Platforms to Sell Courses: Where Course Creators Actually Earn

This guide covers the best platforms to sell courses for creators who want to turn their expertise into revenue. The platform you choose matters more than your course content because the wrong one will drain your time and limit your income.

Most people assume that all course platforms work the same way and charge similar fees. This is completely wrong. Some platforms take up to 50% of your revenue while others charge a flat monthly fee. Some give you full control of your customer data while others lock you away from your own students. The business model of your platform determines your profit margins and your ability to build a sustainable education business.

Why the Best Platforms to Sell Courses Depend on Your Business Model

You need to pick a platform based on how you plan to make money. Creators who already have an audience need different features than creators who start from scratch. Someone with 50,000 email subscribers wants a platform that gives them complete control and keeps all their customer data. Someone with no audience yet needs a platform with built-in traffic and discovery features.

The three main business models are self-hosted platforms, marketplace platforms, and all-in-one platforms. Self-hosted platforms like Teachable or Thinkific give you control but require you to bring all your own traffic. Marketplace platforms like Udemy or Skillshare have millions of visitors but take large cuts and own your student relationships. All-in-one platforms like Kajabi bundle course hosting with marketing tools but cost more per month.

Self-Hosted Platforms Give You Control and Better Margins

Teachable and Thinkific are the two most popular self-hosted options. Both let you create a branded course website without coding. You own your student data and email lists. You keep most of your revenue after payment processing fees.

Teachable charges either $59 per month plus 5% transaction fees or $159 per month with no transaction fees. The platform handles video hosting, payment processing, and basic email marketing. You can create unlimited courses and students. The interface is simple enough to learn in an afternoon.

Thinkific offers a free plan that works for testing your first course. Paid plans start at $49 per month with no transaction fees. The course builder is more flexible than Teachable but takes longer to learn. Thinkific excels at creating complex courses with quizzes, assignments, and certificates.

Both platforms require you to drive all your own traffic through ads, social media, or content marketing. This makes them poor choices for complete beginners with no audience. They work best when you already have 1,000 or more engaged followers.

Marketplace Platforms Trade Lower Revenue for Built-In Traffic

Udemy brings over 60 million students to its marketplace each month. You upload your course and students can discover it through Udemy’s search and recommendation system. No marketing experience needed. No audience required.

The tradeoff is severe. Udemy keeps 50% of revenue when they bring you a customer through their marketing. You keep 97% only when you bring your own student with a coupon code. Udemy also controls pricing and runs constant sales that drop course prices to $15 or $20. You cannot charge premium prices or build a high-end brand.

Skillshare works on a subscription model. Students pay $15 per month for unlimited access to all courses. You earn money based on how many minutes students watch your content. Most instructors make between $200 and $2,000 per month. Top instructors with viral courses can earn $10,000 or more.

Marketplace platforms work well as a testing ground or side income stream. They fail as a primary business because you never own your audience. The platform can change rules, cut your revenue share, or remove your course without warning.

All-In-One Platforms Cost More But Save Time on Marketing

Kajabi is the premium option that bundles course hosting, email marketing, landing pages, and sales funnels in one platform. Plans start at $149 per month. The platform targets serious creators who want to build a complete online business, not just sell a course.

The benefit is integration. Your email marketing connects directly to your course enrollment. You can create automated sales sequences that turn leads into students. The platform includes templates for webinars, product launches, and membership sites. Everything lives in one place instead of paying for five different tools.

Podia offers similar features at a lower price point starting at $39 per month. The interface is cleaner and easier to learn than Kajabi. You can sell courses, digital downloads, and memberships from the same platform. Podia includes email marketing and affiliate management at all price levels.

These platforms make sense when you plan to build a real business with multiple products and complex marketing funnels. They waste money for creators who just want to test their first course or make side income.

How to Choose Among the Best Platforms to Sell Courses

Start by calculating your current audience size. Count your email subscribers, social media followers who actually engage, and website visitors. Add these numbers together. This is your accessible audience.

Choose a marketplace platform like Udemy or Skillshare when your accessible audience is under 500 people. You need their built-in traffic to make any sales. Accept the lower revenue per student as the cost of customer acquisition.

Pick a self-hosted platform like Teachable or Thinkific when your accessible audience is between 500 and 5,000 people. You have enough reach to drive traffic but you want to keep your margins high and build your own brand.

