When compared to other high-end, all-in-one LMSs, LearnDash for WordPress holds its own. Does it work?

We recently contrasted the two popular platforms Teachable and Thinkific in a series of blog posts since their prices are so similar. Both of these sites offered free options, with Basic memberships starting at $29 and $39 per month. The second learning management system we’ll talk about has a much higher pricing point. Kajabi calls its most economical package, which costs $119 per month when paid annually ($149 per month for a monthly contract), “premium but not pricey.”

In that price bracket, you’d expect the product to have some high-end trimmings. Kajabi claims that you won’t need to go further because of the extensive functionality available on their single platform. But as we’ll see, there are several serious problems to trying to mix many different aspects of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), the most significant of which being fewer options for end users, divided resources, and increased costs. Here are all about the learndash vs kajabi for you.

We’re taking a novel tack with our plan. Since WordPress is the most popular CMS in use today, we based our learning management system (LMS) on it to provide our students access to the best possible tools for building and managing their own websites. This has allowed us to keep our focus on creating a product that is really oriented towards education, rather than a tool that puts profit before the student’s learning experience.

At the end of this comparison, you’ll be able to observe how Kajabi’s features and benefits diverge significantly from those of the other LMS solutions we’ve covered. The differences are so great that we aren’t even sure we can call it a learning management system (LMS). Therefore, rather than doing a feature-by-feature comparison, we will focus on Kajabi’s business model and the items and services it seems to be offering.

Which of your “products” or “courses” are you trying to sell with the help of Kajabi?

If you’re looking for a site to host your online course, you may want to raise an eyebrow at the language used on Kajabi’s main page. They boldly declare on their homepage that they are the best option for you to “grow your knowledge business.”

  • There is a clear reason why “knowledge business” encompasses more than just “online course.” Kajabi isn’t only for selling courses; it can also help you market your knowledge and build a reputation as an expert in your field.
  • What you used to call “services” in the Kajabi store are now called “products.”
  • A product might be anything from a course to a podcast to a paid newsletter. The market appeal is high, and there is much to be gained by exploring the possibilities.

The problem is that Kajabi’s principal strategy for upselling you on their pricing plan involves limiting the number of products you may sell. Their Basic package limits you to buying no more than three items. Their Growth programme begins at age 15 alone.

Conclusion

Maybe the idea of starting a podcast is something you’ve been dying to do, in which case it sounds like a great idea to augment your knowledge with a platform that makes it easy to start a podcast. It would be great if you could incorporate this in your newsletter. You have now sold the maximum of three goods allowed under the Basic plan of Kajabi. Adding a second course will need you to switch to their more expensive Growth plan by more than $2,000.