When I first started creating online courses, the all-in-one platforms we know today — Kajabi, Teachable, Thinkific — weren’t as widely available. That meant my only option was to build a self-hosted course website.
I made it work, but here’s the honest truth: while self-hosting gives you full control and customisation, it also comes with a lot of headaches. In this post, I’ll take you behind the scenes of my original self-hosted setup, the tools I used, and why I eventually moved everything over to Kajabi.
The Reality of Self-Hosting
A self-hosted course site is usually built on WordPress.org with a stack of plugins and themes. Back when I started, I used a theme called CourseCats. I was one of the first to try it, and at the time, I thought it was beautiful: clean design, crisp banners, and easy-to-use layouts. They’ve since released CourseCats 2.0, which looks even better.
But here’s the thing: while the design was gorgeous, maintaining everything behind the scenes took serious effort.
What the Student Experience Looked Like
From a learner’s perspective, the site looked professional:
- Modules and lessons listed neatly in a sidebar.
- Videos embedded in each lesson with text and downloads underneath.
- Bonus sections displayed separately at the bottom of the course.
It worked — but every detail had to be manually set up. Adding a new lesson? That meant entering titles, uploading content, embedding video, and linking downloads.
The Tech Stack Behind It
Here’s where things got tricky. To keep the site running, I had to juggle multiple plugins:
- MemberMouse – my membership platform (not my favourite, but it did the job).
- Leadpages – for opt-ins.
- Hello Bar – for announcements and promotions.
- VaultPress – for backups.
- A developer-built script for redirects.
Each plugin had to be connected and “taught” to talk to the others. MemberMouse, for example, managed memberships, access levels, and bundles. It also had to integrate with payments, email providers, and other tools — or at least work through Zapier.
This meant hours of setup, ongoing troubleshooting, and constant updates.
The Pain Points
While self-hosting gave me control, here’s what made it exhausting long-term:
- Time-consuming setup – every course, module, and bonus had to be created separately.
- Maintenance – plugins would clash, break, or need updating.
- Tech overwhelm – I’m not naturally tech-savvy, and at times it felt like too much.
- Design limits – because CourseCats was my theme, I couldn’t run my blog design separately unless I used a subdomain.
Running my business while managing all of this became overwhelming.
Why I Moved to Kajabi
Eventually, I shifted everything to Kajabi. Here’s why:
- Simplicity – no plugins, no coding, no maintenance.
- All-in-one platform – hosting, payments, email, automations, and design all under one roof.
- Focus on content – instead of managing tech, I could focus on teaching and scaling.
For most course creators, especially those who aren’t tech experts, an all-in-one platform removes the friction. It lets you build faster, sell easier, and grow without worrying about whether plugin #17 just crashed your checkout page.
Self-Hosted vs. All-in-One Platforms: A Comparison
| Feature/Factor | Self-Hosted (WordPress + Plugins) | All-in-One (Kajabi, Teachable, etc.) |
|---|---|---|
| Control | Full control over design, hosting, and data | Limited to platform’s features & templates |
| Setup Time | Slow – plugins, integrations, and testing required | Fast – everything is built in |
| Maintenance | High – constant updates, troubleshooting, and potential conflicts | Low – handled by the platform |
| Customisation | Very flexible (themes, code, plugins) | Moderate – enough for most users but less custom |
| Technical Skills Needed | High – must understand plugins, domains, hosting | Low – drag-and-drop tools |
| Cost | Cheaper at first, but can add up with plugins, hosting, and dev help | Monthly/annual subscription but predictable |
| Scalability | Can grow big if managed well, but needs ongoing effort | Scales easily with less technical strain |
| Best For | Tech-savvy creators who want total control | Most creators who want ease and speed |
When Self-Hosting Still Makes Sense
Self-hosting can still be a smart choice if you:
- Want complete ownership and control over your website.
- Have strong technical skills (or a developer on call).
- Need deep customisation that all-in-one platforms can’t provide.
If that’s you, tools like CourseCats, MemberPress, or Paid Membership Pro could be worth exploring.
Looking back, building a self-hosted course site taught me a lot. But today, with platforms like Kajabi and Teachable available, I don’t recommend self-hosting unless you’re very comfortable with tech (or enjoy the challenge).
If your goal is to share your expertise, impact people, and scale your business, let the platforms handle the heavy lifting — so you can focus on creating content that matters.
