SamCart vs Kajabi

One of the easiest ways to make money on the internet is via eCommerce. There are millions of eCommerce sites on the internet; however, the number is presumed to be between 12 million and 24 million. 

Interestingly, there are so many eCommerce platforms out there including the likes of SamCart and Kajabi. Both platforms are quite popular and used by many eCommerce merchants,  but which one is the best? 

Hence, in this post, we will put SamCart against Kajabi in this tussle to identify their contrasting and similar features. Also, we will show you the winner in the end.

What Is SamCart? Who Is It For?

SamCart is an online shopping software for anyone who wants to sell products on the internet.

The developers describe the platform as the first full-featured eCommerce software as it has vast eCommerce features for small, medium, and large scale businesses.

SamCart was founded in the year 2014 by Brian Moran and Scott Moran. The major goal of the platform is to help online retailers increase profit and conversions by providing a top-notch checkout system.

Currently, they operate from a head office located in New York in the United States with a working team of about 30 people.

With SamCart, you can create an online store, sell products, and source for customers. The platform is global, so you can source customers from various countries and regions. 

With thousands of users, more than 4.5 million products have been sold using the SamCart eCommerce software; these products are worth about $750 million. 

Also Read: SamCart Review

What Is Kajabi? Who Is It For?

Kajabi is an all-in-one online business platform with everything you need to grow. With its incorporated features, it becomes easier to manage and run an online store. 

The platform was founded in 2010 by Travis Rosser and Kenny Reuter who is also the current CEO. At first, it was just an idea to help people get online and monetize, but now is one of the most used eCommerce software systems on the internet.

Having been around for about 9 years, the platform has recorded so many successes. More than 25,000 online merchants make use of Kajabi and together, they have made up to $1.1 billion. 

Currently, the platform is present in about 120 countries and with a headquarters located in Irvine, California. Over 100 people work at Kajabi’s headquarters. 

Setup Process

SamCart

With SamCart, you can get your online store running within just five minutes of registration.

First, you should set up your store by entering the store name, URL, logo, country, and currency amongst others.

Your subscription plan will determine if you can use a custom domain or not, but by default, a SamCart.com domain is issued.

Next, you have to set up a payment processor which can either be PayPal or Stripe.

Now, you can integrate with any tool or platform you wish to connect your store with and start creating products.

Products can be created from the product section featured on the menu.

You’ll have to enter details like the product title, description, price, images, tags, and more. 

Check Out: SamCart vs ThriveCart

Kajabi

You can register and launch your eCommerce store on Kajabi very easily. All it takes is completing the 2-step registration form, confirming your email, and you will be directed to your dashboard.

On your fresh dashboard, there’ll be video guides on getting started and how to build your first product. 

The first thing to do before creating products is to set up your payment methods.

From your account settings, you can access the payment integrations section and connect your ideal payment provider. 

Afterward, you can switch to the product dashboard to create new products and start selling.

Verdict

Registration and store setup is quite easy with both SamCart and Kajabi.

Funnel/Page Templates

SamCart

There are varieties of premade page templates available on SamCart, so you don’t have to always design from scratch.

You are provided with access to checkout page templates, product page templates, and landing page templates. There are very simple and more professional templates as well.

After you select a template, you can preview it before applying. 

For sales funneling, SamCart features an upsells section, which you can access from the menu tab. All you need to do is to create a new funnel with all the required details. Both upsells and downsells can be added to your sales funnel and up to five offers can be set.

Kajabi

Kajabi features high-converting page templates for free. There are a total of 12 product templates you can use and the default template is the Premier theme.

You can access the template library from the Products tab in the left-aligned menu. After you create a product, click on customize and at the top-right corner, you’ll find the Pick a Theme Option.

Click on any preferred theme for installation, and then activate it. From the customizer, you can edit the theme before activating it.

Sales funneling can be managed from the offers section. An upsell card is featured within this section and all you have to do is to click on +Add Upsell offer.  Enter every other required detail and you’re good.

Verdict

SamCart and Kajabi feature premade page templates and also upsell sales funneling, so it’s a draw. 

Explore: Best SamCart Alternatives

A/B Testing Tool

SamCart

With SamCart, you can A/B test your pages and templates with the Checkout page split-testing tool. Also, you can A/B test the payment options.

You can easily access the A/B test option from the Advanced Settings tab. All you have to do is to add the variations (products) for the test. 

You can also split-test funnels from the product page. Select any of the products you want to A/B test and switch to the upsells page. At the bottom of this page is an upsell funnel section with a +split test button.

Set the product funnel and then select another with the other product for the split-test.

Kajabi

Kajabi does not feature any native A/B testing tool, but you can still split-test on the platform, all you need is a little tweaking. 

First of all, navigate to the pages section to locate the pages you want to A/B test. Copy the page link of the first page and paste it into an email segment or social media campaign. Do the same for the second page.

You can determine the better page from the Page Views option in Analytics by looking at the conversion rates.

Verdict

SamCart features an A/B tool unlike Kajabi, so it wins for this round.

