Head-to-head · Membership Site Platforms
Kartra vs Kourses
Kartra leads on 0 checks, Kourses on 1, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoreKartra · 7.3/10
- Lowest starting priceKourses · $9/mo
- Free trialboth
Kartra scores higher on our rubric for membership site platforms: 7.3 against 6.9 out of 10; our editors rank them #20 and #25.
Kourses is cheaper to start at $9/mo against $52/mo. On content gating, Kourses gives you Course where Kartra offers Post.
Kartra is the better fit for marketing-led membership businesses. Kourses is the better fit for low-cost course memberships.
- Kartra fits best
Marketing-led membership businesses
- Kourses fits best
Low-cost course memberships
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
Side by side
| Feature | Kartra 7.3/10 Visit ↗ | Kourses 6.9/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 7.3 | 6.9 |
| Ranking | #20 in Membership Site Platforms | #25 in Membership Site Platforms |
| Best for | Marketing-led membership businesses | Low-cost course memberships |
| Pricing model | Paid | Paid |
| Starting price | $52/mo | $9/mo (best) |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | 30 days | 14 days |
| Free trial length | 30 days | 14 days |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
| Platforms | Web | Web |
| Integrations | 15 integrations | 20+ integrations |
| Features Kartra 2/2 · Kourses 2/2 | ||
| Custom domain | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drip content | ✓ | ✓ |
| Specs | ||
| Content gating | Post | Course |
| Subscription billing | Both | Both |
| Member limit | Not checked yet | 100 members |
| Transaction fee | 5% on Essentials; 0% on Starter and Growth | 0% |
| Our review | ||
| Pros |
|
|
| Cons |
|
|
| Our verdict | Kartra is a hosted platform for coaches, consultants, creators, and service providers that sell memberships, courses, and digital products. It combines membership and course portals with website and funnel building, email and SMS… Read the review → |
Kourses is a hosted web platform for creators, coaches, educators, experts, and entrepreneurs who want to sell online courses, memberships, communities, or digital products. It combines course delivery, private community spaces, membership… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
Kartra — where it wins
- Post-level gating and scheduled or member-age-based content dripping
- Recurring, one-time, installment, and subscription pricing options
- Email, SMS, webinars, analytics, and payment integrations in one platform
Where it doesn't
- Essentials limits accounts to 500 contacts and one membership or course
- Essentials charges a 5% transaction fee
- The broad feature set may exceed the needs of focused membership sites
Kourses — where it wins
- Annual Starter pricing begins at $9 per month
- Course gating, drip scheduling, communities, and member messaging
- 0% transaction fees with custom domains and multiple payment options
Where it doesn't
- Starter supports only 100 members
- Starter includes one published product
- The platform is available on the web only
- Kartra7.3/10 · 30-day trial
A broad membership platform for businesses that sell through marketing and funnels.
Visit KartraFull verdict → - Kourses6.9/10 · 14-day trial
A low-cost membership platform with strong course tools but a 100-member Starter ceiling.
Visit KoursesFull verdict →
All membership site platforms comparisons → · Full ranking →
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update