How to Migrate Your Teachable Courses to a Self‑Hosted Site

Updated 2026-07-05 · Hosting Reviews

If you’re ready to migrate teachable courses to self hosted and own every dollar you earn, you need a clear plan that covers hosting, domain, platform, and the tools that actually deliver lessons, collect payments, and manage students. Below is a no‑fluff guide that walks you through the entire process, from picking a host to launching your first course.

1. What You Actually Need to Run an Online Course Site

At a minimum you’ll need three things:

• Domain name – your brand’s web address (e.g., yourcourse.com).
• Web hosting – the server where your site lives.
• LMS platform – WordPress + an LMS plugin (LearnDash, LifterLMS, Tutor LMS, etc.) or a dedicated site‑builder with built‑in course tools.

Everything else—video storage, email marketing, payment gateways—can be added as plugins or third‑party services. The good news is you can start small and upgrade as you grow.

2. Choosing the Right Hosting Plan

Because you’ll be streaming video, handling payments, and serving student dashboards, performance matters. Here’s a quick cheat sheet:

1. Shared hosting – cheapest option, good for under 50 active students. Look for providers that promise SSD storage, free SSL, and decent CPU limits. Expect costs in the $3‑$8 /month range for the first term.
2. Cloud hosting – scalable resources, ideal when you anticipate growth or occasional traffic spikes (e.g., a launch week). Prices usually start around $10‑$15 /month and increase with usage.
3. VPS (Virtual Private Server) – dedicated resources without the price of a full server. Best for 50‑200 regular students or if you run multiple courses. Typical range $15‑$30 /month.

If you’re just getting started, a solid shared plan from Hostinger is a practical entry point. Hostinger offers SSD storage, free SSL, and a one‑click WordPress installer, which makes the setup painless for beginners. As your enrollment climbs, you can migrate to their cloud or VPS options without changing the domain.

3. Selecting a Platform: WordPress vs. Site Builder

Both routes let you migrate teachable courses to self hosted effectively, but they differ in flexibility and learning curve.

• WordPress + LMS plugin – Most flexible. You control design, plugins, and integrations. Ideal for custom branding and advanced features (drip content, quizzes, membership tiers). Requires a bit of technical comfort, but Hostinger’s one‑click install gets WordPress up in minutes.
• All‑in‑one site builder (e.g., Hostinger’s Zyro) – Drag‑and‑drop, no code. Some builders have built‑in course modules, but they’re often limited in payment gateways and third‑party integrations. Good for ultra‑quick launches, but you may outgrow them.

For most small businesses that want control and scalability, WordPress wins. The upfront effort pays off when you start selling dozens or hundreds of courses.

4. Setting Up Your Self‑Hosted Course Site

Follow these steps to get online in under a day:

1. Buy a domain. Register through Hostinger or any registrar you trust. Keep it short, memorable, and keyword‑rich if possible.
2. Purchase hosting. Choose a shared plan to start. During checkout, enable the free SSL certificate and the one‑click WordPress install.
3. Install WordPress. After the server provisions, click the WordPress button in your Hostinger dashboard. Set a strong admin password and a custom admin username.
4. Pick an LMS plugin. Install and activate your chosen LMS (LearnDash, LifterLMS, or Tutor LMS). All three have free versions for basic courses; premium versions unlock drip scheduling, certificates, and advanced reporting.
5. Configure payment gateways. Connect Stripe or PayPal within the LMS settings. Test a sandbox transaction before going live.
6. Upload your course content. Import videos (hosted on Vimeo or YouTube private mode for bandwidth savings), PDFs, and quizzes. Use the LMS’s “drip” feature to release lessons on a schedule.
7. Set up student management. Enable automatic enrollment emails, progress tracking, and a member dashboard. Most LMS plugins handle this out of the box.
8. Optimize speed and security. Install a caching plugin (e.g., WP Rocket or free alternatives like WP Super Cache), enable Hostinger’s built‑in CDN if available, and keep WordPress, themes, and plugins updated.
9. Launch and market. Publish your site, share the URL on social media, and set up email capture forms (Mailchimp, ConvertKit) to start building a list.

That’s it—your first course is live, and you’re keeping 100% of the revenue.

5. Ongoing Costs and Maintenance Tips

Beyond the initial hosting fee, budget for these recurring items:

• Domain renewal – typically $10‑$15 /year.
• LMS plugin license – $30‑$100 /year for premium features.
• Video hosting – If you use a paid Vimeo plan, expect $7‑$20 /month for private video storage.
• Email marketing – Free up to a certain subscriber count; then $10‑$30 /month.

Keep your site secure by enabling automatic backups (Hostinger offers daily backups on most plans) and using a security plugin like Wordfence. Regularly check page load speed with GTmetrix or Google PageSpeed Insights; aim for under 3 seconds for the course dashboard.

FAQ

Do I need to move my video files from Teachable?

No. You can keep the videos on a private Vimeo or YouTube channel and embed them in your new LMS. This saves bandwidth and keeps your hosting costs low.

Can I keep the same student data when I migrate?

Yes. Export your student list from Teachable as a CSV, then import it into the LMS plugin (most have built‑in import tools). You’ll need to match fields like email, name, and course progress.

Is Hostinger reliable for a growing course business?

Hostinger’s shared plans are solid for the first few hundred students, and their cloud/VPS upgrades are designed for scaling. Their 99.9% uptime guarantee, free SSL, and one‑click WordPress install make it a beginner‑friendly yet scalable choice.