Flodesk vs Systeme.io
Both are on our shortlist for course creators. They part company on several things that matter more than the monthly price.
Flodesk
Systeme.ioWhich one, for whom
- Starting out with no budgetSysteme.ioSysteme.io can run an automated welcome sequence on its free plan. Flodesk cannot, so a new subscriber hears nothing from you until you pay.Start free on Systeme.io
- A list already in the thousandsSysteme.ioSysteme.io stays free to 2,000 subscribers against Flodesk's nothing.
- Worried about being locked inFlodeskFlodesk keeps your subscribers and automations when you cancel, rather than deleting them.See Flodesk pricing
- Selling the course from the same toolSysteme.ioSysteme.io can take the payment itself, so you do not need a separate checkout.
Side by side
| Flodesk | Systeme.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | None | 2,000 subscribers |
| Free sends | None on the free plan | Unlimited emails |
| Welcome sequence on free | No | Yes |
| Connects to Teachable | Not listed | Sells courses itself |
| Connects to Kajabi | Through Zapier | Sells courses itself |
| Connects to Podia | Not listed | Sells courses itself |
| Connects to Thinkific | Not listed | Sells courses itself |
| Paid from | $25/mo | $17/mo |
| At 5,000 subscribers | Not published | $17 |
| At 25,000 subscribers | Not published | $97 |
| The catch | Two catches. Their pricing table lists email sending on the free plan while their own FAQ says the free plan does not include it, so read the free plan as forms and landing pages only. And their pricing page currently serves two different plan line-ups from the same address, one with a cheaper Lite plan and one without, so check which one you are actually offered before you commit. | The free plan holds one course only, and takes 0% on sales, which is rare. |
| G2 score | 4.8 out of 5, from 302 reviews | 4.8 out of 5, from 750 reviews |
| Trustpilot score | 4.9 out of 5, from 364 reviews | 4.9 out of 5, from 8,448 reviews |
Figures read off each vendor's own pricing page on 9 September 2026. Where a row says not published, that vendor does not state a price at that list size and we will not invent one.
The last two rows are other people's scores, not ours, read on 6 September 2026. Check them yourself:Flodesk on G2, Flodesk on Trustpilot, Systeme.io on G2, Systeme.io on Trustpilot.
Getting your list back out
FlodeskEasy to leave
Cancelling does not delete anything. Their help page answers it directly: your data remains safe and all your content will still be available. You drop to their free tier, which keeps your forms collecting subscribers but cannot send email, so the list is held rather than lost and stays frozen until you pay again. Source
Systeme.io
You can export contacts to CSV yourself at any time. Cancelling does not take effect immediately: it stops the subscription from renewing, and you keep access until the end of the current billing period, at which point the plan is removed automatically. Their terms and conditions add that subscription plans are non-refundable, and that an account can be banned without notice for a content-policy violation. What happens to stored data after a cancellation takes effect is not stated. Source
Flodesk vs Systeme.io, answered
- Is Flodesk or Systeme.io better for an online course?
- Neither is better outright, and anyone who says so is guessing on your behalf. Systeme.io if you are starting out with no budget. Systeme.io if you are a list already in the thousands. Flodesk if you are worried about being locked in. Systeme.io if you are selling the course from the same tool.
- Which of Flodesk and Systeme.io has the better free plan?
- Systeme.io allows more free subscribers (2,000 against none). A bigger allowance is not automatically the better plan: check the welcome sequence row above, because that is where the two usually part company.
- Can I move from Flodesk to Systeme.io later?
- Yes, and you should assume you will. Export your list before you cancel anything, and keep whatever marks who bought from you. We wrote the whole running order up separately.
Try either one
FlodeskThe best looking emails, but nothing free to send with
$25/mopaid plans start here. No free plan. Read off their pricing page on 9 September 2026.
See Flodesk pricingRead the full Flodesk breakdownSysteme.ioCourse hosting, funnels and email on one free plan
$17/mopaid plans start here. Free up to 2,000. Read off their pricing page on 9 September 2026.
Start free on Systeme.ioRead the full Systeme.io breakdownMoving between them? Read the switching guide first, or answer 5 questions to check neither of these is the wrong shortlist.
Neither of these? See all 14, including which ones connect straight to Teachable, Kajabi, Podia or Thinkific, or compare what they cost as your list grows.