ClickFunnels has evolved from a $14 million SaaS company in 2015 into a remarkable $160 million revenue powerhouse by December 2023. ClickFunnels is a sales platform that has helped create hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue and earned recognition as a non-VC-backed unicorn.
The platform’s growth tells an impressive story. Its customer base has expanded from 10,000 in 2015 to nearly 100,000 businesses today, demonstrating its significant influence in the digital marketing industry. The platform offers simple sales funnels for $97 per month, with advanced capabilities including Actionetics for follow-ups and Backpack for affiliate management.
This powerful sales platform could reshape your online business’s future. You can try it free for 14 days or evaluate its investment potential. Our comprehensive review will provide an in-depth look at everything ClickFunnels has to offer.
What Is ClickFunnels and How Does It Work?
Nine years old, ClickFunnels is a complete web-based application that works as a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform. ClickFunnels helps you build high-converting websites and sales funnels that guide potential customers through their buying journey.
1. ClickFunnels explained in simple terms.
Traditional websites often confuse visitors with too many navigation options. ClickFunnels creates streamlined, purpose-built sales pathways. The platform integrates a user-friendly interface into sales, marketing, and customer outreach. So, what is ClickFunnels? It’s an all-in-one marketing solution that helps entrepreneurs turn website visitors into paying customers.
ClickFunnels works on a simple concept. Standard websites allow visitors to leave from multiple points (e.g., About, Blog, Services pages). A sales funnel gives them just two choices: move forward or leave. This focused approach raises conversion chances to 50%.
ClickFunnels has three main parts:
(i) ClickFunnels Core: The primary system to create sales funnels and landing pages
(ii) Actionetics: Takes care of follow-up marketing and communication
(iii) Backpack: Runs affiliate marketing programs
The platform comes with a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor. Anyone can build professional, custom websites without coding skills. Each template has proven conversion rates and needs minimal changes.
2. What do businesses use for ClickFunnels?
Companies of all types use ClickFunnels in many ways. The platform automates sales by creating strategic funnels that guide prospects through each stage of the buying process. It also gathers valuable data about customer behavior.
ClickFunnels shines at:
- Building professional stores to sell physical products using templates or from scratch
- Creating online courses and membership sites that bring steady income
- Developing email marketing campaigns with tailored messages
- Setting up appointment booking systems for service businesses
- Tracking deals and managing contacts through the built-in CRM system
The platform’s analytics track funnel performance automatically. The dashboard displays key metrics, including total orders, opt-ins, page views, conversion rates, product sales, and customer data. You can also test different page versions to determine which one works best.
ClickFunnels is best suited for established businesses looking to optimize their digital marketing with advanced sales funnels. A company with solid sales might struggle to improve performance. ClickFunnels helps find bottlenecks and boost conversion rates.
Some business models get extra value from the platform. Online stores utilize sales funnels to generate leads and expand their email lists. Content creators use it to sell courses and ebooks. Coaches and consultants create funnels to generate high-quality leads. B2B companies attract qualified prospects and convince them to reach out.
ClickFunnels keeps both businesses and customers safe from identity theft and phishing. You can collect sensitive data and process payments without requiring customers to be redirected to other platforms.
The platform stands out in today’s crowded market for marketing software. It focuses on funnel building and teaches users how to use funnels strategically to drive sales. This combination of powerful tools and practical knowledge enables entrepreneurs to reshape their world and build better lives.
Core Features of ClickFunnels 2.0
ClickFunnels 2.0 is a complete rebuild of the original platform. It combines an expanded set of features to run your online business from a single location. This new version combines landing pages, automation, and content delivery into a single system. You won’t need multiple software subscriptions anymore.
1. Landing Page Builder and Templates
The platform’s core is its easy-to-use drag-and-drop page builder. Anyone can create professional-looking pages without needing to know how to code. The editor uses a logical structure of Sections, Rows, Columns, and Elements. This systematic approach enables you to match every page element with your brand’s identity.
The platform features numerous proven templates that effectively cater to various business needs. These templates look great and follow strategic design based on real conversion data. You’ll find ready-to-use templates for lead generation, webinar signups, or product launches. Each template provides a strong starting point that you can quickly adapt.
The platform also shows you how your pages look on mobile devices. This preview feature helps maintain reasonable conversion rates across all screen sizes. Mobile optimization is vital now that most people browse on their phones.
