Course platform pricing has a trick: the monthly price is on the billboard, the per-sale fees are in the footnotes. A 'cheap' plan taking 5-10% of every sale can cost more than a premium one once you're selling. This ranking includes both numbers — which reorders the field compared to most lists you'll read.
Quick picks: Best to start free: Thinkific · Best all-in-one: Kajabi · Best for community-led: Skool · Best on a shoestring: Systeme.io
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1. Thinkific
The smartest default: a real free plan to validate your course, then paid tiers with zero transaction fees. Total cost of ownership beats nearly everyone at every stage. Marketing tools are basic — pair with an email platform and it's a complete, honest stack.
Visit Thinkific →✦
2. Kajabi
Courses, email, funnels, website, community — one bill, zero per-sale fees, the best marketing automation in the niche. Worth it when it replaces your whole stack; expensive as a first platform. Revenue first, Kajabi second.
Visit Kajabi →✦
3. Teachable
The smoothest beginner path to a live, selling course — mature checkout, taxes handled. Read the fee schedule by tier before choosing a plan; the arithmetic decides your real cost.
Visit Teachable →✦
4. Skool
When the community IS the product, nothing matches Skool's engagement mechanics. Courses inside are simple by design. Flat pricing, no per-member games.
Visit Skool →✦
5. Podia
The friendliest tool for solo creators selling several kinds of things, with email included. Lighter course machinery than Thinkific — simpler life, fewer features.
Visit Podia →✦
6. LearnWorlds
Interactive video, real assessments, certificates — the platform for courses that genuinely teach. Watch the small per-sale fee on the entry tier.
Visit LearnWorlds →✦
7. Systeme.io
An entire launch stack — funnels, email, course, automations — free, then cheap. Budget-grade polish, unbeatable economics. The bootstrap answer.
Visit Systeme.io →How to actually choose
Three questions settle it. (1) Do you have revenue yet? No → Thinkific free, Systeme.io free, or Gumroad. (2) Is community the product? Yes → Skool or Circle. (3) What does monthly price + (fee % × your expected sales) total on each candidate? That number — not the sticker — is the ranking that matters for you. Every review on this site includes the fee line for exactly this reason.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best course platform for beginners?
Thinkific (free validation, fee-free growth) for most; Teachable if you want maximum hand-holding to a first sale.
Which course platforms have no transaction fees?
Kajabi and Thinkific's paid plans are 0%. Others vary by tier — always check the current fee schedule; it's the most important line on any pricing page.
How much does it cost to sell an online course?
From $0 (Thinkific free, Gumroad's per-sale model) to $150+/month (Kajabi). Our fees guide breaks down the real total at different sales volumes.