Teachable is the best platform for most educators who sell online courses, because its $89 Builder plan takes 0% of sales and pays out daily. Teachers testing a first course should start on Payhip, which costs nothing until a student buys. If your teaching runs as a live cohort or community, Skool fits better, and Kajabi only makes sense once a course business already sells several thousand dollars a month.
| Platform | Cheapest plan that takes payments | Platform fee | Keep of $1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teachable | Starter, $39 a month | 7.5% on Starter, 0% from Builder at $89 | $827 on Starter |
| Payhip | Free, $0 | 5% Free, 2% Plus, 0% Pro | $891 |
| Skool | Hobby, $9 a month | 10% + $0.30, card processing included | $861 |
| Podia | Mover, $49 a month | 5% on Mover, 0% from Shaker at $99 | $842 |
| Kajabi | Basic, $179 a month | 0% | $762 |
The last column is arithmetic on published fees as of October 2026. It assumes 100 US card payments of $10 on each platform’s cheapest plan that takes payments, with plans billed monthly.
How we picked
We ranked these five by how well they fit teaching, not by the overall score shown beside each pick. That score, explained in our methodology, leans on the $1,000 test and on audience discovery. Teachable scores 5.3, below every pick here except Kajabi, because its Starter plan takes 7.5% and it finds you no students. We still put it first, because an educator selling more than about $700 a month moves to Builder at 0%, and Teachable is a dedicated course host with student apps on every plan. Skool sits above Podia, which scores a little higher, because Skool is the only pick that can bring you new students.
Why is Teachable the best platform for selling online courses?
Teachable’s $89 Builder plan takes 0% of sales, the same as Kajabi’s $179 Basic plan, which makes it the best value for an educator selling more than about $700 a month of courses. Both charge 2.9% + $0.30 per US card.
Skip Starter once sales grow. Starter costs $39 a month and takes 7.5% of every sale, which leaves about $827 of a $1,000 month, while Builder leaves about $852 on the same sales. By our arithmetic the two plans cost the same at about $667 a month.
Teachable’s extras are aimed at students. Every plan includes iOS and Android student apps, Growth at $189 adds completion certificates, and Teachable calculates, collects and remits sales tax, VAT and GST in more than 45 countries. Teachable Payments pays out daily with no reserve, though a new account can wait 4 to 6 weeks for its first payout. Starter allows 5 products and Builder 10.
Is Payhip the cheapest way to sell a first course?
Yes, among our picks Payhip is the cheapest way for a teacher to sell a first course. The Free plan costs $0 a month and takes 5% only when you sell, which leaves about $891 of $1,000 after Stripe’s fees.
Payhip courses can include videos, files, quizzes and assignments, with drip publishing and completion certificates, and every feature is on every plan. The same store sells coaching sessions with Zoom and Calendly integrations, memberships and downloads such as worksheets or lesson plans.
Two details help small educators. Each sale lands straight in your PayPal or Stripe account, and Payhip collects and files EU and UK VAT on digital sales, which matters if you teach students in Europe. Move to Plus at $29 a month and 2% once sales pass about $967 a month. Payhip has no marketplace, so you bring your own students.
When should educators use Skool?
Skool suits educators whose product is a group rather than a course library, such as a cohort, a coaching program or a study community. Each group combines courses, a calendar, live calls and discussion, with unlimited members on both plans.
Skool is also the only pick here that can find you paying students. Its Discovery directory ranks groups by growth, engagement and retention. The optional Growth Boost promotes your group further in exchange for 30% of every recurring payment from members it brings, and it is on by default, so decide before you launch.
Hobby costs $9 a month plus 10% + $0.30 per payment, card processing included, which leaves about $861 of $1,000. Pro at $99 a month and 2.9% + $0.30 becomes cheaper above about $1,268 a month. Points and levels let you lock a course until a member reaches a set level. The cost is ownership, because you cannot use your own Stripe account and Skool’s help center documents no member email export.
Who should teach on Podia?
Podia suits an educator who wants courses, downloads, coaching and a community on one plain website without Kajabi’s price. Shaker at $99 a month takes 0% of sales, and Mover at $49 takes 5%.
The two plans leave the same $842 on a $1,000 month, so Mover is cheaper below $1,000 a month and Shaker above it. Every plan includes a website and blog, a custom domain, checkout, sales tax handling and unlimited customers, and the money goes straight into your own Stripe or PayPal account.
Check the email caps before you commit. Mover includes 100 email subscribers and even Earthquaker at $179 a month includes only 1,000, and Podia does not sell single limit increases. If email is how you fill your courses, that cap will bite first.
Is Kajabi worth $179 a month for educators?
Kajabi is worth it only for course businesses that already sell several thousand dollars a month and would otherwise pay for separate email, website and community tools. It takes 0% of sales on every plan and includes unlimited landing pages, funnels and marketing emails.
The entry price is the problem. Basic costs $179 a month billed monthly after the January 2026 price rise, which leaves about $762 of a $1,000 month, the lowest of our five picks. At $5,000 a month in $10 sales the same plan leaves about $4,526, or 90.5%, and that is where Kajabi starts to look reasonable.
Basic also limits you to 5 products and 2,500 contacts. Our Kajabi vs Teachable comparison sets the two side by side.
How to choose a platform for teaching online
Match the platform to what you sell and to your sales today, not the sales you hope for. Plan prices are fixed while fees scale, so the cheapest platform changes as you grow.
- If you have not sold a course yet, start on Payhip’s Free plan and pay nothing until a student buys.
- If you sell more than about $700 a month in courses, Teachable’s Builder plan at $89 and 0% beats its own Starter plan at about half the price of Kajabi’s Basic plan.
- If your teaching happens live, in a cohort or a members group, use Skool and decide on Growth Boost before launch.
- If you want a website, downloads and a community on one plan under $100 a month, Podia’s Shaker plan covers it.
- If you already pay for email, a website and a community tool separately, price Kajabi against those bills, not against Teachable alone.
One sum shows how much the plan price matters. As arithmetic on published fees, Kajabi’s $179 plan at 0% costs more than Payhip’s free plan at 5% until you sell about $3,580 a month. Our guide to creator platform fees explains how to run that sum for any pair, and if your product is mostly a community, see our best platforms for communities.