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

Oct 8, 2024

Circle was created in the year 2020 by a group of Teachable employees who realized the need for a web-based community platform to complement Teachable's online courses. Over time, it added a course platform of its own. Kajabi began its journey a decade prior in 2010. Kenny Rueter wanted an online sales platform that could sell a lawn sprinkler he'd built, and over time it evolved into a well-known learning platform.

Both Circle and Kajabi take up a lot of real estate in the economy of creation. Therefore, if you're searching for the perfect location for your business You may be asking what's the most suitable choice.


In this piece we'll look at the differences between Circle as well as Kajabi. Since there's lots of overlap in what they have to offer, we'll look at both on the basis of:


 

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


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Circle in comparison to. Kajabi: Comparison Chart


Circle

Kajabi

Asynchronous Course Platform

Live Courses

By mixing two platforms

Native Livestreaming

Advanced Marketing Features

Integrated Funnels

Page Building

Course + Community Together?

Support via email

Zapier Only

Built-In

Applications for all devices

Yes (2 distinct apps for courses and community)

Branded Apps

Basic

Branded Apps

Additional Cost

Additional Cost

Pricing From...

$29/mo + $5/course sale

$69/mo





What is the best way to determine


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


 

  • Circle is an overall more efficient platform for community and members.        
  • Kajabi is an overall better platform for Asynchronous classes as well as marketing.      


If you're on an undefined line between the two options, keep reading for an in-depth analysis of where each ranks for the various attributes.


Circle vs. Kajabi


Courses


Kajabi


Kajabi is well-known for its course-building, and the LMS gives you a lot to play with. It is compatible with various types of content: video, audio and text, as well as surveys, quizzes, and downloads. The format table of contents is well-suited as well, and it allows you to preview lessons before launch. The LMS has choices for drip content, as well as the addition of questions and assessment.


Kajabi app


Kajabi is also a good choice (sort of) in live-streamed courses however there are a few caveats. Livestreaming isn't a native feature of the Kajabi platform for courses. You'll need to make use of a third party software like YouTube. However, Kajabi does have a separate application-Kajabi 2.0-that has livestreaming and live meeting capabilities (we'll cover it below). This does make it possible to include an option for live streaming to your course (it will open in a brand new window) as well as the recorded version can be pinned to your course page. Because Kajabi includes email users will be alerted when livestreams are beginning and they can sign up.


Last but not least, Kajabi was an early adopter with some AI tools for creating the content. It can be used to produce:


 

  • Lesson Content        
  • The Course Outlines        
  • Sales Email Copy        
  • Copy of the Landing Page        
  • Media Content Media Content        
  • Sales Video Script        


Kajabi AI tools


But, they aren't integrated in the platform. This means they are public facing (which is great) However, they do not really do anything you can't accomplish with ChatGPT. ChatGPT account.


One final stand-out feature of Kajabi is the course pages. This feature Circle doesn't have. It is possible to customize the your course pages using drag-and-drop including sections as well as creating an entire course with the brand of your choice. It's a little like creating a website for your course. It's a great way to showcase it in (Circle uses course Spaces instead). We'll talk more about these in the next section.


Circle


circle Courses


In Circle, delivering courses is done by opening the course area. The course experience is created using a table of content (an the LMS design), and can be integrated with other community Spaces. Course platforms can be used to support audio videos, text as well as downloadable material for different styles of education. Instructors can create an asynchronous curriculum and test the content before launching it.


Notably, Circle can handle live courses with its built-in livestreaming as well as a community component (more on this below). This allows a variety of options for synchronous events including live-streamed classes, office hours and Q&As.


Which is better?


For course-related platforms as platforms for teaching, both Circle and Kajabi offer advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, the best option for the specific purpose is dependent on the kind of course you're looking to teach.


Kajabi is more suitable to... course developers who wish to create classes that are static (asynchronous) with integrated marketing pages as well as website design flexibility. Kajabi isn't as effective for live courses and experience because of the gap between community and course capabilities (which we'll cover in a subsequent ).


Circle is better in the case of... course instructors who require live instruction inside of a community or asynchronous courses with live experiences. Basically, if you want to do anything live with students, Circle has a better integration of live features with the course platform than Kajabi does. If you're interested in to create a community, Circle has even better integration.


However, one thing worth noting is that Circle has more limitations on storage space and additional costs. Since courses count toward the limits mentioned above, you could pay extra for large library of courses.


Community & Memberships


Kajabi


Kajabi community - Circles


Kajabi has communities as well as memberships but they're not its best feature. for a while the community function of Kajabi was restricted to a forum that lives on Kajabi's platform for courses. It was extremely basic and could even be used to add a discussion forum to a course.


But Kajabi recently purchased a company known as Vibely to give it important community-related features.


