| name | course-platform-selection |
| description | Use when choosing where to host course. Platforms vary on price, features, customization.
|
Course Platform Selection
Course platforms: Teachable, Kajabi, Thinkific, Podia, Circle, Discord, self-hosted. Match platform to needs.
Platform comparison
| Platform | Price/mo | Customization | Community |
|---|
| Teachable | $29-149 | Moderate | Basic |
| Kajabi | $149-399 | High | Built-in |
| Thinkific | $36-149 | Moderate | Basic |
| Podia | $33-99 | Moderate | Built-in |
| Circle | $39-99 | Limited (community-focused) | Excellent |
| Discord | Free | Low | Community-only |
| Self-hosted | $5-50 | Unlimited | Build it |
Choosing by need
- All-in-one + community: Kajabi (premium)
- Lean + course-focused: Teachable, Thinkific
- Email-focused: Podia (newsletter native)
- Community-first: Circle (course optional)
- Full control: Self-hosted (Stripe + Cloudflare)
- Existing platform: WordPress + LearnDash
Self-hosted for CardPrepAI
Given X3 already has:
- Cloudflare infrastructure
- Stripe integration
- D1 database
- Workers for backend
Self-hosted course = additional ~40 hours dev, but no recurring platform fee + maximum control. For CardPrepAI: build on existing stack.
Where this fits in the X3 empire
Platform decision for CardPrepAI Academy.