How to choose a course platform for selling bundles, upsells, and order bumps

Choosing a course platform for upsells and order bumps is really about choosing the right checkout flow. The software matters, but the bigger question is where the extra offer appears in the buyer journey.

This guide is narrower than a general LMS roundup. It focuses on the selling mechanics around bundles, checkout-page add-ons, post-purchase offers, payment dependencies and transaction fees.

That distinction matters because two platforms can both claim to support upsells, while doing different jobs. One may add a small offer before payment, another may show a separate offer after purchase, and a third may mainly bundle products together.

The right choice depends on how you sell. A first-time creator needs a different setup from a serious creator running paid ads, email sequences and multi-step offers. Start with the flow, then pick the platform.

Quick answer: which platforms should you shortlist?

Thinkific should stay on the shortlist if you want the strongest overall-ranked course platform on EverythingLMS. It is our Editor’s Choice, starts from $49, and supports native order bumps for creators using TCommerce or Thinkific Payments.

The catch is scope. Thinkific allows one order bump per primary product, and order bumps do not work with Shop with Cart, gifting or group orders. It is strongest if your sales flow is course-first and fairly direct.

Teachable is the better shortlist pick if you are new and want checkout upsells without a steep setup curve. It starts from $39 and supports checkout upsells, formerly order bumps, plus in-lesson upsells.

The limits are important. Teachable checkout upsells require Teachable Payments, free products cannot use them, and subscription upsells on one-time payment products are not supported.

Kajabi deserves special attention if you want the most complete documented full-funnel upsell setup in this group. It supports bundles through Offers, checkout order bumps, post-purchase upsells, downsells, reusable upsell pages and analytics.

That control comes with a higher starting price, from $89. Kajabi is the right comparison if the funnel is central to your business, rather than a nice extra on a simple course checkout.

Podia is relevant if you want simple bundles and post-checkout upsells without Kajabi prices. It starts from $39 and is EverythingLMS’s Best Value all-in-one pick, but it should not be treated as a native checkout-order-bump tool based on the supplied notes.

What is the difference between an order bump, an upsell and a bundle?

An order bump is an extra offer shown on the checkout page before payment. Kajabi makes this distinction clearly: an order bump appears before payment, while an upsell appears after purchase.

Teachable now uses the term checkout upsell for what it previously called an order bump. The practical meaning is the same for buyers: the extra offer appears during checkout, before the initial purchase is complete.

A post-purchase upsell appears after the first purchase has gone through. Kajabi supports this, and Podia says its upsell offers show automatically after checkout on supported products, events and plans.

A bundle is different again. It sells multiple products or access rights together, usually as one offer. Kajabi Offers can include multiple Products, Teachable lists Bundles as a sales and marketing feature, and Podia documents product bundles with included products.

These differences affect more than wording. They change buyer friction, payment handling, receipts, refunds, coupon rules, affiliate commissions and reporting. That is where many creators get caught out.

If you only need to sell Course A plus Course B together, a bundle may be enough. If you want a £29 workbook added before payment, you need a checkout bump. If you want a higher-ticket coaching offer after the first sale, you need a post-purchase upsell.

Which features matter most for checkout monetisation?

Start with timing. Ask whether the extra offer needs to appear before payment, after payment, inside a lesson, or as part of a bundle at the point of sale.

Thinkific, Teachable and Kajabi are the safer shortlist for checkout-page order bumps or checkout upsells. Podia belongs in the conversation for post-checkout upsells and bundles, but the official notes supplied here do not confirm a native checkout-page bump.

Next, check payment dependencies. Thinkific order bumps require TCommerce or Thinkific Payments. Teachable checkout upsells require Teachable Payments. Those details matter if you already use Stripe, PayPal or another setup outside the platform’s preferred processor.

Then check compatibility rules. Thinkific order bumps cannot be used with Shop with Cart, gifting or group orders. Teachable checkout upsells cannot be attached to free products because there is no checkout page.

