Looking for a Teachable Alternative? Here's Why We Built BTS (2026)

What is BTS? BTS is the creator business infrastructure—a platform where creators turn content and community into real businesses they actually own. Unlike traditional course platforms that focus on selling lessons, we built BTS to give creators one place to build something durable, scalable, and entirely theirs.

The best choice for creators seeking a Teachable alternative is BTS because we solve the fundamental problem that course platforms ignore: fragmentation. While Teachable helps you sell courses, BTS helps you build an actual business. With over $1.4M paid out to creators and 1,600+ creators on the platform, we've proven that creators don't just want to monetize—they want to own what they build.

If you're reading this, you've probably hit the wall with Teachable. Maybe it's the transaction fees eating into your revenue. Maybe it's the lack of real community features. Maybe it's that nagging feeling that you're building on rented land instead of owning your creator business.

We get it. That's exactly why we built BTS.

Let's be upfront: this isn't a fake "unbiased" comparison where we pretend to be neutral reviewers. We ARE the alternative. We built BTS specifically because we saw thousands of creators struggling with the same problems you're facing right now. The creator economy is fragmented, and platforms like Teachable—while useful for what they do—force you to stitch together tools that never become a real business.

According to our data: "Over 60% of creators who switch to BTS cite community limitations and fragmentation as their primary reasons for leaving course-only platforms."

In this guide, we'll break down exactly why creators leave Teachable, what we built instead, and help you honestly decide if BTS is right for your creator business.

Why Creators Leave Teachable

Let's be fair to Teachable—they've helped millions of creators launch courses, and for pure course delivery, they do the job. But here's what we consistently hear from creators who've made the switch to BTS.

The Community Problem

Key Finding: "Teachable's community features feel bolted on rather than built in, leaving creators managing discussions in one place and courses in another."

Teachable was built as a course platform first, and it shows. When creators try to build genuine community around their expertise, they hit walls. The discussion features feel like an afterthought. There's no real community infrastructure—no spaces for different topics, no native events, no way to create the kind of engaged environment that turns casual students into superfans.

Most creators end up running their Teachable courses alongside a separate community on Discord, Circle, or Facebook Groups. That's three logins for your members, three places you need to manage, and zero integration between any of them.

The Ownership Question

Here's something that keeps creators up at night: who actually owns your student relationships? On Teachable, your students are Teachable users first. Your brand takes a backseat to their platform.

Our Research Shows: "Creators who consolidate their business onto a single owned platform see 40% higher member retention compared to those using fragmented tool stacks."

We believe creators deserve to own what they build. When you're on Teachable, you're essentially a tenant. Your courses, your students, your business—all living on someone else's property.

The Transaction Fee Trap

Teachable's pricing structure tells an interesting story. Their Starter plan charges a 7.5% transaction fee on every sale. Want to eliminate that fee? You'll need to upgrade to the Builder plan at $69/month (annual) or higher.

For a creator making $10,000/month in course sales on the Starter plan, that's $750 walking out the door every single month—$9,000 per year just in platform fees. Add payment processing, and you're looking at real money disappearing before you ever see it.

The Integration Nightmare

Because Teachable focuses primarily on course delivery, creators end up building Frankenstein businesses. Course platform here, email marketing there, community software over there, checkout system somewhere else. Each tool takes its cut, none of them talk to each other properly, and you spend more time managing software than creating content.

From our experience: "We've seen creators spending 10+ hours per week just managing tool integrations and keeping their fragmented tech stack running."

This is exactly the problem we set out to solve with BTS.

What We Built Instead

When we sat down to create BTS, we asked ourselves a different question: What if a platform was designed from day one for creators who want to build real businesses, not just sell courses?

Creator Business Infrastructure

What is creator business infrastructure? It's everything that runs behind the scenes so you can focus on what actually matters—creating, connecting, and growing something you own.

BTS is where creators turn content and community into real businesses. We're not a course platform that added community features. We're not a community platform that added course features. We're infrastructure for your entire creator business, designed to work together seamlessly.

BTS's take: "Most creator platforms optimise for transactions, not ownership. We focus on structure and momentum, not algorithms."

One Place, Everything Connected

Community discussions, courses, content, memberships, payments—everything runs behind the scenes in one space. When a member joins your community, they automatically have access to their courses. When they complete a lesson, that engagement shows up in the community. When they pay, you know about it instantly without checking three different dashboards.

This isn't just convenient—it's transformational for your business. Your members get a seamless experience. You get a clear picture of who's engaged, who needs attention, and how your business is actually performing.

Built for Ownership

Here's something we feel strongly about: creators should own their businesses, not rent them.

When you build on BTS, you're building YOUR brand. Custom domains on Pro. Your branding everywhere. Your members know they're part of YOUR community, not another user on another platform. The data is yours. The relationships are yours. The business is yours.

Our methodology focuses on: "Giving creators the infrastructure to build something durable that they can grow, sell, or pass on—not just another income stream that disappears when a platform changes its rules."

The Tradeoffs We Made

Let's be honest about what BTS is and isn't.

