Category
Best sales funnel builder
For most people starting out the answer is Systeme.io, because it is the only one with a permanent free plan that carries every feature. ClickFunnels is the deeper builder at $97 a month with a 30 day guarantee, Kajabi is the better course platform but starts at $179, and GoHighLevel suits only agencies running client accounts. The entry price hides the real difference, which is how email is metered.
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The short version
- Only one of these lets you launch a real offer without paying: Systeme.io.
- Email metering is where the price differences actually live, not the sticker.
- ClickFunnels publishes a 30 day guarantee. Systeme.io publishes no refund policy at all.
- If you run client sub-accounts, none of the funnel builders are the right tool.
The short answer
| Platform | Entry price | Email sending | Money back | Genuinely best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systeme.io | Free, then $17 | Unlimited on every plan | None published | Solo creators who want one cheap tool that covers everything adequately. |
| ClickFunnels | $97 | 50,000 / month on entry | 30 days | Funnel-first businesses that want the deeper builder and the bigger template library. |
| Kajabi | $179 | Unlimited on every plan | 30 days | Course businesses that want the most polished student experience. |
| GoHighLevel | $97 | Metered, $0.675 per 1,000 | None published | Agencies running client sub-accounts, with white labelling and reselling. |
How they actually differ
Funnel builders converge on features fast. Everyone has drag and drop pages, order bumps, upsells, email automation and a course module. Comparing feature lists is therefore close to useless, and it is what almost every article in this category does.
The three things that genuinely differ are the metering, the floor and the exit. Metering is how quickly your bill rises as your list grows, and it varies enormously. The floor is what you can do before paying anything, which is where Systeme.io is alone. The exit is what happens if it does not work out, which is where Systeme.io is weakest and nobody mentions.
The $97 question
Systeme.io's top plan and ClickFunnels' entry plan are both $97 a month, which makes this the cleanest comparison in the category. At that price Systeme.io gives unlimited contacts, unlimited emails, unlimited courses and unlimited domains. ClickFunnels gives 10,000 contacts, 50,000 emails a month, three courses and five domains.
On paper that is not close. In practice ClickFunnels is buying you a better page builder, a far bigger template library, a 14 day trial and a 30 day money-back guarantee, and those are real things to want. The right question is whether you are paying for capacity or for craft.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Contacts | Emails |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch | $97 | $972 | 10,000 | 50,000 / mo |
| Scale | $197 | $1,968 | 75,000 | 300,000 / mo |
| Optimize | $297 | $2,976 | 150,000 | 750,000 / mo |
We work through that head to head properly, row by row, on Systeme.io vs ClickFunnels, and cover the wider set of options on ClickFunnels alternatives. The other three that decide most choices are Systeme.io vs Kajabi, Kajabi vs ClickFunnels and Teachable vs Kajabi. If price is the whole question, start with the free funnel builder page.
Settle the capacity question for nothing
The free plan carries every feature at smaller numbers, so you can build a real funnel, take real payments and see whether the builder suits you before any money changes hands.
Start free on Systeme.ioAffiliate link. We earn a commission if you later upgrade, at no extra cost to you. No card required, and the free plan does not expire.
Or settle the craft question
We earn from both of these, which is the honest position for a category page: we are not steering you toward either one. Build a page in each and the difference is obvious within an hour.
Start the ClickFunnels trialAffiliate link. We earn a commission if you subscribe, at no extra cost to you. 14 day trial, then $97 a month with a 30 day money-back guarantee.
What we have covered
The Kajabi free trial
14 days or 30? Kajabi’s pricing page and help centre give different answers.
Kajabi alternatives
Cheaper is easy. Better is not, and the transaction fee reverses the obvious saving.
Courses on Kajabi
Five products on the entry plan, unlimited students, and $343 per product a year.
The ClickFunnels trial
14 days, and the 30 day guarantee that quietly makes it six weeks.
What is ClickFunnels for?
A plain explanation, and an honest list of who should not buy it.
Is Systeme.io legit?
Yes. The real risks are no refund policy, suspensions and deliverability.
Systeme.io vs GoHighLevel
Free against $97. One question decides it: does anyone else need their own login?
Systeme.io review
The free plan is the whole story. Plus what 88 low-star reviews actually complain about.
What is Systeme.io?
The plain explanation of what it does and who it is for, in one page.
What it really costs
Four plans, and the automation-rule limit that decides which one you land on.
The free plan, in full
Every limit, what is genuinely unlimited, and when it stops being enough.
Systeme.io vs ClickFunnels
Both are $97. One gives unlimited email, the other gives a refund policy.
ClickFunnels alternatives
What to move to, and the migration warning nobody puts in these lists.
The template library
How many there really are, and why the count is the wrong thing to compare.
The affiliate program
60% lifetime recurring and a permanent cookie. The maths, and the catch.
Login and lockouts
The right URL, and what to do when an account is suspended.
ClickFunnels review
The best builder in the category, and the send cap that decides your tier.
ClickFunnels pricing
$97 to $297, unlimited funnels, and 50,000 emails a month on entry.
Kajabi review
The best course platform, and the worst support scores we have counted.
Kajabi pricing
$179 to $499, plus the transaction fee on your own Stripe nobody mentions.
Systeme.io vs Kajabi
A free plan against $179 a month. Each one fixes the other’s worst flaw.
Kajabi vs ClickFunnels
Not a feature fight. A question of whether you sell a course or a funnel.
Teachable vs Kajabi
The 7.5% transaction fee that reverses the price advantage at $1,900 a month.
Free funnel builder
Almost every one is a trial. Which one is genuinely free, and where it stops.
Running client accounts rather than your own business? The comparison you actually want is in agency CRM platforms, where white labelling and sub-accounts are the deciding features rather than funnel depth.
Common questions
What is the best free sales funnel builder?
Systeme.io, by a distance. Its free plan carries 2,000 contacts, 3 funnels, unlimited email sends and 0% transaction fees, never expires and needs no card. Rivals offer time-limited trials rather than a permanent free tier.
Is ClickFunnels worth $97 a month?
It is if the page builder and template library are what you are buying, and if the 30 day money-back guarantee matters to you. On raw capacity, Systeme.io gives far more at the same price, including unlimited contacts and emails.
Do I need a funnel builder at all?
Only if you are selling something with a specific path from ad to purchase. If you mainly need a website and a mailing list, a site builder plus a dedicated email tool will be cheaper and better at both jobs.
Which funnel builder has no transaction fees?
Systeme.io and ClickFunnels charge 0% platform fee. Kajabi charges 0.5% to 2% if you use your own Stripe or PayPal, depending on tier, and Teachable charges 7.5% on its entry plan. You pay the card processor its own fee everywhere on top.
Can I move my funnels between platforms?
Not directly. Funnels do not export in any portable format, so switching means rebuilding. Several platforms offer a migration service, and how long those actually take is a recurring complaint worth reading before you commit.
Last reviewed September 2, 2026