Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Appointment Booking App ointo vs. Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell: At a Glance
- Deep Dive Comparison
- The Alternative: Unifying Commerce, Content, and Community Natively
- Practical Migration Checklist (For Merchants Considering Tevello)
- Conclusion
- FAQ
Introduction
Adding courses, memberships, or community features to a Shopify store often forces merchants into a choice between niche, single-purpose apps and a more unified, native approach. Each option has trade-offs: specialized tools can be elegant at one job but can fragment the customer experience, while native platforms can streamline purchase flow and reduce friction.
Short answer: Appointment Booking App ointo is a strong, well-reviewed scheduling tool for merchants who sell time-based services, classes, and rentals and need calendar integrations and a customer booking portal. Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell is a lightweight upsell and popup tool aimed at increasing average order value via product page popups, cart add-ons, and post-purchase offers. For merchants seeking a single, Shopify-native solution that combines courses, communities, and commerce—and avoids bouncing customers between services—Tevello presents a higher-value alternative.
This article provides an in-depth, feature-by-feature comparison of Appointment Booking App ointo and Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell to help merchants understand which app fits a given business need. After exploring both apps objectively, the article will explain the limits of using several specialty apps and introduce a natively integrated alternative that unifies courses, memberships, and commerce inside Shopify.
Appointment Booking App ointo vs. Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell: At a Glance
| Aspect | Appointment Booking App ointo | Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell |
|---|---|---|
| Core Function | Scheduling, bookings, service sales | Upsell/cross-sell popups and post-purchase offers |
| Best For | Merchants selling appointments, classes, rentals, tours, and in-person/online services | Merchants wanting simple product/cart/thank-you upsell popups and cart add-ons |
| Rating (Reviews) | 4.9 (758 reviews) | 5.0 (2 reviews) |
| Native vs External | Native Shopify app (works inside Shopify, supports POS) | Shopify app (checkout integration) |
| Key Integrations | Google/Outlook/Apple Calendars, Zoom, Shopify POS | Shopify Checkout |
| Free Plan | Yes (Unlimited services & bookings) | Yes (for 0-50 orders/month) |
| Paid Pricing Range | $10–$30 / month (Pro, Premium, Advanced) | $5.99–$11.99 / month (tiers by monthly orders) |
| Strong Suit | Robust scheduling features, customer portals, recurring bookings | Simple upsell workflows, post-purchase offers, cart addons |
| Limitations for Courses/Community | Not built for course delivery or community features | Not built for course delivery or member communities |
Deep Dive Comparison
What each app actually does
Appointment Booking App ointo — Overview
Appointment Booking App ointo (developed by Sidepanda Services LLP) is a scheduling and bookings solution that embeds a booking widget into Shopify product pages. It aims to let merchants sell time-based services—lessons, classes, tours, rentals, and appointments—without leaving Shopify. Key functional areas include a customer booking portal, automated reminders via email/SMS, calendar integrations (Google/Outlook/Apple), and online meeting integrations such as Zoom. The app supports group appointments, multi-day bookings, POS use, and recurring bookings/subscriptions.
Key built-in features:
- Customer Booking Portal for managing bookings
- Automated emails and text reminders/confirmations
- Group appointments and multi-day bookings
- Zoom and calendar integrations (Google, Outlook, Apple)
- POS support and multi-timezone/multilanguage widgets
- Free tier with unlimited services and bookings
This feature set makes ointo suitable for businesses that sell experiences or services where scheduling and calendar sync are essential.
Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell — Overview
Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell focuses on upselling and cross-selling via configurable pop-ups and checkout interactions. It provides product page popups, cart add-ons, thank-you page offers, and post-purchase upsells. The app targets merchants who want to increase AOV through combined discounts, reward offers, and motivational messaging on key pages.
Key built-in features:
- Product page popup sales
- Cart add-ons and post-purchase upsells
- Thank-you page multi-combination offers
- Pricing tiers based on monthly order volume
- Free tier for stores with up to 50 orders/month
This app is intentionally simple: set up on-page popups and post-purchase offers without complex flows. It is not a course or membership product.
Feature Comparison: Scheduling, Content Delivery, and Community
Discussing features that matter for selling digital products or building communities clarifies where each app fits.
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Scheduling and live sessions
- Appointment Booking App ointo: Built for scheduling. It supports recurring sessions, group appointments, team member assignments, and live meeting links (Zoom). Ideal for live workshops, private coaching, and rentals.
- Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell: No scheduling features. Not appropriate for time-based services.
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Dedicated course delivery and content management
- Appointment Booking App ointo: Not designed for hosting lessons, drip content, quizzes, certificates, or community discussions. It handles bookings, not course modules or content access.
- Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell: No course delivery features. It focuses on transactional upsell experiences.
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Community and member areas
- Appointment Booking App ointo: Offers a customer booking portal for bookings management, but it does not create member-only content areas, discussion boards, or community features.
- Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell: No community or member management.
Summary: Neither ointo nor Channelwill are course platforms or native community builders. ointo excels at scheduling; Channelwill is purpose-built for simple onsite upsells.
Pricing and Value: Predictability vs Usage-Based Pricing
Pricing models influence cost predictability and value for merchants at different scales.
- Appointment Booking App ointo pricing breakdown
- Free plan: Unlimited services and bookings; email notifications; multi-day booking; POS support; admin reschedule/cancel; multi-timezone and language support.
- Pro: $10/month — adds Zoom integration, email reminders, calendar integrations, no app branding option, send email from your domain.
- Premium: $20/month — adds waitlist, workflows/custom email notifications, custom questions, group appointments, customer reschedule/cancel.
- Advanced: $30/month — adds add-ons with services, surge pricing, day/month multi-day view widgets, team member portal, customer portal.
Value notes:
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Free tier is generous for small service providers getting started.
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Feature progression is logical for service businesses that begin with simple bookings and grow into multi-staff, group, and portal-driven operations.
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Pricing is predictable: flat monthly tiers that scale with functionality, not with orders.
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Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell pricing breakdown
- Plan1 (Free): 0–50 orders/month, all features, 24/7 support.
- Plan2: $5.99/month for 51–100 orders/month; 30-day free trial.
- Plan3: $11.99/month for 101–200 orders/month; 30-day free trial.
- Pricing is volume-based by total store orders, not feature-based.
Value notes:
- Channelwill’s model is attractive for very small stores because the free tier permits use at negligible scale.
- As volume grows, the app scales by orders, which can be predictable if order volumes are steady. For larger stores, the highest listed tier ($11.99) still sits well below many marketing or conversion tools.
- The app promises "all features" across tiers, so merchants pay for scale rather than capability.
Comparison takeaways:
- ointo charges for functionality; Channelwill charges for store volume. For service businesses, ointo’s functional tiers represent better value because the features directly map to needs. For stores focused only on modest upsells with low order volume, Channelwill can be cost-effective.
Integrations and Native Capabilities
Integration scope defines how well an app fits into an existing tech stack and whether it can keep customers inside Shopify.
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Appointment Booking App ointo integrations
- Google, Outlook, Apple calendar sync
- Zoom meeting links
- Shopify POS checkout support
- Works with Shopify themes and auto-translates
- Email and SMS notification systems (domain email sending in Pro)
- These integrations are tailored for scheduling operations, enabling calendar syncing and in-store booking execution.
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Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell integrations
- Works with Shopify Checkout
- Focused integration for cart and post-purchase offers
- Limited third-party integrations; functions mainly as a checkout-side upgrades tool
Native vs. external:
- Both apps operate inside Shopify, but neither is a course/course-community product natively designed to bundle digital content and physical goods in a unified way. This matters for merchants who want to sell a sewing kit plus immediate access to a course, or physical products that unlock member-only content without redirecting customers.
User Experience and Merchant Setup
Ease of installation and the merchant experience for configuration are practical deciding factors.
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Appointment Booking App ointo
- Promises setup in minutes and a native scheduling popup added to product pages.
- Administrative features include team portals, customer reschedule options, and the ability to block specific dates.
- For merchants selling services, the admin UX is built around calendar management and customer communication.
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Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell
- Emphasizes simple configuration and quick integration.
- Setup centers on creating popups and configuring conditions for product page, cart, and thank-you offers.
- Less configuration complexity due to a narrower scope.
User experience takeaway:
- For service-based merchants, ointo provides the expected interface for calendar-heavy operations. Merchants with minimal technical skills can get bookings live quickly.
- For merchants wanting quick AOV lifts from popups or post-purchase offers, Channelwill minimizes setup time.
Support, Reviews, and Trust Signals
Compare public trust signals and support posture.
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Appointment Booking App ointo
- 758 reviews with a 4.9 rating — strong social proof and a statistically meaningful review sample.
