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How to Migrate from Kajabi to Circle.so in 2026: Steps, Tools & Tips

How to Migrate from Kajabi to Circle.so in 2026: Steps, Tools & Tips

Plan a Kajabi-to-Circle migration with current service eligibility, course backups, member access, payment checks, and an onboarding test.

4 minutes to read

To migrate from Kajabi to Circle, plan course content, access permissions, payments, and communications separately. First check which migration services your account qualifies for, then test a member's journey before closing Kajabi. A contact export alone does not transfer subscriptions or passwords.

Why Migrate from Kajabi to Circle?

Choose your destination from the experience you need to deliver. List the courses, discussions, live sessions, payments, and email journeys your business depends on. Test a representative example before deciding that moving will simplify the setup.

Use our Kajabi and Circle comparison to structure the decision. A platform change creates work of its own, so name the specific problem you expect it to solve and how you will check the result.

Step 1: Audit Your Kajabi Setup

Start by reviewing what you currently have on Kajabi. Look at:

  • Courses and lessons
  • Email automations
  • Landing pages
  • Community spaces
  • User data (members, customers, email subscribers)

Create a list of what you’ll need to move, and what you might leave behind. (Not everything needs to be migrated)

Tip: Use this as a chance to organize things. If something isn’t performing or being used, now is a great time to let it go.

Step 2: Outline Your New Circle Structure

Circle isn’t just a Kajabi replacement, it works differently.

In Circle, everything revolves around Spaces, which are like channels or rooms for different topics, events, or groups. Think of it like Slack meets Facebook Groups, but cleaner.

Here’s how to start planning:

  • What content will go in which Spaces?
  • Will you have different Spaces for free vs. paid members?
  • How will you organize events, announcements, or private discussions?

Circle lets you build spaces for courses, cohorts, Q&A forums, feedback rooms, or networking. You can even make them public, private, or secret depending on your community structure.

Step 3: Export Your Kajabi Content

Start with backups of source files, attachments, and lesson text. Also keep a list of products and the access permissions associated with members.

As checked on October 29, 2026, Circle's official course migration service handles course structure and content for eligible accounts. It is offered without a service charge on Business annual and Circle Plus. Ask Circle to confirm the accepted scope, particularly quizzes and custom code.

For a manual migration, rebuild one pilot course and compare it with the source before copying the whole catalog. Check videos, downloads, links, and instructions from a learner account.

Step 4: Set Up Circle.so

Once your plan is ready, it’s time to build your new Circle community.

Here’s a quick setup checklist:

  • Choose your community name and custom domain
  • Set up your branding (colors, logo, fonts)
  • Create your Spaces and organize them into Collections
  • Embed your videos, documents, or course modules
  • Configure access levels (free, paid, cohort-based)
  • Set up payment gateways if you're charging for access (via Stripe)

Pro Tip: Circle has templates for communities, courses, masterminds, and more, great for saving time when starting from scratch.

Step 5: Migrate Your Members

You’ve built the space, now it’s time to invite your people in.

For free communities:

  • Send a welcome email to your Kajabi list with a personal note and join link.
  • Let them know what’s new, what’s coming, and why this move benefits them.

For paid members:

Separate course access from billing. Inviting a member to Circle does not move their recurring charge. Confirm how each subscription and installment plan will be handled before changing the old system.

Circle offers an eligibility-based payment migration service separately from course migration. Request a plan for your payment provider. Check a pilot account's next renewal, amount, and access, then reconcile the records for duplicate billing.

Step 6: Set Up Automations and Integrations

List the messages and actions that depend on Kajabi: welcome, assignment follow-up, access expiry, payment reminders, and marketing campaigns. Rebuild the required triggers in your destination tools and test them with a pilot account.

Check the capabilities included in your current plan and chosen email setup. Preserve subscription preferences and unsubscribes. Stop the old trigger only after verifying the new one so members do not receive duplicate messages.

Use the onboarding checklist and email templates to explain the new login and first assignment.

Step 7: Announce and Launch

Your final step is to go public.

Here’s a simple rollout strategy:

  1. Tease the move: Let your audience know something exciting is coming.
  2. Explain the benefits: Why is this new platform better for them?
  3. Walk them through it: Share a welcome video or onboarding post.
  4. Collect feedback: Make it easy for users to tell you what’s working, and what’s not.

Tip: Host a live welcome event or Q&A in Circle to make the launch feel personal and interactive.

Common Questions

Do members need new passwords? Prepare the invitation or activation flow for your destination setup. Do not promise that old credentials will work until you have tested the actual journey.

Can I close Kajabi after copying the videos? First verify paid access, upcoming renewals, communications, redirects for pages you control, and backups. Set the closure date from those checks.

How do I choose before moving? Use our Kajabi and Circle comparison to review requirements, then test the exact experience you sell.

Conclusion

Moving from Kajabi to Circle might feel overwhelming at first, but it’s actually a chance to rethink your community and make it better. You’re moving from an all-in-one platform to one that does community and connection extremely well.

Take your time, start small, and stay in touch with your audience every step of the way.

Stephen Edegbo

Stephen Edegbo

Content writer at SchoolMaker.

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