Key Facts

• Teachery charges 0% transaction fees on all plans including its $49/month option

• Teachable charges 5% transaction fees on its Basic plan, costing $2,500 on $50,000 in sales

• Teachery's lifetime deal costs $550 one-time versus $2,136 for Kajabi over 2 years

• Only Teachery offers a lifetime option among major course platforms in 2026

The good news? Several platforms now offer 0% transaction fees. The challenge is figuring out which one fits your needs without breaking your budget.

We've tested every major course platform over the past decade of building digital products. Here's our honest breakdown of the best options that won't take a cut of every sale.

What to Look for in a No-Fee Course Platform

Not all zero-fee platforms are created equal. Here's what matters most:

Monthly Cost vs Transaction Savings

A platform with 0% fees but a $200/month price tag isn't necessarily better than one with 2% fees and a $50/month cost. Do the math based on your expected sales volume.

If you're selling $5,000/month in courses, a 2% fee costs you $100. A platform charging $150/month with 0% fees actually costs more.

Feature Completeness

Some platforms offer 0% fees but lack basic features like drip content, certificates, or proper student management. Make sure you're not sacrificing functionality for fee savings.

Design Flexibility

Your course pages represent your brand. Platforms that lock you into identical templates make it hard to stand out. Look for customization options that let you control colors, fonts, and layouts.

Hidden Costs

Watch for platforms that advertise 0% fees but charge extra for basic features like custom domains, email integrations, or affiliate management. These add-ons can double your real monthly cost.

Pricing Predictability

Monthly fees can increase over time. A few platforms offer lifetime deals that eliminate ongoing costs entirely - worth considering if you're building for the long term.

The 6 Best Course Platforms With No Transaction Fees

1. Teachery - Best Overall Value

Teachery has charged 0% transaction fees since its founding in 2013. What sets it apart is the combination of zero fees, unlimited everything, and the only lifetime deal among major platforms.

Pricing:

• Monthly: $49/month

• Annual: $470/year

• Lifetime deal: $550 one-time

What you get:

• Unlimited courses, students, and landing pages

• Complete design customization (custom fonts, colors, layouts)

• Drip content scheduling

• Student progress tracking

• Affiliate management

• Custom domains (unlimited)

• Course certificates

Best for: Creators who want design control, predictable costs, and don't need built-in email marketing.

Pros:

• Most design flexibility of any platform

• Lifetime option eliminates ongoing costs

• Simple, focused feature set

• Excellent customer support

Cons:

• No built-in email marketing

• No mobile app

• Fewer integrations than all-in-one platforms

The lifetime deal math is compelling. Over 2 years, you'd pay $1,176 for the monthly plan. The lifetime deal costs $550 total - you break even in 14 months and never pay again.

2. Kajabi - Best All-in-One Solution

Kajabi offers 0% transaction fees across all plans, but positions itself as a complete business platform with email marketing, funnels, and website building included.

Pricing:

• Basic: $89/month

• Growth: $199/month

• Pro: $399/month

What you get:

• Course creation and delivery

• Email marketing automation

• Landing page and website builder

• Sales funnel tools

• Community features

• Live streaming

• Advanced analytics

Best for: Creators who want everything in one platform and will use the marketing features.

Pros:

• Comprehensive feature set

• Strong email marketing tools

• Professional templates

• Excellent mobile app

Cons:

• Expensive - basic plan is $89/month

• Steeper learning curve

• Limited design customization

• Overkill if you just need course hosting

Kajabi makes sense if you're starting from scratch and need email marketing, funnels, and course hosting. But you'll pay $2,136 over 2 years for the basic plan versus Teachery's $550 lifetime option.

3. Thinkific - Best Free Option

Thinkific offers a genuinely useful free plan with 0% transaction fees, plus paid plans that maintain the no-fee structure.

Pricing:

• Free: $0 (limited features)

• Basic: $49/month

• Pro: $99/month

• Premier: $199/month

What you get:

• Course creation and delivery

• Student management

• Quizzes and assignments

• Certificates

• Community features (paid plans)

• Live lessons (paid plans)

• Advanced integrations (paid plans)

Best for: Beginners who want to test course creation without upfront costs.

Pros:

• Substantial free plan

• Strong quiz and assessment features

• Good student engagement tools

• Reasonable pricing on paid plans

Cons:

• Limited design customization

• Free plan has Thinkific branding

• Advanced features require higher-tier plans

The free plan is perfect for testing ideas, but serious creators outgrow it quickly. The Pro plan at $99/month costs $2,376 over 2 years - more than 4x Teachery's lifetime deal.

4. Kartra - Best for Advanced Marketing

Kartra positions itself as a complete business platform with sophisticated marketing automation alongside course delivery.

Pricing:

• Starter: $119/month

• Silver: $229/month

• Gold: $339/month

• Platinum: $549/month

What you get:

• Course and membership sites

• Advanced email marketing

• Sales funnel builder

• Video hosting

• Helpdesk and ticketing

• Calendar booking

• Advanced analytics and tracking

Best for: Established businesses needing sophisticated marketing automation.

