Profit Hub System vs ClickBank Profit Club vs Home Business Academy
If you’ve been researching ways to build a real online income, chances are you’ve come across at least one of these three platforms. And on the surface, they can sound remarkably similar.
Being up-front with you here, in the past I joined all three to test them. So why would I promote three different / but similar businesses?
Simple answer: different businesses suit different people!
They all promise done-for-you tools, passive income potential, and a way to build a business online without starting from scratch. But dig a little deeper, and they are quite different in their approach, their cost, their target audience, and what they actually deliver.
I know them well. So let me give you an honest, side-by-side look at each one so you can decide which, if any, is right for where you are right now.
A Quick Overview Of Each Platform
Profit Hub System
A WAAS (Website as a Service) platform that provides franchise rights, a done-for-you conversion website, pre-built funnels, and a full marketing suite including email/SMS marketing, affiliate tracking, appointment booking, and 34+ built-in tools. You don’t just use the platform; you own it as a business asset and can resell it under your own brand.
My article on product display websites (here) describes why I decided to use the Profit Hub System (as an alternative offer for my email subscribers).
My conclusion on the Profit Hub System was that it was too difficult for beginners. I’m no beginner online, but after two months I was struggling, so I left because costs were adding up and no beginner I know could handle it. If you’re already good online I’m sure it’s great, but it wasn’t for me, or for my contacts.
ClickBank Profit Club
The ClickBank Profit Club is a training program system created by John Thornhill, a 9x ClickBank Platinum Vendor with over 20 years online and $23 million in student earnings. The key difference from standard ClickBank affiliate marketing: every lead you generate goes to YOUR email list, not the vendor’s, while you still earn commissions across the entire funnel.
This is excellent training for those who apply it. Some join it and apply the training to resell the course to others. I have done this, and earned over $5,000.
One drawback is that while it’s good that students can open a free account to get started, sadly, it means people often start with good intentions, but then lose interest as their recruits open free accounts, and if no one is paying, there’s no profit generated.
On the other hand, John is adding many low-cost offers and emailing your leads regularly.
I haven’t included a review here, for two reasons:
- There’s plenty of information on the page above.
- You can join for free and form your own conclusions.
Home Business Academy (HBA)
An online business education and tools platform founded by Paul Hutchings and Mike Hobbs, offering funnel building, email marketing tools, live coaching, and AI tools. Members earn 80% recurring commissions on referrals to any product they own, making it one of the most generous commission structures available.
Again, excellent training and tools – as long as people actually use them.
👉 Turnkey system, with a bot that will answer all your questions when you opt in. A fantastic tool so that you don’t have to answer prospects’ questions yourself, when you’re new.
I have a review of Home Business Academy here.
Update September 2026: HBA is always making improvements, and one that’s due to arrive in October is a simpler funnel builder, which will make this programme easier for beginners to create their own funnels.
Side-By-Side Comparison
| Profit Hub System | ClickBank Profit Club | Home Business Academy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Cost | Profit Pages: $9.95/mo + $100 licensing fee OR Profit Builder: $19.95/m + $200 licensing fee OR Profit Engine: $29.95/m + $300 licensing feeDetailed differences explained on the offer page |
Team: free OR Partner: $37/month OR VIP: $67/monthSavings on annual upgrades |
$10/mo: (recruiter and list builder) $25/mo: (funnel builder – to make web pages) $125 / mo: (premium AI tools and more training)SO… start from $10 a month, upgrade when you need moreStart as low as $10 a month and take further upgrades as your business expands. |
| Monthly Cost | $9.95 – $29.95/mo | Start free (upgrades available) | $10– $160/mo |
| Own Your List? | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Done-For-You Funnels | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Franchise/Resell Rights
Affiliate commissions can be earned on all three |
✅ Yes
✅ Yes |
❌ No
✅ Yes – varies according to your membership and product sold |
❌ No
✅ Yes – a flat 80% on all training modules you own |
| Email Marketing Built In | ✅ Yes (Engine plan) | Builds via a ClickBank funnel | ✅ Yes ($10/mo add-on) |
| Coaching Included | At least weekly, sometimes 2x a week | Live coaching weekly | Live daily coaching at Premium level, weekly for all others. |
| Commission Structure | Resell the platform plus powerful one-up system Pass-up of 1st, 5th and 10th sales allows for passive 5-level monthly commissions. |
ClickBank commissions vary Single level Profit share available to 100 Club Members |
80% recurring on any product you own, that you sell.
Single level only |
| Best For | Platform ownership + reselling | ClickBank affiliate marketers | Structured learners |
| Technical Skill Required | High | Low | Low-Medium |
| Good For Retirees? | Only if you have plenty of spare time and a reasonable level of technical expertise. (It defeated me.) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Let’s Go Deeper On Each
Profit Hub System – Best For: The Business Owner Mindset
If you want to build something you genuinely OWN – not just a commission stream, but an actual platform with your name on it – Profit Hub System is a good choice.
