Choosing the wrong platform to host your online course is one of the most expensive mistakes a creator can make. Some platforms take 63% of your revenue on discounted sales. Others charge $150 per month before you have made a single dollar. A few charge nothing until you earn — and then take a small cut that shrinks as your business grows.
The good news: there are excellent free options in 2026, and you do not need to spend a dollar to launch your first course and start generating revenue. The platforms on this list all offer either a genuinely free plan, a no-monthly-fee model, or a free trial long enough to validate demand before committing to paid plans.
This guide covers all ten platforms honestly. No affiliate bias, no rankings based on commission rates. Just a clear breakdown of what each platform costs, what you give up at the free tier, and who it is actually right for. If you are still deciding what your course will cover, read our guide on how to create and sell an online course before choosing a platform.
Quick Comparison: All 10 Platforms at a Glance
| Platform | Free Plan? | Monthly Fee | Transaction Fee | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teachable | Yes | From $39/mo | Free: $1 + 10%; Paid: 0% | Beginners, all-in-one setup |
| Thinkific | Yes | From $36/mo | 0% on all plans | Customization, data ownership |
| Udemy | Yes (marketplace) | None | 37–63% revenue share | Audience building, discoverability |
| Skillshare | Yes (teach free) | None to teach | Royalty model (per minute watched) | Creative skills, passive exposure |
| Podia | Yes | From $33/mo | Free: 8%; Paid: 0% | Courses + memberships + downloads |
| LearnWorlds | No (free trial) | From $29/mo | Starter: $5/sale; Higher: 0% | Interactive courses, certifications |
| Kajabi | No (free trial) | From $149/mo | 0% | Full creator business platform |
| Gumroad | Yes (no monthly fee) | None | 10% flat per sale | Simple setup, digital product sellers |
| Payhip | Yes (no monthly fee) | From $29/mo | Free: 5%; Plus: 2%; Pro: 0% | Low-cost start, affiliate system |
| Systeme.io | Yes (generous limits) | From $27/mo | 0% on all plans | All-in-one funnels + courses |
1. Teachable
Teachable
Teachable has been the go-to recommendation for first-time course creators for years, and in 2026 it remains one of the most polished beginner-friendly options available. The platform handles everything: video hosting, payment processing, student management, quizzes, certificates, and a customizable course player. You get a functional course business out of the box without needing a developer or designer.
The free plan lets you publish one course with unlimited students. The catch is a steep $1 + 10% transaction fee on every sale. At $97 per sale, you pay roughly $11 in fees before Stripe or PayPal takes their cut. This is painful at low volume but acceptable when you are testing whether your course sells at all. Once you hit consistent monthly sales, the $39/mo Basic plan eliminates transaction fees and pays for itself quickly.
- Polished student experience
- Built-in quizzes and completion certificates
- Upsells, order bumps, coupon codes
- Strong affiliate program tools
- High transaction fee on free plan
- Limited customization vs. self-hosted
- Free plan limited to one course
2. Thinkific
Thinkific
Thinkific's biggest differentiator in 2026 is simple: zero transaction fees on every plan, including the free plan. You keep 100% of every sale minus payment processor fees (typically 2.9% + $0.30 via Stripe). No platform cut. Ever. For creators who want to maximize take-home revenue from the start, this is a significant advantage over Teachable at the free tier.
The free plan supports three courses and unlimited students. The course builder offers more design flexibility than Teachable, with drag-and-drop page editing and custom domain support on paid plans. Thinkific also gives you direct access to student data, which matters for email marketing and retargeting campaigns. The student experience is excellent, with drip scheduling, prerequisite lessons, and a clean modern course player.
- Zero transaction fees on all plans
- Free plan supports three courses
- More design flexibility than competitors
- Full student data ownership
- Email marketing requires integration
- Community features cost extra
- Advanced automations on higher plans only
3. Udemy
Udemy
Udemy is the world's largest online learning marketplace with over 70 million students. Publishing a course costs nothing, and you can reach an audience you could never build on your own. That reach comes at a steep price. When Udemy promotes your course through its own channels, you receive just 37% of the revenue. On their frequent sitewide sales — where courses are discounted to $9.99–$14.99 — you might earn as little as $3.70 per enrollment regardless of your original $99 price tag.
