Today, I’ll help you compare Kartra with ClickFunnels and decide which one is the best for building advanced marketing funnels.
We’ve got two powerful platforms here – ClickFunnels and Kartra.
ClickFunnels used to be just a basic funnel-building platform, but they recently launched their brand new version, ClickFunnels 2.0, which is a fully-fledged marketing platform.
In this comparison, we’ll dive deep into the features of both tools, including funnel building, page building, email marketing, memberships, and more.
By the end, you’ll be able to make an informed decision on whether to go with Kartra or ClickFunnels 2.0.
Let’s jump right in!
| Kartra | ClickFunnels 2.0 | |
| Starting price | $119/mo | $147/mo |
| Courses | No | Yes |
| Email Marketing | Yes (also sequences) | Yes (only broadcasts) |
👍 What do I like about Kartra over ClickFunnels 2.0?
- Enhanced split-testing: Kartra now offers advanced A/B testing for landing pages, emails (up to 4 variations), and complete funnels, while ClickFunnels limits testing to just pages (2 variations only).
- Behavioral Adaptive Marketing (BAM): Kartra’s unique BAM feature automatically personalizes content, CTAs, and design elements based on visitor behavior and demographics, significantly improving conversion rates.
- Advanced eCommerce features: After the 7.0 update, Kartra’s checkout system now supports one-click transactions, flexible pricing models, and dynamic order bumps, making it more robust than ClickFunnels’ basic eCommerce functionality.
- Integrated helpdesk: Kartra includes a comprehensive help desk system with ticketing, live chat, and knowledge base features, eliminating the need for separate support tools.
- Powerful email marketing: Unlike ClickFunnels’ basic broadcast emails, Kartra offers both broadcasts and sequences with advanced automation capabilities and behavioral triggers.
- White-label agency features: Kartra provides complete white-labeling for agencies, with a unified dashboard for client management and secure master login functionality.Updates made:
👍 What do I like about ClickFunnels 2.0 over Kartra?
- User-friendly interface: ClickFunnels interface is very user-friendly and loads faster, while Kartra’s interface loads slower and is clunky. You can access all ClickFunnels features within 3 to 4 clicks, while in the case of Kartra, the features are nested, and you need to dig in deep to access all the features.
- Advanced page builder: The ClickFunnels 2.0 has a really advanced page builder that has advanced functionalities even to build highly dynamic landing pages with likes of WordPress with Elementor. On the other hand, Kartra’s page builder feels quite dated.
- Intuitive funnel builder: ClickFunnels Funnel Builder is more intuitive and powerful. It has some unique features like conditional split paths and also the ability to do A/B split testing for identifying the most optimal path for conversions. Apart from this, ClickFunnels comes with the ability to create up to 20 funnels even on their basic plan which is really good.
Upfront Bottomline
For most people, ClickFunnels would be the best option. With their latest 2.0 upgrade, they have significantly improved the tool, making it feel modern and efficient.
It offers excellent website building functionalities, even replacing dedicated tools like WordPress with Elementor. Additionally, its automation builder is feature-rich and considered the best in the industry.
However, Kartra may be for you if you require specialist features such as behavioral adaptive marketing, dynamic OTOs, and advanced e-commerce functionalities.
Also it offers various features like white label functionalities, a help desk, and client portals, making it ideal for agencies managing client funnels on websites.
Interface and ease of use
When you log in to ClickFunnels, this is what the interface looks like.
You can access all its tools in the right sidebar.
The interface is very minimal, neat, and user-friendly.
Compared to ClickFunnels, Kartra’s interface loads very slowly.
Although they have tried to give their interface an overhaul, still experience needs a lot of improvement.
If you are a beginner, you need some learning curve to use Kartra.
🏆 Bottom line: ClickFunnels clearly outperforms Kartra in interface design and usability. Its modern, fast-loading interface and intuitive navigation make it accessible for beginners, while Kartra’s slower, more complex interface can be frustrating and requires a steeper learning curve.
