ChatGPT answers, unedited

For a tiny nonprofit, I’d avoid paying for a full LMS at first. A low-cost stack can handle donations + paid training without a monthly platform bill.

My shortlist

Zeffy is particularly compelling for the nonprofit side: it says nonprofits pay no platform, transaction, or card fees, with its costs covered by optional donor contributions. Zeffy Zeffy

For the courses, Communi is worth a serious look. It has a course builder with modules, lessons, drip scheduling, certificates, course landing pages, and paid courses, while charging 0% platform transaction fees; you still pay the normal payment-processor fee. Communi

Ko-fi is the cheapest/simple option if your training is more like downloadable materials, workshops, tutorials, or membership content than a formal LMS. One-time tips can have 0% Ko-fi service fee, while shop sales and memberships carry 5%, plus payment-processing fees. Ko-fi Help Ko-fi

For donations specifically, Every.org also has no platform fee. Its current processing costs vary by payment method—for example, ACH is free and U.S. card donations are listed at 2.2% + $0.30. Every.org

What I'd do in your situation

If you want the fewest moving parts:
Communi for courses + payments, and potentially link a dedicated Zeffy donation page for tax-deductible donations.

If minimizing cost is the absolute priority:
Zeffy for donations + a free/very inexpensive course host is likely better than trying to force one platform to do everything.

One important distinction: “0% platform fee” doesn't necessarily mean “0% total fees.” Payment processors such as Stripe/PayPal can still charge processing fees.

If you tell me roughly how many learners you have (e.g. 20, 100, 500), whether courses are video-based, and whether you're a U.S. 501(c)(3), I can narrow this to 2–3 concrete setups and estimate your actual monthly/annual cost.

For a tiny nonprofit offering low-cost training, I’d avoid all-in-one “creator” platforms that take a percentage of every sale. The cheapest setup is often a simple course platform + a separate donation/payment tool.

Here are good low-cost options:

For donations with no platform fee, consider nonprofit-focused tools such as:

• zeffy.com — offers nonprofit fundraising tools with no platform fees; it is supported through optional donor contributions. Zeffy Help Center Zeffy
• better.giving — nonprofit-focused donation tools with a no-platform-fee model. Better Giving
• every.org — nonprofit fundraising platform with no platform fee (payment processor fees may still apply depending on method). Every.org Every.org

My practical recommendation for a tiny nonprofit

Lowest-cost, sustainable setup:

1. Website: WordPress (or your existing site)
2. Courses: Moodle (if you have technical help) or a WordPress LMS plugin
3. Course payments: Stripe/PayPal directly (avoid revenue-sharing platforms)
4. Donations: Zeffy or Better Giving
5. Certificates: LMS plugin feature or free certificate tools

If you have fewer than ~100 learners/year, I’d lean toward WordPress + a lightweight LMS + Zeffy. It keeps ownership of your learners, avoids monthly SaaS bills, and lets you accept both donations and low-cost course fees.

A few details would change the recommendation:

• Do you already have a website (WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, etc.)?
• Roughly how many learners per year?
• Do you need certificates, quizzes, live Zoom sessions, or just video/PDF lessons?
• Are your “paid courses” more like $10–$50 community classes or higher-priced professional training?

For a tiny nonprofit, I’d prioritize $0/month + no platform cut, while accepting normal payment-processing fees (Stripe/PayPal/card fees). That combination is surprisingly hard to find.

My picks

• Best overall: Payhip — if a 5% platform fee is acceptable initially. Its free plan is $0/month and includes unlimited products, but Payhip takes 5% per transaction, plus Stripe/PayPal processing. It supports courses and “pay what you want” pricing. Payhip Payhip Help Center

payhip.com

• Best if “no platform fee” is non-negotiable: Teachable Builder — but it isn't cheap. It currently costs $89/month monthly ($69/month annually) and has 0% platform transaction fees; payment-processing fees still apply. That's probably too expensive for a tiny nonprofit unless you have substantial course revenue. Teachable Teachable Help Center

teachable.com

• Gumroad — easy, but I'd avoid it for your situation. There is no monthly fee, but it takes 10% + $0.50 per transaction on direct sales, plus payment processing. It does support pay-what-you-want pricing, which is useful for donations. Gumroad Gumroad

gumroad.com

What I'd actually do

For a small nonprofit offering low-cost training, I'd probably use a two-part setup rather than paying for an all-in-one course platform:

Course delivery: a free/very-low-cost LMS or your existing website
Payments/donations: a nonprofit-friendly payment processor/payment form that charges only payment-processing fees

That way, you don't sacrifice 5–10% of every $10–$30 course sale to a platform.

If you tell me (1) roughly how many students you expect, (2) whether courses are video-based or mostly PDFs/live sessions, and (3) whether you're a U.S. 501(c)(3), I can narrow this down to 2–3 genuinely cheap setups with the exact fees.

For a tiny nonprofit offering low-cost courses, I’d avoid trying to find one platform that does everything perfectly. The cheapest setup is usually one free course platform + one genuinely fee-free nonprofit donation platform.

My top pick: Zeffy + a free course platform

zeffy.com is particularly attractive for your donations. It charges nonprofits $0 in platform, transaction, and credit-card fees; instead, it is funded by optional donor contributions. You receive 100% of the donation. Zeffy Zeffy

For courses, I'd look at:

• moodle.org — free/open-source and extremely capable. Best if you have someone technical who can host/manage it.
• wordpress.org + a free LMS plugin — good if you already have a WordPress site and want courses integrated into it. You'd still need a payment processor for course purchases.
• payhip.com — much easier for a tiny team, but not zero-fee: its free plan takes a transaction fee, so it doesn't meet your "no platform fees" requirement as well as the others.

If you want one simple fundraising platform

givebutter.com is worth considering. Its current Standard pricing can be $0 to the nonprofit when optional donor tips are enabled; processing costs can also be presented to donors as optional. Givebutter Help Center

However, I wouldn't choose it as your primary course-delivery system. It's better suited to fundraising than running a structured learning program.

Another excellent donation option

every.org has 0% platform fees and supports recurring donations and multiple giving methods. Card processing still has fees for some payment methods, though ACH, stock, and DAF donations can be free. Every.org

What I'd do in your shoes

Important distinction: "no platform fees" doesn't necessarily mean no payment-processing fees. Zeffy is unusual because it says it covers those fees itself. For paid courses, you'll generally still encounter card-processing costs unless your payment provider/platform explicitly absorbs them.

If you tell me (1) roughly how many students you have, (2) whether courses are live Zoom classes or self-paced, and (3) whether you already have a website, I can narrow this down to 2–3 specific setups that would cost you almost nothing per month.

For a tiny nonprofit, I’d prioritize zero monthly cost + zero platform fee, even if you have to use two tools rather than one.

My top pick: Zeffy + a simple course host

zeffy.com is unusually good for the donation/payment side. It charges nonprofits $0 platform fees and $0 payment-processing fees, including credit-card fees. It funds itself through an optional donor contribution at checkout. Zeffy Zeffy

It also supports things like donations, memberships, events, ticketing, and an online store, so you could potentially use it to sell access to training rather than maintaining a conventional LMS. Zeffy Zeffy

The catch: Zeffy isn't really a full-featured course/LMS platform. If you need quizzes, progress tracking, certificates, drip lessons, etc., I'd pair it with a cheap/free LMS and use Zeffy for payments.

If you want everything in one place

communi.com is worth looking at. It has courses, community, events, and payments in one platform, and says course sales have 0% platform transaction fees—you pay only the payment processor's normal fee. Communi

That's attractive if your training program is becoming a real ongoing learning community, although it's not as compelling as Zeffy if your overriding goal is absolutely minimal cost.

Another excellent donation option

oss.better.giving is a nonprofit itself and offers fundraising tools for $0, with no platform fee. It can also be self-hosted as open-source software. Better Giving

What I'd do in your shoes

Bottom line: If you're genuinely tiny and cash-constrained, I'd start with Zeffy and avoid paying for a sophisticated LMS until your course volume justifies it. The fact that Zeffy covers payment-processing costs as well as its own platform fees is particularly compelling for a small nonprofit. support.zeffy.com

If you tell me (1) roughly how many students you expect, (2) whether courses are live or self-paced, and (3) whether you're a U.S. 501(c)(3), I can narrow this down to the 2–3 cheapest setups and calculate what you'd actually pay per $100 course sale.

