Membership.io vs. Kajabi

Choosing The Right Platform For Your Membership Content And Community

Building a membership and community is one of the smartest ways to share your knowledge and expertise, and earn recurring revenue! But to start making money from your brilliance, you need the right platform to manage, package, and deliver it.

With so many options out there, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed (especially if all the tech mumbo jumbo makes you feel like you’re stuck in a software maze with no exit in sight).

You’re here because you’ve done the research and boiled it down to one of the two biggest players in the game. And now? You’re humming and hawing about which one to pick: Membership.io or Kajabi.

Let’s get one thing straight first. This isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison. And either or (or both—yes, some creators use BOTH) could be a solid option, depending on your needs.

Kajabi’s an all-in-one platform: email marketing, landing pages, funnels and automations, CRM, content... the whole buffet.

Membership.io? We stay in our lane. And that’s intentional.

Our lane is membership content management, organization, and delivery done exceptionally well. While memberships are our zone of genius, we do courses, coaching, and more! Plus, you can house your community, too. 

Bottom line? We don’t try to replace your entire tech stack. Instead, we integrate with it, so you can build a setup that actually works and grows with you.

Now that we’ve set the record straight, let’s see exactly which one fits your vision, your goals, and your growth.

Integrations & Automation 

Running a membership site means juggling a lot of moving parts. And as a content creator, you might be publishing videos on YouTube or Instagram, recording podcasts, writing blog posts, and hosting coaching calls on Zoom. That means you’re creating and posting a ton of content all over the internet.

And what if you wanted to add one of those pieces to your membership site?

With Kajabi, you’d have to track it down and then download and upload it to your membership product. It’s very manual and time-consuming. And when you’re trying to use the same content in multiple products, it’s the same process each time.

We think about content differently at Membership.io. It’s about convenience, speed, and ease. The last thing you need on your long to-do list is the extra hassle of manually downloading and re-uploading content just to keep your membership going. Plus, there’s a lot that you’re already doing that could be rolled into your membership offer.

How does it work?

You can integrate third-party apps and import all your content into Membership.io’s content library. 

• Dropbox
• Facebook
• Google Drive
• Instagram
• Obvio
• OneDrive
• Podcast
• AI Screen Recorder
• TikTok
• Wistia 
• YouTube
• Zoom
• Zapier

Once you hook it up (in a couple clicks), you can automatically populate your content library with everything you’ve created around the web. From there, you can pick and choose what to include in your membership, or you can automatically update your membership with content.

Here’s a quick example:

Let’s say you host Zoom calls with your membership. With Membership.io, you can have the recordings automatically available in the members’ area after the call. Magic!

With Kajabi, you’d have to find the replay, download it, and then upload. While it does integrate with some tools, Kajabi is designed to keep everything within its own ecosystem, limiting direct connections and requiring third-party workarounds.

Eliminating this one step alone can save you a ton of time, energy, and money!

Personalized Content Experiences

Most membership platforms treat every member the same. Every member gets the same content, in the same order, without taking into account their experience, interests, or goals. This one-size-fits-all approach is a recipe for frustrated members, overwhelm, and cancellations. 

“Overwhelm is the #1 reason why members cancel.” — Stu McLaren, Author of Predictable Profits

Membership.io personalizes exactly who sees what content inside your membership. You can set it up so that when someone joins, they’re guided through an onboarding assessment. The results identify their skill level and interests. Once you know this information about each member, you can ensure they receive the most relevant content. 

When they get the right content at the right time, they’ll make more progress and stick around longer.

Kajabi doesn’t offer personalized content. Each member gets the same content. Most often, it’s a linear track or they’re dumped into a sea of content. That means your members must sift through all your content or try to find the best resources based on where they are. 

Searchable Content For You And Your Members

A membership site is only valuable if your members get a specific outcome with what you’re sharing. To do that, they need the right resource at the right time. If your members have to dig through pages of content to find that one thing they need, you’re going to have problems. Having the ability to easily search and find content keeps them engaged and coming back.

Membership.io makes content discovery effortless. Its built-in search scans titles, descriptions, transcripts, and even chapters within audio or videos. Your members can then go to the exact moment in the video where you answered what they’re searching for. It’s like having around the clock support without you ever having to answer a question.

They’ll never have to wait to get their question answered. And that’s a huge win for you and them.

Have you ever answered the same question over and over again? I’m sure you have. This one feature alone eliminates that problem from running your membership (or course).

Kajabi’s search function is far more limited. It doesn’t index video transcripts or deeply scan content, which means members often struggle to locate specific information. They’re left scrolling through archives and guessing where to look, leading to lower engagement and a poor user experience.

Customization

Your membership site shouldn’t look like it came off an assembly line. It should feel like you. 

Your design style, your structure, your brand. When someone joins, they should instantly recognize that they’re in your membership space, not just another plug-and-play platform.

With Membership.io, you’re not stuck coloring inside the lines. Start with a blank canvas or choose from one of our design templates as a foundation. Change the fonts, switch up the layout, move content blocks, adjust color, and make it yours. 

The best part? It doesn’t take a developer to make it happen. Our site builder is intuitive, and if you hit a wall, our team is right there to help you figure it out.