Check Out: SamCart vs WooCommerce

Customer Management

SamCart

The Activity section on the SamCart dashboard menu features a customer management dashboard, which contains a list of your store customers. Details like names, email, phone, recent purchase, and lifetime value are provided.

To quickly sort through the customers’ list, a search option is featured and if you tagged customers, you can simply filter them by using these tags. 

Conversely, the customers’ list can be exported in CSV file format. To export, you have to set the export time range and provide an email address. Likewise, the CSV file will be delivered to the email address for easy download.

Kajabi

The People section located at the left-aligned menu of the Kajabi dashboard allows you to manage your customers.

In fact, it contains a list of people who have interacted with your online store as members or subscribers.

You can view all customers or switch to the members or subscribed sections. With tags, you can filter through this list and there is a featured search box as well. 

By clicking on any customer name, you can open their profile to get more details about them.

Verdict

Customer management is easy and very similar in SamCart and Kajabi, but SamCart wins as it supports list export.

Editor/Page Elements 

SamCart

Pages are built on SamCart using a drag-and-drop content builder. As you create products, you can launch this content builder from the Checkout Design tab.

The Launch drag-and-drop builder option is featured at the bottom of this page. 

At the right panel of the content builder is a section with blocks and widgets. You can add elements like headlines, images, text, video, buttons, bullets, and page dividers. 

To apply any of the elements, you simply have to drag and drop them on the page layout. 

Available widgets include a progress bar, countdown, testimonial, HTML codes, and FAQ amongst others. Not to mention, the page can be previewed in both desktop and mobile views before it is published.

Kajabi

With the Kajabi page builder, you can create flexible landing and checkout pages with a variety of page elements. It is a drag-and-drop builder, which makes it easy to use.

The page builder features a left tab that consists of two tabs – sections and settings. The sections tab features the page elements and widgets for quick usage.

You can easily drag the elements and widgets up and down to rearrange how they appear on the page. While editing the page layout switches between mobile and desktop views, the featured preview option allows you to preview pages before publishing.

Verdict

SamCart and Kajabi feature a drag-and-drop builder with several page elements; hence, it’s a draw for this round.

Explore: SamCart vs Gumroad

Affiliate Management

SamCart

If you wish to run an affiliate program on your online store, SamCart is the perfect option. There is an Affiliates section featured on the top menu, which allows you to easily manage your affiliates.

From the affiliates section, you can view your affiliate signup and login link. The links are auto-generated, but you can customize them.

Additionally, share the signup link for interested visitors to register before they can then log in. Once signed up, they will appear on the Affiliates list. 

Interestingly, you can set the commission percentage for affiliates  and they can view how they perform with insights on clicks, orders, revenue, commissions, and CPC.  Likewise, affiliate approval can be done manually or automatically on SamCart.

Kajabi

You can run an affiliate program on Kajabi only when subscribed to the Growth or Pro plan. The affiliate’s dashboard can be accessed under the People section from the left-aligned menu.

On the dashboard, you can see your Affiliate signup and login link, which you can share with prospective members.

You can view all registered affiliates in the Users section, while from the Settings section you can set how much affiliates will earn. 

The dashboard also provides a rundown of clicks, form submissions, conversions, and conversion rates. If you need individual insights on each metric, you can get it from the Users section.

You can send updates and information to your affiliates via the Announcement section.

Verdict

Affiliate management on SamCart and Kajabi are very much alike without significant differences.

Analytics & Reports

SamCart

The SamCart user dashboard serves as an analytics dashboard that allows you to monitor sales and all activity without hassles.

From the dashboard, you can get insights on sales (by product and by date), subscriptions, monthly revenue, traffic, refunded products, and more. They are laid out in bar charts and graphs, which allows quick comprehension of the information.

The dashboard has a live stream section on the right side, which you use to monitor your online store for live insights.

Also, there is a report section available on the menu bar for detailed sales reports with insights on orders, payment channels, conversions, etc. Likewise, you can export reports in CSV files.

Check Out: SamCart vs ClickFunnels

Kajabi

From the Kajabi dashboard, you can switch to Analytics from the left-aligned menu.

The analytics section is divided into various sections which include Net Revenue, Subscription Metrics, Opt-ins, Page Views, Sales Tax, Product Progress, Affiliate Commissions, and Affiliate Purchases.

Each section contains insights and statistics, according to their description.

Net Revenue provides details on your earnings and profits, while Subscription Metrics provides insights on how much each of your users contributes.

From the Page Views section, you get insights on your traffic, visitors’ demographic, referrals, and more. The insights and stats are rendered in graphs and pie charts for easy understanding.

On the right-tab is a filter section to narrow down the insights and you can export/download the insights.

Verdict

For analytics and reports, both platforms provide reliable insights and stats.

Third-Party Integrations

SamCart

SamCart Integration Engine seamlessly integrates with tools and software systems in different categories.

These categories include email, marketing automation, membership, page builders, and payment providers.

First of all, SamCart integrates with Zapier which offers more integration.

