ClickFunnels and SamCart are both software platforms that allow you to market and sell your products online.
They both allow you to choose from a collection of templates and build pages without having any coding knowledge.
But as a whole, each platform offers different features, they have different scopes, and their target customers are a little different.
How do they compare? What features do both platforms offer? And which platform should you use?
In this article, I’ll compare ClickFunnels and SamCart so you can make an informed decision on which one to use in your business.
Ultimately, I believe that one of these platforms is better than the other in most respects, while one is the better choice in only a few specific situations.
Here’s what I’m going to be covering in this comparison:
- What are ClickFunnels and SamCart?
- Features Comparison
- Page Builder Comparison
- Customer Support Comparison
- Publishing Options Comparison
- Pricing Comparison
- Affiliate Program Comparison
- Final Verdict
If you’re ready to check out either platform, click the buttons below or scroll down to the bottom of my review to see my verdict!
What are ClickFunnels and SamCart?
ClickFunnels and SamCart are both business platforms that allow you to build pages and sell your products online. But that’s mostly where the similarities end.
ClickFunnels is more of a complete marketing solution that allows you to build entire funnels, including opt-in pages, sales pages, product delivery pages, full membership sites, and custom pages, and link them all together within the ClickFunnels ecosystem.
The focus of SamCart is having an order form and checkout on the same page as your landing page. SamCart is meant for businesses selling one main product.
ClickFunnels
ClickFunnels was founded in 2014 by Russell Brunson and Todd Dickerson.
Leading up to the birth of the company, Russell and Todd realized that building sales funnels online was way more difficult than it needed to be.
They got together and mapped out their dream software, brainstorming and planning for weeks. In the following months, Todd built ClickFunnels, Russell marketed it, and the rest is history.
ClickFunnels has a full team including CEO (Brunson), Lead Developer (Dickerson), Head of Business Development, CTO, Director of Operations, and Head of Advertising.
As of right now, they serve more than 136,000 customers, have built more than 7.4 million funnels, and have processed over $6.5 billion in sales.
ClickFunnels has hundreds of success stories. Many of these people are ClickFunnels affiliates who have made millions of dollars with their funnels.
SamCart
SamCart was founded in late 2013 by brothers Brian and Scott Moran.
Before SamCart was born, Brian was a great college baseball player. He didn’t like the state of his life and wanted financial freedom, so he started a website called Train Baseball and sold baseball training.
Scott got involved with it as well, and they dabbled in different tools to sell their training like PayPal and Infusionsoft. But they realized how inadequate and how much of a hassle it was to use these solutions.
They wanted beautiful checkout page designs, one-click upsells, and email integrations, and they wanted to be able to build them easily. This led them to start building SamCart.
In the following years, Brian, Scott, and their small team built a beta and eventually developed the finished product.
At the time of writing, SamCart has processed more than $1.5 billion dollars, sold more than 8.7 million products, and powered more than 10,000 businesses.
There are many success stories and case studies of people making hundreds of thousands of dollars with SamCart. You can check them out here.
Features Comparison
The main focus of ClickFunnels is creating funnels and linking them together, while the main focus of SamCart is being able to showcase a product and have the order form and checkout on the same page.
ClickFunnels
Here are the main features of the ClickFunnels platform:
Funnel Builder
The Funnel Builder is the core feature of ClickFunnels.
It allows you to put together any kind of funnel you can imagine, including tripwire funnels, sales funnels, and webinar funnels. Popups and split testing can be easily set up.
As part of the funnel builder, the “Cookbook” feature allows you to explore a range of funnel templates that you can select and run with. These are templates that Brunson has had success with in his own businesses.
Drag-And-Drop Page Builder
With ClickFunnels’ page builder, you can build opt-in pages, sales pages, webinar pages, membership areas, and any other landing page that you want.
The builder is similar to the Drag & Drop Builder of SamCart.
Follow-Up Funnels
Unlike SamCart, ClickFunnels offers in-house email marketing capabilities through their Follow-Up Funnels service, which is offered in the Platinum Version.
