The $427\/Month Migration That Changed Everything: Why I Switched to Systeme.io (And Never Looked Back)

Signed up for the free account. No credit card required.

"Okay, that's already better than most platforms," I thought.

The dashboard loaded.

Clean. Simple. Not overwhelming.

I could see:

• Funnels

• Email campaigns

• Contacts

• Automation rules

• Courses

• Blog

• Affiliate program

All in ONE place.

I started with a simple test: Build the same funnel I had in ClickFunnels.

In ClickFunnels: Took me 6 hours originally (plus template purchase)

In Systeme.io: 47 minutes

Forty. Seven. Minutes.

From scratch.

Why so fast?

• Drag-and-drop actually worked intuitively

• Templates were included (free!)

• No integrations needed (email built-in)

• Mobile responsive by default

• No code required

I published it. Tested it. Sent it to my wife.

"Does this look professional?" I asked.

She clicked through, opted in, received the email automatically.

"This works better than your current one," she said.

Day 1 verdict: This might actually work.

I exported 847 contacts from ActiveCampaign (my entire list at the time).

Imported them to Systeme.io.

2 minutes. Done.

Then I rebuilt my welcome sequence:

In ActiveCampaign: Required 27 different elements (tags, automations, conditions, branches)
In Systeme.io: Required 1 automation rule with 5 emails

The logic was simpler:

• Someone subscribes → enters automation

• Receives Email 1 → waits 2 days

• Receives Email 2 → waits 2 days

• And so on...

No tags. No complex branches. No lead scoring. No NASA control panel.

Just... simple.

I tested it: Subscribed with a test email. Watched the sequence work perfectly.

Day 3 verdict: Why was I making this so complicated before?

This was my biggest concern.

I had a course in Kajabi. Moving courses is usually a nightmare.

In Systeme.io:

• Created new course (clicked "Courses")

• Added modules (simple interface)

• Uploaded videos (drag and drop)

• Added PDFs and resources

• Set up drip schedule

• Customized access rules

Total time: 2 hours (mostly uploading videos).

The interface was straightforward:

• No bloat

• No confusion

• No "where the hell is that setting?" moments

My test student (wife again) went through the first module:

"This looks great. Cleaner than your Kajabi site, actually."

Day 5 verdict: I can absolutely migrate everything.

Here's where it got interesting.

I tried to set up integrations... and realized I didn't need them.

Why?

Because everything was already integrated. Because it was the same platform.

Someone subscribes through my funnel?
→ Automatically in my email list
→ Automatically can be added to automations
→ Automatically tracked in the dashboard

Someone buys my course?
→ Automatically enrolled
→ Automatically gets access
→ Automatically receives confirmation email
→ Automatically tagged as customer

No Zapier. No webhooks. No integration failures. No troubleshooting.

It just... worked.

Day 7 verdict: This is what "all-in-one" should actually mean.

I didn't expect Systeme.io to have webinar functionality.

But it did.

Built-in. Included. No extra cost.

I scheduled a test webinar. Invited some friends. Ran through the features:

• Live streaming (via YouTube/Facebook integration)

• Replay automation

• Registration pages

• Reminder emails

• Countdown timers

• Offer presentations

Was it as feature-rich as standalone webinar platforms?

Honestly? No.

Did it do everything I actually needed for my business?

Yes.

Day 10 verdict: I can eliminate another platform.

I sat down and did the math:

Current monthly costs:

• ClickFunnels: $147

• Kajabi: $149

• ActiveCampaign: $79

• Webinar platform: $52

• Total: $427/month

Systeme.io costs:

• Free plan: $0 (up to 2,000 contacts)

• Startup plan: $27/month (up to 5,000 contacts, everything included)

• Webinar plan: $47/month (adds webinar features)

Even at the 47/month plan ( which had MORE features than I was getting for 427), I would save: 427−47 = 380/month=4,560/year

Plus: No Zapier subscription ($29/month) that I'd need for integrations.

Total potential savings: $4,908/year

Let me repeat that:

$4,908 PER YEAR.

That's a used car. A vacation. Six months of groceries. Real money.

Day 14 verdict: Why am I still paying for the other platforms?

I made the decision: I'm switching to Systeme.io.