Kajabi live rooms


The positive:


 

  • It adds a new chat feature to Kajabi plus a number of synchronous and non-synchronous tools to connect. It included newsfeeds, events, chat and DM as well as live rooms. The link to your online community can be added on the landing page of a course.      
  • Kajabi uses a space function to arrange content. These they refer to as circles (not to be confused with Circle.so). Circles are distinctive spaces which can be used to store different kinds of information.      
  • Kajabi 2.0 has more member directories that are customized with profiles that showcase the member's interests as well as successes.        


The negative


 

  • It's still a different platform (not part of Kajabi). Kajabi 2.0 has a distinct sign-in and separate app. Yes, users need two different apps to access a course and a community.      


Circle


Circle Livestreaming


Circle's communities revolve on a feature known as Spaces. The course was discussed in Space above. Creators on Circle can also create an event space and communities, posts, and chat Spaces. It is possible to post content such as audio, videos, podcasts, files, and content from other platforms with Circle's embed capabilities. The community content can be searchable.


Circle Spaces


In contrast to Kajabi, Circle has embedded AI writing tools into the platform for courses, which means that it will improve the quality of writing and conversation. Circle has members' profiles that can be turned off or switched on. members lists may be set up for an entire community or a specific space.


Then, the Circle community comes with personalized home feeds as well as automated weekly digests that let users know about what's happening within the community. Finally, Circle has moderation and administration tools that assist in the expansion of communities.


Which one is more effective?


Circle is a more community-oriented platform. It was designed for communities and memberships. Kajabi has been trying to catch the latest features but having two apps to accomplish what Circle does in one can be a problem for many designers.


Marketing & Business


Kajabi


Kajabi is a great platform for marketing. It has a number of options for hosting courses and making sales. This includes a page-builder with drag-and drop building (we mentioned in the previous paragraphs) as well as pages with different purposes: opt-in pages downloading pages, sale page, and so on.


Kajabi integrated marketing


Kajabi also has integrated marketing and email for selling courses. It also has pre-built sales funnels. The funnels are linked with email, which can manage audience segmentation, automations and manage subscribers. Kajabi is a platform for sales, Kajabi offers bundles, coupons, free trials as well as subscriptions. It also has tools to boost revenue, such as the possibility of upselling, abandon cart recovery, and support for multi-currency currencies.


Circle


Circle does not have an abundance of marketing features built-in, and isn't as strong as Kajabi is. There is the possibility of adding a landing page to the course, with some modification of the design and copy and can even include a preview of the content. However, Circle is not meant to make a website like Kajabi does.


Once someone's inside, Circle has some integrated digests and email notifications that keeps people up to date on what's going on in the community. These emails can be white-labeled on the higher levels of Circle's service. Other than these, Circle doesn't have a built-in email tool, so you'd need to connect to the email program by using Zapier.


Similar to Kajabi, Circle can manage bundles and payments in different currencies. You can connect classes and community (end events) together for sales.


Price


    Kajabi Price


 

  • $69/mo - Kickstarter (1 product, 1 funnel + 250 contacts)        
  • $149/month for The basic (3 products 3, 3 funnels, and 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/month + fee for transactions of 4% the Basic plan (Community only)        
  • $99/mo plus 2percent fees Pro Plan (add Livestreaming, courses and brand)        
  • $29/month + 1% fees- Business Plans (add workflows including custom fields, email white-labels, and AI helper)        
  • $399/mo + .5% fees - Enterprise (add SSO, and analytics, 10 admins, as well as 100 mods)        


Which one is more effective?


Kajabi is undeniably better in terms of course-specific marketing functions. It has integrated marketing funnels designed for a variety of uses. It has a basic email software embedded that allows you to tag the subscribers you market to in a way you can't on Circle. Additionally, it comes with more capabilities for sales built in the platform that help creators earn.


But, Kajabi is also more costly. So if you're going to pay for it, be sure that you need the additional options it has to offer.


Apps


Kajabi


Kajabi really has two major apps: The Course app and The Community app. But it also requires a third app for Community analytics. Here are the app offerings:


Courses: This is Kajabi's flagship app that includes the course's infrastructure that includes text, videos, and the LMS. Also, it includes the older Kajabi community feature in it. It works well for asynchronous classes.


Kajabi main app


Community: This was originally the Vibely app, and it's now rebranded to Kajabi 2.0. It offers the community features such as chat, conferencing as well as real-time interaction.


Kajabi 2.0 - app screens


Kajabi Creator : This application is designed to manage the operations of a Kajabi company, that includes analytics and statistics that help you comprehend what's going on in your administration and business.


Kajabi Branded Apps The feature is a new feature for Kajabi, offering branded apps available in the App Store and Google Play Store. These include branded push notifications. Important to keep in mind that branded apps provide the sole way to access courses and community in one app.


