ChatGPT answers, unedited

If your priority is starting with essentially $0 upfront, I’d look at Payhip first.

• Payhip Free — $0/month, with a 5% platform fee per sale, plus Stripe/PayPal processing. It supports online courses, so you can launch without paying a monthly subscription. SurcoPay Tool Income Lab
• Gumroad — $0/month, but charges 10% + $0.50 per direct sale (and 30% if the customer comes through its Discover marketplace). Gumroad Gumroad
• Thinkific — its current Basic plan is $40/month billed annually, so despite older comparisons mentioning a free tier, its current pricing page doesn't show a permanent free plan. Thinkific

My practical approach

For a first course on a shoestring budget, I'd start with Payhip's free plan. You don't have to gamble on a monthly subscription before knowing whether anyone will buy your course.

One important distinction: “no platform fees” and “no upfront fees” aren't the same thing. A genuinely $0-cost-to-start platform generally makes money through a percentage of your sales.

If you tell me your expected course price (e.g. $29, $49, $99) and roughly how many students you expect, I can calculate what you'd actually keep on Payhip vs. Gumroad vs. the paid course platforms.

If you’re starting your first online course on a shoestring budget, I’d avoid paying a monthly subscription until you’ve proven people want the course. The catch is that “no platform fees” can mean different things: some platforms have no monthly fee but take a cut of sales, while others have no platform cut but require a subscription. Payment processors (like Stripe/PayPal) may still charge their normal processing fees. CourseProfit Lab

Here are the best beginner-friendly options:

My practical recommendation for a first course:

1. If you have $0 to spend: start with Systeme.io or a free-tier course platform and validate the idea. courseplatformpicks.com
2. If you want the most “professional classroom” feel: try Thinkific if its current free/entry option fits your needs. Course.Coach
3. If you only need to sell a simple video course/PDF bundle quickly: use Gumroad and focus on getting your first customers. CourseProfit Lab

For a shoestring launch, I’d spend your money on:

• a decent microphone ($30–$80 range if needed)
• a simple landing page
• audience building (email list, community, social content)
• improving the course based on your first students’ feedback

I’d avoid expensive all-in-one platforms like Kajabi at the beginning unless you already have an audience and revenue, because the monthly cost can be hard to justify before your first sales. CourseProfit Lab

If you tell me your course topic, whether you already have an audience, and whether you want to sell it or give it away to build a following, I can narrow this to one or two choices.

If you’re starting your first online course with almost no budget, I’d avoid paying a monthly fee until you’ve proven people will buy. The best choice depends on whether you care more about zero upfront cost, zero platform fees, or a polished student experience.

My top picks for a shoestring launch

1. Systeme.io — best overall $0 starter option

• Cost: Free plan available
• Platform fee: Typically 0% platform transaction fee (payment processor fees still apply)
• Good for: A beginner who needs course hosting + landing pages + email marketing in one place
• Downside: The course experience is more basic than dedicated learning platforms

This is probably where I’d start if you have no audience yet because you can build a simple sales funnel, collect emails, and host the course without stacking multiple tools. Cevora Don't Do It Yourself

2. Gumroad — easiest way to validate an idea

• Cost: No monthly subscription
• Good for: Selling a small course, workshop, templates, or a mini-course quickly
• Downside: It’s more of a digital storefront than a full learning platform, and it takes a cut of sales. SavingSec Course Profit Lab

Choose this if your goal is: “Can I get my first 10 customers?”

3. Udemy — best if you have no audience

• Cost: Free to create
• Good for: Getting discovered through an existing marketplace
• Downside: You give up control over pricing, branding, and revenue share compared with selling directly. SavingSec

Choose this if you don’t want to market from scratch.

4. Thinkific — best once you’re ready to invest

• Good for: A more professional course-school experience
• Downside: Free-plan information online is often outdated, so check current pricing before committing. Cevora Course Profit Lab

My recommendation for a first course

For a shoestring beginner:

1. Start with Systeme.io if you want to build a real small course business.
2. Start with Gumroad if you only want to test whether anyone will pay.
3. Use Udemy if you need built-in discovery and don’t have an audience.

Spend your first dollars on:

• a decent microphone ($30–$80 range),
• simple editing software,
• a domain name if you want a professional brand.

Don’t spend hundreds on a “premium” course platform before you’ve validated the topic.

If you tell me your course type (fitness, coding, language, business, art, etc.) and whether you already have an audience, I can narrow it down to one platform.

If you’re starting your first course on a shoestring budget, I’d choose Payhip.

One important update: a lot of older articles recommend free Thinkific or Teachable plans, but those recommendations are now outdated. As of September 2026, both have moved away from permanent free plans. Ruzuku Teachable

My pick: Payhip

• $0/month on the Free Forever plan.
• 5% platform fee per sale rather than a monthly subscription.
• Supports online courses, digital products, memberships, and more.
• You still pay normal payment-processing fees, such as Stripe/PayPal fees.
• You can start selling without committing to a monthly bill. Tool Income Lab CreatorFlow

So if you sell nothing, you pay nothing. That's ideal for validating your first course.

What I'd choose at different stages

For comparison, Thinkific Basic is currently around $40/month annually with 0% platform transaction fees when using Thinkific Payments, while Teachable Starter is $29/month annually plus 7.5% per sale. Course Profit Lab Teachable

My advice: don't pay $30–$100/month before you've proven that people will buy your course. Start on Payhip, get your first 5–20 customers, learn what students actually want, and then consider moving to a more sophisticated platform.

If you tell me what your course is about and roughly what you'd charge ($20, $50, $100, etc.), I can recommend the cheapest setup—including where to host the videos, collect email addresses, and take payments—without spending much upfront.

If you're starting your first course on a shoestring budget, I'd pick Payhip or Thinkific, depending on what you mean by “no platform fees.”

My pick: Payhip for $0 upfront

payhip.com is probably the safest budget choice if you genuinely don't want a monthly bill.

• $0/month on its Free Forever plan.
• You can sell online courses, memberships, and digital products.
• The tradeoff is a 5% Payhip transaction fee on sales, plus normal payment-processing fees. Tool Income Lab CourseProfit Lab
• You can stay on the free plan until you actually start making money.