The exception: if a student purchases using your personal referral link, you keep 97% of the revenue. This is the key insight most Udemy instructors miss. Use Udemy for organic discoverability, but drive your own traffic using your referral link wherever you can. The platform works best as a top-of-funnel discovery tool, not your primary revenue source.
- Massive built-in student audience
- No cost to publish
- Great for brand building and credibility
- 97% revenue on referral link sales
- 37–63% revenue share on platform sales
- Udemy controls pricing and discounting
- Limited student relationship access
- Race-to-the-bottom pricing pressure
4. Skillshare
Skillshare
Skillshare operates on a subscription model: students pay a flat monthly fee and get unlimited access to all courses. Teachers earn royalties based on the number of minutes their courses are watched each month, calculated as a share of the royalty pool. In 2026, active teachers typically earn between $0.04 and $0.08 per minute watched. A 60-minute course with 1,000 total minutes watched earns roughly $40–$80.
This model rewards consistency and volume over price optimization. It suits creative professionals who publish multiple shorter courses and build a following within the Skillshare community. It is a poor fit for high-ticket course creators who want to charge $200+ for specialized expertise — your income is capped by watch time, not your perceived value. Skillshare is best used as an additional channel alongside a direct-sales platform, not as your primary business.
- Built-in student community
- Passive income from evergreen content
- Good for creative and design skills
- No cost to create and publish
- Royalty-based income is unpredictable
- Poor fit for premium pricing strategies
- Limited direct student relationship
5. Podia
Podia
Podia is the platform for creators who want to sell courses, digital downloads, and memberships from a single storefront without cobbling together five different tools. The design is clean and the setup is fast — most creators have a functioning storefront in under an hour. The free plan includes one course, one download, and one coaching product with an 8% transaction fee, which is competitive with Teachable's free tier.
What sets Podia apart is its email marketing integration. Even on paid plans, you get a built-in email tool that handles broadcasts and automations without needing to export your student list to ConvertKit or Mailchimp. For creators building an email marketing funnel alongside their courses, this eliminates one significant integration headache. Podia also handles memberships natively, making it easy to bundle course access with a subscription community.
- Courses + downloads + memberships in one tool
- Built-in email marketing on paid plans
- Clean, beginner-friendly interface
- 0% transaction fees on paid plans
- 8% fee on free plan
- Free plan limited to one of each product type
- Less course-specific features than Teachable
Whichever platform you choose, your course website needs a privacy policy before you can legally collect student emails or process payments. Many platforms will not let you publish without one. Generate a compliant policy in under two minutes with our free privacy policy generator.
6. LearnWorlds
LearnWorlds
LearnWorlds is the most feature-rich dedicated course platform on this list. It goes well beyond video hosting with interactive video (quizzes embedded directly in the video player), ebooks with annotation tools, SCORM support for corporate training, white-label mobile apps, and one of the most advanced certification systems available outside enterprise LMS platforms. If you are creating professional training, compliance courses, or premium educational products that justify a $500+ price point, LearnWorlds has capabilities no other platform on this list can match.
There is no free plan, but the Starter plan at $29/mo is accessible. The catch: Starter charges $5 per course sale on top of the monthly fee. This makes it uneconomical for low-priced courses but perfectly reasonable for high-ticket offerings where $5 is less than 1% of the sale price. Move to the Pro Trainer plan at $99/mo and the per-sale fee disappears entirely.
