offer powerful tools for online businesses. Read our in-depth comparison to see which platform suits your needs in 2025.

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Comparison of the home pages of Kajabi and Hotmart. At the top left a text that reads “KAJABI VS. HOTMART”
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Are you torn between Kajabi and Hotmart for your online business? You're not alone. A platform that doesn't fit your needs can cause unnecessary stress, slow your progress, and even limit your earning potential.

For course creators, coaches, and entrepreneurs like you, selecting the right platform is essential. A mismatch between your business and the platform can impact your success and make scaling harder.

Both Kajabi and Hotmart offer powerful tools to build and grow your online business, but they serve different purposes. Understanding the key differences between the two can help you make a more informed choice.

In this comparison, we’ll take a close look at each platform’s value, features, and growth potential, focusing on aspects like ease of use, customization, automation, and more.

By the end of this comparison, you'll have a clear understanding of how Kajabi stacks up against Hotmart – and why it might just be the game-changer your business needs.

Kajabi Vs. Hotmart At A Glance

Kajabi Overview

Kajabi Overview
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Kajabi is an all-in-one platform to help entrepreneurs, creators, and businesses build and monetize their online presence.

With Kajabi, you can create and sell online courses, coaching programs, memberships, communities, newsletters, and podcasts from one centralized location. The platform integrates essential business tools, including website building, email marketing, sales funnels, payment processing, and analytics.

One of Kajabi's standout features is its user-friendly interface, making it easy for creators to design and launch websites, landing pages, and sales funnels without needing a technical background.

Kajabi Core Features

  • Online Course Creation
  • Website Building
  • Email Marketing

1. Online Course Creation

Kajabi provides a comprehensive suite of tools for effectively creating and selling online courses. The platform offers customizable templates, an intuitive course builder, and the ability to upload various content types, such as videos, audio files, assessments, and downloadable resources.

You can create engaging learning experiences with features like drip content, quizzes, and certificates of completion. Kajabi's course player is optimized for mobile devices, ensuring your students can access your content on the go.

Additionally, Kajabi's built-in marketing tools help you promote your courses and reach your target audience, even if you have a small audience.

2. Website Building

Kajabi's website builder allows you to create professional, fully integrated websites without any coding knowledge. You can choose from various customizable themes and templates or start from scratch using the drag-and-drop editor.

Some key features of Kajabi's website builder include:

  • Blogging functionality: Create and publish blog posts to engage your audience and drive traffic to your site.
  • Landing pages: Design high-converting landing pages for your products, events, or lead magnets.
  • Customizable checkout pages: Optimize your checkout process to increase conversions and reduce cart abandonment.
  • Mobile responsiveness: Ensure that your website looks great and functions seamlessly on any device.

3. Email Marketing

Kajabi's email marketing tools enable you to nurture leads, engage your audience, and promote your products effectively. The platform offers a visual email builder, pre-designed templates, and the ability to create automated email sequences based on user behavior.

You can segment your email list based on various criteria, such as course enrollment, purchase history, or engagement level. Kajabi also provides detailed analytics to track your email campaigns' performance and optimize your strategy accordingly.

Additionally, Kajabi's email marketing integrates seamlessly with the platform's other features, allowing you to create targeted campaigns for your courses, memberships, or coaching programs.

Kajabi Pricing

Kajabi Pricing
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Kajabi offers a range of plans designed to fit the needs of entrepreneurs at different stages of their business journey. Below is an overview of Kajabi’s pricing and the features included in each plan:

  • Kickstarter Plan: Starting at $71/month (billed annually), this plan includes 1 website, 1 product, 1 community, 250 contacts, 7,500 marketing emails, unlimited landing pages, and a group onboarding call. You'll also have access to Kajabi AI, Creator Studio, and basic features to help you get started.
  • Basic Plan: At $119/month (billed annually), this plan includes 1 website, 3 products, unlimited landing pages and marketing emails, and 10,000 contacts. It also offers Kajabi AI, Creator Studio, and third-party integrations, as well as a group onboarding call to support your launch.
  • Growth Plan: Starting at $159/month (billed annually), this plan includes 1 website, 15 products, 25,000 contacts, unlimited landing pages, and unlimited marketing emails. You’ll get advanced features like Kajabi AI, Creator Studio, 24/7 support, affiliate programs, custom domains, and the ability to scale your business.
  • Pro Plan: At $319/month (billed annually), this plan includes 3 websites, 100 products, 100,000 contacts, unlimited marketing emails, unlimited landing pages, and advanced features like Kajabi AI, Creator Studio, third-party integrations, and custom branding. You'll also have access to multiple admin users, webhooks, a custom code editor, and 24/7 support.

All plans come with 0% transaction fees, 24/7 customer support, and access to Kajabi University.