- Active feature set and multiple pricing tiers suggest a mature product with ongoing development.
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Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell
- 2 reviews with a 5.0 rating — perfect score but a very small sample size, which limits confidence in long-term reliability and edge-case support.
- Promises 24/7 support and a 30-day free trial on paid tiers.
What to infer:
- ointo’s large review count indicates the app is battle-tested by many merchants. Channelwill’s very low review count suggests early stage or limited adoption; merchants should evaluate carefully and test in their store environment.
Use Cases: Who Should Pick Which App
These recommendations focus on merchant goals and operational needs.
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When to pick Appointment Booking App ointo
- Selling private lessons, workshops, or classes that require calendaring.
- Renting equipment, rooms, tours, or experiences needing multi-day bookings and time-block management.
- Merchants who need calendar integrations (Google, Outlook, Apple) and online meeting links (Zoom).
- Stores that use Shopify POS and need bookings tied to in-person sales.
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When to pick Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell
- Simple goal of increasing AOV through product page popups and cart add-ons.
- Stores with low order volumes that want a free starting tier.
- Merchants wanting an uncomplicated post-purchase upsell flow without a complex funnel builder.
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When neither is enough
- If the goal is to host structured online courses, drip content, member forums, or to bundle digital courses with physical products in a single checkout, neither ointo nor Channelwill offers a full solution. That gap is where a native course-and-community platform becomes relevant.
Pros and Cons Summary
Appointment Booking App ointo — Pros
- Mature product with extensive reviews and a high rating.
- Purpose-built scheduling features: group bookings, multi-day, team portals.
- Calendar and Zoom integrations.
- Generous free tier.
- POS compatibility for in-person services.
Appointment Booking App ointo — Cons
- Not a course or membership platform.
- Adds another specialized app to the store; does not create member content areas.
- Advanced scheduling features require paid tiers.
Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell — Pros
- Simple to deploy upsells and cart add-ons.
- Free tier for very small stores.
- Low monthly cost even for higher volume tiers.
- Focused feature set reduces configuration complexity.
Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell — Cons
- Very small review base; long-term reliability less certain.
- No scheduling, course, or community features.
- Limited integrations outside checkout, meaning fewer cross-system automations.
Implementation Considerations
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Data ownership and customer flow
- Both apps operate inside Shopify and therefore don't necessarily transfer customers offsite for their primary functionality. Yet neither is a full content host; if courses are hosted elsewhere, customer login and content access may be handled by external platforms—creating fragmentation.
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Bundling physical and digital products
- Neither app natively creates course bundles that unlock content after purchase. For merchants who want to sell a physical kit that immediately grants a course or membership, an additional app or integration is required.
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Support overhead
- Using multiple single-point apps increases the operational burden: managing separate subscriptions, user access controls, support flows, and billing. This is a practical cost traders should include when comparing options.
Security, Compliance, and Checkout Behavior
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Checkout and payments
- Channelwill focuses on checkout interactions and post-purchase offers; ensure compatibility with custom checkout setups or checkout apps.
- Appointment Booking App ointo integrates with Shopify checkout and POS but typically charges subscription for advanced functionality; payments for services will go through Shopify checkout as usual.
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Data privacy and security
- Both apps should comply with Shopify’s app review and data practices, but merchants should verify how customer contact details, booking records, and calendar links are stored and backed up. For services that require confidentiality (e.g., medical or legal appointments), review the vendor’s data handling and retention policies.
The Alternative: Unifying Commerce, Content, and Community Natively
Specialized apps do a good job at focused tasks. However, using multiple single-purpose tools to stitch together product commerce, courses, and communities produces a common problem: platform fragmentation.
The Problem of Platform Fragmentation
Fragmentation happens when merchants rely on separate services for payments, courses, community discussions, and bookings. Consequences include:
- Disjointed customer experience: customers buy a course on Shopify but must log into a third-party platform to view content.
- Increased churn and support: multiple logins and disconnected access paths create friction and more help tickets.
- Lost upsell and bundle opportunities: third-party platforms often separate checkout, making it harder to offer bundled discounts or use Shopify checkout natively.
- Higher operational complexity and recurring costs: multiple subscriptions and integrations consume time and budget.
These issues are visible in real merchant stories. One brand migrated off a fragmented stack (Webflow and custom code) and doubled conversion rates once everything worked natively inside Shopify. Learn how that migration improved conversion and experience by checking out the case that doubled its store's conversion rate by fixing a fragmented system.
