ClickFunnels builds sales funnels — the sequence of pages that takes someone from first click to completed purchase. Landing page, order form, upsell, thank-you page, all stitched together and tracked.
It invented this category, more or less. When Russell Brunson launched it in 2014, the idea of a dedicated funnel builder was new. Before that, you cobbled together a landing page tool, a shopping cart, an email system, and hoped they talked to each other. ClickFunnels put it in one place.
I’ve been using and recommending it since the early days — long enough to have seen what it does well and where it falls short. Here’s the honest version.
ClickFunnels 2.0: what’s changed
The original product was a funnel builder. ClickFunnels 2.0 — launched in 2022 and developed heavily since — is a different proposition. It’s now a full business platform: funnels, website, blog, email marketing, courses, membership sites, community, CRM, store, automations, A/B testing, analytics. The scope has expanded significantly.
The core editor has been rebuilt. The original ClickFunnels had a functional but clunky drag-and-drop builder. Version 2.0 is cleaner and more modern.
More importantly, email marketing is now built in on every plan. Previously you’d pay for ClickFunnels and then separately for an email tool like AWeber or ActiveCampaign. That double cost was a genuine drawback. Now email sequences, broadcasts and automations are all inside the platform.
Courses and community features are also included — so if you’re selling coaching, training or a membership, you don’t need a separate tool like Teachable or Kajabi.
The honest caveat: I haven’t used ClickFunnels 2.0 as extensively as I used Classic. The platform has grown substantially and I’m working from the published feature set as well as my history with the tool. What I can tell you from that history is that ClickFunnels builds converting funnels. That hasn’t changed.
What it costs
No free plan. The entry tier — Launch — is $97 a month, or $81/month billed annually. That covers unlimited funnels (currently), 10K contacts, email marketing, 3 courses, and 5 custom domains. Two team members are included.
The Scale plan at $197/month (or $164/month annually) adds more contacts, more courses, priority support, the custom code editor, webhooks and API access, and up to 5 workspaces. This is the most popular tier and the one I’d point serious funnel builders to.
Optimize at $297/month adds the affiliate centre — yes, you need the top plan to run your own affiliate programme through ClickFunnels. If that’s important to you, factor it in.
There’s a 14-day free trial, and they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Who ClickFunnels is right for
ClickFunnels earns its keep for a specific type of person. If you’re running paid traffic to an offer that converts, selling courses or coaching at a meaningful volume, or building complex multi-step funnels with upsells and conditional logic — this is the best tool for it. The templates are battle-tested, the community is huge, the training through FunnelFlix is extensive, and when you’re making good money from your funnels, $97 to $197 a month is a rounding error.
I’ve seen what it can do when it’s set up properly and used consistently. The results justify the cost at that level.
If you’re a beginner who hasn’t yet validated an offer, or you’re testing ideas and not yet generating revenue — the $97/month entry price is a real barrier. You’re paying $1,164 a year to learn on a platform before you know whether your offer works.
If the price is the sticking point: Systeme.io
I also recommend Systeme.io, and I’ll tell you why without pretending it’s the same product.
Systeme.io has a genuine free plan — not a crippled trial, an actual usable free plan — that includes funnels, email marketing, a website, and basic courses. When you’re starting out and haven’t made your first sale yet, building your first funnel for free and validating the idea before spending $97/month is the sensible approach.
The funnel builder isn’t as polished as ClickFunnels. The template library is smaller. The community isn’t comparable. But it works, and it works without a monthly commitment while you’re finding your feet.
Once you outgrow it — once you’re running real volume and the limitations start showing — that’s the moment to look seriously at ClickFunnels.
The honest summary
ClickFunnels is genuinely good at what it does. Version 2.0 has made it substantially more capable — it’s now a platform that can replace several tools, not just a funnel builder. For anyone serious about building an online business around courses, coaching, or digital products, and who has the revenue to justify the cost, it’s the market leader for a reason.
Try ClickFunnels free for 14 days
If you’re not ready for the monthly cost yet, start with Systeme.io’s free plan and come back to this when you’ve made your first sales.
Affiliate disclosure: I earn commission on both ClickFunnels and Systeme.io referrals. I’ve used both. This review reflects my honest assessment of each.