2. Sales Funnel Automation
The Automation App in ClickFunnels 2.0 takes your marketing to new heights. The system responds right away to what visitors do on your site. A visitor who signs up on your landing page triggers automatic actions, such as sending welcome emails or enrolling in a course.
The automation system works in two ways:
- Quick Actions: Simple responses that happen after one trigger
- Workflows: Complex sequences that create customized follow-ups based on user behavior
These tools connect every part of your ClickFunnels system. Everything works together, from courses to appointments to messages to keep selling while you work on other tasks.
3. Email Marketing and Workflows
ClickFunnels 2.0 matches dedicated email providers with its detailed email marketing tools. The email editor allows you to drag and drop elements, including images, buttons, social sharing tools, videos, and HTML code.
The platform’s tagging system helps you target specific audiences. You can filter your list to send relevant messages to different groups, which results in better engagement. Setting up automated workflows is straightforward with the workflow editor.
You can test different email versions right inside your workflows. Most platforms don’t offer this feature. It simplifies optimization and helps you achieve better results.
4. Course and Membership Site Hosting
The platform helps turn your knowledge into steady income through courses and membership sites. You can package your expertise into exclusive content areas. Members pay for ongoing access, which creates reliable monthly revenue without a complex setup.
Membership features give you complete control over content delivery. You choose whether to release content gradually or give instant access. The system lets you limit access to specific lessons based on members’ purchases, creating natural upgrade paths.
Course creators get better templates and built-in video hosting. Videos are optimized, cached, and secured automatically. The system tracks how students progress and engage with your content. These insights help you continually improve your courses over time.
Member dashboards show individual progress clearly. ClickFunnels 2.0 has everything needed to build and grow your knowledge business from a few to thousands of members.
ClickFunnels Pricing Plans Explained
The pricing of ClickFunnels has changed substantially since its launch. The platform has a more straightforward approach with two main pricing tiers instead of three.
1. Basic vs. Pro vs. Funnel Hacker tiers
ClickFunnels simplified its pricing model in 2024, offering two main plans: Startup at $97 per month and Pro at $297 per month. It marks a move from their earlier three-tier Basic, Pro, and Funnel Hacker plan system.
The Startup plan ($97 per month) is ideal for entrepreneurs and small businesses just getting started. This entry-level option comes packed with resilient infrastructure:
- 3 brand workspaces
- 3 team members
- Unlimited funnels, courses, and membership sites
- Unlimited contacts and pages
- Unlimited domains
Businesses looking to expand can choose the Pro plan ($297/month), which offers more capacity:
- 10 brand workspaces
- 10 team members
- All the unlimited features of the Startup plan
Both plans include tools like funnel building, website creation, email marketing, automation capabilities, and CRM functionality. The main difference lies in capacity, as you receive more brand workspaces and team members.
You can save money with annual billing. The Startup plan costs $81 per month when billed annually, saving $194 per year. The Pro plan is reduced to $248 per month with annual billing, saving $594 per year.
Legacy plans are still available for some users, with options including Basic at $147/month, Pro at $197/month, and Funnel Hacker at $497/month. These older plans are no longer available to new subscribers. They have different limits on workspaces, domains, contacts, and funnels compared to the current plans.
The most significant difference is that new plans may introduce metered billing for additional feature usage later. Legacy plans will not be affected by this change. When considering ClickFunnels pricing, it’s essential to weigh the costs and features against your specific needs.
2. ClickFunnels free trial: What’s included
You can try ClickFunnels without risk through their 14-day free trial. They also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee after your trial ends. It gives you 44 days to review the platform with no financial risk.
The trial gives you full access to all features in your chosen plan, Startup or Pro. You can test everything before spending money. Credit card information is required, but canceling before the trial ends means no charges will be incurred. This is an excellent opportunity to explore all that comes with the Clickfunnels free trial without any risk.
The free trial is a chance to:
- Build your first sales funnel from scratch
- Test the drag-and-drop editor
- Explore pre-built templates
- Set up email marketing campaigns
- Try the automation features
- Review the overall user experience
ClickFunnels lets you keep 100% of your revenue. Extra costs apply to certain features. For example, sending 1,000 emails costs $0.68, proving 1,000 emails right costs $2.50, and each integration run costs $0.01.
