The academy-first alternative to Kajabi
Kajabi is a powerful all-in-one suite for marketers — funnels, email, landing pages and courses. But if your focus is teaching a hands-on craft and developing students, most of that marketing machinery goes unused while you still lack the teaching tools you actually need. Kova is purpose-built for academies — and simpler to run.
Kova vs Kajabi at a glance
| What matters for an academy | Kajabi | Kova |
|---|---|---|
| Course builder | Yes | Yes — stages, lessons, PDFs, audio & video |
| Hands-on practical submissions | No | Built in — students submit work for approval |
| Personal educator feedback & reviews | No | A review queue for every practical |
| Student development & milestones | No | Milestones, goals, reflections & check-ins |
| Certificates | Basic | Branded certificates + printed-copy option |
| Shop, kits & payments | Yes (marketing-led) | Courses, products/kits & Stripe payouts |
| Marketing funnels & email suite | Extensive | Focused — the tools an academy actually uses |
| Purpose & fit | All-in-one for marketers | Purpose-built for academies that teach a craft |
| Typical price | Premium | Simple plans that scale with your students |
Comparison reflects Kova's focus; Kajabi's features and plans may change — check their site for current details.
Why academies pick Kova over Kajabi
- Teaching tools, not marketing bloat. You pay for what an academy needs — delivery, assessment, feedback and certification — not a funnel builder you'll never open.
- Develop students, not just sell to them. Practicals, milestones and reflections build real skill and accountability.
- Everything in one place. Enrolments, payments, kits, certificates, messaging and community — without the enterprise price tag.
- Simple, predictable pricing. Plans that grow with your student numbers.
Who Kova is for
Beauty, lash and brow academies, aesthetics, fitness and wellness educators — anyone whose job is to teach a craft well, not to run marketing campaigns.