As someone who has worked in digital marketing for years, I know the importance of having the right tools to grow and scale your business. Sales funnels, email marketing, and client management are essential, but finding an all-in-one platform that delivers can be challenging. That’s where GoHighLevel comes in.
With the rise in popularity of GoHighLevel, I decided to test it myself to see if it really lives up to the hype. The promise of replacing multiple tools with one comprehensive platform caught my attention – who wouldn’t want to streamline their entire operation in one place?
In this GoHighLevel review, I’m going to take you through my first-hand experience using the software, its strengths, weaknesses, and how it compares to other platforms like ClickFunnels. Whether you’re an agency owner or an entrepreneur looking for a client management system, this detailed breakdown will help you decide if GoHighLevel is worth your investment.
So, let’s dive into the details of GoHighLevel so you can decide if the $97 to $297 per month investment is worth it.
What is GoHighLevel?
When I first heard about GoHighLevel, I was intrigued but a bit skeptical. Like many of you, I’ve been through the cycle of trying various tools that claim to be the ultimate solution for marketing and client management. Some work well, others… not so much. So, naturally, I had to see if GoHighLevel could live up to the promises.
In simple terms, GoHighLevel is an all-in-one marketing platform designed to help businesses and agencies streamline their operations. It combines tools for CRM, email marketing, sales funnels, appointment scheduling, and more. The idea is that instead of juggling a dozen different software tools, you can manage everything from one place.
I’ll be honest – at first, it felt a bit overwhelming. There’s a lot packed into GoHighLevel, and it took me some time to explore all the features. But once I started using it, I realized the potential it has to replace many of the tools I was already paying for. In fact, GoHighLevel is marketed as a way to cut down on costs by consolidating tools like ClickFunnels, Mailchimp, and even some CRM platforms.
My First Impression of GoHighLevel
I remember when I first saw GoHighLevel’s sales page after it launched. My initial reaction was mixed.
Having spent years working with digital tools and platforms, the first thing that struck me was the design—or lack of it. The page felt cluttered. The fonts were mismatched, and overall, it had an amateur vibe. This immediately made me question their professionalism.
I couldn’t help but think, “If they’re selling a platform to help build websites and funnels, why does their own sales page look like this?”
To be honest, it reminded me of when you visit a dentist and notice they have terrible teeth themselves—it doesn’t inspire confidence. For a platform aiming to be an all-in-one marketing solution, I expected something a bit more polished, especially considering how competitive the market is. First impressions matter, and unfortunately, GoHighLevel’s initial visual presentation didn’t do it any favors.
However, after diving into the platform, I quickly realized that despite the initial poor design of their sales page, the product itself was much more robust than I anticipated. The software offers a high level of customization, which is a game-changer. You can easily tailor your funnels, emails, and even the websites you build to look exactly how you want.
So, while the sales page didn’t impress me, the flexibility and depth of the tools within GoHighLevel certainly did.
Signing Up for GoHighLevel
Signing up was pretty easy overall. I did run into some trouble with the page acting glitchy when I tried to set my password, but it wasn’t a big deal. It could have just been a temporary internet issue or something on my end.
I was a bit surprised that there wasn’t a more detailed sales process during sign-up. The only extra offer available was a concierge service that helps create your first website for $297. I think this is a good deal, and I definitely recommend that most people take advantage of it.
I have to admit, I enjoyed it as a customer, even though the eight upsells and downsells from services like ClickFunnels can be really annoying. But that’s just how sales funnels work—they’re frustrating yet can feel like a “necessary evil.” Strangely enough, I was hoping they would show a more in-depth funnel.
Sometimes I wonder about my own goals and what I truly want. It can be confusing, but I’ll move on.
When you sign up for GHL, they encourage you to add a few things. One feature that caught my eye was the suggestion for “Google My Business,” while the others were pretty standard, like adding users and integrating with Stripe.
I added Stripe to a tool called “LeadConnector” to get started. This was the main hurdle I needed to overcome. Setting it up was pretty straightforward. I was able to use my existing Stripe account, which made things easier. The entire process took about 10 minutes. Overall, it was simple and quick!
I also got started on my first website. Just a few minutes after signing up, I received a text inviting me to schedule an onboarding call.
I saw this coming when they asked for my phone number. Honestly, I’m okay with it. While texts can be a hassle, having a free onboarding call is a nice perk. I always suggest that people take advantage of these opportunities, especially during a free trial, to determine if a tool fits their needs. A little time spent on onboarding can save you a lot of time down the road.
That said, I did get two calls on the day I signed up, which I didn’t really appreciate. This approach seems effective, but as a consumer, it’s not my favorite.
GoHighLevel also encourages you to join their live training sessions, which they offer regularly. They clearly realize that it doesn’t matter how powerful their tool is if users don’t know how to use it.
So What Tools Does GoHighLevel Actually Replace?
