TL;DR: Comparing course platforms on subscription price alone misses four fee layers: transaction fees, payment processing rates, international card surcharges, and currency conversion charges. Once you add all four, our Builder plan at $69/month (annual) is the cheapest way to get 0% platform fees paired with automatic VAT/GST remittance, no platform in this comparison combines both at a lower price. On subscription price alone, Thinkific Basic undercuts us at $40/month, but that comes with manual VAT filing on every international sale, a cost this guide breaks down below. Below $533/month in revenue on annual billing, our Starter plan's lower subscription price still wins the math, above it, upgrading to Builder costs less than the 7.5% transaction fee. Several platforms advertise 0% transaction fees but leave VAT and GST filing to you, adding either a third-party compliance cost or filing risk on international sales, Teachable Payments handles that remittance automatically, removing both the compliance cost and the filing burden.

Most course creators discover the real cost of their platform on the first payout statement, not the pricing page. The subscription fee is one line. The transaction percentage, card processing rate, international surcharge, and currency conversion fee are four more lines below it. Together they can reduce gross revenue by 5–20% or more depending on plan, volume, and international mix before you receive a single dollar.

This guide breaks down the complete fee stack across seven major platforms, shows the arithmetic for three distinct creator scenarios, and gives you the break-even formula to decide which plan actually costs less at your current revenue level.

The 4 hidden fees eroding your course revenue

Every platform charges across four distinct layers. Most comparison guides only show you layer one.

Fixed monthly platform access costs

The subscription is what you see on the pricing page and what most creators use to compare platforms. It is the most visible cost and, in most cases, the smallest one relative to revenue at any meaningful volume. Our Builder plan starts at $69/month on annual billing, which saves 22% versus the $89/month monthly rate. Kajabi's entry plan sits at $143/month on annual billing. Annual billing locks in savings for 12 months, which creates a forced upgrade cost if your student base grows faster than expected.

Hidden per-sale platform fees

Transaction fees are a percentage of every sale the platform charges on top of the subscription. Our Starter plan charges 7.5% per transaction. Our Builder plan charges 0% platform transaction fees. Other platforms vary in their transaction fee structures, with some charging 0% platform fees while others charge per-sale or per-enrollment fees.

Standard credit card processing rates

Payment processing fees apply on every plan across every platform, because the payment gateway charges them. Most Stripe-connected platforms charge a base rate starting around 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction for US cards, though rates vary by processor and country. Processing fees are not a meaningful differentiator between platforms, but they are consistently the largest single fee line at scale, which is why comparing only subscription prices misrepresents the real cost picture.

International sales and FX surcharges

This is where the fee stack diverges sharply between platforms and where most creators encounter the biggest surprise. Stripe charges an additional fee for international card transactions and a separate fee where currency conversion is required. International card processing typically runs higher than domestic rates, and currency conversion fees may apply where the payment processor performs a currency conversion. A UK creator processing $5,000 in mixed-currency sales faces a meaningfully different fee stack than a US creator selling domestically, and that difference compounds every month.

How Teachable's fee stack compares across platforms

Here is the complete fee stack across all seven platforms.

Table 1: Subscription, transaction fees, and VAT remittance

Table 2: Processing and FX fees

*Podia's and LearnWorlds' processing rates, and how Udemy's revenue share absorbs international/FX costs, are not published. Thinkific's international card fee runs +0.35% to +1.55% on top of the base rate depending on the card-issuing country, not a single flat surcharge. Check each platform's pricing page before you commit, since fees change without notice.

Skool Pro handles EU VAT automatically as a Merchant of Record, placing it in a different category than Kajabi or Thinkific on the tax remittance question for EU sales specifically, but its coverage doesn't extend to GST or non-EU jurisdictions.

And Udemy's revenue share depends on how the student found the course: creators keep 97% on instructor-referred sales (via their own link or coupon) and 37% on organic marketplace sales. Udemy's Business subscription payouts have also been declining: 25% in 2023, 20% in January 2024, 17.5% in January 2025, and 15% as of January 2026, a 40% reduction in three years.

