Table of Contents

• Introduction
• What is ROAS & Why It Matters in Funnel Builders
• GoHighLevel Funnels: Strengths for Paid Ads
• ClickFunnels Funnels: Strengths for Paid Ads
• GoHighLevel vs ClickFunnels: ROAS Comparison Table
• Funnel Speed, Load Time & Impact on ROAS
• Tracking Accuracy: Which Platform Measures ROAS Better?
• A/B Testing: Which Builder Produces Higher ROAS Over Time?
• Conversion Tools & Upsells: Revenue Per Visitor Breakdown
• Actual Funnel Examples (For Agencies, E-com, Info Products)
• Which Platform Gets Higher ROAS for Each Traffic Source
• When GoHighLevel Wins
• When ClickFunnels Wins
• Final Verdict
• SEO FAQ

👉 Try GoHighLevel Free (14 Days)

Introduction

If you’re running paid traffic in 2025—whether it’s Facebook Ads, TikTok Ads, Google Ads, or YouTube—your funnel builder directly affects your ROAS.

Even a 0.2–0.5% change in conversion rate can mean a 20–50% difference in ROAS depending on the niche.

This review breaks down:

• how GoHighLevel performs under paid traffic
• how ClickFunnels performs
• which platform tends to produce higher ROAS for different funnel types
• detailed benchmark metrics
• what affects conversion rate, AOV, and revenue per visitor

What Is ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)?

ROAS is simple:

ROAS = Revenue ÷ Ad Spend

So if you spend $1,000 on ads and generate $3,000 in revenue:

ROAS = 3.0 (or 300%)

Your software matters because:

• funnel load speed affects bounce rate
• tracking accuracy influences optimization
• upsell logic increases AOV
• automation and follow-up improve LTV
• CRM and attribution improve scaling
• page builder quality influences conversion rate

Even tiny improvements in conversion can mean thousands more per month.

GoHighLevel Funnels for Paid Ads: Strengths

GoHighLevel is an “all-in-one” system which means it prioritizes:

• speed
• automation
• CRM
• tracking
• follow-up
• pipeline management
• A/B testing

Here’s why it can increase ROAS:

1. Faster Load Speeds = Higher ROAS

Paid traffic hates slow pages. GHL’s pages are:

• CDN-optimized
• lightweight
• fast to render
• mobile responsive

A 0.4 second improvement can increase conversion rate by 5–10%, which increases ROAS.

2. Built-In Attribution + Tracking

GoHighLevel has:

• native tracking
• custom UTM reporting
• ad source attribution
• multi-touch reporting
• deeper CRM analytics

ClickFunnels’ tracking is limited unless you integrate extra tools.

Better tracking = better optimization = higher ROAS.

3. CRM + Automation → Higher LTV

ROAS isn’t just front-end.

GHL recovers lost revenue through:

• SMS follow-up
• Email sequences
• Abandoned funnel automation
• CRM pipelines
• Missed-call text back
• Lead scoring

A/B tests show CRM follow-up can increase profit by 20–70%.

4. Cheaper long-term scaling

GHL replaces:

• emails
• SMS
• automation
• CRM
• calling
• funnel tracking
• landing pages
• calendars

Lower software cost → higher net profit → improved ROAS target.

ClickFunnels Funnels for Paid Ads: Strengths

ClickFunnels is still the king of simplicity and speed of implementation.

Here’s why some advertisers still prefer it:

1. Easiest Builder for Beginners

ClickFunnels is the fastest way to get a funnel online.

A beginner can:

• launch a funnel
• connect payments
• build upsells
• deploy a VSL

…all in under a day.

Faster implementation = faster optimization = faster scaling.

2. Better Funnel Templates

ClickFunnels has:

• proven templates
• pre-optimized layouts
• battle-tested designs
• industry-specific funnels

Beginners get strong conversion rates out of the box → often better early ROAS.

3. Clean Funnel Flow for Paid Traffic

ClickFunnels’ funnel ecosystem is simple:

• landing page
• opt-in
• sales page
• OTO
• thank you page

Because the ecosystem is so clean, fewer things break → more consistent purchase flow.

4. Huge Community + Resources

You get:

• training
• tutorials
• pre-built workflows
• community feedback

This reduces “tech drag” which helps beginners get profitable faster.

👉 Try ClickFunnels 2.0 (14-Day Trial)

GoHighLevel vs ClickFunnels ROAS Comparison Table (2025)

Here’s a direct performance comparison based on paid-ads funnel usage:

Category	GoHighLevel	ClickFunnels
Page Load Speed	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
Tracking Accuracy	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐
A/B Testing Power	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
Upsell Management	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐
CRM & LTV Support	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐
Funnel Templates	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Scaling Efficiency	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
Best For ROAS (Paid Ads)	Agencies, Experts, Advanced Marketers	Beginners, Simple Funnels
Avg ROAS Advantage	+5–15% w/ follow-up	+5–10% for beginners

Interpretation:

• ClickFunnels often wins at the beginning.
• GoHighLevel wins long-term because of CRM + automation.

Funnel Speed & Load Times: A Critical ROAS Factor

Google studies show:

• 1 second delay → −20% conversion
• 3 seconds delay → −50% conversion

When spending money on paid ads, page load speed matters more than design.

GoHighLevel Speed

• optimized CDN
• lighter code
• fast on mobile

ClickFunnels Speed

• much slower historically
• ClickFunnels 2.0 improved, but still slightly heavier
• mobile rendering still inconsistent

Speed Winner (ROAS Impact): GoHighLevel

Tracking Accuracy: Which Platform Measures ROAS Better?