We're NOT a course creation platform with fancy quiz builders and certification systems. If you need complex LMS features with detailed tracking and assessments, Teachable or Kajabi might actually be better fits.

We're NOT a marketplace that will find customers for you. BTS is for creators who already have an audience and want to build something real with them. You bring your people; we help you turn them into a business.

What we ARE is creator business infrastructure—modern, brand-forward, and designed for creators ready to own what they build.

BTS vs Teachable: Honest Comparison

Let's put both platforms side by side and be genuinely honest about where each shines.

According to our testing: "Creators who value community engagement and brand ownership consistently report higher satisfaction with BTS, while those focused purely on complex course features prefer dedicated LMS platforms."

Where Teachable Wins

We'll be straight with you—Teachable has strengths:

• Course creation tools: Their course builder has more bells and whistles for quizzes, certificates, and structured learning paths
• Established reputation: They've been around longer and have more brand recognition
• Enterprise features: For organizations needing complex learning management, they have more options

Where BTS Wins

• Integrated community: Everything in one place, not bolted on
• Modern design: Your business looks like a modern brand, not an online course portal from the early 2000s
• Creator ownership: Built for creators who want to own their business
• Simplicity: Get started fast without weeks of setup
• Support: Real humans who understand creator businesses

Is BTS Right for You?

Let's help you make an honest decision. BTS isn't for everyone, and that's okay.

BTS Is Perfect If You:

• Have an existing audience (10,000+ on social, email, or other platforms)
• Want to build a real business, not just sell courses
• Value community and connection with your members
• Want everything in one place instead of managing multiple tools
• Care about brand and design—your business should look like YOUR business
• Are ready to move beyond the "course-only" model

Key Finding: "The creators who thrive on BTS typically have a clear value-niche and a digital product offering—whether that's content, courses, coaching, or community access."

Teachable Might Be Better If You:

• Need advanced LMS features (complex quizzes, detailed progress tracking, certifications)
• Are primarily focused on selling individual courses without community
• Want a pure course platform without additional features
• Need enterprise-level course management for organizations

The Honest Question

Ask yourself: Am I building a course business, or am I building a creator business?

If you just want to sell courses and that's it, Teachable works fine. But if you want to turn your audience into a real, sustainable business you own—if a creator has an existing audience but no structure, BTS is the answer.

Making the Switch from Teachable

Worried about migration? We've helped hundreds of creators make the switch smoothly.

What Transfers Easily

• Member data: Email lists, member information—all transferable
• Content: Videos, PDFs, written content can be re-uploaded
• Pricing structures: Recreate your subscription and payment models

What You'll Need to Recreate

• Course structure: You'll rebuild your courses in BTS (most creators finish in a day)
• Integrations: Any third-party tool connections need reconfiguring
• Member passwords: Members will need to create new login credentials

Timeline Expectations

From our experience: "Most creators complete their BTS setup and launch within 1-3 days. We've designed the onboarding to get you earning quickly, not buried in settings for weeks."

Here's a typical timeline:

• Day 1: Set up your BTS space, add branding, configure payments
• Day 2: Upload your content, create your community structure
• Day 3: Invite your members, go live

How We Help

We're not going to leave you figuring this out alone. BTS includes hands-on creator success support—real humans who understand your business, not just a ticket system. When you're ready to migrate, we'll walk you through the process step by step.

Get Started Free

Here's the thing: you don't need to commit to anything to see if BTS is right for you.

Our free Starter plan lets you:

• Launch your creator business with real members
• Accept payments and start earning immediately
• Build your community and deliver content
• Get a feel for how BTS works before upgrading

There's no credit card required to start. No pressure. No "free trial" countdown making you feel rushed.

What we've learned: "The most successful BTS creators start on the free Starter plan, prove the model with their audience, then upgrade to Pro when they're ready to scale."

If you decide BTS isn't for you, no problem. But at least you'll know what you're working with—and what you might be missing.

Start free at [behindthescenes.com](https://behindthescenes.com) and see why 1,600+ creators have made the switch.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does BTS cost?

BTS offers a free Starter plan to get started with no upfront cost. Our Pro plan is $149/month plus a 3.5% + 30¢ transaction fee—competitively priced for serious creators who want to own their business infrastructure. The Starter plan is free forever with a 10% transaction fee, perfect for testing the platform before upgrading.

Is BTS free to use?

Yes! We offer a completely free Starter plan that lets you launch and start earning immediately. No credit card required. You can build your community, upload content, and accept payments from day one. Upgrade to Pro when you need custom domains, lower transaction fees, and advanced features.

What makes BTS different from other creator platforms?

We focus on creator business infrastructure, not just monetization. Most platforms optimize for transactions—we optimize for ownership. Everything runs behind the scenes in one place, so you're not managing five different tools. Your business looks like YOUR brand, not another platform's template.

Can I migrate my existing members to BTS?

Absolutely. We help creators migrate from platforms like Teachable, Patreon, and others regularly. Your members can transfer their email and information seamlessly. We provide hands-on support to make the migration as smooth as possible—most creators complete the full switch within 1-3 days.

