Updated 31st October, 2025

If you're a creator or coach who is monetizing their skills, then you probably know these problems all too well: toggling between multiple tools to manage clients, forgetting to follow-up over Instragram DMs or your community and trying to manually take payments. It's chaos.

This fragmentation kills momentum. When your courses, community, payments, and reminders live in four different platforms, you spend more time managing access than creating. Members get lost. You're building on rented land where an algorithm change can throttle your reach overnight.

Passion offers a different path. Build a real branded mobile app for iOS, Android, and web without code, and unify your content, community, and payments in one place. In this deep dive, we'll show you how Passion's core features address tool sprawl, low completion rates, and unpredictable revenue with transparent costs and proven strategies.

Why creators need a branded app to own their audience

The problem with tool sprawl and rented land

Building on social platforms is risky. A creator's entire reach can vanish overnight when an algorithm shifts priorities. You don't own the customer relationship, the data, or the ability to reach your audience directly. Facebook groups serve Mark Zuckerberg's business model, not yours. You need owned distribution channels that put you in control.

Tool sprawl compounds the problem. Separate platforms for content, community, payments, and communication create six different places where members get stuck. This fragmentation directly impacts retention and completion. One fitness creator cut support tickets by 40% after consolidating into a single branded app.

The benefits of a unified mobile-first experience

Your members download your app, log in once, and access everything: courses, community, live events, and purchases. Push notifications reach members directly on their devices, bypassing email open rates and social feeds. Mobile apps see 2.5x more logins per week than web-only platforms according to Passion's retention benchmarks.

Offline access keeps members engaged anywhere. They download your workouts, meditations, or lessons and consume content on the subway, at the gym, or on a plane. This flexibility drives higher completion rates because friction disappears. Passion has helped launch over 15,000 apps serving 2M+ paying users.

You own the customer relationship. When someone subscribes in your app, you control the communication, the experience, and the long-term value. Members know where to go for everything, reducing your support burden.

Build your branded app: no-code creation in weeks

Drag-and-drop builder and templates

Passion's no-code builder turns your content into an interactive mobile experience without touching code. Upload videos, audio files, PDFs, and text, then drag sections into the order you want. Add quizzes to check understanding, set timers for interval workouts, build goal trackers, and use drip content to deliver lessons over time.

Start with ready-to-go templates tailored for fitness, coaching, education, and wellness. Pick a template that matches your niche, swap in your logo and colors, and customize layouts. You control fonts, colors, button styles, and navigation. Your app feels like your brand, not a generic course shell. Members see your name in the app store, your icon on their home screen, and your aesthetic throughout.

Most creators launch a functional web app within 2-3 weeks of signup. App Store submissions typically happen by week 3-4, with full iOS and Android availability following Apple and Google review timelines.

"Drag and drop and hey presto it's done!!" - Priscilla S., G2 review

App store submission realities

Getting into the Apple App Store and Google Play Store requires developer accounts, metadata, screenshots, and adherence to platform policies. Budget for developer fees: Apple charges $99/year and Google charges $25 one-time. Plan a 1-2 week buffer for review cycles.

Passion's pricing tiers include different levels of submission support. Expand and Plus tiers include hands-on help. Launch and Scale plans offer guides and checklists. Your web app goes live immediately while native apps work through approval, letting you start generating revenue on web before your App Store debut.

Monetize your content: flexible payments and transparent fees

Subscription models for recurring revenue

Passion supports monthly subscriptions, annual memberships, one-time purchases, freemium access, and bundles. You can combine these models in one app: offer a free 7-day trial to attract sign-ups, a $29/month membership for ongoing access, and a $997 annual VIP tier with exclusive coaching calls.

Subscriptions create predictable cash flow. Instead of launch spikes followed by droughts, you build monthly recurring revenue that compounds. A wellness creator with 250 subscribers at $22.22/month generates $66,660 annually. These numbers reflect real creator outcomes.

Tiered pricing captures different willingness-to-pay. Your entry tier includes on-demand content. Your mid-tier adds live Q&A sessions. Your top tier includes private messaging and personalized feedback. Members self-select into the level that matches their commitment, increasing your average revenue per user.