Affiliate Program
Not to be confused with the affiliate program for ClickFunnels, ClickFunnels allows you to set up your own affiliate program for your products through the Backpack service. This requires the Platinum package.
SamCart also has a feature that allows you to create an affiliate program for a product and manage a team of affiliates.
Ecommerce
ClickFunnels provides a complete solution for eCommerce entrepreneurs selling physical products.
The platform can be integrated with various third-party eCommerce services such as Shopify for smoother business operations.
Popups & One-Click Optin
These features allow you to place popups on any site (called ClickPops) and place one-click opt-in links in emails (called ClickOptin).
SamCart also has a popup feature; the difference is that they are checkout popups that allow customers to pay for a product directly from your website.
Integrations
ClickFunnels offers well over twenty-five 3rd-party integrations including GetResponse, Shopify, WordPress, AWeber, MailChimp, Facebook, PayPal, Stripe, and GoToWebinar.
Analytics
On ClickFunnels, you can track and analyze metrics associated with your funnels such as page views, clicks, and conversions. A/B split testing is also available.
SamCart
Here are the main features of the SamCart platform:
Custom Checkout Pages
The main feature of SamCart is being able to create customized checkout pages for a product quickly and easily.
With SamCart, you can enter in your product info, choose a checkout template, and customize that template to match your branding and desired look.
Each checkout can be edited extensively with custom landing page content, upsells, and various integrations.
Drag & Drop Builder
Formerly known as the Content Builder, this is a relatively new feature that allows you to build sales pages by dragging and dropping, similar to ClickFunnels and other page builders.
This feature really brings SamCart to a higher level in my view, because before this, you were only able to edit your checkout pages in a limited fashion.
The page builder is divided into rows, columns, and content blocks, and is fairly easy to get the hang of.
Order Bumps
This nifty feature allows customers to add another product to their order at checkout. All products that make up your funnel can be added into SamCart.
A/B Split Testing
With split testing, you can test variations of your checkout pages and upsells and identify the one that converts the best.
Integrations
SamCart offers well over 20 integrations for email marketing, payment processing, and membership tools.
Available integrations include WordPress, OptimizePress, MailChimp, GetResponse, AWeber, Zapier, Kajabi, PayPal, and Stripe.
Subscriptions & Coupons
With SamCart, you can easily create coupons and manage subscription products.
For recurring payments, you can select a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly frequency. For coupons, you can specify things like duration, type (flat or percentage), and amount.
Checkout Popups
This feature allows you to place a button on your website that, when clicked, brings up a SamCart checkout popup for your product.
This way, customers can purchase your product without ever leaving your website.
Analytics
You can view detailed analytics for your checkout pages and products, including metrics like sales, orders, profit, refunds, conversion rates, page views, MRR, and LTCV.
ClickFunnels and SamCart both offer a lot of features, but many of them have different goals. Most of SamCart’s features revolve around the checkout stage of buying a product.
Page Builder Comparison
ClickFunnels and SamCart create pages, and this is arguably the most important feature. The page builder can definitely make or break the experience.
Let’s see how each one works in the context of creating checkouts:
ClickFunnels
In this example, I’ll work with a product funnel.
ClickFunnels allows you to create order forms and checkouts through the order page type.
When I select the Order step in my funnel, I’m presented with a lot of different templates.
I’ll select the Mother Funnel PLF FUNNEL 5, load it, and hit “Edit Page”.
Basically, ClickFunnels pages consist of an ordered structure that goes Section -> Row -> Columns -> Elements.
Sections can be narrow or full-width. Rows are created inside sections, and each row can have a specified number of columns.
Inside columns, you can add elements such as headlines, paragraphs, images, videos, buttons, and forms.
In the following screenshot, you can see that I added a section above the order form, added a 2-column row, and put in text and a divider.
The changes you make are responsive across all device sizes.
Of course, you can also customize sections to be visually congruent with your order form, add graphical effects, change the sizing, and edit the order form itself.
In the editor, you can also create and configure popups, change page settings, and configure integrations such as email.