- Interactive video with embedded quizzes
- Advanced certification and completion tracking
- White-label mobile apps available
- Best platform for corporate training
- No free plan
- $5/sale fee on lowest plan
- Steeper learning curve to set up
- Overkill for simple courses
7. Kajabi
Kajabi
Kajabi is the most expensive platform on this list by a wide margin, and it earns that price tag by replacing your course platform, email marketing tool, website builder, landing page builder, podcast host, community platform, and sales funnel software with a single integrated system. Zero transaction fees on all plans. In 2026, Kajabi has continued to expand its AI-powered tools including automated course outline generation, email drafting, and landing page copy suggestions.
The math only works at a certain revenue level. At $149/mo (over $1,780/year), you need to be generating consistent course revenue to justify the cost over using Thinkific at $36/mo plus ConvertKit at $29/mo plus a landing page tool. Most creators should start on a cheaper platform and migrate to Kajabi once their course business generates $3,000–$5,000+ per month. The 14-day free trial gives you enough time to build a course and test a sales funnel before committing.
- Everything in one platform, no integrations
- 0% transaction fees
- Built-in email, funnels, and website
- AI tools for content creation
- $149/mo minimum — very expensive
- No free plan
- Overkill until you have proven revenue
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Gumroad
Gumroad is the fastest way to start selling a course or any digital product with zero upfront cost. No monthly fee, no application process, no approval required. You create a product page, upload your content, set your price, and you can be selling within 30 minutes of signing up. Gumroad handles payment processing, file delivery, VAT collection, and basic affiliate tracking automatically.
The trade-off is a flat 10% fee on every sale. On a $50 course, you pay $5 to Gumroad plus Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 processing fee. At $97, Gumroad takes $9.70. The fee never decreases with volume, which is why most serious course creators migrate to a dedicated platform once they hit consistent monthly revenue. Gumroad is ideal as a launch platform to validate demand before investing in a subscription-based tool. It is also genuinely the right long-term choice for creators who sell primarily through their own audiences and want to avoid monthly overhead entirely.
- No monthly fee ever
- Instant setup, no approval needed
- Handles VAT/tax automatically
- Simple affiliate system included
- 10% fee on every sale, always
- Limited course player features
- Basic student management tools
9. Payhip
Payhip
Payhip sits in a unique middle ground between Gumroad's simplicity and Teachable's full feature set. Like Gumroad, the free plan has no monthly fee and lets you sell immediately. Unlike Gumroad, Payhip's transaction fee starts at 5% (versus 10%) and drops to 2% on the Plus plan ($29/mo) and 0% on the Pro plan ($99/mo). For creators building toward volume, this fee structure is more rewarding as you scale.
Payhip natively supports courses (with a dedicated course player, drip content, and completion tracking), digital downloads, memberships, coaching, and physical products. The built-in affiliate system is one of the best available at this price point — you can recruit affiliates, set custom commission rates, and track performance without any third-party tool. Payhip also handles EU VAT and US sales tax automatically. For creators who want more than Gumroad without paying Teachable's monthly fees, Payhip is often the best-value platform in 2026.
- Lower fee than Gumroad (5% vs 10%)
- Built-in affiliate system
- Courses, downloads, memberships, coaching
- Automatic VAT and sales tax handling
- Course player less polished than Teachable
- Smaller community and ecosystem than major platforms
10. Systeme.io
Systeme.io
Systeme.io is the most surprising platform on this list. The free plan is genuinely generous: 2,000 contacts, 3 sales funnels, 1 course with unlimited students, 1 membership site, unlimited emails, and 0% transaction fees. That is a complete online course business for free, with no revenue share. The paid plans start at just $27/mo and extend these limits significantly without ever charging transaction fees.
Systeme.io is an all-in-one platform that combines course hosting, sales funnels, email marketing, affiliate management, and blogging. It is not as polished as Kajabi and the course player is functional rather than delightful, but for a creator who wants a complete business infrastructure without paying $150/mo, Systeme.io offers remarkable value. The platform has grown significantly in the creator community since 2023 and the product has improved substantially. If budget is the primary constraint, start here before anywhere else.
