ChatGPT answers, unedited

For occasional workshop sellers, I’d prioritize no monthly fee, easy checkout, and low maintenance over having a full “online school” platform. My top picks:

Best overall: Payhip

Best fit if you run a few workshops a year and want a real course storefront. SaaSpicious

• ✅ Free to start
• ✅ Can sell courses, downloads, memberships, and coaching
• ✅ Lets you host course content instead of just taking payment
• ✅ Lower free-tier transaction fee than some competitors (commonly listed as 5%, plus payment processing) SaaSpicious PassiveKit
• ❌ You bring your own audience (less marketplace discovery)

Good for: “I teach a weekend workshop every few months and want a simple page where people enroll.”

Simplest setup: Gumroad

Best if your workshops are occasional and you mostly need a payment link. LaunchAdvisor

• ✅ No monthly subscription
• ✅ Very fast to set up
• ✅ Good for PDFs, recordings, templates, and simple courses
• ❌ Less of a traditional course-learning experience
• ❌ Per-sale fees can add up if you grow ToolSkeptic

Good for: “I have a workshop recording or a one-off class and just need to sell access.”

Best if you become a regular course creator: Podia

Better once workshops become a meaningful business line. Podia

• ✅ Strong course hosting
• ✅ Email marketing and memberships
• ✅ More polished student experience
• ❌ Monthly cost makes less sense for occasional sellers ToolSkeptic

Good for: “I’m running workshops every month and building an audience.”

My recommendation for your situation

Since you said “occasionally” and “no-fee”, I’d choose:

1. Payhip — if you want a course-style storefront with lessons and student access.
2. Gumroad — if you just need a checkout page and don’t want any monthly commitment.
3. Podia — only when sales become frequent enough to justify a subscription.

A couple of questions would change the answer:

• Are your workshops live (Zoom/in-person) or self-paced recorded courses?
• Do you need the platform to host videos, or just take payments and send confirmation emails?
• Roughly how many sales do you expect per workshop (10, 50, 200+)?

For occasional course/workshop sellers, I’d pick Payhip.

Why Payhip is my pick

• Its Free Forever plan is $0/month, with all features, unlimited products, and unlimited revenue. payhip.com
• It specifically supports online courses, including video, files, quizzes, assignments, drip content, and completion certificates. payhip.com
• You can create a storefront without paying for a separate website.
• Since you're selling only occasionally, you avoid paying a subscription during months when you have no workshops.
• The 5% platform fee is considerably lower than Gumroad's current 10% + $0.50 direct-sale fee, before payment-processing costs. payhip.compayhip.comgumroad.com

Example: If you sell a $100 workshop, Payhip's platform fee is $5, whereas Gumroad's is $10.50 before payment-processing charges.

When I'd choose Gumroad instead

Choose Gumroad if your priority is absolute simplicity and you don't need much course-specific functionality. It has no monthly fee, supports courses, and can also expose products through its Discover marketplace. gumroad.com

My recommendation for you: Payhip if you're actually hosting a course/workshop; Gumroad if you're essentially selling a simple ticket/product with downloadable or streaming content.

Payhip · Gumroad

For occasional course/workshop sellers, I’d pick Payhip.

My ranking

Why Payhip wins for you: its free plan includes all features, unlimited products, and unlimited revenue—you pay 5% only when you make a sale, plus normal Stripe/PayPal processing. It also supports online courses, so you don't need to cobble together a checkout and course-delivery system. payhip.com

Payhip

Gumroad is my second choice if you care more about absolute simplicity than fees. There's no monthly charge, but the current direct-sale fee is 10% + $0.50 per transaction, plus card processing. Gumroad also acts as merchant of record for applicable sales taxes, which can be a meaningful convenience. payhip.comgumroad.com

Gumroad

For your particular use case

If you're thinking something like “I might run 3–8 workshops a year, I don't want another subscription, and I just want people to click a link, pay, and get the course/workshop info”, I'd use Payhip.

If your workshops are live/in-person rather than self-paced online courses, I can also compare Payhip with Eventbrite, Luma, and Squarespace—the answer changes a bit for ticketing and event logistics.

For occasional course/workshop sellers, I’d pick Payhip.

