Where to Sell Courses: Platforms That Actually Work

This guide examines the best platforms to sell courses for educators, experts, and business owners who want to turn their knowledge into revenue. The platform you choose matters more than the course content itself because the wrong one can kill even the best course before anyone sees it.

Most people think they should build their course first and then find a platform to host it. This backwards approach wastes months of work. The platform determines your pricing model, your marketing options, your student experience, and your actual take-home pay. Build on the wrong platform and you will either rebuild from scratch later or accept severe limitations forever.

The Best Platforms to Sell Courses Fall Into Three Categories

Course platforms split into three types. Each type serves different needs. Marketplaces like Udemy and Skillshare bring existing traffic but take half your revenue and control your pricing. Standalone platforms like Teachable and Thinkific give you full control but require you to bring all your own students. Plugin solutions like LearnDash work with WordPress sites you already own.

Marketplaces make sense only when you have zero audience and need proof of concept. They will never make you wealthy. The platform owns the customer relationship. You cannot email students directly. You cannot raise prices above marketplace limits. You compete against thousands of similar courses, many priced at $10 or less.

Standalone platforms cost between $29 and $299 per month. They let you keep 95% to 100% of revenue after payment processing fees. You control pricing, branding, and customer data. The trade is simple. You pay a monthly fee instead of giving away half of every sale.

Teachable Works Best for Most Course Creators

Teachable has hosted over one billion dollars in course sales. The platform balances ease of use with enough features for serious businesses. You can launch a professional course in one afternoon without touching code.

The basic plan costs $59 per month and charges a 5% transaction fee. The professional plan at $159 removes transaction fees entirely. You break even at $2,000 in monthly sales. Above that number, the professional plan saves you money.

Teachable handles payment processing in 130 currencies. Students can pay via credit card, PayPal, or payment plans you configure. The platform manages all sales tax collection for digital products, which saves you from a legal nightmare.

The course builder uses drag and drop blocks. You upload videos, PDFs, and quizzes without technical skills. The built-in video player works smoothly and prevents downloads. Students get a clean interface that works on phones and computers.

Thinkific Gives You More Control Over Design

Thinkific competes directly with Teachable. The main difference is customization depth. Thinkific lets you edit almost every visual element. Teachable keeps things simpler with fewer options.

The free plan on Thinkific actually works for small creators. You get unlimited students and courses. Thinkific takes no transaction fees even on the free tier. The catch is limited features. No memberships, no certificates, no advanced integrations.

Paid plans start at $49 per month. The platform includes a better quiz engine than Teachable. You can create graded assignments and branching logic. Students who fail a quiz can retake it automatically or get locked out based on your rules.

Thinkific also builds true membership sites. You can drip content over weeks or months. You can create tiered access where basic members see some content and premium members see everything. This flexibility supports complex business models.

Kajabi Costs More But Includes Email Marketing

Kajabi starts at $149 per month. That price shocks people until they realize what comes included. You get course hosting, email marketing, landing pages, and sales funnels in one system.

Most course creators pay separately for ConvertKit or Mailchimp for emails, ClickFunnels for landing pages, and Teachable for courses. Those three subscriptions easily exceed $200 per month. Kajabi consolidates everything and costs less than buying tools separately.

The email builder connects directly to your courses. You can tag students based on their progress and send different messages to people who finish versus those who quit. This automation happens inside one dashboard instead of connecting three different services through Zapier.

Kajabi works best when you sell multiple products at different price points. The platform handles $27 mini courses, $997 flagship courses, and $297 monthly memberships equally well. You can upsell students from one product to another through automated sequences.

Podia Simplifies Everything at a Lower Price

Podia removes features most creators never use. The interface feels cleaner than competitors. The trade is less power for complex courses. Simple courses shine on Podia.

Plans start at $39 per month with zero transaction fees. You can sell courses, digital downloads, and memberships from day one. The course builder handles video, audio, text, and files. No quizzes, no certificates, no assignments.

Podia built excellent tools for selling before you finish creating. You can presell a course that does not exist yet. Students pay upfront and get access as you publish each module. This model funds course creation instead of requiring months of unpaid work.

The platform also handles email marketing. The tools are basic compared to Kajabi but good enough for most creators. You can segment your list, send broadcasts, and build simple automations. Nothing fancy, everything functional.

WordPress with LearnDash Fits Existing Websites

LearnDash costs $199 per year as a WordPress plugin. You need WordPress hosting separately, which runs $25 to $100 per month depending on traffic. This route makes sense only when you already run a WordPress site with significant visitors.