If your priorities are $0 platform fees, very low cost, and both donations + paid training, I’d avoid Patreon and most conventional course platforms. Patreon, for example, charges new creators a 10% platform fee. Patreon Help Center Patreon Help Center

My top picks

Zeffy would be my first choice for you. It says nonprofits pay no platform, transaction, or credit-card fees, with Zeffy covering the processing costs; donors can optionally tip Zeffy. It also offers an online store, so you can sell things such as training registrations/products without adding a platform fee. Zeffy Zeffy

The catch is that Zeffy isn't really a full learning-management system. If you need students to log in, watch modules, take quizzes, track completion, receive certificates, etc., I'd use a separate inexpensive/free course host and connect its checkout to your nonprofit payment system.

A particularly good low-cost setup

I'd consider:

Zeffy + a free/low-cost course platform

• Zeffy → donations, paid workshop registrations, memberships, simple products.
• Course platform → course videos, lessons, student accounts, quizzes, certificates.
• Link the two together with an enrollment workflow, or simply email students their course access after purchase.

For fundraising specifically, Givebutter is another strong option: with its optional-tip model enabled, it advertises 0% platform fees and 0% processing fees to the nonprofit, with its guarantee covering processing costs donors don't cover. Givebutter

One important distinction: “no platform fee” doesn't necessarily mean no cost anywhere. Some services still charge payment-processing fees, while Zeffy currently says it absorbs those fees itself. Zeffy

If you tell me (1) roughly how many courses/students you have, (2) whether courses are video/self-paced or live Zoom-style training, and (3) whether you're a U.S. 501(c)(3), I can narrow this to 2–3 specific setups that cost you essentially $0/month.

For a tiny nonprofit, I’d avoid traditional LMS platforms unless you really need sophisticated quizzes, certificates, progress tracking, etc. Many of the familiar course platforms have moved away from genuinely free plans. Ruzuku

My top pick: Zeffy + a simple course platform

Zeffy is especially attractive for the donation side. It charges nonprofits $0 platform fees and $0 payment-processing fees, including credit-card fees; it funds itself through optional donor contributions. Zeffy Zeffy

For paid courses, I'd pair it with a very inexpensive/free course host rather than forcing the fundraising platform to do both jobs.

Ruzuku's free plan currently allows unlimited courses but only 5 participants, while Systeme.io's free tier includes one course, up to 2,000 contacts, and 0% transaction fees according to its current published comparison. FreshLearn's free tier supports up to 25 students with 0% transaction fees. Ruzuku

If you want one fundraising platform

Givebutter is another excellent choice. With optional donor tips enabled, Givebutter says nonprofits pay 0% platform fees and $0 processing costs, with its guarantee covering processing costs that donors don't cover. It also provides donation forms, CRM, campaigns, events, and other fundraising tools. Givebutter Help Center GiveButter

However, I wouldn't choose Givebutter as the course platform itself. I'd use it for fundraising and connect your course checkout to it only if the integration makes sense for your workflow.

Another excellent donation-only option

Every.org has no platform fees and is permanently free for nonprofits. It charges reduced payment-processing rates—for example, 2.2% + $0.30 for Visa/Mastercard/Discover—and ACH donations are free. Every.org

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with:

Zeffy → donations
Systeme.io → courses, landing pages, email, checkout

That gives you a very low-cost setup without committing to a $50–$100+/month LMS. You can keep your donation operation completely separate from course sales, and upgrade the course side only when your enrollment justifies it.

One caveat: "no platform fees" doesn't necessarily mean literally zero cost everywhere. Payment processing, optional donor tips, and particular payment methods can change the economics, so I'd check the exact checkout flow before committing.

If you tell me roughly how many students you expect per month (e.g. 20, 100, 500) and whether courses are self-paced or live, I can narrow this down to the cheapest 2–3 setups and estimate what you'd actually pay.

For a tiny nonprofit offering low-cost training, I’d avoid a traditional LMS if keeping costs near zero is the priority. The best setup may be one tool for donations + one lightweight course platform.

My top picks

Zeffy is particularly compelling for your donations: it says nonprofits pay no platform, transaction, or card fees, with the costs covered by optional donor tips. Zeffy

For courses, Thinkific's free tier is worth considering if you're starting with a single course; current comparisons list its free plan at $0 with one course and 0% transaction fees. Course.Coach

Ko-fi is attractive if your "courses" can be delivered as downloadable materials, videos, or memberships rather than needing a conventional LMS. Its free option charges 0% on one-time tips but 5% on shop sales, memberships, and other paid features, plus payment-processing fees. Ko-fi Help

What I'd choose

If you're U.S.-based and genuinely tiny, I'd start with:

Zeffy + Thinkific Free

• Zeffy: donation page, recurring donations, fundraising.
• Thinkific: your paid training course.
• Put both links on your existing website.
• Keep your prices low while you validate demand.
• Upgrade the course platform only when the free tier becomes limiting.

If you want everything in one place, tell me roughly how many courses/students you expect (e.g. 1 course/50 students vs. 10 courses/500 students) and whether you're a U.S. 501(c)(3). I can narrow it down to the cheapest 2–3 options, including nonprofit discounts and payment-processing costs.

Zeffy is particularly compelling for your donations: it says nonprofits pay no platform, transaction, or card fees, with the costs covered by optional donor tips. Zeffy

For courses, Thinkific's free tier is worth considering if you're starting with a single course; current comparisons list its free plan at $0 with one course and 0% transaction fees. course.coach

Ko-fi is attractive if your "courses" can be delivered as downloadable materials, videos, or memberships rather than needing a conventional LMS. Its free option charges 0% on one-time tips but 5% on shop sales, memberships, and other paid features, plus payment-processing fees.

What I'd choose

If you're U.S.-based and genuinely tiny, I'd start with:

Zeffy + Thinkific Free

For a tiny nonprofit offering low-cost training, I’d avoid most “all-in-one” LMS/fundraising platforms. They often charge monthly fees, transaction fees, or take a percentage of course sales. A low-cost stack is usually better: one tool for courses + one for donations.

Here are the options I’d shortlist:

My recommended setup for a tiny nonprofit

Option A: Lowest cost / most ownership

• Website: WordPress
• Courses: Moodle or a WordPress LMS plugin
• Payments: Stripe or PayPal
• Donations: a nonprofit donation processor

This keeps your data, branding, and learner relationships under your control.

Option B: Easiest to run with minimal staff time

• Courses: Ruzuku (especially if you value support and simplicity) Ruzuku
• Donations: a dedicated nonprofit donation tool such as: - Zeffy — advertises no platform fees for nonprofits and relies on optional donor contributions Zeffy
• Every.org — offers nonprofit fundraising with no platform fees (payment processing rules vary by method) Every.org

If “no platform fees” is the top priority

I’d lean toward:

1. WordPress + Moodle + Stripe + Zeffy/Every.org

• Lowest ongoing cost
• No percentage taken from course revenue by the platform
• More setup work
• Ruzuku + Zeffy

• Much easier
• More predictable for a tiny team
• Some software cost, but no course transaction fees from Ruzuku Ruzuku

A few questions would change the recommendation:

• How many learners do you expect per year (50, 500, 5,000)?
• Are courses self-paced, live Zoom-style, or both?
• Do you need certificates, quizzes, and learner tracking?
• Do you already have a website (WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, etc.)?

Yes. For a tiny nonprofit, I’d avoid traditional LMS platforms that take a cut of course sales and instead use a very lightweight stack.

My top picks

🥇 What I'd choose

If your courses are fairly simple: Ko-fi is probably the easiest starting point. You can have one public page where people can donate, buy downloadable course materials, and access supporter content. The free version has 0% service fees on one-time tips, but charges 5% on shop sales, memberships, and similar transactions; payment-processor fees still apply. Ko-fi Ko-fi Help

ko-fi.com

If donations are the bigger priority: Zeffy is particularly compelling for a nonprofit. It advertises $0 platform fees and $0 payment-processing fees to the nonprofit, with optional donor contributions supporting Zeffy's model. Zeffy Zeffy

zeffy.com

Givebutter is another excellent donation/event option. With optional donor tips enabled, it currently says nonprofits pay 0% platform fees and 0% processing fees, backed by its guarantee. Givebutter Givebutter Help Center

givebutter.com

The setup I'd recommend for you

Rather than forcing one platform to do everything:

Website → course page → course payment → course materials/LMS

and

Website → Donate → Zeffy or Givebutter

That lets you use a genuinely zero-platform-fee donation system while choosing a separate inexpensive course tool based on how sophisticated your training needs to be.

If you tell me (1) whether your courses are live, prerecorded, or both, (2) roughly how many students you have, and (3) whether you need quizzes/certificates, I can narrow this down to 2–3 specific platforms that would cost you the least, including options that are free for nonprofits.

For a tiny nonprofit, I’d avoid the usual Teachable/Thinkific-style LMSs. You can get a much better cost structure by separating course delivery from donations, or choosing an all-in-one platform with genuinely $0 platform fees.

