Is GoHighLevel the Real Deal? A Deep Dive Review for Businesses in 2025
Tired of juggling marketing tools? GoHighLevel (GHL) is here. This all-in-one platform makes waves. But is it more than hype? Let’s dive deep to see if it can truly boost your business.
GoHighLevel: Your Business Swiss Army Knife
Imagine one platform for CRM, marketing automation, sales funnels, and your website. That’s GoHighLevel. It offers a complete solution for marketing agencies, small businesses, and freelancers who want to streamline their tech and get results.
GoHighLevel aims to replace many standalone tools. Instead of separate CRM software like Salesforce or HubSpot, you get everything in one place with GHL. This platform manages everything from sales funnels to tracking leads and automating follow-ups. It’s like having a non-stop digital assistant.
GoHighLevel’s Feature Arsenal: What’s Under the Hood?
GoHighLevel has serious features. Let’s break down key tools available:
CRM: Keeping Your Customer Relationships Organized
GoHighLevel features a robust CRM (Customer Relationship Management). Keep all customer interactions and data in one place. No more spreadsheets or scattered notes; everything you need is easily accessible.
Marketing Automation: Put Your Marketing on Autopilot
Want to send automated campaigns? GoHighLevel can help. You can set up follow-up sequences to nurture leads and engage customers. It drives conversions without lifting a finger after setup. It acts as a marketing robot for you 24/7.
Sales Funnel Management: Guiding Leads to Conversion
Sales funnels help convert prospects into customers. GoHighLevel offers effective management tools. Track opportunities, automate sales, and visualize your pipeline to see where your leads are. This helps you identify bottlenecks and optimize your process.
Website and Landing Page Builder: No Coding Required
Need a website or landing page? GoHighLevel’s drag-and-drop builder makes it easy. Select templates or start from scratch without coding. It’s ideal for launching campaigns or creating a professional online presence quickly.
Appointment Scheduling: Say Goodbye to Booking Headaches
Managing appointments can be difficult. GoHighLevel eases this with integrated scheduling tools. Clients can book directly through your website, syncing everything with your calendar. Eliminate back-and-forth emails to find a time.
Reputation Management: Keep Your Online Image Sparkling
Online reviews are essential. GoHighLevel offers tools to manage your reputation. Monitor reviews, respond to feedback, and encourage positive reviews from happy customers. It’s essential in today’s digital landscape.
Call Recording: Never Miss a Detail
With GoHighLevel, you can record calls for various reasons. Train staff, ensure quality assurance, or keep records of vital conversations.
Enable call recording by:
- Go to Settings > Phone Numbers > Edit.
- Check the call recording box.
Listening is easy:
- Naviagate to Contacts and select the relevant contact.
Recorded calls are available in the “Contacts” tab. Select the contact and listen easily. This helps you improve customer interactions.
Invoicing: Get Paid Faster
GoHighLevel has invoicing features too. Use templates to create and send professional invoices from the platform. Activate this in the “Labs” section under sub-account settings. Streamline billing and receive payments quicker.
GoHighLevel Pricing: What Will It Cost You?
Let’s discuss pricing. GoHighLevel has a tiered structure for various business needs. The main plans include:
- Agency Starter Plan: $97/month – This entry-level plan suits small businesses or agencies starting.
- Agency Unlimited Plan: $297/month – This plan offers unlimited sub-accounts and more features. Good for established firms managing multiple clients.
- Agency Pro SaaS Plan: $497/month – Best for companies wanting to scale SaaS revenue. It has all Unlimited features plus advanced options for using GHL as your SaaS solution.
GoHighLevel can cost between $97 and $497 per month based on the chosen plan. Efficient App details these pricing plans if you want a closer look.
Don’t Forget the Extras: SMS and Email Pricing
The core platform provides much, but keep SMS and Email costs in mind:
- SMS Pricing: About $0.0079 per segment for outbound and inbound SMS in the U.S./Canada.
- Email Pricing: Roughly $0.675 per 1000 emails sent. You can create unlimited campaigns, but costs depend on volume.
Need a Break? Pause Your Subscription
Sometimes life needs a pause. GoHighLevel lets you pause your subscription as needed. Go to Settings > Billing to find the “Pause” option. It’s useful for seasonal business changes or temporary breaks.
GoHighLevel vs. The Competition: Who Comes Out on Top?
GoHighLevel is not alone in the all-in-one marketing platform space. Let’s compare it to some popular alternatives.
GoHighLevel vs. ClickFunnels: The Funnel Face-Off
ClickFunnels is known for sales funnels. However, in value, especially for agencies, GoHighLevel often leads. GHL’s Pro Plan has features like sub-account management that ClickFunnels lacks. If managing various client accounts, LeadSync’s blog notes GHL pricing is competitive.
ClickFunnels even started legal action against GoHighLevel over patent issues! The competition is fierce now. If looking for ClickFunnels alternatives, consider Leadpages, GetResponse, Instapage, Unbounce, Kartra, Systeme.io, OptimizePress, or Kajabi.
GoHighLevel vs. Kajabi: Courses vs. Client Management
Kajabi is strong for course creators and digital sellers. It focuses on online courses and memberships. In contrast, GHL is broader, with strong CRM and automation features suited for agencies needing client management. As Ajibola Busari on LinkedIn notes, the best choice hinges on your focus.
Choose Kajabi if: Your main focus is creating online courses or memberships needing easy creation tools.
Choose GoHighLevel if: You’re an agency with varied marketing demands or needing comprehensive CRM and automation for client management.
Other Alternatives: OptimizePress, Teachable, Monday.com, and Shopify
- OptimizePress: For WordPress users wanting solid marketing tools without GHL’s complexity, OptimizePress is ideal for landing pages and basic marketing within WordPress.
