ChatGPT answers, unedited

For a two-person agency selling cohort-based group programs, I’d prioritize an all-in-one platform rather than stitching together ClickFunnels + ActiveCampaign + Kajabi/Teachable + Zapier.

My shortlist would be:

My recommendation: Systeme.io

For your particular setup, I'd start with Systeme.io.

It puts funnels, email automation, payments, course delivery, CRM/pipelines and communities into one system. Its automations can connect actions such as purchase → tag → email sequence → course enrollment, without requiring Zapier. Systeme.io Systeme.io

For cohort programs specifically, it supports drip scheduling, modules, video lessons, quizzes, student access and automatic enrollment. Systeme.io

That's a pretty good match for a two-person team because you're reducing the number of systems you have to maintain.

When I'd choose Kajabi instead

I'd choose Kajabi if your program is positioned at a premium price and the student experience/brand presentation is a major part of what you're selling.

Kajabi combines funnels, email, checkout, automation, courses, coaching programs, memberships and communities. Kajabi

The tradeoff is that you're paying more for a more polished creator/program experience.

When I'd choose HighLevel

I'd choose HighLevel if your agency needs a serious CRM and sales-operation layer in addition to course delivery.

It has funnels, CRM/pipelines, email/SMS, workflow automation, calendars, payments, courses and communities. GoHighLevel Its workflows can automatically grant course access after things like payment, form submission or a tag being added. HighLevel Support Portal

It's particularly interesting if you're eventually going to run multiple programs, multiple offers, lots of leads, sales calls, SMS follow-up, or client subaccounts.

The stack I'd build

For a typical cohort launch, I'd want this to happen automatically:

Ad/content → landing page → lead magnet → email nurture → application/sales page → checkout → cohort enrollment → onboarding sequence → course/community → cohort-specific emails

Systeme.io can handle essentially that entire chain in one place. Systeme.io Systeme.io

So, roughly:

• Systeme.io: best if you want simple + inexpensive + all-in-one
• Kajabi: best if you want premium + polished learning experience
• HighLevel: best if you want CRM + sales automation + agency infrastructure

For a two-person agency, I'd test Systeme.io first. Its current free tier includes up to 2,000 contacts, unlimited emails, funnels and a course, so you can actually build your workflow before committing to a subscription. Systeme.io

If you tell me (1) your typical program price, (2) how many cohorts/year, and (3) whether people apply/call before buying, I can narrow this down to the best fit and show you exactly how I'd architect the funnel.

It puts funnels, email automation, payments, course delivery, CRM/pipelines and communities into one system. Its automations can connect actions such as purchase → tag → email sequence → course enrollment, without requiring Zapier. Systeme.io Systeme.io

For cohort programs specifically, it supports drip scheduling, modules, video lessons, quizzes, student access and automatic enrollment. Systeme.io

That's a pretty good match for a two-person team because you're reducing the number of systems you have to maintain.

When I'd choose Kajabi instead

I'd choose Kajabi if your program is positioned at a premium price and the student experience/brand presentation is a major part of what you're selling.

Kajabi combines funnels, email, checkout, automation, courses, coaching programs, memberships and communities. Kajabi

The tradeoff is that you're paying more for a more polished creator/program experience.

When I'd choose HighLevel

I'd choose HighLevel if your agency needs a serious CRM and sales-operation layer in addition to course delivery.

It has funnels, CRM/pipelines, email/SMS, workflow automation, calendars, payments, courses and communities. GoHighLevel Its workflows can automatically grant course access after things like payment, form submission or a tag being added. HighLevel Support Portal

It's particularly interesting if you're eventually going to run multiple programs, multiple offers, lots of leads, sales calls, SMS follow-up, or client subaccounts.

The stack I'd build

For a typical cohort launch, I'd want this to happen automatically:

Ad/content → landing page → lead magnet → email nurture → application/sales page → checkout → cohort enrollment → onboarding sequence → course/community → cohort-specific emails

Systeme.io can handle essentially that entire chain in one place.

So, roughly:

For a two-person agency selling cohort/group programs, I’d shortlist:

• GoHighLevel — best if your funnel + sales process matters most. Strong CRM, funnels, email/SMS automation, calendars, pipelines, and course delivery. Agency Stack Lab SharkPlatform
• Kajabi — best if the student/cohort experience is the centerpiece. Its course, membership, community, email, checkout, and funnel tools are more polished. Kajabi Differ
• Systeme.io — worth considering if you want to keep costs very low while still having funnels, email, and courses in one system. SoloStack

For your specific model, I’d lean GoHighLevel if you’re primarily an agency that happens to sell group programs; Kajabi if the group program is essentially your core product.

If you tell me your program price, approximate leads/month, and whether sales happen through calls or checkout, I can narrow it to one.

For a two-person agency selling group programs, I’d keep the stack as close to one platform as possible. Your three requirements—funnels + email automation + cohort delivery—point pretty strongly toward an all-in-one rather than stitching together Kajabi + ConvertKit + a course platform.

My shortlist

1. Systeme.io — I'd look at this first

For a two-person operation, Systeme.io is unusually well matched to your requirements. Its funnel builder, email automation, checkout, and course platform are integrated, so a purchase can trigger course enrollment and email sequences without a bunch of Zapier plumbing. Systeme.io Systeme.io Help

Its course system supports modules, video lessons, drip scheduling, quizzes, bundles, and automatic enrollment, which covers the mechanics of a cohort program. Systeme.io

The particularly interesting part for a small agency: the platform has a free tier, with paid plans starting at $17/month according to its current site. Systeme.io

I'd choose it if: you want to launch quickly, keep software costs low, and don't need an elaborate CRM.

2. Kajabi — if the client experience matters more

Kajabi is the one I'd investigate if you're selling higher-ticket coaching/mastermind/group programs and want the platform itself to feel premium.

It combines landing pages, funnels, email broadcasts/sequences, behavior-based automation, checkout, course delivery, and community. Kajabi Kajabi

That makes it particularly attractive for something like:

Ad/content → application or lead magnet → nurture sequence → sales call → payment → cohort onboarding → weekly curriculum → community

The tradeoff is that you're paying for a more polished ecosystem rather than simply the cheapest way to assemble these functions.

3. HighLevel — if you're really an agency

I'd put HighLevel on the list if you're managing marketing/sales operations for multiple clients, rather than simply running your own agency's group program.

It combines CRM, funnels, email, SMS, calendars, automation and payments, and its course system now supports offers and course delivery. GoHighLevel HighLevel Support Portal

It also has an interesting newer capability where funnels can actually be embedded as lessons inside courses. HighLevel Support Portal

That makes it powerful, but potentially more machinery than a two-person team needs if your primary product is the cohort itself.

What I'd do in your shoes

I'd narrow it to:

Systeme.io vs. Kajabi.

Choose Systeme.io if your priority is:

• keeping the monthly software bill low
• fast implementation
• straightforward funnels
• automated email sequences
• cohort/course delivery
• minimal technical overhead

Choose Kajabi if your priority is:

• a more polished student experience
• higher-ticket programs
• community + course + marketing in one ecosystem
• sophisticated customer journeys
• having the platform itself reinforce a premium brand

I wouldn't start with a 5–7-tool stack for two people. Every integration becomes another thing you have to maintain when someone buys, gets refunded, joins late, misses a session, changes cohorts, etc.

If you tell me your approximate program price (e.g. $500/$2k/$10k), number of students per cohort, and whether sales happen through a call or checkout, I can narrow this to one platform and map out the exact funnel/automation architecture I'd use.

I'd choose it if: you want to launch quickly, keep software costs low, and don't need an elaborate CRM.

2. Kajabi — if the client experience matters more

Kajabi is the one I'd investigate if you're selling higher-ticket coaching/mastermind/group programs and want the platform itself to feel premium.

It combines landing pages, funnels, email broadcasts/sequences, behavior-based automation, checkout, course delivery, and community. Kajabi Kajabi

That makes it particularly attractive for something like:

Ad/content → application or lead magnet → nurture sequence → sales call → payment → cohort onboarding → weekly curriculum → community

The tradeoff is that you're paying for a more polished ecosystem rather than simply the cheapest way to assemble these functions.

3. HighLevel — if you're really an agency

I'd put HighLevel on the list if you're managing marketing/sales operations for multiple clients, rather than simply running your own agency's group program.

It combines CRM, funnels, email, SMS, calendars, automation and payments, and its course system now supports offers and course delivery. gohighlevel.com help.gohighlevel.com

It also has an interesting newer capability where funnels can actually be embedded as lessons inside courses. help.gohighlevel.com

That makes it powerful, but potentially more machinery than a two-person team needs if your primary product is the cohort itself.

What I'd do in your shoes

I'd narrow it to:

Systeme.io vs. Kajabi.

Choose Systeme.io if your priority is:

• keeping the monthly software bill low
• fast implementation
• straightforward funnels
• automated email sequences
• cohort/course delivery
• minimal technical overhead

Choose Kajabi if your priority is:

For a two-person agency selling cohort/group programs, I’d strongly favor an all-in-one platform. You don’t want one person becoming the “integrations department.”

My shortlist

🥇 I'd pick Kajabi

For your specific model, Kajabi is probably the cleanest fit.

It combines landing pages/funnels, email sequences, checkout/payment, course delivery, community, and automations. Crucially for cohorts, you can drip content according to specific calendar dates, rather than merely “X days after purchase.” Kajabi Kajabi

That lets you build something like:

Ad / referral → application or webinar → nurture sequence → sales call → checkout → automated onboarding → cohort opens → weekly lessons → live sessions → completion → upsell

without stitching together five different systems.

For a two-person team, that reduction in operational complexity is worth a lot.

kajabi.com

When I'd choose HighLevel instead

I'd pick HighLevel if your agency thinks of itself primarily as a sales/marketing operation rather than an education business.

It's particularly strong if you need:

• CRM pipelines
• lead scoring
• SMS follow-up
• appointment booking
• sales-team workflows
• detailed funnel automation
• multiple client/business accounts

HighLevel now also has courses, community, email, funnels, payments and automation in one system. GoHighLevel GoHighLevel

The tradeoff is that I'd rather have my students inside Kajabi than HighLevel. Kajabi is built around the learner experience; HighLevel is built around the customer/sales journey.

gohighlevel.com

When I'd choose Circle

If the community is actually the product—for example, weekly cohort discussions, peer accountability, events, office hours, member networking—I'd seriously consider Circle.

Circle now combines community, courses, website/landing pages, payments and email marketing, so it's much more capable as an all-in-one than it used to be. Circle

circle.so

My recommendation by business model

• $2k–$15k+ cohort programs: Kajabi
• Cohorts + aggressive lead generation/sales follow-up: HighLevel
• Community/accountability is the main value: Circle
• Mostly self-paced courses: Thinkific
• Want to minimize software spend: Systeme.io

One thing I wouldn't do initially: build a Frankenstein stack like ClickFunnels + ConvertKit + Thinkific + Circle + Zapier. For a two-person team, the flexibility usually isn't worth the maintenance burden.

If you tell me your typical program price, number of students per cohort, and whether you sell via application/sales call or straight checkout, I can narrow this to one platform and tell you exactly how I'd set up the funnel + cohort workflow.

Circle now combines community, courses, website/landing pages, payments and email marketing, so it's much more capable as an all-in-one than it used to be.

without stitching together five different systems.

For a two-person team, that reduction in operational complexity is worth a lot.

For a two-person agency selling group programs, I’d optimize for speed, simplicity, and sales automation rather than a “perfect” LMS. You probably need:

• Lead capture → nurture → application/call booking → purchase
• Email sequences (launches, nurture, onboarding, reminders)
• Cohort enrollment and drip delivery
• Community/accountability
• Minimal tech maintenance

My shortlist:

1. Kajabi — Best overall fit for premium group programs

I’d start here for most two-person agencies.

Why:

• Funnels + landing pages + checkout
• Email broadcasts and automated sequences
• Course/cohort delivery
• Community features
• Payments and offers
• Good client-facing experience

It’s designed around selling knowledge products rather than just hosting lessons. Kajabi Kajabi

Best for:
A $2k–$20k cohort program where you want prospects to move through a polished journey.

Typical stack:

Kajabi → application funnel → nurture sequence → cohort → community → upsell

Downside:

• More expensive than piecing tools together
• Less CRM-heavy than agency platforms

2. gohighlevel.com — Best if you are truly an agency

HighLevel is worth considering if your agency also:

• Runs funnels for clients
• Needs CRM pipelines
• Uses SMS follow-up
• Wants multiple client accounts
• Might resell marketing infrastructure

It has funnels, automation, CRM, and course/membership delivery, but the learning experience is not usually the main strength compared with creator-first platforms. HL Growth Partner FunnelGoodies

Best for:

“We sell marketing systems and group programs”
rather than
“We sell a premium transformation program.”

3. systeme.io — Best budget all-in-one

A surprisingly capable option:

• Funnels
• Email campaigns
• Automations
• Courses
• Memberships
• Checkout

It’s popular because it replaces several subscriptions at a low cost. OnlineCourseTools SoloStack

Best for:
A newer agency validating an offer before paying for premium infrastructure.

Downside:

• Less polished student experience
• Less “premium brand” feel

4. Thinkific + dedicated email tool — Best if delivery matters most

Thinkific is strong for course operations:

• Lessons
• Cohorts
• Student management
• Learning experience

But you’ll likely add something like an email marketing platform and funnel builder because its marketing stack is not as comprehensive as Kajabi’s. Zapier

Best for:
Education companies where the course itself is the product.

My recommendation for your exact situation

For a 2-person agency selling cohort programs, I’d rank them:

1. Kajabi — if your offer is premium and you want fewer moving parts
2. GoHighLevel — if you operate like a marketing agency and need CRM/client workflows
3. Systeme.io — if you’re proving the model and watching costs
4. Thinkific + email platform — if course delivery is the differentiator

A clean setup I’d build:

Traffic
→ Lead magnet/webinar/application page
→ Email nurture (7–21 days)
→ Sales call or checkout
→ Cohort enrollment
→ Weekly lessons + community
→ Completion/upsell sequence

One question changes the recommendation a lot: what price point is your group program (roughly under $1k, $1k–$5k, or $5k+ per person)? That determines whether you need a creator platform or a CRM-driven sales machine.