Understanding payment options and fees

Passion offers three payment pathways, each with different fee structures.

PassionPayments (web checkout): For sales made through Passion's built-in payment system, powered by Stripe, you pay a 3.9% Passion platform fee per transaction plus standard Stripe fees (typically 2.9% + $0.30). Total estimated fees: ~6.8% + $0.30 per transaction.

In-app purchases (Apple/Google): For purchases made directly within native iOS or Android apps, Apple and Google charge 15-30%. Creators earning under $1M annually typically qualify for the 15% small business rate. Passion does not add a platform fee on top of IAP transactions.

External checkouts: On Scale, Expand, and Plus plans, Passion charges 0% platform fee when you process payments through external platforms like ThriveCart or SamCart and grant app access via Zapier. You only pay the fees charged by your external processor.

Choosing your payment path

Your pricing determines which path makes sense. A $29 monthly plan loses $4.35 (15%) to Apple IAP but only $1.97 (~6.8%) via PassionPayments. Over 100 subscribers, that's $238/month in additional margin.

For high-ticket offers ($500+), external checkout saves the most. A $997 course sold via PassionPayments costs $38.85 in Passion fees. Sold through an external processor at 0% Passion fee, you save that platform cut.

For mobile-first convenience, IAP makes sense when you want seamless one-tap purchasing inside the app and can afford the 15-30% fee. Mobile users often convert better with native checkout flows, which can offset the higher fee through increased volume.

Use a blended strategy: offer annual memberships via web checkout at a discount and monthly subscriptions via IAP for convenience. Route high-ticket coaching packages to external checkout. This multi-channel approach balances margin and conversion.

Grow and engage your community: mobile-first strategies

Push notifications drive completion

Push notifications give you direct access to your members' attention. Unlike email or social posts, push notifications deliver significantly higher engagement. When someone opts in, you can reach them instantly.

Send a reminder when someone hasn't logged in for three days. Celebrate milestones: "You just finished Week 2—keep going!" Announce new content drops or live sessions. These nudges rebuild momentum and help increase completion rates.

Effective push cadences vary by niche. A 30-day challenge might send daily check-ins. A meditation app might push morning reminders. A business coaching program might send weekly homework prompts. Start with 2-3 per week and adjust based on engagement data. Too many pushes feel spammy. Too few, and members forget you exist.

"Passion makes building your own e-learning app fast, simple, and stress-free. I was able to design, build, and launch a fully functional app in just a few hours—no tech experience required." - Rob M., G2 review

In-app community and integrations

Passion's in-app community replaces Facebook groups with a branded space you control. Create public or private channels for different topics. Members can post photos, videos, voice messages, and comments without leaving the app. Moderation tools let you tag members, pin important posts, and remove spam.

Direct messaging enables 1-on-1 support without juggling Instagram DMs. Link community access to pricing tiers: free users see general channels, paying members access exclusive channels, VIP tier members get a private channel with you.

Integrations connect tools you already use. Native integrations include Calendly for scheduling, Typeform for quizzes, and YouTube for video hosting. Zapier support connects thousands of additional tools, automating workflows like welcome emails, member tracking, and milestone notifications.

Passion plans: features and limits

Compare the four main plans to find your fit:

• Launch costs $119/month or $99/month annually and targets creators testing a branded app with their audience. Quotas include approximately 100 videos, 100 subscribers, and 1,000 push notifications monthly. Launch includes Passion branding in your app. Best for early validation before committing to higher tiers.
• Scale costs $299/month or $239/month annually. It removes Passion branding, expands quotas, and adds advanced automations and external checkout integrations at 0% platform fee. Best for creators with a validated offer and growing audience who need more capacity and professional polish.
• Expand costs $699/month or $599/month annually and offers unlimited users, products, communities, videos, and push notifications, plus App Store listing support. At $599/month, 20-30 subscribers at $29 each cover the plan cost. Best for creators scaling to mid-five-figure MRR or running multiple communities under one app.
• Plus is a custom, done-for-you service starting around $10,000-$20,000. Passion's team builds your app, handles content migration, manages App Store submission, and provides a dedicated success manager. Best for established creators with proven revenue who value speed and white-glove service.

