Should I sell subscriptions through my own app or on a platform like YouTube or Kajabi?
You should sell subscriptions through your own app if your goal is to build a distinct brand, keep more revenue, and offer a tailored experience. Platforms like YouTube or Kajabi have their place, but they come with trade-offs in control and fees.
This is a question about ownership versus piggybacking on existing platforms. We’ve advised many creators on this: if you’re ready to treat your content like a serious business, owning your distribution (via your own app or site) is often the better long-term play. However, let’s weigh the considerations so you can make an informed decision.
Your Own App: Pros and Cons
Pros of Your Own App:
Brand Control: Your app carries your name and design. It’s a dedicated environment for your content, free of the distractions of other creators or ads. This builds a stronger brand presence. Users aren’t comparing you side by side with others, as on YouTube.
Revenue Share: With your app, you aren’t giving 30-45% away to a platform (note: on YouTube memberships, YouTube takes ~30%, and if someone joins via iOS, Apple takes another cut. Kajabi doesn’t take a cut of revenue but charges high monthly fees). With your own app, aside from app store processing fees (typically 15% for subscriptions after the first year) or platform service fees, the rest is yours. Many app platforms like Sudor have models that end up with creators keeping the majority of subscription revenue.
Tailored Features: You can create the exact experience your audience needs. Want a community forum? Integrated. Want a series of progressive workout programs? Done. In a generic platform, you might have to jury-rig their features to fit your vision. In your own app, especially built on a fitness-centric platform, you have all those specific features at hand (e.g., workout tracking, challenges, etc.).
Direct Relationship: Perhaps most importantly, you have a direct line to your subscribers. You get their emails (usually), you can message them with in-app notifications, you can observe their engagement and personalise things. On YouTube or other platforms, you often lack that depth of relationship data. YouTube, for instance, will not give you the email addresses of your channel members, and you can’t reach out outside of posting videos. Owning your platform = owning your audience relationship.
Cons of Your Own App:
Initial Setup and Cost: Building and maintaining an app does require an investment of time and some money. If you use a service like Sudor, you minimise technical work, but there’s still effort in creating content, setting up the app, and promoting it. There might be setup fees or monthly costs. By contrast, launching a YouTube membership or Kajabi site can be done relatively quickly and you might pay less upfront (YouTube is free to start, Kajabi has monthly plans).
Audience Acquisition: On a platform like YouTube, you have the benefit of discoverability. People can find you through search or algorithms. Your own app will not magically have foot traffic; you have to bring the audience. This means your marketing needs to be on point. Many creators start on big platforms to gather an audience, then funnel the most engaged folks to their own app. If you don’t have any audience yet, launching an independent app first can be challenging because people need to know about it.
Platform Maintenance: While a good platform provider will handle app updates and tech, you are still in charge of content maintenance. On Kajabi or YouTube, if something breaks in their system, they fix it globally. On your own app (with a provider), they will fix it too, but you need to be vigilant with feedback and updates. Essentially, you become a bit of a product owner. Most creators actually enjoy this once they get rolling. It’s empowering, but it’s a responsibility nonetheless.
Using Platforms like YouTube or Kajabi: Pros and Cons
Platforms Pros:
Built-in Audience & Discovery (YouTube): YouTube is one of the largest search engines. If you’re creating lots of free content to grow your following, YouTube is unparalleled. Having channel memberships on YouTube is easy to turn on once you’re eligible, and your viewers can join with a click. It’s frictionless for them since they’re already there.
Ease of Use and Setup: Kajabi (or similar like Teachable, etc.) provides an all-in-one website that you can set up with no coding. YouTube membership or Patreon are basically flip-a-switch if you have content. These can be launched in days. For someone who is testing the waters, it’s a low barrier to entry.
Focus on Content Only: On YouTube or Kajabi, you don’t worry about the app software, design (Kajabi has templates), or infrastructure. You only create content and engage. For some, that simplicity is worth giving up some control. It depends on your comfort level and priorities.
Platforms Cons:
Limited Customization (Kajabi limitations): Kajabi is great for courses and has a decent amount of flexibility, but you are still confined to their structure. For example, Kajabi’s community feature is not as robust as having your own app’s community or a Facebook group; it might not allow in-app push notifications like a native app would. YouTube memberships have almost no customisation (just tiers and loyalty badges/emojis in chat). If you have a specific vision for user experience, these platforms could feel limiting.
Fees and Dependency: As mentioned, you share revenue or pay high fees. Kajabi can cost $150-$200+ per month for a plan that allows a good number of members, regardless of how much you earn. If you grow big, that’s fine, but if you’re just starting, that’s a steep cost. YouTube taking 30% of membership fees forever is a continuous tax. And if either platform changes a policy, you’re subject to it. We’ve seen scenarios where YouTube changed rules about what content can be behind memberships, or Patreon changed fee structures, leaving creators frustrated. Your own app shields you from those platform whims.
Brand Dilution: On YouTube, your paid content is sitting right next to free content from everyone, maybe even ads. It can dilute the sense that this is something premium. Kajabi doesn’t have that issue, but Kajabi itself isn’t a consumer name like Patreon or YouTube, meaning, to a user, going through a Kajabi site might feel less seamless than a native app experience. Some users have reported that asking them to log into a Kajabi website isn’t as appealing as “Download my official app from the App Store.” It’s a psychological edge to have an app that looks proper.
What Successful Creators Do
Many top fitness creators use a hybrid strategy:
They use YouTube/Instagram for free content and discovery, but monetise via their own platform. For example, a creator might put out free workouts on YouTube to gain followers, but their serious programs and community live in their app or on a private site. This way they leverage the best of both: discovery on big platforms, and revenue/control on their own. Kajabi was a common choice a few years ago for hosting paid programs, but I see a trend of moving from Kajabi to custom apps for the improved mobile experience and engagement. One of our creators, Alex, actually moved from Kajabi to Sudor’s app platform after he realised only a fraction of his clients were completing the courses. Turns out they found logging into a site inconvenient. Once he had an app, participation in programs shot up, and so did retention.
Making the Decision
So should you sell via your own app or another platform?
If you’re at the stage where you have an audience (even a small but dedicated one) and a clear content offering, your own app is often the best choice for serious growth and branding. It might require more input upfront, but it pays off in subscriber loyalty and revenue share. If you’re just starting from zero audience, you might use free platforms to build awareness first. But keep an eye toward owning your space as soon as it’s viable.
We’d be happy to talk this through with you one-on-one because the ideal path can vary. At Sudor, we don’t just launch apps, we help strategise the transition from public platforms to your own. If you want to explore this, go ahead and book a free consultation. Ultimately, whichever route you choose, the fact that you’re considering this question means you’re on the right track to scaling your impact and income as a creator.