Payments.ai, ClickFunnels’ built-in payment processor, charges 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction and an additional 0.5% for subscriptions. Using other payment gateways incurs a 1% fee in addition to their standard processing charges.
Online reviews suggest that the Startup plan is well-suited for solopreneurs and small teams. Growing businesses often find the $ 297-per-month Pro plan too expensive. Use your trial period to carefully review your needs before selecting a plan. For those unsure, a ClickFunnels demo can offer a closer look at how the platform works, allowing you to make informed decisions.
Who Should Use ClickFunnels?
“Put your heart and soul into the things you do. Stay up late nights, wake up early mornings, and put everything into your art.” — Russell Brunson, Co-founder and CEO of ClickFunnels, a leading authority in sales funnels and digital marketing.
To determine if ClickFunnels meets your business needs, it’s essential to understand who derives the most value from its features. The platform works great for some business models and growth stages, but it is not the perfect fit for everyone.
1. Best use cases for creators and coaches
Coaches and consultants find ClickFunnels extremely useful. The platform helps capture leads through well-designed funnels that offer valuable resources, such as e-books or video series, in exchange for email addresses. This automated system saves the time you’d typically spend chasing potential clients.
Studies show that 80% of small businesses increase customer acquisition by automating their lead generation. Coaches who use ClickFunnels benefit from:
- Pre-made templates built for high-ticket coaching services that sell course spots or in-person sessions automatically
- Personalized funnels that use buyer data to connect with prospects personally
- Email marketing integration that builds relationships with potential clients through automated sequences
A significant advantage for coaching businesses is that ClickFunnels combines various conversion funnel components into a seamless experience. It helps coaches serve their current clients while maintaining a full pipeline of new prospects.
Online course creators appreciate the platform’s comprehensive tools for marketing, selling, and delivering their knowledge products. The dedicated course-building features enable you to create and manage premium content, including options such as ‘drip’ scheduling, which releases modules on specific dates. It keeps members engaged and prevents them from feeling overwhelmed.
2. Is ClickFunnels worth it for small businesses?
Small businesses must assess their growth stage and business model to determine if ClickFunnels is a worthwhile investment. Forbes Advisor states that ClickFunnels is best suited for “more established businesses looking to optimize and more effectively automate their digital marketing through advanced sales funnels.”
The platform works best for businesses with good sales but want to improve their performance. You’ll get the most value when you have:
- A 2-year-old contact list
- Sizable web traffic
- Products or services that fit the market
Startups find ClickFunnels’ flexibility helpful. You can test different business models without hiring expensive developers or changing your infrastructure. It comes in handy when you need to adjust your approach quickly based on market feedback.
E-commerce businesses can justify the investment despite the initial time commitment. The platform centralizes operations, saving time and money in the long run. The complete analytics dashboard becomes increasingly valuable as your business grows, providing essential metrics such as conversion rates, opt-ins, and customer acquisition.
ClickFunnels helps many businesses, but it may not be the best fit for those just starting out. The cost and learning curve can be too much when you’re still building your market presence. Research shows that it’s not the ideal solution for the average small business or startup in its early stages.
The platform’s 14-day free trial allows you to determine if its features meet your business needs before committing financially. Consider your current sales volume, the time available to learn the platform, the size of your existing customer base, and your growth goals to determine if ClickFunnels is worth your investment.
ClickFunnels in Action: Real Use Cases
Real-life applications demonstrate how ClickFunnels extends beyond theoretical features. Over 27,000 paying users create success stories daily, and the platform has helped sell to more than 5.2 million people.
1. Selling digital products and courses
Course creators use ClickFunnels to turn their knowledge into profitable digital assets. Proofread Anywhere generates approximately $200,000 per month through its ClickFunnels-powered course. Modern Producers earns $120,000 monthly, and Lost Empire Herbs brings in $320,000 monthly.
A course creator shared, “Using Funnel Scripts and The Perfect Webinar, in two weeks, we will be debt-free… You guys are truly changing lives.” This success shows why knowledge entrepreneurs have made ClickFunnels their go-to platform.
The platform efficiently handles the entire course sales process. Peng Joon, a renowned internet marketing expert, developed his Content Multiplier Formula and Internet Income Intensive courses using ClickFunnels. His funnels have generated over $10 million in sales.