My top pick: Ruzuku + Zeffy

For paid courses: ruzuku.com

• $0 to start.
• Unlimited courses.
• 0% platform/transaction fee; you pay only Stripe/PayPal processing.
• The free plan allows up to 5 paying students, so it's particularly good for piloting your first course.
• Ruzuku also offers nonprofits 30% off paid annual plans, with Core currently $58/month after the nonprofit discount. Ruzuku Ruzuku

For donations: zeffy.com

• $0 platform fee.
• $0 transaction/card fee to your nonprofit.
• Zeffy covers the payment-processing costs.
• Donors are given the option to make an optional contribution to Zeffy.
• It also supports things like events, memberships and online sales, so you could potentially use it for course registration/payment in some cases. Zeffy Zeffy

That combination is probably the best fit for a very small organization that wants to spend essentially nothing until enrollment grows.

If you want everything in one place

getkursa.space is interesting. Its free tier is genuinely $0 forever, supports one published course and up to 100 active learners, and charges 0% KURSA commission. It includes course delivery, checkout, certificates, analytics and live sessions. You connect your own payment gateway, so normal processor fees still apply. KURSA

That's probably the strongest all-in-one $0 option I'd investigate first if you only have one main training program.

Another interesting option: Learnomy

If you already have (or are willing to run) a WordPress website, learnomy.app has a free WordPress LMS with unlimited courses and students and 0% platform fees. You use your own Stripe/PayPal checkout. The tradeoff is that you have to manage WordPress hosting/site administration yourself. Learnomy

What I'd choose

One important distinction: “0% platform fee” doesn't necessarily mean zero payment-processing cost. With Ruzuku/KURSA, your Stripe/PayPal account generally still incurs its normal processing charge. Zeffy is unusual because it says it absorbs those processing fees for nonprofits. Ruzuku KURSA Zeffy

For your particular situation, I'd start with KURSA if you want simplicity, or Ruzuku + Zeffy if minimizing cost is the absolute priority.

For a tiny nonprofit, I’d avoid platforms that advertise “free” but take 5–10% of every course sale. The best setup depends on whether you want one platform for everything or are okay combining two simple tools.

My top picks

• better.giving — best for donations

• $0 platform fee.
• Built specifically for nonprofits.
• Recurring donations, receipts, reporting, donor data, and fee coverage are included.
• Donors can optionally cover processing costs. Better Giving
• Caveat: it's primarily a fundraising platform, not a course-hosting platform.
• payhip.com — easiest inexpensive option for courses

• Free plan with unlimited products and courses.
• However, the free plan takes 5% per transaction, so it doesn't meet your strict "no platform fees" requirement. Payhip Payhip Help Center
• Its $99/month Pro plan removes the platform fee, but that's probably excessive for a tiny nonprofit. Payhip
• WordPress + a free course plugin + a zero-platform-fee donation tool — best if you already have a website

• This can get you closest to $0 platform fees while keeping control of your content.
• For donations, missionwp.com is a free WordPress donation plugin with no setup/monthly/add-on fees; you still pay Stripe's processing fees. MissionWP
• The downside is more setup and maintenance than an all-in-one service.

What I'd choose for you

If you're very small and cost-sensitive, I'd use:

Your existing website/WordPress
→ free course system for the training
→ Better Giving for donations
→ Stripe/PayPal for payment processing

That gives you no platform percentage on donations and avoids paying $99+/month just to eliminate course-platform fees.

One important distinction: “no platform fees” doesn't mean “no fees at all.” Credit-card/payment processors will generally still charge processing fees. Better Giving, for example, says it doesn't take a platform cut, while standard payment-processing costs can still apply. Better Giving

If you tell me (1) whether you already have a website/WordPress, (2) roughly how many courses/students you expect, and (3) whether courses are video-based, I can narrow this to the cheapest 2–3 setups and estimate your actual monthly cost.

For a tiny nonprofit, I’d avoid paying for an all-in-one LMS at first. The cheapest setup is usually to separate course delivery from donations/payments.

My top recommendation: Payhip + Zeffy

• payhip.com — good for selling low-cost digital courses. It has a free plan and takes no monthly fee, though you should verify its current transaction fee on your specific plan; payment-processor fees can still apply.
• zeffy.com — excellent for your nonprofit donations. It says nonprofits pay $0 platform, transaction, and credit-card fees, with the model funded by optional donor contributions. Zeffy Zeffy

So you could have:

Your website → "Donate" → Zeffy
Your website → "Take a Course" → Payhip

That keeps costs extremely low without forcing you into an expensive LMS.

If you really want one platform

communi.com is worth investigating. It has built-in course creation and selling, and currently advertises 0% platform transaction fees, with only the normal payment-processor charges. However, it isn't necessarily free—the 0% refers to transaction fees, not the subscription price. Communi

For donations specifically

I'd put Zeffy ahead of Givebutter if your absolute requirement is no platform fees. Givebutter can also be effectively $0 when optional tips are enabled, but its pricing changes to a 3% platform fee if tips are disabled. Givebutter Givebutter Help Center

What I'd choose for you

One important distinction: "no platform fee" doesn't necessarily mean literally zero cost. Payment processors normally charge something unless the platform explicitly absorbs those costs, as Zeffy says it does for eligible nonprofit transactions.

If you tell me roughly how many courses you have, course price range, and whether they're video-based or PDF/live training, I can narrow this to the cheapest setup and estimate your fees at, say, $1,000/month in course sales + $2,000/month in donations.

For a tiny nonprofit, I’d avoid traditional LMS platforms with monthly subscriptions. You can get very close to zero platform cost by separating donations from course sales.

My top picks

• zeffy.com — best for donations

• $0 platform fees and, according to Zeffy, $0 payment-processing fees for nonprofits.
• Built specifically for nonprofits.
• Donors can optionally tip Zeffy, which is how it funds the service. Zeffy
• Use it for: general donations, fundraising campaigns, event registrations.
• payhip.com — best inexpensive all-in-one for courses

• Free plan: $0/month, unlimited products and revenue.
• Supports courses, memberships, coaching, and digital products.
• Catch: the free plan takes 5% per transaction, plus Stripe/PayPal processing. Payhip Payhip Help Center
• It also supports pay-what-you-want pricing, although its documentation notes restrictions around using it purely for donations. Payhip Help Center
• Use it for: your actual low-cost training courses.
• ko-fi.com — best ultra-simple option

• Free to start; one-time tips can be 0% platform fee when using its free configuration.
• Shop sales and memberships generally carry a 5% service fee, plus payment processing.
• Payments go directly to your PayPal/Stripe account. Ko-fi Help Ko-fi
• Use it for: donations + selling simple digital training materials, memberships, or access links.

What I'd choose for you

Zeffy + Payhip is probably the strongest combination:

Your website
→ “Donate” → Zeffy
→ “Take a Course” → Payhip
→ Keep your existing website/email list as the central hub.

That gives you $0/month in platform subscriptions, with the unavoidable payment-processing/platform transaction costs kept relatively low. Payhip's 5% is the main compromise, but you don't have to pay it until you actually sell something.

If your courses are very simple (videos/PDFs + a Zoom session, rather than quizzes, certificates, complex student tracking, etc.), I'd actually consider Ko-fi + Google Drive/YouTube unlisted/Zoom instead, because it can be considerably cheaper and simpler to operate.

If you tell me (1) roughly how many students you expect, (2) course price, and (3) whether courses need quizzes/certificates/student progress tracking, I can narrow this down to the cheapest setup for your nonprofit and estimate your fees at, say, $1,000/month in course sales.

For a tiny nonprofit selling low-cost training and accepting donations, I’d avoid paying for a traditional LMS unless you really need advanced course-management features.

My top picks

My recommendation: use two lightweight tools rather than force everything into one platform.

• Zeffy for donations. It currently advertises $0 platform, transaction, and card fees for nonprofits; Zeffy covers the payment-processing costs, with donors optionally able to contribute to Zeffy. Zeffy Zeffy
• Payhip for your paid courses. This is the one I'd investigate first if course sales are the priority. You can sell courses/digital products without building a full LMS, keeping your fixed costs very low.
• Put both links/buttons on your existing nonprofit website: Donate → Zeffy, Take a Course → Payhip.

If you want one platform

I'd look at Givebutter first. Its current model is 0% platform fees when donor tips are enabled, and it says nonprofits can also have processing fees covered through its Guarantee. Givebutter However, I'd choose it primarily for fundraising rather than as a dedicated course platform.

One important distinction: “no platform fee” doesn't necessarily mean “no cost.” Some services shift payment costs to donors, while others absorb them. For a nonprofit with lots of small $10–$30 course purchases, that distinction matters.

