Leadpages and ClickFunnels are two of the most talked-about marketing systems available, but which one has the right tools and features for your business?
ClickFunnels and Leadpages often get lumped together as being the same kind of marketing software, and while there are some similarities, there are also several major differences.
Let’s start with the biggest: ClickFunnels is for building sales funnels, and Leadpages is for building landing pages. You can grow your email list and sell products with both, but I want to share some more nuances before you let that be the deciding factor.
Today, you’re going to learn how funnels and landing pages are different, what that means for your business, how Leadpages vs ClickFunnels compares, pricing differences, pros & cons, and more.
ClickFunnels vs Leadpages | My Completely Unbiased Comparison
Quick Links
- Landing page vs. sales funnel
- What is a landing page?
- What is a sales funnel?
- What is ClickFunnels?
- ClickFunnels features
- Funnel builder
- Email autoresponders
- Payment gateways
- Funnel Hackers Cookbook
- ClickFunnels Actionetics/Follow-Ups
- ClickFunnels Backpack
- More ClickFunnels features
- How much is ClickFunnels?
- What is Leadpages?
- Leadpages features
- Leadpages website and page builder
- Pop-up builder
- Alert bars
- Leadpages checkouts
- Opt-in text messages
- Email trigger links
- More Leadpages features
- How much does Leadpages cost?
- ClickFunnels vs Leadpages: What you can do with the software
- Leadpages vs ClickFunnels: Cost
- Visiting ClickFunnels vs Leadpages
- Pros and cons of ClickFunnels
- Pros and cons of Leadpages
- ClickFunnels vs Leadpages – the final word
Landing page vs. sales funnel
I think it’s important to start with some of the basics because this is such a fundamental difference between the Leadpages and ClickFunnels.
One is for building sales funnels, while the other is for building landing pages. And if you’re new to marketing, you’re probably wondering what the heck I’m talking about.
What is a landing page?
Landing pages are standalone web pages. It’s where a user lands when they click on a link coming from a Facebook ad, Google search results, email, social media posts, etc.
These standalone pages can do a lot of different things, like be used as:
- Simple website for a business
- An email opt-in page where you can collect email addresses and grow your list
- Sales page where you persuade visitors to purchase your product, sign up for your webinar, join your online course, etc.
- Checkout page where payments are processed
- Thank you pages after someone has made a purchase
A good marketer will be able to connect all of these pages together and use them in a cohesive strategy. Which brings us to the next one…
What is a sales funnel?
A funnel is the strategy – it’s a series of landing pages and emails that are designed to guide people through the process of buying your product or signing up for your service.
Sales funnels have three parts:
- Stage 1 – Awareness: You’re introducing your business to prospective customers and working on capturing their email address.
- Stage 2 – Engagement: You start warming your leads up, telling them more about who you are and how you can help them. This might include emails, a free mini-course, webinar, sales pages, etc.
- Stage 3 – Conversion: This is where your leads are expressing real interest in your products and are getting ready to buy.
They’re called funnels because you lose people in the process, from casting a wide net in the first stage and losing some people along the way. That’s completely normal and part of the process.
Sales funnels are set up to build and nurture relationships.
What is ClickFunnels?
ClickFunnels is a marketing software that you can use to build sales funnels and landing pages. You can build them on your own or you can use one of their many free templates and customize it for your business.
The templates are one of the most appealing parts of using ClickFunnels because you don’t have to create individual landing pages and order them together and add email sequences. You basically select a template, customize it to look the way you want, and plug in your information.
You don’t need to know how to code or have advanced marketing experience – all of that is baked into the ClickFunnels platform.
ClickFunnels features
Funnel builder
You can build funnels from scratch with a drag and drop editor, or pick one of about 40 different ClickFunnels templates. If you’re using a template, you can click on any of the components on the page – title, subtitle, video, call-to-action (CTA), opt-in box, etc. – to make edits. Here’s an example below:
There are templates for sales letters, product launches, 2-step tripwire funnels, membership funnels, invisible funnel, squeeze funnel, homepage, bridge funnel, lead magnet funnel, and a survey funnel.
Email autoresponders
These are triggered emails that go out after a user completes a certain action on one of your pages, like signing up for your email list, declining an offer, accepting an offer, etc. ClickFunnels has built-in autoresponders that you can set up, or you can integrate a third-party email service.
Payment gateways
Gateways are where your prospective customer converts into a paying customer, meaning this is where you accept and process payments. ClickFunnels has you integrate a third-party provider like Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, Android Pay, JVZoo, Warrior Plus, and more.
Funnel Hackers Cookbook
The Cookbook is a resource that teaches you how to use and get the most out of ClickFunnels. It breaks down 22 different funnels and gives you step-by-step instructions for using them.