What you actually keep: Teachable vs. alternatives across three creator scenarios

Calculating take-home for US creators

Scenario: $1,000/month in revenue, domestic US sales only, 10 sales at $100 per course.

*Fee calculations based on available data and standard processing assumptions. Actual fees may vary based on exact transaction structure and current platform pricing. Verify current rates on each platform's pricing page.

At $1,000/month in domestic US sales, Thinkific Basic's total fees ($72) and our Builder plan's ($101) both undercut Podia Mover (~$124), with Thinkific Basic's lower subscription giving it the edge on pure domestic fees at this volume. Our Starter plan's ~$136-145 is the outlier here, but we include automated VAT/GST remittance when using Teachable Payments, so the first sale to a student in Germany, Australia, or Canada removes any fee advantage a lower-subscription platform might otherwise hold, and adds either a third-party compliance service (typically $20-100/month depending on the tool and transaction volume) or the time and risk of manual filing across multiple jurisdictions to their total.

Scaling to $5K with global sales

Scenario: $5,000/month in revenue, 40% international ($2,000), 60% domestic US ($3,000), 50 total sales at $100 per course.

Our Builder plan:

Subscription: $69

Transaction fee: $0

Domestic processing (30 sales): 2.9% x $3,000 + $0.30 x 30 = $87 + $9 = $96

International processing (20 sales): 3.9% x $2,000 + $0.30 x 20 = $78 + $6 = $84

VAT remittance: included with Teachable Payments

Total fees: approximately $249. Take-home: approximately $4,751 (95.0%)

Note: Fee calculations are estimates based on standard processing assumptions. Actual fees may vary.

Kajabi Basic:

Subscription: ~$143-179

Transaction fee: $0 (0.7% surcharge on payment plans may apply)

Domestic processing: ~$96

International processing (estimated 4.4% x $2,000 + $6): ~$94

VAT compliance (third-party tool, estimate): ~$37/month

Total fees: approximately $370-406. Take-home: approximately $4,594-4,630

Thinkific Basic ($40/month annual):

Subscription: $40

Transaction fee: $0

Domestic processing: ~$96

International processing (Stripe standard estimated ~4.4% x $2,000 + $6): ~$94

VAT compliance (third-party tool, estimate): ~$37/month

Total fees: approximately $267. Take-home: approximately $4,733

Modeling payouts for UK-based creators

Scenario: UK creator, $5,000/month, all transactions treated as international from Stripe's perspective, 50 sales at $100.

Our Builder plan (UK creator):

Subscription: $69

Transaction fee: $0

International card processing (estimated 3.9% x $5,000 + $0.30 x 50): ~$210

FX conversion (estimated 0.95%, where conversion is required): ~$47.50

VAT remittance: included with Teachable Payments

Total fees: approximately $326.50. Take-home: approximately $4,673.50 (93.5%)

Kajabi Basic (UK creator):

Subscription: ~$143-179

International processing on Kajabi's Europe/UK schedule, non-EEA/UK cards (3.25% + €0.25 x 50 transactions): ~$176

Currency conversion (2% on the Europe/UK schedule, not the 1% US rate): ~$100

VAT compliance (third-party tool, estimate): ~$37

Total fees: approximately $456-492. Take-home: approximately $4,508-4,544

Thinkific Basic (UK creator):

Subscription: $40

International processing (estimated ~4.4% x $5,000 + $15): ~$235

FX conversion (estimated ~1%): ~$50

VAT compliance (third-party tool, estimate): ~$37

Total fees: approximately $362. Take-home: approximately $4,638

Our Builder plan comes out ahead in this scenario largely because of that built-in VAT remittance (via Teachable Payments), which removes the third-party compliance cost that both Kajabi and Thinkific creators have to add on top of their own totals.

When to upgrade from Teachable Starter to Builder

The Starter plan at $29/month annual is one of the lowest entry points among Kajabi, Thinkific, and Podia for a plan that includes checkout, payments, and automated tax remittance when using Teachable Payments. But the 7.5% transaction fee makes Starter the more expensive option once monthly revenue crosses a specific threshold.