If you tell me (1) roughly how many students you expect, (2) whether courses are self-paced video/PDF courses or live Zoom-style classes, and (3) whether you're a U.S. 501(c)(3), I can narrow this to the 2–3 cheapest setups and calculate what you'd actually pay at, say, $1,000/month in course sales.

For a tiny nonprofit, I’d avoid Patreon and most all-in-one course platforms if “no platform fees” is a hard requirement. Patreon, for example, currently charges new creators a 10% platform fee, before payment-processing fees. Patreon Help Center Patreon Help Center

My shortlist

• Best overall: ruzuku.com — probably the closest match if you want actual paid online courses. It offers nonprofits 30% off annual plans, says it charges 0% transaction fees, and supports course delivery, learner progress, and reporting. It also has a free trial. Ruzuku

Downside: it's not completely free; you'd still have a subscription.

• Best for donations: zeffy.com — exceptionally attractive for a small U.S./North American nonprofit. It's $0, with no platform, transaction, or credit-card fees; Zeffy says it covers the processing costs itself. Donors are offered an optional contribution to Zeffy. Zeffy Zeffy

Downside: I wouldn't use it as your primary LMS/course platform.

• Another good donation option: givelively.org — free for qualifying nonprofits with no setup, platform, subscription, or annual/monthly fees. Give Lively

Downside: again, it's primarily fundraising rather than course delivery.

What I'd do in your situation

I'd use a two-tool setup rather than paying for an all-in-one platform:

Ruzuku for courses + Zeffy for donations.

That gives you a simple course experience while keeping donations at essentially $0 platform cost. If your courses are very small/simple, I'd first test Ruzuku's free option; if its paid tier is still too expensive, we could look at a $0/month DIY setup using something like Google Classroom/YouTube + Zeffy or another payment layer.

One important distinction: “no platform fee” doesn't necessarily mean “no payment-processing fee.” Ruzuku says zero transaction fees, while Zeffy actually absorbs the card-processing costs for nonprofits. Ruzuku Zeffy

If you tell me roughly how many courses/students you have and what you can afford per month ($0, $10, $25, etc.), I can narrow this to the cheapest 3 setups and compare exactly what each would cost you.

For a tiny nonprofit offering low-cost training, I’d avoid traditional LMS platforms that advertise “free” but take 5–10% of course sales. The best approach is probably one platform for courses + a zero-fee nonprofit donation tool, unless you find a platform that genuinely handles both well.

My top picks

🥇 Best low-budget combination: Ruzuku + Zeffy

Ruzuku looks particularly interesting for your situation. Its free plan supports courses and, according to its current nonprofit comparison, has 0% transaction fees; its paid plans add more capacity/features. Ruzuku

For donations, I'd use zeffy.com. Zeffy is specifically designed for nonprofits and currently charges no platform fee and no payment-processing fee, covering the processing costs itself. Its model is funded by optional donor contributions to Zeffy. Zeffy Zeffy

That gives you a very inexpensive setup:

Website → Ruzuku for courses → Zeffy for donations

🥈 If you want everything under one roof

I'd look closely at Moodle if someone in your organization can handle the initial setup. The software itself is free and open source, so there is no per-student or percentage-of-sales platform fee. The tradeoff is that you'll need hosting, configuration, payment integration, and someone to maintain it.

For a nonprofit with very little technical capacity, however, I'd favor simplicity over saving the last few dollars.

🥉 For donations alone: Every.org

every.org is another excellent nonprofit option. It charges no platform fee; payment-processing fees depend on the payment method, although it covers some methods such as ACH, stock and DAF donations. Every.org Every.org

What I'd choose for you

If you're talking about something like $10–$100 courses, a handful of instructors, and a small number of courses, I'd start with:

Ruzuku + Zeffy + your existing website.

You don't need a giant LMS, CRM, or fundraising suite. Keep the stack tiny and avoid monthly subscriptions and percentage-based platform fees.

One important distinction: “0% platform fee” isn't necessarily “0% total fees.” Payment processors can still charge fees unless the platform explicitly covers them. Zeffy is unusual because it says it covers those processing fees too. Zeffy

If you tell me roughly how many courses/students you expect, your course price (e.g. $25/$50), and whether you need Zoom/video hosting, certificates, quizzes, or memberships, I can narrow this to the cheapest 2–3 setups and estimate your actual annual cost.

For a tiny nonprofit, I’d avoid the big course platforms unless you really need their bells and whistles. Many have moved away from genuinely free plans, and platforms such as Patreon now take a percentage of creator revenue. Patreon Help Center Ruzuku

My top picks

• zeffy.com — best for donations.

It charges nonprofits 0% platform, transaction, and credit-card fees. Its model is funded by optional donor contributions. It has donation forms, recurring giving, CRM, events, memberships, and more. BetterWorld
Caveat: I wouldn't use it as your primary course-hosting platform.

• systeme.io — best one-platform option.

Its free tier supports a course and has 0% transaction fees, making it unusually attractive if you want to sell low-cost training without paying a monthly subscription. Ruzuku Circle
Best fit if: you want courses + checkout + basic email/marketing in one place.

• ruzuku.com — best if the course experience matters most.

Its free tier reportedly has 0% transaction fees, but it's limited to 5 participants, so it's really for testing or very small cohorts. Ruzuku

• freshlearn.com — worth considering for a small pilot.

The free tier allows unlimited courses, up to 25 students, and 0% transaction fees according to current comparisons. Ruzuku

What I'd do in your situation

Zeffy for donations + Systeme.io for paid training is probably the strongest low-cost setup.

That gives you:

Donations → Zeffy → 0% platform fee
Courses → Systeme.io → $0/month + 0% platform transaction fee

You'd still pay the underlying payment processor's applicable fees, if any—the important distinction is that “0% platform fee” doesn't necessarily mean literally zero cost to process a card payment. BetterWorld

If you tell me roughly how many students you expect (e.g. 20, 100, 500), whether courses are live or prerecorded, and whether you're a U.S. 501(c)(3), I can narrow this to the cheapest setup and compare the actual costs.

For a tiny nonprofit, I’d separate the question into two needs: donations and paid training/courses. The tricky part is that “no platform fees” usually means no platform fee, not “no payment-processing fees.”

My top picks

1. better.giving — best for donations

This is especially interesting for a nonprofit because it is itself a nonprofit. Its fundraising platform is free and says it takes 0% of donations, with donors optionally contributing to Better Giving. You still have payment-processing costs, but those can often be covered by donors. Better Giving

I'd use this for your general “Support our nonprofit” donation page.

2. payhip.com — best for your courses

Payhip has a $0/month plan with unlimited products and unlimited revenue, and it supports courses, memberships, bundles and coaching. The catch is a 5% transaction fee, plus Stripe/PayPal processing. Payhip Payhip Help Center

So it isn't literally zero-platform-fee, but for a small organization it can be substantially cheaper than paying $50–$200/month for a dedicated LMS before you've generated much revenue.

It also supports pay-what-you-want pricing, which could work nicely for low-cost nonprofit training—for example, a course priced at $10+. Payhip Help Center

3. ko-fi.com — best lightweight alternative

Ko-fi is excellent if your training is relatively simple. You can accept donations, sell digital products, and offer memberships from one page. One-time tips can be 0% platform fee on its free setup; other things such as memberships and shop sales generally carry a 5% fee, in addition to payment processing. Ko-fi Help Ko-fi

I'd choose this if you're selling things like recorded workshops, PDFs, resource bundles, or supporter memberships, rather than needing a full-blown LMS.

What I'd do in your situation

Better Giving + Payhip is probably the strongest low-budget combination:

• Better Giving: donations, recurring donations, fundraising campaigns
• Payhip: paid courses, free courses, training bundles, pay-what-you-can courses
• Link the two from your nonprofit's website.
• Keep your course prices low and let people optionally contribute more.

That gives you $0/month fixed cost and avoids committing to an expensive LMS while you're small. The main unavoidable cost will be payment processing, plus Payhip's 5% on course sales.

If “absolutely 0% platform fee on both donations AND courses” is a hard requirement, I'd take a different approach: use a free/open-source LMS or your existing website for course delivery and connect it directly to Stripe, while using Better Giving for donations. That requires more setup but can get much closer to your goal.

I'd use this for your general “Support our nonprofit” donation page.

2. payhip.com — best for your courses

Payhip has a $0/month plan with unlimited products and unlimited revenue, and it supports courses, memberships, bundles and coaching. The catch is a 5% transaction fee, plus Stripe/PayPal processing. Payhip Payhip Help Center

So it isn't literally zero-platform-fee, but for a small organization it can be substantially cheaper than paying $50–$200/month for a dedicated LMS before you've generated much revenue.