GoHighLevel has made a big effort to be a “one-stop shop” for business owners and marketers. Their goal is to replace all the tools that people like me use to operate online businesses and agencies.
I’ve included a screenshot of the tools that GoHighLevel claims it can replaces.
I want to look at this list to see how these tools can help me save money. I’m also interested in comparing them to what GoHighLevel promotes. This way, I can better understand which options are more beneficial for me.
For a detailed overview of how to use Go High Level as a coach, check out our Ultimate Guide To Using Go High Level As A Coach.
GoHighLevel Pros & Cons
Believe it or not, GoHighlevel isn’t always perfect. If you don’t use it the right way, it can end up being pretty useless.
Pros of GoHighLevel:
- It’s a comprehensive marketing tool that excels at everything it offers.
- There’s a wealth of free resources available to help you start and grow your business with GoHighlevel.
- Your digital marketing clients will see amazing results, improving your management of their needs.
- Attracting new digital marketing clients and generating leads will be a breeze.
- You can customize the platform extensively—if you can imagine it, there’s likely a way to create it in GoHighlevel.
- It combines most of the tools you need, which can save you money in the long run.
- It has excellent integration options (more on that later).
- You can resell the services and keep all the profits for yourself.
Overall, remember this key takeaway from my GoHighlevel review: if you approach Highlevel with the free educational resources available, you’ll find it much easier to grow and succeed. If you dive in without preparation, you might feel overwhelmed.
Cons of GoHighLevel:
- The cost can be somewhat deceptive, as expenses such as email broadcasts are charged per email sent.
- It can get pricey if you want to keep other services and software.
- All-in-one solutions often don’t provide the best option for every task.
- There’s no system for tracking affiliates.
- After signing up, the sales approach can feel a bit pushy with calls, emails, and texts.
- Google Workspaces isn’t available (no Gmail).
- If you decide to manage it yourself, there’s a steep learning curve.
- WordPress hosting comes with a cost ($14.99/month).
- The templates are pretty basic, and there aren’t many customization options.
GoHighLevel Pricing and Plans
Highlevel offers three pricing options, and I’ve tried them all, so I can help you choose the best one based on your business needs.
Tier 1: The Highlevel Starter Plan for $97/month
The Highlevel Starter Plan is ideal for those just starting their business because it provides all the essential marketing tools. I suggest this plan if you have at least two clients before moving up to Tier 2.
Tier 2: The Agency Plan for $297/month
The Agency Plan’s biggest benefit is that it provides unlimited subaccounts. If you’re working with clients as an agency, each one needs their own subaccount. While many other platforms charge extra for each subaccount, Highlevel allows you to create as many as you want for a single monthly fee. This means your costs won’t increase as your business grows. I recommend the Agency Plan for new users who expect to take on 3-5 clients soon.
Tier 3: Highlevel Agency Pro Plan (SAAS Mode): $497
The Agency Pro Plan is my top pick, especially for anyone needing more than five sub-accounts. While it is pricier, it comes with some great benefits:
- You can streamline the onboarding process for your clients, handling everything from sign-ups to creating sub-accounts and selecting snapshots.
- You have the ability to automatically charge your clients for Highlevel’s variable costs, like SMS and email fees, plus an extra fee of your choice.
- You can create your own pricing plans for your software as a service (SaaS).
- You also get access to Highlevel’s AI assistant, Eliza, which I’ll review in another post.
First off, let me say that most people—about 99%—won’t get much use out of the $97/month plan. This plan doesn’t include access to the API, which is essential for things like email marketing. If you start with this plan, you’ll likely end up needing to upgrade or even cancelling.
You can try GoHighLevel for free for 14 days on their website, but I have an exclusive offer for a 30-day trial if you use the coupon code below.
If you’re serious about using GHL, consider going for the annual plan. It’ll save you 20% over the year!
Building Webpages and Funnels with GoHighLevel
I was really excited to try out how easy it is to create attractive pages for my website using GoHighLevel. However, I found the templates to be just average.
I’m not completely comfortable with this editor because I’m used to more advanced tools like Thrive Architect. Still, it offers enough features to create well-customized pages.
You can easily add elements to your page by dragging and dropping them. Plus, you can move them around, resize them, change their colors, and perform all the basic editing tasks you’d expect from a page builder.
Getting used to any page builder can take some time, and I understand why some might find the GoHighLevel page builder a bit tricky at first. With practice, though, it becomes easier to navigate and create great pages.
When you compare it to tools like Clickfunnels, it offers similar quality and features. However, other options like Thrive Architect are even better for creating top-notch pages.
Overall, this is just how I imagined the page builder would work.
GoHighLevel Support Team
I really appreciate how GoHighLevel offers plenty of support in various ways.
- First off, they have many free courses designed to help you get started and grow your business. Each course has its own support team and coaches who are there to guide you and help you succeed. I’ve personally gone through a few of these programs, and I can assure you they’re genuinely helpful—HighLevel truly wants to assist you in gaining new clients.