For a two-person agency selling cohort-based group programs, I’d strongly favor an all-in-one platform. Your main goal should be to avoid stitching together a funnel builder + email platform + course host + checkout + automation.

My shortlist

1. My pick: Kajabi

If your programs are relatively high-ticket, Kajabi is probably the best overall fit.

It combines landing pages/funnels, email sequences, checkout, course delivery, and automation. Its automations can react to things like someone opting into a funnel or completing a course lesson, which is particularly useful for cohort programs. Kajabi Kajabi Kajabi

For example:

Ad/content → application or lead magnet → nurture sequence → sales call/webinar → checkout → cohort course → onboarding emails → lesson-based follow-up → next offer

You can build most of that without having five different systems talking to each other.

kajabi.com

Why I'd choose it: you're selling a program, not merely hosting a course. Kajabi's marketing/automation layer is a major advantage.

2. Podia — best for keeping things simple

I'd choose Podia if you want your two-person team to spend as little time managing software as possible.

Podia now combines courses, community, coaching, website/landing pages, email campaigns, and checkout. Its email system supports automated campaigns triggered by things like joining a webinar or purchasing a course. Podia Podia Help Center

It's especially attractive if your cohort experience is:

• weekly lessons
• live calls
• community discussion
• downloadable resources
• simple onboarding/nurture emails

rather than a highly complex marketing machine.

podia.com

Why I'd choose it: easiest operationally. For a two-person agency, that's worth a lot.

3. Systeme.io — best value

If you're cost-conscious or want a surprisingly powerful system without paying Kajabi money, systeme.io is worth serious consideration.

It combines funnels, email marketing, automation, checkout and online courses. Its course system supports modules, video, quizzes, drip scheduling, and automatic enrollment. Systeme.io Systeme.io

systeme.io

I'd describe it as "more powerful than it looks, less polished than Kajabi."

What I'd do in your shoes

For a two-person agency, I'd narrow it to:

Kajabi if: your programs are $2k–$10k+ and marketing/sales automation is important.

Podia if: you want the simplest possible system and your cohorts are relatively straightforward.

Systeme.io if: you want to minimize software costs while still getting funnels + email + course delivery in one place.

My default recommendation: Kajabi. The extra cost is easier to justify when your core product is a high-value cohort rather than a $50 self-paced course.

One important caveat: if by "cohort" you mean a highly interactive experience with live sessions, assignments, peer accountability, Slack/Discord-style discussion, applications, and sophisticated student management, I'd evaluate a different category of platforms too. In that case, I wouldn't automatically put the course functionality of Kajabi/Podia at the center of the stack.

For a two-person agency selling group programs, I’d optimize for speed, low admin overhead, and a smooth client journey rather than building a complex tech stack. You likely need:

1. Lead capture → sales funnel
2. Email nurture + launch sequences
3. Application/payment flow
4. Cohort onboarding
5. Course/community delivery
6. Basic analytics

My shortlist:

1. Kajabi — best overall fit for your model

Best if: your group programs are your main revenue engine and you want one system.

Why I’d consider it:

• Landing pages + funnels
• Email broadcasts and automated sequences
• Checkout/payment plans
• Cohort course delivery
• Community features
• Client tagging and segmentation
• Automations based on purchases/actions

Kajabi is specifically built around combining marketing, selling, and delivering knowledge products in one platform. Kajabi Kajabi

Typical setup:

Traffic → Lead magnet → Email nurture → Application page → Sales call/payment → Cohort onboarding → Course/community

Downside: It’s expensive compared with piecing together tools.

My take: For a two-person agency, saving 10–20 hours/month of integrations and maintenance is usually worth more than saving $50–100/month.

2. GoHighLevel — best if you also sell marketing services

Best if: your agency identity matters and you may eventually manage funnels/CRM for clients.

Strengths:

• CRM
• Funnels
• Email/SMS automation
• Pipelines
• Client accounts/subaccounts
• White-label possibilities

Weakness:

• The learning curve is higher
• Course/community experience is not as polished as dedicated education platforms

I’d choose this if your group programs are part of a broader agency ecosystem.

3. Circle + kit.com + funnel tool — best premium cohort experience

Best if: your program is community-driven (weekly calls, peer groups, accountability).

Stack:

• Circle → community + cohort experience
• Kit → email sequences
• stripe.com → payments
• webflow.com / landing page tool → marketing site

Pros:

• Excellent member experience
• Feels more like a modern cohort program

Cons:

• More moving pieces

4. Thinkific — best if delivery matters more than marketing

Good for:

• Structured curriculum
• Lessons
• Assignments
• Certifications

Less ideal if you need sophisticated funnels and nurture sequences because you’ll probably add an email platform and other marketing tools. Kajabi

My recommendation by scenario

For a two-person agency, I’d probably start with:

Option A (simplest):

• Kajabi
• Zoom
• Stripe

Option B (best premium cohort feel):

• Circle
• Kit
• Stripe
• A simple landing page builder

A few details would change my recommendation:

• Are your programs high-ticket ($2k+) with applications/sales calls, or lower-ticket self-serve ($100–$1k)?
• Are cohorts mostly live coaching/community, or mostly content/modules people consume on their own?
• Roughly how many participants per cohort?

For a two-person agency selling cohort/group programs, I’d optimize for fewest moving parts, not maximum feature count.

My shortlist

1. My pick: Kajabi

For your situation, I'd start with Kajabi.

It gives you landing pages/funnels, email broadcasts and sequences, checkout, automations, courses, cohorts, and community in one system. Its automations can react to things like purchases and course activity, which is particularly useful for cohort onboarding and follow-up. Kajabi Kajabi

The big advantage for a two-person team is operational simplicity. You could have:

Ad/content → opt-in → nurture sequence → application/sales page → checkout → cohort onboarding → course → post-program offer

without stitching together a bunch of separate systems.

Kajabi's current Basic plan is $143/month when billed annually ($179 monthly), with Growth at $199/month annually ($249 monthly). Kajabi

I'd choose it if: you're selling a relatively high-ticket program and want the customer experience to feel polished without needing a technical person.

2. HighLevel if you're really a sales/marketing agency

HighLevel is the more powerful choice if your agency's competitive advantage is lead generation, CRM, sales pipelines, follow-up, and automation.

It has funnels, CRM/pipelines, email/SMS marketing, workflow automation, payments, calendars, courses, and communities in the same platform. GoHighLevel

It has also gotten substantially better for courses. You can automatically grant course access based on things like form submissions or completed payments, and its newer "Funnels in Courses" functionality can actually put funnel experiences inside a course. HighLevel Support Portal HighLevel Support Portal

Current pricing starts at $97/month for Starter and $297/month for Unlimited. GoHighLevel

I'd choose it if: your funnel/CRM is more important than having the nicest possible learning environment—or if you eventually want to use the platform across multiple client accounts.

3. Circle if the cohort experience is the product

I'd pick Circle if your programs are fundamentally community-driven cohorts rather than "an online course with some group calls."

Circle combines courses, memberships, community, email marketing and workflow automation. Circle Circle

That's attractive for programs where the value comes from:

• weekly cohort discussions
• peer interaction
• live sessions
• accountability
• office hours
• member networking
• ongoing community after the program

Circle's course product is also specifically designed around cohort experiences, including cohort welcome sequences and member engagement. Circle

The tradeoff is that I'd rather use Kajabi or HighLevel if the marketing funnel is the primary machine.

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Kajabi unless you have a strong reason not to.

For a two-person agency, I'd value:

1. One source of truth for contacts
2. One checkout
3. One email automation system
4. One course/cohort portal
5. Minimal Zapier/Make glue
6. A professional client experience
7. Low admin overhead

Kajabi is unusually well aligned with that.

I'd only go HighLevel instead if your business looks more like:

"We generate leads → nurture them → qualify them → book calls → close them → automate onboarding"

And I'd choose Circle if it looks more like:

"People join our cohort because the community, accountability and live experience are the product."

One important distinction

If you're selling $2k–$10k+ group programs, I wouldn't choose software based primarily on "course features." Your course portal is probably the easy part.

I'd choose based on the entire customer journey:

Lead → nurture → application → sales → payment → onboarding → cohort → completion → testimonial/referral → next offer.

That's where Kajabi and HighLevel become much more compelling than a standalone course platform. Kajabi GoHighLevel

If you tell me your approximate program price, how you currently get leads, and whether people apply/book a call before buying, I can narrow this to one specific stack for the two of you.

Current pricing starts at $97/month for Starter and $297/month for Unlimited. GoHighLevel

I'd choose it if: your funnel/CRM is more important than having the nicest possible learning environment—or if you eventually want to use the platform across multiple client accounts.

3. Circle if the cohort experience is the product

I'd pick Circle if your programs are fundamentally community-driven cohorts rather than "an online course with some group calls."

Circle combines courses, memberships, community, email marketing and workflow automation.

That's attractive for programs where the value comes from:

For a two-person agency selling group programs, I would optimize for low operational overhead rather than maximum feature count. You probably need:

• lead capture → nurture → sales conversion
• automated email sequences
• cohort enrollment + onboarding
• curriculum delivery
• community/accountability
• payments
• minimal Zapier glue

My shortlist:

My recommendation by agency stage

If you sell $5k–$50k cohorts and want simplicity:

Pick Kajabi.

A two-person team usually loses more money to complexity than software cost. Having:

• webinar/application funnel
• nurture emails
• sales pages
• checkout
• onboarding emails
• course portal

in one place is valuable. Kajabi

A typical setup:

Lead magnet → email sequence → application page → sales call → payment plan → cohort portal → alumni upsell

Kajabi handles most of that natively. Kajabi

If your program is highly interactive (weekly calls, peer groups, accountability):

I’d lean toward:

• Circle for the member hub
• Kit for marketing automation
• Zoom for live delivery

This gives you a stronger "membership/community" feel.

If you are still validating the offer:

I would avoid building a complicated stack.

A lean version:

• Systeme.io or Kajabi
• Stripe payments
• Zoom
• Slack/Circle for community

Then upgrade once you have repeatable enrollment.

For your specific situation (two-person agency + group programs, not a passive course), my ranking would be:

1. Kajabi — best balance of sales + delivery + simplicity
2. Circle + Kit — best member experience
3. Maven — best if cohorts are the product itself
4. Thinkific + email platform — best if curriculum matters more than sales automation

The deciding question: Are your programs mostly sold through sales calls/applications, or through a self-serve funnel where someone buys without talking to you? That changes the ideal stack quite a bit.

For a two-person agency selling cohort/group programs, I’d strongly favor an all-in-one platform rather than stitching together a funnel builder + email platform + course host.

My shortlist

1. Kajabi — my default recommendation

kajabi.com

For your specific model, this is probably where I'd start.

It combines landing pages/funnels → email sequences → checkout → course/cohort content → community in one ecosystem. Kajabi also supports behavior-based automation, so you can trigger communication based on what participants actually do. Kajabi Kajabi

For example:

Lead magnet → nurture sequence → application/sales page → purchase → onboarding → weekly cohort emails → course modules → completion → alumni/upsell

That's exactly the sort of workflow where having everything in one database becomes valuable.

Why I'd pick it: You're selling a program, not merely a course. The combination of course delivery, community, email, funnels, and payments is very well aligned with cohort-based programs. Kajabi

The downside is price: Kajabi is considerably more expensive than Systeme.io.

2. GoHighLevel — if you're really an agency first

gohighlevel.com

I'd choose this over Kajabi if your operation looks more like:

Lead → CRM → sales call → pipeline → close → onboarding → program

rather than:

Audience → funnel → buy → course/community

GoHighLevel is particularly strong around CRM, pipelines, automation, messaging, and agency workflows. Current comparisons consistently position it as the stronger agency-oriented platform, while Kajabi is more course/program oriented. The Stack Insiders HL Growth Partner

The tradeoff is that I'd expect you to spend more time configuring the system, particularly the learning experience.

My rule:
If your sales process is complicated, pick GoHighLevel.
If your program delivery is the complicated part, pick Kajabi.

3. Systeme.io — the sleeper pick

systeme.io

If you're trying to keep the software stack lean, I'd seriously test this before spending Kajabi money.

It combines funnels, email automation, payments and course/membership delivery, with purchases able to automatically add people to lists and grant course access. Systeme.io

It's not as polished as Kajabi, but for a two-person business that's sometimes a feature: fewer moving parts and a much lower software bill.

What I'd actually do

For a two-person agency, I'd narrow it to:

🥇 Kajabi — if you're selling $1k–$10k+ cohort programs and want the client experience to feel premium.

🥈 GoHighLevel — if you're generating lots of leads, booking sales calls, managing prospects in a pipeline, and potentially want agency/CRM functionality.

🥉 Systeme.io — if you're validating the offer or want to keep monthly overhead extremely low.

I wouldn't build a stack like ClickFunnels + ConvertKit/ActiveCampaign + Thinkific unless you have a specific reason. The integrations aren't inherently bad, but you're creating three systems that need to stay synchronized. Kajabi, for example, explicitly ties course behavior, email, funnels and payments together. Kajabi

One important distinction

If by "cohort course" you mean students go through the same material on a fixed schedule with weekly live sessions, I'd lean Kajabi.

If you mean we sell a high-ticket group coaching program and most of the customer journey involves applications, sales calls, follow-up, SMS, and CRM, I'd lean GoHighLevel.

If you tell me your typical program price, number of people per cohort, and whether people buy directly or apply/book a call, I can give you a much more definitive pick—and the exact software stack I'd use for a two-person agency.

For a two-person agency selling cohort/group programs, I’d strongly favor an all-in-one platform. Your biggest win is eliminating the handoffs between funnel → CRM/email → checkout → course → cohort onboarding.

My shortlist:

1. kajabi.com — my default recommendation

For your model, this is probably where I'd start.

Kajabi combines landing pages/funnels, email broadcasts and sequences, checkout, courses, and community. It specifically supports group coaching programs, so you're not forcing a generic LMS into a cohort-program business. Kajabi Kajabi

The typical setup could be:

Lead magnet → nurture sequence → application/sales page → checkout → cohort onboarding → weekly modules → community → graduation/upsell

And because the marketing and learning systems are connected, you can automate things like onboarding and follow-up based on what students actually do. Kajabi

I'd choose Kajabi if: your programs are relatively high-ticket and you care about a polished client/student experience more than squeezing every dollar out of software costs.