Positives Of Kajabi

  • All-in-one platform: Kajabi offers a comprehensive suite of tools for creating, marketing, and selling digital products, eliminating the need for multiple third-party services.
  • User-friendly interface: The platform's intuitive drag-and-drop builders and pre-designed templates make it easy for non-techie users to create professional-looking websites and courses.
  • Robust community features: Kajabi's built-in community features allow you to create engaging spaces for your members to interact, learn, and grow together.
  • Comprehensive analytics: The platform provides detailed insights into your business performance, including website traffic, course enrollments, email campaign metrics, and revenue data.

What Could Be Better

  • Higher pricing: Compared to some competitors, Kajabi's pricing plans may be considered expensive for those just starting out or on a tight budget. However, the all-in-one nature of the platform and the value it provides can justify the cost for many users.

Before you start with Kajabi, it's essential to define your niche and make sure your business idea aligns with the right market. Download our FREE niche worksheet to help you identify your ideal audience and how you can build a profitable business.

Hotmart Overview

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Hotmart is a popular digital product distribution platform that allows creators to sell online courses, ebooks, and other digital products. It provides a range of features to simplify selling products globally, with tools that allow for easy digital content creation, management, and marketing.

Hotmart eliminates the need for technical knowledge, making it accessible for creators at any level to launch their products without hassle.

One of Hotmart's standout features is its global payment system, which supports transactions in multiple currencies and local payment methods. This allows creators to reach international audiences without worrying about currency conversion or complex payment integrations. 

The platform also handles local taxes, ensuring a smooth process for both creators and customers. With no monthly fees, Hotmart operates on a commission-based model, only charging a percentage when a sale is made.

However, unlike Kajabi, Hotmart does not offer a comprehensive all-in-one solution. While it excels in product distribution and affiliate management, it lacks some of the essential features for building and growing an online business, such as website building, email marketing, and advanced community features.

Hotmart Core Features

  • Digital Product Distribution
  • Affiliate Management
  • Payment Processing

1. Digital Product Distribution

Hotmart's core strength lies in its ability to help creators distribute their digital products to a wide audience. The platform supports various product formats, including online courses, ebooks, software, and more.

Creators can easily upload and manage their products, set pricing, and define access rules for their customers. Hotmart also provides a customizable checkout process and secure payment gateway, ensuring a smooth purchasing experience for buyers.

2. Affiliate Management

Hotmart boasts a robust affiliate management system that allows creators to leverage the power of affiliate marketing to drive sales and expand their reach. The platform connects creators with a vast network of affiliates who can promote their products and earn commissions on successful sales.

Key features of Hotmart's affiliate management system include:

  • Customizable affiliate programs: Creators can set their own commission rates, cookie durations, and promotional materials for their affiliates.
  • Detailed tracking and reporting: Hotmart provides comprehensive analytics on affiliate performance, allowing creators to optimize their affiliate strategy and identify top-performing partners.
  • Automated payments: The platform handles all affiliate payouts, ensuring timely and accurate compensation for successful referrals.

3. Payment Processing

Hotmart offers a secure and reliable payment processing system that supports multiple currencies and payment methods, making it easy for creators to sell their products globally.

The platform handles all transactions, including refunds and chargebacks, and provides creators with detailed sales reports and analytics.

Some notable features of Hotmart's payment processing include:

  • Support for various payment methods, such as credit cards, PayPal, and local payment options in different countries.
  • Customizable checkout pages to match your brand and optimize conversions.
  • Automatic product delivery upon successful payment, ensuring a seamless customer experience.
  • Secure transaction handling and compliance with international data protection regulations.

Hotmart Pricing

Hotmart offers a flexible pricing model that allows creators to start selling their digital products without any upfront costs. Instead of charging a monthly fee, Hotmart operates on a commission-based system where you only pay a transaction fee when you make a sale. This ensures there are no hidden fees or ongoing costs until you start earning.

Additionally, Hotmart’s platform includes many features to help creators grow their businesses. These include payment systems with multiple local options, affiliate management, email automation, sales funnels, and analytics, all built to streamline business operations. You can also host unlimited products and take advantage of tools for events, webinars, and customizable checkout pages.

Hotmart also offers additional features such as video hosting (at $1.49 per customer) and the option to co-create products with partners, ensuring that creators have the tools to scale their businesses effectively. The platform’s pricing model allows you to access all of these tools without paying any upfront monthly fees.

Positives Of Hotmart

  • Global reach: Hotmart has a strong presence in Latin America and a growing user base worldwide, allowing creators to tap into new markets and expand their audience.
  • Extensive affiliate network: The platform's large pool of affiliates can help creators drive sales and increase their product visibility without investing heavily in advertising.
  • Easy product distribution: Hotmart simplifies the process of uploading, managing, and selling digital products, making it accessible for creators with limited technical skills.

