Kartra Alternatives: 5 Options Compared

If you’ve been shopping for an all-in-one marketing platform, Kartra probably landed on your list. It handles email, funnels, memberships, and video hosting under one roof — and starts at $119/month. That price tag, plus a learning curve that surprises many new users, is why so many people search for Kartra alternatives: 5 options compared before committing.

Photo: Lukas Blazek (Pexels)

This article does exactly that. Below you’ll find five credible alternatives — covering budget-friendly tools, enterprise-grade options, and course-focused platforms — with a direct verdict on who should pick what.

What Makes Kartra Worth Comparing Against?

Before pulling it apart, it’s fair to acknowledge what Kartra does well. The Starter plan ($119/month, billed monthly) includes email broadcasts, sequences, pages, checkouts, memberships, helpdesks, and affiliate management. That’s genuinely a lot for one login.

The friction points:

• Price: $119/month is steep for someone just starting out.
• Complexity: The interface is feature-dense. First-time funnel builders often feel overwhelmed.
• Video hosting: Kartra’s built-in video hosting is useful, but the storage limits on lower tiers frustrate course creators.
• Design flexibility: Page builder templates are functional but feel dated compared to newer tools.

None of these are dealbreakers for the right user. But if any of the above is your primary complaint, the five platforms below deserve a serious look.

The 5 Kartra Alternatives: Quick Comparison Table

Kartra Alternatives: 5 Options Compared in Detail

1. Systeme.io — Best Free Alternative for Beginners

Systeme.io is arguably the most direct competitor to Kartra in terms of feature breadth — and it has a genuinely free plan that doesn’t expire.

The free tier covers:
– Up to 2,000 contacts
– 3 sales funnels (15 steps total)
– 1 membership site
– Unlimited emails
– 1 course with unlimited students

The Startup plan ($27/month) removes most of those caps and adds automation rules. The Unlimited plan ($97/month) covers everything with no contact or funnel limits.

Real workflow example: A digital product seller can build a lead magnet funnel, deliver a free PDF via email automation, and upsell a $47 course — all without paying a cent on the free tier, assuming they stay under 2,000 contacts.

The tradeoffs: Systeme.io’s email deliverability and template selection are more limited than Kartra’s. The interface is simpler (which is a plus for beginners but a minus for power users who want granular control).

Our take: If budget is your primary reason for exploring Kartra alternatives, Systeme.io should be your first stop. The free plan is real, not a stripped-down trial.

2. ClickFunnels 2.0 — Best for Sales Funnel-Heavy Businesses

ClickFunnels built its reputation on sales funnels specifically, and the 2.0 version expanded into a broader CRM and site builder. The Basic plan starts at $97/month (14-day free trial available).

What you get on the Basic plan:
– 1 website with unlimited funnels
– 1 admin user
– 10,000 contacts in the built-in CRM
– Basic email broadcasts (not full sequences — those require the Pro plan at $297/month)
– Course creation tools

The critical nuance: full email automation on ClickFunnels 2.0 requires the Pro tier. Many users on the Basic plan pair it with a standalone email tool like Kit (formerly ConvertKit) or ActiveCampaign to fill that gap.

Real workflow example: An info-product seller uses ClickFunnels for checkout pages, order bumps, and one-click upsells — a workflow where ClickFunnels genuinely excels — then routes leads into ActiveCampaign for long-term nurture sequences.

Compared to Kartra, ClickFunnels offers a more polished funnel-building experience and a larger template library for sales pages. Kartra’s helpdesk and affiliate management features, however, have no direct equivalent in ClickFunnels 2.0 Basic.

Our take: Choose ClickFunnels 2.0 if your core business model is built around high-converting sales funnels and you’re comfortable using a second tool for email.

3. GoHighLevel — Best for Agencies and Multi-Client Businesses

GoHighLevel (GHL) is one of the most complete platforms on this list, but it’s built with a specific user in mind: marketing agencies managing multiple client accounts. The Starter plan is $97/month.

Features that stand out relative to Kartra:
– Sub-accounts: Each client gets their own workspace. Kartra has no native equivalent.
– White-labeling: On the $297/month Agency Unlimited plan, you can resell the platform under your own brand.
– Two-way SMS and phone calls: Built directly into the CRM — something Kartra doesn’t offer.
– Reputation management: Automates Google review requests, which is useful for local service businesses.

The downside for solo operators: GoHighLevel’s interface assumes you’re managing workflows for clients, not just your own business. If you sell one course or one coaching program, the platform is significantly over-built for your needs. The setup time is also non-trivial — expect 5–10 hours before you’re running live campaigns.

Real workflow example: A marketing agency onboards a local dental practice as a client, builds a patient lead capture funnel in a sub-account, sets up automated SMS follow-ups, and manages the Google review sequence — all within one GHL account, billed under the agency’s branding.

Our take: GoHighLevel earns its place among Kartra alternatives for agencies and consultants who manage marketing for multiple businesses. Solo bloggers and single-product sellers should look elsewhere.

4. Kajabi — Best for Course Creators and Coaches

Kajabi and Kartra overlap significantly for digital educators, but Kajabi wins the course and coaching experience by a clear margin. The Basic plan starts at $149/month (14-day free trial).