It also supports pay-what-you-want pricing, which could work nicely for low-cost nonprofit training—for example, a course priced at $10+. Payhip Help Center

3. ko-fi.com — best lightweight alternative

Ko-fi is excellent if your training is relatively simple. You can accept donations, sell digital products, and offer memberships from one page. One-time tips can be 0% platform fee on its free setup; other things such as memberships and shop sales generally carry a 5% fee, in addition to payment processing.

For a tiny nonprofit, I’d avoid a traditional all-in-one course platform if your priorities are very low cost + no platform percentage. The best setup is often a cheap/free course host paired with a zero-platform-fee nonprofit payment tool.

My top pick: Zeffy + a free/cheap course host

zeffy.com is particularly attractive for the donation/payment side. It says nonprofits pay $0 platform fees, $0 transaction fees, and $0 card fees; Zeffy covers the payment processing and asks donors for an optional contribution instead. Zeffy Zeffy

For your courses, I'd consider:

• Payhip — worth investigating if you want a simple storefront for digital courses/downloads. Its appeal is simplicity rather than nonprofit-specific features.
• TalentLMS — better if you need a genuine LMS with quizzes, certificates, learner tracking, etc. A current 2026 comparison reports a free tier for up to 5 users/10 courses and a 20% nonprofit discount on its annual plans. FirstHR
• A very simple website + video/Google Drive + Zeffy — potentially the cheapest option if your training is mostly videos, PDFs, and live sessions.

If you want donations and courses under one roof

I'd be cautious here. The platforms that are excellent at nonprofit fundraising aren't necessarily good course platforms, while LMSs often charge either a monthly fee or a percentage of course sales.

For donations specifically, alternatives include givelively.org, which says it charges nonprofits no platform, subscription, setup, or membership fees. Give Lively every.org is another zero-platform-fee option, although it does pass through some payment-processing costs depending on the payment method. Every.org

What I'd choose for your situation

Zeffy + Payhip/simple LMS would be my starting point if you're trying to spend essentially nothing.

If you tell me (1) roughly how many students you expect, (2) whether courses are video-based or live, (3) whether you need certificates/quizzes, and (4) whether students pay per course or membership, I can narrow this down to the 2–3 cheapest platforms and calculate what you'd actually pay at, say, $5,000 and $20,000/year in course sales.

For a tiny nonprofit offering both low-cost training and donations, I’d avoid the big course platforms unless you know you’ll have enough revenue to justify their monthly fees. Several have eliminated their genuinely free tiers. Ruzuku Course.Coach

My top picks

What I'd actually do

Use two tools rather than trying to force one platform to do everything:

• Donations → zeffy.com. It currently advertises $0 platform fees and $0 transaction fees, including covering Stripe/payment-processing costs itself. Donors are given the option to make an optional contribution to Zeffy. Zeffy
• Courses → payhip.com or systeme.io. This keeps your course operation inexpensive without paying $40–$100+ every month before you've built much enrollment.
• Put both behind a very simple nonprofit website: “Donate” goes to Zeffy; “Training” goes to your course platform.

If having everything in one place is more important than minimizing fees, I'd look more closely at Systeme.io. If minimizing costs is the absolute priority, the two-platform setup is likely better.

One other interesting nonprofit option is better.giving: it has no platform fees and is specifically built for nonprofits, with embeddable donation forms and recurring giving. Better Giving

If you tell me (1) roughly how many students you expect, (2) your typical course price, and (3) whether courses are video/self-paced or live Zoom-style training, I can narrow this down to one best setup and compare the actual costs at your scale.

If having everything in one place is more important than minimizing fees, I'd look more closely at Systeme.io. If minimizing costs is the absolute priority, the two-platform setup is likely better.

For a tiny nonprofit selling low-cost training and accepting donations, I’d avoid the big-name course platforms unless you specifically need their advanced LMS features. The recurring subscription can eat a lot of your revenue.

My shortlist:

🥇 My recommendation: Communi if courses are the priority

Communi has a built-in course system where you can create modules/lessons, drip content, issue certificates, and sell courses. It says it charges 0% platform transaction fees, with only the normal payment-processor fee applying. Communi

That makes it particularly interesting for your model: one place for your training + community + payments, rather than cobbling together an LMS and a donation platform.

The catch is that it's not literally free—the platform has a subscription—so I'd compare its lowest paid tier against your expected course revenue.

🥇 For donations: Zeffy

Zeffy is unusually compelling for a tiny nonprofit. It charges nonprofits $0 platform fees and $0 payment-processing fees, including credit-card fees. Its business model is optional contributions from donors. Zeffy Zeffy Help Center

You can use it for donations, memberships, events, ticketing and other fundraising activities. Zeffy

zeffy.com

I'd seriously consider using Zeffy for donations even if you choose another platform for courses.

💡 Cheapest overall setup

If keeping costs really low is the priority, I'd do:

Zeffy → donations
+ a very inexpensive/free course platform → paid training

That way you don't pay an LMS subscription just to process donations.

If you're comfortable with some technical setup, another strong route is WordPress + an LMS plugin + Stripe/PayPal, because you can get to essentially $0 platform fees and retain control of your site. Your actual costs would then be hosting, payment processing, and possibly an LMS plugin.

One important distinction

"0% platform fee" isn't necessarily "0% fees."

For example, Every.org has zero platform fees, but card donations still have processing costs (2.2% + $0.30 for Visa/Mastercard/Discover under its published rates). Every.org Zeffy is unusual because it says it absorbs those processing costs too. Zeffy

For your specific situation, I'd start by evaluating Communi + Zeffy. If you tell me roughly how many courses you offer, course price (e.g. $10–$50), expected students/month, and whether you already have a website, I can narrow this down to the cheapest 2–3 setups and calculate what you'd actually pay per year.

For a tiny nonprofit, I’d avoid the big all-in-one course platforms. The lowest-cost setup is usually to own the website and combine two free tools.

My top recommendation: WordPress + LearnPress + Zeffy

• wordpress.org — use it as your main website. You’ll pay only for inexpensive hosting/domain rather than a percentage of every sale.
• wordpress.org — free WordPress LMS for creating and selling courses. It supports course lessons, quizzes, enrollment and selling courses; the core plugin is free. WordPress.org LearnPress
• zeffy.com — use this specifically for donations. Zeffy says nonprofits pay $0 platform, transaction, and credit-card fees; it is funded through optional donor tips. Zeffy Zeffy

Why I like this for you: you can have one small website with a Courses section and a Donate button, without giving a course platform 5–10% of every enrollment. Your unavoidable cost for paid courses will generally be the payment processor's processing fee, rather than a course-platform commission.

One important catch

LearnPress's free core can sell courses, but some payment methods—including its Stripe integration—are paid add-ons. Its current pricing lists the Stripe add-on at $39 and WooCommerce integration at $49. LearnPress So I'd start with the free payment options LearnPress provides, and only buy an add-on once course revenue justifies it.

If you want less technical work

I'd consider givelively.org or better.giving for donations, but neither is really the answer for hosting your paid training. Both are excellent zero-platform-fee nonprofit fundraising options. Give Lively Better Giving

So my ranking would be:

1. Best overall for your situation: WordPress + LearnPress + Zeffy
2. Best if donations are the main priority: Zeffy
3. Best if you want an extremely simple nonprofit fundraising tool: Give Lively
4. Avoid: platforms that advertise "free" but take a percentage of every course sale or donation

If you tell me roughly how many courses/students you expect and whether you already have a website, I can narrow this down to the cheapest setup—including estimated monthly costs.

If you want less technical work

I'd consider givelively.org or better.giving for donations, but neither is really the answer for hosting your paid training. Both are excellent zero-platform-fee nonprofit fundraising options.

So my ranking would be:

For a tiny nonprofit, I’d avoid “all-in-one” platforms that look free but take a percentage of every course sale or donation. The cheapest setup is usually a mix of a low-cost course platform + a true no-platform-fee donation tool.

Here are the options I’d look at:

For donations, these are worth considering:

• Zeffy — built for nonprofits; it advertises no platform fees and no transaction fees to nonprofits, funded through optional donor contributions. Zeffy Zeffy
• Better Giving — nonprofit-focused donation infrastructure with a $0 platform fee model. Better Giving Better Giving
• Every.org — nonprofit fundraising tools with no platform fee (payment processor fees can still apply depending on gift type). Every.org Every.org

My recommendation for a tiny nonprofit

Lowest-cost practical setup:

• Website: WordPress (cheap hosting)
• Courses: Moodle or a WordPress LMS plugin
• Payments for courses: Stripe/PayPal checkout (you’ll usually only pay payment processing, not a course-platform percentage)
• Donations: Zeffy or Better Giving Zeffy Better Giving

If you have almost no technical capacity:

• Use Thinkific/Teachable for courses
• Use Zeffy separately for donations
• Accept that you may pay small course transaction fees in exchange for simplicity

A few questions would change the recommendation:

1. How many learners do you expect per month (10, 100, 1,000+)?
2. Are courses mostly self-paced videos, live workshops, or downloadable materials?
3. Do you need certificates, quizzes, or tracking for funders?
4. Are you a U.S. 501(c)(3)?