ClickFunnels Actionetics/Follow-Ups
Actionetics is ClickFunnels’s native email system that helps you track leads as they enter your funnel so you can create more targeted emails. You’ll get to know your leads’ behavior and needs, and that allows you to segment your list and send more specific follow-up emails.
Emails are sent through your ClickFunnels account.
ClickFunnels Backpack
Backpack is for creating and managing an affiliate program for your products. You can set up and manage your commission plans and run analytics on your affiliates.
More ClickFunnels features
- Custom domain hosting: Register a new domain name or use a domain you already own.
- A/B split testing: Optimize your pages by testing two different sales pages against one another to see which performs best.
- Email integrations: Integrations for AWeber, MailChimp, ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign, etc., and more.
- Share your funnels: You can build funnels and sell them to create a passive stream of income.
- WordPress plug-in: If you have a WordPress blog or website, the plug-in makes it easier to show your funnel pages on your blow.
How much is ClickFunnels?
ClickFunnels has two options: The Basic plan for $97/month and the Platinum plan for $297/month, and both come with a 14-day free trial. Here’s how ClickFunnels price breaks down by features:
Basic
- Build up to 20 funnels
- Create up to 100 pages
- 1 user
- 3 payment gateways
- 3 domains
- Chat support
Platinum
- Build unlimited funnels
- Unlimited pages
- Up to 3 users
- 9 payment gateways
- 9 domains
- Unlimited follow-up funnels
- Priority support
- Weekly peer review hackathons (build funnels as a coach guides you through the process)
Both give you access to the Funnel Hacker Forum, where you can connect with other people who are building sales funnels to learn what does and doesn’t work. They also come with Funnel Fix, which is online courses and training. You’ll get more training hours and advanced courses with Platinum.
There’s also a third plan called the Two Comma Club, but most side hustlers aren’t going to need it, especially when they’re just starting out. It comes with even more users, payment gateways, domain names, and phone support. It’s significantly more expensive at $2,497/month.
What is Leadpages?
Leadpages is a landing page builder. You’ll get tools and features to help you create pages that are built for selling, including things like pop-ups, alert bars, opt-ins, and more. You can also build websites with Leadpages.
Leadpages is pretty well known for beautiful landing pages. Read any review of the product, and you’ll hear that over and over again. They look professionally designed, but you don’t need any web design or coding experience.
You can start from scratch with a drag and drop editor, or you can use one of Leadpages’s many templates and customize it for your business.
Leadpages features
Leadpages website and page builder
You can build both webpages and stand-alone landing pages on Leadpages. All of the templates are fully customizable, and there’s a drag and drop editor if you want to start from scratch or add specific page components, like:
- Opt-ins
- Countdown timers
- Video players
- Calendly scheduler
- OpenTable reservation widget
If you want an idea of the kind of templates available, check here and here. Beautiful, right?
All of the templates are mobile-responsive with built-in SEO. The landing pages have built-in conversion guidance – Leadpages predicts how your page will perform before you publish, giving you a chance to make adjustments.
Pop-up builder
Collect email addresses and other information about your potential customers with pop-ups that are behavior or trigger-based. The email addresses go straight to your email service provider. Some of the triggers include:
- Trigger events: If a visitor on your site clicks on a certain button, image, or link.
- Time delays: After a certain amount of time passes or when a visitor has viewed a set number of web pages.
- Exit-intent: If it looks like a visitor is about to leave your site (moves their mouse towards the exit button).
Alert bars
These go at the top of a page to announce sales, coupon codes, collect email addresses, drive traffic to landing pages, and more. They’re a simple, yet effective component.
Leadpages checkouts
Checkouts are where you collect payments and deliver your product. Leadpages uses Stripe on its checkouts to accept all major credit cards. You can process refunds, accept recurring payments for services or subscriptions, and add third-party integrations for your ESP or CRM (customer relationship management).
Checkout widgets can be added to any kind of webpage or opt-in.
Opt-in text messages
This is a feature that can help you engage users out in the real world (offline). For example, you could put up a flyer, hand out business cards, or announce at some kind of event that people can text to get a coupon code or discount.
You’ll create a unique keyword and are given a 5-digit phone number, and you just need to create the offer and text that goes along with it.
It can be as simple as text “COACH” to 56789 to receive 25% off your next virtual training session.
Email trigger links
Trigger links are special links made for people who are already on your email list. They can collect new offers or sign up for things without having to re-enter their email address, and this feature is good for re-engagement.
More Leadpages features:
- A/B split testing: Test two versions of a landing page to see which one converts at a higher rate.
- WordPress plug-in: This plug-in makes it easy to add pages you create on Leadpages to your WordPress blog.
- Third-party Integrations: AWeber, ActiveCampaign, Infusionsoft, Drip, Hubspot, MailChimp, Constant Contact, ConvertKid, Salesforce, and more.
