Today I wanted to share about one action I took in my business that saves me over $1,000 per year in blogging expenses.
It’s changing course hosting platforms. And in particular, switching from Teachable to Podia. Let me share why I took that decision and the different factors that played a role in it.
Why Leave Teachable
Teachable changed a lot over the years. It’s one of the top course platforms, sure. But they also raised their prices, especially in the last year as they completely changed their pricing plans and what each includes.
They keep adding new features. One I was waiting for is communities and memberships, and they just released it this year, which is awesome. But other platforms have been having it for a long time now, offer better conditions and are cheaper.
There were also other little things I wasn’t happy with such as the design and user experience. I don’t like the Teachable sales pages and the design options were very limited.
One big thing that made me want to switch is the fact that not only did they increase the price, but they also set a limit on how many products we can publish of each type.
For me, that means paying more but also not being able to publish as many masterclasses, courses and other trainings as I want to.
For other course creators that might not be an issue. If you have one or a few programs and don’t plan to create any or many more, you’re good.
But I like testing out new offers, releasing masterclasses, and being open to new ideas. Maybe I want to release a new workshop every month. Or a few more free courses or video series.
Once I saw that my next invoice will be $1,428/year (which equals to $119/month), I started my research for a new platform.
I also admitted to myself that I’ve been sticking to Teachable for way too long because they are some of the best in the industry and because I’ve already created so much using them and had thousands of students enrolled that it would be a hassle to change platforms and might even annoy students.
But the truth is that I’m also moving so I can provide students with a better experience and so I can have freedom as a creator.
Many of the successful course creators have also tried more than 1 platform. And so far, I’ve only been with Teachable.
Why I Chose Podia
I did some research although I already knew the other big players in the course business. I also knew many bloggers and business owners that were successfully using other platforms and recommending them.
I narrowed down my choices to a few.
When looking for a new course platform be careful not to sign up for one that doesn’t provide course hosting. In that case, it might be super cheap and have other amazing features, but you’ll need to host your videos elsewhere (and maybe paying monthly for that service).
I definitely needed a platform that has it all and where I can safely add all my course lessons (I’ve got hundreds and hundreds of these).
I chose Podia because it had everything I wanted to, but with a great price, unlimited courses, amazing design, and it also specializes in memberships and building a community, which is something I’m gonna get into next year (with my new offer Fearless Bloggers).
I’m a student of many courses and that includes some inside Podia so I knew how things look from the aspect of a student.
In terms of design, Podia lets you create a very professional looking website and sales pages. That’s super easy and quick with their website builder.
In fact, if you aren’t a blogger but just a course creator, that can be the only site you have. Add to that the email marketing they offer (if you don’t wanna use a separate tool for that), and your main things online are under one roof.
Comparing Prices
So, Teachable costs $1,428/year ($119/month). Podia, on the other hand, is $396 ($33/month).
I save $1,032 per year thanks to this one move.
Teachable is nearly 4 times more expensive than Podia and it doesn’t allow unlimited courses. I can have up to 50 (as of the time of writing this), as you can see from the image below.
For someone like me who likes adding bonuses as separate products, releasing the occasional masterclass or another smaller product, eventually I’d need to upgrade. But the next plan they have $199/month and with it, you can have up to 200 courses. Still, not unlimited.
Podia, however, allows you to have unlimited products and that’s just a feature I need. I wouldn’t mind switching to their next plan, Shaker, eventually in case I need any of the other features.
Where are you paying more than you need in your business?
The main reason why I shared all this is to encourage you to evaluate your business expenses.
Is there a tool or service you’re paying for but not using? Or something that doesn’t provide you with the features you need but which costs you a lot?
What can you do about it? Maybe you can downgrade your plan, stop using it whatsoever, or switch to another one. In some cases, there might even be a free version you can use instead but with another company. Do your research and decide based on that.
Keep in mind that I’m not against Teachable. I still recommend it and it has a lot to offer to course creators. I’ve also shared plenty of tutorials on how to use it inside my programs. It just made more sense for me now to switch to Podia. Both are amazing platforms but each serves slightly different needs.
What do you think? And where in your business can you save some money?
Prefer to listen to this article? Check out the podcast episode below that goes with it:
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