But I was nervous:

• What if I break everything?

• What if customers lose access to courses?

• What if all my email automations die?

• What if I lose data?

Here's what actually happened:

Me: "I want to migrate from ClickFunnels, Kajabi, and ActiveCampaign. Is there support for this?"

Support (response in 3 hours): "Yes! We offer free migration assistance. Here's what we need from you: [simple checklist].

We'll help you set everything up."

Free. Migration. Assistance.

Most platforms charge hundreds or thousands for this.

Systeme.io? Free.

Week 1: Email List and Automations

• Exported all contacts from ActiveCampaign (CSV file)

• Imported to Systeme.io (one click)

• Recreated key automations (simplified from 27 elements to 5-8 on average)

• Tested everything thoroughly

• Time invested: 8 hours

Week 2: Funnels

• Rebuilt my 3 main funnels in Systeme.io

• Used included templates (faster than building from scratch)

• Connected to payment processors (Stripe/PayPal)

• Set up automation triggers

• Time invested: 12 hours

Week 3: Courses

• Migrated course content from Kajabi

• Uploaded all videos, PDFs, resources

• Set up drip schedules and access rules

• Enrolled test students to verify access

• Time invested: 10 hours

Week 4: Final Touches

• Set up affiliate program (built-in feature!)

• Created blog (didn't even have one before)

• Configured domain and email

• Double-checked all automations

• Time invested: 6 hours

Total migration time: 36 hours over one month

Sound like a lot?

Compare to the 10-15 hours per week I was spending maintaining my old tech stack.

In 2.5 weeks of normal maintenance time, I completely migrated everything.

And Systeme.io support helped whenever I got stuck (which was rare, because the platform is intuitive)

April 15, 2021. Migration complete. Time to pull the trigger.

I scheduled the switch for a Tuesday morning (lowest traffic day).

The process:

• Sent final email through old platforms announcing "maintenance"

• Updated domain DNS to point to Systeme.io

• Redirected old URLs to new Systeme.io pages

• Monitored everything obsessively for 6 hours

What broke: Nothing.

Seriously. Nothing.

• Funnels worked

• Emails sent

• Automations triggered

• Courses delivered

• Payments processed

Customer support emails: 2 (just asking about the new URL)

Technical disasters: 0

I couldn't believe it.

The switch that I thought would be a nightmare... was smooth.

By the end of Day 1: 47 new subscribers through the new funnels. All automations working perfectly.

I literally cried with relief.

Before migration:

• 10-15 hours/week fixing integrations, troubleshooting, managing platforms

• Constant stress about things breaking

• Fear of launching anything new (because more complexity = more potential failures)

After migration:

• 1-2 hours/week (mostly checking analytics and optimizing)

• Everything just works

• Confidence to launch new offers

I got 8-13 hours per week back.

That's 416-676 hours per year.

I used that time to:

• Create more content

• Build more products

• Actually grow my business

• Spend time with my family

Before:

• $427/month in fixed costs

• Needed $600+/month just to break even (including payment fees, ads, etc.)

• Every month was stressful

• Couldn't reinvest in growth

After:

• 27/monthinfixedcosts(later 47/month when I needed webinars)

• Break-even dropped to $150/month

• Breathing room to invest in content, ads, learning

• Could actually save money from profits

Financial stress evaporated.

Before: I was a technology manager who occasionally did business.

After: I was a business owner who happened to use technology.

The mental shift was huge.

Instead of:

• "How do I fix this integration?"

• "Why isn't this automation working?"

• "Which platform handles this feature?"

I thought:

• "How do I serve my audience better?"

• "What product should I create next?"

• "How do I grow my email list?"

I became an entrepreneur again, not a tech troubleshooter.

Before migration:

Launching something new meant:

• Building funnel in ClickFunnels (4-6 hours)

• Setting up course in Kajabi (2-3 hours)

• Creating email sequence in ActiveCampaign (3-4 hours)

• Integrating everything (2-3 hours + inevitable troubleshooting)

• Testing everything (2-3 hours)

• Praying nothing breaks (ongoing stress)

Total: 15-22 hours + stress

After migration:

Launching something new meant:

• Build everything in Systeme.io (3-5 hours total)

• Everything already integrated

• Test once

• Launch confidently

Total: 3-5 hours + excitement

I went from launching 1-2 things per year (because it was so painful)

To launching 1-2 things per month (because it was actually enjoyable).

