BEST-OF · 2026

Best Course Platforms for Creators Who Want to Avoid Transaction Fees in 2026

If you are searching for an online course platform no transaction fees, you probably mean no platform cut from each sale. That is the right instinct, but the wording is slippery. Card, PayPal or native payment processing fees usually still apply. We picked this list for creators, coaches and small education businesses selling courses directly. The entries are ranked by EverythingLMS index score, then checked against each platform’s published fee rules. Thinkific is the strongest course-first fit if you use Thinkific Payments. Teachable is the beginner-friendly path once you reach Builder or higher, while Kajabi makes sense if you need the all-in-one stack and can accept the higher monthly price.

Scored by the EverythingLMS review panel · Best-of hub · how we score · Last updated June 2026 · affiliate disclosure

PICK

Thinkific 90/100 · EXCEPTIONAL EDITOR'S CHOICE

Thinkific is the platform I most often suggest as the Teachable alternative, and for a lot of people it is the better choice. The course builder is clean and quick to learn, it charges 0% transaction fees on paid plans, and its free plan is the most genuinely usable of any tool here. You can build and launch a real course without paying a cent.

✓ PROS

0% transaction fees, even on paid plans
One of the most generous free plans available
Clean, intuitive course builder

✕ CONS

Marketing and email tools are lighter
Fewer advanced design options than LearnWorlds

Best for: Creators who want a solid course builder with no transaction fees, free to try

0% transaction fees

from $49/mo

Try free ↗ Read full review →

PICK

Teachable 88/100 · EXCEPTIONAL BEST FOR BEGINNERS

Teachable is the platform I recommend to anyone launching their first course who does not want to think about the tech. You can go from a blank account to a published, payable course in an afternoon. The interface gets out of your way, the course player is clean, and it quietly handles the annoying parts like EU VAT and payouts.

✓ PROS

Genuinely easy to set up your first course
Free plan to start with zero cost
Clean, reliable course player for students

✕ CONS

Transaction fees on the free and lower tiers
Site design and customisation are limited

Best for: First-time creators who want to launch a course quickly without a learning curve

Free plan (high fees)

from $39/mo

Try free ↗ Read full review →

PICK

LearnWorlds 86/100 · EXCELLENT BEST COURSE DESIGN

LearnWorlds is for creators who think of a course as a teaching product, not just a stack of videos. It does things the others do not: interactive video with questions baked into the timeline, rich assessments, proper certificates, and SCORM support for selling into companies. If learning outcomes matter to you, this is the platform that takes them seriously.

✓ PROS

Interactive video with in-video questions
Strong assessments, certificates and SCORM
The most flexible course design on this list

✕ CONS

Starter plan adds a $5 per-sale fee
Steeper learning curve than Teachable

Best for: Creators who want genuinely interactive, well-designed courses

Starter +$5/sale

from $29/mo

Start free trial ↗ Read full review →

PICK

Kajabi 84/100 · EXCELLENT

Kajabi is the most complete all-in-one for creators who want to run a whole knowledge business from one login — the reason is simple: it replaces about five separate subscriptions. You get the course builder, the website, the email tool, the sales funnels and the checkout in one account, and they actually talk to each other. For someone running a knowledge business rather than just publishing a single course, that consolidation is worth real money.

✓ PROS

Courses, website, email and funnels in one place
0% transaction fees on every plan
Strong marketing and automation tools

✕ CONS

Pricier than single-purpose course tools
Course-design depth trails LearnWorlds

Best for: Serious creators who want to run their whole business from one platform

0% transaction fees

from $89/mo

Start free trial ↗ Read full review →

PICK

Podia 84/100 · EXCELLENT BEST VALUE

Podia is the all-in-one for people who found Kajabi too much. It bundles courses, digital downloads, a community and email marketing into one tidy product that you can actually understand in an afternoon. For a creator who wants to sell a few different things without juggling tools, it hits a sweet spot of simple and affordable.

✓ PROS

Courses, downloads, community and email in one
One of the simplest tools to use
Free plan and affordable paid tiers

✕ CONS

Fewer advanced course and quiz features
No public API or deep integrations

Best for: Creators who want an easy all-in-one without paying Kajabi prices

Free plan available

from $39/mo

Try free ↗ Read full review →

At a glance

Tool	Index	Ease	From	Free	Best for
Thinkific	90	8.8	from $49/mo	✓	Creators who want a solid course builder with no transaction fees, free to try
Teachable	88	9.0	from $39/mo	✓	First-time creators who want to launch a course quickly without a learning curve
LearnWorlds	86	7.9	from $29/mo	—	Creators who want genuinely interactive, well-designed courses
Kajabi	84	8.4	from $89/mo	—	Serious creators who want to run their whole business from one platform
Podia	84	9.1	from $39/mo	✓	Creators who want an easy all-in-one without paying Kajabi prices

RELATED SHORTLISTS

Keep narrowing the field

The Best LMS & Online Course Platforms in 2026 →The Best Platforms for Selling Online Courses →The Best Free Course Platforms in 2026 → Kajabi vs Teachable →Teachable vs Thinkific →Kajabi vs Thinkific →

HOW TO CHOOSE

Choosing the right tool

Separate the platform cut from payment processing. A 0% platform transaction fee means the course platform is not taking revenue share, but Stripe, PayPal or a native processor may still charge card fees.

Do the fee maths at your expected sales volume, not at launch. Teachable starts from $39/mo, but Starter has a 7.5% base transaction fee; Builder is the cleaner 0% base-fee step at $89/mo monthly or $69/mo annually.

Check the payment method before you choose Thinkific or Kajabi. Thinkific is strongest when using Thinkific Payments; third-party gateway fees can apply by plan. Kajabi says no revenue sharing, but third-party provider fees can apply unless you use Kajabi Payments or PayPal.

Do not treat the cheapest plan as the cheapest outcome. LearnWorlds starts from $29/mo, but its Starter plan has a $5 fee for each enrolment; higher plans remove transaction fees.

All-in-one platforms can justify a higher bill if they replace other tools. Kajabi starts from $89/mo and includes more of the creator business stack, but it is the wrong way to save money if you only need course hosting.

For teams, check whether you are buying commerce or training software. TalentLMS documentation says it has no transaction fees, but its fit is employee, partner or customer training rather than creator storefronts.

FAQ

Does no transaction fee mean no payment processing fee?

No. It usually means the platform is not taking a revenue share from each sale. Standard card, PayPal or native payment processing fees usually still apply.

Which platform should most creators check first for avoiding transaction fees?

Thinkific is the best first stop if you want a course-first platform and plan to use Thinkific Payments. The catch is that third-party gateway fees can apply by plan, so the payment setup matters.

Is Teachable a no-transaction-fee platform?

Not on Starter. Teachable Starter has a 7.5% base transaction fee, while Builder and Growth are listed with 0% base transaction fees. Builder starts at $89/mo monthly or $69/mo billed annually.

Is Kajabi no transaction fee?

Kajabi says “No hidden fees. No revenue sharing,” but its pricing also lists Kajabi Payments processing rates. Third-party provider fees can apply on new plans, although Kajabi says they do not apply to PayPal or Kajabi Payments.