Pros:

• Powerful marketing automation

• Built-in video hosting

• Comprehensive business tools

• Advanced tracking and analytics

Cons:

• Most expensive option - starts at $119/month

• Complex interface

• Overkill for simple course delivery

• Steep learning curve

Kartra's starter plan costs $2,856 over 2 years. That's more than 5x Teachery's lifetime deal for features most course creators don't need.

5. LearnWorlds - Best for Corporate Training

LearnWorlds offers 0% transaction fees on most plans and focuses on advanced learning features like SCORM compliance and interactive videos.

Pricing:

• Starter: $29/month (but charges $5 per sale)

• Pro Trainer: $99/month

• Learning Center: $299/month

What you get:

• Interactive video features

• SCORM compliance

• Advanced assessments

• Social learning tools

• White-label options

• Mobile app creation

Best for: Corporate training programs and educators needing advanced learning tools.

Pros:

• Advanced video interaction features

• Strong assessment and testing tools

• SCORM and xAPI support

• Mobile app generation

Cons:

• Starter plan has per-sale fees

• More complex than needed for simple courses

• Higher-tier plans are expensive

Note that LearnWorlds' cheapest plan charges $5 per sale, not truly 0% fees. The Pro Trainer plan at $99/month costs $2,376 over 2 years.

6. Mighty Networks - Best for Community-First Courses

Mighty Networks combines course delivery with community building, charging 0% transaction fees when you use Stripe directly.

Pricing:

• Community: $39/month

• Business: $119/month

• Mighty Pro: Custom pricing

What you get:

• Community platform

• Course creation

• Event hosting

• Member directory

• Mobile apps

• Live streaming

Best for: Creators who want community interaction as a core part of their course experience.

Pros:

• Strong community features

• Mobile apps included

• Event hosting capabilities

• Good for cohort-based courses

Cons:

• Course features are secondary to community

• Limited traditional course structure

• Business plan required for full features

The Business plan at $119/month costs $2,856 over 2 years - much more expensive than dedicated course platforms.

Pricing Comparison: Real 2-Year Costs

Here's what you'll actually pay over 24 months:

The savings are dramatic. Teachery's lifetime deal costs $550 total. Kajabi's basic plan costs $2,136 over the same period - that's $1,586 more for features many creators don't need.

Transaction Fee Comparison: What You'd Pay Elsewhere

To understand the value of 0% fee platforms, here's what you'd pay in transaction fees on platforms that charge them:

At $10,000 monthly sales, you'd pay $6,000 per year in transaction fees on a 5% platform. That money funds platform costs for years on a 0% fee option.

Our Recommendation: Teachery's Lifetime Deal

After testing every platform on this list, we recommend Teachery for most course creators.

Here's why:

The Math is Unbeatable

Teachery's lifetime deal costs $550. Kajabi's basic plan costs $2,136 over 2 years. Kartra costs $2,856. You save thousands while getting unlimited courses, students, and complete design control.

Even compared to similarly-priced options, the lifetime deal eliminates future price increases and platform dependency.

Design Actually Matters

Most platforms lock you into templates that make every course look identical. Teachery lets you upload custom fonts, control every color, and create layouts that match your brand.

When your course pages look professional and unique, you can charge premium prices. That design flexibility pays for itself.

No Feature Bloat

Teachery focuses on doing course creation and delivery extremely well rather than trying to be everything. You get the features you actually need without paying for marketing automation you might not use.

If you need email marketing, integrate with ConvertKit or Mailchimp. If you need advanced funnels, use ClickFunnels. This approach often works better than all-in-one solutions.

When to Choose Alternatives

Consider Kajabi if you're starting completely from scratch and need email marketing, funnels, and course hosting in one platform. The convenience might justify the higher cost.

Choose Thinkific if you're just testing course creation and want a substantial free plan to experiment with.

Pick LearnWorlds if you're doing corporate training that requires SCORM compliance or advanced assessment features.

But for most creators building courses to sell online, Teachery's combination of zero fees, unlimited everything, and lifetime pricing is hard to beat.

Want to see if it's right for you? Try Teachery free for 14 days - no credit card required.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which course platforms have no transaction fees?

Teachery, Kajabi, Thinkific, Kartra, and Mighty Networks all charge 0% transaction fees on their main plans. LearnWorlds charges 0% on Pro Trainer and higher tiers, but their Starter plan charges $5 per sale. Teachable charges 5% transaction fees on their Basic plan but 0% on Pro and higher.

How much can I save by avoiding transaction fees?

Transaction fee savings depend on your sales volume. At $5,000 monthly sales, a 5% transaction fee costs $3,000 per year. At $10,000 monthly sales, you'd pay $6,000 yearly in fees. Platforms with 0% transaction fees eliminate these costs entirely, though they typically have higher monthly subscription costs.

Is Teachery really cheaper than Kajabi long-term?

Yes, significantly cheaper. Teachery's lifetime deal costs $550 one-time, while Kajabi's Basic plan costs $89/month or $2,136 over 2 years. Over 5 years, Kajabi would cost $5,340 while Teachery remains $550 total. The lifetime deal saves $4,790 over 5 years compared to Kajabi's basic plan.

What's the catch with lifetime course platform deals?

The main risks are company stability and feature development. However, Teachery has operated since 2013 and continues adding features regularly. The lifetime deal includes all future updates and features at no additional cost. Unlike subscription models, you're not subject to price increases or feature restrictions based on plan changes.