Independent review · Pricing checked 14 August 2026
Kartra: a complete marketing suite, priced like one
We have no affiliate relationship with Kartra — the Kartra link on this page earns us nothing. Where this review points cheaper alternatives out to you, Systeme.io is one we do earn a commission from.
Kartra bundles funnels, email marketing, checkout, membership sites, video hosting, a helpdesk and affiliate management into a single platform. It is genuinely more complete out of the box than most things in this category — you get a support desk and video hosting that competitors make you bolt on separately.
It is also, at the tier most people actually need, several times the price of the cheaper all-in-ones. Whether that's worth it comes down to one question we'll answer below: are you replacing enough separate subscriptions to cover the gap?
- Best for
- Coaches and consultants already earning, who want one system
- Free plan
- None — $1 for a 14-day trial, card required
- From
- USD $52/mo annual ($59 monthly)
- Real entry
- USD $99/mo annual — see the transaction fee below
- Refunds
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Watch for
- 5% transaction fee on the cheapest plan
Plans
| Plan | Annual | Monthly | Contacts | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essentials | $52 | $59 | 500 | 5% transaction fee on every sale |
| Starter | $99 | $119 | 2,500 | 0% fee. The real entry point. |
| Growth | $189 | $229 | 12,500 | Quizzes, certificates, surveys, agency dashboard |
| Professional | $429 | $549 | 25,000 | Larger teams, 5 domains |
All prices in US dollars per month. Annual billing saves roughly 17%. Checked 14 August 2026 — Kartra runs periodic promotions and short-term monthly discounts that revert to full rate, so confirm what you're actually being charged after any intro period.
The 5% fee that makes the cheapest plan expensive
Essentials at $52/month looks like the obvious starting point. It charges 5% of every sale processed through Kartra's checkout, on top of your normal payment processor fees.
The arithmetic is simple: at around $1,200/month in sales, that 5% costs more than the $47 gap to the Starter plan. Past that point Essentials is the more expensive option, and the further past it you go the worse it gets.
Essentials also caps you at 500 contacts and one course. For anyone actually selling, Starter at $99 is the real entry price — treat the $52 as a number for testing, not for running a business.
The second gate: quizzes and certificates
If you're selling a course, this one matters more than the transaction fee.
Quizzes, surveys and completion certificates are locked behind the Growth plan at $189/month. Neither Essentials nor Starter includes them. So does webinar hosting.
That means the honest starting price depends entirely on what you're building. Selling coaching or a service with funnels and email? Starter at $99 is fine. Selling a course where students need assessments and a certificate at the end? Your real entry price is $189/month, and at that point you should be comparing Kartra against dedicated course platforms rather than against other all-in-ones.
Contacts drive everything
The plan tiers are really contact tiers: 500, 2,500, 12,500, 25,000. Growing past each threshold forces the next plan whether or not you need any of its features. Model the cost at the list size you expect in twelve months, not the one you have now — the jump from Starter to Growth nearly doubles your bill.
Who it suits
- Coaches and consultants doing real revenue who are tired of five subscriptions and the glue between them
- Anyone who wants a helpdesk and video hosting included rather than bolted on — genuinely unusual at this level
- Businesses running their own affiliate program, which is built in rather than an add-on
- Freelancers managing a few client accounts — the agency dashboard on Growth handles that without logging in and out
Where it's weaker
- No free plan, and the trial costs $1 with a card required. You can't sit on it while you build, though the 30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans is a genuine safety net
- The entry plan's 5% transaction fee makes it a false economy for anyone selling at volume
- Course features are gated high — quizzes and certificates need the $189 tier
- Kartra is a marketing platform first. The course builder delivers content competently but the student experience is basic next to a dedicated platform
- Bandwidth limits on lower plans can bite if your courses are video-heavy
- It's one of the pricier options in its category, and the learning curve matches the feature count
Probably not for you if
- You're pre-revenue or under roughly $2,000/month — Kartra is premature, and simpler tools do the job for a fraction of the cost
- You need a free plan to start, or want to test indefinitely before paying
- The learning experience is your product — a dedicated course platform will serve students better
- You're managing marketing for many clients and need isolated sub-accounts per client rather than an agency dashboard
Questions
Is there a free plan?
No. There's a 14-day trial that costs $1 and requires a credit card. Paid plans carry a 30-day money-back guarantee, which is the more meaningful protection — it lets you build something real and still get out.
Which plan should I actually start on?
Starter at $99/month annual, for most people. Essentials looks cheaper but its 5% transaction fee overtakes the saving at around $1,200/month in sales, and 500 contacts is a low ceiling. Go straight to Growth at $189 only if you need quizzes, certificates, webinars or the agency dashboard.
What's the catch with the $52 plan?
Three things: a 5% fee on every sale through Kartra checkout, a 500-contact cap, and one course. It's a testing plan, not a business plan.
How does it compare to Systeme.io?
Different price brackets entirely. Systeme.io has a permanent free tier and runs $17–$97/month; Kartra's real entry is $99. Kartra gives you more — helpdesk, video hosting, better checkout, deeper automation. Whether that's worth roughly six times the price depends on how many separate tools it's actually replacing for you. One thing to weigh while you read that: Kartra pays us nothing and Systeme.io pays us a commission, so the cheaper option here is also the one we'd earn from.
Can I use it for client work?
Partly. The Kartra Agency dashboard on the Growth plan lets you manage client accounts without logging in and out, which suits a freelancer with a handful of clients. It is not the same as GoHighLevel's isolated sub-account model — if running an agency is the main job, that's the comparison to make.
Does the price go up as I grow?
Yes, and in steps rather than smoothly. The tiers are contact-based — 500, 2,500, 12,500, 25,000 — and passing a threshold forces the next plan. Starter to Growth is close to double.
If it fits, start here
Use the $1 trial to build one complete funnel with checkout attached, and price the plan at your expected twelve-month contact count rather than today's. If you're selling a course, confirm on their pricing page which tier includes quizzes and certificates before you commit — that gate moves the real cost more than anything else on this page.
This link earns us nothing. We have no affiliate relationship with Kartra.
Read next: Kartra vs Systeme.io — the two ends of the all-in-one category, a permanent free tier against a complete suite. The price gap makes it a real decision rather than a close call.