Course Platform Costs at $500, $2,000 and $5,000 a Month
The same six platforms, totalled across a year at three trading levels. The cheapest one changes twice, and not in the direction the pricing pages suggest.
Full syllabus
Every unit, newest first
Assessed units carry a letter grade; the rest are working notes — fee arithmetic, migration routes, and the questions that decide which platform you can live with. Each one is re-opened whenever a platform moves a price.
11 units6 assessed5 working notes
Sensei LMS Review (2026): $179 a Year and None of Your Sales
Automattic's WordPress learning plugin charges a flat annual licence and takes no cut at all. Graded B at 7.9 — cheapest on price, most expensive in hours.
Podia Review (2026): Simple Until the Email Meter Starts
Podia Mover is $42 a month billed annually with a 5% cut and 100 email subscribers included. Graded B at 7.8 — the meter, not the fee, is the thing to watch.
What Each Course Platform Plan Actually Gates
Products, admin seats, students, contacts and videos — the caps that force upgrades, listed per plan, with the one most likely to catch you first.
Gumroad for Selling Courses (2026): No Subscription, One Unanswered Question
Gumroad charges nothing monthly and 10% + $0.50 per direct sale. Graded C+ at 6.8 — good for validating an idea, and silent on one fee that matters.
Thinkific Review (2026): Unlimited Courses, One Condition
Thinkific Basic is $40 a month annually with no cut of your sales and unlimited courses. Graded B+ at 8.4 — the highest on this site, with one condition attached.
Annual Billing on Course Platforms: The 20–27% You Are Being Shown
Nearly every course platform advertises the annual price as though it were monthly. What the gap is really worth, and when paying up front is the wrong call.
Teachable Review (2026): The $29 Plan and Its 7.5% Hinge
Teachable Starter is the cheapest subscription in the category and carries the largest platform cut. Graded B at 7.6, with the crossover point worked out.
What a First Course Launch Actually Costs in 2026
The platform is rarely the expensive part. A line-by-line budget for selling a first course, including the costs nobody puts on a pricing page.
Kajabi Review (2026): Graded on What It Costs Before You Earn
Kajabi takes none of your sales and $143 a month before you make any. Graded B− at 7.2 — a strong all-in-one priced for a business that already exists.
How Course Platform Transaction Fees Really Work
Two different charges get called the same thing, and only one of them is negotiable. The arithmetic that decides which plan you should actually be on.