If you mean literally 0% platform fee

Thinkific can be better once you're ready to pay for a platform. Current pricing information is a little inconsistent across third-party sources, but recent 2026 comparisons indicate Thinkific's permanent free plan has been removed; its paid Basic tier is around $40/month annually, with 0% platform transaction fees when using Thinkific Payments where available. CourseProfit Lab Ruzuku

So I'd think about it this way:

One important distinction: “0% platform fee” doesn't mean zero fees overall. Payment processors such as Stripe still charge their normal processing fees. CourseProfit Lab

For your first course, I wouldn't spend $40–$100/month before proving people will buy it. Start with Payhip, get your first 5–10 customers, then upgrade/migrate once the economics justify it.

If you tell me what your course is about and roughly what you want to charge ($20, $50, $100, etc.), I can recommend the cheapest setup and calculate exactly how much you'd keep per sale.

If you're starting your first online course on a shoestring budget, I’d pick Payhip.

One important distinction: “no platform fee” usually doesn't mean zero fees altogether—payment processors can still charge card/processing fees.

My pick: Payhip

payhip.com

• $0/month on its Free Forever plan.
• You can sell online courses, digital products, memberships, and coaching.
• The free plan currently takes a 5% transaction fee when you make a sale, plus normal payment-processing fees. Payhip Payhip
• You don't have to gamble on a monthly subscription before you've proven people will buy your course.

How I'd rank your options

Teachable's current Starter plan is $39/month when paid monthly and takes 7.5%; its higher Builder plan eliminates the platform transaction fee but costs substantially more. Teachable Teachable Help Center

One caveat: if by “no platform fees” you literally mean 0% platform fee while paying $0/month, that's a much narrower requirement. The genuinely free options tend to charge a percentage when you sell.

For your situation, I'd do this: start on Payhip → launch one small course → get your first 10–20 customers → only move to a paid platform when the extra features actually save you money/time.

If you tell me what your course is about and roughly what you plan to charge ($20, $50, $100, etc.), I can tell you which platform will leave you with the most money per sale.

If you're starting your first course on a shoestring budget, I’d avoid platforms with monthly fees until you’ve proven people will buy.

My pick: Systeme.io

Systeme.io is probably the best fit if your priority is $0 upfront + no platform transaction fee. Its free plan currently supports one course, and sources tracking its 2026 pricing report no transaction fee on the free tier. OnlineCourseTools Ruzuku

The tradeoff is that the free plan has limits on contacts and marketing features.

Other good options

• Ruzuku Free — genuinely $0 with 0% transaction fees, but you're limited to 5 students. Great for testing a course with a handful of beta students. Ruzuku Ruzuku
• FreshLearn Free — $0 and 0% platform fee, with a 25-student limit. Worth considering if you want to test with a slightly larger group. Ruzuku
• Gumroad — $0 monthly, but it takes a percentage of every sale, so it isn't truly "no platform fees." It's very simple, though, and can be excellent for validating an idea. SavingSec

One important correction to watch for: you'll find lots of older articles recommending free plans from Thinkific or Teachable. Their pricing has changed; current sources indicate those free plans have been removed. Ruzuku Ruzuku

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Systeme.io if you want to actually sell the course with essentially no upfront platform cost. Start with Ruzuku if you just want to teach 5 beta students and get feedback.

Don't spend $40–$100/month on a fancy LMS until you've made your first few sales.

If you tell me what your course is about and roughly what you'd charge ($20, $50, $100, etc.), I can recommend the cheapest setup—including payment processing, video hosting, email, and a landing page—so you can launch for as close to $0/month as possible.

If by “no platform fees” you mean you don't want to pay a monthly subscription or give the platform a cut of your sales, there’s an important catch: the truly beginner-friendly platforms generally charge either a transaction fee or a monthly fee.

My pick for a shoestring-budget beginner

thinkific.com is worth considering if your priority is having a polished, dedicated course platform—but it doesn't currently offer a free plan, so I wouldn't choose it if you literally have $0 budget. Its paid plans start at $54/month, and payment-processing fees still apply. Thinkific Thinkific Support

For starting with essentially $0 upfront, I'd look at payhip.com instead. Its Free Forever plan costs $0/month and gives you all features and unlimited products, but it takes 5% of each sale, plus the normal PayPal/Stripe processing fee. Payhip

Gumroad is another easy option, but it's substantially more expensive per sale: 10% + $0.50 on direct sales, or 30% when customers discover you through Gumroad's marketplace. Gumroad Gumroad

Bottom line: If this is your first course and you don't know yet whether it'll sell, I'd start with Payhip. You can validate the idea without paying a monthly subscription, then move to a more sophisticated platform once revenue justifies it.

If you tell me what your course is about and roughly what you plan to charge (e.g. $29, $99, $299), I can compare the fees and tell you which platform would leave you with the most money.

If you’re starting your first course on a shoestring budget, I’d go with Payhip.

My pick: Payhip

payhip.com

• $0/month on the Free Forever plan.
• You can create and sell online courses, not just PDFs or downloads. Payhip
• You get all features and unlimited products even on the free plan. Payhip
• The catch: Payhip takes 5% of each sale, plus the normal Stripe/PayPal processing fee. Payhip
• You can use YouTube/Vimeo/etc. to host your course videos, which helps keep your costs down. Payhip

So, technically, there isn't a truly free/no-fee option if you want a hosted course platform with no upfront cost. Payhip's 5% is a very reasonable tradeoff when you're just validating your idea.

What about Gumroad?

gumroad.com

It's also easy to start with no monthly fee, but its current direct-sale fee is 10% + $0.50 per transaction, before payment-processing costs. Gumroad Gumroad

I'd therefore choose Payhip over Gumroad for a first course.

When you start making real money

Once you're consistently selling, you can consider moving to something like Thinkific. Current comparisons put its entry paid plan around $40/month with no platform transaction fee when using its supported payment system. Course Profit Lab

Bottom line: Start with Payhip → spend $0 upfront → validate your course → upgrade/move platforms only once revenue justifies it.