- Genuinely free plan with 0% fees
- Courses + funnels + email in one tool
- Cheapest paid plans on this list
- Built-in affiliate program management
- Less polished UI than Teachable or Kajabi
- Smaller support community
- Course player lacks advanced features
Understanding Pricing Models: Free Hosting vs. Revenue Share
Every course platform makes money somehow. Understanding the business model helps you predict your long-term costs before you commit. There are three primary models:
Monthly Subscription + 0% Fees
Thinkific, Teachable (paid plans), Kajabi, Podia (paid), and LearnWorlds (Pro+) all follow this model. You pay a monthly fee for access to the platform, and 100% of course revenue (minus payment processing) is yours. This model rewards creators with consistent revenue. The break-even point — the monthly sales volume where the subscription pays for itself vs. a percentage-fee model — depends on your price point and the fee rate you are comparing against.
Example: Thinkific Basic at $36/mo vs. Gumroad at 10% fee. At $360/month in course revenue, both cost the same. Above $360/month in sales, Thinkific is cheaper. Below $360/month, Gumroad is cheaper because you pay nothing when you earn nothing.
No Monthly Fee + Revenue Share
Gumroad (10%), Payhip free plan (5%), and Teachable free plan ($1 + 10%) use this model. You pay nothing until you sell something, then the platform takes a percentage. This is the lowest-risk model for new creators because there is no overhead before you have validated demand. The trade-off is that the fees never decrease with volume — Gumroad charges 10% whether you make $100 or $100,000 per month.
Marketplace Royalty Model
Udemy and Skillshare do not charge you to publish but take the largest cut of revenue. Udemy takes 37–63% of sales depending on the traffic source. Skillshare pays per-minute-watched royalties from a shared pool. These models provide distribution you could never build on your own but make it very difficult to build a sustainable business at anything other than very high volume.
Which Model Is Right for You?
Just starting, no audience yet: Gumroad, Payhip free, or Systeme.io free. Zero monthly cost until you prove the course sells.
Validated idea, growing audience: Thinkific Basic or Teachable Basic. Predictable monthly cost, 0% fees, professional features.
Established creator, $3k+/mo revenue: Kajabi or Podia. Consolidate your tools into one platform and eliminate integration costs.
Building discoverability from scratch: Udemy as a secondary channel alongside your primary platform. Use your referral link for direct sales to keep 97% of revenue.
Corporate training or premium certification: LearnWorlds. The interactive video and advanced certification features justify the higher cost for professional training products.
How to Choose the Right Platform for Your Course
With ten solid options, the decision comes down to a few key variables. Work through these questions in order:
Question 1: Have you validated demand yet?
If you have not yet made a single course sale, do not pay a monthly subscription. Start on Gumroad, Payhip, or Systeme.io. All three let you launch and sell with zero monthly cost. Once you have proven people will pay for your course, upgrade to a more feature-rich platform if needed.
Question 2: How important is the student experience?
Gumroad and Payhip deliver files and provide basic course access. They are functional but not memorable. If you want a polished learning experience with drip content, progress tracking, quizzes, and certificates, Teachable or Thinkific are purpose-built for this. The difference matters most for premium-priced courses where students expect a professional experience commensurate with what they paid.
Question 3: Do you need built-in marketing tools?
If you want email marketing, landing pages, and sales funnels in one tool, Systeme.io and Kajabi are your best options. Podia includes email marketing on paid plans. Every other platform requires you to integrate with an external email tool. Building a strong email list is the single most important thing you can do for long-term course sales — read our email marketing beginners guide to get your list set up alongside whichever platform you choose.
Question 4: Do you need an affiliate program?
Payhip has the most robust built-in affiliate system at the budget tier. Teachable and Kajabi also include strong affiliate tools. Gumroad's affiliate system is basic. Thinkific requires a third-party integration for advanced affiliate tracking.
Question 5: Are you selling to businesses or individuals?
Business buyers expect invoices, group enrollment options, and completion reporting. LearnWorlds and Kajabi handle corporate sales better than the others. For business purchases, use our free privacy policy generator to create documentation that satisfies enterprise procurement requirements.
