Building a Funnel on Kajabi vs Squarespace: Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you’re starting your online business and trying to choose between Kajabi and Squarespace to build your first funnel, this post is for you. Both platforms are popular. But they serve different types of users. And depending on your goals, one will make things much easier than the other.

In this breakdown, we’ll compare Kajabi and Squarespace specifically in terms of funnel building. That means capturing leads, delivering value, and converting visitors into customers. We’ll go over setup, templates, email automation, ease of use, pricing, and which one is better if you’re just starting out. Let’s break it down.

 

What is a Funnel?

Before we get in, let’s define what we mean by a “funnel.”

A funnel is a step-by-step path someone takes after landing on your site.

For example:

1. A person sees your opt-in page.
2. They enter their email for a freebie (like a PDF or checklist).
3. They get a thank-you page or download link.
4. You send them follow-up emails to build trust.
5. You offer them a paid product or service.

Funnels help you grow your email list and convert traffic into paying customers. You don’t need a fancy 10-step funnel. Even a simple lead magnet and follow-up sequence can work great, if your platform supports it.

 

Why Kajabi is Built for Funnels

Kajabi is an all-in-one platform made for digital products, coaching, and memberships. Funnels aren’t an afterthought here. They’re built right into the core of the platform.

You can go to Marketing > Funnels and instantly start a lead magnet funnel using their built-in templates. It includes:

• An opt-in landing page
• A thank-you page
• A pre-built email sequence
• Automation triggers (like tagging a lead or unlocking content)

You can customize everything visually. No plugins needed. No extra tools. Kajabi makes it easy to connect the funnel to your digital product, upsell offer, or course. If you want to grow your list and monetize it with digital offers, Kajabi is made for that. Even beginners with zero coding or design experience can get a funnel live in under an hour.

 

Squarespace Isn’t Funnel-First (But It Can Work)

Squarespace is great for portfolios, business websites, and blogs. It has clean design and easy drag-and-drop tools. But funnels aren’t the main focus.

You can still build one, but you’ll need to piece it together. Here’s how:

1. Create a landing page using the Page Builder
2. Add a form block to collect emails
3. Use Squarespace’s email campaigns to send follow-ups
4. Manually set up automations or integrations (like Zapier or Kit)

It works. But it takes more time, and there’s no native funnel builder or easy email sequence integration unless you pay for higher plans and connect outside tools. If your goal is to build a portfolio, blog, or brand site with some email capture, Squarespace is great. If you want a full funnel that grows your audience and sells a product, it’ll feel limiting fast.

 

Templates and Design

Squarespace wins for visual design. Their templates are beautiful and great for creatives, photographers, designers, coaches, or bloggers who want their site to look high-end. You can create minimalist, modern pages with zero design background. But if you want conversion-focused funnel templates, you’ll need to design them yourself.

Kajabi, on the other hand, is more conversion-focused. The templates may not look as artistic, but they’re built to convert. You get opt-in forms, sales pages, thank-you pages, and course access pages, all customizable in one dashboard. It’s less about beauty, more about business growth.

 

Email Marketing & Automation

Kajabi has native email built in. You can create sequences, broadcasts, tag users, set triggers, and even segment your audience. It’s all in one dashboard, so it’s seamless.

For example, you can send:

• A welcome email after sign-up
• A 3-day email sequence with tips or training
• An upsell offer on Day 4
• A cart reminder on Day 6

All without leaving Kajabi.

Squarespace, on the other hand, has email marketing tools, but they’re limited. Automation is available only on higher-tier plans. You’ll probably need an outside tool like Kit, Mailchimp, or Zapier to do real email sequences. That means more setup, more tools, and more moving pieces.

 

Integrations and Add-ons

With Kajabi, everything is already built in email, forms, checkout, digital products, and member areas. Meanwhile, with Squarespace, you’ll often need to connect to third-party tools for advanced features:

• Zapier for automation
• Kit or ActiveCampaign for email
• ThriveCart or Gumroad for selling
• Calendly for scheduling

It works, but it adds complexity and extra monthly costs.

 

Pricing Breakdown

If budget is tight and you just need a simple website with a contact form, Squarespace wins. 

 

But if you’re serious about building a digital product business, Kajabi gives you more value for your time and money.

 

Which is Easier for Beginners?

If you’re new and want to:

• Capture leads
• Send follow-up emails
• Sell digital products
• Keep everything in one place

Kajabi is the easier platform to launch and grow with. It’s built for business, not just design. But if you just need a beautiful website, don’t care about funnels yet, and want to get online fast with a lower upfront cost, Squarespace is a great starter option.

 

Final Verdict

Use Kajabi if:

• You want to sell a course, coaching, or digital product
• You want a funnel that includes landing pages + email + automations
• You want everything in one place with no extra tools

Use Squarespace if:

• You’re building a portfolio, blog, or simple brand site
• You want stunning design with no coding
• You’re not ready to invest in a full funnel system yet