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Head-to-headmedia buyer software

ElasticFunnels vs ClickFunnels

By Dana Rourke, Lead reviewer. Reviewed by Campaign Buyer Editorial. Updated 24 September 2026.

The ElasticFunnels home page, captured from the vendor's own site
ElasticFunnels, from $97/mo.
The ClickFunnels home page, captured from the vendor's own site
ClickFunnels, from $97/mo.

Quick answer

Pick ElasticFunnels if you buy your own paid traffic and need the pages, the split test that never resets your ad optimization, the checkout and the reporting on one record; pick ClickFunnels if you sell coaching, courses or info products and want a proven, fast way to get a whole funnel, its courses and its community live without touching the plumbing.

Side by side

ElasticFunnels ClickFunnels
What it is Paid-traffic platform Creator funnel tool
Built for Media buyers, DTC Coaches, courses
Split testing Same-URL, server-side A/B testing
Checkout Multi-MID routing One processor
Attribution One timeline Light CRM
Track record New, thin proof 10+ yrs, 4.6/5
How plans scale By traffic, all features By tier and feature set

If you have narrowed it to these two, you have already decided you want a funnel platform, not a landing page bolted onto a separate checkout. Both build the pages, take the order and follow up, and both are pitched as the one account your whole sales process lives in. The reason to read further is that they are built for two different people, and picking the wrong one costs you either money you did not need to spend or a capability you did need.

ElasticFunnels is built for teams that buy their own traffic: affiliates, product vendors, agencies and ecommerce brands running campaigns on Meta, Google and TikTok. ClickFunnels is built for creators, coaches and info-product sellers who want a whole funnel, and a community and courses around it, live fast. Neither is a worse product. They are aimed at different jobs, and the honest way to choose is to work out which job is yours before you compare a single feature.

The one question that decides it: do you buy traffic, or build an audience?

Answer that first. If your growth comes from bought media, and a campaign lives or dies on cost per acquisition and how fast you can test an angle without the ad platform resetting its optimization, you are ElasticFunnels' buyer. If your growth comes from an audience you build, a coaching program, a course, a membership, and you want the pages, the order form, the emails and the course delivery in one familiar place, you are ClickFunnels' buyer. The two overlap on the surface and split hard underneath, which is where the rest of this goes.

ElasticFunnels: the funnel platform built around the ad click

ElasticFunnels is a funnel platform for people who run bought traffic. It builds the pages, hosts the checkout, and keeps every session, order, rebill and refund on one timeline with a CRM and reporting on the same data, so you are not exporting from four tools to work out which angle actually made money. That single-record design is the point of it, and it is what a paid-media team usually stitches together by hand.

The feature most teams switch for is testing under one URL. Variants rotate server-side behind a single campaign link, so Meta, Google and TikTok keep their learning and a test never sends the ad back through review. Anyone who has watched a redirect-style split test wipe out a well-optimized campaign knows why that matters. Around it sit an AI page builder that writes a page from a prompt or clones one from a URL, a checkout with order bumps and one-click upsells, and multi-MID routing that splits sales across the NMI merchant accounts you connect. The reporting ties the click to the sale by affiliate, geo, device or creative, and a built-in CRM and call center work off the same records. That covers most of what it is: the pages, the same-URL test, the routed checkout, and the attribution behind all three.

The honest caveat is that ElasticFunnels is newer than ClickFunnels, and there is very little independent third-party review coverage to check its claims against, so until you run real volume through it you are largely taking the vendor's word for how it holds up. That is what you would expect of a platform this young, and it matters most if you rely on years of public reviews before you trust a tool. The counter is a 14-day trial that takes no card and gates nothing, so you can prove the whole thing on your own funnel before you commit. And multi-MID routing, the standout in its checkout, only earns its keep once you already hold several merchant accounts to route between. A seller on a single Stripe account still gets the pages, the one-URL testing, the checkout, the analytics and the CRM. They just will not use the routing until they add a second account.

ClickFunnels: the proven way to launch a creator funnel fast

ClickFunnels is one of the names that made "sales funnel" a category, and after more than a decade it is still one of the most recognized funnel builders online. For a creator, a coach or an info-product seller, the pitch holds up: pages, a checkout with order bumps and one-click upsells, email follow-up, a light CRM, courses and a community, all in one account and quick to get live. Its drag-and-drop editor and prebuilt funnel templates are the most-praised part, especially for non-technical sellers, and its aggregate scores are strong, around 4.6 out of 5 across more than 400 G2 reviews and thousands on Trustpilot. It takes no cut of your sales and includes hosting.

