Independent platform research · Based on official pricing

Plan a profitable online course with the money path checked.

Forecast demand and profit, confirm how you can get paid, then compare the real platform cost—subscription, transaction, per-sale, and payment fees included.

Forecast course profit Compare platforms

5: platforms
35: deep-dive articles
4: free calculators

Example snapshotLive math

Best estimated monthly net

$2,848

Thinkific · Basic

Based on the calculator inputs below.

Official sourcesPricing pages and vendor documentation

Transparent mathEvery assumption is visible and editable

Independent rankingFee results are not influenced by commissions

Read the methodology Affiliate disclosure

Start with your situation

A platform decision has three gates.

The cheapest plan is not useful if it does not fit your product or cannot pay you. Check these questions in order, then run the fee math.

01 · Business fit

What are you selling first?

Match a course, download, coaching offer, membership, or early validation test to a sensible platform type.

Choose a starting platform 02 · Payment route

Can customers pay—and can you withdraw?

Check checkout availability, payment gateways, settlement, payout methods, currencies, and country restrictions separately.

Verify the money path 03 · Economics

Does the forecast survive every cost?

Model demand, price, refunds, platform fees, payment processing, launch costs, margin, and the audience required to break even.

Forecast course profit

Already have a shortlist? Skip to the numbers and compare ten paid plans with your own price and sales volume.

Open the calculator

Comparing fee claims? Start with course platform fees explained, then check what a zero-transaction-fee plan still costs. Moving an existing course? Use the platform migration checklist before switching.

The useful part

Find your profit-first platform.

Change five inputs. The best-value plan for each platform updates instantly.

Your ranked results

Annual-plan pricing · USD

Best estimated margin

Thinkific Basic

Estimated to leave you $2,848 each month after the fees modeled here.

95.6%net margin

01
ThinkificBasic
No platform transaction fee$40 / month
$2,848monthly net
02
TeachableBuilder
No platform transaction fee$69 / month
$2,819monthly net
03
LearnWorldsPro Trainer
No platform transaction fee$79 / month
$2,809monthly net
04
PodiaShaker
No platform transaction fee$84 / month
$2,804monthly net
05
GumroadDirect sales
10% platform fee$0 / month
$2,580monthly net

At these inputs, the top result keeps about $353 more per year than the runner-up. Features still matter; this ranking measures fees only.

Know when to upgrade

Entry plans stop being cheap surprisingly early.

These switch points isolate subscription and platform-fee math. Feature needs can justify upgrading sooner.

TeachableYour inputs cross this point

Starter Builder

$533+ monthly gross

Builder’s higher subscription offsets Starter’s 7.5% fee.

PodiaYour inputs cross this point

Mover Shaker

$840+ monthly gross

Shaker’s higher subscription offsets Mover’s 5% fee.

LearnWorldsYour inputs cross this point

Starter Pro Trainer

12+ sales / month

Pro Trainer removes Starter’s $5 per-enrollment charge.

Full calculation

All ten modeled plans

Ranked at $2,980 gross and 20 sales per month.

Plan	Subscription	Platform fees	Processing	Estimated net
01ThinkificBasic	$39.58	$0.00	$92.42	$2,848.00
02TeachableBuilder	$69.00	$0.00	$92.42	$2,818.58
03LearnWorldsPro Trainer	$79.00	$0.00	$92.42	$2,808.58
04ThinkificStart	$81.50	$0.00	$92.42	$2,806.08
05PodiaShaker	$84.00	$0.00	$92.42	$2,803.58
06LearnWorldsStarter	$24.00	$100.00	$92.42	$2,763.58
07ThinkificGrow	$164.00	$0.00	$92.42	$2,723.58
08PodiaMover	$42.00	$149.00	$92.42	$2,696.58
09TeachableStarter	$29.00	$223.50	$92.42	$2,635.08
10GumroadDirect sales	$0.00	$308.00	$92.42	$2,579.58

The CSV is created in your browser from the visible assumptions; no calculator inputs are uploaded. Payment processing is shown separately because the rate varies by provider, payment method, and country. Thinkific's conditional gateway fee is excluded by default and included only when you turn it on. For a steady monthly scenario, the model applies that fee to no more than one-twelfth of Thinkific's first-$1M annual sales cap. Actual calendar-year fee timing can differ when sales vary by month, so high-volume sellers should reconcile the result with year-to-date Thinkific sales. Gumroad's direct-sale model applies 5% to later modeled sales after the $20,000 monthly threshold; refunds can change eligibility. Taxes, chargebacks, add-ons, and currency conversion are not included. Podia Earthquaker is covered in the Podia guide but omitted from this fee-only ranking: it has the same 0% platform fee as Shaker and a higher subscription, so it becomes relevant only when Shaker's capacity limits—not fee math—force an upgrade.