I find the page builder to be quite fast and intuitive. Once you understand how sections work, you can really let your imagination run wild.
Once you’re done, you can preview and save the page using the buttons at the top.
SamCart
SamCart is a shopping cart platform. It’s all about building checkout pages that also showcase your product. Let’s do it the traditional way.
I’ll say a few more things about the Drag & Drop Builder a little later.
From the dashboard, I’ll go to “Products” and add a new product. You can enter in your product details like name, price and description.
Then I’ll select the “Checkout Design” tab. Here, I can choose from a library of pre-made checkout templates.
For any template I choose, I can customize the colours, logo, fields, add testimonials, and create custom content, among other things.
Custom content appears at the top of the page or on the side depending on the template selected. You have a number of formatting options at your disposal, including images and links.
Once you’re done customizing your checkout page, you can save the changes and check out the preview:
Drag & Drop Builder
The Drag & Drop Builder allows you create product pages by dragging and dropping.
The Drag & Drop Builder works similarly to the ClickFunnels page builder. Pages are divided into rows, columns, and content blocks (elements).
The Winner
ClickFunnels has an advantage when it comes to building pages because there is a lot more you can do with it, and you’re not just limited to checkout pages either.
Arguably the only area where SamCart has a leg up is being able to customize checkout pages. However, their new Drag & Drop Builder is a solid competitor to the ClickFunnels builder and also works well.
Customer Support Comparison
Customer support can make or break a software. If it’s bad, it can really leave a sour taste in your mouth.
The support experiences of both platforms share similarities. Let’s go into more detail about each:
ClickFunnels
ClickFunnels has four main support options: the Helpdesk, which contains tutorials, guides, and answers to frequently asked questions, the ClickFunnels Facebook group, asking a ClickFunnels expert, and contacting support through a ticket.
In my experience, ticket support can be quite slow to respond – sometimes a few days or longer. But sometimes they respond quickly.
The agents are generally friendly and knowledgeable, but I should say that I had some questions recently and I wasn’t satisfied with the answers. Sometimes you’ll get shut down.
There are a lot of options for getting your questions answered and your issues addressed. But I think it would benefit them if they added a live chat option, at least for business hours, or even phone support.
SamCart
SamCart has three main support options.
First, you can click through to the help section and view their Knowledge Base which contains tutorials, tips, and more. It’s loaded with helpful information that includes:
- getting started: setup
- connecting integrations
- product settings & advanced features
- training webinars
Alternatively, you can send support an email or talk with them in live chat. Live chat is only available 9 AM – 5 PM on weekdays.
In my experience, live chat responds fairly quickly, but there were a couple times where it took me a while to get an email response.
The support agents are fluent in English and knowledgeable.
The Winner
I would say that ClickFunnels support edges out SamCart support, but only slightly.
This is because they have more options for support (including community members), and in my experience, the support itself is a little better.
Having said that, the fact that SamCart has live chat (ClickFunnels doesn’t) is a big plus. They come in a close second here.
Publishing Options Comparison
It’s important to know where and how you can host the pages you build. Let’s look at the publishing options of each platform:
ClickFunnels
ClickFunnels is very flexible in terms of publishing and offers five main options, in addition to being able to use ClickFunnels hosting with a subdomain or custom domain. They are:
Download HTML
This is an important one in my view. You can download the HTML of your pages and funnels and host it wherever you want.
ClickPop Code
You can get ClickPop code and put a popup version of your page on any website.
WordPress Plugin
With the ClickFunnels WordPress plugin, you can easily display your pages and funnels inside your WordPress blog.
Add To Facebook
You can add a ClickFunnels page to your Facebook page, accessible on the left-side column.
Embed Code
You can use an embed code to add your page into an iframe on any website.
SamCart
SamCart officially offers two publishing options for checkout pages: using a SamCart subdomain or a custom domain.
If using a subdomain, you can specify the subdomain and slug for your URL.
Custom domains are available on all SamCart plans.
The Winner
ClickFunnels is the clear winner here.
I can sort of understand why SamCart wouldn’t offer more publishing options; they are essentially a checkout service, and you could argue that it’s not important how the page is made live.