The franchise rights model is what sets it apart. You’re not renting a tool or promoting someone else’s product. You receive the rights to resell the entire platform as your own business, with your own branding.
The Profit Engine tier ($29.95/month) includes email and SMS marketing, affiliate tracking, TrustBubble, FeedbackFlow, LeadDialogue, and a private IP — essentially everything a serious online business needs under one roof, replacing tools that would cost $800+ per month individually.
The benefit? You will receive an up-front commission.
The catch? There’s a setup fee ($100–$300 depending on plan) alongside the monthly cost. For someone on a tight budget just starting, this is worth bearing in mind. Worst of all, you don’t get a chance to examine the training before committing to the cost. If I had had a chance to examine this first, I wouldn’t have paid the upfront fee. (This is as of Sept 2026 – it may have changed.)
Profit Hub System is ideal if you:
-
Want to own a platform, not just promote one
- Have time and technical expertise to commit to this business
-
Are serious about building a long-term brand
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Want everything in one place — funnels, email, website, affiliate system
-
Are comfortable with a monthly investment for a real business asset
ClickBank Profit Club – Best For: The Budget-Conscious Beginner
The most striking thing about ClickBank Profit Club is that it’s genuinely free to join. Not a free trial. Check out the basic training before deciding if you want more advanced training.
What John Thornhill has built solves the single biggest problem with traditional affiliate marketing: the fact that you do all the work and the vendor keeps the leads. With CBPC, every person who enters your funnel is added to YOUR email list. You build an asset from day one, while still earning commissions across the entire product funnel.
For someone who is new to online marketing, wants to learn with a safety net, and isn’t ready to commit to a monthly subscription, this is an exceptional starting point. John’s 22 years of experience and track record of $23 million in student earnings gives it serious credibility.
The catch? As a free model, the income depends entirely on ClickBank commissions, so your earnings are tied to your ability to drive traffic to your funnel. But that applies to any business, online or offline.
ClickBank Profit Club is ideal if you:
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Are on a tight budget and want to start for free
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Want to build your email list from the very first lead
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Are interested in affiliate marketing
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Want a proven system backed by two decades of experience, plus live calls where you can get your questions answered
Home Business Academy – Best For: The Structured Learner Who Values Coaching
HBA sits somewhere between the other two in terms of both cost and scope. It’s not free, but it’s not expensive either. The funnel builder entry point at $25/month is accessible, and the 80% recurring commission structure means just two referrals at the same level as yourself cover your subscription cost. If you can’t afford $25/m to build your own pages/funnel, you can start building your email list for just $10 a month.
Where HBA genuinely shines is in its coaching. Live daily calls (at Premium level), structured training, and an active community make it ideal for people who learn better with guidance and accountability rather than just being handed a system and left to it.
The platform has evolved significantly since 2016, now including AI tools for image creation and video scripts, plus a Facebook customer-finding app. It’s a legitimate, transparent platform — not an MLM, and is well-suited to retirees who appreciate a methodical, supported approach to learning. New updates are coming in October 2026.
The catch? Much of the training focuses on promoting HBA itself rather than building niche businesses in other areas. And at $160/month to include the Premium tier, costs can add up, particularly while you’re still building your audience. As always, traffic generation – getting people to your funnels – remains your responsibility.
HBA is ideal if you:
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Value structured coaching and daily support
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Are comfortable with recurring monthly costs
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Want 80% recurring commissions from referrals
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Prefer a guided learning environment over self-directed systems
So Which Should You Choose?
Here’s my opinion, having worked with all three:
Choose Profit Hub System if have some technical expertise already and you’re ready to invest time and money in a real business platform you own, want everything under one roof, and like the idea of building something with your name and brand on it, including the ability to resell the platform itself. The franchise model makes it unique. 👉 Profit Hub System (I do not use it.)
Choose ClickBank Profit Club if you’re just starting, budget is a concern, and you want to begin building your email list immediately. John Thornhill’s track record is exceptional, and the free entry point removes all financial risk. 👉 JoyHealey.com/CBPC (affiliate link)
Choose Home Business Academy if you want daily coaching, accountability, and a supportive community, and you’re primarily focused on earning recurring commissions by referring others to the platform. The 80% commission rate is genuinely outstanding. 👉 JoyHealey.com/Triple (affiliate link)
Can You Use More Than One?
Absolutely, and many serious marketers, like me, do. In fact, they complement each other rather well:
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Use ClickBank Profit Club to start building your email list and blog
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Use HBA for building your own funnel
- I have recently added the Zilara $10-a-month business for beginners who want a very low risk business, which would work well alongside The ClickBank Profit Club training
None of them are get-rich-quick schemes. All three require effort, consistency, and a willingness to learn. But all three are legitimate, proven platforms and HBA and CBPC give you the one thing most online marketers are missing: assets you actually own.
The land is there. It’s time to decide what you’re going to build on it.
Joy Healey is an online entrepreneur helping pre-retirees build real digital income streams.
