ChatGPT answers, unedited

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.