Launch Your Course Business With a Clear Action Plan
The Startup Launch Checklist covers everything you need to do before, during, and after your course launch — platform setup, legal requirements, marketing, and pricing strategy.
Get the Startup Launch Checklist — $125 Platform Mistakes That Cost Course Creators Money
Starting on Kajabi before validating demand
Paying $149/mo while you figure out if anyone wants your course is an expensive mistake. Launch on Gumroad or Systeme.io first. Migrate to Kajabi once you have consistent revenue that justifies the consolidation cost.
Treating Udemy as your primary business
Udemy's pricing control and revenue split make it unsuitable as your only platform. Use it for discoverability while hosting your main course on a platform where you control pricing and keep more revenue.
Ignoring transaction fees when calculating profit
A $97 course on Teachable's free plan earns you $97 − $1 − $9.70 (10%) − Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 = roughly $83.50 per sale. Run the math for your platform and price point before setting your course price.
Choosing a platform based on features you will never use
LearnWorlds's SCORM support and white-label mobile apps are genuinely impressive. They are also irrelevant for 95% of course creators. Choose based on what you will actually use in the next six months, not the theoretical feature ceiling.
Skipping the privacy policy
Collecting student emails and payment information without a privacy policy violates GDPR, CCPA, and the terms of service of most payment processors. Most platforms now require a privacy policy before you can publish. Generate one for free at ToolKit.dev.
Frequently Asked Questions
Thinkific charges zero transaction fees on all plans including the free plan, making it the lowest-fee option if you already have payment processing handled. Payhip charges 5% on the free plan and drops to 0% on the Pro plan ($99/mo). Systeme.io also charges no transaction fees on any plan. Gumroad charges a flat 10% per sale but no monthly fee. The best choice depends on your volume: low volume favors no-monthly-fee platforms like Gumroad or Systeme.io, while high volume favors a flat monthly fee with 0% transaction fees.
Yes. Gumroad, Payhip, and Systeme.io all let you sell courses with no monthly fee. The trade-off is that they take a percentage of each sale instead. Gumroad takes 10%, Payhip takes 5% on its free plan, and Systeme.io takes 0% even on its free plan. Teachable and Thinkific also offer free plans, but they come with limited features and higher transaction fees. If you are starting out and have not yet made your first sale, a no-monthly-fee platform eliminates all financial risk.
Udemy is worth it for building an audience and gaining credibility, but not as your primary revenue stream. The platform frequently discounts courses to $9.99 or $14.99 regardless of your list price, and Udemy takes 63% of revenue when the sale comes through their promotions. You keep 97% of revenue when a student uses your personal referral link. The best strategy is to use Udemy for discovery and brand building while driving your own traffic to a dedicated platform like Teachable or Payhip where you keep far more per sale.
Course hosting platforms like Teachable, Thinkific, Payhip, and Gumroad give you a place to host and sell your course to your own audience. You do all the marketing. Course marketplaces like Udemy and Skillshare have their own built-in student bases who discover your course through search and browse. Marketplaces offer exposure but take a larger revenue cut. Hosting platforms give you control over pricing and branding but require you to drive your own traffic. Most successful course creators combine both: marketplace for discoverability, dedicated hosting for direct sales.
Yes, absolutely. When you sell courses online you are collecting personal data including names, email addresses, and payment information. GDPR (if you have any EU students), CCPA (if you have California students), and general best practice all require a privacy policy. Most course platforms require you to have one before you can publish your course. The good news is you do not need a lawyer to write one. A privacy policy generator can create a legally compliant document in under two minutes, tailored to your specific platform and the data you collect.
One More Thing Before You Launch
Every course platform requires a privacy policy. Generate yours in under two minutes — free, no account needed, and tailored to your specific setup.
- Compliant with GDPR, CCPA, and major platform requirements
- Covers payment processing, email collection, and cookies
- Works with Teachable, Thinkific, Payhip, Gumroad, and more
- Plain-English output you can understand and customize
- Free forever, no email required
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