Module 4 unlocks in six days. Not when someone edits a spreadsheet.
Custom course and membership platforms with tiered access, drip scheduling, and progress tracking enforced at the server — built around how your curriculum or community actually works, not a rented platform's template.
Built for content that's gated, sequenced, or both
Whether it's a paid course, a corporate training program, or a community with tiered access, the underlying technical problem is the same — controlling exactly who can see what, and when.
Eight things a real platform needs
Tiered access control
Membership tiers that gate specific content, enforced server-side so a determined user can't just guess a URL into premium content.
Drip content scheduling
Modules unlocked by enrollment date, calendar date, or prior-module completion — configurable per course, not hardcoded.
Video hosting & streaming
Adaptive streaming and signed, time-limited URLs through a dedicated video platform, not raw files sitting on your own server.
Progress tracking & certificates
Completion tracked per module, with a generated certificate once a course or program is finished.
Community & discussion
Comments or a discussion thread per module or cohort, where a community layer is part of the value being sold.
Payment & subscription integration
One-time course purchases or recurring membership billing, handled through Stripe or an equivalent gateway.
Quizzes & assessments
Graded or ungraded checks between modules, with results feeding back into progress tracking and prerequisites.
Admin & instructor dashboard
Enrollment numbers, completion rates, and content management in one view, without touching the database directly.
Video hosting options, honestly compared
| Dedicated video platform (Mux, Bunny.net) | Handles adaptive streaming, bandwidth costs, and signed-URL security out of the box — the right default for almost every course platform. |
|---|---|
| Vimeo / YouTube (unlisted) | Fast and cheap to start, but weaker access control and a less polished in-platform viewing experience. |
| Self-hosted video | Full control, at the cost of building streaming, bandwidth management, and security features that dedicated platforms already solve — rarely worth it outside specific compliance needs. |
Three ways to run a course or membership
Hosted (Kajabi, Teachable)
Fast to launch, handles video and payments out of the box — until monthly fees or platform limits start to bite.
WordPress LMS plugin
A reasonable middle ground if you're already on WordPress, with more flexibility than a hosted platform but real limits on custom logic.
Custom-built
Full control over access rules, branding, and student data, with no per-student platform fee as the business scales.
Five stages, from curriculum to launch
Map the curriculum & tiers
Modules, unlock rules, and membership tiers defined before any schema is built.
Set up video & payments
Video hosting platform and billing integration configured and tested independently.
Build the platform
Weekly demos against a working platform with real course content loaded.
Content migration (if needed)
Existing course content and student records migrated from a prior platform, if applicable.
Launch & handoff
Instructor and admin training, plus an optional maintenance plan as the platform grows.
Common questions
How much does a custom LMS or membership platform cost?
A focused platform with tiered access, drip content, and one payment integration typically starts in the mid four figures. A full community layer, live cohort scheduling, or custom certification increases the scope. Video hosting choice and the number of tiers move the price most.
Should we build custom or use Kajabi, Teachable, or Thinkific?
Hosted platforms are a reasonable, fast starting point, especially pre-revenue. Custom development becomes the better call once monthly fees exceed what a custom build would cost, when the platform's model doesn't fit your membership structure, or when owning student data outright matters.
How does drip content scheduling actually work?
Each module is tagged with an unlock condition — days after enrollment, a calendar date, or prior-module completion — and the access check runs on every request, not just once at signup. A member trying to access a module early is blocked at the server level, not just hidden in the interface.
Where should course videos actually be hosted?
For most platforms, a dedicated video hosting service such as Mux or Bunny.net — they handle adaptive streaming, bandwidth costs, and signed-URL security that would otherwise need to be built from scratch. Self-hosting is rarely worth it outside specific compliance needs.
Can we migrate our existing courses from Teachable or Kajabi?
Yes. Course content, video files, and student records can be exported and imported into a custom system, though video re-hosting and account migration both need a deliberate plan so existing members don't lose access mid-transition.
Explore related work
Tell me how your course or community is structured.
Send a short brief — modules or tiers, how content should unlock, and what platform (if any) you're moving from. You'll get a scoped plan back, not a sales call.
Email your project brief