Funnel builders promise all-in-one marketing: pages, email, checkouts, automation. In 2026, solopreneurs face a four-way choice between ClickFunnels (the category pioneer, now $97–$297/mo), GoHighLevel (agency-focused, $97–$497/mo with unlimited contacts), Kartra (course-and-helpdesk hybrid, $52/mo annual or $59/mo monthly), and Groove.cm (free upfront, 5% transaction fee). We pulled vendor pricing pages, feature lists, and public reviews to surface the tradeoffs.
How we approached this
We reviewed official pricing pages and feature documentation for each platform. No fabricated testing—vendor-published plans, contact limits, email caps, and transaction fees are quoted exactly as listed. Public reviews on G2 and Capterra cite onboarding complexity (ClickFunnels, GoHighLevel) and template quality (Kartra). Where a vendor omits pricing or features, we note the gap.
ClickFunnels
The platform that popularized drag-and-drop funnels. Vendor pricing page lists $97/mo Launch (10K contacts, 50K emails/mo, 2 team members), $197/mo Scale (75K contacts, 300K emails/mo, 5 team members, API access), and $297/mo Optimize (150K contacts, 750K emails/mo, 10 team members). Annual billing saves roughly $200–$600/year. All plans include AI content generation (1M–5M words depending on tier), unlimited funnels, and group onboarding. The Launch plan caps custom domains at 5; Scale and above allow unlimited. A/B testing, Smart Checkout, and webhooks ship at Scale and above. The $5,997/yr Dominate tier adds 3-hour private onboarding and VIP support.
ClickFunnels
- +Unlimited funnels on all plans—no funnel caps even at $97/mo
- +AI content tools included (1M–5M words per plan)
- +Full API and webhook access at Scale ($197/mo) and above
- +Group onboarding calls on every tier
- −Launch plan restricts custom domains to 5, limiting multi-brand solopreneurs
- −Email caps tight at Launch (50K/mo) vs GoHighLevel's unlimited
- −No published CRM pipeline features—funnel-first, not lead-nurture-first
- −Premium support reserved for Optimize ($297/mo) and Dominate ($5,997/yr)
GoHighLevel
Built for agencies managing client sub-accounts. Vendor pricing page lists $97/mo Starter (3 sub-accounts, unlimited contacts and users), $297/mo Unlimited (unlimited sub-accounts, rebill phone/email with no markup, user/agent reporting), and $497/mo Agency Pro (SaaS Mode, rebill phone/email with markup, advanced API). All plans include unlimited contacts, unlimited users, and 24/7 support—no contact-based pricing. Core features: CRM pipelines, conversation AI (usage fees apply), funnel builder, workflows, calendars, forms, social scheduling, reputation management. Optional add-ons: AI Employee ($97/mo per sub-account), white-label mobile app ($497/mo), HIPAA compliance ($297/mo), branded client portal app ($49/mo per sub-account). A 14-day free trial is offered on all tiers.
GoHighLevel
- +Unlimited contacts and users on all plans—no per-seat or per-contact fees
- +Sub-account model ideal for agencies managing multiple clients
- +Rebill phone/email with markup at Agency Pro—resell infrastructure
- +Built-in CRM pipelines, reputation management, and social scheduling
- −Starter caps sub-accounts at 3—solo marketers pay for agency features they may not use
- −Conversation AI and Voice AI incur usage-based charges on top of base plan
- −White-label mobile app ($497/mo) and HIPAA ($297/mo) are costly add-ons
- −Public reviews cite steep learning curve for non-agency users
Kartra
Combines funnels, courses, memberships, and helpdesk ticketing. Vendor pricing page lists 14-day free trial, then $59/mo Essentials (500 contacts, 10K emails/mo, 5% transaction fee, 1 custom domain), $99/mo Starter (2,500 contacts, unlimited email/SMS, 0% transaction fee, unlimited pages/products/courses), and $189/mo Growth annual ($229/mo monthly; 12,500 contacts, funnel analytics). Annual billing saves roughly $20–$40/mo. Essentials includes Kartra AI with 30 uses/mo; Starter raises that to 100 uses/mo. All plans include form builder, funnel mapper, checkouts via multiple payment processors, 100 pre-built campaigns. Growth adds funnel analytics, advanced automations. Webinars unlock at Starter. Helpdesks are not explicitly mentioned on the pricing page excerpt.