2. gohighlevel.com — best if you're really a sales/automation agency

HighLevel is compelling if your business has a substantial CRM + pipeline + sales automation component.

It has funnels, CRM, email workflows, payments, courses and community in one platform. Its email automation supports branching conditions and behavior-based sequences. GoHighLevel HighLevel Support Portal

Its course functionality has also gotten substantially more capable. In 2026, HighLevel added the ability to put entire funnel experiences directly inside course lessons, which is unusually useful for cohort programs that involve applications, forms, booking calls, or upsells. HighLevel Support Portal

I'd choose HighLevel if: your funnel and sales process is sophisticated—applications, sales calls, SMS, pipelines, appointment booking, lead scoring, etc.

The downside for a two-person team is that it can feel like you're adopting a CRM/marketing operating system when perhaps you just want to sell and deliver a great program.

3. systeme.io — best value

This one is worth serious consideration if you're trying to stay lean.

Systeme.io puts funnels, email automation, courses, payments, and community together. It can automatically add buyers to email sequences and grant course access after purchase. Systeme.io Systeme.io

It also has a free tier, making it unusually attractive for testing an offer before committing to another substantial SaaS subscription. Systeme.io

I'd choose Systeme.io if: you're a small agency, have one or a few core programs, and would rather spend money on acquisition and delivery than software.

The tradeoff is that Kajabi generally feels more purpose-built/polished for a premium education business.

What I'd do in your shoes

If your program is $2k–$10k+: → Kajabi

If you're heavily sales-funnel/CRM driven: → HighLevel

If you're validating the business or want maximum simplicity/value: → Systeme.io

I would not start with a stack like ClickFunnels + ActiveCampaign + Teachable + Circle for a two-person team unless you have a specific reason. You'll end up paying for and maintaining four systems when your core workflow is actually pretty straightforward.

If you tell me (1) your approximate program price, (2) whether people buy directly or apply/book a call, and (3) whether cohorts are live, self-paced, or hybrid, I can narrow this to one platform and sketch the exact tech stack/workflow I'd use.

For a two-person agency selling group programs, I’d strongly favor an all-in-one platform. Your main goal should be to avoid maintaining a stack like ClickFunnels + ConvertKit + Teachable + Zapier.

My shortlist

1. I'd start with Systeme.io

For your specific model, this is the one I'd test first.

It combines funnels, email marketing/automation, payments, courses, communities, and student management in one platform. Its course system supports modules, video lessons, drip scheduling, quizzes, bundles, and automatic enrollment. Systeme.io Systeme.io

That maps unusually well to a cohort program:

Lead magnet → email nurture → application/sales page → checkout → automated onboarding → cohort content → weekly drip → completion/community

And the economics are compelling for a two-person operation. Systeme.io currently has a free tier, while its paid tiers start around $27/month on the current pricing page; all plans include unlimited email sending and no transaction fees from Systeme.io itself. Systeme.io Systeme.io

systeme.io

The downside: it isn't as polished or sophisticated as Kajabi in every aspect of the student experience. I'd choose it when operational simplicity and cost matter more than having the fanciest course platform.

2. Kajabi if you're selling a premium program

Kajabi is what I'd pick if your group programs are relatively high-ticket and the customer-facing experience is important.

It has funnels, landing pages, marketing emails, courses, communities, payments, and specifically supports cohort courses. Kajabi

The tradeoff is price. Kajabi's current Basic plan is listed at $179/month monthly, with 5 products and 2,500 contacts. Kajabi

For a $3,000–$10,000+ group program, that can be perfectly reasonable. For a $500 course, I'd have a harder time justifying it.

3. GoHighLevel if "agency" is the important word

GoHighLevel is different.

It's much more CRM/marketing-agency-centric: funnels, pipelines, lead management, email/SMS, booking, automation, payments, courses, communities, etc. GoHighLevel

The Starter plan is currently $97/month and includes 3 sub-accounts; the $297/month Unlimited plan adds unlimited sub-accounts and is explicitly aimed at growing agencies. GoHighLevel

I'd choose it if you eventually want to say:

"We run all our clients' funnels, CRM, follow-up and communications from one platform."

I wouldn't choose it purely for delivering your own cohort program. The marketing/CRM machinery is its real advantage.

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Systeme.io.

Build one complete program before worrying about migrating or adding anything:

1. Landing page
2. Lead magnet
3. 5–7 email nurture sequence
4. Sales/application funnel
5. Checkout
6. Automated welcome sequence
7. Cohort enrollment
8. Weekly content release
9. Student community
10. Post-program nurture/upsell

If you discover that the course/community experience feels too basic, move to Kajabi. If you discover that your bigger headache is managing leads and multiple client accounts, move toward HighLevel.

The important thing is that I wouldn't buy three or four specialized tools yet. For a two-person agency, reducing operational complexity is probably worth more than squeezing out 10% more functionality from each individual component.

It combines funnels, email marketing/automation, payments, courses, communities, and student management in one platform. Its course system supports modules, video lessons, drip scheduling, quizzes, bundles, and automatic enrollment. Systeme.io Systeme.io

That maps unusually well to a cohort program:

Lead magnet → email nurture → application/sales page → checkout → automated onboarding → cohort content → weekly drip → completion/community

And the economics are compelling for a two-person operation. Systeme.io currently has a free tier, while its paid tiers start around $27/month on the current pricing page; all plans include unlimited email sending and no transaction fees from Systeme.io itself. Systeme.io Systeme.io

systeme.io

The downside: it isn't as polished or sophisticated as Kajabi in every aspect of the student experience. I'd choose it when operational simplicity and cost matter more than having the fanciest course platform.

2. Kajabi if you're selling a premium program

Kajabi is what I'd pick if your group programs are relatively high-ticket and the customer-facing experience is important.

It has funnels, landing pages, marketing emails, courses, communities, payments, and specifically supports cohort courses. Kajabi

The tradeoff is price. Kajabi's current Basic plan is listed at $179/month monthly, with 5 products and 2,500 contacts. Kajabi

For a $3,000–$10,000+ group program, that can be perfectly reasonable. For a $500 course, I'd have a harder time justifying it.

3. GoHighLevel if "agency" is the important word

GoHighLevel is different.

It's much more CRM/marketing-agency-centric: funnels, pipelines, lead management, email/SMS, booking, automation, payments, courses, communities, etc. gohighlevel.com

The Starter plan is currently $97/month and includes 3 sub-accounts; the $297/month Unlimited plan adds unlimited sub-accounts and is explicitly aimed at growing agencies.

I'd choose it if you eventually want to say:

"We run all our clients' funnels, CRM, follow-up and communications from one platform."

I wouldn't choose it purely for delivering your own cohort program. The marketing/CRM machinery is its real advantage.

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Systeme.io.

For a two-person agency selling group programs, I’d optimize for operational simplicity + sales automation, not maximum course features. You likely need:

• Lead capture → nurture → application/call → purchase
• Email sequences for launches, waitlists, onboarding, reminders
• Cohort-based delivery (modules, community, live sessions)
• Minimal tech maintenance with two people running everything

My shortlist:

1. Kajabi — best overall fit for premium group programs

Best if: your programs are $1k–$10k+ and you want one system.

Strengths:

• Landing pages + funnels
• Email broadcasts and automations
• Checkout/payment plans
• Course hosting
• Community
• Cohort-style delivery workflows
• Client/student segmentation

The big advantage is avoiding a Frankenstein stack (Webflow + ConvertKit + Teachable + Circle + Zapier, etc.). Kajabi is specifically built around selling expertise products, with funnels, email, and courses together. Mihael Cacic SaaS Marketing Agency Guideflow

Stack:

Kajabi + Zoom + Slack/optional community

My rating for your use case: 9/10

2. GoHighLevel — best if you are an agency first

Best if: you sell marketing/consulting programs and may eventually manage systems for clients.

Strengths:

• CRM
• Pipelines
• Funnels
• Email/SMS automation
• Appointment booking
• Client accounts
• White-label options

It is much more agency-oriented than course-oriented. It shines when the “program” is closer to consulting, coaching, implementation, or done-with-you services. Infinite Agent

Weakness:

• Course/community experience is not as polished as dedicated learning platforms.

Stack:

GoHighLevel + Circle/Skool for delivery

My rating: 8.5/10 if you’re agency-led, 7/10 if you’re education-led

3. Maven — best if the cohort experience is the product

Best if: you run live cohorts with weekly sessions, peer interaction, and a defined start/end date.

Strengths:

• Built around cohort learning
• Student onboarding
• Cohort communication
• Curriculum delivery
• Launch support

Maven is designed specifically around cohort-based courses rather than evergreen course libraries. SoloClientStack Maven

Weakness:

• You may still want a stronger CRM/funnel system as you scale.

Stack:

Maven + HubSpot/ConvertKit + Calendly

My rating: 8/10

4. Systeme.io — best budget option

Best if: you want to validate before committing.

Includes:

• Funnels
• Email sequences
• Courses
• Payments
• Automations

It covers a surprising amount for a small operation, though the UX and premium brand feel are usually behind Kajabi. OnlineCourseTools

My rating: 7.5/10

What I would choose for a 2-person agency

Scenario A: You sell a premium group coaching/consulting program

Pick:

Kajabi

You’ll spend more time selling and less time fixing integrations.

Scenario B: You sell marketing/agency services + training

Pick:

GoHighLevel

The CRM and automation layer will matter more.

Scenario C: You run recurring cohorts with community as the magic

Pick:

Maven + a lightweight CRM

A simple two-person operating stack I’d actually deploy:

• Kajabi — funnel, email, checkout, course
• Zoom — live cohort sessions
• Calendly — sales calls
• Slack or Circle — optional community layer
• Google Workspace — internal operations

I would avoid stitching together 5–7 tools unless you already have significant volume.

A couple questions would change my recommendation:

1. What is the price of your group program (e.g., $500, $2k, $10k)?
2. Is it live cohort-based (weekly calls) or mostly self-paced with support?
3. Are you selling primarily through sales calls or a checkout funnel?

You’ll spend more time selling and less time fixing integrations.

Scenario B: You sell marketing/agency services + training

Pick:

GoHighLevel

The CRM and automation layer will matter more.

Scenario C: You run recurring cohorts with community as the magic

For a two-person agency selling cohort/group programs, I’d strongly favor an all-in-one platform. Your biggest risk isn’t lack of features—it’s ending up with 5–7 tools that your small team has to maintain.

My shortlist

1. My default recommendation: Kajabi

For your specific model, I'd start with Kajabi.

It combines landing pages/funnels, email broadcasts and automated sequences, checkout/payment plans, courses, drip content, progress tracking, and community. Kajabi Kajabi

That's particularly attractive for a two-person operation because your basic flow can be:

Ad/content → lead magnet → email nurture → application/sales page → checkout → cohort onboarding → course + community → completion/upsell

without stitching together separate funnel, email, LMS, and community products.

Kajabi specifically positions its platform around group coaching programs and says its email, landing pages, funnels, automation, and community are integrated. Kajabi

kajabi.com

I'd choose it if: you want the team spending time selling and delivering the program rather than administering software.

2. HighLevel — potentially even better for an agency

HighLevel is the one I'd investigate seriously if your "agency" identity matters and you're doing sophisticated lead generation.

HighLevel combines CRM, funnels, landing pages, email automation, pipeline management, scheduling, payments, courses and memberships. Its email system supports behavioral triggers, branching logic, tags, delays, purchases and inactivity. GoHighLevel GoHighLevel

It has also been expanding its course functionality. Its current Courses product supports creating courses, offers and pricing, and it now has Funnels in Courses, allowing funnel experiences to appear directly inside a course. HighLevel Support Portal HighLevel Support Portal

gohighlevel.com

I'd choose it if: your sales machine is the complicated part—lead capture, qualification, applications, sales pipelines, SMS, appointment booking, follow-up, etc.

I'd choose Kajabi instead if: the learning experience is the differentiator and you want a more polished creator/course experience.

3. LearnWorlds — best learning-first option

LearnWorlds is worth considering if you're building a genuinely substantial cohort curriculum.

It has course delivery, learner progress, assessments, commerce, funnels, automation and integrations. Its automation engine can trigger actions based on learner behavior, while its funnel functionality covers things like lead magnets, opt-ins, webinars and course sales. LearnWorlds LearnWorlds LearnWorlds Help Center

learnworlds.com

The tradeoff is that I'd generally rather have Kajabi's all-around business experience for a small group-program business, whereas I'd pick LearnWorlds when the LMS itself is strategically important.

What I'd do in your shoes

I'd narrow it to:

🥇 Kajabi — if you want simple + polished + all-in-one
🥈 HighLevel — if you want sales/CRM/automation powerhouse
🥉 LearnWorlds — if you want best-in-class course delivery

And I wouldn't start by assembling something like:

Webflow + ConvertKit + Stripe + Circle + Teachable + Zapier

even though each individual product might be excellent. For a two-person agency, the operational overhead becomes a product in itself.

One important distinction

Before picking, I'd answer one question:

Is your program primarily a course people go through, or a live cohort people participate in?

If it's something like 6–8 weeks of live group sessions + curriculum + assignments + community + automated onboarding, I'd slightly favor Kajabi.

If it's application → sales call → enrollment → CRM → automated nurture → cohort, I'd seriously consider HighLevel.

If you tell me your program price, cohort size, whether enrollment is application-based, and whether sessions are live (Zoom) or primarily asynchronous, I can give you a much more specific recommendation—including the exact stack I'd use and what I'd avoid.

For a two-person agency selling cohort-based group programs, I’d strongly favor an all-in-one platform. Your biggest constraint is probably not capability—it’s keeping the tech stack simple enough that two people can actually operate it.

My shortlist:

1. Kajabi — my default recommendation

For your model, I'd probably choose Kajabi if the programs are high-ticket enough to justify the subscription.

It combines landing pages/funnels, lead capture, automated email sequences, behavioral automations, payments, course delivery, and community. Crucially, automations can respond to what students actually do—for example, completing a module or going inactive. Kajabi Kajabi

That's particularly useful for cohorts:

Ad/content → lead magnet → nurture sequence → application/sales page → payment → cohort onboarding → course → community → completion → next offer

You don't have to stitch together something like Webflow + ConvertKit + Stripe + Teachable + Circle + Zapier.