If you tell me what your course is about and roughly what you want to charge ($20, $50, $100, etc.), I can recommend the cheapest setup—including video hosting, email, payments, and landing page—so you can launch for essentially $0.

If you’re starting your first online course on a shoestring budget, I’d avoid paying for a full “business” platform until you’ve proven people will buy. The best choice depends on whether you mean no monthly fee or no platform cut on sales (those are different). CourseProfit Lab

Here are the strongest beginner options:

CourseProfit Lab OnlineCourseTools### My pick for a true shoestring launch

Start with Gumroad if you’re validating the idea.

• No monthly subscription.
• Upload lessons/files, create a checkout page, and start selling.
• The tradeoff: you pay more per sale, so it’s better for your first few customers than for a large course business. CourseProfit Lab

Start with Systeme.io if you want a “real course business” setup for $0.

• Better if you want landing pages, email collection, and basic marketing tools alongside the course. OnlineCourseTools

Start with Thinkific if you care most about the student experience.

• Better course structure (modules, lessons, learning environment).
• More appropriate once you know the course has demand. Don't Do It Yourself

A low-budget launch stack I’d use:

1. Create the course videos with your phone + simple editing.
2. Put a small “beta version” on Gumroad or Systeme.io.
3. Sell to your first 10–50 students.
4. Move to a dedicated platform only when revenue justifies the cost.

One thing to remember: “no platform fees” usually does not mean “no fees at all.” Payment processors like Stripe or PayPal can still charge processing fees. CourseProfit Lab

If you tell me your course type (coaching, fitness, language, software, art, etc.) and whether you already have an audience, I can narrow this to one best choice.

If your priority is starting for almost no upfront cost, I’d look at Payhip first—but there’s an important catch: it does not have zero platform fees. Its free plan is $0/month but takes 5% of each sale, plus normal payment-processor fees. Payhip

My picks for a shoestring beginner

• 🥇 Payhip — best for $0 upfront

• $0/month
• Unlimited products
• 5% Payhip transaction fee + PayPal/Stripe processing
• Very simple setup
• Good choice if you want to validate your first course without committing to a monthly subscription. Payhip
• payhip.com
• 🥈 Thinkific — best if you want a dedicated course platform

• No free plan currently; it offers a free trial.
• Its current paid plans start at $54/month, following a 2026 price increase.
• Thinkific says it doesn't take a commission on sales, but payment-processing fees still apply. Thinkific Support Thinkific
• thinkific.com
• Teachable — polished, but not ideal for a shoestring start

• Its Starter plan is $39/month monthly or $29/month annually and takes 7.5% per transaction.
• Higher plans have 0% platform transaction fees, but cost substantially more. Teachable Help Center Teachable Help Center
• teachable.com

What I'd do in your position

Start with Payhip. Don't spend $30–$100+/month until you've proven people will actually buy your course. At this stage, paying 5% on a sale is generally much less painful than paying a monthly platform fee when you have zero sales.

For example, if you sell a $50 course, Payhip's 5% platform fee is $2.50, before payment processing. If you make only 2 sales that month, you're paying roughly $5 in platform fees rather than a $30–$50+ subscription.

Once you're consistently making sales, you can move to a platform with lower/no platform transaction fees.

If you tell me what you're teaching and roughly what you want to charge ($20, $50, $100, etc.), I can recommend the cheapest setup—including where to host videos, collect payments, and deliver the course.

If you’re starting your first course on a shoestring budget, I’d avoid paying a monthly subscription until you’ve proven people will buy it.

My pick: gumroad.com

Gumroad has no monthly platform fee, so you can launch for $0 upfront. The tradeoff is a 10% + $0.50 fee per direct sale, plus payment processing. Course Profit Lab Course Profit Lab

That makes it particularly good if you're thinking:

“I have an idea, but I don't know if anyone will actually buy this yet.”

Your other options

• payhip.com — also worth considering for a $0/month start; particularly attractive if you want a simple storefront for courses and digital products.
• thinkific.com — better course-school experience, but its current Basic plan is $40/month when billed annually. It has unlimited courses and no platform transaction fee when using Thinkific Payments. Thinkific
• teachable.com — polished and beginner-friendly, but its entry plan currently has a 7.5% transaction fee, so it's not my first choice if minimizing costs is your priority. Podia

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Gumroad → make your first 5–20 sales → then move to a dedicated course platform if you need more features.

Don't spend $40–$100/month on a fancy course platform before you've validated the idea. The biggest risk for a first course isn't the platform—it's building something nobody wants.

If you tell me what your course is about and roughly what you'd charge ($20, $50, $100, etc.), I can recommend the cheapest setup and estimate exactly what you'd keep from each sale.

What I'd do in your shoes

If you're starting your first course on a shoestring budget, I'd pick Thinkific—if your goal is a proper course experience and you can use its current free offering. Its paid Basic plan is now $40/month billed annually, so make sure the free tier is available to you at signup and check its current limits. Thinkific Course.Coach

One important distinction: “no platform fees” doesn't mean “no fees at all.” Payment processors such as Stripe/PayPal can still charge their normal processing fees.

My shortlist

• 🥇 Thinkific — Best if you want a real online-school experience. It is designed specifically for courses, with lessons, quizzes, student management, etc. Current paid pricing starts at $40/month annually. Thinkific
• 🥈 Payhip — Excellent if your priority is $0 upfront. Its Free Forever plan is $0/month, but it takes 5% per transaction, plus Stripe/PayPal processing. It supports courses, memberships, downloads, and more. Payhip
• 🥉 Gumroad — Very easy for validating an idea with no monthly subscription, but its fee is substantially higher: 10% + $0.50 per direct sale, plus processing. SavingSec

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Thinkific if you want to build a serious course.
Start with Payhip if your absolute priority is spending $0 before you make your first sale.

For example, if you sell a $50 course:

• Payhip's 5% platform fee = $2.50 + payment processing
• Gumroad's 10% + $0.50 = $5.50 + processing
• A genuinely 0%-platform-fee option can save you money, but may have more restrictions or require a paid plan.

