Swarm vs Kajabi
Kajabi is an all-in-one platform built around async courses and funnels. With Swarm, community is the superpower, and everything is built around it.
The short Version
There isn't a one-size-fits-all when it comes to picking a platform. Here's an honest side-by-side comparison.
Kajabi
Swarm
Focus
An all-in-one business tool built around asynchronous courses and marketing funnels
Community-first, with courses, events and everything else built around it
Starting price
From $143/month
From $19/month
Transaction fees
As low as 0%
As low as 0%
Community
Basic text forum with newsfeed, chat and DMs, with live calls in Meetups and a leaderboard
Built for engagement: video, voice and text in every thread, spaces and topic hubs, points, levels, leaderboards and badges, and live streams built in
Courses
Independent learning
Community-led learning
White Label
$199/month extra on Basic and Growth plans; included on Pro
From $149/month
Branded app
$199/month extra on Basic and Growth plans; included on Pro
From $149/month
Best for
Established creators and coaches who sell structured programs and want funnels, email and a website in one place
Coaches and creators that sell a transformation built around their presence and feedback, and who want members to learn as a community rather than solo
Swarm is the platform of choice for world-class communities
Why creators look for a Kajabi alternative
Low engagement
Kajabi's community is one product inside an all-in-one business tool, so it can feel like an add-on. Creators and coaches who want a community where members that feels more alive may look for a platform with community features built to drive engagement.
A different approach to courses
Kajabi pushes asynchronous courses, so members often learn alone an without support or accountability from others. Creators who want members to learn together, with discussion, feedback and accountability built into every course, look for community-led learning like what Swarm offers.
Branded app and white label at a high price
Kajabi's own branded app is only included on the Pro plan ($399/month annual), or costs $199/month extra on Basic and Growth, and it takes weeks to publish. Creators who want their own brand on members' phones look for a more affordable way to get it.
What Makes Swarm Different
More than a community platform. A connection engine.
Video, voice, and text working together. When members see faces and hear voices, they don't just consume. They connect, contribute, and stay.
The problem we were built to solve
90%
of members never post
47%
churn within 6 months
3–15%
course completion rate
How we solve it
Kajabi treats community as one product inside an all-in-one business tool built around asynchronous courses and funnels. When the core product is content members consume on their own, they can finish a lesson and drift away, and the community goes quiet unless you work hard to keep it alive.
With Swarm, video, voice, and text work together. When members see faces and hear voices, they don't just consume content. They connect, contribute, and stay.
Swarm starts at just $19/month.
Kajabi starts at $143/month.
We know that for community-builders like you cost is important. We built out our pricing so that is makes sense for you as you grow.
Kajabi
Swarm
Base plan
$143/month
$19/month
Middle plan
$199/month
$79/month
Top plan
$399/month
$149/month
When to pick each platform?
When you should pick Kajabi
- If community is secondary to your business: If community supports your courses rather than being the main product, Kajabi's channels, chat, Meetups and leaderboard may be enough. Swarm puts community first and builds everything around it.
- You want members to learn independently: Kajabi is built around courses that members complete on their own, with live cohort courses from Growth. Swarm focuses on community-led learning, where members support and hold each other accountable.
- You need marketing and sales tools in the same platform: Kajabi has funnels, landing pages, a website, email marketing and checkout built in, so one login runs your whole business. On Swarm you'd connect separate tools, so if one login for your whole business matters, Kajabi wins here.
When you should pick Swarm
- Community is the central part of what you offer: Swarm is community-first, with courses, events, memberships and a digital store built around the community, not the other way round.
- If your teaching is visual, demonstration-based or personal: Video, voice and text in every thread let members show their work and get personal feedback, which suits dance, fitness, music, life coaching and mindset work.
- You want members to support each other's learning journey: Discussion hubs in every course, plus video homework and peer accountability, keep members learning together instead of alone.
- You want a premium experience at a more affordable cost: A branded app and white label come with the $149/month Scale plan, against Kajabi's $399/month Pro plan or its $199/month add-on.
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Common Questions
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