For an agency, I'd also value the polish. If clients are paying several thousand dollars for a group program, the student-facing experience matters.

2. Systeme.io — what I'd test first if you're cost-conscious

systeme.io is surprisingly compelling for a two-person operation.

It explicitly combines funnels, email marketing/automation, courses, memberships/community, payments and booking. Its course system supports scheduled/dripped content, and purchases can automatically trigger course access and email workflows. Systeme.io Systeme.io Systeme.io

The big advantage is that you can get very far without building an expensive software stack. There's even a free plan with core funnel/course functionality. Systeme.io

The tradeoff is that Kajabi feels more premium/polished, particularly on the student/community side.

I'd choose Systeme.io if you're thinking:

"We want the simplest possible machine that sells and delivers our programs."

I'd choose Kajabi if you're thinking:

"Our programs are a major revenue line and the client experience is part of our brand."

3. Circle — if the community is the product

circle.so becomes interesting if your cohorts are highly interactive—weekly calls, peer discussion, accountability, resources, office hours, etc.

Circle now has courses, memberships, email marketing, workflows and automations, so it's no longer merely a community add-on. Circle Circle

I'd pick it when the experience is essentially:

Course content + live cohort + peer community + accountability

rather than:

Marketing funnel + automated email + course

Its weakness relative to Kajabi/Systeme.io is that I'd still think of Circle as community-first, whereas your question sounds sales-funnel-first.

What I'd do in your shoes

For a two-person agency, I'd narrow it to Kajabi vs. Systeme.io.

If you're selling $2k–$10k+ programs: Kajabi.

If you're selling <$2k programs or validating the offer: Systeme.io.

If the community/peer interaction is the primary value: Circle.

And I would not start by assembling 5–7 separate tools. Every integration becomes another thing one of the two of you has to maintain.

One important distinction: if by "cohort" you mean a fixed group starts on a specific date and everyone progresses through the same curriculum together, rather than an evergreen self-paced course, I'd design the setup slightly differently. You want enrollment dates, automated onboarding, scheduled content releases, live-session reminders, attendance/accountability workflows, and a clean way to move someone from one cohort to the next.

If you tell me your approximate program price, number of students per cohort, and whether you're selling via application/call or direct checkout, I can recommend the exact stack and funnel I'd build for a two-person agency.

For a two-person agency selling cohort/group programs, I’d optimize for fewer tools and less operational overhead, rather than picking the platform with the most features.

My shortlist would be:

1. My pick: Kajabi

For your specific model, I'd probably start here.

Kajabi combines landing pages/funnels, email sequences, checkout, courses, drip scheduling, progress tracking, and community. Its automations can react to things like purchases, course progress, and engagement. Kajabi Kajabi

That makes a cohort workflow like this relatively clean:

Ad/content → lead magnet → email nurture → application/sales page → checkout → cohort enrollment → onboarding sequence → weekly course releases → community → completion → next offer

The big advantage for a two-person team is not having to glue together something like Leadpages + ConvertKit + Stripe + Circle + Teachable + Zapier.

I'd choose Kajabi if your programs are premium/high-ticket and the customer experience matters a lot.

kajabi.com

2. HighLevel — if the agency side is more important

HighLevel is particularly interesting if you're running a more sophisticated lead → sales pipeline → enrollment → client management operation.

It has funnels, CRM/pipelines, workflows, email/SMS automation, payments, communities, and courses. Its current course system supports drip schedules and access rules, and workflows can automatically grant course access after triggers such as payment or form submission. GoHighLevel HighLevel Support Portal

It also now supports putting funnel experiences directly inside courses, which could be useful for highly action-oriented programs. HighLevel Support Portal

I'd choose HighLevel if you expect to have things like:

• multiple sales pipelines
• sales calls/applications
• lots of automated follow-up
• SMS alongside email
• multiple programs/offers
• potentially managing systems for agency clients later

The downside is that it's a more complicated beast than you probably need if your primary business is simply selling and delivering your own cohorts.

gohighlevel.com

3. systeme.io — the lean/budget choice

systeme.io is the one I'd investigate if keeping your software bill extremely low matters.

It puts funnels, email campaigns/sequences, checkout, courses, drip content, and communities into one system. Purchases can automatically trigger email sequences and course access. Systeme.io Systeme.io

It's less polished than Kajabi, but for a two-person operation that's sometimes a feature rather than a bug: fewer things to configure and less money tied up in software.

systeme.io

What I'd do in your shoes

If you're selling $2k–$10k+ group programs: Kajabi

If you're selling through applications/sales calls and want a serious CRM: HighLevel

If you're validating the offer or want the cheapest viable all-in-one: systeme.io

I wouldn't build a Frankenstein stack yet. For two people, I'd rather have 80% of the functionality in one platform than 100% spread across six tools.

One important distinction: if by "cohort course delivery" you mean live weekly cohorts with assignments, peer accountability, office hours, and a strong community experience, rather than simply dripped course content, I'd weight the options somewhat differently. In that case, I can give you a specific recommended stack for your cohort model, including what I'd use for applications, payments, Zoom, community, email, and student delivery.

For a two-person agency selling group programs, I’d optimize for speed, automation, and low operational overhead rather than building a giant tech stack. You likely need:

1. Lead capture → funnel pages
2. Nurture → email sequences + segmentation
3. Sales → checkout/payment plans
4. Onboarding → automated access + welcome emails
5. Delivery → cohort modules, community, calls, replays
6. Retention → alumni/upsell sequences

Here are the platforms I’d shortlist:

OnlineCourseTools SavingSec## My recommendation by stage

If you’re under ~$20k/month revenue

I’d use:

Systeme.io + Stripe + Zoom

Why:

• Build lead magnet funnels
• Run webinar/application funnels
• Trigger email sequences
• Sell cohort seats
• Deliver lessons and resources
• Keep your monthly software spend low

It’s hard to justify a complicated stack when you’re still iterating your offer. Business Connect Eanasir

If you’re already selling premium cohorts

I’d pick:

Kajabi

Example setup:

• Funnel: ad/content → opt-in → nurture → application page
• Email: - 7-day lead nurture
• application reminder sequence
• enrollment countdown
• onboarding sequence
• Course: - Week 0 onboarding
• Weekly modules
• Call replays
• Worksheets
• Community: - announcements
• accountability threads
• alumni offers

Kajabi is expensive, but for a two-person team the time savings can matter more than the subscription cost. SavingSec CostChoices

If you are actually an agency (serving clients)

I’d consider:

GoHighLevel

Especially if you:

• run funnels for clients
• manage multiple brands
• need CRM pipelines
• want to white-label software

Its course/community side is usually not the reason people choose it; its strength is marketing automation and agency operations. Infinite Agent

The stack I would avoid

I would not start with:

• Webflow/WordPress
• separate email platform
• separate LMS
• separate community
• Zapier glue everywhere

A two-person team can easily spend more time maintaining the machine than selling.

My default pick for your exact situation

Most likely:
→ Kajabi if your cohorts are already validated and high-ticket
→ Systeme.io if you’re still refining the offer
→ GoHighLevel if "agency" means you’ll run systems for multiple clients

One question would change my recommendation: are these group programs your own IP (you teach them), or are you building funnels/course systems for clients?

For a two-person agency selling cohort/group programs, I’d strongly favor an all-in-one platform. Your biggest cost isn’t software—it’s the operational complexity of stitching together landing pages + CRM + email + checkout + course delivery + automations.

My shortlist:

1. HighLevel — my pick for an agency

HighLevel is particularly compelling for you because it combines funnels, CRM, email/workflows, payments, courses, memberships and community. Its workflows can trigger from things like purchases, forms and course enrollment, and automatically grant course access or send onboarding sequences. GoHighLevel HighLevel Support Portal HighLevel Support Portal

It has also become considerably stronger on the education side: paid courses, drip schedules, communities and even the ability to embed funnels directly inside course lessons are now supported. HighLevel Support Portal HighLevel Support Portal

Why I'd choose it for a two-person agency:

• Lead comes in → CRM record created
• Lead gets nurture sequence
• Application/call → pipeline stage
• Purchase → automatically enrolled
• Cohort-specific onboarding sequence
• Course/community access automatically granted
• Reminders and re-engagement automated
• Sales and student activity live in the same system

That's a very good match for an agency where selling the program and delivering the program are part of the same customer journey.

The downside: HighLevel is powerful enough that it can feel like you're operating a mini marketing-operations department. There's more configuration than Kajabi.

2. Kajabi — best if the program is the product

Kajabi is probably the more pleasant choice if you're primarily thinking:

“We have a premium cohort program and want prospects to have a beautiful, frictionless experience from landing page → email → purchase → course/community.”

It has native funnels, landing pages, email sequences, checkout, courses, community and behavior-based automation. Kajabi Kajabi

It explicitly supports group coaching programs, too, which makes it particularly relevant to your model. Kajabi

I'd pick Kajabi over HighLevel if your sales process is relatively straightforward and student experience/content delivery matters more than CRM sophistication.

3. Systeme.io — the pragmatic budget option

Don't overlook this one. Systeme.io combines funnels, email automation, courses, communities, payments and webinars in one platform. Systeme.io Systeme.io

For a small agency that doesn't need an elaborate CRM, it can eliminate a surprising amount of software overhead.

I'd choose it if you said:

“We want 80% of the functionality for as little complexity and cost as possible.”

What I'd actually do in your shoes

Start with HighLevel if you're selling through applications, calls, lead nurturing, or multiple funnel stages.

Start with Kajabi if you're selling relatively straightforward premium cohorts and want the nicest course/program experience with minimal technical work.

Start with Systeme.io if you're early-stage and want to keep the monthly software bill extremely lean.

One important distinction: don't choose based on “which has the best course platform.” For a cohort business, I'd design the stack around the entire lifecycle:

Traffic → lead magnet → nurture → application/call → sale → onboarding → cohort delivery → completion → upsell/referral

HighLevel is the strongest of these three at making that entire lifecycle one automated system; Kajabi is arguably the strongest at making the customer-facing education experience feel cohesive.

If you tell me your approximate program price, how you currently sell (call/application vs. checkout), and whether cohorts are live, async, or hybrid, I can narrow this to one recommendation and map the exact funnel/automation stack I'd build.

For a two-person agency selling group programs, I’d strongly favor an all-in-one platform. The goal should be: lead → funnel → email nurture → checkout → cohort enrollment → course/community delivery, without stitching together 5–7 tools.

My shortlist

1. Systeme.io — my value pick

This is probably where I'd start if you're a two-person team trying to keep the tech stack lean.

Systeme.io combines sales funnels, email campaigns/automation, payments, courses, and community in one platform. Its automations can trigger emails, tagging, course access, and funnel movements based on things like purchases, clicks, dates, or signups. Systeme.io Systeme.io

For cohort programs specifically, you can drip course content on a schedule and automatically enroll people after purchase. Systeme.io

systeme.io

Why I'd consider it for you: you're likely better off spending your time selling and delivering the program rather than maintaining integrations. Systeme.io is explicitly designed to replace separate funnel, email, and course tools. Systeme.io

Downside: the student/community experience isn't as sophisticated or polished as Kajabi or Circle.

2. Kajabi — my premium pick

If you're selling higher-ticket group programs and want the customer experience to feel premium, I'd lean Kajabi.

It has landing pages/funnels, automated email sequences, checkout, courses, scheduled/dripped content, community, and behavior-based automation integrated together. Kajabi Kajabi

It also specifically positions itself around group coaching programs, which makes your use case unusually well aligned with the product. Kajabi

kajabi.com

I'd choose Kajabi if your thinking is:

"We don't want the cheapest stack. We want one polished system that can run our entire education business for the next several years."

The premium is worthwhile if you're already selling enough programs that operational simplicity and client experience matter more than minimizing software spend.

3. Circle — if community is the product

Circle becomes particularly attractive if your programs are high-touch cohorts where the actual learning happens through discussion, live sessions, accountability, office hours, and peer interaction—not just watching videos.

It supports structured, self-paced, and scheduled courses, alongside discussions and events. Circle Circle

Circle also has email workflows that can send automated messages based on triggers, filters, and delays. Circle

circle.so

The tradeoff is that I'd view Circle as community/course-first, whereas Kajabi and Systeme.io are more naturally marketing/funnel-first.

What I'd choose for your agency

I'd narrow it to:

Systeme.io if:

• You're early-stage or cost-conscious
• Your funnel is a major part of acquisition
• You want one inexpensive system
• Your cohort doesn't need an exceptionally sophisticated community
• You'd rather avoid Zapier/integration complexity

Kajabi if:

• Your programs are $2k–$10k+ or otherwise premium
• Brand/client experience matters a lot
• You expect the business to grow substantially
• You want sophisticated automation + course + community together
• You're comfortable paying more for polish

Circle if:

• Your programs are fundamentally community/cohort experiences
• Live interaction and accountability are central
• You want students spending lots of time inside the platform
• You don't mind having a more specialized marketing stack around it

My default recommendation

For a two-person agency, I'd start with Systeme.io unless you're already doing substantial revenue.

It gives you the core architecture you need without turning your tech stack into a second job: funnel → nurture → sales → automated enrollment → cohort content → community. Systeme.io Systeme.io

If you're already selling premium cohorts and want the experience to feel more like a polished online school, I'd pay up for Kajabi.

If you tell me your typical program price, number of students per cohort, whether cohorts are live or mostly async, and roughly how many leads you generate/month, I can narrow this down to one platform and the exact stack I'd use for the two of you.

If you're selling higher-ticket group programs and want the customer experience to feel premium, I'd lean Kajabi.

It has landing pages/funnels, automated email sequences, checkout, courses, scheduled/dripped content, community, and behavior-based automation integrated together. Kajabi Kajabi

It also specifically positions itself around group coaching programs, which makes your use case unusually well aligned with the product. Kajabi

kajabi.com

I'd choose Kajabi if your thinking is:

"We don't want the cheapest stack. We want one polished system that can run our entire education business for the next several years."

The premium is worthwhile if you're already selling enough programs that operational simplicity and client experience matter more than minimizing software spend.

3. Circle — if community is the product

Circle becomes particularly attractive if your programs are high-touch cohorts where the actual learning happens through discussion, live sessions, accountability, office hours, and peer interaction—not just watching videos.