So I wouldn't spend $30–$100/month on Kajabi, Podia, etc. for your first course. Get the course sold first, then upgrade when the revenue justifies it.

thinkific.com
payhip.com

If you tell me what your course is about and roughly what you want to charge ($20, $50, $100, etc.), I can recommend the cheapest setup—including video hosting, email, payments, and a landing page—so you can launch for essentially $0 upfront.

If you’re starting your first course and your budget is basically $0, I’d look at Payhip first.

One important distinction: “no platform fees” usually doesn’t mean zero fees overall—payment processors such as Stripe/PayPal can still charge their normal processing fees.

My beginner picks

• payhip.com — Best for a $0 starting budget. It’s designed for selling digital products and courses without requiring you to pay a monthly platform subscription upfront. You pay transaction fees according to the plan you choose, plus payment-processing fees.
• thinkific.com — Best if you want a more polished course-school experience. However, it no longer has a free plan; its Basic plan is currently $54/month ($40/month annually). Thinkific Thinkific
• Teachable can also be beginner-friendly, but I wouldn't choose it if your overriding goal is keeping upfront costs and platform fees at zero.

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Payhip → launch your first course → get your first 5–10 paying students → only then consider moving to a more expensive platform.

There's little reason to spend $50–$100+ per month before you've validated that people will actually buy your course.

If you tell me what your course is about and roughly what you want to charge ($20, $50, $100, etc.), I can recommend the cheapest platform and show you exactly how much you'd keep from each sale.

If you’re starting your first course with almost no budget, I’d prioritize:

1. $0 monthly cost
2. No platform cut from your sales
3. Easy setup (so you spend time making the course, not configuring software)

A few good options:

My pick for a shoestring beginner

• If you have $0 and want to sell a real course: start with Systeme.io. It gives you a way to host a course, collect leads, and build a basic funnel without paying upfront. Don't Do It Yourself
• If you already have 5–10 beta students and just want to validate the idea: consider Ruzuku’s free option. Ruzuku Ruzuku
• If you expect to grow into a serious course business: choose a dedicated LMS later rather than overpaying before you have students.

A practical low-budget launch stack:

1. Record lessons with your phone or screen recorder.
2. Create slides/workbooks with free tools.
3. Host the course on a free platform.
4. Get your first 10–20 students before paying for premium features.

The biggest mistake for first-time creators is paying $50–$200/month for a platform before proving people will buy the course. Start lean, validate demand, then upgrade when revenue justifies it.

If you’re starting your first course on a shoestring budget, I’d pick Thinkific—specifically its free plan, assuming the current terms available to you match the published 2026 offering.

🥇 My pick: Thinkific

• $0/month to get started.
• Its free tier has been reported to allow you to build and sell a course without a platform transaction fee; normal payment-processing charges can still apply. Course.Coach courseplatformpicks.com
• It gives you a proper course experience—lessons, student management, quizzes, etc.—rather than simply selling files.
• The downside is that the free plan is limited, so you may eventually want to upgrade. Course.Coach

Other budget options

Payhip's own current pricing page says its free plan is $0/month with a 5% transaction fee, while Gumroad's current model charges 10% + $0.50 per direct sale. Payhip Course Profit Lab

One important distinction: “no platform fees” doesn't mean zero fees whatsoever. Payment processors such as Stripe/PayPal can still charge their normal processing fees.

My beginner strategy: Start with Thinkific, create one small course, and don't spend money on fancy branding, a website, or an email funnel until you've proven that people will actually pay for the course. That keeps your risk close to $0.

If you tell me what your course is about and roughly what you want to charge ($20, $50, $100, etc.), I can recommend the cheapest setup and show you exactly what you'd keep from each sale.

If you’re starting your first course on a shoestring budget, I’d prioritize:

1. $0 upfront cost
2. No platform cut from your sales
3. Easy setup (so you spend time making the course, not fighting software)

My top picks:

My recommendation for a first-time creator

• If you already have an audience (email list, social media followers): start with Ruzuku or Systeme.io. You can validate the idea without committing to monthly software costs. Ruzuku
• If your course is simple (a few videos + worksheets): use Gumroad. It’s the fastest way to see if people will pay. Course Profit Lab
• If you want a serious long-term school brand: consider moving later to a dedicated platform like Thinkific, Teachable, or Kajabi once revenue justifies the cost. SavingSec

A shoestring launch stack could be:

• Course hosting: Ruzuku/Systeme.io
• Videos: unlisted YouTube or Vimeo
• Community: Discord/Facebook group
• Payments: Stripe/PayPal
• Marketing: free email tool + social content

I’d avoid paying $100+/month for a “professional” platform before you’ve proven someone will buy the course. Your first goal is not a perfect learning portal — it’s getting the first 10–20 students and improving from their feedback.

If your priority is starting with essentially $0 upfront cost, I’d avoid platforms that require a monthly subscription.

One important distinction: “no platform fee” doesn’t necessarily mean “no fees at all.” Payment processors such as Stripe/PayPal can still charge processing fees.

My pick for a shoestring-budget beginner

Payhip would be the first platform I’d investigate. It’s designed for creators selling digital products and courses, and its free-entry model is generally much more beginner-friendly than paying $39–$109/month before you know whether your course will sell.

By comparison:

• Teachable — its current Starter plan is $39/month ($29/month annually) and takes 7.5% per transaction. Its higher Builder plan has 0% platform transaction fees, but costs $89/month. Teachable Teachable Help Center
• Thinkific — currently has no free plan, and its Basic plan is now $54/month. It doesn't take a commission on sales when using Thinkific Payments, but payment-processing fees still apply. Thinkific Support Thinkific
• Teachable/Thinkific are better once you're making enough money to justify a monthly platform subscription.
• Payhip makes more sense when you're testing your first course and want to minimize financial risk.

My rule of thumb: don't pay $50–$100/month for course software until you've proven that people will actually buy the course.

If you tell me your course topic and whether you want to sell it for free, ~$20–50, or $100+, I can recommend the cheapest platform/setup for your specific situation.

