Switching from Kartra to GoHighLevel
Businesses leaving Kartra’s funnel and course platform for GoHighLevel’s broader CRM-plus-automation suite are typically after native SMS, agency sub-accounts, or a more flexible sales pipeline.
Why teams switch from Kartra to GoHighLevel
SMS and two-way conversations
GoHighLevel adds native SMS and call tracking that Kartra doesn’t offer, useful for businesses that follow up by text.
True sales pipelines instead of tag-based leads
GoHighLevel’s opportunity pipelines give a real deal-stage view that Kartra’s tag-based lead system doesn’t provide.
Agency and sub-account structure
Agencies managing multiple clients can use GoHighLevel’s sub-accounts and white-label options, which Kartra isn’t built for.
Switching Cost & Friction Estimator
Estimate the real hidden cost of moving from Kartra to GoHighLevel — not just the subscription price.
How to migrate your data
GoHighLevel imports Kartra contacts via CSV only, so checkout and course/membership structures need a manual rebuild.
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Export contacts from Kartra | Use Kartra’s contact export to download leads as CSV. |
| 2. Clean and remap fields | Reconcile Kartra tags and custom fields with GoHighLevel’s contact fields and pipeline stages. |
| 3. Set up your GoHighLevel sub-account | Create and configure the destination sub-account, including custom domains for any funnel pages you’ll rebuild. |
| 4. Import contacts via CSV | Use GoHighLevel’s native CSV contact importer to bring records in. |
| 5. Rebuild funnels, checkout, and automations | Recreate Kartra funnels and checkout pages as GoHighLevel funnels and rebuild sequences as GoHighLevel workflows, since neither pages nor automation logic transfer. |
| 6. Test payments and go live | Reconnect payment processors, test checkout flows end-to-end, and cut over custom domains. |
Pricing during the transition
GoHighLevel’s unlimited-contact tiers can look cheaper for larger lists once Kartra’s per-contact and transaction-fee structure is factored in.
| Plan | Kartra | GoHighLevel |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No free tier (14-day trial) | No free tier (14-day trial) |
| Entry paid tier | $119/mo (Starter), or $59/mo Essentials with a 5% transaction fee | $97/mo (Starter) |
| Mid tier | $229/mo (Growth) | $297/mo (Unlimited) |
GoHighLevel’s flat $97-$497 tiers include unlimited contacts, while Kartra prices by contact count, so high-volume lists can make GoHighLevel comparatively cheaper even before counting Kartra’s transaction fee on its entry plan.
Feature-parity checklist
GoHighLevel widens the toolkit with SMS and pipelines; Kartra’s checkout specialization is what gets traded away.
| Feature | Kartra | GoHighLevel equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Automations/workflows | Sequence/tag-based automation | Broader, more flexible visual workflow builder — a genuine upgrade for complex logic |
| CRM/pipeline | Tag-based leads, not a true pipeline | Real opportunity pipelines, an upgrade for tracking a sales process |
| Funnels/landing pages | Polished checkout and funnel builder | Capable but less checkout-specialized builder — a mild downgrade for heavy funnel/checkout sellers |
| Email/SMS marketing | Email only | Adds native SMS/voice, a genuine upgrade for outbound-heavy businesses |
| Reporting | Funnel-conversion analytics | More CRM/operational reporting, less funnel-conversion focused — a downgrade for funnel optimizers |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can GoHighLevel import my Kartra courses and memberships?
No — membership and course content have to be manually rebuilt in GoHighLevel’s own membership product; there’s no direct course importer.
What happens to my Kartra checkout pages?
They don’t transfer; you’ll rebuild checkout flows in GoHighLevel’s funnel builder and reconnect your payment processor.
Is contact import free-form or does it need cleanup?
Standard CSV cleanup is required — matching Kartra tags to GoHighLevel custom fields and pipeline stages is the main manual step.
Will I keep Kartra’s 0% transaction fee benefit?
That’s a Kartra-specific plan detail; GoHighLevel doesn’t charge the same kind of platform transaction fee, but you should confirm current payment processor fees either way.
How long should I budget for the switch?
Plan on a few days for contacts and a couple of weeks to properly rebuild funnels, checkout, and automations.
Canonical data for the tools on this page
Every pricing fact, rating, AI billing model and switching guide we hold on each tool, on one page — with the date each figure was last verified.