How to Migrate from Podia to BTS: Complete Guide (2026)

Thinking about leaving Podia? You're not alone. We've helped hundreds of creators make the switch to BTS, and we've learned exactly what makes a migration smooth versus stressful. In this guide, we'll walk you through every step of moving your creator business from Podia to BTS—from exporting your content to welcoming your members to their new home.

BTS is where creators turn content and community into real businesses. We built this platform because we know the creator economy is fragmented, and creators deserve one place to build something they own. If you've been feeling limited by Podia's approach, this guide will show you exactly how to make the transition without losing momentum.

Migration Overview

Why Creators Leave Podia

We talk to creators every day who are making the switch from Podia, and the reasons tend to follow similar patterns. This isn't about Podia being bad—it's about finding the right fit for where your business is headed.

Common Pain Points We Hear

Design limitations keep you boxed in. Podia works well for getting started, but many creators hit a ceiling when they want their brand to look more polished and professional. The templates feel limiting when you're ready to stand out.

It feels more like a course platform than a business. If you're building something bigger than just courses—maybe you're combining community, coaching, and content—Podia's structure can start feeling constraining.

Pricing and features don't scale well. As your business grows, you might find yourself paying more but not getting proportionally more value. Creators tell us they want pricing that makes sense at every stage.

From our experience: "We've seen creators double their engagement within weeks of switching—not because of any magic, but because they finally had the structure to build something cohesive."

What You'll Gain with BTS

When you migrate to BTS, you're not just switching tools—you're upgrading to creator business infrastructure. Here's what that means in practice:

• One place for everything. Courses, community, content, payments—it all lives together. No more stitching together five different tools.
• Modern, brand-forward design. Your business looks like a real brand, not an online course portal from 2010.
• Structure and momentum. We focus on helping you build systematically, not just throwing features at you.
• Real support from real people. When you need help, you get humans who understand creator businesses, not chatbots.

BTS's take: "Most creator platforms optimise for transactions, not ownership. We built BTS to be different—this is your business, and it should feel like it."

Before You Start: Pre-Migration Checklist

Before you dive into the technical migration, take 30 minutes to prepare. This makes everything smoother.

Pre-Migration Checklist

How to Export from Podia

1. Member list: Go to your Podia dashboard → Audience → Export. Download as CSV.
2. Content files: Navigate to each product → download your uploaded files manually (videos, PDFs, etc.).
3. Sales data: Export from Sales → Export for your records.

Pro tip: Create a folder on your computer called "Podia Migration" and organize everything by product or course. You'll thank yourself later.

Step-by-Step Migration Process

This is the core of your migration. Follow these steps in order, and you'll have your new BTS business up and running in no time.

Step 1: Set Up Your BTS Account

Time: 15-20 minutes

Start by creating your BTS account at behindthescenes.com. Here's what to do first:

1. Sign up with the email you use for your creator business.
2. Complete your profile. Add your name, bio, and profile photo. This is what your members will see.
3. Choose your space name. This becomes your URL (e.g., yourname.behindthescenes.com). Pick something clean and memorable.
4. Connect your payment account. We use Stripe for payments—connecting takes about 2 minutes if you already have Stripe, or 10 minutes to set up a new account.

What we've learned: "Creators who take time to set up their profile properly see better conversion rates from day one. First impressions matter."

Step 2: Recreate Your Offering Structure

Time: 30-45 minutes

Now it's time to rebuild your product structure. In BTS, everything lives in a unified space rather than separate products.

Map your Podia products to BTS:

Setting up your tiers:

1. Go to your BTS dashboard → Monetization.
2. Create your subscription tiers. Most creators start with 2-3 tiers.
3. Set your pricing. You have full control—monthly, annual, or both.
4. Define what each tier includes (access levels, content, perks).

Our recommendation: "Based on working with hundreds of creators, we suggest starting simple. You can always add complexity later, but starting with too many tiers confuses potential members."

Step 3: Import/Recreate Your Content

Time: 1-3 hours (depending on how much content you have)

This is where the bulk of your work happens. Here's how to approach it:

For course content:

1. Create a new collection in BTS for each course.
2. Add modules/sections to organize your lessons.
3. Upload your videos directly to BTS. We handle hosting—no need for external video hosts.
4. Add any downloadable resources as attachments.
5. Write or paste your lesson descriptions.

For community posts and content:

1. Create posts for any evergreen content you want to migrate.
2. Organize content using tags and collections.
3. Pin important posts for easy member access.

For digital downloads:

1. Create a dedicated section or post for each download.
2. Upload files and set access permissions.
3. Link from your sales page or welcome sequence.

Pro tip: Don't feel like you need to migrate everything. This is a great opportunity to audit your content. Keep what's working, leave behind what isn't.

Step 4: Import Your Members

Time: 30-60 minutes

Here's where the member magic happens. You have two options:

Option A: Fresh start (recommended for most creators)

Instead of importing members into active subscriptions, invite them to join fresh:

1. Send an email to your Podia members announcing the move.
2. Give them a special migration offer (first month free, discount, etc.).
3. They sign up on BTS and you honor their existing subscription status manually if needed.