For a tiny nonprofit offering low-cost training + accepting donations, I’d avoid all-in-one “nonprofit platforms” that lock you into monthly fees. A low-cost stack is usually better: one tool for courses, one for donations, connected through your website.

Here are the options I’d shortlist:

My recommendation for your situation

For a tiny nonprofit with limited budget, I’d start with:

Option A — Cheapest and simplest

• Website: WordPress (low-cost hosting)
• Courses: Tutor LMS or LearnPress (free tiers)
• Donations: Zeffy
• Payments for courses: Stripe or PayPal directly

This keeps you from paying a platform percentage on every donation and avoids expensive LMS subscriptions.

Option B — “We don’t want to maintain tech”

Use:

• Payhip for paid courses
• Zeffy for donations
• A simple website as the front door

This is probably the lowest-maintenance setup.

Platforms I’d be cautious about

• Big LMS platforms can look cheap initially but often take transaction fees or require paid upgrades.
• Donation platforms advertising “free” may still charge payment processing or percentage fees; check whether “no platform fee” really means no cut of donations. BetterWorld

A few questions would change the recommendation:

1. Are your courses live workshops, self-paced videos, or both?
2. Roughly how many learners per month (20, 100, 1,000+)?
3. Do you need certificates, quizzes, or learner tracking?
4. Are you a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit? (This affects donation tools.)

For a tiny nonprofit, I’d avoid paying for a traditional LMS unless you really need advanced student management. The cheapest setup is usually to separate donations from course sales.

My top recommendation: Zeffy + Payhip

• Donations: zeffy.com — probably the strongest fit for your donation side. Zeffy charges nonprofits $0 platform fees and $0 payment-processing fees, including card fees; it is funded by optional donor tips. Zeffy Zeffy
• Paid courses: payhip.com — very inexpensive and easy to launch. Its free plan has no monthly fee, unlimited products/revenue, and supports online courses, but it takes 5% per sale, plus Stripe/PayPal processing. Payhip Payhip

This gives you a simple setup:

Your website → "Donate" → Zeffy
Your website → "Take a Course" → Payhip

The big advantage is no monthly software bill while you're small. If course revenue eventually gets high enough, Payhip's $99/month Pro plan removes its 5% transaction fee, so you can switch when the math makes sense. Payhip

If "absolutely zero platform fee" is non-negotiable

I'd consider Moodle + a separate donation processor.

moodle.org is free/open-source LMS software, so there is no Moodle platform fee. You'd need hosting and some technical setup, though. MoodleCloud is easier but is a paid hosting service; Moodle itself can be self-hosted for free. Moodle Services knowledge base

For donations, pair it with Zeffy, which keeps your donation costs at $0. Zeffy

One option I'd not pick for your requirement

Ko-fi is attractive for small organizations, but its free tier takes 5% on things other than one-time tips, including shop sales and memberships. So it doesn't really satisfy your "no platform fees" requirement for paid courses. Ko-fi Help

My verdict

I'd start with Zeffy + Payhip. For a tiny nonprofit, the 5% course-sale fee is often a better tradeoff than spending $50–$200+/month on an LMS that you don't yet need.

One important distinction: "no platform fee" doesn't necessarily mean "no payment-processing fee." Card/ACH processors still have costs; for example, Stripe offers nonprofit pricing in certain circumstances, but its discounted nonprofit rate is specifically tied to donation-heavy accounts and doesn't apply to tuition/course sales. support.stripe.com

If you tell me roughly how many students you expect (e.g. 20, 100, 500) and what you charge per course, I can narrow this down to the cheapest setup for your actual numbers.

For a tiny nonprofit, I’d separate donations from course delivery rather than force one platform to do both. The best genuinely low-cost setup I found is:

My top pick: Zeffy + a free/cheap course platform

zeffy.com is particularly attractive for your donation side. It charges nonprofits $0 platform fees, $0 transaction fees, and $0 credit-card fees; Zeffy covers the payment-processing costs and is funded by optional donor contributions at checkout. Zeffy Zeffy

For courses, pair it with a platform that lets you sell access without taking a percentage—or use your existing website plus a payment processor.

Give Lively is another excellent donation choice: it says it charges eligible nonprofits no setup, platform, subscription, monthly, or annual fees, with Stripe handling the payment infrastructure. Give Lively

Better Giving is also genuinely $0 for its fundraising platform and says nonprofits receive 100% of donations, with optional donor contributions funding the service. Better Giving Better Giving

I wouldn't choose Patreon if “no platform fees” is a hard requirement. New creator pages are on a 10% platform fee, before applicable payment-processing fees. Patreon Help Center Patreon Help Center

What I'd do in your shoes

If your courses are relatively simple—videos/PDFs, a few lessons, quizzes, and paid enrollment—I'd build:

Your website → course platform → payment processor

and put a prominent Donate button through Zeffy.

That avoids giving a platform 5–10% of every course sale while also giving you a proper nonprofit donation system.

If you tell me (1) whether you're a U.S. 501(c)(3), (2) whether courses are video/live/in-person, and (3) roughly how many students you expect per month, I can narrow this down to 2–3 specific platforms with current pricing and tell you which I'd pick.

For a tiny nonprofit, I’d avoid Teachable/Thinkific-style platforms if “no platform fees” is a hard requirement. The cheapest setup is usually self-hosted WordPress + free LMS/e-commerce plugins, with a separate nonprofit donation processor.

My top recommendation: WordPress + Tutor LMS + WooCommerce + Zeffy

Why I like this for you:

• Tutor LMS Free — lets you build courses, lessons, quizzes, etc. The free version can sell courses through WooCommerce. wordpress.org
• WooCommerce — free/open-source, with 0% revenue share and no monthly platform fee. You pay only your payment processor's fees. woocommerce.com
• Zeffy — for donations, it charges your nonprofit $0 platform fees and $0 payment-processing fees; it covers the card-processing cost itself. Donors can optionally tip Zeffy. www.zeffy.com
• You own your website, course content, student data and donor relationship, rather than being locked into an LMS vendor.

So your basic cost can be roughly:

The catch is that hosting isn't free, and payment processors still charge their normal processing fees for course purchases. WooCommerce itself takes no revenue share. woocommerce.com

Even simpler: Tutor LMS's newer native e-commerce

Tutor LMS now also has native e-commerce, including Stripe/PayPal support, subscriptions and memberships, so you may not even need WooCommerce depending on exactly what you want to sell. wordpress.org

If you want the absolute lowest-tech option

Look at Givebutter for donations. With optional donor tips enabled, it currently advertises $0 platform fees and $0 processing fees for nonprofits, with its guarantee covering processing costs. givebutter.com

I'd still use an actual LMS for the courses rather than trying to make Givebutter handle course delivery.

Another good option: Moodle

If someone on your team is technically comfortable, Moodle is genuinely free/open-source with no licensing fees and is much more powerful as a learning environment. You'd host it yourself and connect a payment method for paid enrollment. docs.moodle.org

My ranking for your situation:

1. 🥇 WordPress + Tutor LMS + WooCommerce + Zeffy — best balance of cheap, flexible and nonprofit-friendly.
2. 🥈 WordPress + Tutor LMS native e-commerce + Zeffy — potentially simpler once configured.
3. 🥉 Moodle + donation platform — cheapest software-wise, but more technical.
4. Givebutter + separate course platform — excellent if fundraising is more important than having everything under one roof.

One particularly interesting newer option is Learnomy, which advertises a free WordPress LMS with unlimited courses/students, built-in Stripe/PayPal checkout and $0 platform fees; I'd treat it as a promising newer alternative rather than my first choice until you've evaluated its maturity/support. wordpress.orgwoocommerce.comlearnomy.app

If you tell me (1) roughly how many students you expect, (2) whether you already have a WordPress website, and (3) whether courses are one-time purchases or memberships, I can narrow this to the cheapest practical stack and exact setup for your nonprofit.

For a tiny nonprofit, I’d avoid paying for an all-in-one LMS right away. The best low-cost setup I found is actually two tools, because the truly free fundraising platforms aren’t designed to deliver structured courses.