Creating products / courses
Let’s start with Kartra’s product and course creation capabilities after their 7.0 update.
While Kartra doesn’t have a dedicated course builder like specialized platforms, it offers a robust combination of product creation and membership features that work well together.
In Kartra, you begin by creating a product – this could be your course, coaching program, or any digital product.
The platform offers extensive customization options for pricing, including one-time payments, recurring subscriptions, and instalment plans.
You can even set up physical product options with shipping and tax settings if needed.
What makes Kartra unique is how it integrates product creation with membership delivery.
Once you create a product, you can map it to a membership area where you’ll actually host your course content.
This membership functionality allows you to organize your content into modules and lessons, though they’re technically called “membership pages” in Kartra.
The membership content builder lets you structure your course content hierarchically. You can create multiple modules, and under each module, add individual pages for your lessons.
These pages support various content types – videos, text, downloads, and even interactive elements like quizzes and surveys.
A standout feature is Kartra’s access control system.
You can create multiple membership tiers (like Silver, Gold, Diamond) and precisely control which modules and lessons are accessible to each tier. This is particularly useful if you’re offering different levels of your course or want to create an ascending value ladder.
For content delivery, Kartra offers flexible options. You can:
- Grant instant access to all content upon purchase
- Set up drip-feeding to release content over time
- Schedule content to unlock on specific dates
👍 While it may not match the specialized features of dedicated course platforms like Teachable or Thinkific, Kartra’s integrated approach to product creation and course delivery makes it a solid choice for entrepreneurs who want to keep everything under one roof.
Now about ClickFunnels:
ClickFunnels 1.0 was lacking a courses feature.
But in the updated 2.0 version, they have introduced a dedicated course builder, which is similar to that of Kajabi.
ClickFunnels has 3 course templates for you to begin with: Blank course, basic course, and nested course.
Its course curriculum consists of modules and lessons. You can drip schedule or lock the modules until the previous ones are completed.
Also, ClickFunnels supports text, images, videos, embeds, etc.
ClickFunnels has a lesson template.
By default, all the lessons you create will import that structure. If you want to edit the lesson structure, you need to edit the template itself.
ClickFunnels courses have just the basic LMS features.
It is not powerful as dedicated LMS tools like Teachable or Thinkific.
🏆 Bottom line: While both platforms offer course creation capabilities, ClickFunnels 2.0 edges out with its dedicated course builder and more intuitive interface. Though it lacks advanced LMS features, it provides a more streamlined experience compared to Kartra’s membership-based approach to course delivery.
Design and page builder
Kartra and ClickFunnels have a dedicated landing page builder.
ClickFunnels 2.0 has an improved page-building experience than its previous version.
You will feel like you are using dedicated page builders like Elementor.
Both these tools provide block templates to design the pages quickly. There are also page templates available.
For designing the site, Kartra and ClickFunnels give you access to the site builder. You can design the entire website and the pages using their site builder.
One unique feature of ClickFunnels 2.0 is that it has universal sections. It allows you to create global sections to use anywhere on your website. Any changes made reflect across all the elements.
Also, with ClickFunnels 2.0, you can custom code the theme using its power editor.
Kartra also offers a powerful page builder that supports various sections and landing page templates.
With this page builder, you can design beautiful pages, opt-in forms, and checkout pages.
Additionally, Kartra ensures that your landing page looks perfect on different devices with its responsive design.
You have the option to optimize the pages for desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.
It also has pop-up functionality wherein you can create landing page pop-ups or exit pop-ups that are triggered based on various conditions.
And also it comes with a dedicated pop-up builder where you can design your pop-up similar to how you would design a page
🏆 Bottom line: ClickFunnels. It feels more feature-rich, polished and fast, compared to Kartra. Because they did a complete overhaul in 2.0 release.