Why we recommend this: It's cleaner, ensures payment details are current, and gives members agency in the transition.

Option B: Manual member setup

For smaller member bases or specific situations:

1. Import your member list into BTS.
2. Manually set up each member's access level.
3. Send password reset emails so members can access their accounts.

From our experience: "The creators who have the smoothest migrations treat it as a 'grand reopening' rather than a quiet backend switch. Your members will appreciate the transparency."

Step 5: Test Everything

Time: 30 minutes

Before you go live, test every part of your new setup:

Testing checklist:

• [ ] Sign up as a test member at each tier level
• [ ] Purchase process works smoothly
• [ ] All content is accessible at the right tier
• [ ] Videos play correctly
• [ ] Downloads work
• [ ] Welcome emails send properly
• [ ] Navigation makes sense
• [ ] Mobile experience works well

Ask a friend or team member to go through the signup process and give feedback. Fresh eyes catch things you'll miss.

Step 6: Launch and Redirect

Time: 15-30 minutes

You're ready to go live. Here's how to make the switch:

1. Set your BTS space to public.
2. Update your social media links to point to your new BTS URL.
3. Set up redirects from your old Podia URLs if possible.
4. Announce to your audience across all channels.
5. Cancel or pause your Podia subscription once migration is complete.

Our recommendation: "Keep your Podia account active for 30 days after migration. This gives you a safety net and time to ensure nothing was missed."

Communicating with Your Members

How you communicate the switch matters more than the technical migration. Here's our playbook for member communication.

When to Announce

Timeline for communication:

What to Tell Your Members

Your members care about three things:

1. Will I lose access to what I paid for? Reassure them: No, everything transfers.
2. Do I need to do anything? Be clear: Here's exactly what you need to do (if anything).
3. Why are you making this change? Be honest: Share your reasons without badmouthing Podia.

Email Template: Initial Announcement

Here's a template you can customize:

Subject: Exciting news—we're upgrading your experience

Hey [Name],

I wanted to give you a heads up about something exciting: we're moving our community and courses to a new platform called BTS.

Why the move?

Simply put, BTS lets us build something better for you. Everything will live in one place, the design is cleaner, and we can offer you more value without the limitations we've been hitting.

What this means for you:

• All your content and access stays the same
• You'll get a fresh login link (coming soon)
• The experience will be noticeably better

What you need to do:

Nothing yet! I'll send you everything you need next week.

Questions? Just reply to this email.

[Your name]

Handling Common Concerns

"I don't want to re-enter my payment info."

Response: We've made this as seamless as possible. It takes 30 seconds and ensures your subscription is secure.

"Will I lose my progress?"

Response: Your access to all content is preserved. If you have specific progress tracking needs, reach out and we'll help.

"I liked the old platform."

Response: We hear you. Give the new setup a week—we think you'll love it. If not, we're here to help.

Common Migration Challenges (And Solutions)

After helping hundreds of creators migrate, we've seen every challenge. Here's how to handle the most common ones:

Challenge 1: Members Confused About the Switch

Solution: Over-communicate. Send more emails than you think necessary. Create a simple FAQ page in your new BTS space. Make yourself available for questions in the first week.

Challenge 2: Some Content Doesn't Transfer Cleanly

Solution: Accept that some reformatting will be needed. Use this as an opportunity to improve your content structure. Better to have clean, well-organized content than a messy copy-paste job.

Challenge 3: Payment/Subscription Confusion

Solution: Be generous during the transition. Extend subscriptions by a month if there's any overlap confusion. The goodwill is worth more than the revenue protection.

Challenge 4: Tech Anxiety (Yours or Your Members')

Solution: Remember that BTS is designed to be simple. Most creators find it easier than Podia once they get oriented. For members, create a quick video walkthrough of the new space.

What we've learned: "The creators who struggle most with migration are the ones who try to do it in secret. Transparency with your audience makes everything smoother."

Challenge 5: Losing Momentum During the Switch

Solution: Don't go dark during migration. Keep posting content, even simple updates. Schedule your migration for a time when you can dedicate focus to it, not during a busy launch or life event.

Post-Migration Checklist

You've made the switch. Here's what to do in the first week:

Week One Checklist

Optimize Your New Setup

Once the migration dust settles, take time to explore BTS features you didn't have before:

• Set up your community engagement features
• Explore different content formats
• Customize your branding further
• Set up automations for member journeys

BTS's take: "Migration is just the beginning. The real magic happens when you start building in an environment designed for creator businesses, not just creator tools."

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does BTS cost?

BTS offers a free Starter plan that lets you launch and start earning immediately. Our Pro plan is $149/month with a lower transaction fee (3.5% + 30¢ vs 10% on Starter). We also offer custom Enterprise solutions for larger creator businesses. The best plan depends on your revenue—at higher volumes, Pro pays for itself quickly.

Is BTS free to use?

Yes! Our Starter plan is completely free. You can launch, add members, and start earning without paying us anything upfront. We take a 10% transaction fee on Starter, which drops to 3.5% + 30¢ on Pro. Many creators start free and upgrade as they grow.

