What you’ll pay to sell courses — SaaS bill and platform take-rate.
Creators compare Teachable vs Thinkific vs Kajabi, then get surprised by 5–10% transaction fees. We cite vendor pricing pages; unknowns stay Not listed.
What will I pay per year?
Sortable comparison
Entry plan (prefer annual-equivalent when monthly Not listed). Click headers to sort.
| Tool | Entry /mo | Annual /mo | Free? | Platform fees | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 systeme.io | $17 | $0 | Yes | 0% platform transaction fees on Free–Unlimited (feature table). | Visit |
 Gumroad | $0 | $0 | Yes | 10% + $0.50 direct; 30% via Discover. Merchant of Record / tax handling cited since 2025-0… | Visit |
 Hotmart | $0 | $0 | Yes | USD general transactions (> $15): 9.9% + $1.00 USD. Microtransactions (≤ $15 USD): 9.9% + … | Visit |
 Whop | $0 | $0 | Yes | Domestic cards 2.7% + $0.30; international +1.5%; FX +1%. ACH 1.5% (max $5). Optional add-… | Visit |
 Skool | $9 | $7.50 | No | Hobby 10%; Pro 2.9% (platform transaction fee on pricing page). | Visit |
 LearnWorlds | $30 | $24 | No | $5 per paid enrollment on Starter; $0 on Pro Trainer and Learning Center. Processor fees v… | Visit |
 Teachable | $39 | $29 | No | 7.5% on Starter; 0% on Builder and Growth (Teachable fee). Processor fees (Stripe etc.) st… | Visit |
 Podia | — | $42 | No | 5% on Mover; 0% on Shaker and Earthquaker (Podia fee). Stripe/PayPal processor fees still … | Visit |
 Mighty Networks | $79 | $79.17 | No | Not listed as a Mighty platform % on the main pricing page. | Visit |
 Thinkific | $109.50 | $82 | No | Not listed as a Thinkific platform % on the pricing page (0% revenue-share positioning com… | Visit |
 Circle | — | $89 | No | Not listed as a Circle platform % on pricing page. | Visit |
 Kajabi | $179 | $143 | No | 0% revenue share (stated on pricing page). | Visit |
Alternatives & compares
Swaps and head-to-heads.
Teachable alternatives
Course + digital product platform with built-in payments and student apps
Thinkific alternatives
Course platform for unlimited courses, cohorts, and memberships
Kajabi alternatives
All-in-one expert business platform — courses, coaching, email, community, 0% revenue share
Skool alternatives
Simple community + courses with transparent plan fees and transaction cuts
Teachable vs Thinkific
Side-by-side plans and platform fees.
Teachable vs Kajabi
Side-by-side plans and platform fees.
Thinkific vs Kajabi
Side-by-side plans and platform fees.
Podia vs Teachable
Side-by-side plans and platform fees.
LearnWorlds vs Thinkific
Side-by-side plans and platform fees.
Skool vs Circle
Side-by-side plans and platform fees.
Best-of shortlists
By volume, community, and budget — not “best for everyone.”
Cheapest course platforms
Lowest verified entry costs — free/pay-per-sale and low SaaS starters.
Best free course platforms
Forever-free or $0 SaaS with pay-per-sale models.
Best course platforms for coaches
Cohorts, memberships, and client education stacks.
Best community + course platforms
When the community is the product and courses ride along.
Best course platforms for high sales volume
0% or low platform take-rates once you outgrow starter fees.
Best course platforms for beginners
Simple launches without enterprise complexity.
FAQ
What are course platforms?
Tools to build, host, and sell online courses, cohorts, and memberships — Teachable, Thinkific, Kajabi, Podia, LearnWorlds, Skool, Circle, and pay-per-sale options like Gumroad, Hotmart, and Whop. ListCost verifies published prices and platform fee text; we never invent cells.
Do transaction fees matter more than the subscription?
Often yes. A cheap Starter plan with 5–10% platform fees on $50k–$100k of yearly course sales costs more in fees than a higher SaaS tier with 0% take-rate. The calculator estimates both when vendors publish a %.
How does the yearly calculator work?
Pick a tool, plan, and billing cadence for software cost. Enter yearly course sales to estimate platform transaction fees when a % is published (e.g. Teachable Starter 7.5%, Skool Hobby 10%). Flat per-txn fees assume a $97 average order. Not tax advice.
Why are some fees “Not listed”?
Some vendors do not publish a single platform take-rate on the marketing pricing page. We refuse to invent a rate — Not listed means check the live vendor page or help center.