It supports structured, self-paced, and scheduled courses, alongside discussions and events. help.circle.so circle.so

Circle also has email workflows that can send automated messages based on triggers, filters, and delays. help.circle.so

For a two-person agency selling cohort/group programs, I’d strongly favor an all-in-one platform. Your biggest risk isn’t lack of features—it’s ending up maintaining 6–8 disconnected tools.

My shortlist:

1. Kajabi — my default recommendation

For your model, I'd probably start here.

Kajabi combines landing pages/funnels, email sequences, checkout, payments, course delivery, drip content, automations, and community. It specifically supports group coaching programs, which makes the architecture a natural fit. Kajabi Kajabi

A typical setup could be:

Ad/content → opt-in → nurture sequence → application/sales page → checkout → cohort onboarding → weekly course releases → community → upsell

The big advantage for a two-person team is operational simplicity. You don't need to glue together ConvertKit + Leadpages + Stripe + Teachable + Circle + Zapier.

I'd choose Kajabi if your programs are premium-priced and experience/brand matters.

2. HighLevel — if you're really a sales/automation agency

HighLevel is more CRM/marketing-automation oriented than Kajabi. It gives you funnels, email/SMS, CRM/pipelines, automations, payments, courses and community in one system. GoHighLevel GoHighLevel

It's particularly interesting if your funnel looks like:

Lead → nurture → application → sales call → close → onboarding → cohort → renewal/upsell

You get much deeper sales-pipeline functionality than you'd typically need in Kajabi.

And HighLevel has been expanding its course functionality: its current system supports courses, offers, pricing and publishing, and it recently added the ability to put funnels directly inside course lessons. HighLevel Support Portal HighLevel Support Portal

My caveat: it's a more complex piece of software. For two people, I'd only choose it if you're actually going to exploit the CRM/automation capabilities.

3. systeme.io — the sleeper pick

If you're trying to stay lean and profitable, I'd take a serious look at this one.

It combines funnels, email, automation, payments, courses, communities and booking. Its automation can, for example, trigger an email sequence, tag someone, grant course access and move them through a funnel based on their behavior. Systeme.io Systeme.io

It also has a free starting tier, making it unusually easy to test before committing. Systeme.io

The tradeoff is that the experience and ecosystem aren't as polished/premium-feeling as Kajabi.

4. Circle — if the cohort is the community

Circle is compelling if your program is fundamentally:

weekly teaching + live sessions + discussion + accountability + peer interaction.

It now has courses, memberships, workflows and email marketing alongside its community functionality. Circle Circle

I'd pick Circle over Kajabi if community interaction is the core product, but I'd be less inclined to make it the primary marketing/funnel engine for a sophisticated acquisition funnel.

What I'd do in your shoes

I'd narrow it to Kajabi vs. HighLevel.

• Choose Kajabi if you're selling expertise/programs and want the simplest, most polished system.
• Choose HighLevel if you're building a serious acquisition + sales machine and want CRM, pipeline, SMS and complex automations.
• Choose systeme.io if keeping software costs extremely low is a major priority.
• Choose Circle if the community/accountability component is the primary value proposition.

For a two-person agency, I would not build a Frankenstein stack unless you have a specific limitation that forces you to. The hours saved on integrations and troubleshooting are probably worth more than squeezing out another 5% of functionality.

If you tell me your approximate program price, number of students per cohort, whether people buy directly or apply/book a call, and whether you need a community, I can narrow this to one platform and map out exactly how I'd build your funnel + email sequences + cohort delivery inside it.

Kajabi combines landing pages/funnels, email sequences, checkout, payments, course delivery, drip content, automations, and community. It specifically supports group coaching programs, which makes the architecture a natural fit. Kajabi Kajabi

A typical setup could be:

Ad/content → opt-in → nurture sequence → application/sales page → checkout → cohort onboarding → weekly course releases → community → upsell

The big advantage for a two-person team is operational simplicity. You don't need to glue together ConvertKit + Leadpages + Stripe + Teachable + Circle + Zapier.

I'd choose Kajabi if your programs are premium-priced and experience/brand matters.

2. HighLevel — if you're really a sales/automation agency

HighLevel is more CRM/marketing-automation oriented than Kajabi. It gives you funnels, email/SMS, CRM/pipelines, automations, payments, courses and community in one system. GoHighLevel GoHighLevel

It's particularly interesting if your funnel looks like:

Lead → nurture → application → sales call → close → onboarding → cohort → renewal/upsell

You get much deeper sales-pipeline functionality than you'd typically need in Kajabi.

And HighLevel has been expanding its course functionality: its current system supports courses, offers, pricing and publishing, and it recently added the ability to put funnels directly inside course lessons. HighLevel Support Portal HighLevel Support Portal

My caveat: it's a more complex piece of software. For two people, I'd only choose it if you're actually going to exploit the CRM/automation capabilities.

3. systeme.io — the sleeper pick

If you're trying to stay lean and profitable, I'd take a serious look at this one.

It combines funnels, email, automation, payments, courses, communities and booking. Its automation can, for example, trigger an email sequence, tag someone, grant course access and move them through a funnel based on their behavior. Systeme.io Systeme.io

It also has a free starting tier, making it unusually easy to test before committing. Systeme.io

The tradeoff is that the experience and ecosystem aren't as polished/premium-feeling as Kajabi.

4. Circle — if the cohort is the community

Circle is compelling if your program is fundamentally:

weekly teaching + live sessions + discussion + accountability + peer interaction.

It now has courses, memberships, workflows and email marketing alongside its community functionality.

I'd pick Circle over Kajabi if community interaction is the core product, but I'd be less inclined to make it the primary marketing/funnel engine for a sophisticated acquisition funnel.

What I'd do in your shoes

I'd narrow it to Kajabi vs. HighLevel.

For a two-person agency selling cohort/group programs, I’d strongly favor an all-in-one platform. You don’t want one tool for landing pages, another for email, another for checkout, and another for course delivery unless there’s a compelling reason.

My shortlist

1. Kajabi — best if you're selling a premium experience

I'd pick Kajabi if your programs are relatively high-ticket and the student experience/brand matters.

It combines:

• Landing pages and sales funnels
• Email broadcasts and automated sequences
• Checkout and payment plans
• Course hosting with scheduled/dripped content
• Community
• Student progress tracking
• Automations based on customer behavior

Kajabi explicitly positions itself for coaches selling group programs, and its automations can connect marketing activity with course progress. Kajabi Kajabi

The downside is cost: you're paying a premium to have everything polished and integrated.

2. Systeme.io — probably the smartest choice for a 2-person agency

This is the one I'd investigate first if you're trying to keep your tech stack lean.

Systeme.io puts funnels, email automation, payments, courses, memberships/community and booking into one system. Its automations can, for example, trigger an email sequence after signup, tag someone based on behavior, grant course access after purchase, and move them through a funnel. Systeme.io Systeme.io

It also supports course dripping, quizzes, modules and automatic enrollment. Systeme.io

The particularly attractive part for a two-person operation: there's a genuinely usable free tier, including up to 2,000 contacts, three funnels and one course; the paid entry tier is currently listed at $17/month. Systeme.io

So you could build something like:

Ad/content → opt-in → nurture sequence → application/sales page → checkout → cohort onboarding → weekly course releases → completion/follow-up sequence

without stitching together five SaaS products.

What I'd actually choose

If you're selling $2k–$10k+ programs:
→ Kajabi

If you're selling $500–$5k programs and want maximum operational simplicity/value:
→ Systeme.io

If your agency also manages leads, pipelines, appointments and CRM for clients:
→ GoHighLevel

For your specific description — two people + group programs + funnels + email sequences + cohort delivery — I'd start with Systeme.io unless the premium student-facing experience is a major part of your value proposition.

One important caveat: if by "cohort" you mean highly interactive cohorts with live sessions, assignments, peer discussion, facilitator feedback, attendance, etc., I'd evaluate the course-delivery side separately. If it's primarily structured content + weekly live calls + email/community, the all-in-one approach makes much more sense.

If you tell me your program price, number of cohorts/year, approximate student count, and whether you need applications/calls before purchase, I can narrow this down to the best 1–2 options and show you exactly how I'd architect the funnel.

For a two-person agency selling cohort/group programs, I’d strongly favor an all-in-one platform rather than stitching together Kajabi + ConvertKit + ClickFunnels + Circle, etc. The operational simplicity matters when only two people are running the business.

My shortlist

1. Kajabi — my default recommendation

For your model, Kajabi is probably the one I'd choose.

It puts landing pages, lead capture, email broadcasts/sequences, behavioral automations, checkout, payments, courses, memberships and community in one ecosystem. Its course system supports scheduled/dripped content and progress tracking, while automations can respond to things like purchases, lesson completion and engagement. Kajabi Kajabi

That's particularly useful for a cohort program:

Ad/content → opt-in → nurture sequence → application/sales page → checkout → onboarding → weekly course release → cohort communications → completion → next offer

You can build that without maintaining a bunch of integrations.

Kajabi also explicitly positions itself around group coaching and business-coaching programs, rather than just traditional self-paced courses. Kajabi

kajabi.com

Downside: you're paying a premium for the polished, integrated experience. If you're still validating the offer, it can be more platform than you need.

2. Systeme.io — surprisingly compelling for a two-person shop

I'd seriously consider systeme.io if keeping overhead low is important.

It covers funnels + email + automation + payments + courses + community in one platform. It can also automatically connect funnel purchases to course access and email sequences. Systeme.io Systeme.io

The big differentiator is price: its current free tier includes up to 2,000 contacts, three funnels and one course, while its paid plans remain relatively inexpensive. Systeme.io

And there's an agency-specific angle: systeme.io supports subaccounts and white-labeling, so if you eventually use the platform across multiple client/program environments, that's potentially useful. Systeme.io

systeme.io

Downside: the student/course experience isn't as polished as Kajabi's. If your program is high-ticket and the member experience is part of your brand promise, I'd lean Kajabi.

3. Circle — if the cohort is the community

I'd choose Circle if your programs are fundamentally:

"Join this group of people, meet weekly, learn together, get feedback, and implement."

rather than:

"Here's a structured course that happens to run in cohorts."

Circle is excellent when discussion, events, member interaction, accountability and community are central. But I'd be less inclined to make it the core marketing/funnel platform for a two-person agency unless the community experience is your main differentiator.

What I'd do in your shoes

If you're selling $2k–$10k+ group programs:
→ Kajabi

If you're selling <$2k programs and want to keep software costs extremely lean:
→ systeme.io

If the value proposition is primarily community/accountability/cohort interaction:
→ Circle, potentially paired with a dedicated funnel/email platform.

The key question isn't really "which has the most features?" It's how much of your sales and delivery process can two people operate without babysitting integrations.

For that reason, I'd put Kajabi first and systeme.io second for your specific situation.

If you tell me your program price, number of students per cohort, and whether enrollment is application-based or direct checkout, I can narrow this down to the best setup—including exactly what I'd use for your funnel and cohort workflow.

For a two-person agency selling cohort/group programs, I’d strongly favor an all-in-one platform. Your biggest cost isn’t software—it’s the operational overhead of stitching together a funnel builder + email platform + checkout + course host + community.

My shortlist

1. Kajabi — my default recommendation

kajabi.com

For your particular model, I'd start here.

Kajabi now combines landing pages/funnels, email sequences, behavioral automations, checkout, courses, memberships and community. It specifically positions its platform around selling group coaching and programs. Kajabi Kajabi

The important part for a cohort business is that you can connect the whole journey:

Lead magnet → nurture sequence → application/sales page → checkout → cohort enrollment → onboarding → drip curriculum → community → completion → next offer

You don't need to glue together five different systems.

It also supports scheduled/dripped course content and automations based on student behavior, which is useful for cohort programs. Kajabi

I'd pick Kajabi if: your primary business is selling your own expertise/programs and you want the two of you spending time on sales and delivery rather than maintaining technology.

2. HighLevel — best if "agency" is the important word

gohighlevel.com

HighLevel is more CRM/marketing-machine oriented. It has funnels, CRM/pipelines, email/SMS, workflows, payments, courses and communities under one roof. GoHighLevel

Its automation is particularly powerful. For example, a purchase or form submission can automatically trigger enrollment into a course and an onboarding workflow. HighLevel Support Portal

And as of 2026, HighLevel has gone further in connecting funnels and courses—you can actually embed funnel experiences inside course lessons. HighLevel Support Portal

The tradeoff is complexity. HighLevel is incredibly capable, but it feels more like an agency operating system than a beautiful course/cohort platform.

Current pricing starts at $97/month for the Starter plan; the $297/month Unlimited plan is positioned for growing agencies. GoHighLevel

I'd pick HighLevel if: you're going to have multiple offers, lots of lead nurturing, sales pipelines, appointment booking, SMS, and potentially client accounts.

3. Circle — if the cohort experience is the product

circle.so

I'd consider Circle if your programs are fundamentally community + live cohort + curriculum, rather than automated marketing funnels.

It's a particularly attractive model if students need to interact with one another, attend live sessions, post questions, share work, etc.

But I'd be less inclined to make it the center of your stack if funnel sophistication and email automation are major requirements. You may end up adding another marketing system.

4. Systeme.io — the "keep the stack cheap" option

systeme.io

Worth looking at if you're deliberately trying to keep your software bill low. It covers the basic all-in-one territory—funnels, email, automation, payments and courses.

I'd choose it over Kajabi primarily because of price, not because I think it's the better platform for a premium cohort business.

What I'd actually build

For a two-person team, I'd aim for something this simple:

Acquisition
→ Landing page
→ Lead magnet / webinar / application
→ Automated nurture
→ Sales page or application
→ Checkout

Enrollment
→ Purchase
→ Automatic cohort assignment
→ Welcome sequence
→ Orientation module
→ Community access

Cohort
→ Week 1 unlocks
→ Week 2 unlocks
→ Weekly email
→ Live session
→ Homework/accountability
→ Progress tracking

Post-cohort
→ Completion sequence
→ Testimonial request
→ Upsell / next cohort / mastermind
→ Re-engagement

That's basically a single-platform job for Kajabi or HighLevel, rather than something I'd build with ConvertKit + ClickFunnels + Teachable + Circle + Zapier.