What a Native, All-In-One Platform Should Deliver
Merchants building courses and communities need three capabilities tightly integrated with commerce:
- Native use of Shopify checkout and customer accounts to keep purchases and logins unified.
- Content delivery (video, lessons, quizzes, drip), memberships, and gated content that live within the same storefront customers used to buy.
- Community features (discussion, comments, cohorts) to increase engagement and lifetime value (LTV).
A truly native solution eliminates redirects and complex SSO setups while enabling bundling of physical and digital products at checkout to increase average order value.
Introducing Tevello: An Integrated Option Inside Shopify
Tevello Courses & Communities is a Shopify-native platform designed to remove the friction of stitching together multiple tools. It unifies courses, memberships, and community features inside Shopify so that customers never need to leave the merchant’s store to access content. Some reasons merchants choose a native path:
- Native checkout and accounts: Tevello leverages Shopify checkout and customer accounts so purchases and access are seamless and centralized. See how Tevello is natively integrated with Shopify checkout.
- Built for bundling: merchants can sell a physical product and grant course access in the same purchase flow.
- Feature set tailored to creators: memberships, subscriptions, drip content, certificates, quizzes, and bundles are built into the platform.
- Predictable pricing: Tevello offers a single unlimited plan so merchants can scale without per-course or per-member charges. Explore a simple, all-in-one price for unlimited courses.
Evidence from Merchants Who Migrated to a Native Model
Concrete success stories show the impact of moving to a unified, native platform:
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Crochetmilie consolidated courses and physical products on Shopify and sold over 4,000 courses, generating more than $112K in digital revenue while also earning $116K+ from physical products by bundling them together. Read how one brand sold $112K+ by bundling courses with physical products.
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fotopro used a native platform to upsell existing customers and generated over €243,000 from more than 12,000 courses, with over half of sales coming from repeat customers buying additional courses. See how fotopro generated over €243,000 by upselling existing customers.
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Charles Dowding migrated a large community off a fragmented system and successfully migrated over 14,000 members and reduced support tickets, adding 2,000+ new members in the process.
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Klum House bundled kits with on-demand digital courses and achieved a 59%+ returning customer rate, with returning customers showing a 74%+ higher average order value. Review the Klum House case to see how bundling lifted LTV and retention: achieved a 59%+ returning customer rate.
These stories show measurable outcomes: higher revenue from digital and physical bundling, greater repeat purchase rates, reduced support load, and better conversions after eliminating fragmented logins.
Features That Replace Multiple Apps
Tevello provides an integrated feature set that can replace a combination of specialized tools:
- Courses with video hosting, drip schedules, quizzes, certificates, and limited-time access.
- Memberships and subscription management that tie directly to Shopify products and checkout.
- Community features to foster engagement and retain customers.
- Bundles and product-level gating so physical purchases unlock digital content automatically.
- Built-in analytics and Shopify Flow compatibility for automation.
Check Tevello’s page to inspect all the key features for courses and communities.
Pricing and Fit
Tevello offers a straightforward price model with a free trial and an unlimited plan that removes usage-based surprises:
- Free trial available (14 days)
- Unlimited Plan — $29/month covers unlimited courses, members, and communities along with memberships, subscriptions, drip content, certificates, and bundles.
That predictability matters for growth-stage stores that want to plan marketing and course investments without worrying about per-member fees. See a simple, all-in-one price for unlimited courses.
Migration and Implementation: Reducing Support Load
Merchants moving off multiple platforms to a native approach often report lower support volume. For example, Charles Dowding’s migration reduced login and access issues, which translated into fewer tickets and higher customer satisfaction. Read the story on how Charles Dowding migrated over 14,000 members and reduced support tickets. The migration process focuses on bringing content and customer records into Shopify, mapping access rules to products, and using Shopify-native checkout to issue access immediately at purchase.
How Tevello Compares to Specialized Apps
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Compared to appointment/scheduling apps (like Appointment Booking App ointo): Tevello is not primarily a calendar tool. For live coaching or scheduled classes, use a scheduling app alongside Tevello or leverage Tevello to manage access to recordings, drip content, and cohort-driven experiences. The benefit of Tevello is it keeps the recorded and evergreen learning asset in Shopify, and scheduling additions do not force the merchant to use a separate sign-in for course content.