• Payhip — best overall: $0/month on its Free plan, with a 5% platform fee per sale plus payment processing. Crucially, the free plan includes its online-course builder, so you can host videos, files, quizzes, assignments, drip content, and certificates without paying a subscription. payhip.com
• Gumroad — simplest alternative: $0/month, but its direct-sale fee is higher (currently 10% + $0.50, with processing depending on the transaction). Its advantage is Gumroad Discover, which can potentially expose you to buyers you don't already reach. latuos.com
• Stan Store — probably overkill: starts around $29/month, so it makes more sense for someone selling regularly through social media rather than running an occasional workshop. boldtake.io

My recommendation

Start with Payhip Free. If you only run a workshop every few months, there's no reason to carry a monthly subscription. You can make a simple course landing page, take payment, and give attendees access to the course materials.

The main caveat: Payhip doesn't have a marketplace, so you'll need to send people your own link (email, LinkedIn, social media, etc.). If discovering new customers is more important than minimizing fees, I'd consider Gumroad instead. www.passivekit.com

Payhip · Gumroad

If you tell me roughly what you charge per workshop and how many you sell per year, I can tell you which is cheapest in actual dollars.

For occasional course/workshop sellers, I’d pick Payhip.

My ranking

Why Payhip fits you best: its free plan includes online courses, a hosted storefront, unlimited products, and unlimited revenue; you only pay the 5% platform fee when you sell. payhip.com

That makes it particularly attractive if you might go weeks or months without selling anything. You don't have to keep paying a $30–$100/month subscription just to keep your storefront alive.

Gumroad is the runner-up. It's arguably even simpler, and it has no monthly charge, but its current direct-sale fee is 10% + $0.50, substantially more than Payhip. gumroad.com

One important distinction: if your "workshops" are live Zoom/in-person workshops with a registration/payment page, rather than self-paced online courses, I'd make a slightly different recommendation.

If you tell me (1) typical workshop price, (2) whether they're live or self-paced, and (3) roughly how many you sell per year, I can tell you which platform is cheapest and simplest for your particular situation.

For occasional workshops, I’d pick Payhip.

My ranking

Why Payhip wins for you: its free plan has all features, unlimited products, and unlimited revenue, with a 5% transaction fee rather than a monthly subscription. It explicitly supports courses, bundles, memberships and coaching, so you can have a workshop storefront without paying during months when you don't sell anything. payhip.com

Payhip

Ko-fi is a close second. It's particularly nice if your workshops are more like "here's my link, sign up for this event." Its Shop has no listing fees or monthly charge and takes 5% on sales, with payments going directly to your PayPal/Stripe account. ko-fi.com

Ko-fi

Gumroad is attractive if you want more hands-off tax administration: Gumroad acts as merchant of record and handles sales-tax collection/remittance, but its direct-sale fee is considerably higher at 10% + $0.50 per transaction (plus payment processing). payhip.comko-fi.comgumroad.com

Gumroad

For your particular situation

If you're teaching, say, 4–10 workshops a year, I'd start with Payhip Free. You can make a page for each workshop, take payment, deliver course materials, and avoid a subscription when you're inactive.

If your workshops are live Zoom/in-person events rather than self-paced courses, I can also compare Payhip vs. Ko-fi vs. Eventbrite specifically for registration, payment, attendee management, and fees.

For occasional course/workshop sellers, I’d pick Payhip.

Why Payhip is my pick

Payhip has a Free Forever plan with no monthly charge, unlimited products, and all features; it takes 5% per sale, plus the normal Stripe/PayPal processing fee. payhip.com

That's particularly good for your situation: if you run three workshops one month and nothing for the next six months, you don't pay anything while you're inactive.

It also supports things useful for workshops—coupons, pay-what-you-want pricing, digital/video content, and customer updates. payhip.com

Why I'd put Gumroad second

Gumroad is arguably even simpler, and it has no monthly fee. But its direct-sale fee is 10% + $0.50 per transaction, substantially higher than Payhip's 5%. gumroad.com

Why I wouldn't choose Teachable

Teachable is much more course-oriented, but the Starter plan currently costs $39/month when billed monthly ($29/month annually) and takes 7.5% per sale. support.teachable.com That's hard to justify if you're only selling occasionally.