My ranking for you

1. Kajabi — best balance of marketing + selling + cohort delivery + simplicity.
2. HighLevel — best if your agency needs serious CRM/automation and sales infrastructure.
3. Circle — best if community/cohort interaction is the core product.
4. Systeme.io — best if minimizing software cost is the priority.

If you tell me roughly what you charge per cohort (e.g. $1k, $3k, $10k+) and whether people buy directly or apply/book a call first, I can narrow this down to the one I'd use and show you the exact stack/workflow I'd build.

For a two-person agency selling cohort/group programs, I’d strongly favor an all-in-one platform rather than stitching together a funnel builder + email platform + course host.

My shortlist

1. Kajabi — my pick for you

If you're selling high-ticket cohort programs, I'd probably choose Kajabi.

It combines landing pages/funnels, checkout, automated email sequences, course delivery, community, payments, and student automation. Its course system supports scheduled/dripped content and progress tracking, while automations can respond to student behavior. www.kajabi.com

The big advantage for a two-person team is operational simplicity. You don't have to maintain:

Leadpages/ClickFunnels + ActiveCampaign + Teachable + Zapier + Stripe + community software

You can have one system where:

Lead magnet → email nurture → application/sales page → checkout → cohort access → onboarding emails → weekly course releases → community

Kajabi's current pricing page lists 2 admin users on its Basic plan, which is particularly relevant for a two-person agency. www.kajabi.com

Downside: it's expensive. Current listed pricing is $179/month for Basic when paid monthly. www.kajabi.com

2. Systeme.io — the one I'd test first if you're cost-conscious

This is the sleeper choice.

Systeme.io explicitly bundles funnels + email sequences + courses + checkout + automation. Its automation can trigger emails, tags, course access, and funnel changes based on actions such as signup, purchase, clicks, or dates. systeme.io

For cohort delivery, it supports modules, video lessons, drip schedules, quizzes, automatic enrollment, and progress tracking. systeme.io

That makes it unusually well matched to your requirements.

I'd choose it over Kajabi if:

• You're still proving the business model
• You don't need an especially polished community experience
• You want to keep software costs low
• Your funnels/automations matter more than having a premium course platform
• You're comfortable with a slightly less polished UI

The free tier is particularly useful for testing the entire workflow before committing. systeme.io

3. GoHighLevel — only if you're really an agency

GoHighLevel is compelling if your business is more sales/CRM/lead-management oriented than "we run beautiful cohort programs."

I'd lean toward it if you have:

• Lots of leads
• Sales calls
• Multiple pipelines
• SMS follow-up
• Appointment booking
• Client accounts
• Multiple offers
• A desire to eventually white-label/resell the platform

But for simply selling and delivering cohorts, I think Kajabi/Systeme.io are more natural fits.

What I'd actually do

For your specific setup, I'd rank them:

1. Kajabi — best experience
2. Systeme.io — best economics
3. GoHighLevel — best CRM/agency infrastructure
4. ClickFunnels — best if funnels are the core competency

One important distinction: cohort delivery isn't the same as evergreen course delivery. If your programs have fixed start dates, weekly live sessions, assignments, accountability, and a cohort community, I'd evaluate the student experience just as heavily as the funnel builder.

If you tell me your typical program price (e.g. $500/$2k/$10k), cohort size, whether there's a live Zoom component, and whether people apply or buy directly, I can narrow this down to one platform and the exact stack/workflow I'd use for a two-person team.

For a two-person agency selling cohort/group programs, I’d strongly favor an all-in-one platform. Your biggest risk is creating a Frankenstein stack where leads live in one system, emails in another, payments somewhere else, and students in a fourth.

My shortlist

1. Kajabi — my first choice

If you're selling a relatively high-ticket cohort program, I'd probably choose Kajabi.

It gives you the whole journey in one system:

Ad/content → landing page → opt-in → email nurture → sales page → checkout → onboarding → cohort/course → post-program offer

Its funnels can directly subscribe prospects to email sequences, and its automations can react to purchases, course progress, tags, etc. Kajabi Kajabi

For the actual program, Kajabi supports scheduled/dripped lessons, progress tracking, assessments, and community. Kajabi Kajabi

kajabi.com

Why I like it for a two-person agency: you're buying simplicity. You don't need one person becoming the "Zapier/integration person."

The downside is cost. You're paying for a polished ecosystem rather than the cheapest possible stack.

2. systeme.io — best if you want to stay lean

This is the one I'd investigate before spending Kajabi money.

systeme.io combines funnels, email campaigns, automation, payments, and course delivery. Its automations can do things like:

purchase → tag contact → enroll in course → send onboarding sequence

without requiring an external integration. Systeme.io Systeme.io

It also supports drip scheduling, module locking, and student progress tracking. Systeme.io

systeme.io

For a two-person agency that doesn't need elaborate community functionality, this could be the sweet spot.

I'd choose systeme.io over Kajabi if:

• You're still validating the program.
• You want to minimize monthly software costs.
• Your cohort experience is relatively straightforward.
• You care more about marketing automation than a beautiful learning environment.

3. GoHighLevel — if selling is the complicated part

I'd consider this if your agency has a serious sales process: multiple lead sources, sales calls, pipelines, SMS, appointment booking, follow-ups, etc.

It's much more CRM/sales-machine oriented than Kajabi.

For example, if your funnel looks like:

Lead → webinar → application → sales call → proposal → follow-up → enrollment

GoHighLevel becomes more attractive.

But if the primary experience is:

Content → email nurture → buy → join cohort → complete program

I'd take Kajabi/systeme.io instead.

What I'd actually do in your shoes

I'd narrow it to Kajabi vs. systeme.io.

Choose Kajabi if:

You sell a premium program and want the client experience to feel premium.

Choose systeme.io if:

You want maximum functionality per dollar and don't mind a slightly less polished experience.

For a two-person agency, I'd also resist the temptation to add separate tools for everything. You probably don't need:

• ClickFunnels + ConvertKit + Teachable + Stripe + Zapier
• a separate LMS
• a separate email automation platform
• a separate funnel builder

The operational simplicity is worth a lot when there are only two of you.

My default recommendation: Kajabi. My "let's keep overhead brutally low" recommendation: systeme.io.

If you tell me (1) your approximate program price, (2) cohort size, and (3) whether enrollment is self-serve or requires a sales call, I can tell you which one I'd pick and map out the exact funnel/automation architecture.

But if the primary experience is:

Why I like it for a two-person agency: you're buying simplicity. You don't need one person becoming the "Zapier/integration person."

The downside is cost. You're paying for a polished ecosystem rather than the cheapest possible stack.

2. systeme.io — best if you want to stay lean

This is the one I'd investigate before spending Kajabi money.

systeme.io combines funnels, email campaigns, automation, payments, and course delivery. Its automations can do things like:

purchase → tag contact → enroll in course → send onboarding sequence

without requiring an external integration.

It also supports drip scheduling, module locking, and student progress tracking.

For a two-person agency selling cohort/group programs, I’d strongly favor an all-in-one platform. Your biggest win is reducing the number of systems you have to maintain.

My shortlist

1. Kajabi — my default recommendation

For your particular model, I'd probably start here.

Kajabi now combines landing pages/funnels, email sequences, checkout, courses, memberships, community, and automation. It can also drip course material and trigger follow-up based on participant behavior. www.kajabi.com

That's a very natural workflow for a cohort:

Lead magnet → nurture sequence → application/sales page → checkout → onboarding → weekly curriculum → cohort emails → community → upsell/next program

It also explicitly supports group coaching programs, rather than being merely a course-hosting platform. www.kajabi.com

Why I'd choose it for two people: the value isn't just features; it's avoiding the operational overhead of connecting 5–7 different tools.

2. HighLevel — if you're really an agency

HighLevel becomes more attractive if your business is sales/CRM-heavy.

Its workflows can trigger from forms, purchases, tags, etc., and automatically grant course/membership access. help.gohighlevel.com

It also has a surprisingly capable course environment, including drip scheduling and increasingly tight integration between funnels and courses. help.gohighlevel.com

I'd pick HighLevel over Kajabi if you have things like:

• lots of lead qualification
• sales pipelines
• appointment booking
• multiple offers
• complex follow-up logic
• multiple client accounts/brands
• a desire to eventually white-label the system

The downside is that it's more software than you probably need if your primary business is simply selling your own cohort programs.

3. Systeme.io — the pragmatic budget choice

Systeme.io is worth serious consideration if you don't want to spend Kajabi money.

It puts funnels, email, courses, memberships/community, and payments in one system. Its course functionality includes scheduled/dripped modules and completion tracking. systeme.io

The tradeoff is mostly polish and sophistication. I'd choose it if your attitude is:

"We need the machinery to work; we don't particularly care whether it's the fanciest machinery."

For a small agency validating a new program, that's actually a very sensible position.

What I'd do in your shoes

If you're selling $2k–$10k+ group programs:
→ Kajabi

If you're building a sophisticated lead-gen + sales operation:
→ HighLevel

If you're trying to keep software costs extremely lean:
→ Systeme.io

If the actual community experience is the product:
→ Circle + a separate funnel/email system

One important distinction: "cohort course delivery" can mean two very different things. If your cohorts are primarily structured lessons + weekly live calls + email reminders, Kajabi is an excellent fit. If they're highly interactive communities where discussion, accountability, and peer interaction are the core product, I'd put more weight on Circle.

For a two-person team, I'd personally optimize for one system that you can both understand and operate, rather than assembling the theoretically best funnel tool + email tool + LMS + community platform.

My ranking for you: Kajabi → HighLevel → Systeme.io.

If you tell me roughly your program price, number of students per cohort, whether you sell via application/call or checkout, and whether community is important, I can narrow this to one choice and map out the exact software stack I'd use.

For a two-person agency selling cohort/group programs, I’d strongly favor an all-in-one platform rather than stitching together ClickFunnels + ConvertKit/ActiveCampaign + Teachable/Thinkific.

My shortlist

1. Systeme.io — I'd start here

For your specific model, this is probably the sweet spot.

It combines sales funnels, email sequences/automation, payments, course hosting, drip content, and community in one system. A purchase can automatically enroll someone in the course and trigger the appropriate email automation. systeme.io

That's particularly useful for cohorts because you can build something like:

Lead magnet → nurture sequence → application/sales page → checkout → cohort enrollment → onboarding sequence → weekly cohort emails → course/community access

And you don't have to maintain integrations between four different systems.

The other big advantage for a two-person team is cost. Systeme.io currently has a free tier with 2,000 contacts, 3 funnels and 1 course; its Startup plan is listed at $17/month. systeme.io

See Systeme.io's course + funnel setup

2. Kajabi — best if presentation matters

I'd choose Kajabi if you're selling a higher-ticket program and want the student-facing experience to feel very polished.

It's more expensive, but you're buying a mature ecosystem for marketing + courses + community rather than just functionality.

The tradeoff is that for a tiny two-person agency, you may end up paying for a lot of sophistication you don't actually need.

3. GoHighLevel — consider this if you're actually operating as an agency

GoHighLevel becomes much more interesting if you mean:

"We sell these programs to clients and potentially run funnels/CRM/automation for multiple businesses."

Its agency-oriented architecture, CRM, pipelines, subaccounts and white-label capabilities are designed around that use case. Systeme.io also now offers agency subaccounts and white-label functionality, though. systeme.io

For selling your own cohort programs, I'd take Systeme.io/Kajabi over GHL. For managing marketing operations for lots of clients, I'd look harder at GHL.

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Systeme.io.

Build one complete cohort funnel before buying anything else:

1. Lead capture
2. 5–10 email nurture sequence
3. Sales/application page
4. Checkout
5. Automated enrollment
6. Cohort-specific onboarding sequence
7. Course curriculum with weekly/dripped release
8. Private cohort community
9. Completion/re-engagement emails

Systeme.io supports the core pieces of that workflow natively, including timed course release and automation triggered by signups, purchases, tags and dates. systeme.iosysteme.io

One caveat: if your cohorts are highly interactive—lots of live sessions, peer accountability, sophisticated discussion, etc.—I'd consider using a dedicated community platform alongside your marketing stack rather than forcing the course platform to do everything.

If you tell me your typical program price ($500 / $2k / $10k+), number of students per cohort, and whether you sell via application or direct checkout, I can narrow this to one recommendation and the exact stack I'd use for a 2-person team.

For a two-person agency selling group programs, I’d optimize for speed, simplicity, and sales automation rather than building a complicated “perfect” stack. You probably need:

1. Lead capture + sales funnels
2. Email nurture sequences
3. Application/checkout flow
4. Cohort enrollment + onboarding
5. Course/community delivery
6. Minimal tech maintenance

My shortlist:

My recommendation by business model

If you sell a $2k–$10k group program and run launches:
→ Kajabi

A typical setup:

• Lead magnet → landing page
• Automated nurture sequence
• Webinar/workshop funnel
• Application or checkout
• Cohort onboarding emails
• Course modules + community

This is probably the lowest-maintenance choice for a two-person team. www.kajabi.comwww.kajabi.com

If you are actually an agency and may run programs for multiple clients:
→ GoHighLevel

Example:

• Client CRM
• Lead pipeline
• Automated follow-up
• Appointment booking
• Funnels
• White-labeled client accounts

If your differentiation is the cohort experience:
→ Circle + a dedicated email platform

Example:

• Kit or ActiveCampaign for sequences
• Circle for community, discussions, events, accountability

The stack I’d pick for a two-person agency

Option A — simplest

• Kajabi
• Zoom
• Stripe
• Zapier only when needed

Option B — agency scaling

• GoHighLevel
• Circle
• Stripe
• Zoom

Option C — lean MVP

• Systeme.io
• Circle
• Stripe

A couple questions would change the recommendation:

1. What’s your average program price (e.g., $500, $2k, $10k+)?
2. Are cohorts mostly live (weekly calls + community) or self-paced with occasional calls?
3. Do you sell only your own programs, or do you want the agency to manage programs for clients too?

For a two-person agency selling cohort/group programs, I’d strongly favor an all-in-one platform rather than stitching together ConvertKit + ClickFunnels + Teachable/Circle, etc. The operational overhead of maintaining those integrations becomes surprisingly painful.