If you’re starting your first online course on a shoestring budget, I’d prioritize:

1. $0 monthly cost
2. Low or no platform cut on sales
3. Easy setup (so you spend time making the course, not configuring software)

My top picks:

My recommendation for a first-time creator

• You have no audience yet: Start with Systeme.io. It lets you build the course and basic marketing funnel without paying upfront. Don't Do It Yourself
• You already have 5–10 beta students: Try Ruzuku’s free tier and use those students to improve the course. Ruzuku
• You just want to sell a mini-course this week: Use Gumroad for speed. CourseProfit Lab

A shoestring launch stack could be:

• Course hosting: Systeme.io or Ruzuku
• Video: unlisted YouTube/Vimeo links if needed
• Community: free Discord, Facebook Group, or email
• Payments: Stripe/PayPal through the platform

One warning: avoid choosing based only on “free.” A platform that takes 10% of every sale may cost more than a small monthly subscription once you start getting students. Ruzuku

If you tell me your course type (video course, coaching, PDF lessons, live classes, etc.) and whether you already have an audience, I can narrow it to one choice.

If you're starting your first course with almost no budget, I'd pick payhip.com.

The important distinction is that “no platform fee” can mean either no monthly fee or zero percentage taken from sales. For a true shoestring launch, you usually want $0 upfront, even if the platform takes a small cut when you actually make a sale.

My pick: Payhip

• $0/month on the Free plan.
• You can host and sell online courses, not just PDFs or downloads.
• Unlimited products and revenue on the free plan.
• Payhip takes 5% per sale on the free plan, in addition to normal payment-processing fees. Payhip Payhip
• You don't need to gamble on a monthly subscription before knowing whether anyone will buy your course.

If you mean literally 0% platform fee

Look at thinkific.com once you're ready to pay for a platform. Its paid plans can have 0% platform transaction fees when using Thinkific Payments, but there's currently a monthly subscription, so it isn't as attractive when you're starting with $0. Ruzuku

What I'd avoid initially

Gumroad is very easy to start with and has no monthly fee, but its direct-sale fee is around 10% + $0.50, making it more expensive than Payhip for most course sales. Course Profit Lab

Teachable, Kajabi, Podia, etc. are better considered once you have some revenue. Paying $30–$150+ every month before validating your first course isn't necessary.

Bottom line: Start with Payhip Free, get your first 5–20 students, learn what people actually want, then worry about upgrading platforms. That keeps your financial risk essentially at zero until you have sales.

If you’re starting your first course on a shoestring budget, I’d pick Payhip.

My recommendation: Payhip

payhip.com offers a $0/month plan with online courses, unlimited products, and unlimited revenue. The catch is a 5% transaction fee on sales, plus normal payment-processing fees. Payhip Payhip

That’s a very good deal when you’re just testing whether people will actually buy your course.

How I’d rank the beginner options

• 🥇 Payhip — Best overall for your situation. Free to start, proper course functionality, and only 5% platform fee. Payhip
• 🥈 Thinkific — Better if you want a more traditional online-school experience. Its free option has limitations, and payment/third-party fees can apply depending on how you process payments. Thinkific Support Thinkific Support
• 🥉 Gumroad — Extremely easy to start, but its 10% + $0.50 per direct sale makes it noticeably more expensive once you start selling. Gumroad
• Teachable — Worth considering later, but I'd avoid paying for a course platform before you've validated your idea.

What I'd do in your shoes

Start on Payhip, make one small course, and don't spend money on branding, a website, fancy video equipment, or a monthly platform subscription yet.

For example, if you sell a $49 course:

• Payhip's platform fee: $2.45
• You keep roughly $46.55 before payment processing/taxes
• No monthly platform bill

Once you're consistently making sales, then consider whether a more sophisticated platform is worth paying for.

Bottom line: Payhip is probably the best fit if your priority is “I want to launch for basically $0 and keep as much of each sale as possible.”

If you’re starting your first course with almost no budget, I’d prioritize $0/month + easy setup + a way to collect payments. The best choice depends on whether you care more about keeping every dollar or getting the simplest launch.

Here are the strongest beginner options:

CourseProfit Lab Don't Do It Yourself### My pick for a first-time creator

Start with Payhip if you want your own mini course business. It gives you a place to host the course, sell it, and avoid a monthly subscription while you validate demand. Don't Do It Yourself

Start with Gumroad if your course is very simple (for example: a short video series, templates, a workshop recording, or a beginner guide). It’s fast to set up, but the tradeoff is that you give up a cut of each sale. CourseProfit Lab

I’d avoid paying for these at the beginning

• Kajabi — excellent, but built for established businesses with marketing budgets.
• Expensive LMS subscriptions — useful later, but usually unnecessary before you have students.
• Building a custom website — spend your first dollars on content quality or audience growth instead.

A shoestring launch could look like:

1. Record lessons with your phone or basic screen recorder.
2. Host the course on a free platform.
3. Sell to your first 10–50 students.
4. Upgrade only when revenue justifies it.

One thing to check before choosing: Are you planning to sell a video course, a live cohort/class, or a self-paced PDF/templates course? The best free option changes depending on the format.

I’d avoid paying for these at the beginning

If your priority is starting with essentially $0 upfront and avoiding a platform cut, I’d look at Thinkific first—but there’s an important 2026 pricing wrinkle.

My pick: Thinkific

thinkific.com

Thinkific is designed specifically for course creators, with video lessons, quizzes, discussions, checkout, and student management. Its current Basic plan is $40/month when billed annually, so it no longer appears to offer the old permanently free plan. Thinkific

So if you mean literally no monthly fee and no platform fee, I'd instead consider:

• Payhip — $0/month, unlimited products, but 5% transaction fee on its Free Forever plan. This is probably the easiest shoestring-budget option. Payhip
• Gumroad — $0/month, but 10% + $0.50 per direct sale, so it gets expensive as sales grow. Course Profit Lab
• Thinkific — better dedicated-course experience, but you'll need to move to a paid plan after its current trial. Thinkific

For your first course, I'd choose Payhip if you truly have $0 to spend. The 5% fee is a reasonable tradeoff for not having a monthly bill while you're testing whether anyone will buy.