The break-even formula

On annual billing, Builder costs $69/month versus Starter's $29/month, a gap of $40/month. The formula for finding the break-even point is:

(Plan B monthly cost - Plan A monthly cost) / Plan A transaction fee % = Break-even monthly revenue

Applied to our annual billing:

($69 - $29) / 0.075 = $533/month

Applied to our monthly billing:

($89 - $39) / 0.075 = $667/month

Break-even thresholds

Annual billing break-even is $533/month. Monthly billing break-even is $667/month. Above either threshold, the 7.5% Starter fee costs more than upgrading to Builder. Run this formula against your own numbers before choosing a plan.

Think of it like rent versus ownership on your fee structure. The lower monthly cost on Starter makes sense early on, and once revenue passes the break-even point, every dollar above that threshold effectively pays the upgrade fee you chose not to make.

The break-even math settles which plan costs less at your current revenue level. At low volume, the $29 Starter subscription costs less than Builder. At $533/month on annual billing, the 7.5% transaction fee becomes the more expensive option, and the math favors upgrading.

Growing past your plan: Caps, integrations, and the upgrade path

Plan caps and tier-locked features

Our plan caps are specific: Starter allows 5 products and 100 students, Builder allows 10 products and 1,000 students, and Growth allows 50 products and 5,000 students. A creator who hits the 100-student cap on Starter mid-launch must stop enrolling or upgrade immediately, neither of which is in the original budget. Kajabi's Basic plan caps at 5 products and 2,500 contacts (which includes paid students, free leads, and one-time buyers). Podia Mover caps at 50 products and 100 email subscribers, with unlimited products available only on the Earthquaker plan at $150/month annual. Thinkific's student cap limits vary by plan and have been subject to change, check Thinkific's live pricing page for the current figures before making a plan decision.

The trade-off is direct: Thinkific's 0% transaction fee on Thinkific Payments comes with manual VAT filing on international sales, while our Builder plan bundles Teachable Payments' automatic VAT and GST remittance with 0% platform fees. A Thinkific creator's first international sale adds $20-100/month in third-party compliance tools, a cost our Builder plan avoids entirely. Our third-party integrations, including Zapier, are available from Builder upward, which means a Starter creator connecting to an email platform via Zapier must upgrade first and add that plan-upgrade cost to the break-even calculation.

The $10K cap removal, and what annual billing locks in

Annual billing saves 22% on our plans. A creator who signs up for Starter annual billing, hits the 100-student cap at month four, and needs to upgrade should factor upgrade timing into their planning. Model the upgrade cost before committing to annual billing, not after the cap is hit. One clause worth knowing: creators who reach $10,000/year in direct sales on our platform have their plan caps removed automatically, which means high-revenue creators on Growth can continue scaling without a forced upgrade to Custom. Our pricing page is the source to verify this clause before relying on it in your planning.

Which plan puts more in your pocket: Choosing by revenue tier

Under $533/month in domestic US sales

Our Starter plan at $29/month includes automated VAT/GST remittance when using Teachable Payments, which removes the third-party compliance cost or manual filing exposure that other platforms with lower subscription fees may require. The first sale to an international student changes the total cost comparison by adding either a third-party compliance service (typically $20-100/month depending on the tool and transaction volume) or manual filing exposure across multiple tax jurisdictions. At lower revenue volumes, whether our Starter plan or a lower-subscription alternative costs less depends entirely on your international sales mix.

$3,000-$5,000/month with meaningful international sales

Our Builder plan at $69/month annual with 0% platform fees and automated VAT/GST remittance when using Teachable Payments delivers strong economics at this revenue level. Once third-party tax compliance costs are factored into competitor totals, typically $20-100/month depending on the tool and transaction volume, Builder's built-in tax automation removes a recurring expense that platforms without native VAT handling require you to absorb separately.