Kartra
- +Lowest entry price at $52/mo annual Essentials (14-day free trial, then $59/mo)
- +Starter ($99/mo) removes transaction fees and unlocks unlimited email/SMS
- +Webinars, memberships, and courses bundled—no separate course-platform subscription
- +Kartra AI copywriting included (30–100 uses/mo depending on tier)
- −Essentials charges 5% transaction fee—costly if processing volume before upgrading to Starter
- −Contact caps restrictive vs GoHighLevel's unlimited (500 at $59/mo, 2,500 at $99/mo)
- −Funnel analytics reserved for Growth ($189/mo annual)—basic tiers fly blind
- −Public reviews cite template design as dated vs ClickFunnels
Groove.cm
Free upfront; 5% fee on sales processed via GrooveSell or GrooveKart. Vendor homepage lists 12 tools under one login: GroovePages (page builder), GrooveFunnels, GrooveSell (checkout, upsells, affiliate tracking), GrooveKart (e-commerce), GrooveMail (unlimited contacts when you bring your own SMTP), GrooveMember (courses/memberships), GrooveWebinar, GrooveAutomations, GrooveForms, GrooveVideo, GrooveProof (social proof popups), and GrooveBlog. No monthly subscription—pay 5% on sales only. Unlimited contacts if you connect your own SMTP (e.g., SendGrid, Mailgun). Unlimited domains, unlimited products, unlimited funnels. No credit card required to start. The platform positions itself as a replacement for ClickFunnels ($297/mo) + Kajabi ($149/mo) + Klaviyo ($166/mo), claiming $612/mo in savings.
Groove.cm
- +Zero monthly fee—pay only when you sell (5% on transactions)
- +Unlimited contacts via GrooveMail if you bring your own SMTP (SendGrid, Mailgun, etc.)
- +All 12 tools included: pages, funnels, email, automations, courses, webinars, e-commerce, affiliates
- +Unlimited domains—run multiple brands without re-buying infrastructure
- −5% transaction fee compounds quickly at scale (e.g., $500 in fees on $10K/mo revenue)
- −Bring-your-own-SMTP requirement for free email adds setup friction vs all-in-one plans
- −Public reviews cite slower feature updates vs ClickFunnels and GoHighLevel
- −No published enterprise support tier—community forums are primary channel
Verdict
- **Testing offers before committing to SaaS overhead:** Groove.cm. Zero upfront cost; pay 5% only when you sell. Unlimited contacts if you bring SMTP. Best for solopreneurs validating product-market fit without monthly burn.
- **Agencies managing multiple client accounts:** GoHighLevel. Unlimited contacts/users at $97/mo; sub-account model and rebilling infrastructure at $297–$497/mo. White-label options available.
- **Course creators bundling memberships + funnels:** Kartra. Memberships, courses, webinars, and helpdesks ship at $99/mo Starter (unlimited email). Lower entry price than ClickFunnels for education-focused operators.
- **Funnel-first marketers prioritizing polish and onboarding:** ClickFunnels. Unlimited funnels, AI content tools, and group onboarding at $97/mo. Scale ($197/mo) adds API access and priority support.
- **High-volume sellers concerned about transaction fees:** ClickFunnels, GoHighLevel, or Kartra Starter ($99/mo). All charge 0% on transactions. Groove.cm's 5% compounds above $10K/mo in sales.
What we'd skip
- **ClickFunnels Launch for multi-brand solopreneurs:** 5 custom domain cap forces you to Scale ($197/mo) if running more than 5 brands or offer verticals.
- **Kartra Essentials if processing volume:** 5% transaction fee eats margin. Jump to Starter ($99/mo) for 0% fees if monthly sales exceed $2K.
- **GoHighLevel Starter for pure solopreneurs:** Paying for 3 sub-accounts you won't use. ClickFunnels or Kartra offer tighter feature-to-price fit for single-operator funnels.
- **Groove.cm above $10K/mo revenue:** 5% fee = $500/mo at $10K, $1,500/mo at $30K. ClickFunnels Scale ($197/mo) or GoHighLevel Unlimited ($297/mo) become cheaper.