Consider an all-in-one platform like Kajabi or Podia when your accessible audience exceeds 5,000 people or when you plan to create multiple products. The integrated marketing tools pay for themselves at this scale.

Platform Fees Determine Your Actual Income

Most creators focus on the monthly subscription cost and ignore transaction fees. This is backwards. Transaction fees matter more because they scale with your success. A platform charging $200 per month but keeping 3% of sales is cheaper than one charging $50 per month but taking 10% when you cross $5,000 in monthly revenue.

Calculate your break-even point for each platform. Take the monthly fee difference and divide by the transaction fee difference. This tells you the monthly revenue where the platforms cost the same.

Teachable’s $159 per month plan with zero transaction fees breaks even with the $59 plan (with 5% fees) at $2,000 in monthly course sales. Above $2,000, the higher-tier plan costs less. Most successful course creators hit this threshold within six months.

Payment processing fees add another 3% to 4% regardless of platform. Stripe and PayPal charge this on every transaction. Factor these fees into your pricing from day one. A $100 course only nets you $92 to $93 after payment processing.

The Best Platforms to Sell Courses Protect Your Student Data

Your email list is your most valuable asset. Some platforms give you complete access to student emails. Others restrict contact or make you pay extra for email exports. This determines whether you build a business or rent an audience.

Teachable, Thinkific, Kajabi, and Podia all give you unlimited access to student email addresses. You can export your list anytime and move to a different platform. You can email students through the platform or through external tools like ConvertKit.

Udemy never gives you student email addresses. You can send messages through their platform but cannot export contacts. You cannot email students about new courses or products. This keeps you dependent on Udemy forever.

Skillshare falls in the middle. You can message students through the platform but cannot export emails. The platform encourages building your audience on external channels like YouTube and Instagram instead.

Technical Features Matter Less Than You Think

Every modern course platform handles video hosting, quizzes, and certificates. The differences in technical features rarely affect your revenue. Students care about your teaching quality, not whether your platform supports drip scheduling or gamification badges.

Focus on three features that actually impact sales. First, mobile experience. Over 60% of students access courses on phones. Test any platform on a phone before committing. Second, payment options. Platforms that accept multiple currencies and payment methods convert better internationally. Third, page speed. Slow-loading sales pages kill conversions before students even see your content.

Ignore advanced features until you pass $10,000 in course sales. Bundles, subscription courses, and advanced automations sound appealing but distract from creating great content. Simple courses on simple platforms outsell complicated funnels when the teaching delivers value.

When to Switch Platforms After You Start Growing

Many creators start on one platform and migrate later. This is normal and smart. Your needs at 10 students differ from your needs at 1,000 students. Plan for migration costs upfront so you can move without panic.

Switch from a marketplace to a self-hosted platform when you can drive 100 or more sales per month through your own marketing. At this scale, the revenue you lose to marketplace fees exceeds the cost of running your own platform and buying ads.

Migrate your course content during a planned break in enrollment. Close your course for two weeks, move everything to the new platform, and reopen with a launch campaign. Notify existing students two weeks before the switch. Most platforms provide migration guides and support.

Export your student data before announcing any platform switch. Some platforms restrict data access after you cancel. Download all email addresses, purchase history, and student progress reports while your account remains active.

The best platforms to sell courses are the ones that match your current audience size and give you room to grow without losing your student relationships.

Open accounts on Teachable and Thinkific today, upload one lesson to each platform, and test which interface feels easier to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sell courses on multiple platforms at the same time?

Yes, many creators sell the same course on Udemy for discovery and on Teachable for higher prices. Just price the self-hosted version higher and offer more support or bonuses to justify the difference.

Do I need an LLC or business entity to sell courses online?

No, you can start selling as an individual. Form an LLC when you earn over $30,000 per year for liability protection and potential tax benefits. Check with a local accountant first.

How much does video hosting cost on course platforms?

Most platforms include unlimited video hosting in their monthly fee. Teachable, Thinkific, Kajabi, and Podia never charge extra for video storage or bandwidth regardless of student numbers.

Can students download course videos or only stream them?

This depends on your settings. Most platforms let you choose whether to allow downloads. Disable downloads to protect content from piracy. Enable them for students with poor internet connections.

What happens to my students when I cancel my platform subscription?

Students lose access to the course immediately when you cancel. Give 60 days notice before shutting down. Offer refunds or lifetime access through a new platform to protect your reputation.