Coupons are another common snag. Kajabi notes that coupons may not be used on an Order Bump. Podia says coupons do not apply to upsell checkout. If your offers rely on discount codes, test the exact flow before you build around it.

Reporting also differs. Thinkific says order bump purchases appear as a single order, can be partially refunded, and are tracked in the Orders table and Revenue Dashboard. It also says affiliate commissions are calculated only on the primary product, not the order bump.

Thinkific: best overall-ranked option if you use Thinkific Payments

Thinkific is the first platform to consider if you want a course-first tool with native checkout monetisation. It is EverythingLMS’s #1 ranked platform overall, our Editor’s Choice, and starts from $49.

Its documented order bump feature works for creators using TCommerce or Thinkific Payments. That is useful if you want a simple add-on at checkout, such as a template pack, mini-course or extra resource attached to the main product.

The main limit is that Thinkific allows only one order bump per primary product. That keeps the checkout clean, but it rules out stacked bump offers where buyers choose between several add-ons.

There are also compatibility limits. Thinkific says order bumps cannot be used with Shop with Cart, gifting or group orders, so it is less suitable if your sales flow depends on cart-based buying or team purchases.

Thinkific’s order handling is relatively clear. It says order bump purchases appear as a single order, can be partially refunded, and show in the Orders table and Revenue Dashboard.

The affiliate caveat is easy to miss. Thinkific says affiliate commissions are calculated only on the primary product, not the order bump, which may affect partner promotions.

Do the payment maths before choosing the plan. Thinkific’s support docs list third-party gateway fees by plan when not using Thinkific Payments: Basic 5.0%, Start 2.0%, Grow 1.0%, Expand 0.5%, and Plus has no fee at this time. Customers using Thinkific Payments do not incur that third-party gateway fee.

Teachable: best for beginners who want checkout upsells

Teachable is the best fit if you want a beginner-friendly course platform with checkout upsells and a shorter setup path. It is EverythingLMS’s Best for Beginners pick, starts from $39, and ranks second overall behind Thinkific.

Teachable’s current documentation describes two upsell types: Checkout upsells, formerly order bumps, and In-lesson upsells. That gives new creators two simple places to promote the next offer.

The headline strength is quantity. Teachable says creators can add up to 10 checkout upsells per product, which is more flexible than Thinkific’s one-bump-per-product limit.

That does not mean every offer will work. Checkout upsells require Teachable Payments, subscription upsells on one-time payment products are not supported, and free products do not support checkout upsells because there is no checkout page.

Teachable also lists Bundles as a sales and marketing feature. That makes it relevant if you want to sell several courses or products together, but you should still check plan access and product rules before building a launch around bundles.

The fee structure can change the decision. Teachable lists a 7.5% transaction fee on Starter, and 0% transaction fees on Builder, Growth and Custom when using teachable:pay or the Monthly Payment Gateway. Standard processing fees still apply.

Teachable is a strong choice if speed and simplicity matter more than advanced funnel control. If you need downsells, reusable upsell pages and deeper native analytics around the upsell path, Kajabi is the more relevant comparison.

Kajabi: best documented full-funnel option for serious creators

Kajabi is the strongest documented full-funnel upsell option among the four tools in this guide. That does not make it EverythingLMS’s top-ranked platform overall; Thinkific keeps that place. It means Kajabi has the broader native sales flow for this specific job.

Kajabi starts from $89 and suits serious creators who want courses, offers, checkout, email and automation in one platform. The upside is control; the downside is paying more than simpler course-first tools.

Its Offer model is useful for bundles. Kajabi Offers can include multiple Products, so a creator can sell a course, bonus programme and other access rights through one Offer.

Kajabi also separates order bumps from upsells cleanly. An order bump advertises another Offer on the checkout form before payment, while an upsell appears after purchase.