- Teachable: Teachable caters specifically to creators. While GoHighLevel focuses on agencies, Teachable emphasizes course creation and selling efficiently to audiences.
- Monday.com: Monday CRM emphasizes flexibility and customization for workflows. GHL leans towards lead generation and client management.
- Shopify: For e-commerce and online stores, Shopify is better. ClickFunnels (and GHL) focus more on sales funnels.
GoHighLevel: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (Just Kidding, Mostly Good)
Every platform has pros and cons. Now let’s review GoHighLevel’s advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages of GoHighLevel: The Wins
- Comprehensive Marketing Platform: GHL is truly all-in-one, combining CRM, marketing automation, sales funnels, etc., into one platform.
- Versatile and Feature-Packed: It has robust features, making it suitable for various businesses with different marketing needs.
- User-Friendly Dashboard:
- This dashboard is user-friendly. You can access key performance data, lead sources, and assigned tasks with ease.
- Customer Engagement Capabilities: GoHighLevel helps businesses connect with clients on various platforms. This improves relationships and increases conversions.
Disadvantages of GoHighLevel: The Not-So-Good
- Steep Learning Curve: GoHighLevel can feel overwhelming initially. It has a steep learning curve, demanding time to learn all its features.
- Inconsistent Training Materials: Users have noted inconsistencies in training materials. This complicates the learning process.
- Customer Service Response Time: Some users suggest improving customer service response times based on feedback.
- High Pricing: GoHighLevel offers many features but can be pricey, particularly for small businesses or startups.
- Reliability Issues: A few users mentioned sporadic reliability issues, though these may occur rarely.
Making Money with GoHighLevel: Is It a Goldmine?
Can you earn money using GoHighLevel? Yes. It provides diverse ways to boost your income whether you are an affiliate marketer, agency, business owner, or freelancer.
- Affiliate Marketing: Join GoHighLevel as an affiliate to earn commissions by promoting their platform.
- Marketing Agency Usage: Use GoHighLevel to improve agency operations and manage client services efficiently.
- Business Owner Applications: Utilize GHL for your own business marketing and enhance sales and customer relationships.
- Freelancer Opportunities: Provide GoHighLevel expertise as a freelancer to help clients manage their marketing processes on the platform.
- Selling Funnels and Templates: Create and sell pre-built templates or funnels to other users, generating passive income.
GoHighLevel: Software MLM or Smart Business Model?
Some refer to GoHighLevel as software MLM (Multi-Level Marketing). However, it’s important to note that it is
Technical Deep Dive: Website Builder, Hosting, and Integrations
Website Builder: Decent and Worth Using
Is GoHighLevel’s website builder effective? Yes, it is decent and worth using. While it may not win design awards, it allows for rapid creation of functional websites and landing pages.
Website and WordPress Hosting: All in One Place
GoHighLevel provides website and WordPress hosting on its platform. You can build and host sites, simplifying your tech setup by keeping everything together.
Integrations: Stripe, QuickBooks, and NUACOM
GoHighLevel connects with critical tools:
- Stripe: If you sell SaaS or use GoHighLevel’s payment features, connecting to Stripe is vital. It unlocks many functionalities.
- QuickBooks: Sync invoices with QuickBooks easily. The integration ensures accurate syncing of all invoice details.
- NUACOM: NUACOM excel for phone system integration. It includes features like call summaries, transcription, and sentiment analysis.
GoHighLevel Users: Who’s Using It and Seeing Success?
GoHighLevel has around 70,000 users and a growing team. They focus on marketing agencies, small business owners, entrepreneurs, and freelancers.
- Marketing Agencies
- Small Business Owners
- Entrepreneurs
- Freelancers
Users report success stories praising GoHighLevel for its features. Many find they get good value for their investment despite drawbacks. Key benefits include the platform’s diversity and capabilities.
HIPAA Compliance: Important Add-on for Healthcare
If you’re healthcare-related, HIPAA compliance is essential. GoHighLevel
The Founders Behind GoHighLevel
The co-founders of GoHighLevel are Shaun Clark, Varun Vairavan, and Robin Alex. Founded in 2018, Shaun Clark is the CEO. He also co-founded HighLevel, a marketing platform for agencies.
Learning GoHighLevel: Is It Worth the Effort?
Is it beneficial to invest time in learning GoHighLevel? Many businesses respond affirmatively. Despite the learning curve, its powerful features justify the effort. It’s user-friendly with robust features that enhance client engagement.
Difficulty Level: Prepare for a Climb
The learning curve can be steep. New users may find it tough at first due to many tools. However, after reaching some familiarity, it becomes simpler to navigate. Picture it as climbing a mountain—initially hard but rewarding at the peak.
Learning Resources: Where to Get Help
Fortunately, resources exist for learning GoHighLevel:
- Extensive Knowledge Base: They offer a vast knowledge base full of guides and articles.
- Onboarding Sessions and Tutorials: Make use of onboarding sessions for hands-on introductions to the platform.
GoHighLevel vs. ClickFunnels 2.0: A Final Tech Showdown
How does GoHighLevel stack up against ClickFunnels 2.0? ClickFunnels 2.0 is also an all-in-one marketing platform with functions like course hosting and customer management. In feature matchups, ClickFunnels 2.0 approaches GoHighLevel closely but misses some advanced agency capabilities like white labeling.
Bottom Line: Is GoHighLevel Worth It?LeadSync and Efficient App support that it is worthwhile. Despite challenges like the learning curve and some inconsistency, GoHighLevel delivers ample features for the value. If you need a strong all-in-one marketing tool for your business, GoHighLevel merits serious consideration in 2025.
