Kajabi Vs Shopify: Which Platform is Best for Business?

I've been using Kajabi since 2018, and I want to help you understand the core differences between Kajabi and Shopify so you can make the right choice for your online business. These platforms serve distinct purposes, and the decision comes down to what you're selling.

The fundamental difference is straightforward: Shopify is built for physical products, while Kajabi specializes in digital products like online courses, memberships, and coaching programs. Shopify powers stores selling tangible items and works well with Amazon integration, with pricing starting at £25 per month for the basic plan. Kajabi focuses on digital content delivery with plans starting higher but includes comprehensive tools for building and hosting courses, coaching programs, and membership sites. I use Kajabi because my business model centers on selling digital products and coaching services, and it provides everything I need in one platform.

Key Takeaways

• Shopify is designed for selling physical products while Kajabi specializes in digital products like courses and memberships
• Pricing structures differ with Shopify starting lower but Kajabi including more tools for digital content creators
• The right platform depends on your business model and whether you sell physical or digital products

Platform Overviews

Shopify's Core Purpose

Shopify is an all-in-one e-commerce platform that provides tools for businesses to start and run and grow by selling online. This is really for the physical product.

If you think of any kind of physical product or even an Amazon store, Shopify works really well with that. When you look at shopify.com, they're all about e-commerce. If you have a look at some of these brands, Gym Shark, Mattel, these are all physical products.

Key features:

• E-commerce focused
• Physical product sales
• Integration with Amazon stores
• Worldwide product delivery

If you do have a Amazon store or if you're selling any kind of physical products around the world, this Shopify store could be really suited to your needs. I do have a background in physical products and I have used Shopify to do exactly that to link up to my Amazon accounts and to deliver physical products.

Kajabi's Focus on Digital Creators

Kajabi is an all-in-one platform for creators to build, market, and sell digital products like online courses, memberships, coaching programs. Kajabi is really the market leader on selling the all-in-one digital products.

If you have a look at some of the products on Kajabi, they're all about digital products. Kajabi has come from a courseware background and it's got great infrastructure to build out courses, memberships, and coaching programs.

What Kajabi offers:

• Online courses
• Memberships
• Coaching programs
• Digital product infrastructure

I am a Kajabi user and I have been using Kajabi since 2018 and because I sell digital products, I sell courses, I sell coaching. I host my domain here. I host my blogs on here and I sell on the back end digital products.

People log in, they go to a sales page, a checkout page, and then they have their own login and they'll come to their library for whichever product you have purchased. It's very much a digital product platform.

The big differentiation from the outset is physical products and digital products. Whereas you can link up to a physical product store, either an Amazon store or a Shopify store from a Kajabi account, it doesn't really make sense to do so.

Key Feature Comparisons

Product Capabilities

The biggest differentiation between these platforms comes down to physical versus digital products. Shopify is an all-in-one e-commerce platform that provides tools for businesses to start, run, and grow by selling online. It's really designed for physical products.

When you look at Shopify's website, you can see brands like Gym Shark and Mattel using the platform. These are all physical product companies. If you have an Amazon store or you're selling any kind of physical products around the world, Shopify could be really suited to your needs.

Kajabi is an all-in-one platform for creators to build, market, and sell digital products like online courses, memberships, and coaching programs. Kajabi is really the market leader on selling the all-in-one digital products.

While Shopify does have some digital product element, Kajabi has come from a courseware background. It's got great infrastructure to build out courses, memberships, and coaching programs.

I host my domain on Kajabi. My homepage, landing pages, about page, and blogs are all hosted there. I sell digital products on the back end, including courses and coaching programs.

Customization and User Experience

I've been using Kajabi since 2018 because I sell digital products and coaching. Inside my live Kajabi account, I can preview everything I've built. My website includes my homepage, landing pages, about page, and I even host my blogs on there.

When students access my programs, they see a clean interface. If they go into any lesson, they can watch each lesson and walk through the content. Students have their own library where they can see all the programs they've purchased.

The platform is very much a digital product platform. I host a lot of coaching calls there, some downloads, and mainly courses and a members area. People go to a sales page, a checkout page, and then they have their own login. They come to their library for whichever product they've purchased.

