HighLevel vs Kartra: Why Businesses Are Switching to HighLevel

What Is Kartra?

Kartra is an all-in-one online business platform launched in 2018 by internet marketers Andy Jenkins and Mike Filsaime. It was built for coaches, course creators, and digital product sellers who wanted funnels, email marketing, checkout, and memberships in one place. Kartra includes a page and funnel builder, email and SMS marketing, shopping carts with order bumps and upsells, course hosting, video hosting, calendars, a helpdesk, and affiliate management. Its library of prebuilt "Done For You" campaigns lets users import complete funnels and follow-up sequences. Pricing is based on the number of contacts you store, starting at $59 per month for the Essentials plan and $119 per month for Starter, and the bill climbs as your list grows. Kartra has been a familiar name in the online course world for several years, but its focus has stayed largely on info products rather than full sales and customer communication.

What Is HighLevel?

HighLevel is the all-in-one sales and marketing platform founded in 2018 in Dallas, Texas, by Shaun Clark, Varun Vairavan, and Robin Alex Panicker. It was built to replace the stack of disconnected tools most businesses pay for, combining CRM, funnels, websites, email, two-way SMS, calls, calendars, workflows, reputation management, courses, and AI in a single login. HighLevel has become one of the fastest growing platforms in marketing software, now powering tens of thousands of agencies and the businesses they serve. Plans start at $97 per month with unlimited contacts and no platform transaction fees, so growing your list never grows your bill. Its AI employees can answer calls, reply to texts and chats, and book appointments around the clock. HighLevel ships new features constantly, which means your platform gets more powerful every month without paying for another tool.

Why You Might Stay With Kartra

There are a few narrow situations where staying with Kartra can make sense for now. If your entire business is a single online course, your list is small, and you depend on Kartra's built-in helpdesk ticketing, the effort of moving may feel bigger than the savings today. Businesses that are in the middle of a major product launch may also want to finish that launch before migrating. And if your team has no time at all to set up a new system, it may be worth waiting until you can hire help. But for most businesses, these are reasons to plan the switch carefully, not reasons to stay long term. As your list grows and your need for real sales follow-up increases, the gap between Kartra and HighLevel only gets wider.

Why You Should Switch to HighLevel Now

Switching to HighLevel gives you more features, more room to grow, and a better way to turn leads into paying customers. Kartra charges more as your contact list grows, and its Essentials plan caps you at 500 contacts while taking a percentage of every sale, but HighLevel includes unlimited contacts with no platform transaction fees. On top of funnels, checkout, courses, and email, HighLevel gives you a full CRM with unlimited sales pipelines, two-way SMS, a phone system with call tracking, a unified inbox for text, email, Facebook, and Instagram, reputation management, and a social media planner. Its AI can answer calls and messages instantly and book appointments while you sleep, so no lead slips through the cracks. Agencies and multi-brand businesses can manage unlimited accounts and even white label the platform as their own. Every month you wait is another month of paying more for less, so the best time to switch is now.

Kartra vs HighLevel: Top 20 Features Compared

Top 10 Questions About Converting From Kartra to HighLevel

1. Can I export my contacts from Kartra?

   Yes. Export your leads as a CSV file from Kartra and import them into HighLevel, mapping each column to the right field.

2. Will my tags and lists transfer over?

   Yes. Tags and list memberships come across in your export, and lists can be recreated as tags or smart lists in HighLevel.

3. Can I move my Kartra pages and funnels?

   Pages do not transfer directly, so you rebuild them in the HighLevel funnel builder. Most businesses use this as a chance to upgrade their best converting pages.

4. Can I move my courses and members?

   Yes. Rebuild your course content in HighLevel Memberships, then import members and grant them access to the matching offers.

5. What happens to my videos?

   Download your videos from Kartra and upload them to HighLevel or a video host like Vimeo or Wistia, then embed them in your lessons and pages.

6. What happens to my subscriptions and payment plans?

   Recurring payments live in your processor, usually Stripe or PayPal. Connect that same account to HighLevel and plan the handoff so subscribers keep getting billed without interruption.

7. Will my email sequences transfer?

   Sequences are rebuilt as HighLevel workflows, where you can add SMS, calls, and tasks that Kartra sequences cannot do.

8. Can I move my affiliates?

   Yes. Recreate your program in HighLevel Affiliate Manager and send affiliates their new referral links.

9. How long does a migration take?

   Most businesses complete a Kartra migration in three to six weeks, and simple accounts can move even faster.

10. Can someone handle the migration for me?

    Yes. A HighLevel specialist can rebuild your funnels, move your members, and test every checkout so you can switch without the headache.

Top 20 "Should I" Questions About HighLevel

1. Should I switch from Kartra to HighLevel?

   Yes. You get unlimited contacts, a full CRM, SMS, calls, and AI in one platform for a predictable price.

2. Should I switch now or wait?

   Switch now. Every month you wait, you pay more as your list grows and miss leads that HighLevel's follow-up tools would catch.

