January 23, 2026
Heartbeat and Kajabi are both powerful platforms for creators, educators, and entrepreneurs looking to build and monetize online communities. While Kajabi is renowned for its all-in-one approach to digital business, Heartbeat stands out for its advanced automation, community-first design, and accessible pricing. Heartbeat empowers anyone to create and grow a community with flexible workflows, AI features, and a mission to keep creators in control. For most community builders, Heartbeat delivers more value, flexibility, and a human-centric experience at a fraction of the cost.
The online community platform landscape is more dynamic than ever, as creators and businesses seek tools that combine community engagement, course delivery, and monetization under one roof. Kajabi has long been a leader in the all-in-one platform category, offering website building, course hosting, email marketing, and community spaces. Heartbeat, meanwhile, is part of a new wave of platforms that focus on deeply integrated community features, automations, and AI to streamline management and foster meaningful engagement.
What sets Heartbeat apart is its mission to democratize community building, putting advanced tools in the hands of anyone who wants to launch a thriving community business. Both platforms are trusted by thousands of users, but their philosophies and strengths diverge: Kajabi excels at comprehensive business management, while Heartbeat prioritizes community experience, automation, and user empowerment.
Heartbeat’s pricing is designed to be accessible and predictable. The Starter plan is $40 per month (annual billing) and includes all core features for up to 1,000 members. The Growth plan, at $99 per month, unlocks unlimited members, advanced customization, and priority support. Transaction fees are 3% on Starter and 2% on Growth, in addition to standard Stripe processing fees. Heartbeat also offers an Enterprise tier for large organizations with custom needs.
Kajabi’s pricing is positioned at the higher end of the market. The Basic plan is $149 per month (annual billing), supporting up to 3 products and 1,000 active members. The Growth plan is $199 per month, increasing limits to 15 products and 10,000 active members. Kajabi Payments users pay no transaction fees beyond standard processing (2.9% + 30¢), while using Stripe or PayPal incurs an additional 1-5% transaction fee depending on the plan. Kajabi also offers a Pro plan for larger businesses.
Heartbeat is purpose-built for community leaders who want to create, grow, and monetize vibrant online spaces. The platform’s standout feature is its automation engine, which lets you build custom workflows to onboard members, trigger engagement activities, and manage access—all without writing code. Heartbeat includes always-on voice and video rooms for real-time connection, robust event management, and a powerful course builder supporting both evergreen and cohort-based learning.
The member experience is central: communities can be structured with unlimited channels, segmentations, and access controls, making it easy to nurture both large and niche groups. Payments are integrated, supporting subscriptions, paid events, and affiliate programs, with transparent transaction fees. Heartbeat’s API and native integrations (Zapier, Zoom, Google Calendar, and more) allow communities to extend functionality and automate routine tasks.
Users consistently praise Heartbeat’s intuitive design, responsive support team, and the platform’s willingness to listen and implement feedback. Regular feature updates and a transparent roadmap ensure the platform evolves with user needs. Heartbeat’s mission is to put creators in control, leveraging AI and automation to enhance, not replace, human connection.
Kajabi is a mature, feature-rich platform for digital entrepreneurs who want to manage their entire business in one place. Kajabi’s core strength is its integration of website building, course hosting, email marketing, funnels, and community spaces. The platform supports digital products, coaching programs, and membership sites, with polished member portals and robust analytics.
Kajabi’s community features have improved over time, now offering forums, member profiles, and group discussions, but real-time engagement tools like voice rooms are limited. Course and community integration can feel fragmented, often requiring users to switch between separate apps for a complete experience. Kajabi’s automation tools (Pipelines and Automations) are powerful, but may require more setup and expertise than Heartbeat’s workflow builder.
Kajabi’s support is well regarded, with 24/7 chat on higher plans. The platform is trusted by established creators and businesses who value a comprehensive, all-in-one approach. However, the higher price point and transaction fee structure can be a barrier for smaller or emerging communities.
Kajabi remains a top choice for digital entrepreneurs seeking a comprehensive, all-in-one solution for courses, memberships, and marketing. Its business management tools are robust, but its community features, real-time engagement, and pricing structure may not suit every creator. Heartbeat, on the other hand, is the platform for those who want to build high-engagement communities with advanced automations and AI, accessible pricing, and a mission to keep creators in control. For most community builders, Heartbeat offers unmatched value, flexibility, and a truly human-centric approach to online community and business growth.