- Each week, they hold office hours and regularly share updates. When I first started using Highlevel back in 2022, it was only about 20% of what it has become today. Highlevel is constantly improving to help users provide more marketing services to their clients.
- Additionally, every week they interview successful Highlevel users and agency owners, sharing these discussions on their channel. This allows you to see how other business owners utilize Highlevel to sell websites, marketing, and other services.
- High Level offers a great support library that can help answer almost any question you might have. This sets it apart from other tools that often fall short in providing support.
- They also provide nearly round-the-clock live support. While the expertise of support agents may vary, if the first person you talk to can’t help, they will always connect you with someone who can.
The main point is that Highlevel stands out from other tools because it not only teaches you but also helps you discover potential customers, nurture leads, and simplify your operations. Plus, it easily connects with any other software you want to use.
Alternatives to GoHighlevel
After trying out many alternatives to GoHighlevel, I find it difficult to recommend any of them. Most require a complicated mix of tools and different platforms to match what High Level CRM offers.
If you’re searching for alternatives to GoHighlevel, here are some options to consider:.
- Hubspot: This platform is best for managing customer relationships.
- Clickfunnels: Great for creating sales funnels. Keep in mind—while Clickfunnels offers solid training, their older version is simply a basic funnel builder. Also, the latest version has faced some serious issues.
- Active Campaign: Perfect for email marketing.
- Shopify: An excellent choice for selling products. With the right add-ons, it can even outperform Highlevel.
- Keap: Formerly known as Infusionsoft, this option can be pricey for what you receive.
- Kartra, Skool, and Podia: These are all good for building membership sites. Personally, I prefer Podia among them.
- Builderall: A solid option for creating websites.
- Pipedrive: Helpful for managing sales pipelines.
- Zoho and Salesforce: If you want to tackle more complex options, these are worth considering.
Learn more about how GoHighLevel helps small businesses by reading What Does GoHighLevel Do for a Small Business?
GoHighLevel Certification
Following in the footsteps of Clickfunnels, GoHighLevel has created a certification program to help users master their platform.
Here’s what you can gain from the certification:
- In-depth training on GoHighLevel and effective marketing strategies.
- Access to special invitations to earn extra skills badges.
- A chance to be listed in their directory, which can lead to opportunities for mentoring, coaching, or consulting with fellow HighLevel users.
This certification isn’t free. You’ll need to pay an extra $97 a month or $970 a year, as it’s not part of your GHL plan. An active plan is required to get certified. You also have to renew your certification each year to stay listed in their directory.
Completing the certification program usually takes about 7 to 10 days if you go at a steady pace.
GoHighLevel Affiliate Program
GoHighLevel is expanding by using a similar affiliate approach to what Clickfunnels started with. Here’s what you can expect:
- Earn 40% recurring commissions on all subscription plans.
- Get 5% recurring commissions on sales made by affiliates you refer.
- Top affiliates can participate in a “dream car” program.
Make sure to sign up for GoHighLevel and give it a try before you start promoting it!
Is GoHighLevel Legit?
The big question is, is GoHighLevel worth the $297 a month? As someone who has spent over ten years creating websites and sales funnels, I would say YES!
If you’re a business owner, GoHighLevel is a great option for managing your website, customer relations, and marketing.
It’s also an excellent program for resellers, supporting their success like few others can.
I’ve never found a tool that better prepares agency owners for success than GoHighLevel.
| Business Type | Is GHL Worth It? | Notes |
| A successful business with effective systems that are making money. | Not worth it. | Switching to a new service, no matter how good it is, can be a hassle and often isn’t worth it based on my experience. If you have tools that work well for you and you’re comfortable using them, I recommend sticking with what you know. |
| New businesses without any systems set up. | Yes, it’s worth it. | If I were starting from the beginning, I would definitely consider GHL. |
| Agencies that create and sell websites and systems to clients. | Yes, it’s worth it. | The GoHighLevel reseller program is impressive. If you run an agency that provides done-for-you services for clients who could benefit from GHL, consider joining. This is true even if you don’t exclusively sell GHL solutions. |
| Businesses that want to reduce expenses. | Maybe worth it. | Your costs will depend on how many emails or SMS messages you plan to send. If you’re sending a lot of messages, using GHL could end up being more expensive. |
Conclusion: Would I Recommend Highlevel
If you’re just starting out and looking to earn some money, or if you own a marketing business and want to increase your income, you should definitely consider using Highlevel.
It’s a much better option than many others, especially for local businesses. Highlevel also has a large community and provides some of the best free resources available. So, don’t miss the chance to maximize your earnings!
My honest opinion about High Level is that it can truly transform many businesses. However, I recommend that those selling products through e-commerce stores steer clear of it, as Shopify usually offers better options. If you want a single platform that can really make a difference, though, High Level is definitely the way to go!