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Systeme.io review 2026: is the free plan enough?

Checked By DeepTested review desk
Based on Systeme.io's official pricing and help pages, checked 2026-10-21. How we review.

At a glance

Systeme.io

Based on official pages
Free plan
Free forever, no card. 2,000 contacts, 1 course, 3 funnels, unlimited emails, 0% fees.
Paid plans from
$17 a month (Startup, 5,000 contacts, 5 courses)
Best for
Beginners who want to sell a first course, with funnels and email included, at no monthly cost
Skip it if
You need several courses or automations for free, or you expect over $10,000 in lifetime sales on the free plan

Prices checked 2026-10-21 · Sources

Quick answer

Yes, Systeme.io has a real free plan: it never expires, needs no credit card, and includes 2,000 contacts, 1 course, 3 sales funnels, unlimited email sends, 1 custom domain and 0% transaction fees. The limits are tight elsewhere: 1 automation rule, 1 email campaign and 500 students. The free plan also stops taking new sales once you reach $10,000 in lifetime sales. Paid plans start at $17 a month (Startup), and every plan has 0% transaction fees.

Is the free plan enough?

Enough for you if you're selling one course or one product and building a list. Free includes:

  • up to 2,000 contacts and unlimited email sends
  • 1 course with up to 500 students
  • 3 sales funnels with up to 15 steps, and 1 website and blog
  • 1 custom domain, 1 community and your own affiliate program
  • 0% transaction fees, with Stripe and PayPal integrations

Not enough if you need:

  • more than 1 automation rule, 1 workflow, 1 tag or 1 email campaign
  • more than 1 course or 500 students
  • to keep selling past $10,000 in lifetime sales

Sources: Systeme.io pricing, how plans are moderated.

What it costs once you grow

Prices checked 2026-10-21 on the official pricing page
PlanPrice a monthContactsCoursesAutomation rulesFunnels
Free$02,0001 (500 students)13
Startup$175,0005 (unlimited students)1010
Webinar$4710,0002010050
Unlimited$97UnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited

Source: systeme.io/pricing, checked 2026-10-21. Prices change; the vendor's page is the final word.
Emails sent are unlimited and transaction fees are 0% on every plan. Webinar adds 10 evergreen webinars. Every plan allows unlimited sub-accounts with the same limits as the main account.

  • Processing: Systeme.io charges no transaction fee. The pricing page doesn't state your payment processor's fees; Stripe or PayPal set those.
  • Yearly billing: the pricing page has an annual billing option, but yearly prices are not stated in its text.
  • Cancelling: you keep your plan until the next billing date, then the account goes back to the free plan.

Sources: Systeme.io pricing, Systeme.io online courses.

Catches to know

  • The free plan has a $10,000 lifetime sales cap. A warning appears at $8,000. At $10,000, payment pages stop accepting new sales until you upgrade. Affiliate commissions don't count toward it (how plans are moderated).
  • One automation rule on Free. Email follow-ups after a sign-up or sale run on automation rules, and Free includes only 1 rule and 1 workflow (pricing, automation rules).
  • Free caps students at 500. Paid plans list unlimited students (pricing).
  • Downgrading is a two-step process. You either ask support to convert your remaining days to the lower plan, or cancel, wait to revert to Free and then pick the new plan (pricing FAQ).

Systeme.io vs Kajabi, Thinkific and Podia at a glance

Systeme.ioKajabiThinkificPodia
Free planYes, 2,000 contacts, 1 courseNo free plan listed, 14-day trialNo, 30-day trialNo, 14-day trial
Cheapest paid plan, billed monthly$17 (Startup)$179 (Basic)$109 (Start)$49 (Mover)
Platform fee0% on every planNo revenue share; 2% with a third-party processor on BasicNone listed with Thinkific Payments; 2% with Stripe or PayPal on Start5% on Mover, none above
Contacts or subscribers on the cheapest paid plan5,000 contacts2,500 contactsNot stated100 email subscribers
Courses on the cheapest paid plan55 productsUnlimited50 products

Sources: Systeme.io pricing, Kajabi pricing, Thinkific pricing, Podia pricing. More detail in our Kajabi, Thinkific and Podia reviews.

Compare side by side: Systeme.io vs Kajabi.

Who should pick Systeme.io, and who should skip it

Pick Systeme.io if you want to launch a first course with funnels and email at no monthly cost, and you're fine with 1 automation rule until you upgrade. Startup at $17 a month lifts most limits and removes the student cap.

Skip Systeme.io if you need several automations or courses without paying, or you expect to pass $10,000 in lifetime sales soon on the free plan.

FAQ

Is Systeme.io really free?

Yes. The free plan never expires and needs no credit card. It includes 2,000 contacts, 1 course, 3 funnels and unlimited emails.

Does Systeme.io take transaction fees?

No. Transaction fees are 0% on every plan, including Free.

What are Systeme.io's paid plans?

Startup $17, Webinar $47 and Unlimited $97 a month.

Is there a sales limit on the free plan?

Yes. Free accounts have a $10,000 lifetime sales limit. After that, payment pages stop taking new sales until you upgrade.

What changed

  • 2026-10-21: Written from Systeme.io's official pricing and help pages.

Sources

All accessed 2026-10-21 (America/New_York).

  • Systeme.io pricing: https://systeme.io/pricing
  • Systeme.io online courses: https://systeme.io/online-courses
  • Systeme.io, "How systeme.io subscription plans are moderated": https://help.systeme.io/article/1509-how-systeme-io-subscription-plans-are-moderated
  • Systeme.io, "How automation rules work": https://help.systeme.io/article/140-automation-rules
  • Kajabi pricing: https://kajabi.com/pricing
  • Thinkific pricing: https://www.thinkific.com/pricing/
  • Podia pricing: https://www.podia.com/pricing