Kajabi is a great platform that I’ve enjoyed using in the past. But if you’re considering launching an online course, membership, coaching program, or podcast, please know that Kajabi is not the only game in town. In fact, I’d like to offer you an affordable alternative: the dream team of Searchie, ConvertKit, and Squarespace.

What Searchie Has that Kajabi Doesn’t

For starters, Searchie’s pricing plans begin at a lower price point. The Searchie Basic Plan costs $29 per month, whereas Kajabi’s Basic Plan is $149 per month ($119 per month if paid yearly upfront). If you’re only launching one or two offerings that can be nested in one Searchie Hub (and you can pack a lot of stuff into one Searchie Hub), then this is a significant savings!

Searchie and Kajabi both allow you to create landing pages and host courses, memberships, coaching programs, and podcasts. But Searchie’s transcription and search features make accessing the content easier for your clients and managing the content easier for you. For example, with Searchie you can offer captioned videos, downloadable transcripts, or podcast-style audio recordings—all from the same video (and no extra work on your part).

While in your Searchie offering, your clients can use the Searchie Search Bar to quickly find a certain piece of content or dive into a topic that’s of interest to them. No searching module to module and lesson to lesson to find what they’re looking for! And Searchie is the only platform out there that offers audience segmentation. With this feature, you can control which audience members see what and create a customized experience for your clients.

ConvertKit is Your Marketing Muscle

“But Kajabi has funnels and email marketing!” you say. Well, Searchie integrates with ConvertKit, a company that does nothing but email marketing and funnels for an amazing price. What kind of pricing? There is a free plan for up to 1,000 subscribers. The Creator Plan is $9 per month and the Pro Plan is $25 per month if you want more bells and whistles like automations and more integrations. Even if you added the Creator Plan, you’re still way under the Kajabi budget!

ConvertKit is an amazing platform that provides a rich email marketing platform that takes your audience from prospect to paid client and continues to nurture the relationship post-purchase. I like working with companies who aren’t afraid to specialize and go all-in, and ConvertKit is just that kind of company.

Kajabi offers some of the same features, but it was an added feature that is not as rich as ConvertKit’s platform. For example, just like Searchie’s segmentation capability, ConvertKit’s tagging and segmenting can be created based on whatever criteria you throw at it (such as based on how someone interacts or fails to interact with your content). This creates a really powerful experience for your audience as they receive emails based on their needs and behavior (it becomes like a conversation with you).

I also love ConvertKit’s forms and landing pages. They are optimized for conversion and are easy to set up. They also allow paid products so when you're not using Searchie (perhaps you’re simply offering a low-priced pdf or other digital product), this is a great option.

Then, you have all your client contacts in your system to nurture!

Squarespace, for an Amazing Website

Both Kajabi and Searchie allow you to create websites, but they are limited. It’s like an add-on feature—not the main thrust of their business. FOr my business and the people I serve, a top-notch website is really necessary. Squarespace is an OG website building/hosting company and they live and breathe websites. Creating a Squarespace website as your internet home base gives you a best-in-class web presence while not breaking the bank (plans range from $16 to $49 per month).

I love Squarespace’s support and I appreciate that they take care of all the security. You don't have to worry about being hacked by gremlins.

Squarespace also has a ton of customizing options. The new grid design capability makes it super easy to create a site just how you want it.

I use Squarespace for my website and I love the blog feature and the integration with Calendly so that VIP clients can schedule meetings with me.

There are Alternatives to Kajabi

I’d never throw shade at Kajabi. It’s a great platform and I’ve had good experiences! But Searchie turned my head and when I left Kajabi I never looked back. I believe that using a combination of Searchie, ConvertKit, and Squarespace is like hiring a plumber, electrician, and rug cleaner versus hiring a handyman who can do all of those things to some degree. I want someone who has deep experience in their area of expertise, not a jack of all trades. Searchie is the best video hosting platform for businesses, ConvertKit is an amazing email and marketing tool, and Squarespace is the industry leader for website creation. This trio of specialized products is my small business dream team!

Speaking of specialists, I went all in on Searchie a few years ago and have been helping businesses launch Searchie offerings ever since! If you’re thinking about using Searchie for your online offering, I can help.

Try Searchie for Free