Where it draws complaints is price and billing. Users say the cost climbs quickly through its tiers if you only need part of what each one bundles. Billing and cancellation are the loudest gripes, along with confusion between the older ClickFunnels Classic and the newer 2.0 accounts, and some long-time users feel 2.0 was a step back. For its intended buyer, someone selling a course or a coaching offer who values speed and a big template ecosystem over granular traffic control, none of that is a dealbreaker. For someone chasing CPA on cold traffic, the missing same-URL test and the single-processor checkout are.

The real split: CPA control versus a launch-fast ecosystem

Strip away the shared surface and the difference is what each one optimizes for. ElasticFunnels optimizes for the buyer who needs the ad click and the sale to be one measurable record, and who cannot afford a test that resets the ad platform's learning or a checkout that can only take payment on one account. ClickFunnels optimizes for the seller who wants a whole funnel, course and community live this week without thinking about MIDs or postbacks, and who is happy to pay a premium for that ease. If message-to-sale attribution and payment routing are your daily problem, that is ElasticFunnels. If shipping and selling a program to an audience is your daily problem, that is ClickFunnels.

Pricing: similar door, different meter

Both open at the same monthly price, so what differs is how the bill grows and what it includes. ElasticFunnels puts every feature on every plan and prices the tiers on traffic, with Growth at $197 and Scale at $497 a month above Starter, and it bills overage instead of forcing an upgrade if you cross a limit. It adds a 0.5% fee on revenue processed through its own hosted checkout, and charges nothing on sales you run through external networks like ClickBank or BuyGoods. ClickFunnels prices by plan tier, $97 to $297 a month, takes no percentage of sales and includes hosting, but the features you get depend on which tier you are on. Compare the two on the plan that carries the features you actually need.

Which one for you

You buy paid traffic and live on CPA: ElasticFunnels. Testing under one URL that does not reset ad optimization, multi-MID checkout routing and click-to-sale reporting on one record are the things a performance buyer needs and the things ClickFunnels does not do. Go in with the newness caveat above in mind, and use the free trial to prove it on your own funnel.

You sell a course, coaching or an info product to an audience: ClickFunnels. A decade of track record, a large template library, built-in courses and community, and a fast path from idea to live funnel are worth its premium when speed and ecosystem matter more than granular traffic control.

You are somewhere between the two: decide by your next 90 days. If the constraint is getting more from the same ad spend, that is ElasticFunnels. If it is getting a program built and sold, that is ClickFunnels.

ElasticFunnels

What works

  • Replaces the stack a growth team usually stitches together: a funnel builder, a checkout or CRM, a testing tool and an analytics tool, so a click, an order, a rebill and a refund are one record instead of four exports you reconcile on Monday
  • Its standout is testing under one URL: variants rotate server-side on one campaign link, so Meta, Google and TikTok keep their learning and a test never sends the ad back for review
  • The AI builder writes a page of any type from a prompt, and the cloner turns a competitor URL into a working copy in about a minute
  • Its checkout takes Stripe, NMI, PayPal, Klarna or Authorize.net, splits sales across several NMI merchant accounts by weight, card brand, product and daily cap, and builds in order bumps, one-click upsells and subscription dunning
  • Analytics put sessions, orders, rebills and refunds on one timeline, sliced by affiliate, geo, device or creative, and a built-in CRM and call center work off the same records
  • A trial tests the whole tool because nothing is gated behind a higher tier: plans differ only by the traffic volume they allow

What to watch

  • Newer than the platforms it competes with, with very little independent review coverage to check its claims against, so until you run real volume through it you are largely taking the vendor's word
  • Multi-MID routing, the standout in its checkout, works across NMI merchant accounts only and pays off only if you already hold several to route between. A seller on a single Stripe account still gets the pages, the testing, the analytics and the CRM, but not that routing advantage
  • It is not a merchant of record like Paddle: it will not file your sales tax or carry dispute liability, so that work stays with you and your processors
  • The 0.5% checkout fee applies to revenue through its hosted checkout, on top of the monthly plan and your own processor fees, though sales on external networks like ClickBank or BuyGoods are not charged