Above $5,000/month: email and CRM needs

Our Builder plan at $69/month annual with 0% platform fees and built-in VAT remittance (when using Teachable Payments) remains the stronger economic case at this revenue level when compared to Kajabi's $143/month entry cost. We don't include a built-in email funnel or CRM. Creators who need those capabilities typically pair us with a dedicated email platform like ConvertKit or ActiveCampaign, and for many creators at this revenue level the cost of our Builder plan plus a $30-50/month email tool still comes in below Kajabi's entry subscription, while preserving the course-delivery depth, gradebook, compliance settings, and watch-time enforcement that goes further than all-in-one platforms at the same price.

Run the fee math for your expected revenue volume before choosing a plan. We offer a 7-day trial with a credit card, and we back it with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you want to test the full checkout and payment flow before committing, start the 7-day trial and go from signup to a live, purchasable product without configuring a separate payment gateway or tax tool. For more on building and launching your first course, the online course design resources cover course structure, launch strategy, and student experience in depth.

FAQs

Are 0% transaction fee platforms free of per-sale costs?

No. Every platform passes through payment gateway processing fees on every transaction, and the specific rate depends on the processor and buyer location. The "0% transaction fee" refers only to the platform's own cut, not to the underlying card processor's charge, which typically starts at 2.9% + $0.30 for US cards and increases for international transactions.

Which course platform has the lowest total fees?

It depends on your revenue level and international sales mix. At lower revenue levels with domestic US sales only, some platforms may show lower total fees than our Starter plan, but our Starter plan includes automated VAT/GST remittance when using Teachable Payments that protects you from compliance costs the moment your first international sale happens. Above $533/month with any meaningful international volume, our Builder plan at $69/month annual with 0% platform fees and built-in tax remittance may be more cost-effective once third-party tax compliance costs are added to competitor totals.

How do installment payment plans affect my take-home pay?

Installment plans incur processing fees on each individual payment rather than one combined charge, adding the per-transaction flat fee to each installment. Kajabi adds a 0.7% surcharge on every recurring payment plan installment via Kajabi Payments. For a $997 course sold in three installments on Kajabi, that surcharge would add approximately $7 across the three payments on top of standard processing.

What is a platform transaction fee, and how is it different from a processing fee?

A platform transaction fee is a percentage of each sale charged by the course platform itself, separate from and in addition to what the payment processor charges. Teachable Starter's 7.5% is a platform transaction fee. The 2.9% + $0.30 is the payment processing fee charged by the gateway. Both apply on the Starter plan. Builder removes the platform transaction fee, but the processing fee remains on every plan.

Should I choose annual or monthly billing on Teachable?

Annual billing on our platform saves 22% versus monthly billing and locks in the lower rate for 12 months. The trade-off is that annual billing also locks in your plan caps for the full billing cycle. If your student base is growing quickly or you expect to add products, model the upgrade cost of hitting those caps mid-year before committing to annual billing. Monthly billing costs 22% more per month but preserves the flexibility to upgrade without losing prepaid months.

Key terms

Platform transaction fee: A percentage of each sale charged by the course platform itself, separate from and in addition to card processing fees. Our Starter plan charges 7.5%. Our Builder plan charges 0%.

Teachable Payments: Teachable's native payment gateway that automatically calculates, collects, and remits sales tax, VAT, and GST when used as the payment processor. Creators using Teachable Payments are removed from the tax filing loop entirely for covered jurisdictions.

FX conversion fee: A fee charged by payment processors where a transaction requires currency conversion between currencies. This fee is typically shown separately on payout statements for visibility.

Break-even revenue: The monthly revenue level at which the cost of a transaction fee on a lower plan equals the cost of upgrading to a higher plan. For our Starter plan vs. Builder on annual billing, the break-even is $533/month.

VAT remittance: The process of collecting, filing, and paying value-added tax to foreign tax authorities on behalf of the creator. We handle this automatically across 45+ countries when using Teachable Payments. Skool handles this as a Merchant of Record for EU VAT only. Other platforms may require manual filing or a third-party service.