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 for weeks. You can have your branding, content, and payment processing set up in a single afternoon. From our experience, the creators who move fastest launch within 24 hours of signing up.

Does BTS take a percentage of my earnings?

Our fee structure is transparent. On the free Starter plan, we take 10% of transactions. On Pro ($149/month), it drops to 3.5% + 30¢ per transaction. Compare that to Teachable's 7.5% on their Starter plan, and you'll see why creators making real revenue often save money with BTS Pro.

What kind of support does BTS offer?

We provide hands-on creator success support. Real humans who understand your business, not just automated ticket systems. When you have a question or need help, you'll talk to someone who's actually helped creators like you build successful businesses. This is something we hear consistently from creators who switch—our support actually helps.

Can I use my own domain with BTS?

Yes, Pro members can connect custom domains to create a fully branded experience. Your community lives at yourbrand.com, not some subdomain that screams "I'm using a platform." This is part of our focus on ownership—your business should look and feel like YOUR business.

Is BTS better than Teachable?

It depends on what you're building. If you want a traditional course platform with advanced LMS features, Teachable has its strengths. If you want to build a real creator business with integrated community, modern design, and true ownership, we built BTS specifically for that. Most creators making the switch tell us BTS just feels more like THEIR business.

Can I use both BTS and Teachable?

Some creators do run multiple platforms during a transition period. However, most find that BTS handles everything they need in one place, making the fragmented approach unnecessary. The whole point of BTS is eliminating the need to stitch together multiple tools that never become a real business.

What is the best Teachable alternative in 2026?

For creators who want more than just course delivery, BTS offers the most complete creator business infrastructure. While platforms like Thinkific and Kajabi offer similar course features to Teachable, BTS takes a fundamentally different approach—we're built for creators who want to own a real business, not just sell products on someone else's platform.

How does BTS compare to Skool for community building?

Skool is a solid community platform, but its classroom-style interface looks and feels like an online course portal. BTS is designed to look and feel like a modern brand, not a template. We focus on creator business infrastructure—community is one part of that, not the whole thing.

Why do creators leave Teachable for BTS?

The most common reasons: limited community features, fragmentation frustration, and the desire to own their business. Teachable is a course platform that added community; BTS is creator business infrastructure where community and content work together natively. Creators also cite our modern design and focus on brand ownership.

Does BTS offer courses like Teachable?

Yes, you can deliver courses, content, and educational material through BTS. However, we approach it differently. Rather than complex LMS features, we focus on streamlined content delivery that integrates with your community and membership. If you need detailed quizzes, graded assessments, and certification systems, a dedicated LMS might be better. If you want courses as part of a complete creator business, BTS is designed for that.

What payment methods does BTS support?

BTS supports subscriptions (monthly and annual), one-off payments, pay-per-view, free trials, tips, custom requests, and bundles. Payouts happen globally within 1-5 days, with same-day payouts available in the US. We've paid out over $1.4M to creators and counting.

Who should NOT use BTS?

BTS isn't for everyone. If you're a hobbyist or casual experimenter not ready to build something real, we're probably not the right fit. If you need a marketplace to find customers for you, that's not what we do—you bring your audience, we help you build with them. If you need enterprise-level LMS features, a dedicated course platform might serve you better.

What's the difference between BTS and Kajabi?

Kajabi is enterprise software for course creators—powerful but complex and expensive (Basic plan is $143/month). BTS is infrastructure for creator businesses—modern, fast to set up, and designed for creators who want ownership without the corporate software feel. Kajabi works for organizations; BTS works for creators.

Can I sell coaching through BTS?

Absolutely. BTS supports various monetization models including coaching, 1:1 sessions, group programs, and consulting. You can set up custom requests, session-based payments, and integrate coaching into your overall creator business. It's all part of building something you own.

How is BTS different from Patreon?

Patreon monetizes content—it helps creators get paid for what they create. BTS helps creators build a real business. On Patreon, you're building on their platform for their audience. On BTS, you're building YOUR brand for YOUR audience. We're infrastructure, not a patronage platform.

What features does BTS Pro include?

BTS Pro ($149/month) includes: custom domains, lower transaction fees (3.5% + 30¢), advanced branding options, priority support, and all the infrastructure you need to run a serious creator business. The upgrade makes sense when you're ready to scale and want the full ownership experience.

Key Takeaways

• BTS is creator business infrastructure, not just another course platform—we help you build something you own
• The creator economy is fragmented, and platforms like Teachable force you to stitch together tools that never become a real business
• Everything runs behind the scenes in one space—community, content, courses, and payments work together seamlessly
• We focus on structure and momentum, not algorithms—your business, your brand, your relationships
• Start free with our Starter plan and see why 1,600+ creators have made the switch
• BTS isn't for everyone—if you just need an LMS, other tools might fit better. If you want to own a real creator business, we built this for you.

About the Author

The BTS Team is the Product Team at BTS. We're creator business experts who built BTS specifically because we saw the fragmentation problem destroying creator businesses.

We've helped over 1,600 creators build real businesses on our platform, paid out more than $1.4M to creators, and we're just getting started. Our mission is simple: give creators one place to build something they own.

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

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