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Compared to upsell apps (like Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell): Tevello’s native bundling and product gating are designed to increase AOV by combining physical kits with digital access at purchase. Rather than relying on an upsell popup after checkout, Tevello lets merchants offer bundles and memberships at the point of purchase so customers get instant access without cross-platform complexity. See how other merchants see how merchants are earning six figures after choosing a unified approach.
When to Use a Hybrid Approach
There are valid reasons to combine a native course platform with a specialized tool:
- Use a scheduling app for live sessions, booking, or in-person services, and Tevello for evergreen course content and community.
- Use a dedicated marketing or A/B testing app alongside Tevello if very specific popup psychology or advanced funnel tools are required.
Hybrid approaches can be effective, but each added specialty app increases maintenance and customer friction. The goal is to minimize fragmentation where possible.
Practical Migration Checklist (For Merchants Considering Tevello)
- Audit where course content currently lives and collect content files, videos, and member lists.
- Map the desired product-to-access relationships (which SKUs should unlock which course or community).
- Decide which scheduling or live session tools remain necessary; plan to keep them for real-time bookings and link them to course events where needed.
- Configure Shopify checkout products or bundles that grant access automatically.
- Set up automated communication (welcome emails, access instructions) within Shopify/Tevello.
- Test the buyer flow end-to-end: buy a bundle, confirm immediate access, and test login/account creation.
- Monitor support load for the first 30–90 days and iterate.
Tevello’s page explains how to start and what features to expect; merchants can review a simple, all-in-one price for unlimited courses and the available features to plan migration.
Conclusion
For merchants choosing between Appointment Booking App ointo and Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell, the decision comes down to intended use:
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Choose Appointment Booking App ointo if the primary need is robust scheduling and bookings integrated with calendars and POS. Its feature set and large review base (4.9 rating from 758 reviews) make it a reliable choice for service-based businesses that sell time and experiences.
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Choose Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell if the single objective is simple onsite upsells and post-purchase offers at a low cost, especially for stores with low monthly order volumes. It has a 5.0 rating but only 2 reviews, so expect to validate stability before committing at scale.
Neither app is built to host full courses or member communities, or to natively bundle digital and physical products in a single, seamless flow. Merchants looking to combine content, community, and commerce without redirecting customers to external platforms should consider a native alternative.
Tevello offers a Shopify-native platform that unifies courses, memberships, and community features inside the store, preserving checkout continuity and reducing friction. Merchants have used Tevello to achieve measurable results: one merchant generated over $112K in digital revenue by bundling courses with physical products, another generated over €243,000 by upselling existing customers, and a major migration moved 14,000+ members to Shopify while reducing support tickets. See how one brand sold $112K+ by bundling courses with physical products, how fotopro generated over €243,000 by upselling existing customers, and how Charles Dowding migrated over 14,000 members and reduced support tickets. For more proof points, see how merchants are earning six figures.
If a single, Shopify-native platform that combines content and commerce sounds like the right path, consider testing Tevello. Start your 14-day free trial to unify your content and commerce today. (Try Tevello pricing and plans)
FAQ
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How does Appointment Booking App ointo compare to Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell for selling digital courses?
- Neither app is designed for hosting or delivering structured courses. Appointment Booking App ointo is a scheduling tool for live sessions and rentals; Channelwill focuses on popups and post-purchase upsells. For full course delivery (drip content, certificates, member areas), a native course platform is required.
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Can Channelwill Upsell Cross Sell replace a dedicated upsell funnel tool?
- Channelwill addresses the basics of on-site popups, cart add-ons, and thank-you page offers and can be an economical choice for small stores. For highly complex funnels or advanced A/B testing, merchants may still need a specialized funnel or experimentation tool.
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If a merchant needs both booking and courses, should they combine Appointment Booking App ointo with a course platform?
- Combining a scheduling app for live/cohort sessions with a native course platform is common and practical. The scheduling app manages real-time bookings; the course platform handles evergreen content and member access. The key is choosing tools that minimize redirects and preserve a centralized login and checkout experience.
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How does a native, all-in-one platform like Tevello compare to specialized or external apps?
- A native platform reduces fragmentation by keeping purchases, content access, and community interactions within the Shopify store. This often leads to higher conversions, fewer support tickets, and better ability to bundle physical and digital products. Real-world examples show measurable revenue and retention benefits when merchants consolidate onto a native platform. Learn more about Tevello features and plans on the pricing and features pages: a simple, all-in-one price for unlimited courses and all the key features for courses and communities. Additional social proof is available if merchants want to read the 5-star reviews from fellow merchants.


