You've got a browser open with twelve tabs, and every single one of them is a pricing page.

ClickFunnels. Kajabi. GoHighLevel. Kartra. Leadpages. You're squinting at feature charts, halfway through another 20-minute review video, trying to figure out which all-in-one platform is finally going to be the one that fixes your funnel and makes the sales roll in.

I want to stop you right there.

Because if the question you're asking is "What's the best funnel software?"... honestly, you're asking the wrong question. And the good news - the really good news - is that the smart answer to this question is going to save you money, save you time, and let you finally close those tabs today.

Ready? Here it is:

You probably don't need a “funnel software” at all.

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First, what even IS "funnel software"?

Let's get on the same page, because this term gets thrown around a lot.

When people say "funnel software" or a "sales funnel platform," they mean a single tool that does everything to run their funnel end-to-end.

Things like:

Build the different web pages of your sales funnel.
Communicate with your customers by email (and sometimes text marketing, if you're looking at something like GoHighLevel).
Manage your leads so you can see where everyone is in the process.

Then they pile on the bells and whistles: automations, dashboards, all sorts of stuff.

And the marketing pitch is seductive, I'll give them that. It goes like this: “Our software is a great deal, because instead of paying for a bunch of separate tools, you pay for one platform. And it's more convenient, because you're not switching between five different pieces of software.”

It really does sound smart! Even like a #worklessearnmore strategy.

But… I've been running my online business for about nine years now, and in that time I've tried all the different funnel setups - from the shiny all-in-one options to the cobbled-together, piecemeal approach. Back in the day (pre-Covid), I used to piece together quite a few different tools.

But, the longer I've been doing this, the simpler I've made things. Not because simple is trendy, but because keeping things simple - even sales funnels - actually gets me better results.

What a sales funnel actually looks like (keep it simple)

Before we talk tools, let's zoom way out. Every business has a sales funnel, whether you built one on purpose or not.

Super big picture, here's the path a customer walks:

They discover you. This is how people first find out you exist.
You make contact. For example, they land on your website.
You get connected. Typically, online, this is them signing up for your email list.
You warm them up. Now you use email (and sometimes live events or other content) to build a relationship and get them ready to buy.
You make the pitch. This might be an email promotion or a conversion event like a live webinar or a challenge.
You close the sale. Generally with a sales page and/or a checkout page.

Are there a thousand variations on this? Of course. But big picture, this is what nearly every digital sales funnel looks like.

Now let's walk it again, this time asking the question that matters for figuring out what tool you need: what pieces do I actually need for my funnel?

#1 - A way to get discovered

First, you need somewhere you're getting visibility. This is you posting on YouTube, showing up on social media, or running paid ads.

Notice something? None of that is anything a funnel software would help you with. Not one bit. Your visibility lives completely outside the platform you're agonizing over.

That's one whole stage of your funnel the software doesn't even touch.

#2 - A website

Next comes your website. And yes, all those funnel platforms include a website builder, because a website is a genuinely important part of most sales funnels.

But you can also just... use a website builder.Squarespace, Wix, WordPress - there are plenty of great options these days. I use Squarespace for mine (and love it!).

So your website is the first real asset you need, and while you could do this with a “funnel software,” you also have your pick of excellent tools that were actually built to build websites.

#3 - Email marketing software

After the website, the next step is getting them to opt into your email list. So you need a way to do email marketing and manage your list and leads.

This is your email service provider (ESP). It's the engine you can use to nurture those subscribers until they're ready to buy.

I use Kitfor mine. More on my favorites in a minute, because this is actually one of only two things the funnel software is actually replacing. So let’s get through the final things you need for your funnel, then we’ll talk more about software options.

#4 - A way to host live events

Want to run a webinar or a workshop? You could use funnel software. But hosting live video is something even the best funnel software does poorly, and most of them don't do it at all.

We all know the tools that were actually built for streaming: Zoom, Streamyard, Vimeo, YouTube. So I’d recommend using any of those options. For a live webinar, I just hop on Zoom, because most of us already have a Zoom account, right? For an evergreen, recorded webinar, I put the video on Vimeo and embed it onto a page on my website.

Super simple - and better than what any fancy funnel platform could give you!

#5 - A way to get paid

Finally, you've run your conversion event, and now you need to actually facilitate the sale. That means a sales page and/or a checkout page.

Now, you can do this with funnel software. But you can also just build a sales page on your website and connect it to whatever payment processor you want to use.

And here’s why I’d recommend this latter approach: even if you buy the funnel software, you still have to go set up a payment processor - a PayPal or a Stripe - and integrate it. There's no getting around that account setup.

So why NOT just build the sales page right on your website and use Stripe's or PayPal's own checkout form? Or, make it super easy: most good email marketing tools now let you integrate your payment processor directly and use that as your cart. I know for sure that Systeme.io, MailerLite, and Kit all do this. You just integrate Stripe or PayPal with your email platform, and you're done.

Whether you use a “funnel software” or not, you need a payment processor either way. It’s just a necessary tool for doing business online.

So let's add it all up…

Everything you actually need to build a sales funnel:

A discovery platform
A website
Email marketing software
Maybe something like Zoom to host live video
A checkout system (including a payment processor)

That's it. Five things.

And now for the part that should really make you close some pricing page tabs… No funnel software can give you three of those five things: your discovery platform, Zoom, and your payment processor!

So what is that expensive all-in-one platform actually replacing? Just two things: your website and your email marketing.

That's the whole magic trick. You're paying a premium to bundle two tools you could get better, separately, and for less.

Why I'd choose the specialist every time

Here's how I think about it.

I would way rather go get the best website builder, the one I actually want, and the best email marketing software, the one I know gives me the best results, than settle for the jack-of-all-trades that gets crowned the "best sales funnel software."

Because that all-in-one isn't going to have as good of a website builder. The site it spits out won't rank as well on Google, because its SEO isn't as strong. And the email marketing won't perform as well either (in terms of email deliverability, functionality, ease of use, etc.), because it was never a specialized tool built just for that.

Best-at-one-thing beats okay-at-everything. Every time.

For me, that's Squarespace for my website and Kit for my email. And of course there are lots of other great options for both.

By the way, Kit has an awesome free plan. And by “free plan,” I don’t just mean a free trial! You can use Kit for free until you reach 10,000 subscribers or want to create multiple automations or email sequences.
Check it out HERE.

So, you can start building your funnel today for exactly zero dollars. No funnel software required.

But, one last thing… don’t miss the part of building a funnel that actually matters most:

The biggest, most important factor in how well your sales funnel performs - how profitable it can be - isn’t the software.

It's your funnel strategy.

I’m talking about how you construct your funnel - what steps, in what order - and your messaging. That's what actually gets you sales (or not) and what separates a funnel that limps along from one that pays your bills. The software is just the plumbing. Your strategy controls the tap.

So if you take one thing away today, let it be this: stop shopping for a tool to save you, and make sure you get your strategy right. You're not behind because you haven't found the perfect platform. You've been pouring your energy into the wrong end of the problem - bu the super good news is that that's the easiest mistake to fix.

My favorite funnel strategy

Funnel strategy is a whole topic of its own, way beyond one blog post. But I'd love to hand you mine.

I have a free 10-episode audio course called The $100K Method, and it covers the exact sales funnel strategy I use for myself and for all my clients. It's completely free, and with only 10 episodes, you can binge the whole thing over the next couple of days.

You can get access to it here: https://www.gillianperkins.com/100k-method-signup

Here’s to your success!

What's the Best Funnel Software? (the answer might surprise you)

First, what even IS "funnel software"?