I do give SamCart a lot of points for recently coming out with a custom domain feature though.
Pricing Comparison
SamCart is more expensive than ClickFunnels in some respects, but not in others. Let me illustrate what I mean.
ClickFunnels
ClickFunnels has three main subscription plans: Starter ($97/month), Platinum ($297/month), and Two Comma Club X ($2,497/month).
The Platinum Plan was formerly known as the Etison Suite Plan.
You used to be able to purchase a product called Funnel Builder Secrets which included 6-12 months of the Enterprise version at a big discount, but I’m not sure if the product is offered anymore. I suggest asking ClickFunnels about it.
With the Starter Plan, you don’t have access to Backpack or Follow-Up Funnels, and you have various limitations on what you can do. You’re allowed up to 20 funnels, 100 pages, 3 custom domains at any one time, and up to 3 payment gateways.
With the Platinum Plan, there are no limitations on the number of funnels or pages you can create, and the domain limit is increased to 9. In addition, you get:
- Backpack
- Follow-Up Funnels
- additional FunnelFlix training (online business training)
- daily Funnel Hack-A-Thons
The Two Comma Club X is an elite “top dog” plan that is currently unavailable (must get on a waitlist). It comes with higher account limits, VIP phone support, and even more FunnelFlix content.
If you’re interested in ClickFunnels and you think you can work within the limitations of the Starter Plan, then definitely go for that.
SamCart
SamCart also has three main pricing plans: Launch, Grow and Scale.
Launch Plan
The Launch plan is $39/month on annual billing and $49/month on monthly billing.
With this plan, you get access to the base features including (but not limited to) products, checkout pages, the drag-and-drop builder, and coupons.
Notably missing from the plan are add-ons, upsells, advanced reporting, and additional payment options. You also have to display the SamCart branding instead of your own.
Grow Plan
The Grow plan is $79/month on annual billing and $99/month on monthly billing.
You get everything under the Launch Plan, plus:
- custom checkout fields
- add-on & upsell functionality
- additional payment options
- advanced reporting
- the ability to create three admin users
- customer management
- subscription functionality
- UTM tracking & marketing reporting
Scale Plan
The Scale Plan costs $159/month on annual billing and $199/month on monthly billing.
You get everything under the Grow Plan, plus:
- The Subscription Saver (Dunning): an automated system that automatically sends emails to customers whose subscription payments have failed, recovering lost revenue.
- The Affiliate Center: a full affiliate system that allows you to recruit others to promote your SamCart products.
- the ability to create six additional admin users
- customer self-cancellations
- dedicated training and support
- admin user roles
- built-in A/B testing
- CRM & custom integrations
You can see the full list of features that you get in each plan here.
The Winner
In most respects, ClickFunnels beats SamCart on price. Even though SamCart has a cheaper option (Launch), this option is missing a lot of useful features.
In my opinion, SamCart is overpriced considering what it actually gives you. With that said, you can get on the Grow Plan and pay less than the ClickFunnels Starter Plan by choosing annual billing.
You can just do so much more with ClickFunnels. For a comparable price, you can build entire funnels, and there’s more value for your money.
Affiliate Program Comparison
ClickFunnels and SamCart both have affiliate programs where you can promote the platform online and get a commission if someone signs up after clicking your link.
Note: If you’re not interested in making additional income by doing affiliate marketing, feel free to skip this section of the comparison.
Both programs have potential, but one of them is more attractive than the other.
ClickFunnels
The ClickFunnels affiliate program is one of the best opportunities for making an online income through affiliate marketing.
When someone clicks your ClickFunnels affiliate link and signs up (either on the Starter Plan or the Platinum Plan) you get a 30%-40% commission (volume dependent) for every monthly payment they make.
There are many things that make the ClickFunnels affiliate program great, such as the sticky cookies (they last forever), car lease bonus, and product funnels that can make you $1000 commissions.
You don’t need to be a ClickFunnels customer to join the affiliate program. It’s free to join, but you need to fill out an application and get approved.