What Could Be Better

  • Limited customization options: While Hotmart provides some customization features for checkout pages and affiliate promotions, it lacks the extensive design flexibility and branding options offered by platforms like Kajabi.

Kajabi Vs. Hotmart: Course Creation And Delivery

Kajabi provides a comprehensive course creation toolkit, including an intuitive course builder, customizable templates, and the ability to upload various content types like videos, audio files, assessments, and downloadable resources. With Kajabi's course player optimized for mobile devices, students can access content seamlessly on the go.

Kajabi's powerful Product Creation Wizard streamlines the course creation process, allowing creators to build a course from scratch or import content from an existing course. The platform also offers AI-powered tools to assist in organizing material, suggesting optimal structures, and providing content ideas, enabling creators to launch courses faster.

Hotmart is a strong choice for course creators who are focusing more on product distribution and affiliate marketing. It provides a straightforward course creation tool where you can upload video content and create simple course structures. While it may not offer as much design flexibility as Kajabi, it does allow for the organization of courses and content with multiple payment options for students. Hotmart also supports course delivery through its platform with options to schedule content releases. While the features for course design and delivery are functional, they’re not as robust or customizable as Kajabi’s.

Kajabi Vs. Hotmart: Affiliate Management

Kajabi offers affiliate marketing capabilities through its built-in affiliate program, allowing you to set up and manage affiliate partnerships directly from the platform. You can create custom commission structures, track affiliate sales, and monitor performance. Kajabi's affiliate dashboard makes it easy to view affiliate stats, including clicks, sales, and commissions.

Hotmart is a leader in affiliate marketing, offering a much more comprehensive affiliate management system. With Hotmart, you can manage affiliates at scale, providing them with access to unique links, marketing materials, and tailored commission structures. Hotmart’s affiliate system is built for global distribution and allows for complex commission models. 

The platform also offers affiliate training, promotional resources, and a dedicated affiliate marketplace to connect creators with potential affiliates. Because affiliate marketing is one of Hotmart’s key strengths, it offers much more flexibility and features than Kajabi in this area.

Kajabi Vs. Hotmart: Payment Processing And Pricing

Kajabi offers a simple and transparent pricing structure, with plans starting at $71/month. All plans include unlimited landing pages and marketing emails, Kajabi University, webinar and events, and 0% transaction fees. Users can upgrade to higher-tier plans with more products, pipelines, contacts, and advanced features as they scale their business.

Additionally, Kajabi provides an integrated payment solution called Kajabi Payments, which simplifies financial management by allowing creators to process payments directly from the platform. This includes the ability to accept major credit cards, digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay, and buy-now-pay-later options such as Afterpay and Klarna. Kajabi Payments also allows you to collect taxes automatically, send invoices, and manage subscriptions without needing third-party integrations. The platform integrates seamlessly with accounting software like Xero and QuickBooks to automate bookkeeping.

Kajabi also provides a 14-day free trial for users to explore the platform before committing to a paid plan.

Hotmart operates on a commission-based pricing model, meaning you only pay when you make a sale. The transaction fee is applied to products priced over US$ 15. For these products, Hotmart charges 9.90% of the sale price plus a US$ 0.50 fee. For example, if you make a US$ 50 sale, the fee Hotmart would take is US$ 5.45.

There are no monthly fees or hidden charges, making it a cost-effective option for creators focused on global sales and affiliate marketing.

Hotmart handles payments in multiple currencies and local payment methods, catering to international audiences. The platform processes payments from credit cards, PayPal, and bank transfers and automatically calculates taxes for different regions, ensuring compliance with local laws. 

Kajabi Vs. Hotmart: Which Should You Choose?

To help you make an informed decision, here's a scoring table based on a 5-point scale that provides a comparative view of their features:

Get Started With Kajabi

Kajabi stands out due to its comprehensive all-in-one platform that combines course creation, website building, and email marketing. Unlike Hotmart, which focuses primarily on product distribution and affiliate management, Kajabi offers more extensive features for branding, community building, and customer engagement. This makes Kajabi a robust choice for entrepreneurs seeking a seamless and integrated solution.

Kajabi’s user-friendly interface offers extensive customization options, giving you full control over your online presence and how your customers interact with your business. With transparent pricing and 0% transaction fees, you can scale your business without worrying about unexpected costs. Plus, Kajabi's robust customer support and educational resources like Kajabi University ensure you have everything you need to succeed.

Choosing Kajabi means opting for a platform that prioritizes functionality and user experience. Its comprehensive suite of tools supports every aspect of your online business, from creation to marketing and sales. Start your 14-day free trial today and discover how Kajabi can help you elevate your online business and digital products.