Last updated: September 5, 2026. Some links on this page are affiliate links — if you sign up through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend. See our Affiliate Disclosure.
How we know: we tested Systeme.io hands-on in our own free-plan account. Everything here about Kartra comes from its published pricing page and documentation, checked on the date shown — we have not run a Kartra account ourselves, and we would rather say so than imply otherwise.
Our verdict
For most solo operators, Systeme.io wins on price and simplicity: its $97/mo Unlimited plan beats Kartra’s realistic starting tier, and its free plan has no transaction fees at all. Kartra earns its price once you need built-in affiliate management, funnel automations, or a much larger contact list.
Try Systeme.io freeFree plan, no credit card required. Affiliate link — see our disclosure.
Kartra and Systeme.io both sell the same promise as ClickFunnels: pages, funnels, email, courses, and checkout in one login. Kartra leans further into automation and affiliate tooling; Systeme.io leans into keeping the whole stack usable for free.
Pricing, side by side
List prices as of September 5, 2026, monthly billing, checked directly on each company’s pricing page.
| Tier | Systeme.io | Kartra |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 — 3 funnels, 2,000 contacts, 0% fees | None |
| Entry | $17/mo — 10 funnels, 5,000 contacts, 0% fees | $59/mo (Essentials) — 500 contacts, 5 pages, 1 product, 5% transaction fee |
| Mid | $47/mo — 50 funnels, 10,000 contacts | $119/mo (Starter) — 2,500 contacts, unlimited pages/products, 0% fees |
| Top | $97/mo — unlimited everything | $229–$549/mo (Growth/Professional) — 12,500–25,000 contacts, affiliate management, automations |
The detail worth knowing before you sign up: Kartra’s cheapest tier, Essentials at $59/mo, caps you at 5 pages and 1 product and charges a 5% transaction fee on every sale. The tier that removes the transaction fee and page/product caps is Starter at $119/mo — more than the price difference on the label suggests if you’re comparing sticker prices alone.
Create a free Systeme.io account — no card requiredAffiliate link — see our disclosure.
Where the money actually goes
What Kartra has that Systeme.io does not
- Built-in affiliate management, but only from the Growth tier ($229/mo) up — Essentials and Starter don’t include it at all.
- Funnel simulation and advanced automated sequences, also Growth-tier-and-up.
- Higher raw contact ceilings at the top end — 25,000 contacts on Professional versus Systeme.io’s unlimited-but-single-tier structure.
- Helpdesk live chat and real-time funnel analytics on the Professional tier.
What Systeme.io has that Kartra does not
- A free plan you can run a real business on — 3 funnels, 2,000 contacts, unlimited emails, 1 custom domain, 0% transaction fees. Kartra has no free tier at all.
- 0% transaction fees on every tier, including free. Kartra’s Essentials tier charges 5% on every sale — on a $500 launch, that’s $25 Kartra keeps that Systeme.io wouldn’t.
- Unlimited sub-accounts on every plan, including free. Each is a fully separate workspace with its own funnels, contacts, and domain — useful if you manage more than one brand or client.
- No page or product cap at any paid tier. Kartra’s entry tier limits you to 5 pages and 1 product; Systeme.io’s entry tier does not cap products at all.
Three questions that decide it
1. Do you need to run your own affiliate program?
Systeme.io includes affiliate management on every paid tier. Kartra only includes it from Growth ($229/mo) up — if recruiting your own affiliates is core to your business and budget is tight, that’s a real gap between the two entry-level price points.
2. How many transactions will you actually process?
If you’re on Kartra’s $59/mo Essentials tier, the 5% transaction fee compounds with every sale. Run the math on your expected revenue before assuming $59/mo is the real cost — for many creators, the $119/mo Starter tier (0% fees) ends up cheaper in practice once volume passes a few thousand dollars a month.
3. Do you need advanced funnel automation and simulation?
Kartra’s automation and funnel-simulation tools (Growth tier and up) are more built-out than Systeme.io’s equivalent. If your business depends on complex multi-branch automated sequences, that’s the concrete reason to pay more for Kartra rather than Systeme.io.
Frequently asked questions
Is Systeme.io cheaper than Kartra?
Yes, at every comparable tier. Systeme.io’s $97/mo unlimited plan costs less than Kartra’s $119/mo Starter tier, and Systeme.io has a genuinely usable free plan where Kartra has none.
Does Kartra charge transaction fees?
Yes, on the Essentials tier ($59/mo) — 5% per sale. The fee drops to 0% starting on the Starter tier ($119/mo). Systeme.io charges 0% transaction fees on every tier, including free.
Does Kartra have a free plan?
No. Kartra’s cheapest tier is Essentials at $59/mo. Systeme.io’s free plan never expires and needs no credit card.
Which has better affiliate management, Systeme.io or Kartra?
Systeme.io includes affiliate management on every paid tier. Kartra only includes it starting on the Growth tier ($229/mo) — a meaningful gap if running your own affiliate program matters at a lower budget.
I’ve been building and maintaining websites for about ten years. The first one is still online a decade later, and I still fix it when something breaks — which is how I learned that the interesting part of any platform is not the launch, it’s year three. I co-owned that site’s business, though I am not a co-owner today; the business itself has since closed. Separately, I have also run an online store on Shopify, until the fees pushed me onto a different payment system. Today I choose the host, the theme and write the plugins that run this site, and I pay for the tools I test out of my own pocket. More on the About page, and exactly what we did and did not test in how we test.
Prices verified against each company’s public pricing page on September 5, 2026. Vendors change pricing without notice — check before you buy, and tell us if you find something out of date.
Try it yourself: Systeme.io’s free plan is permanent, not a trial — 3 funnels, 2,000 contacts, unlimited emails, 0% transaction fees, and unlimited sub-accounts. Start on the free plan and find out in a weekend whether it covers what you need. (Affiliate link — see our disclosure.)