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The Verdict
Kartra wins for most users thanks to its 14-day free trial, lower entry price, and course-creator-friendly features.
Ontraport only makes sense if you need enterprise-level CRM capabilities and don't mind paying premium prices without testing first.
Choose Ontraport if
- +Businesses replacing enterprise tools like HubSpot or Salesforce
- +Companies needing advanced CRM and custom database features
- +Teams with complex sales pipelines and processes
- +Organizations requiring extensive data customization
Choose Kartra if
- +Course creators and coaches building membership sites
- +Digital entrepreneurs selling online products
- +Small businesses wanting all-in-one simplicity
- +Anyone who wants to test before buying
Pricing
Which one costs more?
The pricing gap between these platforms reflects their different positioning, with Ontraport commanding enterprise prices while Kartra targets growing online businesses.
| Plan / Tier | Ontraport | Kartra | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Level | $99/mo (monthly) | $59/mo (monthly) | Kartra starts 40% lower with more features for online businesses |
| Mid-Tier | $149/mo (monthly) | $119/mo (monthly) | Similar pricing but Kartra includes webinars and unlimited products |
| Growth | $299/mo (monthly) | $229/mo (monthly) | Ontraport's enterprise features vs Kartra's advanced marketing tools |
| Professional | Not available | $549/mo (monthly) | Kartra offers a higher tier for scaling businesses |
Buddy's Take on Pricing
Kartra wins on both entry price and testing options. At $59 versus $99 monthly, Kartra costs 40% less to start, plus you get a 14-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee. Ontraport offers neither trial nor guarantee, making it a risky investment.
Features
Capability comparison
Both platforms offer full all-in-one features, but they're designed for different business types and complexity levels.
| Capability | Ontraport | Kartra |
|---|---|---|
| Email Marketing | ★ | ● |
| Sales Funnels | ● | ★ |
| Membership Sites | ○ | ★ |
| CRM Capabilities | ★ | ● |
| Page Builder | ● | ★ |
| Payment Processing | ● | ★ |
| Webinar Hosting | ✗ | ✓ |
| Affiliate Management | ○ | ★ |
| AI Features | ✓ | ✓ |
| Help Desk | ○ | ★ |
| Calendar Booking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom Database | ★ | ○ |
The biggest difference lies in their target audiences. Ontraport positions itself as an enterprise replacement for tools like HubSpot and Salesforce, focusing on advanced CRM capabilities and custom database functionality through OntraportDB. This makes it powerful for complex sales processes but potentially overkill for simple online businesses.
Kartra takes the opposite approach, optimizing for course creators and digital entrepreneurs. Its strength lies in membership site hosting, visual funnel building, and full affiliate management. The platform includes features that Ontraport lacks entirely, like webinar hosting and specialized course creation tools. For most online businesses selling digital products, Kartra's feature set is more immediately useful.
Who It's For
Who should choose which?
Choose Ontraport if you...
- +You need enterprise-level CRM capabilities to replace HubSpot or Salesforce
- +Your business requires complex custom database relationships
- +You have a dedicated team to manage platform complexity
- +Budget isn't a primary concern and you need maximum customization
Choose Kartra if you...
- +You're creating courses or selling digital products online
- +You want to test the platform before committing to paid plans
- +You need webinar hosting integrated with your marketing platform
- +You prefer lower entry costs with room to scale up
Final recommendation
The bottom line
For most online businesses, Kartra is the clear winner. Its $59 starting price, 14-day free trial, and focus on course creators make it accessible and immediately useful. The platform excels at the features that matter most for digital entrepreneurs: funnel building, membership sites, and integrated webinars.
Ontraport only makes sense for established businesses that specifically need enterprise-level CRM capabilities and can justify the premium pricing. Its lack of a free trial is particularly problematic given the $99 monthly commitment. Unless you're replacing a high-end CRM system and need OntraportDB's custom database features, Kartra offers better value and lower risk.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
For enterprise businesses needing advanced CRM features, yes. For course creators and most online businesses, Kartra is better due to lower pricing and course-specific features.
Kartra is significantly cheaper, starting at $59/month versus Ontraport's $99/month entry price.
Yes, Kartra offers a 14-day free trial plus a 30-day money-back guarantee. Ontraport offers neither.
Kartra is specifically designed for course creators with dedicated membership site features, video hosting, and progress tracking.
No, Ontraport doesn't include webinar hosting. Kartra includes webinars starting with the Growth plan at $229/month.
Yes, both platforms support data export/import, though you may need to rebuild some custom automations due to platform differences.
More on these tools
Joonas Rotko
Author & founder of That Marketing Buddy
I score marketing software for AI-stack fit (MCP, API, agent-readiness), backed by 10+ years in digital marketing. This comparison is based on structured data from 60+ tools in the marketing software category.
This page may contain affiliate links. I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This never influences the comparison.
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