3. Should I switch if I sell online courses?

   Yes. HighLevel hosts your courses and memberships and adds the sales follow-up tools that help you sell more of them.

4. Should I switch if I run a service business?

   Absolutely. Service businesses rely on calls, texts, and appointments, which HighLevel handles natively.

5. Should I switch if my contact list is growing?

   Yes. HighLevel does not charge more as your list grows, so your savings increase over time.

6. Should I use HighLevel for my sales funnels?

   Yes. HighLevel includes a funnel builder with order bumps, upsells, and split testing.

7. Should I choose the Starter plan or the Unlimited plan?

   Starter works for a single business. Unlimited is best if you run multiple brands or need API access.

8. Should I keep Kartra active during the move?

   Yes, just long enough to export your data and test your new setup. Then cancel and stop paying for two platforms.

9. Should I rebuild my funnels instead of copying them exactly?

   Yes. Rebuilding lets you keep what works, improve your best pages, and drop what does not.

10. Should I clean my contact list before importing?

    Yes. Removing bounced and inactive contacts gives you a fresh start with better deliverability.

11. Should I set up a dedicated sending domain?

    Yes. It protects your main domain and improves deliverability from day one.

12. Should I add SMS follow-up to my funnels?

    Yes, with proper consent. Text messages often get much faster responses than email alone.

13. Should I use HighLevel's AI features?

    Yes. Conversation AI and Voice AI in HighLevel respond to leads instantly and book appointments around the clock.

14. Should I use HighLevel for appointment booking?

    Yes. Calendars include reminders, round robin assignment, and automatic follow-up.

15. Should I use HighLevel for my affiliate program?

    Yes. The Affiliate Manager tracks affiliates, referrals, and commissions.

16. Should I use HighLevel for customer conversations?

    Yes. The unified inbox brings SMS, email, chat, and social messages into one place so your team never misses a reply.

17. Should I use HighLevel for review management?

    Yes. Automated review requests can quickly grow your Google reviews and bring in more leads.

18. Should I hire an expert to help me switch?

    If you want it done fast and right, yes. A professional migration protects your members and sales.

19. Should I build multiple pipelines?

    Yes, if you sell different offers. HighLevel allows unlimited pipelines.

20. Should I use HighLevel's mobile app?

    Yes. The LeadConnector app lets you text, call, and manage leads from anywhere.

Top 20 "How Do I... With HighLevel" Questions

1. How do I import my Kartra contacts with HighLevel?

   Go to Contacts, click Import, upload your Kartra CSV, and map each column to a HighLevel field.

2. How do I keep my Kartra tags with HighLevel?

   Include tags in your CSV export and map that column to tags during the import.

3. How do I build a sales funnel with HighLevel?

   Go to Sites, choose Funnels, and start from a template or a blank page.

4. How do I add an order bump with HighLevel?

   Edit your order form step in the funnel builder and turn on the order bump option.

5. How do I add a one-click upsell with HighLevel?

   Add an upsell step after your order form and attach the product you want to offer.

6. How do I accept payments with HighLevel?

   Go to Payments, then Integrations, and connect your Stripe or PayPal account.

7. How do I create a product with HighLevel?

   Go to Payments, then Products, and add a product with one-time or recurring pricing.

8. How do I build an online course with HighLevel?

   Go to Memberships, create a new offer, and add your products, categories, and lessons.

9. How do I give students course access with HighLevel?

   Connect the course to a product or use a workflow to grant access automatically after purchase.

10. How do I add videos to lessons with HighLevel?

    Upload the video directly to the lesson or embed it from a host like Vimeo or Wistia.

11. How do I automate follow-up with HighLevel?

    Open Automation, create a workflow, choose a trigger, and add emails, texts, tasks, or wait steps.

12. How do I rebuild a Kartra email sequence with HighLevel?

    Create a workflow, add your trigger, and recreate each email with wait steps in between, then add SMS for better results.

13. How do I set up email deliverability with HighLevel?

    Go to Settings, then Email Services, add a dedicated sending domain, and add the DNS records it provides.

14. How do I connect my domain with HighLevel?

    Go to Settings, then Domains, add your domain, update your DNS, and assign it to your funnel or website.

15. How do I run an affiliate program with HighLevel?

    Go to Marketing, then Affiliate Manager, create a campaign, and set your commission rules.

16. How do I add live chat to my website with HighLevel?

    Go to Sites, then Chat Widget, customize it, and add the code to your website.

17. How do I track deals with HighLevel?

    Go to Opportunities, create a pipeline, and move each lead through your sales stages.

18. How do I get a business phone number with HighLevel?

    Go to Settings, then Phone Numbers, and purchase a local or toll-free number.

19. How do I get more Google reviews with HighLevel?

    Go to Reputation, connect your Google Business Profile, and set up automated review requests.

20. How do I see where my sales come from with HighLevel?

    Open the attribution reports to see the source, campaign, and page behind each lead and sale.