Also, it integrates with email automation platforms like ConvertKit, AWeber, GetResponse, Drip, MailChimp, iContact, and a few others. 

In the marketing automation category, SamCart integrates with platforms like HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, OntraPort, Intercom, and Infusionsoft. 

Interestingly, SamCart integrates with Kajabi as a membership platform along with WishList, Memberpress, Thinkific, Member Mouse, etc. 

OptimizePress and WordPress are available page building platforms that SamCart integrates with.

Also, it integrates with payment providers like PayPal and Stripe. However, SamCart API does not feature any API. 

Kajabi

Different third-party integrations are available on Kajabi. However, the platform’s major source of integrations is via Zapier and there are third-party integrations. 

With Zapier, you can connect Kajabi with more than 2,000 applications. This includes applications like PayPal, ActiveCampaigns, Shopify, MailChimp, and also SamCart.

Though no API tool is featured, there are API keys that work for easy connection to these third-party applications.

Verdict

Both platforms integrate with Zapier for more integrations, but SamCart wins as it has more third-party integrations than Kajabi.

Customer Support & Resources

SamCart

There are various ways you can get in touch with the SamCart customer support team. First, the live chat, which is the fastest way of reaching them, while the other is via direct mail.

When you send your queries to SamCart, they reply within 24 hours. You cannot get support on weekends and the support is available from 9 am – 5 pm ET on working days. 

You can read support articles and guides on the SamCart help center. Worthwhile information can be gotten from their blog as well. 

SamCart also provides in-person customer support. You can visit their head office in New York or their sub-offices in Maryland and Austin, from 9 am – 5 pm ET.

Kajabi

Kajabi’s main customer support channels are via email and live chat. You can either send an email to the sales department or support department depending on your query. 

However, the level of support you get depends on your plan.

You get 24/7 live chat with the Growth and Pro plans while live chat support is only available on working days from 6 am – 5 pm PST with the Basic plan.

Kajabi features a help center with several helpful articles on 12 categories and there is also a blog.

Notably, the platform rewards good performing users via the Kajabi Heroes program. Likewise, there are activity communities on different social media platforms.

Verdict

With email and live chat support, SamCart and Kajabi perform alike in this category. The same goes for the resources that they feature.

Explore: SamCart vs Shopify

Pricing

SamCart

There are four pricing plans to choose from on SamCart, which include:

• Launch Plan – $49 per month
• Grow Plan – $99 per month
• Scale Plan – $199 per month
• Enterprise Plan – $399 per month

Note: The price difference of the plans makes it ideal for different business scales. However, they can change from time to time. You can use SamCart for 14 days free before paying for a subscription.

Kajabi

Kajabi offers 3 pricing plans, which include:

• Basic Plan – $149 per month when billed monthly, $119 when billed annually
• Growth Plan – $199 per month when billed monthly, $159 when billed annually
• Pro Plan – $399 per month when billed monthly, $319 when billed annually

Note: Kajabi’s pricing plans might be on the high side but have in mind that they can change at any time.

Also, if you opt for any of the annual payment plans, you can get a 20% discount. Not to mention, a 14-day free trial period is also available.

Similarities & Differences

Similarities 

• Both platforms are easy to set up
• Both offer email and live chat support
• None offers phone support
• Both have no RESTful API
• Both SamCart and Kajabi feature a drag-and-drop builder
• Both SamCart and Kajabi support upsells funneling

Differences 

• SamCart supports affiliates on all plans while Kajabi exempts affiliate management on the Basic plan
• SamCart features an A/B testing tool while users can carry out A/B tests on Kajabi with tweaks
• SamCart supports more native integrations, unlike Kajabi which relies more on Zapier integrations

Pros & Cons

SamCart

Pros

• Easy to set up
• Drag-and-drop builder
• Affiliate management
• Reliable support
• A/B testing tool
• Third-party integrations
• Premade templates

Cons

• No API tool
• No phone support

Kajabi

Pros

• Easy to set up
• Drag-and-drop builder
• Helpful third-party integrations
• Affiliate management
• Premade templates
• Reliable support

Cons

• Fewer features for the basic plan despite its price
• Few third-party integrations
• No A/B testing tool
• No phone support
• No API tool

Interesting Read: ThriveCart Review

SamCart vs Kajabi – Which Is Better?

SamCart and Kajabi share a lot in common in terms of features from the setup process, sales funneling, analytics, templates, builder, etc. Both platforms even integrate with each other. 

However, from the verdicts of the comparison above, the better platform for running an eCommerce store is SamCart.

SamCart incorporates several important features for eCommerce which Kajabi lacks an A/B testing tool and third-party integrations.

Also, SamCart does not lack any of the features available on the Kajabi platform.

Additionally, Kajabi’s pricing plans are on the high side, while the Basic plan lacks some features.

On the other hand, SamCart has affordable pricing plans and its lowest pricing plan i.e. the Scale Plan is priced at only $49 per month, unlike Kajabi’s basic plan which costs $149 per month.