Funnel building and automations
Kartra offers funnel functionality under the Marketing section, with two powerful modes:
- Builder Mode: For visually constructing your funnel with assets and traffic sources
- Simulation Mode: For analyzing and simulating funnel performance
In Builder Mode, you start by setting up traffic components, as Kartra can track traffic from multiple sources. This helps identify which channels drive the best conversions.
When users take actions in your funnel, you can:
- Add or remove tags
- Subscribe users to sequences
- Trigger automated follow-ups
- Split users into different paths based on conditions
A standout feature is the simulation analytics, which eliminates the need for external funnel simulation tools.
However, one limitation is that you can’t build email sequences directly within the funnel builder – they must be created separately and then mapped to the funnel.
ClickFunnels 2.0’s Funnel Builder is more intuitive and powerful.
ClickFunnels 2.0 has over 15+ pre-made funnel recipes that you can import with just a single click.
It has some unique features like conditional split paths and also the ability to do A/B split testing for identifying the most optimal path for conversions.
Apart from this, ClickFunnels comes with the ability to create up to 20 funnels even on their basic plan which is really good.
🏆 Bottom line: ClickFunnels 2.0 emerges as the clear winner in funnel building with its intuitive visual builder, pre-made funnel recipes, and advanced features like conditional split paths and A/B testing. While Kartra offers solid funnel functionality, ClickFunnels’ streamlined approach and robust feature set make it the superior choice.
Email marketing and CRM
Kartra’s built-in email marketing tool – KartraMail.
It is a robust solution that eliminates the need for external email marketing platforms.
You can send both broadcast emails and create automated sequences.
The platform offers:
- Split testing capabilities: Test email content and subject lines with up to 4 variations to optimize open rates and conversions
- Dynamic personalization: Use variables like {first_name}, {email_address}, {phone}, {affiliate_link} to personalize your emails
- Sequence automation: Create complex email sequences triggered by various user actions like purchases, page visits, or tag assignments
When creating sequences, you can set up various triggers such as:
- Form submissions
- Tag assignments
- List subscriptions
- Page visits (thanks to built-in tracking)
- Product purchases
Once triggered, you can perform actions like:
- Sending emails or SMS messages
- Adding or removing tags
- Managing list subscriptions
- Creating conditional splits based on user behavior
A unique feature is Kartra’s subsequence functionality, which helps manage complex email campaigns by organizing them into smaller, more manageable segments. This keeps your automation canvas clean while allowing for sophisticated email marketing strategies.
ClickFunnels, on the other hand, currently only supports broadcast emails.
While it has a drag-and-drop email editor, its email marketing capabilities are more basic compared to Kartra’s comprehensive solution.
🏆 Bottom line: Kartra wins in email marketing with its advanced features like split testing, complex automations, and subsequence functionality.
Checkout page
ClickFunnels and Kartra both come with a lot of checkout templates and a checkout page builder.
First, let’s talk about ClickFunnels. ClickFunnels provides you with dozens of order form templates that have been proven to convert well.
I really like the templates offered by ClickFunnels because they are also inspired by their other 7 to 8-figure successful marketers.
When you select any template, the checkout page builder will load, and it comes with all the elements and sections that the ClickFunnels regular page builder offers.
You also have the ability to include the checkout form and order bumps on the page.
Similar to ClickFunnels, Kartra also comes with dozens of conversion-friendly templates for your checkout page.
With Kartra’s checkout functionality, you have multiple flexible options:
- Kartra-hosted checkout: A dedicated checkout page hosted on Kartra’s platform
- Overlay pop-up checkout: A single-step checkout that appears in a pop-up window
- Embed functionality: Embed codes that let you add checkout forms to platforms like WordPress
When it comes to profit maximization, Kartra offers both upsells and order bumps.
A standout feature is the support for one-click transactions, which can significantly boost your conversion rates.
The platform also supports robust post-sale workflows. After a purchase, you can:
- Tag customers with specific identifiers (e.g., “Purchased – Product Name”)
- Assign them to a membership for accessing product content
- Trigger automations like onboarding sequences or follow-up emails
Combined with its integrated tracking tools, you can gain valuable insights into your sales performance and optimize your checkout process for better conversions.