One distinction: “0% platform fee” doesn't mean literally zero fees—payment processors such as Stripe can still charge processing fees. support.thinkific.com

If you tell me roughly what you'd charge for the course ($20, $50, $100, etc.) and how many students you expect, I can calculate which platform leaves you with the most money.

If your priority is “I want to start with $0 and avoid platform fees”, I’d choose Thinkific’s free plan—assuming its current free offering is available in your account/region.

The important distinction is that “free” and “no platform fees” are not the same thing:

Payhip's free plan gives you all features and unlimited products, but takes 5% of each sale, in addition to payment-processor fees. Payhip Payhip Gumroad has no monthly charge but takes 10% + $0.50 on direct sales, plus payment processing. Gumroad Gumroad

My recommendation

Start with Thinkific if your goal is to actually build a course business. You get a more traditional course-learning experience rather than simply selling a collection of videos/files. Current comparisons report a $0 free tier with 0% platform transaction fees. Course.Coach LogicalRefer

Choose Payhip instead if you want the absolute simplest setup and don't mind giving up 5% of sales. It's particularly attractive if you're selling a course alongside PDFs, templates, downloads, or memberships. Payhip

One thing I'd avoid as a first-time creator: paying $30–$150/month for a fancy platform before you've proven that people will buy your course.

If you tell me what your course is about and roughly what you'd charge ($20, $50, $100, etc.), I can recommend the cheapest setup—including where to host videos, collect email addresses, and take payments—without spending money upfront.

If you’re starting your first online course with almost no budget, I’d prioritize:

1. $0 monthly cost
2. No platform cut of your sales
3. Easy setup (so you actually launch)
4. Room to grow if people buy

A few good options:

My recommendation for a shoestring beginner:

• If you want to sell to your first 5–20 students and prove the idea → start with Ruzuku. www.ruzuku.comwww.ruzuku.com
• If you want to build an audience with email marketing and funnels from day one → use Systeme.io. ddiy.co
• If your course is basically videos + PDFs and you already have an audience → Gumroad can be the fastest launch. www.savingsec.comcourseprofitlab.com

A low-budget launch stack can be:

• Record lessons with your phone or free screen recorder
• Host on a free course platform
• Collect emails with a free email tool
• Sell your first version before spending on branding, ads, or fancy software

One thing I’d avoid: paying $100+/month for an “all-in-one” platform before you’ve proven people will buy. The first goal is usually getting your first 10 students, not building a perfect school.

If you tell me what kind of course it is (fitness, business, language, software, hobby, etc.) and whether you already have an audience, I can narrow this down.

If you’re starting your first online course on a shoestring budget, I’d focus on platforms where you can test demand without paying a monthly subscription or losing a big cut of every sale. A few good beginner options: course.coachonlinecoursetools.io

onlinecoursetools.iocourseprofitlab.com

My pick for a first-time creator:

1. If you already have an audience (even a small one): start with Thinkific or Systeme.io so you own the student relationship and can build a real course business. course.coachonlinecoursetools.io
2. If you just want to prove someone will pay: use Gumroad and put up a small “starter course” or workshop. onlinecoursetools.iocourseprofitlab.com
3. Avoid expensive all-in-one platforms at the beginning (such as premium marketing suites) unless you already have revenue to justify them. www.help.com

A shoestring launch can be:

• Record lessons with your phone or screen recorder
• Create slides with free tools
• Upload to a free/low-cost platform
• Sell your first 10–20 seats
• Upgrade only after people are paying

One question changes the recommendation: are you planning to sell the course (paid), or is it a free course to build an audience?

If you’re starting your first course on a shoestring budget, I’d choose Thinkific’s free plan.

Why:

• $0/month
• 0% platform transaction fee on its free tier, according to current 2026 comparisons. course.coachwww.coursemargin.com
• You can test your course idea without committing to a monthly subscription.
• It’s a proper course platform rather than just a digital-product storefront.

My beginner ranking

Gumroad, for example, has no monthly fee, but currently takes 10% + $0.50 per direct sale, plus payment processing. gumroad.com

One important distinction: “no platform fees” doesn't mean absolutely zero costs. Payment processors such as Stripe can still charge their normal processing fee. course.coachwww.coursemargin.com

Bottom line: Start with Thinkific Free. Don't spend $50–$150/month on Kajabi, Teachable, etc. until you've proven people will actually buy your course. www.ruzuku.com

If you tell me what your course is about and what you plan to charge, I can recommend the cheapest setup (including video hosting, payments, email, and landing page) that gets you from $0 to your first sale.

If by “no platform fees” you mean $0 upfront and no monthly subscription, I’d start with Payhip.

Payhip offers a free-forever plan with no monthly fee, unlimited products, and the full feature set. The catch: it takes 5% of each sale, plus the normal Stripe/PayPal processing fee. payhip.com

My picks for a shoestring-budget beginner

Payhip specifically supports courses with video, files, quizzes, assignments, drip content, and certificates, so you aren't giving up the important course functionality just because you're starting free. payhip.com

One important distinction: I wouldn't chase a platform advertising literally “0% fees” unless you're already making enough sales to justify its monthly subscription. At $0/month, Payhip's 5% fee is usually a much better deal for validating your first course than paying $30–$100+ every month just to avoid a percentage fee.

What I'd do in your shoes: launch your first course on Payhip, keep your costs at essentially $0 until you prove people will buy it, and worry about migrating/upgrading only once revenue makes the fees meaningful.

If you tell me what your course is about and roughly what you want to charge ($20, $50, $100, etc.), I can tell you which platform will leave you with the most money per sale.

If you're starting from zero and every dollar matters, I’d pick Payhip.

