Since co-founding The Coaches Console in 2004, I’ve watched thousands of coaches choose their technology. The most expensive mistake I see: buying a platform that solves the WRONG problem.

When coaches ask me, “Should I use The Coaches Console or Kajabi?” I know they’re comparing two things that don’t belong in the same sentence. It’s like asking, “Should I hire an accountant or a graphic designer?” They’re both professionals you might need — but they do completely different jobs.

TCC is your coaching business operating system. It’s the behind-the-scenes infrastructure that keeps your client relationships organized, your scheduling seamless, and your billing on autopilot. I co-founded it because I watched coaches running their businesses with what I call “spitballs and duct tape” — and then wondering why they didn’t feel confident putting themselves out there.

Kajabi is a course marketing platform. It builds landing pages, runs email funnels, and hosts video courses for large audiences.

The confusion happens because both platforms have stretched into each other’s territory. TCC offers course delivery. Kajabi offers automations and community features. But in both cases, the extended features are secondary to the core product.

What does The Coaches Console do better than Kajabi?

Your client relationships. TCC was built by coaches, for coaches. Your client pipeline, session scheduling, welcome kits, session prep forms, follow-up sequences, and communication history all live in one place — because that’s how coaching businesses actually work.

Revenue clarity. You can see which programs generate the most income, which clients are due for renewal, and where your revenue is trending — without a spreadsheet.

Coaching-specific workflows. These aren’t generic automations retrofitted for coaching. They’re purpose-built systems — like TCC’s scheduling, billing, and client management — designed to disappear into the background so you can focus on what you do best.

What does Kajabi do better than TCC?

Marketing infrastructure. If you’re selling a $47 course to thousands of people through automated funnels, Kajabi handles that workflow end to end. Landing pages, email sequences, checkout — polished and integrated.

Design. Kajabi sites look professional out of the box. I’ve talked with coaches who chose it specifically because it “looked beautiful” without hiring a designer.

Community. Kajabi now offers community features with threaded discussions, pinned content, and member interaction. It’s a real product — not an afterthought.

How much does Kajabi cost compared to TCC?

Here’s where I need to be direct with you.

Kajabi’s Basic plan is $143/month billed annually — that’s $1,716/year. But Basic is limited to 5 products and 2,500 contacts. The Growth plan ($199/month annual, $249 monthly) expands to 50 products and 25,000 contacts — and it’s also where Kajabi unlocks cohort courses. So if you need cohort features, you’re looking at $199/month minimum.

For that investment, you get course delivery, email, landing pages, community, and cohort support. What you DON’T get: a coaching CRM, client scheduling, session management, or the kind of coaching-specific workflows that TCC provides.

A coach running group programs alongside 1:1 work needs both business operations AND learning delivery. That’s not a Kajabi-shaped problem — it’s a two-tool problem.

What do TCC and Kajabi both lack for coaching?

Here’s what I’ve learned from more than two decades in this industry: course platforms and coaching CRMs serve different parts of the learning experience. The question is how well each serves its part.

I talk a lot about how “it doesn’t matter how much content you give somebody — it matters how much they consume and how much they implement.” Across 32,000+ courses on the Ruzuku platform, courses with active community discussion see 65.5% completion vs. 42.6% without (Ruzuku Course Success Index data). Here’s a complete guide to building group coaching programs around this principle.

Here’s the key distinction: Kajabi’s community discussions live in a separate space from the course. Ruzuku’s discussions are threaded directly into each lesson — students discuss the specific content they just engaged with. That structural difference matters for coaching programs where reflection and accountability are woven into every step.

Fran Brennan runs Leadership Design Alchemists, a leadership coaching practice. She originally built her Flagship Course on TCC’s course platform, then asked to migrate it to Ruzuku — keeping TCC for her business operations. Her situation reflects exactly what I teach: use the right tool for each job. TCC runs the business. A learning-focused course platform with per-lesson discussion and cohort tools runs the programs.

What’s the best tech stack for a coaching business?

Instead of asking “TCC or Kajabi?” — which is the wrong question — ask: “What does each part of my business actually need?”

• TCC for client management, scheduling, billing, and coaching workflows
• A learning-focused course platform (like Ruzuku) for group programs, certifications, and cohort learning
• Zoom for live sessions

One honest tradeoff: Ruzuku doesn’t include email marketing or landing pages — that’s by design (it focuses entirely on the learning experience), but it means you’ll need a separate email tool like ConvertKit. For coaches already using TCC for email, this is a non-issue.

When should a coach choose Kajabi?

I’m not here to bash Kajabi. It makes real sense if you’re primarily a content creator who coaches on the side — if 80% of your revenue comes from self-paced digital products sold to a large email list through automated funnels.

But if you run a coaching practice — with 1:1 clients, group programs, live workshops, and certification tracks — the “all-in-one” promise stretches thin. You end up paying premium prices for marketing features you don’t use while your coaching CRM needs go unmet.

Which should you choose — TCC or Kajabi?

TCC and Kajabi aren’t competitors. They serve different business models. The real question isn’t which one to pick — it’s whether you need a coaching business OS, a course platform, or both.

Most professional coaching businesses need both. Purpose-built tools for each job deliver better outcomes for your clients — and that’s what we’re here for. Taking care of hearts while taking care of business. For the full numbers, see the Kajabi pricing breakdown with hidden costs.

Free course pricing calculator for coaches to price your next group program.

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Melinda Cohan is the co-founder of The Coaches Console and author of The Confident Coach, The Professional Coach, and Sustainable Success. Since 2004, she’s helped 50,000+ coaches build businesses they love — without burning out. She believes business is a spiritual playground and that behind-the-scenes systems are what give coaches the confidence to shine. Hear her discuss the elements every coaching program needs on the Course Lab podcast.