startbuddi vs systeme.io: an honest comparison

systeme.io is an all-in-one platform for creators, built around sales funnels, email marketing, online courses and affiliate programmes, with a free plan for 2,000 contacts. startbuddi is a business workspace built around the customer record, with a shared inbox, pipeline, marketing, pages, bookings and invoices; pick systeme.io to sell courses and digital products through funnels, and startbuddi to run client relationships, messages and billing.

We make startbuddi, so we're biased. We've tried to be fair: we list where systeme.io is stronger, every fact about systeme.io links to its source, and anything we couldn't confirm on their own site is marked "not published". Checked in September 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.

startbuddi

startbuddi is best for

Service businesses that run customers, messages and invoices from one workspace

systeme.io

systeme.io is best for

Solo creators selling courses and products through funnels on a small budget

At a glance

Best for

startbuddiService businesses that run customers, messages and invoices from one workspace

systeme.ioSolo creators selling courses and products through funnels on a small budget

Free plan

startbuddiYes, the Free plan

systeme.ioYes, Free

First paid plan

startbuddiStarter, $29 a month

systeme.ioStartup, $17 USD per month, billed monthly (annual billing gives 2 months free)

Checked

startbuddiPrice book, October 2026

systeme.ioSeptember 2026

Where each one is stronger

The short version. systeme.io first, because it does some things better than we do.

systeme.io is stronger at

Courses and communitiessysteme.io hosts online courses and members-only communities; startbuddi does not offer courses or memberships.

Funnels with upsellssales funnels include A/B split tests, one-click upsells, order bumps and countdown timers.

Affiliate programme includedyou can run your own affiliate programme with commissions and payouts, which startbuddi's product pages do not list.

Larger free planthe free plan covers 2,000 contacts, 3 funnels and unlimited emails.

Store extrassysteme.io lists coupon codes, shipping management and Flutterwave; startbuddi's store has no discount codes and no Flutterwave.

startbuddi is stronger at

Shared inboxWhatsApp, email, SMS, website chat, Instagram and Facebook messages land in one inbox on the customer record.

Invoices and getting paidinvoices, payment links and a pay-me page, paid through Paystack or Stripe, with payments landing on the customer record.

Sales pipeline that updates itselfreplies move deals out of the first stage and a paid invoice marks the deal won.

WhatsApp marketingtemplate campaigns through the WhatsApp Business Platform on paid plans, with Chip auto-replies from the Growth plan.

Beyond marketingprojects, time tracking, client portals, documents and HR sit in the same workspace, with Chip across all of it.

Feature by feature

Each systeme.io value links to where we found it. Anything their site doesn't state is marked "not published".

Show differences only

startbuddi and systeme.io, feature by feature
Feature	startbuddi	systeme.io
Free planFree plan: 1 seat and 250 contacts	Yes	Yes, 2,000 contactsSource (opens in a new tab)
CRM pipelines	Yes	YesSource (opens in a new tab)
Shared inbox for customer messagesWhatsApp, email, SMS, web chat, Instagram and Facebook	Yes	Not statedSource (opens in a new tab)
Email marketingThe Marketing hub is not on the Free plan	Starter plan and up	Unlimited sends on all plansSource (opens in a new tab)
SMS marketing	Starter plan and up	YesSource (opens in a new tab)
Sales funnelsThank-you, checkout and upsell pages after a landing page	Steps inside landing pages	YesSource (opens in a new tab)
Online courses	No	YesSource (opens in a new tab)
Online storeNo discount codes or delivery zones yet	Yes	YesSource (opens in a new tab)
Booking calendar	Yes	YesSource (opens in a new tab)
Evergreen webinarsNo video hosting; the host pastes a join link	Webinar pages	Webinar plan and upSource (opens in a new tab)
Public APINot available yet; startbuddi connects to Zapier	No	YesSource (opens in a new tab)

What each one looks like

Real screens, captured by us or taken from the official press kit, each dated.

startbuddi: Email campaigns — **startbuddi** · Email campaigns. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.

startbuddi: Email templates — **startbuddi** · Email templates. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.

startbuddi: Automations — **startbuddi** · Automations. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.

systeme.io's own screens are on systeme.io's website. We don't show another company's product without a dated capture from a trial or its press kit.

Pricing side by side

List prices as each company publishes them. We never convert currencies.

See startbuddi pricing

startbuddi

FreeFree
Starter$29 a month
Growth$79 a month
Scale$199 a month

Prices in US dollars, billed monthly. From our pricing page, updated 3 Oct 2026.

systeme.io

FreeFreeSource (opens in a new tab)
Startup$17 USD per month, billed monthly (annual billing gives 2 months free)Source (opens in a new tab)
Webinar$47 USD per month, billed monthly (annual billing gives 2 months free)Source (opens in a new tab)
Unlimited$97 USD per month, billed monthly (annual billing gives 2 months free)Source (opens in a new tab)

Checked in September 2026. Check systeme.io's site for current plans.

Switching from systeme.io

What moving across involves.

Export your contacts from systeme.iosysteme.io's help centre explains how to export contacts; the CSV file is emailed to your account address.
Import them into startbuddiIn Customers → Contacts, import the CSV (up to 10,000 contacts at a time), map the columns, and tag or group everyone as you import.
Rebuild pages and emailsFunnels, pages and email sequences don't transfer. Rebuild landing pages in Publish (Chip can draft one) and sequences in Automations.
Keep courses where they arestartbuddi does not host courses or memberships, so keep those on systeme.io or another course platform if you sell them.

Sources

Checked in September 2026. startbuddi prices come from our own price book. systeme.io's website.

Questions people ask

Can startbuddi host my online course?

No. startbuddi does not offer courses or memberships. systeme.io includes online courses on every plan, including its free plan.

Can I move my contacts from systeme.io?

Yes. systeme.io lets you export contacts to a CSV, and startbuddi imports CSV files in Customers → Contacts. Funnels and email sequences need to be rebuilt.

Do both have a free plan?

Yes. systeme.io's free plan covers 2,000 contacts. startbuddi's Free plan includes the CRM and inbox, while its Marketing hub starts on the Starter plan.

Can I use both?

Yes. Some businesses keep courses on systeme.io and run client messages, deals and invoices in startbuddi, but there is no built-in sync between the two.