ConvertKit is popular marketing software while Kartra is good for both marketing and product creation.
Key Takeaways:
- Kartra is a great all-in-one platform and our top choice in this comparison
- ConvertKit offers basic email marketing for a low price
Quick Comparison
| Kartra | ConvertKit | |
|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | 30 days | Free plan |
| Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days | 30 days |
| Value for Money | 4.5/5 | 3.9/5 |
| User Experience | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Customer Support | 4.5/5 | 4/5 |
| Who Is It for? | Small – large businesses Digital product creators | Freelancers Small organizations |
| Key Feature Set | – Page builder – Course builder – Funnel builder – Form builder – Helpdesk builder – Email marketing – SMS marketing – Webinars – Native live stream and video hosting – Calendars and scheduling – Advanced automation – Checkouts and sales tools – Reporting and analytics – Integrations | – Landing page builder – Form builder – Email marketing – Automation – Checkouts and sales tools – Reporting and analytics – Integrations |
| Available Support | – Learning center – Email ticketing – Live chat – Free onboarding call | – Learning center – Email ticketing – Live chat |
What Is Kartra?
Kartra is an “all-in-one” platform designed to help people monetize their digital content, skills, and knowledge.
It features tools for creating learning products such as courses, webinars, e-books, and more as well as providing several tools to help you promote and sell your creations.
With plans designed for all stages of your business journey, Kartra is a platform that is capable of scaling alongside it.
What Is ConvertKit?
ConvertKit is a marketing platform designed for online creators of all kinds who want to grow and engage with their following.
Although the platform does not contain any features for creating the products themselves, it does have automated email marketing software and page-building tools.
With low-cost plans available, ConvertKit is ideal for those who are just starting out and have yet to establish an audience.
Kartra vs ConvertKit: Affordability
Kartra is a premium-priced platform with three plans available:
- Starter: $119/month or $99/month paid annually
- Growth: $229/month or $189/month paid annually
- Professional: $549/month or $429/month paid annually
ConvertKit has three price plans available. However, how much you pay depends on the number of email subscribers you have.
The minimum subscriber amount is 300 up to 195,000. Anything over that amount is custom-priced:
- Free: Free for life with a maximum of 1,000 subscribers (features are limited)
- Creator: From $15/month or $9/month paid annually
- Creator Pro: From $29/month or $25/month paid annually
As an example, at the top end of the scale (195,000 subscribers) you would pay from $1,219/month for the Creator plan or $1,419/month for the Creator Pro plan.
| Platform | Cheapest Plan | Mid-Tier Plan | Top-Tier Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kartra | $110/month | $229/month | $549/month |
| ConvertKit | Free | $15/month | $29/month |
At a glance, ConvertKit appears like it’s way more affordable than Kartra. However, the cost quickly ramps up when you grow your email list.
Additionally, when you compare each platform’s feature set and plan limits, you will quickly find that Kartra offers the best value.
Kartra vs ConvertKit: Similarities
Emailing Tools
Kartra has a full emailing service that allows you to create and send unlimited emails, regardless of which plan you are on.
You can create single email broadcasts or automated sequenced campaigns, and the platform also features split A/B testing so you can try out different strategies.
The email-building tool has two options. You can use the basic text editor or the far superior drag-and-drop rich HTML builder. In this one, you will find lots of prebuilt templates that you can easily customize.
Like Kartra, ConvertKit lets you create and send unlimited email broadcasts and sequenced campaigns. There’s also a selection of templates you can use, either created by ConvertKit or by third parties. Split A/B testing is available.
The editing tool isn’t great. There’s no drag-and-drop function and it feels dated compared with Kartra, but you can add enough interactive elements (such as videos and countdown timers) to make your content engaging.
Page Building Tools
Kartra has page templates for just about every reason you can think of – squeeze pages, thank you pages, live events, etc. – and employs the same easy drag-and-drop editing tool as we saw for the emailing feature.
The pages are versatile as they can be used for funnels, as landing pages, or you can build complete websites. There’s also a form and survey-building tool for data capture and you can embed these on your web pages.
We like the diversity and flexibility that Kartra gives you here because you’re not just restricted to one type of web page. Plus there are a ton of customization options to get your pages full on-brand.
Over on ConvertKit, you have the option to create landing pages and forms. Like the email builder, the editing tool feels clunky, and the options are far more limited when compared with Kartra.
You can create landing pages with additional pages, but it lacks the versatility seen on Kartra.
On the plus side, there is a nice selection of prebuilt landing page templates available for various purposes.
Automation
Kartra has a ton of automation features built into the platform. You can build basic automation into your email and SMS campaigns (adding tags, subscribing to campaigns, etc.), or you can head to the funnel builder and create an entirely automated workflow.
