Course platform fees at three levels
Short answer
- Teachable Builder models cheapest: $101 / $197 / $389 at $1k / $4k / $10k revenue — 10 / 40 / 100 payments, annual billing, Teachable Payments route, 2.9% + $0.30 assumed (the page gives no rate).
- Skool’s 10% / 2.9% fee does not say whether processing is included or extra; no processing is added, so those rows are lower bounds. Hobby beats Pro below $1,267.61; Podia Mover beats Shaker below $1,000/mo, $840 yearly.
- Fees only; a cheaper row is not automatically a substitute.
Teachable and Kajabi (October 24, 2026) plus Podia and Skool (October 25, 2026) modeled from their own pricing pages; Thinkific listed with its limits. Teachable’s 0% fee applies only on its own payments route, which the model assumes for Builder. Podia is shown at its monthly price or yearly-billed monthly equivalent; Skool is monthly billing only.
| Platform / plan (annual billing, monthly equivalent) | $1,000/mo 10 sales | $4,000/mo 40 sales | $10,000/mo 100 sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teachable Starter processor rate assumed Payment route: Teachable checkout (7.5% transaction fee) | $136.00 | $457.00 | $1,099.00 |
| Teachable Builder processor rate assumed Payment route: Teachable Payments (required for the 0% fee) | $101.00 | $197.00 | $389.00 |
| Kajabi Basic Payment route: Kajabi Payments (published rate) | $175.00 | $271.00 | $463.00 |
| Kajabi Growth Payment route: Kajabi Payments (published rate) | $230.00 | $323.00 | $509.00 |
| Skool Hobby processing not stated Payment route: Skool checkout (10% transaction fee); monthly price (annual price not captured) | $109.00 | $409.00 | $1,009.00 |
| Skool Pro processing not stated Payment route: Skool checkout (2.9% transaction fee); monthly price (annual price not captured) | $128.00 | $215.00 | $389.00 |
| Podia Mover Payment route: Podia checkout (5% transaction fee) with Stripe or PayPal | $124.00 | $370.00 | $862.00 |
| Podia Shaker Payment route: Podia checkout (no Podia fee) with Stripe or PayPal | $116.00 | $212.00 | $404.00 |
Skool Hobby vs Pro: $9 + 10% × R = $99 + 2.9% × R → R = $90 ÷ 0.071 = $1,267.61 per month
(fees as the page states them; no processing added, so real crossover may differ)
Podia Mover vs Shaker, monthly billing: $49 + 5% × R = $99 → R = $50 ÷ 0.05 = $1,000 per month
Podia Mover vs Shaker, yearly billing: $42 + 5% × R = $84 → R = $42 ÷ 0.05 = $840 per month
(processing is the same on both sides of each Podia comparison, so it cancels)
Cost = plan price + transaction cut + card processing. Illustrative cases: 10/40/100 sales at $100 each. Teachable and Kajabi list both monthly and annual prices; the calculator lets you switch.
Which course platform charges the lowest transaction fee?
There is no single lowest total from the transaction percentages alone. Teachable Builder shows a 0% platform transaction fee only on its own payments route; Skool lists 10% / 2.9% without saying whether card processing is included; Podia lists 5% plus a monthly plan. The table keeps those conditions visible instead of ranking them as equivalent.
| Vendor / plan | Source summary | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Teachable Starter | Starter is $39/mo on monthly billing ($29/mo billed annually) with a 7.5% transaction fee. Exact wording: “Only on the Starter plan, which has a 7.5% transaction fee.” Processing rate not stated for this route; the generic Stripe rate is assumed. | teachable.com/pricing checked October 24, 2026 |
| Teachable Builder | Builder is $89/mo monthly ($69/mo billed annually). The FAQ conditions the 0% transaction fee on using Teachable Payments and says standard payment processing fees may still apply. Exact wording: “Builder, Growth, and Custom plans have 0% transaction fees when you use Teachable Payments.” “Standard payment processing fees may still apply.” Model assumes the Teachable Payments route and the generic Stripe processing rate; Teachable's own processing rate was not on the captured page. | teachable.com/pricing checked October 24, 2026 |
| Kajabi Basic | Basic is $179/mo monthly ($143/mo with annual billing); the page says no revenue sharing and lists Kajabi Payments at 2.9% + $0.30 (US entities). Exact wording: “No hidden fees. No revenue sharing.” Uses Kajabi Payments' published rate for the Basic plan. | kajabi.com/pricing checked October 24, 2026 |
| Kajabi Growth | Growth is $249/mo monthly ($199/mo with annual billing); Kajabi Payments lists 2.8% + $0.30 (US entities). Uses Kajabi Payments' published rate for the Growth plan. | kajabi.com/pricing checked October 24, 2026 |
| Skool Hobby | Hobby is $9/month with a 10% transaction fee and unlimited members and courses; the page’s description offers a 14-day free trial. Exact wording: “10% transaction fee” The page does not say whether card processing is inside the 10% or charged on top, and shows no per-payment fixed fee. The model adds no processing, so this row may understate cost. The Yearly toggle says “2 months free” but its prices were not captured, so monthly billing is used in both views. | www.skool.com/pricing checked October 25, 2026 |
| Skool Pro | Pro is $99/month with a 2.9% transaction fee and unlimited members and courses. Exact wording: “2.9% transaction fee” Same gap as Hobby: processing treatment is not stated and no fixed per-payment fee is shown, so no processing is added and the row may understate cost. Monthly billing used in both views. | www.skool.com/pricing checked October 25, 2026 |
| Podia Mover | Mover is $49/mo monthly or $42/mo billed yearly ($504/yr) with a 5% transaction fee and 100 email subscribers included. The FAQ says Stripe or PayPal charge a standard 2.9% + 30¢ that may vary by location and is not a Podia fee. Exact wording: “On the Mover plan, we charge a 5% transaction fee.” Processing modeled at the editable standard rate, which Podia’s FAQ names as the typical Stripe/PayPal fee. | www.podia.com/pricing checked October 25, 2026 |
| Podia Shaker | Shaker is $99/mo monthly or $84/mo billed yearly ($1,008/yr) with no Podia transaction fee and 500 email subscribers included. Earthquaker is $179/mo monthly or $150/mo yearly, also with no Podia fee and 1,000 email subscribers included (listed, not modeled separately). Exact wording: “There are no Podia fees on the Shaker or Earthquaker plans.” Processing modeled at the editable standard rate (Stripe/PayPal, per the FAQ). | www.podia.com/pricing checked October 25, 2026 |
| Thinkific Start | Start is $109/mo on monthly billing and $82/mo billed annually. The plan-by-plan third-party gateway fee is only linked, not shown, on the saved page, and Thinkific Payments is described only as in line with other processors at 2.9%. Not modeled. | www.thinkific.com/pricing checked October 24, 2026 |
Conditions and open items: Teachable’s FAQ says the 0% transaction fee on Builder, Growth and Custom applies when you use Teachable Payments, and that standard payment processing fees may still apply. The model assumes that route and the generic Stripe processing rate, and each result says so; Teachable’s own processing rate was not on the captured page. Thinkific’s gateway fees are linked but not shown, so it is not modeled.
Skool: the page lists a 10% (Hobby) and 2.9% (Pro) transaction fee but does not say whether card processing is inside it or charged on top, and shows no per-payment fixed fee. The model adds no processing for Skool, so its rows are lower bounds. Podia: the FAQ says Stripe or PayPal charge a standard 2.9% + 30¢ that is not a Podia fee (it may vary by location); the model uses your editable rate for both Podia plans. Podia plans also bundle email subscribers (100 / 500 / 1,000 on Mover / Shaker / Earthquaker); larger lists can be added, at a price not captured.
Skool: the page lists a 10% (Hobby) and 2.9% (Pro) transaction fee but does not say whether card processing is inside it or charged on top, and shows no per-payment fixed fee. The model adds no processing for Skool, so its rows are lower bounds. Podia: the FAQ says Stripe or PayPal charge a standard 2.9% + 30¢ that is not a Podia fee (it may vary by location); the model uses your editable rate for both Podia plans. Podia plans also bundle email subscribers (100 / 500 / 1,000 on Mover / Shaker / Earthquaker); larger lists can be added, at a price not captured.