• Payhip Free: $0/month, unlimited products and unlimited revenue.
• It charges a 5% platform transaction fee on sales, plus the normal PayPal/Stripe processing fee. payhip.com
• You still get all features on the free plan, so you don't need to upgrade just to unlock important course features. payhip.com

One important distinction

If by “no platform fees” you mean literally 0% platform fee, the options I checked aren't ideal for a shoestring beginner:

Teachable's $39/month Starter plan currently takes 7.5% per sale, while its $89/month Builder plan has 0% platform transaction fees. www.teachable.com Thinkific's Basic plan is currently $54/month after its August 2026 price increase. support.thinkific.com

So for your first course, I'd take the 5% Payhip fee rather than committing to $39–$54+ every month. If you eventually reach, say, $2,000/month in course sales, then it's worth reassessing whether a subscription platform with 0% platform fees saves you money.

Payhip — Free course-selling plan

If you tell me what your course is about and roughly what you want to charge ($20, $50, $100, etc.), I can also tell you the cheapest platform overall at your expected sales level.

If your priority is $0 upfront + 0% platform fees, I’d start with systeme.io.

🥇 My pick: Systeme.io

Its current free plan gives you:

• $0/month
• 1 online course
• 0% platform transaction fees
• Unlimited email sending
• Course hosting and student access
• Checkout/payment integration
• Sales funnels and basic marketing tools
• No credit card required systeme.io

You'd still pay the normal Stripe/PayPal payment-processing fee when someone buys—that's different from a platform fee. systeme.io

For a first course, this is a particularly good fit because you're getting the course platform + checkout + email marketing + sales funnel without stitching together several services.

Other cheap options

One important warning: don't rely on older articles recommending a free Thinkific or Teachable plan. Their pricing has changed, and several 2026 comparison sources conflict with those outdated claims. www.ruzuku.com

Bottom line: If I were launching my first course with almost no budget, I'd use Systeme.io, keep the first course to one clear outcome, and spend $0 on fancy software until I had my first paying students.

If you tell me what your course is about and roughly what you'd charge ($20, $50, $100, etc.), I can also tell you which platform would leave you with the most money per sale.

If you’re launching your first course on a shoestring budget, I’d focus on platforms with $0 upfront cost and avoid anything that takes a big cut of every sale.

My shortlist:

Best overall for a first paid course: Systeme.io

• Cost: Free plan available
• Good for: Beginners who need a course + landing page + email marketing in one place
• Why it’s appealing: You can build a simple sales funnel without paying for separate tools. ddiy.co
• Downside: The course-learning experience is more basic than dedicated course platforms.

Best if you want a simple “teach first, sell later” setup: Ruzuku

• Cost: Free tier available
• Good for: Testing your idea with a small first group
• Why it’s appealing: Its free option is designed for validating a course before investing, with no platform transaction fees (standard payment processor fees may still apply). www.ruzuku.com
• Downside: The free tier is limited in student capacity. www.ruzuku.com

Best if you already have an audience: Udemy

• Cost: Free to publish
• Good for: Getting discovered by existing marketplace traffic
• Downside: You give up more control over pricing, branding, and revenue share compared with hosting your own course. ddiy.cowww.savingsec.com

My pick for a true beginner:

• No audience yet + need marketing tools: Systeme.io
• You already have followers/customers: Ruzuku or a dedicated course host
• You want marketplace exposure: Udemy

A good shoestring approach is:

1. Make a small “version 1” course (5–10 lessons).
2. Sell it to your first 5–20 students.
3. Use their feedback to improve before paying for premium software.

One thing to watch: “free” platforms often make money through transaction fees, feature limits, or taking a percentage of sales—so check the fee structure before you commit. course.coach

If you tell me (a) your course topic, (b) whether you already have an audience, and (c) whether you plan to charge or make it free, I can narrow it to one platform.

If you’re starting your first course on a shoestring budget, I’d look at Systeme.io first—not the big-name course platforms.

The important distinction is that “no platform fee” usually doesn’t mean zero costs: payment processors such as Stripe/PayPal can still charge processing fees.

My picks for a $0-upfront launch

Systeme.io's free tier reportedly includes one course plus marketing/funnel tools, while FreshLearn's free tier has zero transaction fees but limits you to 25 students. www.ruzuku.com Payhip's official pricing currently lists its free plan at $0/month with a 5% transaction fee. payhip.com

My recommendation: start with Systeme.io if you're willing to learn a slightly more all-in-one system. If you just want to upload a course and start selling with minimal fuss, Payhip is probably easier.

One warning: you'll find lots of articles saying Thinkific or Teachable are free with 0% fees. Current 2026 information is inconsistent across the web, and some sources appear to be using outdated pricing, so I wouldn't choose based on those claims without checking the platform's current checkout/pricing page. www.ruzuku.com

If you tell me (1) your course price, (2) roughly how many students you expect in the first 6 months, and (3) whether you need video hosting, I can tell you which one will leave you with the most money.

If you're starting your first course on a shoestring budget, I'd avoid platforms that require a monthly subscription just to get started.

One important distinction: “no platform fee” usually doesn't mean zero fees overall—payment processors like Stripe/PayPal still charge processing fees.

My pick: Gumroad

For a beginner who wants $0 upfront, Gumroad is probably the simplest place to start. It has no monthly subscription, so you can build and launch without committing to a recurring cost. The tradeoff is that it takes a percentage of each sale. www.savingsec.com

If you specifically want a true course platform

I'd look at Teachable, but only once you're making enough sales to justify the subscription. Its current Starter plan is $29/month when billed annually ($39 monthly) and takes 7.5% per transaction, while the higher Builder plan has 0% platform transaction fees but costs substantially more. Payment-processing fees still apply. support.teachable.com

What I'd do in your shoes

Bottom line: Start with Gumroad if your priority is spending virtually nothing until you make your first sales. Once you've proven people will pay for your course, you can move to a dedicated platform.

If you tell me what you're teaching and roughly what you'll charge ($20, $50, $100, etc.), I can tell you which platform will leave you with the most money per sale.

If you're starting your first course on a shoestring budget, I’d pick Thinkific.

🥇 Best fit: Thinkific

• $0/month free plan to get started.
• Current comparisons report 0% platform transaction fees on its free tier. course.coachwww.coursemargin.com
• Built specifically for courses, so you get a proper course/student experience rather than just a digital-product checkout.
• You can validate your idea before committing to a monthly subscription.