- Custom domain names: Register a new domain to host your pages or connect your pages to an existing domain.
How much does Leadpages cost?
Leadpages has three different options for pricing, and they all come with a 14-day free trial. The prices below are based on annual billing.
Each plan comes with landing pages, pop-ups, and alert bars. There are no limits on traffic or leads. Paying annually comes with free custom domains. You get free hosting, 40+ standard integrations, lead notifications, and mobile-responsive templates.
Here’s how all of the plans are different:
Advanced
- Up to 50 sites
- Priority phone tech support
- Online sales and payments
- Unlimited A/B split testing
- Email trigger links
- 60 opt-in text campaigns
- Advanced integrations
- 5 Pro sub-accounts
- 1-on-1 quick start call
Pro
- 3 sites
- Tech support via chat & email
- Online sales and payments
- Unlimited A/B split testing
- Email trigger links
- 10 opt-in campaigns
Standard
- 1 site
- Tech support via email
ClickFunnels vs Leadpages: What you can do with the software
If it wasn’t clear from the beginning of this article, one of the major differences between Clickfunnels vs Leadpages is that one is for building pages while the other is for building funnels.
And if you’re wondering, “Why is ClickFunnels so expensive?” It’s because of the functionality.
ClickFunnels is a contained system. Leadpages are pieces of the system.
ClickFunnels has sales funnels and a native email system. You’ll get the most out of its email system if you opt for Platinum.
Now, all of that doesn’t mean that ClickFunnels is necessarily better than Leadpages. Leadpages has some of the most stunning and professionally designed landing page templates out there. And you can 100% sell products with pages you create on LeadPages.
Leadpages also has something that ClickFunnels doesn’t – the opt-in text feature. You’ll need a Pro or Advanced account to use it, but opt-in texts are unique to Leadpages.
If you do decide to try Leadpages, I recommend checking out ConvertKit as your ESP. It’s free for your first 1,000 subscribers, and you can learn more about it in my ConvertKit review.
Leadpages vs ClickFunnels: Cost
Price is a major, major consideration when deciding between these two marketing options. Leadpages is significantly less expensive than ClickFunnels. Here’s how their prices compare when you bill annually:
- LeadPages: $25/month, $48/month, $199/month
- ClickFunnels: $97/month and $297/month
If cost is a factor, I definitely recommend Leadpages. It’s Pro Plan at $48/month still has robust features for building landing pages and running your marketing campaigns. And if that was still too much, you can choose the lowest priced option and still create unlimited pages, pop-ups, alert bars, and more.
Just remember to factor in the cost of your email service provider, too!
If price isn’t a concern or you want to create a system for selling high-dollar products like courses or access to membership sites, ClickFunnels may be worth the investment.
Visiting ClickFunnels vs Leadpages
This is going to sound really minor to some people, but it will be one of the most immediately noticeable differences when you go to either site – ClickFunnels feels like a sales page, while Leadpages looks like a beautiful website.
Try clicking on both links – it’s kind of shocking, right?
Information about all of Leadpages features and pricing is much more accessible than what you get from ClickFunnels. You’ll notice that pretty quickly too if you do much clicking around.
I think you could look at this two ways: One, you get frustrated with ClickFunnels because the information you want is buried on the site. Or you realize what ClickFunnels is doing – they’re selling you.
Leadpages lays it out for you, but ClickFunnels sells you. That might feel frustrating, but isn’t that the purpose of buying software that you’ll be using to sell a product?
I don’t think this should be a deal-breaker for anyone, because you can sell products with Leadpages (and lots of people do), but it’s a big enough difference that it’s worth pointing out.
Pros and cons of ClickFunnels
Pros
- Easily create full sales funnels
- Dozens of customizable templates
- Opportunity to you build your own affiliate program
- Built-in email service
Cons
- More expensive without any kind of budget option
- Landing pages can look clunkier compared to Leadpages’s options
Pros and cons of Leadpages
Pros
- Affordable pricing
- Create beautiful pages with little customization
- Over 160 different landing page and website templates
- Opt-in texts are a unique feature
Cons
- You don’t get complete sales funnels
- No native email service
ClickFunnels vs Leadpages – the final word
I’m about to disappoint you if you were coming here looking for a definitive, “This service is better than the other…” They both have their merits, and both have downsides.
So, here’s the best I can do to decide for you:
- If you want affordable simplicity, go with Leadpages.
- If you want a complete marketing system, go with ClickFunnels.
Listen, either one will help you get your message out to new customers so you can start selling products and grow your business. And the reality is that this kind of software is practically a necessity when you’re selling online.
Check out both sites, read some more reviews and comparisons, and then make a decision. Don’t let deciding between these two platforms be the thing that keeps you from really getting to work.