It’s slightly convoluted since you have to create all your funnel pages and emails before you can build them into the workflow; however, the drag-and-drop function and visual workflow mapping screen are straightforward once you get the hang of them.
For those new to campaign building, there are several free and paid templates available from within the Kartra platform.
ConvertKit also has a visual mapping screen for creating automated workflows, or you can create singular trigger/action events such as adding tags to contacts or subscribing them to a campaign.
Since ConvertKit is a basic platform in comparison to Kartra, the automation options are also more basic. But if you’re new to automation in general, we feel this is a very beginner-friendly option.
You’ve also got prebuilt workflow templates for specific purposes like launching a podcast, releasing a book, promoting an album, etc.
Digital Product Sales
While both platforms allow you to sell digital products, there is one key difference between the two.
Kartra has features for creating the products, while ConvertKit does not. This of course means that if you want to sell products with ConvertKit, you will have to use another platform to first create them.
In terms of actual selling tools, Kartra integrates with several payment gateways, including PayPal and Stripe. ConvertKit has a native payment gateway called ConvertKit Commerce, but this is powered and run by Stripe so it’s pretty much the same thing.
Both platforms let you set up different pricing plans for your products (subscriptions, payment plans, etc.) and also create promotions such as coupon codes and upsells.
Kartra vs ConvertKit: Key Differences
You may have picked up already that Kartra is a more sophisticated and advanced platform than ConvertKit. Here’s what Kartra can do that ConvertKit can’t:
- Create and send SMS campaigns.
- Build and sell courses and membership sites.
- Run webinars.
- Create coaching products.
- Natively live stream and host videos.
- Create a helpdesk.
- Natively schedule and manage your calendar.
- Create advanced sales funnels and automation sequences.
If you opt for Kartra, then you get everything you need on the platform without having to use any additional third-party apps. On the other hand, to achieve the same functionality with ConvertKit, you will have to use third-party apps.
Kartra vs ConvertKit: Pros and Cons
Kartra Pros
- Sophisticated platform and tools
- Great online reputation
- Native live streaming, video hosting, and scheduling
- Can create and sell products from same platform
- No need for additional third-party apps
Kartra Cons
- Plans are expensive
- Number of contacts limited on all plans
- Customer service is limited outside the US
- Funnel builder is not beginner-friendly
ConvertKit Pros
- Free plan
- Paid plans are affordable (with low numbers of subscribers)
- Easy to use
- Beginner-friendly
- Integrates with e-commerce platforms like Shopify
ConvertKit Cons
- Adding additional subscribers can get very expensive
- Terrible online reputation
- No product-building features
- Limited customization options
Kartra vs ConvertKit Which Should You Choose?
If all you want to do is send emails, then ConvertKit is a perfectly adequate option, especially if you’re a total beginner. However, once your email list (and your subscription price) starts to grow, you may start to crave a more sophisticated platform.
Overall, we recommend Kartra because it gives you far more functionality and customization options, allowing you to better scale your business. It takes longer to learn, but once you master it, you’ll appreciate the extra features it provides.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kartra or ConvertKit Better?
Kartra is better than ConvertKit since it can do everything that ConvertKit can, plus it includes product-building features and advanced page-building and marketing features. To get the same functionality using ConvertKit, you need to pay for and integrate multiple third-party applications.
Should I Choose Kartra or ConvertKit for Emailing?
If you only require a platform for emailing, ConvertKit is the more affordable option. However, if you want other features such as funnel building, advanced automation, product creation, and SMS marketing, then Kartra is the better option.
Should I Choose Kartra or ConvertKit for Creating Digital Products?
It is not possible to create digital products on the ConvertKit platform. Therefore, Kartra is the better option for this purpose since it contains features for creating courses, membership sites, webinars, coaching products, and more.
Does Kartra or ConvertKit Have Better Marketing Features?
Kartra has better marketing features than ConvertKit. ConvertKit can only handle email marketing while Kartra supports emailing, SMS marketing, funnel building, and advanced automation.
Is Kartra or ConvertKit Better for Beginners?
ConvertKit is a basic platform and, therefore, a good option for beginners. However, users may find they outgrow the platform once their business grows. Kartra takes longer to master but is capable of scaling in line with your business.
Is Kartra or ConvertKit More Affordable?
From the onset, ConvertKit is much more affordable than Kartra. However, once you start increasing your email subscribers, the platform gets very expensive. In contrast, Kartra’s plans cost more, but you get a lot more features for the price.
Can I Use Kartra or ConvertKit for Free?
ConvertKit has a free-for-life plan that gives you access to limited features. Kartra does not have a free plan, but you can take advantage of a 30-day free trial. Both platforms offer 30-day, money-back guarantees.
