Kajabi vs Shopify: Side by Side Comparison (2024)

Kajabi and Shopify are both industry leading platforms and are used by tens of thousands of entrepreneurs. You may be wondering which of these platforms are right for your business. They are very different from each other and in this article I will provide an overview of what they are good at, how they are different, and who they are for.

What is the Difference between Kajabi and Shopify

The biggest difference between Shopify and Kajabi is that Shopify is designed to be an ecommerce store and Kajabi is designed to sell online courses.

If you are selling your knowledge, or offering coaching or, other forms of instruction, Kajabi is the better suited platform.

If you are selling products, physical or digital, and people are going to have a shopping experience on your site with content to browse and a cart that they can add things to and jump in and out of to look for more things or adjust quantities of items, Shopify is the better suited platform.

Kajabi Overview

Kajabi is an all-in-one platform that allows users to create and sell online courses, memberships, and digital products. The platform offers a variety of features including: 

• Customizable templates for courses, websites and landing pages
• Email marketing and automations
• Funnel building tools and templates
• Podcast hosting and blogging

Kajabi has fully integrated AI to help you with brainstorming, refining your ideas, and general content creation. Through the Creator Studio, you get access to Adobe Express to repurpose your course content for social media. Kajabi has many other features that I explain in greater detail in my full reivew of Kajabi article.

Shopify Overview

Shopify is a popular ecommerce platform that allows businesses to create an online store. The platform offers a variety of features including customizable templates, a drag-and-drop editor, and the ability to integrate with third-party apps. With Shopify, you can create a storefront, manage inventory, and even process payments. It has virtually all of the features of a brick-and-mortar store without the brick-and-mortar. 

Kajabi vs Shopify Features

Now that we’ve provided a brief overview of each platform, let’s take a look at what Kajabi and Shopify actually do. They share many of the same features, but each has its own take and you’ll need to consider what kind of business you want to run to decide which one is best. 

Ease of use

Kajabi and Shopify are relatively easy to use and just about anybody can learn them even if they have no experience. However, Kajabi may be more user-friendly for those who are new to creating digital products, while Shopify may be more comfortable for those who are new to ecommerce.

Customization

Both Kajabi and Shopify offer a variety of customization options. However, Kajabi offers more flexibility when it comes to customizing the look and feel of your site, while Shopify offers more flexibility in creating custom functionality for your site.

Marketing

Both Kajabi and Shopify offer marketing tools. However, Kajabi is focused on helping users create and sell online courses, memberships, and digital products, while Shopify is focused on helping users create an online store and sell physical products.

Mobile Optimization

Kajabi and Shopify both have great support for mobile optimization. Shopify has intuitive design adjustments making it easy for users to access your store and Kajabi provides a mobile app your customers can use to access your course content.

Pricing

Kajabi and Shopify both offer a variety of pricing plans. Kajabi pricing starts at $119 per month and Shopify’s basic offering has a monthly cost of $39.

Common Questions

Is Kajabi good for ecommerce?

Kajabi is a great platform for creating and selling online courses, memberships, and digital products. If you are going to sell physical products, Shopify better option.

Is Kajabi like Shopify?

While both Kajabi and Shopify allow users to create an online presence and have many similar features, the focus of each platform is different. Kajabi is designed to sell your knowledge and Shopify is designed to sell your stuff.

Do I need Shopify or Kajabi?

It depends on what you are selling. If you are selling your knowledge or coaching then you need Kajabi. If you are selling your stuff, then you need Shopify. If you are selling both, then consider using both Shopify and Kajabi.

Kajabi 30-Day Free Trial

If you think now is the right time to try out Kajabi you can sign up with my 30-day free trial link and I will give you 3 free sign-up bonuses. I am an affiliate for Kajabi and have helped over 100 people test it out and see if it is right for them. The help I give my referrals is designed to help you understand as quickly as possible if Kajabi is right for you and will meet your needs. The goal is to know if you want to keep using it before your trial is over. Check out my bonuses page, I’ll help flatten the learning curve for you and be there to answer your questions.

Happy Kajabi-ing Ahead

JD - Kajabi Expert