Fee math, not vague reviews

What the calculator actually counts.

Subscription

We use the monthly equivalent of each platform’s annual plan, because that is usually the lowest published rate.

Platform fees

Percentage transaction fees and fixed per-enrollment charges are applied to your projected sales.

Payment processing

Processor costs vary by provider and country, so both the percentage and flat charge remain editable.

Best plan per platform

We test the included paid plans and surface whichever one produces the highest estimated net at your volume.

Net revenue = gross sales − subscription − platform fees − payment processing

Shortlist

Check features before choosing.

The cheapest plan is only useful if it supports the way you teach and sell.

Thinkific

Basic

Creators building courses, memberships, and learner communities.

Estimated net: $2,848/mo
Modeled plan: $40/mo
Platform fees: $0.00/mo

Standout: Strong engagement and selling tools across the paid plan range.

Check: New access to standalone Stripe requires Grow or higher. Basic/Start fee scenarios require verified legacy access. The optional 5%, 2%, and 1% fees apply to affected third-party Stripe transactions in the US, Canada, UK, or EU—not every creator—and stop after the first $1M of annual sales.

Read the Thinkific fee guide Best platforms for beginners Review Thinkific

Teachable

Builder

Creators who value integrated payments, tax handling, and student apps.

Estimated net: $2,819/mo
Modeled plan: $69/mo
Platform fees: $0.00/mo

Standout: Builder removes the Starter plan’s 7.5% transaction fee.

Check: Usage policy depends on the school’s creation/migration date. Confirm product allowances and account-specific limits.

Read the Teachable fee guide Best platforms for beginners Review Teachable

Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

LearnWorlds

Pro Trainer

Learning businesses that prioritize assessments and instructional depth.

Estimated net: $2,809/mo
Modeled plan: $79/mo
Platform fees: $0.00/mo

Standout: Pro Trainer adds memberships, certificates, and richer course tools.

Check: Starter charges $5 per enrollment and omits free courses, subscriptions, memberships, certificates, and several advanced course tools.

Read the LearnWorlds fee guide Best platforms for beginners Review LearnWorlds

Podia

Shaker

Small creator businesses combining courses, downloads, community, and email.

Estimated net: $2,804/mo
Modeled plan: $84/mo
Platform fees: $0.00/mo

Standout: A broad all-in-one toolset with a 30-day trial.

Check: Mover carries a 5% fee; Shaker removes it and adds affiliate tools, PayPal, and Zapier.

Read the Podia fee guide Best platforms for beginners Review Podia

Gumroad

Direct sales

Creators validating a course or digital product without a monthly subscription.

Estimated net: $2,580/mo
Modeled plan: $0/mo
Platform fees: $308.00/mo

Standout: No monthly charge, with tax handling as merchant of record.

Check: Direct sales carry a 10% + $0.50 Gumroad fee before payment processing; later direct sales after $20,000 in a month use 5% + $0.50. Discover costs 30% and is not modeled here.

Read the Gumroad fee guide Best platforms for beginners Review Gumroad

Official source links are direct. The Teachable review button is an affiliate link, clearly disclosed beside it.

Trust the inputs

Sources and important limits.

Official pricing sources

Before you buy

Last full pricing audit: September 2, 2026. Next review due October 1, 2026.

Prices, taxes, gateways, currencies, feature limits, and regional fees can change. The calculator uses the annual-plan equivalents shown on official vendor pricing pages at the latest audit.

This calculator is educational, not financial or tax advice. Confirm the final checkout price and features on the vendor’s site.

Read the full editorial and calculation policy →

Quick answers

Common questions.

Why annual pricing?

Annual billing usually produces the lowest public monthly equivalent. We label it clearly so you can compare the commitment with the savings.

Does the cheapest result mean the best platform?

No. It means the best fee outcome for your inputs. Course limits, email tools, communities, mobile apps, tax handling, and support can justify a higher-cost plan.

How does CourseProfit Lab make money?

We use disclosed Teachable affiliate links and may receive a commission if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. Rankings are calculated from fees, not commission rates. Read the disclosure.

Can I use this outside the United States?

Yes, as a planning estimate. All plan prices are modeled in USD, while the processor percentage and flat fee are editable. Confirm currency conversion, local taxes, payment-method pricing, and platform availability for your country.