ClickFunnels is priced as infrastructure and used by many people as a landing page builder. That gap is why most people go looking for alternatives — they are paying platform prices for a fraction of the platform.
The others leave because they already have a website and do not want a second one, or because the funnel-marketing style the product is built around does not suit how they sell.
Each points somewhere different.
What Are You Actually Using?
Before comparing, open your account and list what you genuinely use. ClickFunnels bundles landing pages, funnels, email, membership sites, courses, affiliate management, checkout and a CRM.
If you use two of those, you are paying for eight. If you use six, the consolidation argument is real and most alternatives will require you to assemble a stack.
This five-minute audit settles the question more reliably than any feature table.
If You Just Need Landing Pages
Leadpages
Focused on landing pages and conversion, with good templates and A/B testing. Considerably cheaper.
Choose it if: pages are what you actually need. Give up: the wider platform.
Unbounce
Strong on testing and optimisation, with dynamic text replacement for matching page copy to ad keywords — genuinely useful for paid traffic.
Choose it if: you run meaningful ad spend and optimise landing pages seriously.
Instapage
Enterprise-leaning, built for personalisation at scale across many campaigns.
Carrd
Named because it is often the honest answer. Very cheap, one-page sites, up in minutes. If you need a page with a form, this may be all you need.
Your existing website
Also worth naming. WordPress with a block editor or a page builder, Webflow, Squarespace and Wix all build landing pages. If you already pay for a website, adding a page costs nothing extra.
If You Want the Full Platform, Cheaper
Systeme.io
The closest like-for-like at a fraction of the cost — funnels, email, courses, membership, affiliate management, with a genuinely usable free tier.
Choose it if: you want ClickFunnels’ scope on a small budget. Give up: polish and template quality.
Kartra
Comparable scope — pages, email, membership, video hosting, helpdesk, affiliate management.
Choose it if: you want an all-in-one and find ClickFunnels’ interface unappealing.
Kajabi
If your business is courses and memberships rather than funnels, Kajabi covers the same consolidation with a stronger course product.
GoHighLevel
Aimed at agencies, with white labelling and client sub-accounts. Includes funnels, CRM, email, SMS and scheduling.
Choose it if: you run marketing for clients and want to resell the platform. Give up: simplicity; it is a lot of product.
If You Want Ecommerce or Checkout Specifically
ThriveCart or SamCart
Checkout and cart optimisation specifically — order bumps, upsells, subscription handling. ThriveCart has historically been sold as a one-time purchase, which appeals to people who dislike subscriptions.
Choose it if: the checkout and upsell flow is what you actually valued in ClickFunnels.
Shopify
If you sell physical products, this is a different and better category of tool.
If You Are on WordPress
Elementor, Thrive Architect or Beaver Builder plus a checkout plugin covers most of what people use ClickFunnels for, on hosting you already pay for.
Choose it if: you have WordPress and someone to maintain it. Give up: convenience — you assemble and maintain the stack, including updates and security.
How They Compare
| Tool | Scope | Free tier | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Systeme.io | Full platform | Yes, usable | ClickFunnels scope, low budget |
| Kartra | Full platform | Trial | All-in-one alternative |
| Kajabi | Courses-led platform | Trial | Course and membership businesses |
| GoHighLevel | Agency platform | Trial | Agencies reselling |
| Leadpages | Landing pages | Trial | Pages only, cheaper |
| Unbounce | Landing pages + testing | Trial | Paid traffic optimisation |
| Carrd | One-page sites | Yes | Simple pages, very cheap |
| ThriveCart / SamCart | Checkout | No | Cart and upsell flows |
| WordPress + builder | Assemble your own | Hosting cost | Existing WordPress sites |
Pricing changes regularly across this category and several tools have restructured tiers. Verify current pricing, and price the tier including the features you actually use rather than the entry point.
A Note on Funnel Marketing Tactics
Worth raising because this category’s marketing normalises some practices that carry real legal risk.
Countdown timers that reset on refresh, fake scarcity (“only 3 spots left” when there is no limit), fabricated testimonials, and earnings claims without substantiation are all common in funnel marketing templates.
These are not grey areas. In the US, the FTC has authority over deceptive practices and has specific rules on endorsements, testimonials and earnings claims. In the UK and EU, misleading commercial practices are covered by consumer protection law, and the CMA has acted on fake urgency and pressure selling.
You can build effective funnels without any of this. Genuine deadlines, real testimonials with permission, and substantiated claims work — and they do not create liability. If a template ships with a resetting timer, change it.
Migration Notes
Pages do not transfer between platforms. You rebuild them, which is a real cost.
The order that avoids losing revenue:
- Export your contact list and purchase history first. Include consent status and opt-in dates — you need them for lawful basis under GDPR and PECR.
- Rebuild your highest-traffic funnel only. Not all of them.
- Run both in parallel. Send new traffic to the new page while the old one keeps serving existing links.
- Update every link — ads, emails, social profiles, anywhere you published a funnel URL. This is where people lose traffic.
- Redirect old URLs if the platform allows, or keep the subscription until traffic to old links drops to nothing.
- Move remaining funnels once the first one performs at least as well.
- Cancel only after checking analytics for traffic still arriving at old pages.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not auditing what you use. The whole decision turns on this and takes five minutes.
- Cancelling before updating links. Ads and emails pointing at dead funnel URLs cost real money.
- Rebuilding everything at once. Move one funnel, verify performance, then continue.
- Buying a platform to build landing pages. If pages are all you need, Leadpages or your existing website is far cheaper.
- Copying template dark patterns. Resetting timers and fake scarcity carry genuine regulatory exposure.
- Losing consent records in the export. Map opt-in status and dates or you cannot evidence lawful basis.
- Assuming conversion rates transfer. A rebuilt page performs differently. Measure before switching all traffic.
- Ignoring your website. You may already own the capability you are shopping for.
FAQs
What is the best ClickFunnels alternative?
Systeme.io for similar scope at much lower cost, Leadpages if you only need landing pages, Kajabi if your business is courses, GoHighLevel if you are an agency serving clients.
Is there a free ClickFunnels alternative?
Systeme.io has a genuinely usable free tier covering funnels, email and courses at low volume. Carrd is very cheap for simple pages. If you have WordPress, a page builder costs nothing beyond hosting.
Do I need ClickFunnels if I have a website?
Often not. WordPress, Webflow, Squarespace and Wix all build landing pages, and adding a checkout tool covers most of the remaining gap for far less.
Will my funnels transfer to another platform?
No. Pages are rebuilt on every platform. Contacts and purchase history export; design and automation do not.
Is ClickFunnels worth the price?
If you genuinely use the funnels, email, membership, affiliate and checkout features together, the consolidation is real. If you use two of them, you are paying for six you do not touch.
Are countdown timers on landing pages legal?
Genuine deadlines are fine. Timers that reset on refresh, or scarcity claims with no actual limit, can constitute misleading commercial practices under FTC authority in the US and consumer protection law in the UK and EU. Use real deadlines.
Key Takeaways
- Audit what you actually use — that single step decides whether you need a platform or a page builder.
- Systeme.io covers similar scope for far less; Leadpages if pages are the real need.
- Your existing website probably builds landing pages already.
- Pages never transfer. Rebuild one funnel, verify, then continue.
- Resetting timers and fake scarcity carry genuine regulatory risk. Use real deadlines.
Where to Start
Open ClickFunnels and list the features you used in the last month. If it is one or two, cancel and use Leadpages or your existing website. If it is five or six, price Systeme.io and Kartra against your current bill.
For related decisions, see our guides to course platforms, Kajabi vs Teachable, and website builders.