My shortlist

🥇 My pick: Kajabi

Kajabi

If your group programs are relatively high-ticket, Kajabi is probably the best fit.

It gives you landing pages/funnels, email broadcasts and automated sequences, checkout/payment plans, course delivery, community, and automation in one ecosystem. Its automation can respond to things like purchases, course progress, and engagement. www.kajabi.com

For a cohort, you could structure something like:

Lead magnet → nurture sequence → application/webinar → sales sequence → checkout → cohort onboarding → weekly course releases → community → completion/upsell

That's exactly the sort of workflow Kajabi is designed around. It even specifically markets itself toward business coaches selling group programs. www.kajabi.com

Why I'd choose it: you're a two-person team, so reducing the number of systems you have to administer is worth a lot. Kajabi's course/community experience is also more polished than many "marketing-first" platforms.

🥈 Best value: Systeme.io

Systeme.io

This is the one I'd investigate before spending Kajabi money.

Systeme.io combines funnels, email, marketing automation, payments, courses, communities, and booking. systeme.io

What's particularly compelling for a small agency is the economics: its current free plan includes 2,000 contacts, 3 funnels, and 1 course, while its paid plans expand those limits. systeme.io

It also explicitly supports cohort-style delivery: course modules can be dripped and cohorts can have private community spaces. systeme.io

Tradeoff: the product is less polished than Kajabi. I'd choose Systeme.io if you care more about getting the whole machine running cheaply than having the nicest possible student experience.

🥉 HighLevel if your "agency" side is substantial

HighLevel

HighLevel makes more sense if you're really operating like a marketing agency—with CRM pipelines, lead management, automations, appointments, etc.—and the group program is one part of that operation.

It now has fairly serious course functionality, including the ability to put funnel experiences directly inside course lessons. help.gohighlevel.com

But for "we sell our own cohort programs", I'd personally take Kajabi over HighLevel. HighLevel's superpower is the agency CRM/automation machine, whereas Kajabi's center of gravity is selling and delivering expertise.

What I'd do in your shoes

If your program is $2k–$10k+: → Kajabi

You want the best combination of sales funnel + nurturing + premium student experience, and saving your two-person team administrative work is valuable.

If you're validating the offer or watching expenses closely: → Systeme.io

You can get remarkably far without assembling a tech stack, and the free/low-cost entry point makes it unusually attractive for a small operation. systeme.io

If you're managing lots of leads/clients and need a serious CRM: → HighLevel

I'd only make this the default choice if CRM and agency automation are central to your business.

One other important distinction: cohort delivery isn't the same thing as evergreen course delivery. If your model is "everyone starts together on September 8, gets Module 1 Monday, attends a weekly live call, has a private cohort community, and graduates after 8 weeks," I'd evaluate the platforms specifically on cohort management, scheduled/dripped content, live-session workflows, and student communication, rather than just asking whether they have a "course builder."

If you tell me (1) your typical program price, (2) cohort size, (3) whether you run live weekly calls, and (4) roughly how many leads/customers you have, I can narrow this to one recommendation and the exact stack I'd use.

For a two-person agency selling cohort/group programs, I’d strongly favor an all-in-one platform. Your biggest cost isn’t software—it’s the operational complexity of keeping leads, email, checkout, onboarding, and course access synchronized.

My shortlist

1. 🥇 Kajabi — what I'd probably choose

Kajabi

For your particular model, Kajabi is probably the cleanest fit.

It combines landing pages/funnels, email broadcasts and automated sequences, checkout/payment plans, course delivery, drip content, and community. Crucially, those pieces are connected—so a purchase can trigger onboarding, course access, emails, etc., without you maintaining a bunch of integrations. www.kajabi.com

It's particularly geared toward coaches and group programs, including high-ticket programs and communities. www.kajabi.com

I'd choose it if:

• Your programs are relatively high-ticket
• You want the two of you spending time selling/delivering rather than maintaining tech
• You want a polished student experience
• You expect to have multiple cohorts/offers over time
• You don't need an extremely sophisticated CRM

Downside: you're paying a premium for convenience.

2. 🥈 HighLevel — best if you're really an agency

HighLevel

HighLevel has become much more interesting for this use case. Its Workflows can automate lead follow-up and communications, while its newer Courses and Communities functionality handles paid courses and cohort/community delivery. help.gohighlevel.com

It also has an unusually deep CRM/automation orientation.

I'd pick HighLevel over Kajabi if your funnel looks like:

Ad/content → lead magnet → nurture → application → sales call → close → onboarding → cohort → upsell

rather than:

Content → sales page → checkout → course

It's more powerful operationally, but also more complicated. For a two-person team, that complexity is worth it only if you'll actually use the CRM/automation capabilities.

3. 🥉 systeme.io — best value

systeme.io

This is the one I'd investigate if you want to keep your software bill very lean.

systeme.io puts funnels, email marketing, automation, checkout, courses, drip scheduling, student management and communities into one platform. systeme.io

The particularly attractive part for a small agency is that you can start extremely cheaply: its current free plan includes a course and up to 2,000 contacts, while the paid plans expand the limits considerably. systeme.iowww.kajabi.com

The tradeoff is that Kajabi generally feels more polished/premium, while systeme.io is more of a "give me all the tools without making me pay for five SaaS products" solution.

What I'd do in your shoes

I'd narrow it to Kajabi vs. systeme.io unless you have a strong reason to need HighLevel's CRM.

If your programs are $2k–$10k+: → Kajabi

The incremental software cost is probably trivial compared with the value of having a smooth funnel → sale → onboarding → cohort experience.

If your programs are <$2k and you're watching margins: → systeme.io

You get remarkably close to the whole stack without much expense.

If you have a sales-heavy agency with lots of leads, sales calls, pipelines and complex follow-up: → HighLevel

That's where its CRM/automation architecture becomes compelling.

The stack I'd aim for

For a two-person operation, I'd try very hard to get down to:

Traffic/content
↓
Landing page
↓
Email nurture sequence
↓
Application / sales call
↓
Checkout + payment plan
↓
Automatic cohort enrollment
↓
Pre-program onboarding sequence
↓
Cohort/course + community
↓
Completion → testimonial/referral → next offer

And I'd have one system own the customer record from the moment someone opts in through graduation.

That's much more important for a two-person team than picking the platform with the fanciest course builder.

My ranking for you: Kajabi > systeme.io > HighLevel, unless your sales process is CRM-heavy, in which case I'd put HighLevel #1. www.kajabi.com

If you tell me (1) your typical program price, (2) whether people buy directly or apply/book a call, (3) whether you need a community, and (4) roughly how many students/leads you handle per cohort, I can narrow this down to the one I'd actually buy and tell you what I'd use for the funnel + automation architecture.

For a two-person agency selling group programs, I’d optimize for speed, simplicity, and sales automation rather than a giant enterprise stack. You likely need:

1. Lead capture → funnel pages
2. Email nurture + launch sequences
3. Application/checkout flow
4. Cohort onboarding
5. Course/community delivery
6. Client/student tracking

The best fits are:

onlinecoursetools.io

My recommendation by business model

If you sell a high-ticket cohort ($1k–$10k+) and want a polished client experience:
→ Kajabi

A typical setup:

• Landing page
• Webinar/application funnel
• Email nurture sequence
• Enrollment checkout
• Cohort space
• Dripped curriculum
• Alumni upsell

Kajabi is built around combining marketing, automation, and course delivery in one system. www.kajabi.com

If you are truly an agency (multiple clients, multiple programs, B2B sales):
→ GoHighLevel

I’d lean this direction if you:

• run funnels for clients
• need pipelines
• track leads/opportunities
• want SMS + email automation
• may eventually white-label software

GoHighLevel is designed more around agency workflows, CRM, and automation, while Kajabi is more creator/course-business focused. www.gohighlevel.com

If your differentiation is the cohort itself (community, peer learning, accountability):
→ Circle + a marketing platform

Circle is excellent when the “product” is the community experience, but you’ll usually pair it with something else for funnels and email. www.kajabi.com

What I would avoid for a two-person team

I would not build a Frankenstein stack like:

• Webflow
• ConvertKit
• Zapier
• Teachable
• Circle
• Calendly
• Stripe
• Airtable CRM

It can work, but two people end up becoming the integration department.

My shortlist for you:

1. Kajabi — best default choice for selling your own group programs
2. GoHighLevel — best if you operate like an agency and manage multiple funnels/clients
3. Circle + email platform — best if community is the main value proposition

A few questions would change the recommendation:

• What price point are your group programs ($500, $2k, $10k+)?
• Are you selling your own programs or building programs for clients?
• Do cohorts include live calls/community, or mostly self-paced lessons?
• Roughly how many new participants do you enroll per cohort?

For a two-person agency selling cohort/group programs, I’d strongly favor an all-in-one platform. Your main constraint isn’t feature availability—it’s minimizing the number of systems you have to maintain.

My shortlist

1. 🥇 Kajabi — my default recommendation

Kajabi

For your specific model, Kajabi is probably the cleanest choice.

It combines landing pages/funnels, email broadcasts and automated sequences, checkout/payment plans, course delivery, drip content, and community. Its automations can react to things like purchases and course progress. www.kajabi.com

That matters for a cohort business because you can have something like:

Ad/content → lead magnet → nurture sequence → application/sales page → checkout → cohort onboarding → weekly course releases → completion → next-offer sequence

without stitching together 5–6 products.

I'd choose Kajabi if you're selling $1k+ group programs and want the software to feel polished enough that you don't constantly think about the tech.

2. 🥈 systeme.io — best if keeping costs low matters

systeme.io

This is the one I'd seriously consider for a two-person agency that wants to stay lean.

It has funnels, email marketing/automation, courses, communities, payments, booking, and CRM in one system. Its automation can, for example, tag someone, start an email sequence, grant course access, and move them through a funnel based on behavior. systeme.io

It also has a permanent free tier, with paid plans starting at relatively low prices. systeme.io

Tradeoff: Kajabi is the more polished/premium-feeling product. systeme.io is more compelling if your philosophy is "we don't need fancy; we need cheap, functional, and all-in-one."

3. HighLevel — excellent if you're really an agency

HighLevel

I'd look closely at HighLevel if you're going to have multiple client accounts, sales pipelines, lead management, SMS, appointment booking, and sophisticated CRM automation alongside the programs.

Its course functionality has gotten substantially stronger: it supports paid courses, recurring/one-time offers, automated course access, drip scheduling, communities, and even embedding funnels directly inside courses. help.gohighlevel.com

But I'd not choose it purely for course delivery. It's more powerful than you need if your business is primarily "we sell our own cohort programs."

4. Circle — best if the cohort experience is community-driven

Circle

Circle is particularly attractive if the product is essentially:

course + community + live cohort + accountability

rather than a traditional self-paced course.

It has courses, discussions, events, memberships, subscriptions, email marketing, workflows, and community features. circle.so

I'd put Circle ahead of Kajabi if the community itself is the product. I'd put Kajabi ahead if the funnel and sales engine are the product's growth mechanism.

What I'd pick for you

If I were setting up your two-person agency today:

Kajabi → best overall
systeme.io → best lean/low-cost choice
Circle → best cohort/community experience
HighLevel → best if you're building an actual agency CRM operation

The key question I'd use to decide between the first three is:

• "We sell high-ticket programs and need a polished sales machine." → Kajabi
• "We want everything dirt cheap and reasonably good." → systeme.io
• "The magic happens inside the cohort/community." → Circle

One important caveat: I wouldn't build a stack of Kajabi + ConvertKit + Teachable + Circle + Zapier for a two-person operation unless there's a compelling reason. The operational overhead will eat you alive.

If you tell me your typical program price, number of students per cohort, whether cohorts are live or self-paced, and whether you need applications/calls before purchase, I can narrow this to one recommendation and the exact stack I'd use.

For a two-person agency selling cohort/group programs, I’d strongly favor an all-in-one platform. The goal should be to avoid having one tool for landing pages, another for email, another for checkout, and another for course delivery.

My shortlist

1. Kajabi — my pick for you

If you're selling programs for, say, $1,000–$10,000+ per participant, I'd choose Kajabi.

It combines:

• Landing pages and sales funnels
• Lead capture
• Automated email sequences
• Checkout and payment plans
• Course delivery with scheduled/dripped content
• Community
• Student progress tracking
• Automations based on what students do
• Upsells and additional offers

That's particularly well suited to a cohort model where you might have:

Ad/content → lead magnet → nurture sequence → application/sales call → enrollment → cohort onboarding → weekly course releases → community → next offer

Kajabi specifically supports group/coaching programs and connects funnels, email, payments, course delivery and community in one system. www.kajabi.com

Why I'd choose it: for a two-person team, reducing operational complexity is worth paying for. You don't want one of you spending a Friday afternoon debugging a Zap between your CRM, email platform and course platform.

2. Podia — if you want simpler

Podia is probably the one I'd look at if Kajabi feels like overkill.

It now has courses, community, website, email, products and events in one platform. Its email system supports automated campaigns triggered by things like signups and purchases, with segmentation based on tags, products and behavior. help.podia.com

Course delivery supports video, downloads, text, quizzes and other lesson content. help.podia.com

The big caveat: I'd pick Kajabi if sophisticated marketing automation is central to your sales process. Podia's email capabilities have improved considerably in 2026, but Kajabi is still the more obvious choice for a business where funnels and automation are a major competitive advantage.

3. Systeme.io — if cost matters a lot

This is the sleeper option.

Systeme.io combines funnels, email automation, payments, courses and communities. Its funnels can automatically add buyers to email lists and grant course access, so you don't need to stitch together as many services. systeme.io

I'd consider it if you're:

• Early-stage
• Running relatively straightforward funnels
• Price-sensitive
• Comfortable sacrificing some polish in exchange for functionality

What I'd actually do

For your particular business, I'd rank them:

🥇 Kajabi — if the programs are high-ticket and you want a premium experience
🥈 Podia — if you want the simplest system that does almost everything
🥉 Systeme.io — if keeping software costs very low is important

One important distinction: cohort delivery can mean two very different things.

If you mean "students get Module 1 on Monday, Module 2 the following Monday, with a community and live calls" → all three can work.

If you mean "we run multiple cohorts simultaneously, each with different start dates, group-specific access, complex onboarding, assignments, accountability, live sessions, etc." → I'd evaluate the platforms much more carefully before choosing. In that case, the course/community layer becomes more important than simply having a funnel builder.

