Online Course Platform Fees: What You're Actually Paying

Why Platform Fees Matter More Than You Think

Imagine you sell a $197 course and collect $10,000 in a month. Sounds great — until you realize platform fees, transaction fees, and payment processing quietly took $1,500 or more of that. That's money you earned and never saw.

Most course creators compare platforms on features: video hosting, quizzes, email integrations. But the real question is simpler: how much of each sale actually reaches your bank account?

The difference between a good platform and a costly one can be hundreds — or thousands — of dollars per year. And since all the major platforms host and deliver courses reliably, fees are often the most important variable to optimize.

The 3 Types of Fees You'll Encounter

Not all platform fees work the same way. Understanding the three types will help you compare apples to apples.

1. Transaction fees (percentage-based). Some platforms charge a cut of every sale as a percentage. Podia's free plan charges 8%. Teachable's free plan charges 1% plus $1 per sale. These hurt the most on lower-priced courses because they scale directly with revenue.

2. Per-sale flat fees. LearnWorlds' Starter plan adds $5.00 to every sale on top of payment processing — no matter if your course costs $29 or $997. If you're selling a lot of low-ticket courses, this adds up fast.

3. Monthly subscription cost. Platforms like Kajabi ($55–$319/mo), Skool ($99/mo), and Circle ($89–$360/mo) charge a flat monthly fee instead of (or in addition to) transaction fees. At low sales volumes, this monthly cost is spread thinly across few sales — hurting your per-sale margin. At higher volumes, it becomes a small fraction and you come out ahead.

The "Free" Plan Trap

Free plans from Teachable, Podia, and Thinkific sound like a great way to start. But "free" usually means higher transaction fees — which can cost you more than a paid plan would at even modest sales volume.

Here's the math: Podia Free charges 8% per sale. If you sell a $197 course 20 times a month, that's $315 in transaction fees. Compare that to Podia Mover at $59/month with 0% — you'd save $256 a month and net more on every single sale.

The crossover point — where upgrading to a paid plan saves money — is usually sooner than people expect. Use the Compare All tab in the calculator to find your exact crossover at any sales volume.

Quick Platform Profiles

Here's a fast rundown of how each platform positions itself — beyond just fees.

Teachable is one of the most popular choices for solo creators. It's easy to set up, has solid student management, and the Pro plan at $119/mo gets you to 0% fees. Good balance of features and price for mid-volume creators.

Thinkific is a strong alternative to Teachable with 0% transaction fees even on its free plan. It's slightly more flexible on course structure but has fewer built-in marketing tools. Great for creators who want to keep costs minimal.

Kajabi is the all-in-one choice. It includes email marketing, landing pages, and community features in the base price — which justifies the higher monthly cost if you're currently paying for those tools separately. The $55 Kickstarter plan is surprisingly good value.

Podia is known for its clean interface and digital product + course combo. The free plan's 8% fee is steep, but the Mover plan at $59 brings fees to zero and is a solid deal for creators who want simplicity.

Udemy is a marketplace, not a platform you own. The trade-off: you keep only 37% of organic sales, but Udemy drives traffic to you. If you build an audience that uses your personal coupons, you keep 97% — making it one of the highest-margin options in that scenario.

Skool is the community-first platform. At $99/month flat with 0% fees, it works well for creators who combine course content with active community engagement. Popular in the coaching and online business space.

Circle is similar to Skool but more customizable. The Basic plan's 4% transaction fee hurts — but the Professional tier at $199/mo drops it to 1%, and Business at $360/mo eliminates it entirely. Best for community-heavy businesses.

LearnWorlds stands out for interactive video and student engagement features. The $5/sale fee on the Starter plan is painful, but Pro Trainer at $99/mo removes it entirely. Strong pick for creators focused on high-quality, interactive learning experiences.

Systeme.io is the hidden gem of this list. The free plan is genuinely free — 0% transaction fees, no monthly cost, just Stripe's standard rates. If you're just starting and want to keep costs at zero, Systeme.io is hard to beat.

Picking the Right Platform for Your Stage

The "best" platform depends on where you are in your business — not just which one has the lowest fees in a vacuum.

Just starting out (0–5 sales/month): Keep fixed costs low. Thinkific Free or Systeme.io Free are the strongest options — no monthly fee, no transaction fees beyond Stripe. Podia Free's 8% fee will hurt more than a cheap paid plan would as soon as you get any traction.

Growing (5–30 sales/month): This is where upgrading a plan starts to pay for itself. Thinkific Basic ($36/mo) or Podia Mover ($59/mo) eliminate transaction fees at a low subscription cost. Teachable Pro ($119/mo) makes sense if you value its student experience features.

Established (30+ sales/month): At this volume, the monthly subscription is a small percentage of revenue. You can optimize for features, integrations, and student experience. Kajabi, Skool, or a higher Circle tier often make sense here — especially if you're combining courses with a community or email list.

Marketplace play (any stage): Udemy isn't for everyone, but if you have high-quality content and want passive discovery income, it can run alongside your owned platform. Just don't rely on organic Udemy revenue — the 63% platform cut is hard to build a business on alone.