Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes our verdict. Details.
A course platform that includes a website, email marketing and sales funnels is a platform, not a course about email, and three of them are worth comparing: systeme.io from $0, Podia from $42, and Kajabi from $179. The reason to want all of it in one place is the contact list. When the site, the funnel and the course share one list, a purchase can trigger onboarding emails and an upsell without Zapier in the middle.
| systeme.io Free / Startup | Podia Mover / Kajabi Basic | |
|---|---|---|
| Website and custom domain | Included, 1 domain free, 3 on Startup | Both include a site |
| Email marketing | 2,000 contacts free, unlimited sends, automations | Podia: 100 subscribers on Mover. Kajabi: 2,500 contacts |
| Sales funnels | 3 free, 10 on Startup, with upsells and bumps | Podia: checkout and pages. Kajabi: unlimited funnels |
| Courses | 1 free, 5 on Startup, unlimited students on Startup | Podia: unlimited. Kajabi: 5 products |
| Platform fee | 0% | Podia 5% on Mover. Kajabi 0% |
| Price | $0 / $17 | $42 / $179 |
Why the pieces have to share one contact list
With a Wix site, a Teachable course and a Mailchimp list, a student exists three times and none of the three knows about the others. The automation everyone wants, “when someone buys, send the onboarding sequence and offer the next course”, needs a connector. On a platform where the course, the checkout and the list are one database, it is a single rule.
Course platform with sales funnels built in
On systeme.io the funnel is the front door to the course: an opt-in page, a sales page, an order form with a one-click upsell and an order bump, then the course itself. The free plan allows 3 funnels with 15 steps, one upsell and one bump. Kajabi has the same idea with better-looking templates. Podia sells through a storefront and product pages rather than funnels.
Course platform with built-in email marketing
The automation that matters is the enrolment trigger. On systeme.io, “course enrolled” or “tag added” starts a workflow: welcome email, day-three check-in, week-two offer. The free plan has one automation rule and one workflow, which covers onboarding; the $17 plan has 10 rules and 5 workflows. Podia’s Mover plan caps email at 100 subscribers, which makes its email tool a footnote until the $84 Shaker tier with 500.
A simple course platform for beginners and small audiences
For a first course to a list of a few hundred people, the free plan is enough: one course, 500 students, a site with a blog, and a domain you already own. The design is the trade. The page builder has fewer blocks than Wix or Kajabi and less precision; the result is clean but plain.
Free plan, no card. Affiliate link; we earn a commission on paid plans.
Frequently asked questions
Which course platform includes a website?
systeme.io includes a website with a blog and a custom domain on the free plan. Podia and Kajabi include a site on their paid plans.
Which course platform has sales funnels built in?
systeme.io (3 funnels free, with upsells and order bumps) and Kajabi (unlimited funnels from $179). Podia uses product pages and a storefront instead.
Which course platform has email marketing built in?
systeme.io with 2,000 contacts and automations on the free plan. Kajabi with 2,500 contacts on Basic. Podia caps email at 100 subscribers on its entry plan.
What is the simplest course platform for beginners?
systeme.io free: one course, 500 students, a site and a funnel from templates. The design is plain but the setup is a single login.
Related: systeme.io vs Podia, systeme.io vs Kajabi, all-in-one platform for course creators.