ClickFunnels makes course delivery simple through the following:
- Membership site functionality that keeps course content secure
- Automated email sequences that boost student engagement
- Upsell opportunities are placed strategically in the funnel
- Payment processing that handles transactions smoothly
Course creators often see their conversion rates double compared to traditional websites. One user noted, “I used to get a 33% email opt-in rate with Leadpages. Now, I’m getting a 60% email opt-in rate with ClickFunnels double the rate.”
2. Lead generation for service businesses
Service-based businesses use ClickFunnels to capture and nurture qualified leads. Combined with a clever funnel design, this approach makes prospecting systematic rather than random.
Service business funnels follow simple but powerful structures. Application funnels use the “Squeeze page, Application page, Thank You page” format, while lead generation squeeze funnels follow the “Squeeze page, Thank You page” Automated follow-up sequences then guide these leads toward conversion.
Real estate professionals show how ClickFunnels solves industry-specific challenges. Successful agents replace inconsistent lead-generation methods with systematic funnels that capture contact details in exchange for valuable resources.
ClickFunnels helps service businesses qualify prospects through strategic question sequences. Some businesses ask questions one at a time, rather than all at once, which helps build rapport while collecting vital information.
Local businesses have seen impressive results. Cave Tools generates $333,000 monthly revenue with ClickFunnels. Dundas Valley makes $8,000 monthly, and Grow Your Agency earns $120,000 monthly.
ClickFunnels gives service businesses complete visibility into their marketing performance. This data-driven approach enables them to optimize continuously by analyzing conversion rates, testing various approaches, and refining their messaging to enhance results.
ClickFunnels Performance and User Experience
A platform’s performance and user experience matter more than its feature list. The evaluation of ClickFunnels beyond marketing claims focuses on two key aspects.
1. Speed and reliability of the platform
The ClickFunnels Analytics system provides immediate data updates. You’ll always have the latest information available to make decisions. The dashboard enables businesses to track orders, opt-ins, page views, and conversion rates from a single, central location.
Speed remains a persistent challenge, as indicated by multiple sources. Users often report that ClickFunnels pages load slowly. This slow loading substantially affects both user experience and conversion potential. Research indicates that approximately 47% of visitors expect a page to load within 2 seconds. Almost half of visitors will leave a site that takes more than 3 seconds to load.
These performance issues make several optimization strategies essential:
- Optimizing images through compression tools like TinyPNG
- Minimizing third-party scripts that add additional HTTP requests
- Using a content delivery network (CDN) to cache content
- Removing unnecessary scripts and plugins
- Choosing reliable hosting providers with fast loading speeds
The Analytics Overview Dashboard shows valuable performance trends over time. Users sometimes need to reload pages multiple times to see this data. Its reload requirement affects workflow efficiency, especially during time-sensitive campaigns.
2. Ease of use for beginners
ClickFunnels appears straightforward at first glance. The platform’s drag-and-drop functionality lets non-technical users build landing pages and sales funnels. This ease of use stands out as one of its most significant advantages. Marketing materials highlight that you have “no PhD in data science required.”
The user experience proves more complex in practice. The drag-and-drop website builder enables quick creation. Yet many sources describe a “steep learning curve” that takes time to master. It creates an interesting situation. Many users say they “don’t particularly like ClickFunnels, but stick with it anyway because they don’t want to have to rebuild all of the work they put into it.”
The platform features built-in guides, comprising nearly 1,000 in-depth articles with accompanying video and written instructions. These resources become essential because the interface works differently from other content management systems. For instance, redirects are displayed in a standalone section instead of individual web pages. This setup confuses users who are familiar with other platforms.
User opinions about ease of use vary greatly. Some reviews say “navigation and asset creation are very intuitive.” Others describe the platform as “very clunky” with text formatting issues and inconsistent behavior. These different experiences likely come from varied technical backgrounds and expectations.
The free trial period offers an excellent opportunity to test the platform thoroughly. Pay attention to loading speeds and workflow efficiency with your specific funnel needs.
ClickFunnels vs Alternatives: How It Compares
Businesses need to understand the key differences between sales and marketing platforms. Compare ClickFunnels to its major competitors in terms of functionality, pricing, and ideal use cases.
1. ClickFunnels vs. Leadpages and Instapage
The primary difference between ClickFunnels and Leadpages lies in their core purpose. Leadpages builds landing pages, while ClickFunnels creates complete sales funnels. A landing page serves as a single conversion point, while a sales funnel guides prospects through a strategic experience toward a purchase.