Circle


Circle was a company that had an iOS application for a couple of years, however their Android application was launched in 2023. It's a good app (4.5 rating in Google Play and 4.9 on the App Store). And unlike Kajabi, everything within 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 an application under your personal branding. This is Circle's courses as well as community all in one spot. Circle Plus comes with branded push notifications. It's early days and it's not yet available, however Circle has developed an application for Exit Five (a B2B community for marketing). ).


Which one is more effective?


Both offer excellent apps. The reality that Kajabi requires a number of apps to do what Circle does in one a strike against it. If you just wanted online course that was synchronous, the Kajabi app could be a good choice. However, if you're interested in classes and a community, Circle is probably a better choice. If you use Kajabi, members would have to install two separate apps. This could be detrimental to the engagement of members.


In the case of the app with a brand name, Circle gets the slight edge. They have a better experience (Kajabi has just started). Additionally, Kajabi makes you pay for an app that is branded for your classes and communities together. This is what Circle is already doing.


The verdict


We're back where we started. Which one is superior, Circle vs. Kajabi? Both platforms have strong points. Both platforms, however, possess some major flaws.


 

  • Kajabi: Has awesome asynchronous course delivery, and strong marketing chops, but makes the live experience on a totally different platform as well as app. What you gain in revenue, you sacrifice the engagement. Kajabi's AI capabilities don't have anything that you can write home about-basically a white-labeled ChatGPT.    
  • Circle: Doesn't have more marketing or course power as Kajabi, but is more organized in its community features. However, Circle isn't the same as Kajabi. Circle has to host community as well as courses within separate areas (AKA separate parts of your community). Members have to click around to locate the appropriate spaces.    


Are you looking for a better alternative?





is the top-rated platform for community on G2's website. It is home to communities and classes for celebrities and brands like Tony Robbins, Mel Robbins, Jim Kwik, Marie Forleo, Matthew Hussey, TED, nuun, and Mindbody.


What makes Mighty distinct from Circle and Kajabi.


streamlined experiences


Both Kajabi as well as Circle have disjointed UX between community and courses. Kajabi due to the fact that these events are hosted in different apps and platforms. And Circle because they happen in different Spaces-members have to click around to find the appropriate event or Space that goes with a course.


With Mighty Spaces, they are built to hold any type of content that you would like. With an on/off toggle for options such as Activity Feed, Chat, Table of Contents (traditional LMS), People Explorer (Members), Recurring Events, One-time Events, a Page (an article) or highlighted hashtags.


This is how it appears to be:


MN - 2024 - Graphics - Space Templates


It's all happening in one place. Events and courses. Community and chat.


This leads to better engagement and UX, for members who don't need to navigate around to find what they're looking for.


 - Graphics - 2024 - Livestreaming GIF


Software designed for engagement


Last year We discovered that we could determine with a 93% accuracy, which communities would be successful and which ones would not.


The whole thing came down members. Do they meet each other? Do they speak to one another?


Connection to a member can be a more reliable predictor of the success rate than the host's content they make.


So, we designed our application to improve members' connections.


The result is:


 

  • The HTML0 is a People Explorer that helps members discover others with similar backgrounds and interests, or even those who live in the same city.        
  • A welcome checklist and profile assistance function that will help users get started right.        
  • The feature is a "Show Similarities" feature that uses AI to reveal the things you share with your fellow users. The feature can even initiate conversations with just a single click.      


MN - Graphics - 2024 - Profiile + similarities


Helping hosts build better
Engagement features aren't only about members.


Mighty also comes with software to help Hosts increase engagement. This includes it's...


 

  • Infinite Question Generator, which produces discussion questions, and then automatically posts approved ones. It keeps the conversation going even when you're not online.    
  • "Activity Assist" to show you members who have disappeared and automatically re-engage the members with just a click.      


MN - Graphics - 2024 - Animation Conversation-Starter


Another awesome community and course features


 

  • A quick and easy way to build a community. Enter a few phrases into the Mighty Co-Host(tm) immediately and you'll have a Big Idea initial brand identity and your first Space. (Try for free)    
  • Prompts for writing and enhancements by using the "make-it-better" Text editor.        
  • Instant course outlines and hashtag suggestions.        
  • An native ConvertKit integration that allows for courses and community, email. There are thousands of embeds to integrate.        


The best branded apps


MN - Graphics - 2024 - Apps


Additionally, you can purchase your courses and community on branded apps-that's under YOUR brand within the App Store and Google Play Store. Mighty Pro has built 400+ branded apps for several of the most prestigious producers and brands.


You can get branded notifications as well as livestreaming, design support, and proactive upgrades by the top-ranked brand-named app team for communities: Learn more here .


If you're looking to start courses or a community using Mighty, give it a go! You can try it for cost-free during 14 days (no credit card required ).