Discover the Best Course Hosting Option for Squarespace

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Pros of Hosting Your Course on Squarespace
   1. All-in-one platform
   2. Same look and feel as your Website
   3. Easy page building with blocks
   4. Keeps people on your site
3. Cons of Hosting Your Course on Squarespace
   1. Higher cost for member areas
   2. No video hosting
   3. Limit on the number of courses
   4. Password-protected pages have limited security
4. Simple Solution: Password-Protected Pages on Squarespace
   1. Setting up password protection
   2. Using blog pages for course modules
5. Squarespace Member Areas
   1. Pricing and transaction fees
   2. Limitations on the number of member areas
   3. Considerations for video hosting
6. Alternative Course Platforms
   1. Podia
   2. Teachable
   3. Thinkific
   4. Kartra
   5. Kajabi
   6. Member Space (for Squarespace websites)
7. Conclusion

Hosting Your Course on Squarespace: Pros, Cons, and Alternatives

When it comes to creating an online course, choosing the right platform is crucial. Squarespace, known for its user-friendly website building capabilities, is often considered as an option for hosting courses. In this article, we'll explore the pros and cons of hosting your course on Squarespace, and we'll also discuss alternative platforms to consider.

Pros of Hosting Your Course on Squarespace

All-in-one platform

Squarespace offers an all-in-one solution, allowing You to have everything under one roof. This means you don't have to learn another platform, potentially saving you time and money on additional subscriptions. Additionally, hosting your course on Squarespace ensures that your course site maintains the same overall look and feel as your website, ensuring brand consistency and cohesion.

Same look and feel as your website

By hosting your course on Squarespace, your course pages can easily be built out using the same blocks and design elements as your regular Squarespace pages. This makes it simple to customize your course content and add any additional elements you may need, such as videos, text, and workbooks. Plus, when your course is hosted on Squarespace, it keeps people on your site, eliminating the need for them to navigate to a different website or platform.

Cons of Hosting Your Course on Squarespace

Higher cost for member areas

One of the cons of hosting your course on Squarespace is the pricing for their member areas feature. While Squarespace has made significant improvements with the new release of member areas, it still falls short in terms of cost-effectiveness. The pricing plans for member areas can be quite steep, especially when compared to other course-specific platforms. Considering your budget is essential when deciding if Squarespace is the right choice for hosting your course.

No video hosting

Squarespace does not offer video hosting for courses. This means that if you want to include videos in your course, you would need to upload them to a separate video hosting platform like YouTube or Vimeo. This additional step may incur extra costs and is worth considering when evaluating your options.

Limit on the number of courses

Squarespace imposes limitations on the number of courses you can have, which might be a disadvantage depending on your course offerings. The maximum number of courses allowed varies depending on the Squarespace plan you choose, with the Pro plan offering up to 10 courses. If you have more than 10 courses, Squarespace may not be the most suitable platform for your needs.

Limited security for password-protected pages

If you don't use Squarespace's member areas add-on, you would need to rely on password-protected pages to host your course. While this can work for low-end or free courses, it has its drawbacks. Password-protected pages lack the advanced security features of member areas, such as usernames and customer account details. Additionally, using the same password for every user decreases security, making it easier to share the password and compromising the integrity of your course.

Simple Solution: Password-Protected Pages on Squarespace

If you have a low-end or free course, using password-protected pages on Squarespace can be a viable solution. This method allows you to keep your course secure while providing easy access to your content. To set up password protection for a page, simply navigate to the page's settings in Squarespace, add a password, and save the changes. You can even Create a blog page and password-protect it to divide your content into different modules.

Squarespace Member Areas

Squarespace's member areas functionality provides a more comprehensive solution for hosting courses on their platform. With member areas, you can create unique customer accounts and passwords, granting them access to your course materials. While this feature is easy to set up and use, it does come with certain considerations.

Pricing and transaction fees

Squarespace offers three pricing plans for member areas: Starter, Core, and Pro. Each plan comes with different pricing and transaction fee structures. The Starter plan costs $9 per month but includes a 7% transaction fee. The Core plan is priced at $18 per month, reducing the transaction fee to 3%. The Pro plan, priced at $35 per month, offers a lower transaction fee of 1%. While member areas do come with unlimited members and no ads or Squarespace branding, the transaction fees should be carefully considered when assessing the overall cost.

Limitations on the number of member areas

Another factor to consider when deciding whether to use Squarespace member areas is the cap on the number of member areas allowed within each plan. The Starter plan allows only one member area, the Core plan permits three, and the Pro plan allows up to ten. If you have more than ten courses or need to offer a more extensive range of content, Squarespace member areas may not be suitable for your needs.

Considerations for video hosting

Similar to password-protected pages, Squarespace member areas do not provide built-in video hosting capabilities. This means you would need to upload your videos to a separate video hosting service and then embed them on your Squarespace course pages. Keep in mind that additional costs and considerations may arise from using external video hosting platforms.

Alternative Course Platforms

If Squarespace doesn't fully meet your course hosting requirements, several alternative platforms specialized in hosting online courses and memberships are worth considering. These platforms offer a range of features and cater to different budgetary needs. Here are a few popular options:

1. Podia: A user-friendly and affordable all-in-one course platform that offers unlimited courses, unlimited members, and no transaction fees. Plans start at $39 per month.
2. Teachable: A widely recognized online course platform that offers flexible pricing plans starting at $29 per month. However, some plans do include transaction fees.
3. Thinkific: Similar to Teachable, Thinkific provides various pricing options along with unlimited courses. Plans start at $49 per month, including transaction fees.
4. Kartra: A comprehensive platform that offers a wide range of features beyond course hosting. While it starts at $99 per month, the pricing is justifiable considering the bundled features.
5. Kajabi: Known for its all-in-one solution, Kajabi offers website building, course hosting, email marketing, and more. It starts at $120 per month, making it a higher-priced option.
6. Member Space (for Squarespace websites): While Squarespace now has member areas, Member Space still deserves mention for its compatibility with Squarespace. If you're already using Squarespace and want a course plugin, Member Space may be worth considering.

Conclusion

Deciding whether to host your course on Squarespace or explore alternative platforms involves weighing the pros and cons specific to your needs. Squarespace's all-in-one platform and seamless integration with your website make it an attractive option for some course Creators. However, pricing, limitations on course numbers, and the lack of built-in video hosting may impact your decision. Considering alternative platforms like Podia, Teachable, and Thinkific, among others, offers more specialized features and potential cost savings. Assessing your course requirements, budget, and desired functionality will help you make an informed choice that aligns with your goals.