I do have a background in physical products and I have used Shopify to link up to my Amazon accounts and to deliver physical products. But for my online business now and my personal brand, Kajabi is what I use.

Pricing Structure Breakdown

Shopify's Subscription Tiers

Shopify starts at the basic tier with £25 a month. The growth plan is £65 and the advanced plan is £344.

There is a plus version that's quite complex and costs £2,300 a month. You can start at £1 a month for your first 3 months and I think you get like 3 days trial.

This is on a pay monthly basis. You save 25% if you pay yearly.

Kajabi's Plan Options

Kajabi has a similar structure with Kickstarter, basic, growth, and pro tiers. The pricing is available on both monthly and annual options.

You save 20% off with annual payment, not 25%. These prices are in US dollars, which makes them slightly different to compare but a little bit more expensive in terms of the Kickstarter, the basic, and the growth.

All you need to do is identify as close as you can what your business requirements are. If you are just starting out and you want community, then Kickstarter might be for you. If you want to sell a couple of courses, then the basic might be for you.

Ease of Use and Onboarding Experience

I'm inside my live Kajabi account right now to show you how it actually works. My website is hosted here along with my domain, and this is my homepage.

When I click preview, I can see everything I've built on Kajabi. This includes my homepage, my landing pages, my about page, and I even host my blogs on here. If you wanted to work with me, there's coaching options available, and I'm also a Kajabi partner.

On the back end, I sell digital products. If I go into one of my products under courses and pop out Kajabi Unbox, this is a program I offer as a thank you for using my link. When I click the preview icon, you get a snapshot of one of my programs.

Student Experience:

• Students can go into any lesson and watch it
• They can walk through how to build out their Kajabi account
• This is the look and feel that students will see

If I go into my library, you would see all of these programs listed. Students could go into each product from there. I host a lot of coaching calls here, and I have some downloads, mainly courses, and a members area.

How the Platform Flow Works:

1. People land on a sales page
2. They go through a checkout page
3. They get their own login
4. They access their library for whichever product they have purchased

The platform is very much a digital product platform. I have been using Kajabi since 2018 because I sell digital products like courses and coaching, so Kajabi is a really good fit for me.

I do have a background in physical products and I have used Shopify to link up to my Amazon accounts and to deliver physical products. But for me in my online business now, for my personal brand, this is what I use it for.

Best Fit for Business Models

Ideal Users for Shopify

Shopify works really well if you're selling physical products. If you think of any kind of physical product or even an Amazon store, Shopify is suited for those needs.

When you look at the brands using Shopify, they're all about e-commerce. Gym Shark and Mattel are examples of companies selling physical products on this platform.

Best suited for:

• Physical product sellers
• Amazon store owners
• Businesses selling products around the world
• E-commerce focused operations

If you have an Amazon store or if you're selling any kind of physical products around the world, this Shopify store could be really suited to your needs.

Ideal Users for Kajabi

I am a Kajabi user and I have been using Kajabi since 2018. I'm only a Kajabi user because it is suited for my business model at the time of recording.

Kajabi is really the market leader on selling the all-in-one digital products. If you have a look at some of the products on Kajabi, they're all about digital products.

Best suited for:

• Digital product creators
• Online course sellers
• Membership site owners
• Coaching program providers

Kajabi has come from a courseware background and it's got great infrastructure to build out courses, memberships, and coaching programs. While you can link up to a physical product store, either an Amazon store or a Shopify store from a Kajabi account, it doesn't really make sense to do so.

I do have a background in physical products and I have used Shopify to link up to my Amazon accounts and to deliver physical products. But for me in my online business now, my personal brand, I use Kajabi because I sell digital products. I sell courses and I sell coaching.

It's very much a digital product platform. I host a lot of coaching calls, I have some downloads, and I have mainly courses and a members area. People log in, they go to a sales page, a checkout page, and then they have their own login and they'll come to their library for whichever product they have purchased.

Real-World Application and Workflow

Building and Managing Digital Products

I host my entire website on Kajabi, including my domain. My homepage, landing pages, about page, and blogs all live on the platform.

On the backend, I sell digital products exclusively. I offer courses, coaching programs, and a members area where customers can access their purchased content.