ClickFunnels

What works

  • Runs the whole funnel in one account: pages, checkout, email, a light CRM, courses and a community, so you are not stitching four tools together
  • Fast to get live. The drag-and-drop editor and prebuilt funnel templates are the most-praised part, especially for non-technical sellers
  • Smart Checkout is built for selling, with order bumps and one-click upsells aimed at raising average order value
  • Strong aggregate scores: about 4.6 out of 5 across more than 400 G2 reviews and thousands of Trustpilot reviews
  • Takes no cut of your sales, includes hosting, and carries a 30-day money-back guarantee

What to watch

  • Priced at the top of the market. Plans run $97 to $297 a month, and users say the cost adds up fast, especially if you only need part of it
  • Billing and cancellation are the loudest complaints, along with confusion between ClickFunnels Classic and the newer 2.0 accounts
  • Some long-time users feel 2.0 was a step back from Classic, and marketers report occasional bugs and page speed that is hit or miss
  • Less flexible than a custom stack, and course and membership delivery is weaker than a dedicated platform

Pricing

ElasticFunnels: from $97/mo. Starter costs $97 a month, Growth $197 and Scale $497 ($937, $1,891 and $4,771 billed yearly). Every feature is on every plan. The plans differ only in usage limits: page views included (50,000, 250,000 and 500,000 a month), brands, custom domains, team seats and automation runs. Extra page views bill at $1.20, $1.00 or $0.80 per 1,000 by plan, so going over does not force an upgrade. Bot and datacenter traffic is not billed. A 0.5% fee applies to revenue through ElasticFunnels' own checkout gateways (Stripe, NMI, PayPal, Klarna, Authorize.net). Sales through external checkouts such as ClickBank or Shopify Checkout carry no fee.

ClickFunnels: from $97/mo. Launch is $97, Scale $197 and Optimize $297 a month on monthly billing, or about $81, $164 and $248 a month paid yearly. Dominate is $5,997 a year and sold annually only. The first three plans open with a free trial, refunds are honoured for 30 days, and ClickFunnels takes no percentage of sales.

Prices as of 11 October 2026

Our pick

ElasticFunnels

ElasticFunnels is a funnel platform built for teams that run paid traffic: it builds the pages, splits them behind one URL so your ads never reset, hosts the checkout, and keeps the CRM and the reporting on the same data. Same-URL split testing is the reason most teams switch. Its checkout stands out for multi-MID routing, which splits sales across the NMI merchant accounts you connect and only pays off if you already run more than one. It is newer than the platforms it rivals, though, and third-party proof is thin so far.

Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper, ElasticFunnels or ClickFunnels?
Their entry plans cost the same: $97/mo each. ElasticFunnels adds 0.5% on revenue through its own hosted checkout, a fee ClickFunnels does not charge.
Does ClickFunnels have same-URL split testing like ElasticFunnels?
ClickFunnels offers A/B testing on funnels, but ElasticFunnels' distinguishing claim is that variants rotate server-side under one URL, so the ad platform keeps its learning and a test does not send the ad back for review. For a paid-traffic buyer, that difference is the main reason to choose ElasticFunnels over ClickFunnels.
Which is better for selling a course or coaching program?
ClickFunnels. It includes course and community delivery, a large template library and more than a decade of track record, and it is built for creators and coaches who want a whole funnel live fast. ElasticFunnels is aimed at teams buying paid traffic, not at packaging and selling a program to an audience.
Does either take a percentage of my sales?
ClickFunnels takes no cut of sales. ElasticFunnels charges 0.5% on revenue processed through its own hosted checkout, and nothing on sales run through external networks like ClickBank or BuyGoods. Both bill a monthly plan on top of that, and your own payment processor fees apply either way.
Dana Rourke

Written by

Dana Rourke

Lead reviewer

Dana Rourke is the lead reviewer at Campaign Buyer. She owns the tracker and attribution coverage: reading what long-term users report about each tool, checking its documentation and pricing, and verifying prices with the vendor before writing the verdict. Keeping the rankings honest mostly means writing down what the top pick gets wrong, so she does that first.

danar@campaignbuyer.com

Last checked 2026-09-24