Introduction
People usually land on the Kajabi vs Squarespace question from two places. Either they have a website already and want to add a course to it. Or they’re starting from zero and wondering whether one tool can do everything.
Both platforms can host lessons and take payments. They were built for different jobs, though. Squarespace started as a website builder and added course features later. Kajabi was built around knowledge businesses from day one.
Kajabi vs Squarespace: Quick Verdict and Comparison
Kajabi suits you when the course is the main business and you want email, funnels, coaching and community under one login. Squarespace suits you when your website comes first and the course is one more thing you sell on it.
| Area | Kajabi | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Course, coaching and membership business | Website builder with course tools |
| Lesson structure | Products with modules and lessons | Courses with lessons and chapters |
| Quizzes and certificates | Built in | Usually added through other tools |
| Marketing | Email, funnels and automations | Email campaigns and site tools |
| Student app | Mobile app and branded app option | Browser access |
| Best for | Course-led businesses | Website-led businesses |
Which Platform Is Better for Creating and Delivering Courses?
Students spend most of their time inside your lessons, so this is the part to look at first.
Lessons, Video Hosting and Student Progress
In Kajabi a course is built as a product with modules and lessons inside it. A lesson can hold more than video. Audio sits in there too, and so do text and downloads. Drip settings let you release material on a schedule so students don’t get everything on day one.
Squarespace Courses allows you to create chapters from lessons and post your video to your domain, meaning that your students stay on a site designed specifically for you. You may sell either an individual course or package several courses together.
Both platforms provide students with the indication of progress so that they understand what percentage of the course they should complete. The difference becomes noticeable on your screen because the bigger space is given to the progress bar. Kajabi gives you information on how your learners pass the course so that you understand at which lesson you lost half of them. Squarespace offers more statistics related to the website activity and sales so that you will know more about your visitors and your sales.
Quizzes, Certificates and Student Engagement
Assessments and certificates come built into Kajabi. You can check understanding and reward finishing without extra tools. Community and coaching sit in the same account too if students need to talk to each other or to you.
With Squarespace, most of that is left to third-party tools. For a short workshop it works. A program that depends on graded work is another matter and so is one that needs a completion certificate.
How Do Course Payments and Checkout Work on Each Platform?
Kajabi separates the product from the offer. The product holds your lessons and the offer decides how someone pays. One course can have a single payment option and a payment plan side by side. Access starts as soon as the payment clears.
Squarespace uses the same checkout as the rest of your site. That helps if you also sell physical goods or bookings because customers see one familiar flow. Courses can be sold as one-time purchases or subscriptions and bundled with other content.
A few differences show up in daily use:
- Kajabi offers handling payment plans and subscriptions as part of the course setup
- Squarespace keeps everything inside one store checkout
- Both connect to common payment providers, though the available options depend on your region
Which Platform Offers Better Marketing Tools for Course Sales?
Selling a course takes more than a good lesson plan. People need to find you and trust you before they pay.
Course Sales Pages and Lead Capture
Squarespace has a real advantage when it comes to design. Its templates look polished and the editor gives you plenty of freedom, so a sales page for Priya’s course would match her portfolio without much effort.
Kajabi’s landing pages and forms connect straight to your offers and email list. When someone joins a waitlist, they’re tagged automatically and can move into a follow-up sequence. The pages feel a little less free-form than Squarespace’s, but they save you a lot of manual work later.
Email Marketing, Funnels and Automated Follow-Ups
Kajabi was designed for this part. Tags and automations trigger emails after a signup or purchase. Pipelines guide a new contact from a free resource toward a paid offer. Everything stays in one account so you don’t pass contact lists between tools.
Squarespace email campaigns cover newsletters and basic automated messages. Multi-step journeys that react to what a student does usually need an outside email platform. That works, but it adds one more login and one more connection to monitor.
Kajabi vs Squarespace Pricing: Which Costs More to Sell Courses?
Kajabi usually costs more on paper. Its plans cover courses and email along with funnels and communities. Squarespace often looks cheaper because you may already pay for a website plan.
The fair comparison is the total cost of your setup. Squarespace pricing for courses depends on your website plan and whether course features come with it. Transaction fees can also apply depending on your plan. Kajabi plans depend on limits such as products and contacts.
Before you decide, price out everything you’d need around each option:
- An email platform if you outgrow basic campaigns
- A quiz or certificate tool
- A community space
- Any connector that links those tools together
Plans and fees change often, so check each platform’s pricing page before you commit.
Which Platform Should You Pick for Your Online Course Business?
Think about what you’ll spend most of your time doing. If it’s teaching and nurturing students, you’ll want one set of tools. If it’s running a website that sells a few things, you’ll want another.
Choose Kajabi if:
- Courses or coaching bring in most of your income.
- You want email and funnels inside the same account.
- You plan to run a community or add memberships.
- Your students need quizzes or certificates.
- You’d like a mobile app experience for learners.
Choose Squarespace if:
- Your website is the center of your business.
- You sell products or bookings next to one course.
- Design flexibility matters more than automation.
- Your course is short and straightforward.
- You’re comfortable adding tools later if needed.
FAQs
Can I keep my Squarespace website and sell courses through Kajabi?
Yes. You can keep Squarespace as your main site and link buttons to Kajabi landing pages or offers. A subdomain on your own domain keeps the experience consistent.
How do students log in to courses sold on Squarespace?
Students create a member account on your Squarespace site after purchase. They then sign in on your site’s login page to reach their course.
Can I offer free course previews on Kajabi and Squarespace?
Yes. On Kajabi you can create a free offer with a sample lesson. On Squarespace you can leave a sample page public or open a free member area for previews.
Do students need a mobile app to access Kajabi or Squarespace courses?
No. Both platforms work in a phone browser. Kajabi also has a free mobile app for students and a branded app option, while Squarespace courses are accessed through the browser.