When someone buys from me, they go through a sales page, then a checkout page, and receive their own login credentials. They land in their personal library where all purchased products appear.

Inside my products, students can watch lessons and work through the content. For example, in my Kajabi Unboxed program, each lesson walks users through specific topics with video content.

I also host coaching calls directly on the platform. Students see all their programs listed in one library view and can click into each product they own.

The platform handles downloads, course content, and membership areas all in one place. I've been using Kajabi since 2018 because it fits my business model of selling digital products like courses and coaching.

Integrating Physical and Digital Sales

I do have a background in physical products and have used Shopify to link up to my Amazon accounts for delivering physical items.

Key differences in platform use:

• Kajabi: Digital products (courses, memberships, coaching programs)
• Shopify: Physical products (inventory, e-commerce stores, Amazon integration)

You can technically link a physical product store or Amazon store to a Kajabi account, but it doesn't make practical sense. Kajabi comes from a courseware background with infrastructure built specifically for digital content.

Shopify works well if you're running an Amazon store or selling physical products globally. The platform is designed for e-commerce with brands like Gym Shark and Mattel using it for physical product sales.

For my current online business and personal brand, I only use Kajabi because I exclusively sell digital products now. The platform serves as my complete digital product delivery system.

Making an Informed Decision

I am a Kajabi user and have been using Kajabi since 2018 because I sell digital products like courses and coaching. Kajabi is a really good fit for me based on my business model.

The Core Difference

The big differentiation from the outset is physical products versus digital products. Shopify is an all-in-one e-commerce platform that provides tools for businesses to start, run, and grow by selling online, really suited for physical products. If you think of any kind of physical product or even an Amazon store, Shopify works really well with that.

On the flip side, Kajabi is an all-in-one platform for creators to build, market, and sell digital products like online courses, memberships, and coaching programs. While Shopify does have some digital product element, Kajabi is really the market leader on selling the all-in-one digital products.

Brand Examples

If you look at Shopify, they feature brands like Gym Shark and Mattel, which are all physical products. If you have an Amazon store or if you're selling any kind of physical products around the world, Shopify could be really suited to your needs.

When you look at Kajabi, the products are all about digital products. While you can link up to a physical product store, either an Amazon store or a Shopify store from a Kajabi account, it doesn't really make sense to do so.

Platform Infrastructure

Kajabi has come from a courseware background and it's got great infrastructure to build out courses, memberships, and coaching programs. I host my domain on my Kajabi website, including my homepage, landing pages, about page, and even my blogs.

I sell digital products on the back end. I have a background in physical products and have used Shopify to link up to my Amazon accounts and deliver physical products. But for me in my online business now, my personal brand, this is what I use Kajabi for.

Pricing Structure

Shopify starts at £25 a month for basic, £65 for growth, and £344 for advanced. There is a plus version that's £2,300 a month. You save 25% if you pay yearly, and you can start at £1 a month for your first 3 months.

Kajabi has a similar structure with Kickstarter, basic, growth, and pro tiers. On annual payment, you save 20% off, not 25%. These are in US dollars, slightly different to compare, but a little bit more expensive in terms of the Kickstarter, the basic, and the growth.

How I Use Kajabi

Inside my live Kajabi account, I have built my entire website. My homepage, landing pages, about page, coaching offerings, and programs are all hosted here. I sell digital products on the back end.

I have programs like Kajabi Unbox, which I offer as a thank you for using my link. Students can watch each lesson and have a walk through on how to build out their Kajabi account in the best way possible. It's very much a digital product platform.

I host coaching calls, downloads, and mainly courses and a members area. People log in, go to a sales page and checkout page, and then they have their own login where they come to their library for whichever product they have purchased.

Decision Criteria

All you need to do is identify as close as you can what your business requirements are. If you are just starting out and you want community, then Kickstarter might be for you. If you want to sell a couple of courses, then the basic might be for you. But if you want to sell physical products, have a look at the Shopify solutions.

The real difference between Kajabi and Shopify: think digital products for Kajabi and physical products for Shopify. That is the underlying factor. It's pretty distinct compared to other platform comparisons, but this is the really big differentiator—digital products or physical products.