You want to sell courses online without breaking the bank. Fair enough.

But here's the thing about "cheapest" - the platform with the lowest monthly fee isn't always the cheapest in the long run. Some charge transaction fees on every sale. Others nickel-and-dime you with add-ons. A few require expensive third-party tools to work properly.

Key Facts

• Transaction fees add up quickly - A $5,000/month course creator pays $150 extra monthly on platforms charging 3% transaction fees

• Teachery offers 0% transaction fees - At $49/month with unlimited sales, creators keep 100% of revenue minus payment processing

• Lifetime deals save long-term creators money - Teachery's $550 lifetime option breaks even after 12 months compared to monthly billing

• Platform costs vary by 400% - Monthly fees range from $29 to $149+ before counting transaction fees and required add-ons

We've been building and selling digital products since 2013. We've tried every platform, paid every fee, and learned these lessons the expensive way. So let's break down the real costs of 7 major course platforms - not just the marketing price, but what you'll actually pay.

Quick heads up: If you want to skip ahead, Teachery offers a $550 lifetime deal that makes it the cheapest option long-term. But read on for the full breakdown.

The Real Cost of Course Platforms (It's Not Just the Monthly Fee)

Most course creators focus on the monthly subscription price. That's a mistake.

The real cost includes:

• Transaction fees - Some platforms take 5-10% of every sale

• Payment processing - Usually 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction

• Email marketing - If not included, add $30-100/month

• Video hosting - Can run $20-50/month for decent quality

• Custom domains - Some charge extra for this basic feature

• Student limits - Cheaper plans often cap your growth

A $39/month platform that charges 5% transaction fees will cost you way more than a $49/month platform with 0% fees once you're making decent sales.

Let's run the math: If you're making $5,000/month in course sales, that 5% transaction fee costs you $250/month. Suddenly that "cheap" $39 plan is actually $289/month.

Platform Pricing Breakdown (Cheapest to Most Expensive)

We'll start with the free options and work our way up. Fair warning: free usually means you get what you pay for.

Free Options (And Why They're Not Really Free)

Gumroad (Free Plan)

• Monthly fee: $0

• Transaction fees: 10% + payment processing

• Real cost at $2,000/month sales: $240/month in fees

• Real cost at $10,000/month sales: $1,200/month in fees

Gumroad's free plan looks tempting until you realize they're taking 10% of every sale. That's brutal once you start making real money. Plus, it's more of a digital marketplace than a proper course platform - no drip content, basic student management, limited customization.

Thinkific (Free Plan)

• Monthly fee: $0

• Transaction fees: 0%

• Limitations: 1 course, 10 students max, Thinkific branding

• Real talk: This is a demo, not a business platform

Thinkific's free plan is actually decent for testing the waters, but the 10-student limit makes it useless for any real business. You'll need to upgrade within weeks of launching.

Budget Tier ($39-49/Month)

Podia (Mover Plan: $39/month)

• Monthly fee: $39

• Transaction fees: 0%

• Includes: Unlimited courses, students, email marketing

• Missing: Advanced customization, affiliate management

Podia bundles email marketing, which saves you $30-50/month compared to other platforms. That's smart positioning. The platform is clean and simple, though design customization is limited.

Teachable (Basic Plan: $39/month)

• Monthly fee: $39

• Transaction fees: 5% (ouch)

• Real cost at $5,000/month: $289

• Includes: Unlimited courses, students

• Missing: Advanced marketing tools

That 5% transaction fee is a killer. Teachable knows it too - they push hard to get you on their Pro plan ($119/month) to eliminate it. The platform itself is solid with good course creation tools, but those fees add up fast.

Teachery ($49/month or $550 lifetime)

• Monthly fee: $49 (or $550 once for lifetime)

• Transaction fees: 0%

• Includes: Unlimited everything, extreme design customization

• Lifetime deal math: Pays for itself in 12 months

Here's where the math gets interesting. At $49/month, Teachery costs more upfront than some competitors. But with 0% transaction fees and that lifetime deal, it becomes the cheapest option if you're planning to stay in business longer than a year.

The design customization is also unmatched - you can upload custom fonts, adjust every color, control layouts completely. No two Teachery sites look alike.

Mid-Tier ($89-199/Month)

Thinkific (Pro Plan: $99/month)

• Monthly fee: $99

• Transaction fees: 0%

• Includes: Advanced marketing, certificates, white-label

• Good for: Established course creators who need all the bells and whistles

Thinkific Pro is solid but pricey. You're paying for features like advanced reporting and white-label options that new course creators don't need. The platform is reliable but not particularly inspiring design-wise.

Podia (Shaker Plan: $89/month)

• Monthly fee: $89

• Transaction fees: 0%

• Includes: Everything in Mover plus affiliate management, third-party integrations

• The sweet spot for most serious course creators

If you're committed to Podia, this is probably where you'll end up. The affiliate management alone is worth the upgrade if you plan to use partners to grow your sales.

Premium Tier ($119-399/Month)

Teachable (Pro Plan: $119/month)

• Monthly fee: $119

• Transaction fees: 0%

• Finally eliminates those brutal 5% fees

• Includes: Advanced customization, affiliate management

This is what Teachable really costs once you eliminate transaction fees. At $119/month, it's more expensive than Teachery's lifetime deal after just 5 months.

Kajabi (Basic Plan: $149/month)

• Monthly fee: $149

• Transaction fees: 0%

• Includes: Email marketing, funnel builder, website builder

• The "all-in-one" approach

Kajabi positions itself as the complete business platform. Email, funnels, courses, websites - it does everything. The problem? It costs 3x what focused platforms charge, and you might not need all those features.

