Course platform pricing and alternatives
What a course platform costs is its plan price plus whatever it takes from each sale: a platform transaction fee on some plans, the card processor's fee on every plan, and extras for subscriptions, international cards or tax tools. Entry plans often look cheap and take the biggest share; affiliates, certificates or more products can push you up a tier. These guides read each vendor's own pricing and help pages, give the date they were checked, work out what a year of sales really costs, and compare each platform with the alternatives creators most often move to.
18 guides in this topic
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- Course Platform Transaction Fees Compared (2026)Transaction fees on 12 course platforms in 2026: Teachable, Thinkific, Kajabi, Podia, LearnWorlds, Skool, Gumroad and more, with a worked e…
- Kajabi Pricing 2026: Every Plan, Fee and Real Yearly CostKajabi costs $179, $249 or $499 a month ($143 to $399 billed yearly). What each plan includes, Kajabi Payments fees, payouts and what a yea…
- Teachable Pricing 2026: How Much Teachable Really CostsTeachable costs $39, $89 or $189 a month ($29 to $139 billed yearly). The 7.5% Starter fee, processing rates, payouts and what a year reall…
- Skool Pricing (2026): Hobby vs Pro, Fees and PayoutsSkool costs $9 a month (Hobby, 10% + 30¢ fee) or $99 (Pro, 2.9% + 30¢), card processing included. Yearly prices, Growth Boost, payouts and …
- Stan Store Pricing (2026): Creator vs Creator ProStan Store costs $29 a month (Creator) or $99 (Creator Pro), $300 or $948 a year, with 0% transaction fees. What Pro adds, Stripe fees and …
How much do the big course platforms cost?
The all-in-ones sit at the top: Kajabi starts at $179 a month and Thinkific at $109, both with 0% platform fees on their own payments. Teachable starts at $39 but takes 7.5% of each sale on that plan, Podia starts at $49 with a 5% fee on Mover, and LearnWorlds at $49 plus $5 per sale on Starter. Yearly billing cuts the monthly price by about 10 to 26% depending on the vendor and plan.
What do creator stores and community platforms cost?
Stan Store is $29 or $99 a month with no transaction fee; Skool is $9 or $99 a month with card fees built into its rate; Circle starts at $89 a month billed yearly plus a 2% fee on its entry plan; systeme.io has a free plan that never expires; and Gumroad has no monthly fee but takes 10% + 50 cents of each direct sale as merchant of record.
Which fees come on top of the plan price?
Three kinds: the platform's own transaction fee (Teachable Starter, Podia Mover, Skool Hobby, Circle and Gumroad), a gateway fee if you connect your own Stripe instead of the platform's payments (Kajabi and Thinkific), and the processor's card fee, usually 2.9% + 30 cents in the US, with extras for subscriptions and international cards. Transaction fees compared puts them side by side on the same $60,000 of sales, and the course platform fee calculator runs the numbers on your own prices.
What are the best alternatives to each platform?
| Platform | Entry plan | Platform fee on that plan | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teachable | Starter, $39/month | 7.5% | Teachable pricing |
| Thinkific | Start, $109/month | 0% on Thinkific Payments | Thinkific pricing |
| Kajabi | Basic, $179/month | 0% on Kajabi Payments | Kajabi pricing |
| Podia | Mover, $49/month | 5% | Podia pricing |
| LearnWorlds | Starter, $49/month | $5 per sale | LearnWorlds pricing |
| Skool | Hobby, $9/month | 10% + 30¢, processing included | Skool pricing |
| Stan Store | Creator, $29/month | 0% | Stan Store pricing |
| Circle | Professional, $89/month billed yearly | 2% | Circle pricing |
| systeme.io | Free plan | 0% | systeme.io pricing |
| Gumroad | No monthly fee | 10% + 50¢ on direct sales | Gumroad fees |
| Klasira | See pricing | 0% on every plan | Fees compared |
Every guide in this topic