The pricing shows how these platforms approach things differently. Leadpages costs $37 per month for its Standard plan, making it more affordable than ClickFunnels’ $97 per month Startup plan. This price gap shows their different capabilities. Leadpages offers standalone page creation that serves businesses needing quick, simple landing pages to complement their existing websites.
Instapage positions itself as a specialized landing page solution with strong optimization tools. Its best features include:
- Advanced A/B testing and heatmaps for conversion optimization
- Sophisticated personalization through dynamic text replacement
- Live collaboration tools for marketing teams
Instapage’s pages load quickly, which helps solve a performance issue that some users notice with ClickFunnels.
2. ClickFunnels vs. Kartra and Kajabi
Kartra is an all-inclusive marketing platform, often referred to as a “jack-of-all-trades” solution. ClickFunnels stays focused on building high-converting sales funnels. It creates the most significant difference between these platforms – one specializes while the other diversifies.
Kartra gives businesses more specialized features. These include SMS integration, calendar functionality, funnel simulation, and live analytics, which ClickFunnels does not offer. These extra capabilities help marketers who want deeper personalization and informed strategies.
Kajabi stands out by focusing on delivering high-quality content. ClickFunnels excels at creating sales pathways, but Kajabi helps creators build and sell digital products. You can see this difference in how each platform works:
- Kajabi’s design supports content delivery for digital entrepreneurs
- ClickFunnels focuses on funnels optimized for conversion
Kajabi serves knowledge entrepreneurs who care about course creation and community building. ClickFunnels is better suited for businesses that require advanced funnel marketing.
Each platform serves different business needs best. ClickFunnels excels in sales optimization, while Leadpages/Instapage specializes in landing page creation. Kartra is an all-in-one marketing platform, and Kajabi focuses on digital content creation.
ClickFunnels Pros and Cons
Software evaluation requires balancing strong points against weak ones. A comprehensive view of ClickFunnels reveals its strengths and weaknesses.
1. Top advantages of using ClickFunnels
The platform’s greatest strength lies in its comprehensive approach. ClickFunnels is an all-in-one marketing solution that removes the need for multiple tools. Everything works naturally together right from the start.
ClickFunnels offers conversion-optimized templates backed by user data. Data from over 100,000 users helped refine these templates to get the best results based on ground performance. Business owners save time by skipping the trial-and-error phase.
The customer support team stands out as another bright spot. Users praise the speed at which the support staff responds to their needs. One customer said, “ClickFunnels isn’t just software; it’s a team of people who truly care about your success.” Reviews across many platforms echo this sentiment.
2. Limitations and common complaints
ClickFunnels has several challenges to consider, despite its features. The primary issue is speed; many users report experiencing slow loading times. It directly affects conversion rates since half of all visitors leave sites that take more than 3 seconds to load.
The software takes longer to learn than advertised. Reviews indicate that users require a significant amount of time to become proficient with the system. Some people only use it because they have already invested a significant amount of effort into building their funnels.
Cost remains a sticking point. The minimum $97 monthly fee makes ClickFunnels too expensive for smaller businesses. Long-term costs add up quickly compared to Leadpages’ $49 monthly fee or ThriveCart’s one-time $885 fee.
Technical problems occasionally arise. Users report software bugs, text formatting issues, and unpredictable behavior. Businesses that require reliable software should consider their options carefully before committing.
Conclusion
ClickFunnels is a powerful tool you must consider carefully before jumping in. The platform’s $160 million in revenue and 100,000 users demonstrate its effectiveness, but your success ultimately depends on how well it aligns with your business goals and needs. So, what is ClickFunnels? It’s a platform designed to streamline sales processes, but small businesses might consider other options due to the steep learning curve and monthly costs.
However, companies ready to improve their sales funnels will find value in ClickFunnels’ detailed features. This is especially true for course creators and service providers. The platform does what matters: it turns visitors into customers through tested, analytical insights. Despite some performance hiccups, ClickFunnels stays ahead in the sales funnel market through continuous development and reliable support.
Your final choice should be based on how much time you can dedicate to learning the platform, a budget that aligns with your current revenue, and how well it integrates with your business model. People who push through the original challenges often see ClickFunnels as a great way to achieve steady business growth.