Bottom line: Start with Payhip Free. It gives you a storefront without committing to a subscription, and you can upgrade to $29/month + 2% later if your workshop sales become regular. payhip.com

If you tell me what your workshops look like (live Zoom sessions, in-person workshops, prerecorded courses, or a mix), I can narrow it down further—because the best platform changes depending on how you deliver the course.

For occasional workshop/course sellers, I’d pick Payhip.

Best fit: Payhip

• $0/month on the Free Forever plan.
• 5% transaction fee per sale, plus the normal Stripe/PayPal processing fee.
• The free plan includes all features, including courses, unlimited products, and unlimited revenue. payhip.com
• You can create a simple storefront without maintaining a separate website.
• It supports courses, coaching, memberships, digital downloads, etc. payhip.com
• Particularly nice for your use case because you can leave the store sitting there and only pay when someone actually buys.

Runner-up: Gumroad

Gumroad is arguably even simpler, and it has a built-in Discover marketplace, which can help people find your courses. But its current direct-sale fee is 10% + $0.50 per transaction, plus payment processing, so it's substantially more expensive for most workshop sales. gumroad.com

My quick verdict

For example, on a $100 workshop, Payhip's platform fee is $5, whereas Gumroad's is $10.50 before payment-processing considerations. gumroad.compayhip.com

So for someone who teaches workshops only occasionally, I'd start with Payhip Free. You don't need to commit to a monthly subscription, and you get the actual course-hosting/storefront functionality rather than having to cobble together checkout + video hosting + a website.

If your "courses" are actually live Zoom-style workshops rather than self-paced video courses, the best choice changes a bit—I can compare the best no-monthly-fee options specifically for that model.

For occasional workshops, I’d pick Payhip.

Payhip's free plan gives you unlimited products and revenue, with a 5% transaction fee; it supports online courses as well as digital products. payhip.com

Why I'd choose Payhip for you

If you might sell one workshop this month and nothing for the next three months, you don't want a $30–$50 monthly subscription sitting there during the quiet periods. Payhip lets you keep the storefront without a monthly charge and only takes a percentage when you sell. payhip.com

It also gives you more course functionality than a basic digital-download storefront: you can structure lessons and sell the course itself rather than cobbling together a checkout page and file delivery.

Gumroad is my runner-up if your workshops are extremely simple. It also has no monthly fee, but its current fee is 10% per sale, so Payhip is generally more economical if you're bringing your own workshop customers. gumroad.com

Bottom line:
👉 Payhip if you want a simple storefront + actual course delivery.
👉 Gumroad if you want the absolute simplest “here's my workshop, pay me” setup.
👉 Skip Podia/Teachable until you're selling often enough that their extra course/business features justify a recurring subscription.

Payhip Gumroad pricing

For occasional course/workshop sellers, I’d pick Payhip.

My ranking

Why Payhip wins for you: its free plan is genuinely $0/month, has all features, unlimited products and revenue, and supports actual online courses—not just selling a PDF or video file. It charges 5% per transaction, plus the normal PayPal/Stripe processing fee. payhip.comgumroad.compayhip.com

That makes it particularly good if you might teach one workshop this month and nothing for the next two months: there is no subscription quietly eating into your revenue.

Gumroad is the runner-up. It's extremely simple and has no monthly charge, but its current fee is 10% + $0.50 per direct sale, and its course functionality is less purpose-built than Payhip's. payhip.comgumroad.compayhip.com

One important distinction

If by "courses" you mean live Zoom workshops, rather than self-paced courses, I'd still lean Payhip: you can sell the workshop through the storefront and provide the Zoom details/materials afterward. If you mean self-paced video courses with quizzes, progress tracking, certificates, etc., Payhip is also surprisingly capable on the free tier. payhip.comgumroad.compayhip.com

Bottom line: start with Payhip. You get a professional-looking storefront without committing to a monthly bill, and you can move to the $29/month plan later if your sales volume makes the lower 2% transaction fee worthwhile. payhip.com

For occasional course/workshop sellers, I’d pick Payhip.

