Looking for a Kahunas alternative?
Coaches leaving Kahunas usually do so because there's no free way to start and the cheapest paid tier is $35/mo with a hard 25-client cap, while the branded app you actually wanted sits at $99/mo. hiignite is a modern 1:1 coaching app that's free forever for 1 active client and $9.99/mo for Pro with 10 clients included — $6 per extra block of 10 clients, or Unlimited at $49.99/mo with no client cap, no per-message fees, and a $0 Stripe platform fee.
hiignite vs Kahunas
Kahunas has no free tier (just a 14-day trial), and its flat tiers cap clients by price band — 25 clients at $35/mo, 50 at $69/mo — so a small 1:1 coach pays $35/mo minimum, and the branded native app plus team seats are locked behind the $99/mo Ultimate plan.
| Feature | hiignite | Kahunas |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Yes — $0 forever, 1 active client | No (14-day trial) |
| Entry paid price | $9.99/mo ($95.99/yr), up to 10 clients — launch price until 31 Dec 2026, regular | $35/mo (Essentials, 25 clients); paid extensions start at Growth $69/mo; branded app needs Ultimate $99/mo |
| Per-client fees | None for your first 10 clients, then $6 per extra 10 (or Unlimited $49.99/mo, no cap) | No (flat tiers, but clients capped per tier: 25/50/unlimited) |
| Per-message fees | No | No |
| Program builder + templates | Yes — drag-and-drop, reusable templates | Yes |
| Form-check video | Yes — dedicated review flow | Partial (video messaging + check-ins; no named form-review tool) |
| Real-time chat | Yes — real-time 1:1 | Yes |
| Payments & payouts | Yes — automatic billing to your own Stripe, $0 platform fee | Available, but only inside a plan that starts at $35/mo |
| Web + iOS + Android | Yes — web, iOS and Android | Yes |
Competitor pricing and features were verified against Kahunas’s own pricing page (Kahunas pricing) in September 2026 and may change — verify current details on the vendor’s site. The comparison reflects what is available in hiignite today, not roadmap items.
Why coaches switch to hiignite
Genuinely free to start, not a 14-day countdown
Kahunas has no free plan — after the 14-day trial you pay at least $35/mo for the 25-client Essentials tier. hiignite is $0 forever for 1 active client, so you can run real coaching and onboard your first clients before paying anything.
Pay $9.99, not $35+, while your roster is small
A 1:1 coach with a handful of clients pays $35/mo minimum on Kahunas, and that Essentials tier can’t even buy the paid extensions — Group Messaging and Zapier unlock at Growth $69/mo, and come bundled into the $99/mo Ultimate tier at a stated $15/mo value, which is also where the branded app lives. hiignite Pro is $9.99/mo (or $95.99/yr) for up to 10 active clients, with $6 per extra block of 10 clients, no per-message fees, and a $0 Stripe platform fee on payouts. If you outgrow the blocks, Unlimited is a flat $49.99/mo ($479.99/yr) with no client cap — against $99/mo ($900/yr) for the Kahunas Ultimate tier that lifts the cap.
Modern 1:1 mobile coaching, built around the work
hiignite focuses on the core 1:1 loop: a fast drag-and-drop program builder with reusable templates, in-app form-check video review, live progress tracking, and real-time 1:1 chat — a lean, modern alternative to Kahunas' heavier all-in-one suite, at a price that starts free instead of $35/mo.
What you get with hiignite
- A free-forever plan for 1 active client — Kahunas is a 14-day trial only
- $9.99/mo Pro ($95.99/yr) against $35/mo for the Kahunas entry plan
- Ten clients included (then $6 per extra 10, or Unlimited at $49.99/mo with no cap), no per-message fees, and a $0 platform fee on Stripe payouts
- Program builder + templates, real-time 1:1 chat and a dedicated form-check video review flow
Kahunas pricing in 2026 — and what you’d pay on hiignite
| Roster size | hiignite | Kahunas |
|---|---|---|
| 1 active client | $0 — free forever | 14-day trial, then $35/mo |
| 25 clients | $21.99/mo | $35/mo — Essentials, at its cap |
| 50 clients | $33.99/mo | $69/mo — Growth, at its cap |
| No client cap | $49.99/mo, or $479.99/yr — Unlimited | $99/mo, or ~$75/mo billed annually ($900/yr) — Ultimate |
Kahunas uses flat, client-capped tiers: Essentials $35/mo for up to 25 clients, Growth $69/mo for up to 50, and Ultimate $99/mo for unlimited clients plus branded native iOS/Android apps and team seats (annual billing is 25% cheaper — Ultimate works out to ~$75/mo, or $900/yr). Kahunas also sells paid extensions — Group Messaging and Zapier — but only from Growth $69/mo upward; the $35/mo Essentials tier shows no way to buy them at all, and Ultimate bundles them in at a stated $15/mo value. There's no free plan, just a 14-day trial, so a working 1:1 coach pays at least $35/mo, or $99/mo to lift the client cap. hiignite is free forever for 1 active client and $9.99/mo (or $95.99/yr) for Pro with up to 10 active clients, $6 per extra block of 10 clients, no per-message fees, and a $0 Stripe platform fee. Past 70 clients Unlimited takes over at a flat $49.99/mo with no cap — $479.99/yr against the $900/yr Ultimate plan you need to lift the cap on Kahunas.
Questions, answered.
Yes, if you're a 1:1 (and small-group) coach who wants to start free and keep costs low. hiignite is free for 1 active client and $9.99/mo for Pro with 10 clients included, then $6 per extra block of 10 clients and no per-message fees, plus a fast program builder, form-check video, and real-time chat. Kahunas starts at $35/mo with no free tier, so hiignite is cheaper to enter — and free while you build your roster.
Kahunas has three flat tiers: Essentials at $35/mo (up to 25 clients), Growth at $69/mo (up to 50 clients), and Ultimate at $99/mo (unlimited clients plus branded iOS/Android apps and team seats). Paid extensions — Group Messaging and Zapier — only become purchasable from Growth upward; Essentials shows no way to add them, and Ultimate bundles them in at a stated $15/mo value. Annual billing saves about 25% (e.g. Ultimate is $900/yr). There's no free tier, only a 14-day trial, and every tier caps your roster by price band.
Free forever for 1 active client, then $9.99/mo ($95.99/yr) on Pro for up to 10, with extra clients in blocks of 10 at $6, or Unlimited at $49.99/mo ($479.99/yr) with no client cap — no per-message fees, no percentage cut per client, and a $0 platform fee on Stripe payouts.
How hiignite compares elsewhere.
Start coaching on hiignite.
The free plan is free forever — one active client, no card, no trial clock. Monthly plans are month-to-month, with no contract.