ClickFunnels also provides plenty of resources and training to maximize your earnings.
To get access to their special affiliate training, check out the Affiliate Bootcamp.
SamCart
SamCart’s affiliate program is simpler, but it still has potential.
To start, they offer a 40% recurring commission as long as the referral remains a paying customer. This commission can be on any plan, billed monthly or annually. The cookie lasts 30 days.
SamCart releases new promo content monthly that you can use to promote the platform. Email swipes are available, and there is a dedicated Facebook group for SamCart affiliates.
What I like is that they also provide affiliates with links to various webinars that collect emails and promote SamCart on the backend automatically. All you need to do is send the traffic.
Unfortunately, you can’t deep link to any page on the SamCart website; you have to choose from the limited number of links they give you.
The Winner
While both affiliate programs have potential, the ClickFunnels affiliate program is better in my view. This is for a few reasons:
- ClickFunnels offers more and you get more value for your money, so people would be more likely to sign up.
- The sticky cookie lasts forever, rather than 30 days.
- ClickFunnels offers additional products beyond just the recurring software service, and many of these products pay out commissions approaching $1000.
- SamCart doesn’t have incentives built into their program.
On the other hand, SamCart’s 40% commission rate is great, and their pre-made webinar funnels make it easy to send traffic and start getting referrals.
Final Verdict
Here’s a summary of what we’ve covered so far:
| Winner | |
| Features | Different scopes |
| Page Builder | ClickFunnels |
| Customer Support | Tie |
| Publishing Options | ClickFunnels |
| Pricing | ClickFunnels |
| Affiliate Program | ClickFunnels |
ClickFunnels Pros & Cons
Pros
- diverse marketing features with large scope
- page builder can do a lot more
- a lot of publishing options
- better value for money than SamCart
- awesome affiliate program
Cons
- not as easy to customize checkout pages
- affiliate program commission rate is lower at the start
SamCart Pros & Cons
Pros
- a powerful option for businesses who are focused on the checkout experience
- can easily handle recurring payments, subscriptions, and manage payments
- live chat support is a nice feature
Cons
- can do a lot less than ClickFunnels
- a drag-and-drop builder is not yet an official feature
- limited publishing options
- too expensive for what you get
- no deep linking in the affiliate program
Remember when I said at the beginning of the review that I believe that one of these platforms is better than the other in most respects?
I’m sure you can guess which one it is at this point: ClickFunnels.
You can do so much more with ClickFunnels. With a flexible drag-and-drop builder, you can build entire funnels consisting of opt-in pages, bridge pages, sales pages, webinar pages, custom pages, and more.
It’s important to note that ClickFunnels can pretty much do the same thing that SamCart does with their order form templates.
In addition to this, with the Platinum package, you get access to an affiliate system, email follow-up system, collection of top marketing trainings (FunnelFlix), and other great features.
That’s not to say that SamCart isn’t a good piece of software; it’s just that it has a very narrow focus. Its focus is on the checkout experience and being able to showcase your product and have the checkout on the same page.
To sum up, if you have one or more products, you want to be able to create beautiful checkout pages for those products, and you want to be able to manage recurring payments, discounts, and similar things easily, SamCart is a great option.
Otherwise, I don’t think it’s worth getting. I honestly think they should cut their prices by at least 40%.
But if you want the freedom to be able to create any marketing page you want (including order form pages), ClickFunnels is definitely the way to go.
Note that I’m offering valuable bonus packages for those who decide to sign up for ClickFunnels or SamCart trials through my link. You can see what these bonuses are on my ClickFunnels review and SamCart review.
To get access to these bonuses, all you have to do is sign up for the trial and email me at paul@thefreedomfellow.com. Once I confirm that you’ve signed up under my name, I’ll send over the bonuses.
Thanks for reading my ClickFunnels vs. SamCart comparison. Note that I am an independent affiliate, not an employee. I receive referral payments from ClickFunnels and SamCart. The opinions expressed here are my own and are not official statements of SamCart, ClickFunnels, or ClickFunnels’ parent company, Etison LLC.