Feature gating is real. Drip content, advanced automations, and some integrations appear on higher tiers. Quotas serve as upgrade triggers: if you hit 100 subscribers on Launch while generating $2,900+/month at a $29 price point, the $239/month Scale plan becomes an easy decision.

Real results: creator success stories

Case studies show creators across niches building sustainable revenue. A wellness creator with 250 active subscribers at $22.22/month generates over $66,000 in annual revenue, crediting in-app community and interactive live classes for retention.

A fitness creator with 60+ subscribers charging $34.99/month generates significant recurring income while maintaining high App Store ratings through mobile-first engagement and consistent push notifications.

A drumming instructor attracted over 100 applicants for his first course launch after building his branded app, highlighting the community feature as the key driver of student engagement between lessons.

Passion holds a 5.0/5 rating on G2 with strong praise for training and support:

"What I love about Passion is that it's not just a platform to create your own app – it also provides invaluable training on how to build and sell your course." - Mathilde N., G2

On Trustpilot, Passion scores 4.5/5 across 1,573 reviews. Common themes: ease of use, responsive support, valuable training, and strong creator community. Criticisms center on pricing for beginners and feature gating across plans.

Your path to owned recurring revenue

Passion consolidates your tool stack into a branded mobile and web app you own. Launch in weeks using drag-and-drop builders and templates. Drive higher completion with push notifications and in-app community. Choose the monetization path that fits your margins: PassionPayments for web, IAP for mobile convenience, or external checkout for margin optimization.

Plans start at $99/month. Features gate across tiers. Native live streaming requires integrations. But if you want to own your audience and shift from launch spikes to stable subscriptions, Passion delivers a proven path.

The platform works best for creators with content ready, a modest but engaged audience, and commitment to mobile-first member experience. Stop renting your business from social platforms and start owning it.

Start building today

Try Passion with a 30-day money-back guarantee and build your first app. Explore the features page to understand what's included at each tier.

Frequently asked questions

How fast can I launch a branded app with Passion?

Web apps go live in 2-3 weeks. App Store submissions typically start by week 3-4, with most creators fully published across iOS, Android, and web within 4-8 weeks.

What are the main fees for selling content on Passion?

PassionPayments charges 3.9% plus Stripe fees (~6.8% total) for web sales. Apple and Google charge 15-30% for in-app purchases. External checkouts incur 0% Passion fee.

Does Passion offer app store submission support?

Yes. Expand and Plus plans include hands-on App Store submission support. Launch and Scale provide guides and documentation for self-submission.

Can I offer both subscriptions and one-time purchases?

Yes. Passion supports monthly, annual, one-time, freemium, and bundle pricing within the same app, letting you create tiered offers.

What integrations does Passion support?

Native integrations include Stripe, Calendly, Typeform, YouTube, and Vimeo. Zapier support connects thousands of additional tools for workflow automation.

How do push notifications improve completion rates?

Push notifications deliver higher engagement than email by reaching members directly on their phones. Creators using push with challenges and milestone reminders report improved completion rates.

Key terms glossary

Branded app: A mobile application for iOS and Android plus web app, customized with your logo, colors, and content, giving you full ownership and control.

Push notifications: Short, timely messages sent directly to a user's mobile device to re-engage them with your app, bypassing email and social algorithms.

In-app purchases (IAP): Digital content or subscriptions bought directly within a mobile app, processed by Apple or Google, which retain 15-30% of revenue.

PassionPayments: Passion's integrated payment processing system for web checkouts, which charges a 3.9% platform fee plus standard Stripe processing fees.

Tool sprawl: The inefficiency caused by using multiple disconnected software tools to manage a single digital business, leading to low completion and high support burden.

MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue): Predictable monthly income from subscriptions, the key metric for building a stable creator business beyond launch spikes.