Let me show you the numbers:

6 Months Before Migration:

• Revenue: $800/month average

• Profit: 200−300/month(after 427 in tools)

• Email list: 847 subscribers

• Products: 1 course, struggling

6 Months After Migration:

• Revenue: $3,400/month average

• Profit: 2,800+/month(after 27 in tools!)

• Email list: 3,200+ subscribers

• Products: 1 course (thriving), 2 lead magnets, 3 mini-products, 1 membership (in progress)

12 Months After Migration:

• Revenue: $7,800/month average

• Profit: $6,900+/month

• Email list: 8,400+ subscribers

• Products: Full product suite

The savings alone didn't cause growth.

But having:

• More time to create

• Less stress about tech

• Confidence to launch

• Room to invest profits

• Mental space to think strategically

...Those things enabled growth.

Systeme.io didn't grow my business. But it removed the barriers that were preventing growth.

I wanted to create an affiliate program for my products.

In my old setup: Would've needed another platform ($29-99/month)

In Systeme.io: Built-in. Included. Free.

Setup time: 20 minutes.

Now: 47 active affiliates promoting my products, generating 30% of my sales.

I wanted to run automated webinars (not live every time).

In my old setup: Would've needed specialized software ($97-297/month)

In Systeme.io: Built-in. Included. Already paid for in $47/month plan.

Setup time: 2 hours.

Now: Evergreen webinar runs daily, generates 20% of my revenue, requires zero ongoing effort.

I wanted to test different headlines, offers, page designs.

In my old setup: ClickFunnels charged extra for this, required complex setup

In Systeme.io: Built-in. Simple toggle. Clear results.

Now: I test everything. Conversion rates up 40% from optimization.

I wanted to start blogging for SEO.

In my old setup: Would've needed WordPress ($29/month hosting + themes + plugins + maintenance headaches)

In Systeme.io: Built-in. Included. Already integrated with email and funnels.

Now: 40+ blog posts, driving 60% of my organic traffic, feeding directly into my email list.

I wanted to increase average order value.

In my old setup: Required third-party tools or complex ClickFunnels setup

In Systeme.io: Built-in. Checkbox to add. Works immediately.

Now: Order bumps and upsells increased my average cart value by 35%.

All of this. Included. No extra cost.

My 47/month Systeme.io subscription gave me more features than my 427/month tech stack ever did.

Let me be real: Systeme.io isn't perfect. No platform is.

Here are the honest limitations:

Ask yourself these questions:

1. How much are you spending on your tech stack monthly?

If it's over $100/month and you're not profitable yet, you might be bleeding unnecessarily.

2. How much time do you spend maintaining integrations and troubleshooting?

If it's more than 5 hours per week, you're working for your tools instead of your business working for you.

3. Do you avoid launching new things because the tech setup is too painful?

If yes, your tools are limiting your growth, not enabling it.

4. Are you using even 50% of the "advanced" features you're paying for?

If no, you're paying for bloat you don't need.

5. Can you confidently say your current setup is worth the cost?

If you hesitate, something's wrong.

If you answered yes to 2+ of these questions, it might be time to explore alternatives.

If I could go back to December 2020, here's what I'd say:

"Stop paying for prestige. Start paying for function."

You don't need ClickFunnels to look professional. You need working funnels.

You don't need Kajabi to run courses. You need a platform that delivers content.

You don't need complex tools to look "serious." You need simple tools that let you focus on growth.

"The best tech stack is the one you can afford and actually use."

A 427/month tech stack that stresses you out and breaks constantly is worse than a 27/month platform that works perfectly.

"Migrate now. You'll wish you did sooner."

Every month you wait is:

• $380 wasted on expensive tools

• 40+ hours wasted on tech maintenance

• Opportunities lost because you're too overwhelmed to launch

"Trust the free trial. Test everything thoroughly."

Don't take my word for it. Don't take anyone's word for it.

Sign up for the free Systeme.io account. Test it. Compare it. Make your own decision.

But do it soon. Your business (and sanity) will thank you.

Don't take my word for it. Test it yourself: