Course Platform Transaction Fees: What You Actually Lose Per Sale — 2026
The monthly fee is visible; the per-sale transaction fee isn't. On a course or community platform, that percentage cut — stacked on top of payment processing — is what quietly determines your real take-home. A sourced comparison of 14 platforms.
Two platforms at "$49/mo" can leave you with very different revenue: one takes 0% of each sale, another 7.5% or even 10% plus a fixed fee. On a $1,000/month course, a 7.5% platform fee is $75/month — more than the subscription itself. This page maps the per-sale economics, including the processor and app-store cuts that stack on top.
Free to cite and link. Fees change; confirm on the platform's current pricing page before relying on a figure.
Per-sale transaction fees (14 platforms)
| Platform | Entry price | Platform transaction fee (entry tier) | 0% fee tier? |
|---|
| Thinkific | $49/mo (Basic) | 0% on all plans (own gateway) | Yes (all) |
| Systeme.io | Free | 0% on all plans | Yes (incl. free) |
| LearnDash | $199/yr (plugin) | 0% (self-hosted WordPress) | Yes |
| Tutor LMS / LifterLMS | Free core | 0% (WordPress) | Yes |
| Kajabi | $179/mo (Basic) | 0% platform fee (5% Stripe surcharge on Basic) | Yes (Kajabi Payments) |
| Mighty Networks | $79/mo (Launch) | 2% (Launch), 1% (Scale) — stacks w/ Stripe | No (Pro custom) |
| Circle | $89/mo (Professional) | 2% (Pro), 1% (Business) + Stripe ≈ 4.9%/3.9% | No |
| LearnWorlds | $29/mo (Starter) | Flat $5 per enrollment (Starter) | Pro Trainer+ |
| Podia | $49/mo (Mover) | 5% (Mover) | Shaker+ |
| Teachable | $39/mo (Starter) | 7.5% (Starter) | Builder/Growth+ |
| Skool | $9/mo (Hobby) | 10% + $0.30 (Hobby) | Pro (0% to $899, then 1%) |
| Gumroad | Free | 10% + $0.50 per direct sale | No (flat) |
Key findings
- The fee gap is the whole decision at low revenue. Teachable's Starter takes 7.5%, Skool's Hobby 10% + $0.30, Gumroad a flat 10% + $0.50 — while Thinkific, Systeme.io and WordPress LMSs (LearnDash, Tutor, Lifter) take 0%. On a $1,000/month course, that's $75–100/month to the platform versus nothing.
- Cheap entry tiers are funded by the transaction fee. Skool's $9 Hobby and Teachable's $39 Starter look cheap, but the 10%/7.5% cut means they're only cheap if you sell almost nothing. Skool's own math: Pro becomes cheaper than Hobby above ~$1,200/month revenue. The low monthly price is a bet that you won't earn much.
- Fees stack — the platform cut isn't the whole story. Mighty Networks' 1–2% sits on top of Stripe's 2.5–5% (≈3–7% combined), and iOS in-app purchases add Apple's 15–30% cut. Circle's effective rate is ~3.9–4.9% once Stripe is included. Always add the processor (and app store) to the platform fee.
- 0% platform fee can still carry a Stripe surcharge. Kajabi and Thinkific advertise 0% platform fees but apply a surcharge (up to 5% on entry tiers) if you use your own Stripe instead of their native payments. "0%" is conditional on using the in-house processor.
- WordPress LMSs trade fees for add-on costs. LearnDash (0% fees) recoups via paid add-ons — ProPanel ~$199/yr, Groups ~$199/yr, Gradebook ~$149/yr. The right model depends on volume: high sellers save more with 0%-fee + add-ons; low-volume sellers may prefer an all-in hosted plan.
Methodology
14 course, LMS and creator-community platforms compared on entry price and the platform transaction fee at the entry tier, noting which tiers reach 0%. Stacking fees (payment processor, app store) are flagged where the source data specifies them. Figures are as published in a sourced 2026 dataset. This is a per-sale fee map, not a feature ranking; processing fees (~2.9% + $0.30 typical) generally apply on top unless stated.
Editorial note (verification): Platform and processing fees change frequently (several platforms restructured tiers in 2025). Confirm the current transaction fee, any Stripe surcharge, and add-on costs on the platform's pricing page before republishing. Compiled 2026-06-27.
How to cite
"Course Platform Transaction Fees: What You Actually Lose Per Sale — 2026", ToolsRanks. https://toolsranks.com/etudes/course-platform-transaction-fees-2026
A spreadsheet of all fees is available on request.