(in wellness businesses)
Many wellness professionals who want to host their first online courses and programs reach the same point and ask themselves:
“Which platform should I use to host my courses?”
And honestly, many times this decision is made from tech insecurity, not from strategy.
There’s this idea that “if it’s more expensive, it must be better”… but at this stage, that’s not always true.
After working for years with coaches, yoga teachers, therapists and online educators, I keep seeing the same mistakes again and again. Here are the three most common ones.
Mistake 1: Thinking the most expensive platform makes you more professional
It doesn’t.
What makes you professional is:
- the clarity of your offer
- the experience you create
- the transformation your client goes through
Not the logo under your video.
In the early stages of a wellness business, there’s a lot of testing.
Sometimes you sell 20 courses, sometimes 5, sometimes none — but the monthly fee stays the same.
And that can create something very dangerous: pressure to sell + fear of communicating.
I’ve seen many professionals stop launching great ideas because they felt they had to sell just to justify the cost of the platform.
Some even cut back on other marketing actions, like running ads, because the budget was already tight.
Technology should support you — not put pressure on you.
Mistake 2: Not being clear about what you actually need (before you pay)
Before choosing a tool, ask yourself:
- Am I selling recorded courses or live programs?
- Do I need recurring payments or just one-time payments?
- Am I launching now, or just testing an idea?
- Do I already have traffic, or am I starting from zero?
Many people sign up for all-in-one platforms with CRMs, automations, funnels, memberships, apps and complex integrations…
when what they really need right now is simply: host content + get paid + give access.
That’s it.
Start simple. You can always grow later.
Mistake 3: Thinking students care about the platform
Students care about the result and the experience — not the tool.
They care about:
- what they will learn
- how they will feel
- what will change in their life
- whether they feel supported
Their buying decision is not based on which platform you use.
A clear, human and well-explained experience will always beat a “pretty” platform that’s badly communicated.
Platforms I usually review with my clients
These are the ones I’ve worked with personally. I only talk about what I know from real experience.
Kajabi
Who it’s for
For people who already have a validated offer, an email list (or traffic), and want an all-in-one system without juggling five different tools.
Pros
- True all-in-one: courses, website, landing pages, email marketing, automations, payments
- Solid student experience: clear member area, simple navigation, stable access
- Fast to launch without needing web development
- Integrated marketing: sequences, tagging, automations and sales in one place
- If your brand aims for premium, Kajabi usually feels premium
Cons
- High monthly fee from day one — tough when you’re still validating
- You pay for features you may not use at the beginning
- Less flexible than WordPress
- Easy to fall into “making everything perfect” instead of selling
My view
Kajabi is great when your business is ready to systemize and grow.
If you’re still testing your first offer, it can feel like paying for a full gym membership when you train twice a month.
LearnDash (WordPress)
Who it’s for
For those who want full control, already use WordPress (or want to), and understand this is more about infrastructure than apps.
Pros
- Full ownership: your site, your content, your platform
- Maximum flexibility
- More predictable costs: plugin + hosting + extras
- Strong SEO potential if organic traffic matters to you
Cons
- Not plug-and-play: you need proper setup, security and backups
- Ongoing maintenance
- Payments and marketing depend on your tech stack
- You’ll need time or technical support
My view
LearnDash is a great option if you want your own digital “home” and care about SEO and control.
But if tech drains you, it can take energy away from what really matters: selling and delivering.
ThriveCart (+ Learn)
Who it’s for
For people who want to focus on selling first — checkouts, upsells, order bumps, affiliates — and also deliver a simple course in the same system.
Pros
- Very strong for sales: optimized checkout, bumps, upsells, coupons, affiliates
- One-time payment (depending on plan) — much easier financially than monthly fees
- ThriveCart Learn allows you to host courses simply and clearly
- Easy to integrate with other tools later
Cons
- Learning experience is “good”, not “wow” if you want a full academy feel
- Limited customization in the student area
- Email and CRM usually live outside the platform
My view
Strong sales + simple delivery.
A very practical setup for many wellness businesses.
Hotmart
Who it’s for
For people who want to validate quickly with low friction, and don’t need full brand control at the beginning.
Pros
- Easy to start and launch fast
- Simple payments and access management
- Affiliate system can help in some business models
Cons
- Less brand control and experience
- Sales commissions can add up as you grow
- Dependence on the platform
My view
Great for testing an offer without getting stuck in tech.
If your positioning is premium and experience matters a lot, you may want to move later.
Final thought
A platform doesn’t make you professional.
What makes you professional is choosing a tool that fits your current stage — without adding unnecessary pressure.
Your client doesn’t buy “Kajabi”.
They buy the result you help them achieve.
👉 Don’t choose technology from fear. Choose it from where your business really is.
First validate your offer. Then build your system. Then invest in more advanced tools.
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