You’ll still pay the normal payment-processing fee when someone buys—“0% platform fee” doesn't mean literally zero cost per sale. course.coachwww.coursemargin.com

Other options

Gumroad is attractive because there's no monthly subscription, but its 10% + $0.50 fee means it gets substantially more expensive as your sales grow. www.savingsec.com

My recommendation: Start with Thinkific, launch your first course, and don't pay for a higher-tier platform until you've proven people will buy it. That keeps your risk close to zero.

If you tell me what your course is about and roughly what you plan to charge, I can also tell you which platform will leave you with the most money per sale.

If you’re starting your first online course with almost no budget, I’d prioritize no monthly cost + no platform cut + easy setup. The best fit is usually:

🥇 Best overall: Thinkific

• Why: It has a beginner-friendly course builder and is designed specifically for online courses.
• Budget advantage: A free option has been widely reported as offering a way to launch a course without monthly fees and with no platform transaction fee (you still pay normal payment processor fees like Stripe/PayPal processing). course.coach
• Good for: A first structured course with videos, lessons, quizzes, and student tracking.
• Downside: Free tiers typically limit advanced features like branding, marketing tools, and multiple courses. course.coach

🥈 Simplest “sell something tomorrow” option: Gumroad

• Why: No monthly subscription; you can upload a product/course and start selling.
• Good for: Testing an idea quickly, especially if you already have an audience.
• Downside: It’s more of a digital storefront than a full classroom experience, and it takes a percentage of sales. courseprofitlab.com

🥉 Good if you want a marketplace: Udemy

• Why: You can publish without paying upfront and potentially reach existing learners.
• Downside: You have less control over pricing, branding, and customer relationships because Udemy is the marketplace. www.savingsec.com

I would avoid at the beginning:

• Kajabi — excellent, but expensive for a first experiment. picklogic.co
• Paying for a website, email software, funnels, and course software before you have students.

My shoestring recommendation:

1. Create your first course on Thinkific.
2. Make a small “starter” version (for example, 5–10 lessons).
3. Get your first 10–20 students.
4. Upgrade tools only when revenue proves you need them.

If you tell me your course topic (fitness, business, crafts, software, language, etc.) and whether you already have an audience, I can narrow the choice further.

If you’re starting with a shoestring budget, I’d prioritize $0 monthly cost + low/no revenue cuts over fancy features. The best choice depends on whether you already have an audience.

Best beginner options

picklogic.cocourse.coach

My recommendation for a first course

If you have $0 to spend and want to validate the idea:

• Start with Gumroad or a similar simple storefront.
• Upload a short course (for example, 5–10 lessons).
• Sell to your existing network, email list, LinkedIn audience, or community.
• Upgrade later only after you prove people will pay. courseprofitlab.com

If you want a more professional “school” experience from day one:

• Start with Thinkific if its current free offering fits your needs. It is designed around structured courses rather than just selling files. course.coach

Avoid early on

• Expensive all-in-one platforms like Kajabi — excellent, but usually hard to justify before you have steady sales. www.logicalrefer.com
• Building your own WordPress LMS — it can look cheap initially but often costs time and maintenance.

A lean first setup could be:

1. Course platform: Thinkific or Gumroad
2. Video hosting: unlisted YouTube/Vimeo or platform hosting
3. Payments: Stripe/PayPal
4. Marketing: free email list + social media

If you tell me (1) your course topic, (2) expected price (e.g., $19 vs $499), and (3) whether you already have an audience, I can narrow it to the best fit.

If you’re starting your first online course on a shoestring budget, I’d focus less on “the most powerful platform” and more on avoiding monthly bills until you prove people will buy.

Here are the best low-cost options:

My recommendation by situation:

• You have $0 to spend and just want to validate the idea: Start with Gumroad. You can create a product page and sell without a monthly subscription; the tradeoff is a sales fee. courseprofitlab.com
• You want students to have a proper classroom experience: Start with Thinkific if its free option meets your needs. It’s more course-focused than a simple storefront. picklogic.cowww.logicalrefer.comcourseprofitlab.com
• You already have an audience (email list, YouTube, social following): A dedicated course platform like Thinkific or Teachable can make sense because you’re bringing your own buyers. paidtier.com

A shoestring launch setup could be:

1. Record lessons with your phone or basic screen recorder.
2. Host videos privately (or upload directly to your platform).
3. Create a simple sales page.
4. Get your first 10–20 students.
5. Upgrade only after revenue justifies it.

For a first course, I’d personally shortlist Thinkific (for a true course) or Gumroad (for the cheapest test). picklogic.cowww.logicalrefer.comcourseprofitlab.com

What kind of course are you making (fitness, business, software, tutoring, hobby, etc.)? The best platform changes a lot depending on whether you need quizzes, community, certificates, or just video lessons.

If you’re starting your first course on a shoestring budget, I’d choose Payhip—but with one important clarification: there really aren’t many reputable course platforms that charge literally 0% platform fees with $0/month.

My pick: Payhip

Payhip is probably the best beginner compromise:

• $0/month on the Free Forever plan
• 5% platform fee per sale
• Unlimited products and revenue
• Includes course hosting features, quizzes, downloads, drip content, branding, etc. payhip.com
• You still pay the normal Stripe/PayPal processing fees.
• You can even offer the course for free while you're building an audience. help.payhip.com

If you mean absolutely no platform fee

There are some options, but they usually have a catch:

My advice: don't optimize for 0% fees yet. If you're making $0–$500/month, avoiding a monthly subscription is generally more valuable than saving a few percentage points on transactions.

For example, on a $100 sale, Payhip's 5% platform fee is $5. That's much easier to swallow than committing to a $30–$100+ monthly platform before you know whether people will buy your course.

I'd start with Payhip, launch your first course, and only move to a 0%-platform-fee paid plan once your sales justify it. Payhip's $99/month Pro plan currently removes its platform transaction fee. payhip.comwww.ruzuku.com

If you tell me what your course is about and roughly what you'd charge (e.g. $29, $99, $299), I can tell you which platform would leave you with the most money at your expected sales volume.