Kajabi is a solid builder, too. But you might be limited to a site template, and that’s it. You can swap out the text and add your logo, but it’s still a limiting structure. At the end of the day, your membership feels like everyone else’s.

Membership.io is built for creators who want their site to feel as original as their content. We don’t box you in. We hand you the tools and back you up while you design something that’s truly unique.

Price Point

Your membership platform should support your growth, not weigh it down with costs you don’t need. That’s why flexibility, both in features and pricing, matters.

Membership.io is not an all-in-one platform, and that’s by design. Instead of bundling in features you may never use, we give you what you actually need to launch and run a content-driven or community-based membership in a way that’s clean, focused, and efficient. 

When you’re ready to expand, you’re free to integrate with the tools that work best for your business. 

Want email marketing and landing pages? We recommend Kit (formerly ConvertKit). Their Creator Plan starts at $25/month and includes everything from email sequences to landing pages. The benefit here is choice. You’re not locked into an expensive bundle just to get access to one or two features.

Kajabi, on the other hand, is an all-in-one.

That means it comes with a website builder, email marketing, funnels, automations, and more—whether you need them or not. You’re paying a premium for the full package, even if your business doesn’t require all the extras just yet. And once you’re in, scaling up usually means jumping to an even higher pricing tier.

There can be a huge benefit to using an all-in-one platform, if you’re using all the features. But, if you’re not or limited by them, it can be a little bit more expensive and overwhelming with everything it can do.

Support

Building a membership isn’t just about choosing the right platform, it’s also about having the right support when you need it. No matter how intuitive a platform claims to be, questions will come up, roadblocks will appear, and getting real help can make all the difference. And there can be a knowledge gap between the support team and what you’re trying to accomplish with your membership.

With Membership.io, you’re never completely on your own. We eat, sleep, and breathe memberships. It’s not just tech. We “get” memberships through and through. We're membership growth experts because we've been right there, helping memberships grow every step of the way.

When it comes to support, our North American users have access to 1-on-1 support for personalized guidance on tech issues, strategy, and more. For all users, no matter where you’re located, our extensive help center, community forums (on Membership.io and Facebook), and knowledge base are always available. You can always find the answers you need and keep moving forward.

Kajabi, on the other hand, prioritizes scale, relying on self-serve help documentation, forums, and chatbots. Finding answers can mean waiting on ticket responses or looping through automated systems for extended periods of time.

When you’re running a membership, support shouldn’t be an afterthought.

The Power of Specialization: Why Less Is More 

Some platforms try to do everything. Landing pages, customer relationship management (CRM), your website, email marketing, automations, and digital product hosting (e.g., course, membership, coaching, workshops, challenges) are all packed into one system. But when a platform stretches itself too thin, the core features suffer. Instead of getting best-in-class tools, you end up with a jack-of-all-trades solution that does a little bit of everything but none of it particularly well.

Membership.io focuses on what matters most: delivering exceptional content and community experiences (rather than trying to replace your entire tech stack). When people consume your content and connect in your community, they’re far more likely to find value in your membership. That’s a win-win for you and them.

And if you’re just starting out? Membership.io gives you what you need to get started. You don’t need a complicated funnel to sell your membership. As long as they can pay you (see our Stripe integration) and have a place to access gated content or a community, you’re good to go!

And when you need to grow? Membership.io gives you the flexibility to integrate with the best tools for CRM, landing pages, and email marketing. You’re not locked into a rigid system with limited functionality. You can choose the right software for your business when you’re ready.

The End User Experience

At its core, a membership should be about the people inside it—the members who trust you to guide, teach, and help solve their problems. A great membership platform should help you build meaningful relationships, foster engagement, and create an experience that puts your members first.

We do that through content personalization and search. We’re focused on you helping your members. When you do this, you’ll have far higher retention.

Membership.io Vs. Kajabi: Which One Is Right For You?

Look, we're not going to sugarcoat this. Choosing between these platforms isn't black and white.

Both have their strengths. Both have their quirks. And honestly? There's no "wrong" option on the table.

What works brilliantly for one creator might be completely wrong for another. The "perfect" platform depends entirely on where your business stands today and where you're headed tomorrow.

Some creators we've worked with swear by one solution. Others couldn't imagine life without the alternative. 

Your journey is unique—and your platform choice should reflect that.

If you’re looking for an all-in-one, Kajabi might be a good solution for you. But beware of some potential pitfalls as you grow and gain more and more content.

For creators who value flexibility and customization, Membership.io is the perfect fit. 

Our platform shines for established content creators with substantial libraries who feel constrained by rigid templates and limited functionality. That’s why the likes of Amy Porterfield, Dan Martell (SaaS Academy), Brock and Chalene Johnson (InstaClubHub), Zac and Hannah Pippins (ChangingCourses), and so many more have made the move to Membership.io.

We excel at serving creators who've outgrown basic solutions and require a platform that can adapt to their unique vision while maintaining an intuitive experience for their members. 

Our customers typically have rich content and community ecosystems and are looking for a long-term solution that scales with their big goals.

So, as you take the next step in your journey, ask yourself, do you want to fit into a platform’s mold, or do you want a platform that molds to you? 

Want to see how Membership.io can simplify your content, save you hours, and supercharge your members’ experience? Schedule a free walkthrough—spaces fill up fast!