The Best Platforms to Sell Online Courses (Fees Compared)
Thinkific, Teachable, Podia and Kajabi compared on monthly price and transaction fees, the number that quietly eats your course income.
When you compare course platforms, look at two numbers: the monthly price, and the transaction fee each takes from every sale. A cheap plan with a 7.5% fee can cost more than a pricier plan with 0% once you're selling.
Prices and fees compared
As reported in 2026 comparisons (check current pricing before you commit):
| Platform | Cheapest plan | Transaction fee on that plan | First 0% fee plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thinkific | About $49/mo | 0% (with its own checkout) | Same plan |
| Teachable | About $39/mo | 7.5% | About $89/mo |
| Podia | Around $39 to $49/mo | 5% | About $89/mo |
| Kajabi | About $179/mo | 0% | Same plan |
Card processing fees from Stripe or PayPal apply on top of everything, wherever you sell.
The quick maths
Say you sell $1,000 of courses a month:
- Teachable Starter: $39 + 7.5% ($75) = $114
- Thinkific basic plan: $49 + 0% = $49
- Podia Mover: $39 to $49 + 5% ($50) = about $89 to $99
At $3,000 a month, the gap gets much bigger. Fees matter more as you grow.
Thinkific: best value with no fees
Thinkific's entry plan has no transaction fees when you use its built-in checkout. The course builder is solid, with quizzes, certificates, drip content and communities.
Best for: most course creators who want to keep their margin.
Teachable: easy start, but watch the fee
Teachable is simple to set up and well known. Its cheapest plan takes 7.5% of each sale, so it's best for testing an idea. Move up to a 0% plan once sales are steady.
Best for: first-time creators testing a course.
Podia: courses, downloads and memberships together
Podia combines courses, digital downloads, webinars, memberships and email marketing in one simple tool. The entry plan has a fee; higher plans remove it.
Best for: creators selling several kinds of digital products.
Kajabi: all-in-one, premium price
Kajabi bundles courses, a website, email marketing, funnels and communities, with no transaction fees. After price increases, it's now the most expensive starting point here.
Best for: established creators who want to replace several tools with one.
Before you pick a platform
- Validate first. Pre-sell your course to your audience or run a live workshop before building the whole thing.
- Build your email list. It's where most course sales come from. See how to start an email newsletter.
- Check what you can take with you. Can you export student emails if you switch?
- Look at the student experience, not just the creator dashboard. Buy a course on each platform if you can.