Where Kajabi pulls ahead of Kartra for course businesses:
– Course player UX: Clean, app-like experience on mobile and desktop. Students consistently rate it higher than Kartra’s membership area.
– Community features: Kajabi Communities gives course buyers a place to interact — similar to a private Facebook group but built into your platform.
– Coaching product type: Native scheduling and session management for 1:1 coaching, which Kartra lacks natively.
– Podcast hosting: Built into all plans, useful for creators who use audio as a lead-gen tool.

Kajabi’s email marketing and automation are solid — not as deep as ActiveCampaign, but more than enough for most course businesses. Pipelines (Kajabi’s funnel builder) are functional but less flexible than ClickFunnels or Kartra’s page builders.

The price is the main sticking point. At $149/month, Kajabi costs more than Kartra’s Starter tier and limits the Basic plan to 3 products and 3 funnels. The Growth plan at $199/month removes those product caps.

Real workflow example: A fitness coach sells a $297 12-week program through a Kajabi sales page, delivers the course through Kajabi’s video module system, runs live Q&A sessions through the community, and handles the entire student experience without a single third-party tool.

Our take: If your revenue comes primarily from online courses, memberships, or coaching — Kajabi is worth the premium. For businesses where courses are just one of several revenue streams, Kartra or ClickFunnels likely make more sense.

5. GetResponse — Best for Email-First Businesses Adding Funnel Features

GetResponse started as a pure email marketing platform and expanded into automation, landing pages, webinars, and basic funnels. It’s one of the more unusual entries in this Kartra alternatives: 5 options compared list because it approaches the all-in-one problem from the opposite direction — email first, funnels second.

Plans and relevant tiers:
– Free plan: Up to 500 contacts, 1 landing page, basic newsletter sends.
– Email Marketing plan: $15.58/month (500 contacts). Unlimited newsletters, autoresponders, and landing pages.
– Marketing Automation plan: $48.38/month. Adds event-based automation, webinars (up to 100 attendees), and conversion funnels.
– Ecommerce Marketing plan: $97.58/month. Adds abandoned cart recovery, promo codes, and push notifications.

The “Conversion Funnels” feature (available from the Marketing Automation plan upward) includes pre-built funnel templates for lead generation, webinar sign-ups, and product sales. These are simpler than Kartra’s funnels — think drag-and-drop landing pages linked to email sequences — rather than full visual funnel builders.

Real workflow example: A blogger who already has 1,500 email subscribers uses GetResponse’s Marketing Automation plan to add a webinar funnel for a $97 live workshop, then sells a recorded version via a simple checkout link — total cost: $48.38/month.

The limitation vs. Kartra: GetResponse doesn’t offer membership sites, affiliate management, or built-in video hosting. For a content-heavy online course business, it falls short. For a newsletter operator or blogger who wants to add occasional product launches, it fits well.

Our take: GetResponse earns its spot in this comparison for users who want strong email marketing with funnel capabilities bolted on — not the other way around.

Kartra Alternatives: 5 Options Compared — Who Should Pick What

Here’s a plain-language decision matrix:

• You’re just starting out, budget under $30/month: → Systeme.io free or Startup plan.
• Sales funnels are your core business model: → ClickFunnels 2.0 Basic ($97/month), paired with an email tool.
• You run a marketing agency with multiple clients: → GoHighLevel Starter ($97/month).
• You sell courses, coaching programs, or memberships: → Kajabi Basic ($149/month).
• You have an established email list and want simple funnels: → GetResponse Marketing Automation ($48.38/month).
• You want Kartra’s exact feature set at a similar price: → Stay with Kartra or evaluate Systeme.io Unlimited ($97/month) as the closest structural match.

No single platform wins across all categories. The right answer depends on your revenue model, your technical comfort level, and how central the all-in-one workflow is to your business operations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Kartra worth the price compared to its alternatives?

Kartra is worth the price if you actively use its combined feature set — especially the helpdesk, affiliate management, and video hosting. If you only use two or three of those features, a cheaper focused tool will serve you better and cost less.

What is the cheapest Kartra alternative with similar features?

Systeme.io’s Unlimited plan at $97/month covers funnels, email automation, courses, and membership sites — making it the closest structural match to Kartra at a lower price. The free tier covers basic needs for businesses under 2,000 contacts.

Can I use ClickFunnels 2.0 as a complete Kartra replacement?

Not directly. ClickFunnels 2.0’s Basic plan lacks full email automation and helpdesk features that Kartra includes. Most users who switch pair ClickFunnels with a dedicated email platform like Kit or ActiveCampaign to get comparable functionality.

Is GoHighLevel better than Kartra for small businesses?

For solo operators with a single product or service, GoHighLevel is over-built and harder to configure. For small agencies managing 3–10 clients, GoHighLevel’s sub-account system makes it clearly superior to Kartra.

Does GetResponse have a free plan?

Yes. GetResponse’s free plan supports up to 500 contacts and includes one landing page and basic newsletter sends. Conversion funnels require the Marketing Automation plan at $48.38/month or above.

Want more platform comparisons and honest breakdowns of online business tools? Bookmark Two Funnels Away and check back — we publish new guides regularly.

External reference: For current GetResponse pricing, see GetResponse’s official pricing page.