- 7 Best Gumroad Alternatives in 2026 (Lower Fees per Sale)Gumroad alternatives compared: Payhip, Lemon Squeezy, Sellfy, Stan Store, Podia, Beacons and Klasira, with wh…
- 7 Best Kajabi Alternatives in 2026 (Cheaper and Leaner)The best Kajabi alternatives in 2026: Klasira, Podia, Thinkific, Teachable, LearnWorlds, Skool and Mighty Net…
- 7 Best Podia Alternatives in 2026, Compared on FeesPodia alternatives compared: Klasira, Teachable, Thinkific, Kajabi, Payhip, systeme.io and Stan Store, on pri…
- 7 Best Skool Alternatives in 2026: Communities and CoursesSkool alternatives compared: Circle, Mighty Networks, Kajabi, Thinkific, Podia, LearnWorlds and Klasira, on p…
- 7 Best Teachable Alternatives in 2026, ComparedThe best Teachable alternatives in 2026: Klasira, Thinkific, Kajabi, Podia, LearnWorlds, Payhip and Skool, co…
- 7 Best Thinkific Alternatives in 2026 (Cheaper Options Too)Thinkific alternatives compared: Klasira, Teachable, Kajabi, Podia, LearnWorlds, systeme.io and Payhip, on pr…
- 8 Best Stan Store Alternatives in 2026, With Fees ComparedStan Store alternatives compared: Klasira, Beacons, Linktree, Payhip, Gumroad, Podia, systeme.io and Sellfy, …
- Circle Pricing (2026): Plans, Transaction Fees and Add-onsCircle (circle.so) costs $89, $199 or $419 a month on yearly billing, plus a 2%, 1% or 0.5% transaction fee o…
- Course Platform Transaction Fees Compared (2026)Transaction fees on 12 course platforms in 2026: Teachable, Thinkific, Kajabi, Podia, LearnWorlds, Skool, Gum…
- Gumroad Fees (2026): How Much Does Gumroad Take?Gumroad takes 10% + 50¢ per direct sale plus 2.9% + 30¢ card processing, or 30% on Discover sales. No monthly…
- Kajabi Pricing 2026: Every Plan, Fee and Real Yearly CostKajabi costs $179, $249 or $499 a month ($143 to $399 billed yearly). What each plan includes, Kajabi Payment…
- LearnWorlds Pricing 2026: Plans, Fees and What It CostsLearnWorlds costs $49, $99 or $299 a month ($44 to $249 billed yearly), plus $5 a sale on Starter. What each …
- Podia Pricing 2026: Plans, Fees and What It Really CostsPodia costs $49, $99 or $179 a month ($42 to $150 billed yearly). The 5% Mover fee, email subscriber add-ons,…
- Skool Pricing (2026): Hobby vs Pro, Fees and PayoutsSkool costs $9 a month (Hobby, 10% + 30¢ fee) or $99 (Pro, 2.9% + 30¢), card processing included. Yearly pric…
- Stan Store Pricing (2026): Creator vs Creator ProStan Store costs $29 a month (Creator) or $99 (Creator Pro), $300 or $948 a year, with 0% transaction fees. W…
- Systeme.io Pricing (2026): Is the Free Plan Really Free?Systeme.io has a free plan (2,000 contacts, 1 course) and paid plans at $17, $47 and $97 a month, $170 to $97…
- Teachable Pricing 2026: How Much Teachable Really CostsTeachable costs $39, $89 or $189 a month ($29 to $139 billed yearly). The 7.5% Starter fee, processing rates,…
- Thinkific Pricing 2026: Plans, Fees and What It Really CostsThinkific costs $109, $219 or $499 a month ($82 to $374 billed yearly). What each plan gates, the fee on your…
Frequently asked questions
Which course platform is the cheapest?
It depends on how much you sell. Free plans and low entry prices often take a bigger cut of each sale, while higher plans cost more each month but take less. Compare the plan price plus every fee at your expected yearly sales.
Do course platforms take a percentage of sales?
Some do on some plans. Teachable's entry plan, Skool, Stan Store's processing and Gumroad take a share of each sale; others charge only a monthly plan. Stripe or PayPal processing fees apply everywhere.
What is the difference between a transaction fee and a processing fee?
A transaction fee is the platform's own cut of each sale. A processing fee is what the payment company, such as Stripe or PayPal, charges to handle the card payment. Many platforms charge only the second.
How do I compare course platform costs fairly?
Add the yearly plan price to every per-sale fee at your real sales volume, then check what you'd need to upgrade for features you rely on, such as affiliates, payment plans or certificates.