Top 20 "Where Do I... in HighLevel" Questions

1. Where do I find my contacts in HighLevel?

   All contacts live in the Contacts section of the left menu.

2. Where do I see all my messages in HighLevel?

   The Conversations tab shows SMS, email, chat, and social messages in one inbox.

3. Where do I build funnels in HighLevel?

   Funnels are under Sites, then Funnels.

4. Where do I build websites in HighLevel?

   Websites are under Sites, then Websites.

5. Where do I build courses in HighLevel?

   Courses and memberships are managed in the Memberships section.

6. Where do I manage products in HighLevel?

   Products are under Payments, then Products.

7. Where do I see orders and transactions in HighLevel?

   Orders and transactions are listed under Payments.

8. Where do I build automations in HighLevel?

   Workflows are under Automation.

9. Where do I create email campaigns in HighLevel?

   Email campaigns are under Marketing, then Emails.

10. Where do I upload files and videos in HighLevel?

    Use the Media Storage library, which you can open from the builders and the Sites area.

11. Where do I manage affiliates in HighLevel?

    Affiliates are managed under Marketing, then Affiliate Manager.

12. Where do I set up the chat widget in HighLevel?

    Go to Sites, then Chat Widget.

13. Where do I build forms, surveys, and quizzes in HighLevel?

    Go to Sites, then Forms, Surveys, or Quizzes.

14. Where do I manage my calendars in HighLevel?

    Calendars are in the main menu, with setup options under Settings, then Calendars.

15. Where do I set up AI agents in HighLevel?

    Open the AI Agents section in HighLevel to configure Conversation AI and Voice AI.

16. Where do I connect my domains in HighLevel?

    Go to Settings, then Domains.

17. Where do I find reporting in HighLevel?

    The Dashboard and Reporting sections show leads, sales, appointments, and attribution.

18. Where do I manage reviews in HighLevel?

    Reviews are in the Reputation section.

19. Where do I find integrations in HighLevel?

    Visit the App Marketplace or Settings, then Integrations.

20. Where do I get help and training in HighLevel?

    Use the help center, the HighLevel YouTube channel, or HighLevel University inside the platform.

Top 20 "Can HighLevel" Questions

1. Can HighLevel replace Kartra completely?

   Yes, for most businesses. HighLevel covers funnels, checkout, courses, email, and affiliates, and adds a CRM, SMS, calls, and AI.

2. Can HighLevel host my online courses?

   Yes. You can host courses, memberships, and communities.

3. Can HighLevel drip course content?

   Yes. You can schedule lessons to unlock over time.

4. Can HighLevel do order bumps and upsells?

   Yes. Funnels support order bumps, one-click upsells, and downsells.

5. Can HighLevel take payments?

   Yes. It connects to Stripe, PayPal, and other processors for one-time and recurring payments.

6. Can HighLevel handle payment plans?

   Yes. You can sell subscriptions and split payment offers.

7. Can HighLevel host videos?

   Yes. You can upload videos directly or embed them from a dedicated video host.

8. Can HighLevel run an affiliate program?

   Yes. The Affiliate Manager tracks affiliates, referrals, and commissions.

9. Can HighLevel send text messages?

   Yes. Two-way SMS is built in and can be automated in workflows.

10. Can HighLevel answer my phone with AI?

    Yes. Voice AI can answer calls, collect information, and book appointments.

11. Can HighLevel reply to leads automatically?

    Yes. Conversation AI can respond to texts, chats, and social messages instantly.

12. Can HighLevel add live chat to my website?

    Yes. The chat widget sends conversations straight to your unified inbox.

13. Can HighLevel build quizzes and surveys?

    Yes. Quizzes and surveys can tag contacts and trigger workflows.

14. Can HighLevel split test pages?

    Yes. You can split test funnel steps to find the best converting version.

15. Can HighLevel import my Kartra contacts?

    Yes. Contacts, tags, and custom field data can be imported by CSV.

16. Can HighLevel run webinar funnels?

    Yes. You can build registration and replay funnels and connect live webinar tools like Zoom.

17. Can HighLevel track my ad performance?

    Yes. It tracks lead sources and attribution from Facebook and Google Ads.

18. Can HighLevel manage my Google reviews?

    Yes. It can request, monitor, and reply to reviews from one place.

19. Can HighLevel manage multiple businesses?

    Yes. Each business gets its own sub-account in HighLevel, all managed from one agency view.

20. Can HighLevel work on my phone?

    Yes. The LeadConnector mobile app lets you manage conversations, contacts, and appointments on the go.

Ready to Switch From Kartra to HighLevel?

Every day you stay on Kartra, you pay more as your list grows and miss leads that a real CRM, SMS, and AI would have caught. HighLevel gives you funnels, courses, email, texting, calls, calendars, reviews, and AI in one platform with unlimited contacts. Our team can help you move your contacts, funnels, courses, and automations so you can make the switch quickly and without losing momentum. Get started with HighLevel today.