Why Payhip is the best fit

• $0/month on the free plan — you pay 5% per sale, plus the normal Stripe/PayPal processing fee. payhip.com
• It has actual course functionality, not just a checkout page: lessons, videos, quizzes, downloads, drip content, student accounts, certificates, and payment plans. payhip.com
• You get the storefront and sales page, so you don't need to build a separate website. payhip.com
• There's no need to commit to a subscription when you're only running a workshop every so often.

Payhip

The main alternative: Gumroad

Gumroad is also $0/month, and it's very easy to use, but its fee is considerably higher: 10% + $0.50 per direct transaction, before payment-processing costs. gumroad.comgumroad.com It does support courses, memberships, and other digital products. gumroad.com

So I'd rank them:

My recommendation: Start with Payhip's free plan. For someone selling a workshop occasionally, the absence of a monthly fee matters more than having a sophisticated creator-business platform. If your workshops become frequent enough that the 5% fee adds up, you can reassess later. payhip.com

If your workshops are live Zoom/in-person events rather than self-paced courses, the best choice changes somewhat—I can compare the simplest no-monthly-fee options specifically for taking workshop registrations and payments.

For an occasional workshop seller, I’d prioritize no monthly commitment, easy setup, and low friction for students over advanced “online school” features. The best choice depends on whether you mean live workshops, self-paced courses, or just a checkout page for occasional events.

My shortlist:

My recommendation for your situation:

• 1–5 workshops per year: Start with Gumroad (or a similar pay-as-you-go storefront). You avoid paying during months when you sell nothing. www.savingsec.com
• Monthly workshops or a growing catalog: Use Podia or Thinkific so students get a more professional course portal. picklogic.cocourse.coach
• Mostly live Zoom workshops: Consider pairing a simple payment page with your existing Zoom workflow rather than paying for a full LMS.

A few questions would change the recommendation:

1. Are your workshops live (Zoom/in-person) or self-paced recordings?
2. Roughly how often do you sell them (a few times/year vs monthly)?
3. Do you need certificates, email marketing, or student discussion areas?

For occasional workshops, I’d prioritize no monthly fee, quick setup, and only paying when you sell rather than a full “online school” platform. A few good fits:

My pick for your situation:

• 1–10 workshops/year, mostly live Zoom or in-person: Gumroad or Payhip. Create a sales page, collect payment, send attendees the details. Lowest commitment. theguidex.comcourse.coachwww.savingsec.com
• You want recordings, modules, quizzes, student logins: Thinkific. theguidex.comcourse.coachwww.savingsec.com
• You expect workshops to become a regular business: Podia or Teachable. theguidex.comcourse.coachwww.savingsec.com

For an occasional workshop instructor, I’d avoid platforms like Kajabi unless you already have a steady audience; they’re designed for creators running a larger education business rather than someone opening a few workshop seats now and then. www.savingsec.com

A useful question: are your workshops live (Zoom/in-person with scheduled dates) or self-paced courses people buy anytime? That changes the best choice quite a bit.

For occasional workshop/course sellers, I’d pick Payhip.

🥇 My pick: Payhip

Payhip has a genuinely free plan with unlimited products and unlimited revenue, charging 5% only when you make a sale (plus the normal Stripe/PayPal processing fee). payhip.compayhip.comko-fi.com

That's a particularly good fit if you might sell one workshop this month and nothing for the next three months—there's no subscription sitting there eating money.

It also gives you more than just a payment link: you can use it for digital products, courses, coupons, mailing-list integrations, and an embedded checkout. payhip.com

🥈 Ko-fi if you want really simple

Ko-fi is excellent if your workshop is basically "here's my page → here's the workshop → pay → get access/link." Its free tier has no monthly fee and charges 5% on shop sales. ko-fi.com

🥉 Gumroad

Gumroad is extremely easy, but its current fee is 10% + $0.50 per direct transaction, plus payment processing, so I'd choose Payhip for most occasional sellers. gumroad.com

Bottom line: If by "courses" you mean actual video/lesson courses, I'd start with Payhip. If you mainly need a simple checkout page for occasional live Zoom/in-person workshops, I'd seriously consider Ko-fi.

If you tell me whether your workshops are live (Zoom/in-person) or self-paced, I can narrow it down to the best 1–2 options.