Systeme.io vs Kartra (2026): Pricing Honestly Compared

Last updated September 2026 · ~7 min read · by StackHonest

Affiliate disclosure: some links below are affiliate links. If you sign up through them I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Every comparison here is researched from vendor documentation and current pricing pages -- I will tell you when something is not worth your money.

Short answer: Systeme.io is dramatically cheaper at every tier and has a real permanent free plan. Kartra has no free plan -- its cheapest tier (Essentials, $59/mo) caps you at 500 contacts, 1 product, 1 course, and takes a 5% cut of every sale. If your budget is the deciding factor, Systeme.io wins outright. Kartra case is its more advanced built-in AI copy tool, funnel simulation/analytics, and helpdesk features at the higher tiers -- but you pay a steep premium to get there.

The 30-second answer

Pick Systeme.io if you want a genuinely free plan, zero transaction fees at any tier, and an all-in-one that does not punish you for growing your contact list. Pick Kartra if you specifically need its funnel-simulation tooling, deeper built-in AI copy generation (Kartra AI), real-time funnel analytics, or a helpdesk live-chat layer, and you have the budget to start at $59-119/mo with transaction fees at the entry tier.

Pricing: the table that decides most of this

Checked directly against both vendors current pricing pages, September 2026:

	Systeme.io	Kartra
Free plan	Yes, permanent -- 2,000 contacts, 3 funnels, 1 course, 1 blog, unlimited email, 0% transaction fees	None
Entry paid plan	Startup, $17/mo: 5,000 contacts, unlimited funnels, 5 courses, 0% fees	Essentials, $59/mo ($52/mo annual): 500 contacts, 1 product, 1 course, 5 pages, 5% transaction fees
Mid plan	Webinar, $47/mo: 10,000 contacts, evergreen webinars, unlimited funnels	Starter, $119/mo ($99/mo annual): 2,500 contacts, unlimited pages/products/courses, 0% fees
Top plan	Unlimited, $97/mo: unlimited contacts and everything else, sub-accounts, free migration	Growth, $229/mo ($189/mo annual): 12,500 contacts, automations, affiliate management, helpdesk support
Highest published tier	$97/mo covers unlimited contacts	Professional, $549/mo ($429/mo annual): 25,000 contacts, real-time funnel analytics, live chat
Transaction fees	0% on every plan, including free	5% on Essentials only; 0% from Starter up

The gap is stark at the entry point: Systeme.io free plan already beats what Kartra charges $59/mo for (Kartra Essentials caps you at 500 contacts and still takes 5% of every sale; Systeme.io free gives you 2,000 contacts and 0% fees). To get unlimited contacts on Kartra you need to negotiate Enterprise-level custom pricing above the published $549/mo Professional tier -- Systeme.io gets you there for $97/mo flat.

What Kartra has that Systeme.io does not

Kartra is not just a pricier Systeme.io -- it has real features Systeme.io does not match. Kartra AI (built-in AI copywriting for pages, emails, and SMS) is included from the entry tier with a usage cap (30 uses on Essentials, scaling to 250 on Growth). Funnel simulation lets you model a funnel expected conversion math before it goes live. Real-time funnel analytics and helpdesk live chat show up on the higher tiers. If your business genuinely needs those tools baked in rather than bolted on, that is Kartra actual pitch.

Systeme.io does not have a comparable built-in AI writer or funnel-simulation layer -- you would pair it with a separate AI writing tool (see my Jasper review or Koala AI review) if you want that functionality.

Where each one breaks

Kartra failure modes

No free plan, and the cheapest paid plan still takes a cut. Essentials at $59/mo charges 5% transaction fees on top of the subscription -- a $2,000 sales month costs you an extra $100 before you even hit the next tier.
Contact limits are tight relative to price. 500 contacts on Essentials, 2,500 on Starter ($119/mo) -- Systeme.io free plan alone covers 4x Kartra Essentials contact cap.
Price jumps are steep. Growth to Professional is a $320/mo jump ($229 to $549) for 12,500 more contacts and live-chat support.

Systeme.io failure modes

No built-in AI copywriting or funnel simulation.
Smaller ecosystem of pre-built templates than Kartra 100 pre-built campaigns library on paid tiers.
Less name recognition among established coaches/course sellers who already know Kartra from its 60,000+ user base marketing.

Verdict by business type

Just starting out, tight or zero budget: Systeme.io free plan. Nothing to lose, and it already beats Kartra paid entry tier on contacts and fees.
Course creator or coach on a budget: Systeme.io Startup ($17/mo) -- 5,000 contacts and 0% fees for less than a third of Kartra Essentials.
Need built-in AI copywriting and funnel-simulation analytics, budget is not the constraint: Kartra Starter or Growth ($119-229/mo).
Scaling past 12,500 contacts with a helpdesk/live-chat requirement: Kartra Professional ($549/mo) -- but confirm you actually need the live chat before paying for it; Systeme.io Unlimited ($97/mo) still covers unlimited contacts for a fraction of the cost.
Need automation beyond funnels (AI agents, complex workflows): Neither -- see my n8n vs Zapier or n8n vs Make breakdowns for that layer of the stack.

FAQ

Is Systeme.io cheaper than Kartra?

Yes, by a wide margin at every tier. Systeme.io has a permanent free plan (2,000 contacts) and its top Unlimited plan is $97/mo for unlimited contacts. Kartra cheapest tier (Essentials) is $59/mo for just 500 contacts and 5% transaction fees, and matching Systeme.io unlimited-contact scope requires Kartra $549/mo Professional plan or custom Enterprise pricing above it.

Does Kartra charge transaction fees?

Yes, on the entry Essentials plan ($59/mo) Kartra charges 5% transaction fees on every sale. That fee drops to 0% starting on the Starter plan ($119/mo, or $99/mo annual). Systeme.io charges 0% transaction fees on every plan, including the free one.

Which is better for a course creator on a budget?

Systeme.io, almost without exception. Its free plan already includes 1 course and unlimited email; Kartra cheapest plan caps you at 1 product, 1 membership/course, and a 5% cut of every sale. Kartra AI tools and funnel-simulation features are more advanced, but you pay a real premium for them.