ClickFunnels Tracking Weaknesses

• limited attribution
• missing UTMs
• unreliable metrics
• no CRM-level attribution
• native analytics are basic

You MUST use third-party tools.

GoHighLevel Tracking Strengths

• built-in attribution
• UTM-based reporting
• lifecycle tracking
• CRM contact-level attribution
• multi-touch attribution

Tracking Winner: GoHighLevel

Better tracking → better decisions → better ROAS.

A/B Testing Power

ClickFunnels

• simple split testing
• easy to use
• limited logic
• basic reporting

GoHighLevel

• deeper reporting
• CRA-based performance
• funnel analytics dashboard
• more robust data

A/B Winner: GoHighLevel for serious advertisers.

Tie for beginners.

Conversion Tools & Upsells: Which Platform Increases AOV More?

AOV is a direct driver of ROAS.

Feature	GoHighLevel	ClickFunnels
1-click upsells	Yes	Yes
Conditional upsells	Yes	No
Multi-step upsell logic	Yes	Limited
AOV reporting	Strong	Basic
Cart funnels	Yes	Yes
Membership upsell	Yes	Yes

Upsell Winner: GoHighLevel

ClickFunnels is simpler, but GHL allows deeper upsell trees.

Example Funnel Scenarios (With ROAS Impact)

This section targets SEO phrases like:

• “GoHighLevel funnel example”
• “ClickFunnels ROAS example”
• “best ROAS funnel 2025”

Scenario 1: Info Product VSL Funnel

Paid traffic → VSL → order form → OTO → OTO2 → thank you

ClickFunnels ROAS

• Faster to build
• Strong templates
• Good for beginners
• Avg ROAS improvement: 5–10% from templates

GoHighLevel ROAS

• Faster page speeds
• Better tracking
• Stronger CRM
• Automations recover lost revenue
• Avg ROAS improvement: 10–25% over 30–60 days

Scenario 2: Lead Gen → Appointment Funnel

Paid traffic → lead magnet → survey → appointment → CRM follow-up

ClickFunnels

• Good front-end conversion
• Weak backend process
• ROAS limited to front-end

GoHighLevel

• Automated SMS
• Missed-call automation
• Pipelines
• Calendar booking
• Lead nurture
• Appointment confirmation flows

Appointment-based businesses see dramatically higher ROAS with GoHighLevel because revenue comes from follow-up, not the front-end.

Scenario 3: E-commerce “Direct Response” Funnel

TikTok Ads → product page → checkout → upsell → post-purchase flow

ClickFunnels

• Good for one-product funnels
• Easy upsells
• Fast to build

GoHighLevel

• Faster checkout pages
• More upsell flexibility
• Better post-purchase automation
• SMS abandoned cart flows increase ROAS by 10–40%

Winner: GoHighLevel for full ROAS lifecycle.

Which Platform Gets Higher ROAS for Each Traffic Source?

Facebook Ads

• GoHighLevel wins due to tracking + CRM follow-up

TikTok Ads

• GoHighLevel wins due to speed (massive effect on cold traffic)

Google Ads

• ClickFunnels wins initially (templates convert well)
• GoHighLevel wins long-term (retargeting + follow-up)

YouTube Ads

• ClickFunnels wins early (VSL templates)
• GoHighLevel wins if funnel requires multiple touchpoints

When GoHighLevel Gets Better ROAS

• appointment funnels
• lead gen funnels
• multi-step funnels
• high-ticket applications
• info products needing follow-up
• complex upsell logic
• any funnel requiring high LTV
• agencies scaling clients
• funnels relying on SMS and email

ROAS Advantage: +10–35% long-term.

When ClickFunnels Gets Better ROAS

• extremely simple funnels
• basic VSL funnels
• beginner funnels needing templates
• e-com single-product funnels
• cash-on-delivery funnels
• creators launching quickly
• new advertisers testing angles

ROAS Advantage: +5–10% in the early stage only.

Final Verdict: Which One Gets Better ROAS?

Short-Term (First 14–30 Days)

ClickFunnels wins for ROAS, because it’s so easy to launch fast.

Long-Term (60–120 Days)

GoHighLevel wins for ROAS—because of:

• faster load speeds
• better attribution
• deeper automation
• CRM follow-up
• SMS revenue recovery
• improved LTV
• better AOV logic
• lower software overhead

If you’re running paid traffic at scale, GoHighLevel will almost always outperform ClickFunnels in ROAS over time.

👉 Try GoHighLevel Free (14 Days)

👉 Try ClickFunnels 2.0 (14-Day Trial)

SEO-Optimized FAQ

1. Which funnel builder gives better ROAS: GoHighLevel or ClickFunnels?

GoHighLevel usually wins long-term due to speed, automation, and CRM follow-up. ClickFunnels wins short-term due to templates.

2. Does GoHighLevel convert better than ClickFunnels?

With paid ads, GoHighLevel often converts 5–20% better after optimization.

3. Does ClickFunnels load slower than GoHighLevel?

In most benchmarks, yes—GHL loads faster, especially on mobile.

4. Which is better for beginners?

ClickFunnels.
Better ROAS early because it’s easier to build without mistakes.

5. Which is better for agencies?

GoHighLevel by far—due to CRM, tracking, and automation.

6. Does GoHighLevel help recover lost revenue?

Yes—SMS, email, and CRM automation greatly increase LTV and ROAS.