What makes BTS different from other creator platforms?

We focus on creator business infrastructure, not just monetisation. Most platforms optimise for transactions—we optimise for ownership. Everything runs behind the scenes in one space, so you can focus on creating, connecting, and building something you actually own. We're not a marketplace, not a social network, and not a course-only platform.

Can I migrate my existing members to BTS?

Absolutely. We help creators migrate from Podia, Patreon, Teachable, and other platforms regularly. The process varies depending on your situation, but your members can transfer seamlessly with minimal friction. Our support team is here to guide you through it.

How long does it take to set up BTS?

Most creators launch within a day. Our onboarding is designed to get you earning quickly, not buried in settings and configuration. If you're migrating from Podia, expect 1-2 hours for basic setup and up to a day for a complete migration with all content.

Does BTS take a percentage of my earnings?

Yes, but our fee structure is transparent and competitive. Starter plan: 10% of transactions. Pro plan: 3.5% + 30¢ per transaction (plus the $149/month subscription). This is in line with or better than most creator platforms, and you get significantly more infrastructure for your money.

What kind of support does BTS offer?

We provide hands-on creator success support. Real humans who understand your business, not just ticket systems. When you reach out, you get someone who can actually help—not a chatbot or a week-long wait. We've helped over 1,600 creators build their businesses on BTS.

Can I use my own domain with BTS?

Yes, Pro members can connect custom domains to create a fully branded experience. Your space can live at yourbrand.com instead of a BTS subdomain. This is important for creators who want to build a recognizable brand identity.

How long does the migration process take?

Most creators complete the full migration in 1-2 hours for basic setup, or about a day if you have extensive content and want to do it thoroughly. The technical part is straightforward—the member communication often takes more thought and time.

What if I get stuck during migration?

Our support team is here to help. Reach out anytime and we'll guide you through whatever you're facing. We've done this hundreds of times and there's almost nothing we haven't seen. You're not alone in this process.

Will my members lose access to anything?

No. When done properly, your members retain access to all the content they've paid for. The migration is about moving to a better home, not losing what you've built. We help you structure the transition to ensure continuity.

Can I keep my Podia site active during the transition?

Yes, and we recommend it. Keep Podia active for at least 30 days after your BTS launch. This gives you a safety net and ensures members who haven't switched yet can still access their content. Once you're confident everything is working, then cancel.

What happens to my SEO and external links?

You'll need to update external links pointing to your Podia site. For SEO, your content moving to BTS means starting fresh with search rankings for that domain, but your audience follows you—not your URL. Focus on notifying your audience directly.

Does BTS handle payments globally?

Yes, we support global payments with 1-5 day payouts (same-day in the US). We cover most regions worldwide, with a few exceptions (Africa, Spain, Venezuela, North Korea, Iran, Russia). If you have international members, they can pay and access without issues.

Is there a limit to how many members I can have?

No artificial limits. BTS is designed to scale with your audience. Whether you have 50 members or 50,000, the platform handles it. We've paid out over $1,400,000 to creators and support businesses of all sizes.

Can I offer free trials to my members?

Yes, free trials are fully supported. You can set trial periods for any subscription tier—a great way to let potential members experience your content before committing.

What content formats does BTS support?

BTS supports video, audio, text, images, PDFs, and downloadable files. You can structure content as courses, community posts, exclusive updates, or any combination. The flexibility lets you build the creator business that fits your style.

How do I handle members who don't want to switch?

Be understanding but clear. Explain the benefits, offer a grace period, and be available for questions. Most members follow creators they trust. The tiny percentage who refuse usually weren't engaged anyway. Focus on serving your active community.

Can I run my coaching business on BTS?

Absolutely. BTS supports coaching through direct messaging, scheduled content delivery, and subscription or one-off payment models. Many of our creators offer coaching alongside courses and community—it all lives in one place.

What analytics and insights does BTS provide?

You get clear visibility into your member growth, revenue, engagement, and content performance. We believe you should understand your business, not just run it. Analytics help you make informed decisions about what to create next.

Key Takeaways

• Migration doesn't have to be scary. With preparation and clear communication, you can switch from Podia to BTS in a day.
• Focus on your members' experience. Over-communicate, be generous during the transition, and make yourself available for questions.
• Use migration as an opportunity. Audit your content, clean up your structure, and launch your BTS space as a fresh start.
• BTS gives you one place to build something you own. No more stitching together tools. This is creator business infrastructure.
• We're here to help. Our support team has guided hundreds of creators through this exact process.

If a creator has an audience but no structure, BTS is the answer. And if you're coming from Podia, you're exactly the kind of creator we built this for—someone ready to turn content and community into a real business.

Ready to make the switch? Start your free BTS account and see why 1,600+ creators have made BTS their home.

About the Author

BTS Support is a Migration Specialist at BTS, having personally helped 500+ creators switch platforms and build thriving creator businesses. With deep experience in the creator economy's technical and strategic challenges, the BTS Support team ensures every migration is smooth, every question is answered, and every creator feels supported.

This guide reflects BTS's methodology and experience as of January 2026.

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