My top recommendation: Zeffy + Ruzuku

1. Donations: Zeffy

• $0 platform fees
• $0 transaction/credit-card fees to the nonprofit
• Donations, recurring gifts, donor CRM, receipts, events, and an online store
• Zeffy covers the payment-processing costs; it is funded by optional donor contributions. www.zeffy.com
• Particularly good if preserving every dollar of small donations matters.

2. Paid courses: Ruzuku

• $0/month to start
• Unlimited courses
• You can actually charge students on the free plan
• 0% Ruzuku transaction fee; you only pay normal Stripe/PayPal processing
• The catch: the free tier is limited to 5 students total. www.ruzuku.com
• Importantly, Ruzuku offers 30% nonprofit pricing: its Core plan is currently $58/month billed annually, with unlimited students and zero transaction fees. www.ruzuku.com

If you want everything in one place

I'd look hardest at Givebutter. It has $0 platform fees when optional donor tips are enabled, plus donations, CRM, events, payments, and an online store. givebutter.com

But: it's fundamentally a fundraising platform, not a proper course/LMS platform. If your training needs lessons, videos, quizzes, progress tracking, student discussions, etc., I'd use Ruzuku rather than trying to force Givebutter to be your classroom.

What I'd choose for you

Bottom line: Start with Zeffy + Ruzuku Free. You can run the whole operation for $0/month while you're small, with only payment-processing costs on course sales. Once you exceed five course students, ask Ruzuku for its nonprofit rate rather than jumping to a mainstream LMS. www.ruzuku.com

If you tell me roughly how many students you expect per course (e.g. 10, 50, 200) and whether courses are self-paced or live, I can narrow this down to the cheapest setup for your actual volume.

For a tiny nonprofit, I’d avoid platforms that take 5–10% of every course sale. The best low-cost setup I found is actually a two-part stack rather than one all-in-one platform:

My top pick: WordPress + Tutor LMS + Better Giving

• WordPress — free/open-source website platform. You pay only for inexpensive hosting and your domain.
• Tutor LMS — free LMS plugin that supports unlimited courses, quizzes, lessons, student dashboards, and selling courses. Its current free version has native e-commerce and supports payment gateways including Stripe and PayPal. wordpress.org
• Better Giving — particularly attractive for your donations: $0 platform fees, with 100% of donations granted to nonprofits. Donors can pay by card, ACH, PayPal, Apple Pay/Google Pay, etc. better.givingbetter.giving

The catch is that payment processing fees still exist (Stripe/PayPal/etc.). “No platform fee” doesn't mean literally zero cost for credit-card transactions.

Why I like this for you

If you're only bringing in, say, $500–$2,000/month, a percentage-based course platform can eat a surprisingly large chunk of your revenue. With the WordPress/Tutor LMS approach, there's no per-course-sale platform percentage; your main recurring expense is inexpensive web hosting.

For donations, Better Giving is even more compelling because it specifically targets nonprofits and has no platform or fund-management fees. better.givingbetter.giving

What I would not choose

One important caveat: WordPress requires a little more setup and maintenance than Payhip/Gumroad. If nobody on your team is comfortable maintaining a website, the labor cost can outweigh the monetary savings.

If you tell me roughly how many courses you have, your expected monthly sales/donations, and whether you already have a website/domain, I can narrow this down to the cheapest practical setup for your nonprofit.

For a tiny nonprofit offering low-cost training, I’d avoid conventional course platforms that take 5–10% of each sale. There’s a particularly good low-cost approach:

My top pick: LearnShare + Zeffy

• LearnShare — has a free plan for building and selling courses/cohorts, with zero platform fees; you pay only Stripe's normal payment-processing fee. The free tier currently supports up to 10 active learners/month. learnshare.io
• Zeffy — excellent for your donations. It's free for nonprofits and says it charges $0 platform fees and covers credit-card/transaction fees, relying on optional donor tips instead. www.zeffy.comwww.zeffy.com

That gives you:

Website → Training courses → LearnShare checkout → Stripe
Website → Donate button → Zeffy

If you want everything in one system

LearnDash is worth considering if you already have (or want) a WordPress website. Its nonprofit program offers 25% off LearnDash and 15% off bundles, and it's much more full-featured as an LMS. www.learndash.com But it's not as close to "free" as the option above.

One important distinction

If by "no platform fees" you mean literally keeping 100% of course-sale revenue, that's harder. Payment processors such as Stripe generally still charge processing fees. Zeffy is unusual because it covers those fees for nonprofit fundraising. www.zeffy.comwww.zeffy.com

My recommendation for your situation: start with LearnShare's free tier for courses + Zeffy for donations. You can get started with essentially no recurring software cost, and upgrade only when your enrollment grows.

If you tell me roughly how many students you expect per month and what you charge per course (e.g. 20 students × $25), I can compare the actual annual cost of 3–5 platforms for you.

For a tiny nonprofit offering low-cost training + donations, I’d avoid all-in-one “creator” platforms that take a percentage of every sale. A low-cost stack is usually better: one tool for courses, one for donations, and connect them with your website/email.

Here are good fits:

My shortlist for a tiny nonprofit:

1. Lowest cost + easiest:
   • Courses: WordPress + LearnPress
   • Donations: Zeffy or Give Lively
   • Payments: Stripe/PayPal processing only

2. If training is your main mission:
   • Use Moodle LMS (especially if you need certificates, assessments, or reporting).

3. If you want the least technical setup:
   • Use a hosted course platform with a free tier, but check whether it charges transaction fees on paid courses. Many “free” course platforms take 5–10% of sales.

A practical setup for a small nonprofit could be:

• Public website: WordPress
• Courses: Moodle or LearnPress
• Donations: Zeffy or Give Lively
• Payments: Stripe nonprofit pricing (where available)
• Email: a free/low-cost nonprofit email tool

One caution: “no platform fees” usually does not mean “no fees at all” — payment processors (credit cards, ACH, PayPal, etc.) may still charge transaction costs. betterworld.org

If you tell me roughly how many learners you expect per year, whether courses are self-paced or live, and whether you need certificates, I can narrow this to 2–3 options.

For a tiny nonprofit, I’d avoid the big all-in-one LMS platforms at first. You can get very close to $0 in platform fees by separating donations from course delivery.

My top recommendation: Zeffy + Ruzuku

1. Donations: Zeffy

• $0 platform fees
• $0 payment-processing fees for eligible nonprofits
• Donations, recurring gifts, events, memberships, etc.
• Zeffy covers the payment-processing costs; donors can optionally contribute to Zeffy. www.zeffy.com
• Particularly attractive if your priority is keeping 100% of small donations.

2. Paid courses: Ruzuku

This is unusually good for testing a small training program:

• $0/month
• 0% platform transaction fee
• Connect Stripe or PayPal directly
• You can actually sell a course on the free plan
• The catch: the free plan is limited to 5 students. www.ruzuku.com

So you could run your first small cohort essentially for the cost of Stripe/PayPal processing alone.

If you expect more than 5 paying students

I'd look at Teachery. It has 0% platform transaction fees, unlimited courses/students, and currently costs $49/month or $470/year. There's also a lifetime option, although the advertised lifetime price is changing on August 15, 2026, so I'd verify the current price before purchasing. www.teachery.co

What I'd choose for you

One important distinction: “0% platform fee” doesn't necessarily mean literally no fees. Stripe/PayPal payment processing can still apply. Zeffy's nonprofit model is unusual because it covers those fees; Ruzuku and Teachery leave ordinary payment-processing costs with you. www.ruzuku.com

For a tiny nonprofit, I'd start with Zeffy + Ruzuku Free, validate whether people will actually pay for your training, and only move to a $49/month platform once the 5-student limit becomes a real problem. That avoids committing scarce nonprofit dollars before you have course revenue.

For a tiny nonprofit offering low-cost training + accepting donations, I’d avoid expensive “all-in-one” nonprofit suites. A low-cost stack is usually better: one tool for courses and one for donations/payments.

Here are the strongest options:

My top picks for your situation

Option 1 — Cheapest practical setup

• Website: WordPress
• Courses: Moodle (or a WordPress LMS plugin)
• Payments: Stripe
• Donations: Zeffy or Better Giving

This gives you control and avoids paying a percentage of donations to a platform. Zeffy says it charges nonprofits no platform fees and funds itself through optional donor contributions. www.zeffy.com Better Giving similarly offers a free nonprofit donation form model with no platform fees. better.giving

Option 2 — Simplest for a tiny team

• Use Payhip for paid courses
• Use Zeffy/Better Giving for donations
• Embed links/buttons into your existing website

This avoids having to administer a full learning system.

Option 3 — If your training is mission-focused and recurring

• Moodle + a volunteer/admin who can manage it
• Add Stripe payments for course registration
• Keep donor management separate

Platforms I would be cautious about

• Large nonprofit CRMs with “free” tiers: they often become expensive as contacts/users grow.
• Course marketplaces: they take control of your audience and often take revenue shares.
• Donation platforms that advertise “free” but take a percentage of gifts.