The plugin gives you complete control. You own the entire stack from hosting to design to functionality. No platform can change their pricing, shut down your account, or add restrictions later.

LearnDash requires technical comfort. You will edit PHP files eventually. You will troubleshoot plugin conflicts. You will manage security updates. The power comes with responsibility that standalone platforms handle for you.

The quiz system in LearnDash surpasses every standalone platform. You can create essay questions that require manual grading. You can set time limits, randomize questions, and show different content based on results. Advanced educators love these options.

Choosing Between the Best Platforms to Sell Courses Depends on Your Situation

Pick Teachable when you want the safest choice. The platform works for beginners and scales to seven figures. Support is responsive. Updates happen regularly. Nothing will surprise you.

Pick Thinkific when you care deeply about visual branding. The extra design control matters for agencies and consultants who need their course to match existing brand standards.

Pick Kajabi when you sell multiple products and need marketing automation. The higher price pays for itself when you stop paying for separate tools. Creators running real businesses choose Kajabi.

Pick Podia when you value simplicity and low costs. First-time course creators do well here. The limitations force you to focus on teaching instead of tinkering with settings.

Pick LearnDash when you already run WordPress and need complete control. This path works for developers, agencies, and large organizations with specific requirements.

Transaction Fees Matter More Than Monthly Costs

A $29 per month platform that charges 10% transaction fees will cost you more than a $149 platform with zero transaction fees once you pass $1,500 in monthly sales. Do the math before choosing based on sticker price.

Teachable charges 5% on the basic plan. That costs you $50 on every $1,000 in sales. The professional plan removes those fees for $100 more per month. Break even happens at $2,000 in sales.

Thinkific and Podia charge no transaction fees on any plan. Your only costs are the monthly subscription and standard credit card processing around 3%. This transparency makes budgeting easier.

Kajabi also charges no transaction fees. The high monthly price includes everything. You pay the same amount whether you sell $1,000 or $100,000.

Payment Processing Affects Your Take-Home Revenue

All platforms use Stripe or PayPal for payment processing. These services charge around 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction. This fee is separate from platform fees and unavoidable.

Some platforms add their own payment processing markup. Teachable uses their own payment gateway on basic plans and charges an extra 2% on top of normal processing fees. Upgrade to remove this extra cost.

International payments cost more to process. Students paying in currencies other than USD typically trigger higher fees. Factor this in when pricing courses for global audiences.

Your Existing Audience Size Should Drive Your Platform Choice

Zero to 500 email subscribers means you should start with a marketplace like Udemy or a free plan on Thinkific. Test your concept before committing to monthly fees. The audience is too small to justify $150 per month.

Between 500 and 5,000 subscribers means choose Teachable or Podia. You have enough audience to generate sales but need a platform that does not drain profit through transaction fees. A $59 to $99 monthly investment makes sense.

Above 5,000 subscribers means consider Kajabi. You can afford the higher price and will benefit from integrated marketing tools. The automation saves enough time to justify the cost.

The best platforms to sell courses change as your business grows. Starting on one platform does not lock you in forever. Course creators commonly migrate from Udemy to Teachable to Kajabi as revenue increases. Each jump makes sense at different scale levels.

Start with whichever platform lets you launch this month, then move your course to a better platform once you prove people will actually buy it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move my course from one platform to another later?

Yes, all major platforms let you export course content. You will need to rebuild the structure on the new platform. Student data exports as spreadsheets you can import elsewhere. Plan for two weeks of work to migrate a complete course.

Do these platforms work in countries outside the United States?

Teachable, Thinkific, Kajabi, and Podia all work globally. They accept international sellers and process payments in multiple currencies. Tax collection follows local laws automatically. Your country might restrict certain payment processors, so check before committing.

How much can I actually charge for an online course?

Course prices range from $27 for basic topics to $2,000 for professional certifications. Price depends on outcome value, not hours of content. Courses that help people make money or advance careers command higher prices than hobby courses.

Which platform is easiest for someone with no technical skills?

Podia has the simplest interface for complete beginners. Teachable comes second. Both let you build a course without understanding code, hosting, or technical concepts. Kajabi is more powerful but has a steeper learning curve.

Do I need to handle sales tax when selling courses online?

Most platforms automatically collect and remit sales tax based on student location. Teachable, Kajabi, and Thinkific handle this completely. You remain responsible for income tax on your profits. Consult an accountant for your specific situation.