Both these have built-in checkouts to collect payments.
ClickFunnels provides integrations with:
- Stripe
- PayPal API (also called PayPal V2)
- Recurly
- NMI
- Keap (InfusionSoft V2)
- Easy Pay Direct
While Kartra has native integrations with:
- Authorize.net.
- Braintree
- PayPal
- Stripe
🏆 Bottom line: ClickFunnels. I really like the order form templates that ClickFunnels offers. And also its page builder is more feature rich and quick.
Affiliate marketing
Both Kartra and ClickFunnels 2.0 has affiliate programs built in.
ClickFunnels is working on rolling out this feature, and it will be live soon.
Once it goes live will keep it updated here.
Kartra’s affiliate program is more powerful. You can set global affiliate commissions or product-specific commission rates. Also, it supports multiple commission tiers.
To qualify the affiliates, you can create a questionnaire and get their insights on how they can promote your products.
You can also make use of Kartra’s tags and list features to properly manage the affiliates.
With Kartra’s affiliate analytics, you can analyze how your affiliates are performing. It gives you the metrics like active affiliates, traffic, EPC, sales, refunds, etc. (Refer to the above screenshot).
🏆 Bottom line: Kartra takes the lead in affiliate marketing with its comprehensive features including multi-tier commissions, affiliate qualification questionnaires, and detailed analytics. ClickFunnels 2.0’s affiliate program is still in development, making Kartra the clear winner in this category.
Integrations
ClickFunnels has native integrations with most of the popular email marketing (ActiveCampaign, GetResponse, MailChimp, etc), webinar tools (Ever Webinar), and payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal). It also has Zapier and Webhooks integrations.
Here are the most popular Kartra integrations:
It also has Zapier, API, IPN, and custom app integrations.
Compared to ClickFunnels, Kartra has limited integrations, and you need to refer to the documentation every time when doing integration. It’s not easy, peezy.
🏆 Bottom line: ClickFunnels wins in integrations with its extensive native integrations with popular tools and straightforward setup process. While Kartra offers essential integrations, its limited options and complex implementation make it less user-friendly in this aspect.
Pricing
Kartra is more affordable than ClickFunnels. Its premium pricing starts at $119/mo, allowing you to sell unlimited products, pages, membership sites, but only supports up to 2,500 Leads.
If you purchase annual plans, you can avail 22% discount.
While ClickFunnels’ beginner plan costs $147 per month, it offers features such as unlimited products, unlimited pages, and workflows making it good value for money.
However, you can only create up to 3 courses and 20 funnels, which is still sufficient for most users.
If you want to remove ClickFunnels branding and set up your own affiliate program with advanced functionalities like API access and a liquid theme editor, you will need to upgrade to the Pro plan at $197 per month.
Conclusion
After thoroughly comparing Kartra and ClickFunnels 2.0, here’s my verdict:
ClickFunnels 2.0 is the better choice if you’re primarily focused on course creation, funnel building, and want a more intuitive interface with better design capabilities.
Its LMS, CRM features and streamlined checkout process make it particularly attractive for course creators and digital product sellers.
Kartra, on the other hand, shines with its all-in-one marketing capabilities, especially its robust email marketing, affiliate management, and helpdesk features. It’s also more budget-friendly, making it a solid choice for businesses looking for a comprehensive marketing solution.
Choose ClickFunnels 2.0 if:
- You want a more polished and user-friendly interface
- Course creation is your primary focus
- You need powerful CRM capabilities
- You value high-converting checkout templates
Choose Kartra if:
- You need comprehensive email marketing features
- Budget is a major consideration
- You want robust affiliate management tools
Both platforms are solid choices, but your specific business needs and priorities should guide your final decision.
Previously on my blog, I have reviewed each of these tools in depth, which may be of interest.