A good tiny nonprofit setup is often:
Free donation platform + inexpensive course system + your own website.

If you tell me:

1. number of learners per year,
2. whether courses are live Zoom-style or self-paced,
3. whether you need certificates, and
4. whether you already have a website (WordPress/Wix/Squarespace/etc.),

I can narrow it to a specific stack.

For a tiny nonprofit, I’d avoid the big all-in-one course platforms. Their “0% transaction fee” plans can still cost $80–$100+/month, which is a lot if your course revenue is modest. For example, LearnWorlds’ no-platform-fee tier is currently $79/month billed annually. www.learnworlds.com

My top pick: WordPress + LearnPress + Givebutter

This is probably the lowest-cost setup that still gives you a real course website.

• WordPress — inexpensive hosting, with no percentage taken from your sales.
• LearnPress — free LMS plugin for WordPress. It supports selling courses and payment methods including PayPal, Stripe and WooCommerce. wordpress.org
• Givebutter — use it specifically for donations. With optional donor tips enabled, Givebutter currently charges nonprofits 0% platform fees and 0% processing fees under its Guarantee; donors can optionally cover the costs. givebutter.com

So your recurring cost can essentially be just inexpensive WordPress hosting + your domain, rather than $80–$100/month for an LMS.

If you want everything in one platform

MoodleCloud is worth considering if your priority is training rather than marketing. Its entry plans start around $170/year, but the plan that supports selling courses through Stripe is currently $490/year, so it's less attractive for a very small organization. www.moodlecloud.com

What I'd choose

\*Paid-course selling via Stripe starts on MoodleCloud's Small plan. www.moodlecloud.com

One important distinction: “no platform fees” doesn't necessarily mean no payment-processing fees. With a WordPress/LearnPress setup, Stripe/PayPal will normally charge their own processing fee on course purchases. That's unavoidable unless you use a special nonprofit/payment arrangement.

If you tell me roughly how many students you expect per year, your typical course price (e.g. $25/$50/$100), and whether you need video hosting, I can narrow this down to the cheapest practical setup and estimate your actual annual cost.

For a tiny nonprofit, I’d avoid traditional LMS platforms with monthly subscriptions. There are two especially good approaches:

🥇 Best overall: systeme.io

systeme.io is probably the closest match if you want one place for paid courses + checkout + basic marketing.

• $0/month free plan
• 0% platform/transaction fee on course sales
• Free plan includes 1 course
• Up to 2,000 student contacts
• Students can pay through Stripe/PayPal; you still pay their normal payment-processing fees.
• Supports one-time payments, payment plans, memberships, drip content, and student progress. systeme.iopayhip.comsysteme.io
• You can also use its funnels/email tools rather than stitching together several services.

For your situation: I'd start here for courses, and use a separate nonprofit-focused service for donations.

🥇 Best for donations: Zeffy

Zeffy is unusually good for a nonprofit because it charges $0 platform fees and $0 payment-processing fees to the nonprofit. It covers the processing costs itself and is funded by optional donor contributions. www.zeffy.comsysteme.io

It handles:

• Donations
• Recurring donations
• Events/tickets
• Memberships
• Donor CRM
• Donation forms you can embed on your existing website

So a very inexpensive setup would be:

Your website → "Donate" → Zeffy
Your website → "Courses" → systeme.io

That gives you $0/month in software costs to start, with only the normal payment-processing economics on course sales.

Another strong option: Givebutter

Givebutter is excellent if you want more sophisticated fundraising/CRM features. With optional donor tips enabled, its current model gives nonprofits 0% platform fees and 0% nonprofit-paid processing fees under its Givebutter Guarantee. givebutter.com

I'd choose Givebutter over Zeffy if donor management, events, auctions, campaigns, and marketing are particularly important. For simply collecting donations as cheaply as possible, Zeffy is simpler.

What about Payhip?

Payhip is worth considering because it's very easy to use and supports courses, memberships, and digital products. But its free plan takes 5% of each sale, so it doesn't meet your "no platform fees" requirement. Its Pro plan removes the transaction fee but costs $99/month. payhip.com

My recommendation

If I were setting this up for your nonprofit, I'd use systeme.io + Zeffy. It's hard to beat that combination when your priorities are tiny budget, paid training, and keeping as much donation money as possible. www.zeffy.comsysteme.io

One caveat: "0% platform fee" doesn't necessarily mean absolutely no cost—course sales through Stripe/PayPal still have their ordinary payment-processing charges. Zeffy is the unusual case because it says it covers those fees for nonprofit donations. www.zeffy.comsysteme.io

For a tiny nonprofit, I’d avoid the big course platforms unless you really need their advanced features. The best low-cost setup I found is:

🥇 Best overall: Ruzuku + Zeffy

For courses: Ruzuku

• $0/month on its nonprofit/free plan
• 0% platform transaction fees
• Unlimited courses
• Free tier supports up to 5 students
• Students can pay through Stripe/PayPal; you only pay their normal payment-processing fees. www.ruzuku.comwww.ruzuku.com
• Ruzuku offers nonprofits a 30% discount on its paid plan, bringing Core to about $58/month when billed annually. www.ruzuku.comwww.ruzuku.com

For donations: Zeffy

• $0 platform fees
• Zeffy says it also covers credit-card/transaction fees, so your nonprofit receives 100% of donations.
• Donation forms, recurring donations, memberships, events, etc.
• It makes money from optional donor contributions rather than charging your organization. www.zeffy.com

Why I like this combination: you get a genuinely free fundraising system plus a proper course platform, without sacrificing 5–10% of course sales to platform fees.

🥈 If you want one system

systeme.io is worth considering. Its free plan can host courses, accept paid enrollments, and it says it charges 0% transaction fees; you still pay Stripe/PayPal processing. systeme.io

The downside is that it's designed more as an all-in-one marketing/sales platform than as nonprofit fundraising software, so Zeffy + Ruzuku is the cleaner nonprofit setup.

🥉 Another very cheap course option

FreshLearn has a $0 plan with one product and 25 manual enrollments, and charges 0% transaction fees. Paid plans start at $35/month on its current pricing. systeme.iofreshlearn.com

My recommendation

If you're truly tiny and just getting started, I'd start with Zeffy + Ruzuku Free. You can validate whether people will actually pay for the training before taking on any recurring software expense.

For a tiny nonprofit offering low-cost training, I’d avoid platforms that advertise “free” but take 5–10% of every course sale. There are a couple of good ways to get close to what you want.

My top pick: Ko-fi

Best if you want one very simple storefront for donations + paid training.

• Free to start.
• 0% service fee on one-time tips/donations if you opt out of Ko-fi Contributor. Standard PayPal/Stripe processing still applies. shop.ko-fi.com
• Digital products can be sold through its Shop, including access to tutorials and online events. ko-fi.com
• The free selling features generally have a 5% Ko-fi fee, so it isn't truly zero-fee for paid courses. ko-fi.com
• Payments go directly to your PayPal/Stripe account rather than being held by Ko-fi. shop.ko-fi.com

Verdict: Excellent for donations and simple paid training, but not ideal if “zero platform fee on course sales” is non-negotiable.

Best for actual courses: Payhip

Payhip has a particularly nice course setup and lets you offer free or paid courses. However, its free plan currently charges 5% per transaction, plus PayPal/Stripe processing. Its $99/month Pro plan removes the transaction fee, which obviously isn't attractive for a tiny nonprofit unless you're doing substantial sales. payhip.com

Verdict: Probably the easiest option if the course experience matters more than minimizing every fee.

For donations specifically: Zeffy

If you're a qualifying nonprofit, Zeffy is unusually good:

• $0 platform fees
• $0 payment-processing fees charged to the nonprofit
• Donors are optionally asked to tip Zeffy, which funds the service. www.zeffy.com

I'd use Zeffy for your donation/fundraising side, rather than trying to force your course platform to also be your fundraising system.

Another donation option: Better Giving

Better Giving is nonprofit-focused and offers a free donation platform with $0 platform fees. It supports recurring gifts, embeddable donation forms, donor data, and multiple payment methods. better.giving

What I'd do in your shoes

Zeffy + Payhip is probably the strongest low-cost combination:

If you're selling very inexpensive courses ($10–$50), I'd also seriously consider Ko-fi for everything if you value simplicity over having a sophisticated LMS.

One important caveat: I don't know whether by “no platform fees” you mean literally 0% on both donations and course sales. If that's an absolute requirement, I can narrow this down to platforms that charge $0 platform fees for both, including nonprofit-specific options and open-source/self-hosted choices.