The transaction behaviour is different too. Kajabi says order bumps are processed as part of the original transaction, while upsells are processed separately. That can affect receipts, reporting and how you think about refunds.

Kajabi’s rebuilt Upsells system supports reusable Upsell pages, downsells, page customisation and analytics. That is useful if you run a repeatable funnel across several products, but it is more than many first-time creators need.

There are still restrictions. Kajabi notes that coupons may not be used on an Order Bump, so discount-led launches need careful testing before launch day.

Podia: best-value simple upsells, but not true checkout bumps

Podia is the value-oriented option if you want simple product bundles and post-checkout upsells. It starts from $39, ties with Kajabi on EverythingLMS’s index score, and carries our Best Value verdict.

Its appeal is simplicity. Podia documents product bundles and included products, and supports upsells on products, events and plans. The upsell offers show automatically after checkout.

Podia also allows multiple upsell items and lets creators reorder them. That is useful if you want a lightweight after-purchase offer path without building a more complex Kajabi-style funnel.

The limitation is placement. Based on the supplied official notes, Podia should be described as supporting post-checkout upsells, not native checkout-page order bumps. If the before-payment offer is central, compare Thinkific, Teachable and Kajabi first.

Podia also has offer restrictions. Free products cannot be added as upsells, the upsell page look cannot be modified beyond text and content, and coupons do not apply to upsell checkout.

Fees can also change the value case. Podia charges a 5% transaction fee on the Mover plan, while its pricing page says Shaker and Earthquaker have no Podia transaction fees. Standard payment processing still needs checking.

How much do upsells and order bumps really cost?

The cheapest monthly plan is not always the cheapest way to sell. Transaction fees can outweigh a lower subscription price once sales volume grows.

Teachable is the clearest example. Starter has a 7.5% transaction fee, while Builder, Growth and Custom list 0% transaction fees when using teachable:pay or the Monthly Payment Gateway. Standard processing fees still apply.

Podia has a similar decision point. Mover has a 5% transaction fee, while Shaker and Earthquaker have no Podia transaction fees. If upsells work, the extra revenue can make the higher plan more sensible.

Thinkific’s fee question depends partly on payment setup. Its support docs list third-party gateway fees by plan when not using Thinkific Payments, while Thinkific Payments users do not incur that third-party gateway fee.

Do the maths at realistic monthly revenue, not at zero. A $39 plan with a 5% or 7.5% fee can cost more than a higher monthly plan once you are selling consistently.

Also cost the restrictions. If a checkout upsell requires the platform’s own payment processor, switching may affect payouts, tax handling, reporting and the way your current checkout stack works.

Which platform fits the funnel you are building?

Choose Thinkific if you are a course-first seller, want the top-ranked EverythingLMS platform overall, and are happy to use Thinkific Payments or TCommerce. It is less suitable if you need multiple bumps per product or cart-based selling.

Choose Teachable if you are launching quickly and want beginner-friendly checkout upsells. It is less suitable if your offer depends on unsupported subscription upsells, free-product checkouts or avoiding Teachable Payments.

Choose Kajabi if your funnel includes bundles, order bumps, post-purchase upsells, downsells, reusable pages, analytics, email and automation. It is less suitable if you only need a simple course checkout and want the lowest monthly bill.

Choose Podia if you want a simpler all-in-one for bundles and post-checkout upsells. It is less suitable if the core requirement is a true checkout-page order bump before payment.

Before choosing any platform, write the offer flow in one sentence. For example: “Buyer purchases Course A, adds Workbook B before payment, then sees Coaching C after purchase.” That sentence will expose which features you need.

Then ask seven checks: where does the offer appear, which payment processor is required, how many offers are allowed, do coupons work, are refunds partial, how are affiliates paid, and which plan carries transaction fees?

If you still need a general platform shortlist, start with the wider EverythingLMS buying guides. If checkout monetisation is the deciding factor, compare Thinkific, Teachable, Kajabi and Podia against the exact buyer journey you plan to use.