There isn't a single art that I'd call "karate." There are many styles, and they have many schools and lineages.

The style I studied was taught for free in the sensei's basement, and it was, to put it bluntly, a rather brutal art. Not many parents would be into it (all of the students were adults in my dojo).

Not to take anything away from Krav Maga and similar styles. There's just a lot of variation in what is called karate.