Enterprise Tier ($199-549/Month)

Kartra (Starter Plan: $119/month, Growth: $229/month)

• Monthly fees: $119-549

• Transaction fees: 0%

• Includes: Everything - email, funnels, courses, helpdesk, calendars

• Complexity level: Overwhelming

Kartra tries to be your entire business software stack. It mostly succeeds, but the learning curve is steep and the cost is brutal. Unless you're doing $20k+/month, you're overpaying.

The Hidden Costs Nobody Talks About

Monthly fees are just the start. Here's what else you'll pay:

Transaction Fees (The Silent Killer)

We mentioned this already, but it's worth drilling down:

• Teachable Basic: 5% per sale

• Gumroad Free: 10% per sale

• Podia, Teachery, Kajabi, Thinkific: 0%

On $10,000/month in sales, that 5% fee costs you $6,000 per year. That's more than most platforms cost total.

Payment Processing (Everyone Pays This)

All platforms charge 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction for credit card processing. This isn't optional - it's the cost of doing business online. Budget roughly 3% of your gross sales for payment processing.

Email Marketing

Most course platforms don't include email marketing:

• ConvertKit: $29-79/month

• Mailchimp: $13-350/month

• ActiveCampaign: $15-395/month

Only Podia and Kajabi include email marketing in their base plans. Everyone else, add $30-50/month to your real cost.

Video Hosting

Course videos need somewhere to live:

• Vimeo Pro: $20/month

• Wistia: $99/month

• YouTube: Free but unprofessional

Some platforms include basic video hosting, but if you want custom players, advanced analytics, or ad-free playback, you'll pay extra.

Design and Development

Most platforms offer limited customization. If you want a unique look:

• Custom theme: $1,000-5,000

• Developer monthly retainer: $500-2,000

Teachery's extreme customization options can save you thousands here since you can create professional designs without a developer.

Cheapest Doesn't Always Mean Best Value

Let's get real about lifetime value vs. monthly cost.

Say you're choosing between:

• Teachable Basic: $39/month + 5% transaction fees

• Teachery: $49/month (or $550 lifetime) + 0% transaction fees

At $2,000/month in sales:

• Teachable real cost: $39 + $100 = $139/month

• Teachery real cost: $49/month

Teachery saves you $90/month. Over two years, that's $2,160 in savings.

But here's the kicker - Teachery's lifetime deal costs just $550. Pay once, use forever. After 12 months, everything else is pure savings.

We've run these numbers every way possible. If you're planning to sell courses for more than a year (and you should be), the lifetime deal is the cheapest option by far.

The Math on Teachery's Lifetime Deal

Break-even analysis:

• $550 ÷ $49/month = 11.2 months to break even

• Year 2 savings: $588

• Year 3 savings: $588

• 5-year savings: $2,390

Every other platform costs more over time. Every. Single. One.

Our Pick for Best Value: Teachery Lifetime Deal

After testing every major course platform and running the numbers dozens of ways, Teachery's lifetime deal is the clear winner for value-conscious creators.

Here's why:

Cheapest long-term cost: $550 once vs. $588+ every year on other platforms

Zero transaction fees: Keep 100% of your sales (minus payment processing)

Unlimited everything: Courses, students, landing pages, custom domains

Extreme customization: Upload custom fonts, control every color, create unique designs

No feature limits: Get everything on day one - no tiers or upgrade pressure

The only downsides? Teachery doesn't include email marketing or video hosting. But neither do most competitors, and you'll save enough on the platform cost to pay for best-in-class third-party tools.

Who Should Choose Something Else?

Teachery isn't right for everyone:

• Choose Podia if you want email marketing included and don't mind paying monthly forever

• Choose Kajabi if you need an all-in-one platform and have a big budget

• Choose Thinkific Free if you're just testing the waters with one course

But for most course creators who want the best value long-term? The lifetime deal is unbeatable.

The Bottom Line

The cheapest monthly fee rarely equals the lowest total cost. Transaction fees, email marketing, video hosting, and design costs add up fast.

When you factor in real-world usage - transaction fees on actual sales, the need for email marketing, design customization costs - Teachery's lifetime deal wins by a landslide.

$550 once vs. $588+ every year forever. The math isn't even close.

Plus, you get a platform built by course creators who actually use it to run their own seven-figure digital product business. They know what matters because they live it every day.

Ready to stop paying monthly fees forever? Check out Teachery's pricing and lifetime deal. Your future self will thank you.

And if you're still planning your course content, we've got guides for specific niches: selling yoga courses, photography courses, cooking courses, and our platform guide for life coaches.

Time to stop renting and start owning your course platform.

Related Reading

• Online Course Pricing Formula - 6-Figure Breakdown

• Launch a Personal Finance Course in 30 Days

• SamCart Alternatives - 6 Cheaper Options [2026]

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest online course platform in 2026?

The cheapest platform depends on your sales volume, but Teachery at $49/month with 0% transaction fees often costs less than competitors for creators making over $1,000/month. Platforms with lower monthly fees but 3-5% transaction fees become more expensive as sales grow.

How much do transaction fees cost course creators?

Transaction fees typically range from 2-5% per sale across major platforms. A creator earning $3,000 monthly would pay $60-150 in transaction fees alone, often exceeding the difference between platform subscription costs.

Are there any course platforms with no transaction fees?

Yes, Teachery charges 0% transaction fees on all plans, including their $49/month option. Most other platforms charge 2-5% per transaction, which can significantly increase costs for successful course creators over time.

Should I choose a lifetime deal for my course platform?

Lifetime deals make financial sense if you plan to run courses for more than 12-18 months. Teachery's $550 lifetime deal breaks even after 12 months compared to their monthly plan, making it cost-effective for long-term creators.