If you tell me your program price, cohort size, whether enrollment is application-based or checkout-based, and whether you run live Zoom calls, I can narrow this to the best 1–2 setups for your agency.

For a two-person agency selling cohort/group programs, I’d strongly favor an all-in-one platform rather than stitching together ConvertKit + ClickFunnels + Teachable/Circle + Zapier.

My shortlist

1. Kajabi — my default recommendation

For your model, this is probably the cleanest fit.

Kajabi specifically supports business-coach/group-program models with landing pages, email funnels, automated sequences, segmentation, checkout, courses and community. www.kajabi.com

I'd use it if you're selling something like:

Ad/content → lead magnet → nurture sequence → application/webinar → sales call or checkout → cohort onboarding → course/community → completion/renewal

The big advantage is that your team isn't constantly maintaining integrations between marketing, email, and the learning experience.

Why I'd pick it: You have a two-person team, so reducing operational complexity is probably worth more than squeezing every last dollar out of the software bill.

2. Systeme.io — best if you want to stay lean

This is the one I'd investigate before paying Kajabi money.

It combines funnels, email, automation, payments and course/membership delivery, and its pricing is dramatically lower. Current 2026 comparisons consistently position it as the value-oriented alternative to Kajabi. onlinecoursetools.io

For a two-person operation, that's compelling.

The tradeoff is polish and depth. Kajabi generally gives you a more premium course/community experience; Systeme.io is more "give us the functionality and let us get on with selling."

I'd choose Systeme.io if: you're validating the offer, don't need a particularly sophisticated community, and would rather put the money into acquisition/coaches/content.

3. GoHighLevel — if your agency is sales/CRM heavy

This becomes interesting if "agency" means you're doing a lot of lead management, applications, sales calls, SMS, appointment booking and follow-up.

GoHighLevel is built much more around CRM/pipelines and agency operations than Kajabi. It also supports funnels, email, SMS, calling, calendars and client/sub-account management. www.thestackinsiders.com

The downside: it's a bigger machine than you may need.

If your main product is a cohort course, I'd rather have Kajabi's learner experience. If your main challenge is turning 500 leads into 30 sales calls and following up relentlessly, I'd lean GHL.

4. ClickFunnels — only if funnels are your superpower

ClickFunnels makes sense if you're extremely funnel-centric—multiple offers, upsells, order bumps, paid traffic, conversion testing, etc. It's still one of the more funnel-first options. leadpages.com

But for cohort delivery, I wouldn't make it my first choice over Kajabi.

What I'd do in your shoes

I'd narrow it to:

Kajabi vs. Systeme.io

And make the decision based on your economics:

• <$10k/month from the programs: start with Systeme.io
• $10k–$50k+/month: I'd lean Kajabi
• Lots of sales calls/SMS/lead follow-up: consider GoHighLevel
• Paid traffic + aggressive funnel optimization is the core competency: consider ClickFunnels

The key question isn't really "which has the most features?" All four can cover your basic stack.

It's "where do we want our operational complexity to live?"

For a two-person team, I'd optimize aggressively for fewer systems, fewer integrations, and fewer things that can break.

If you tell me (1) your approximate program price, (2) how many cohorts you run per year, (3) whether people apply/book calls or buy directly, and (4) your current tech stack, I can give you a much more specific recommendation—including what I'd actually build the funnel/automation architecture around.

For a two-person agency selling cohort/group programs, I’d strongly favor an all-in-one platform. Your goal should be to avoid stitching together a funnel builder + email platform + course host + automation tool.

My shortlist

1. Kajabi — best overall if you can afford it

This is my pick if your programs are relatively high-ticket and you want the smoothest customer experience.

• Sales funnels + landing pages
• Email broadcasts and automated sequences
• Behavioral automations
• Course/cohort content with scheduled/dripped releases
• Community
• Checkout, payment plans, upsells
• Student progress tracking

Kajabi specifically supports the group-program model, including community, automated email, funnels, and structured course delivery. www.kajabi.com

Why I'd choose it: fewer technical headaches for two people, and the student-facing experience is more polished.

Downside: you're paying a premium for that polish.

2. systeme.io — best value / leanest stack

This is probably the one I'd test first if you're a small agency trying to keep overhead low.

It combines:

• Funnel builder
• Email marketing
• Automated sequences
• CRM/contact management
• Course hosting
• Drip scheduling
• Community
• Payments
• Booking

Most importantly, the pieces are natively connected: a purchase can trigger an email sequence and grant course access without you having to wire together Zapier-style integrations. systeme.io

It also has a free plan, so you can actually build your system before committing. systeme.io

Why I'd choose it: for a two-person operation, the savings and simplicity can be more valuable than Kajabi's extra polish.

Downside: the course/student experience isn't quite as sophisticated as Kajabi.

3. HighLevel — best if “agency” is the important part

I'd pick HighLevel if you're not just selling your own programs but are building a more substantial agency sales/CRM operation.

It is much stronger around:

• CRM and pipelines
• Lead management
• Automated sales follow-up
• SMS/phone
• Appointment booking
• Agency/client accounts
• White-labeling
• Funnels
• Courses

HighLevel has also added the ability to embed funnels directly into course lessons, which makes the course/funnel relationship more cohesive than it used to be. help.gohighlevel.com

Why I'd choose it: if you're going to have a lot of leads, sales conversations, appointments, and eventually multiple offers/clients.

Downside: it's more platform than a two-person group-program business necessarily needs.

What I'd do in your shoes

My recommendation

If your primary business is selling your own cohort programs: → Kajabi or Systeme.io.

I'd choose:

• Systeme.io if you're cost-conscious, validating the business, or want maximum functionality for minimum overhead.
• Kajabi if you're already selling consistently and the program/student experience is important enough to justify the premium.
• HighLevel only if you expect the agency/CRM side to become a major part of the business.

One particularly important question is how your cohort actually runs. If it's something like 6-week program → weekly modules → live Zoom call → homework → community → automated reminders → graduation/upsell, I can recommend the best platform much more precisely—and tell you what the actual workflow would look like in each.

For a two-person agency selling group programs, I’d optimize for speed, simplicity, and fewer moving parts. You probably don’t need the “most powerful” stack—you need something that lets two people run:

• lead capture → nurture → sales funnel
• email sequences
• payments
• cohort enrollment
• course/community delivery
• basic analytics
• client/student communication

My shortlist:

My recommendation for your situation

Option 1: “We want one system and don’t want to babysit tech”

Pick Kajabi.

A two-person agency usually loses more time stitching tools together than it saves in subscription costs. Kajabi lets you build:

1. Lead magnet or webinar funnel
2. Automated nurture sequence
3. Application/checkout flow
4. Cohort start date automation
5. Student onboarding emails
6. Course + community delivery

That combination is exactly where it shines. www.kajabi.com

Option 2: “We are an agency and want to eventually run this for clients”

Pick GoHighLevel + a course/community layer.

If your business model includes “we implement funnels and automations for other businesses,” GoHighLevel is more agency-oriented. For your own programs, though, I’d probably pair it with a better student experience tool. infiniteagent.io

Option 3: “Our programs are cohort-driven and community is the product”

Pick Circle + a marketing tool.

For masterminds, peer groups, accountability programs, and recurring communities, the community experience matters more than the LMS.

A stack I’d avoid for a two-person team:

• WordPress + LMS plugin + email provider + funnel builder + payment plugin + Zapier + community tool

It can work, but you become the IT department.

A practical “two-person agency stack” might be:

Premium: Kajabi + Zoom + Slack (or Kajabi Community)
Lean: Systeme.io + Circle + Zoom
Agency-focused: GoHighLevel + Circle/Thinkific

One question would change my recommendation: are your group programs mostly (a) high-ticket cohorts with live coaching ($1k–$10k+), (b) lower-ticket courses/memberships, or (c) programs you sell on behalf of clients?

For a two-person agency selling cohort/group programs, I’d optimize for fewest moving parts, not maximum LMS sophistication.

My shortlist

1. Kajabi — my default recommendation

For your particular setup, I'd start with Kajabi.

It combines landing pages/funnels, automated email sequences, checkout, course delivery, drip scheduling, progress tracking, and community in one system. www.kajabi.com

That's particularly attractive for a two-person team because your basic flow can be:

Ad/content → opt-in → email nurture → application/sales page → checkout → cohort onboarding → weekly course content + community → completion → next offer

without stitching together an LMS + email platform + funnel builder + checkout.

Kajabi specifically positions its business-coach offering around group programs, automated sequences, funnels, and community. www.kajabi.com

I'd choose it if: your programs are relatively premium and marketing/sales are as important as the actual course experience.

Kajabi

2. HighLevel — if you're really a sales/automation agency

HighLevel is worth serious consideration if your funnel involves applications, sales calls, lead scoring, complex follow-up, CRM pipelines, SMS, appointment booking, etc.

Its email sequences support delays, conditions, behavioral triggers and reply-based stopping. help.gohighlevel.com

It also now has considerably more capable course functionality, including putting funnel experiences directly inside courses. help.gohighlevel.com

The downside is that I'd consider the course/member experience less polished than Kajabi/Circle. HighLevel's superpower is the marketing and CRM machinery.

I'd choose it if: your funnel is something like
lead → webinar → application → sales call → nurture → enrollment → onboarding.

HighLevel

3. Circle — if the cohort community is the product

Circle is particularly compelling if your group program is less "watch these 8 modules" and more:

weekly curriculum + live calls + peer accountability + discussion + implementation.

It now has courses, workflows, email marketing, memberships and community all under one roof. circle.so

Its workflows can trigger automated emails based on audience rules and actions, including things like course completion. help.circle.so

I'd choose it if: the community/accountability component is a major part of why people buy.

Circle

4. Thinkific — if teaching is the center of gravity

Thinkific is stronger as an LMS/course platform than as an all-in-one agency marketing system.

It now has funnels and email automation, including triggered sequences and sales/abandoned-cart flows. support.thinkific.com

But its own documentation still points to external email automation apps for some more sophisticated email-course use cases. circle.sosupport.thinkific.comwww.kajabi.com

I'd choose it if: your programs have substantial curriculum, assessments, structured learning paths, and you care more about the learning environment than having the slickest marketing stack.

Thinkific

What I'd actually do in your shoes

Start with Kajabi unless you have a specific reason not to.

For a two-person agency, I'd rank the priorities:

1. One system rather than five
2. Fast funnel creation
3. Strong email automation
4. Good-enough cohort delivery
5. Good checkout/payment-plan handling
6. Community/accountability
7. Minimal technical maintenance

Kajabi hits that combination unusually well. Its current offering explicitly connects funnels, email, checkout, course delivery, automation and community. www.kajabi.com

The main exception is HighLevel: if you're doing lots of sales calls and need a serious CRM/lead-management machine, I'd pick HighLevel instead.

And if the community itself is the core product, I'd pick Circle.

The simple decision

Premium coaching/group program → Kajabi
Sales funnel + CRM-heavy agency → HighLevel
Community-led cohort → Circle
Curriculum/LMS-heavy program → Thinkific

If you tell me (1) roughly what you charge per cohort, (2) cohort size, (3) whether people apply/book a call or buy directly, and (4) whether you run live Zoom sessions, I can narrow this to one platform and the exact stack I'd build around it.

For a two-person agency selling cohort/group programs, I’d strongly favor an all-in-one platform. You probably don’t need a 6–8 tool stack with Zapier holding it together.

My shortlist

1. My pick for you: Systeme.io

If you're a small team and want to keep overhead low, I'd start here.

It combines landing/sales funnels, checkout, email automation, course hosting, drip content, quizzes, and student management in one system. A purchase can automatically enroll someone in the course and put them into the appropriate email automation. systeme.io

That's particularly attractive for a cohort model:

Lead magnet → nurture sequence → application/sales page → checkout → cohort enrollment → onboarding sequence → weekly course releases → completion/follow-up

The other big advantage is economics: Systeme.io currently has a free tier, with paid plans starting at $17/month according to its current course documentation. systeme.io

I'd choose this if: you care more about simplicity and margin than having the most polished possible course/community experience.

2. Best premium option: Kajabi

If your group programs are relatively high-ticket, I'd seriously consider Kajabi.

It's particularly well suited to the expert/coaching/group-program business model rather than simply "selling courses." It has funnels, landing pages, automated email sequences, checkout/payment plans, course delivery, drip content, and community. www.kajabi.com

For a cohort, I'd use something like:

Ad/content → lead magnet → email nurture → application/call → payment plan → automated onboarding → cohort course → community → post-program upsell

The big advantage is that the client-facing experience tends to feel like a real branded program rather than a collection of marketing tools.

I'd choose this if: your programs are $2k–$10k+ and the perceived quality of the learning experience matters enough to justify the higher software cost.

3. GoHighLevel — if you're an agency first

HighLevel is compelling if your "agency" involves lead generation, CRM, sales pipelines, appointment booking, follow-up, and multiple clients/offers.

It now has full course/membership functionality, including paid courses, drip scheduling and course management. help.gohighlevel.com It has also added the ability to put funnels directly inside course lessons, which is interesting for more sophisticated program experiences. www.kajabi.comhelp.gohighlevel.comhelp.gohighlevel.com

But I wouldn't pick it just because you need to sell a cohort. It's more powerful—and consequently more complex—than you may need.

I'd choose this if: your agency's core operating system is going to be CRM + funnels + sales automation, with courses as one component.

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Systeme.io unless there's a specific reason you need Kajabi.

For a two-person team, I'd optimize for:

1. One contact database
2. One funnel builder
3. One email automation system
4. One checkout
5. One course/cohort portal
6. Minimal integrations
7. Low fixed overhead

Systeme.io is unusually good at that particular combination. Its own current documentation explicitly positions the platform around the workflow of funnel → email → checkout → course enrollment → delivery, rather than treating the course as a separate product. systeme.io

One caveat: if the community/cohort experience is a major part of what clients are paying for—live discussions, accountability, peer interaction, etc.—I'd look at Kajabi + a dedicated community platform rather than optimizing purely for an all-in-one.

If you tell me your typical program price, number of students per cohort, whether you sell via application/call or direct checkout, and whether you need a community, I can narrow this down to the best stack for your exact model.