ChatGPT answers, unedited

For a local fitness instructor, I’d look at Payhip first—but there’s an important distinction between “no monthly fee” and “no platform fees.”

• Payhip: $0/month on its Free plan, with all course features included, including video lessons, student accounts, drip content, quizzes, downloads, and subscriptions. However, it takes 5% per sale. You can embed videos hosted elsewhere, or Payhip-hosted video costs an additional $5/month. payhip.com
• Payhip Pro: $99/month with 0% Payhip transaction fee, though Stripe/PayPal processing fees still apply. payhip.com
• Gumroad: Very easy for selling video courses, but it isn't fee-free: 10% + $0.50 per direct transaction, plus payment processing; marketplace sales can be 30%. gumroad.com

My pick: Start with Payhip Free + externally hosted videos. It's probably the best low-risk setup for testing whether your local clients will actually pay for online classes. Once revenue is consistently high enough, you can consider Payhip Pro to eliminate Payhip's percentage fee.

Payhip pricing
Payhip online courses

For a solo fitness instructor, Ruzuku looks like the strongest low-cost fit right now.

• Ruzuku: $0/month to start, 0% platform transaction fees, up to 5 students, and it supports unlimited video lessons (up to 2 GB each) plus live video meetings. Once you grow past 5 students, the Core plan is $99/month with unlimited students. www.ruzuku.comwww.ruzuku.com
• OneSol: Also $0/month with 0% platform cut, video lessons, a gated student area, and Stripe payments. It's particularly attractive if you want something very simple for selling recorded workout programs. onesol.io
• LearnShare: Free for the first 10 active learners, 0% transaction fees, with video/media hosting and cohort-course features. After that, pricing is based on active learners rather than a large monthly subscription. learnshare.io
• Google Classroom: Essentially free for qualifying users and can deliver attached video lessons, but it's more of a classroom-management tool than a polished paid fitness-course storefront. edu.google.com

My pick: Start with Ruzuku if you want a real course platform where clients can log in, watch workout videos, and eventually join live classes. If you're trying to keep costs at literally $0 while testing demand, OneSol or Ruzuku's free tier are worth comparing.

One important distinction: “0% platform fees” doesn't mean zero payment fees—Stripe/PayPal will still charge their normal card-processing fees. www.ruzuku.comwww.ruzuku.com

Ruzuku
OneSol
LearnShare

For a solo fitness instructor, Ruzuku looks like the strongest fit if your priority is very low cost + video lessons + no platform transaction fees.

• Ruzuku — Free plan supports video lessons, PDFs, quizzes, discussions, and course delivery, with 5 paying students included. It charges 0% platform transaction fees; you still pay normal Stripe/PayPal processing fees. Ruzuku
• Thinkific — More polished and scalable, with video lessons and student management. Its current Basic plan is $40/month annually ($54 monthly), and Thinkific says payments through Thinkific Payments don't incur an additional platform transaction fee, though payment-processing fees still apply. Thinkific Thinkific Support
• Gumroad — Very easy to start with no monthly fee, but it does take 10% + $0.50 per direct sale, so it doesn't meet your “avoid platform fees” requirement as well. Gumroad

My pick

Start with Ruzuku if you're testing the market and expect fewer than five paying students initially. You can offer recorded workout programs/classes without committing to a monthly subscription.

If you expect more than a handful of students fairly quickly, I'd lean toward Thinkific for the more established course-school experience.

If by “video lessons” you mean live Zoom-style fitness classes rather than prerecorded workouts, that's a different comparison—I can narrow it down to the cheapest platforms that handle live classes, scheduling, payments, and recordings.

For a solo fitness instructor starting online, I’d look at NForge first if keeping costs as close to zero as possible is the priority. It has no monthly fee, unlimited clients, built-in HD live video for up to 50 participants, class scheduling, memberships, and payments. The tradeoff is a 7.9% all-in fee when you get paid. nforge.fit

A few alternatives:

• OfferingTree — better if you want a more polished class/business website and 0% platform transaction fees on higher tiers, though you pay a monthly subscription. junocal.comsupport.thinkific.comwww.uscreen.tv
• Thinkific — strong for pre-recorded video courses rather than primarily live fitness classes; higher plans can have 0% platform transaction fees, but payment-processing fees still apply. support.thinkific.com
• Uscreen — excellent for a Netflix-style library of fitness videos and memberships, but starts around $49/month, so it isn't the cheapest starting point. www.uscreen.tv

My pick: If you're starting with a small local client base and want to offer live Zoom-like classes without paying a monthly platform fee, NForge is particularly compelling. If you're mainly selling a library of recorded workout videos, I'd lean toward Thinkific or Uscreen instead.

If “avoids platform fees” is the key requirement, I’d not choose Patreon—new creators currently pay a 10% platform fee, plus payment-processing fees, although it does include native video and livestreaming. support.patreon.com

For a local fitness instructor starting online, I’d look at:

• YouTube + your own payment method — lowest-cost way to host video lessons. YouTube itself doesn't require a subscription-platform fee just to host videos, though monetization has its own revenue-sharing rules.
• A simple website + Stripe/PayPal + unlisted YouTube videos — more control and potentially much lower ongoing costs, but you'll have to manage access and payments yourself.
• Patreon — easiest all-in-one option for memberships, video lessons, community, and recurring payments, but not fee-free. It currently charges new creators 10% of Patreon income plus processing fees. support.patreon.com

My pick for a beginner: YouTube + a simple booking/payment setup if keeping as much revenue as possible is more important than having an all-in-one membership platform.

If you tell me whether the classes are live Zoom-style classes, prerecorded videos, or both, I can narrow it down to the cheapest 2–3 platforms and compare their actual monthly/transaction costs.

For a local fitness instructor starting online classes, I’d look at these first:

My pick: FitClips. It is specifically built for trainers, includes course/program hosting and video streaming, and currently advertises $19/month with 0% platform fees. fitclips.app

If you're trying to spend $0 upfront, seven is especially interesting: it says coaches pay no platform fee, setup cost, monthly software fee, or commission, while providing a content library and client-management tools. sevenportal.app

I wouldn't choose Gumroad if avoiding platform fees is the priority: there's no monthly fee, but it takes 10% + $0.50 per direct sale. gumroad.com

Podia is more polished for a traditional online-course business, but its entry plan currently charges 5% per sale; the zero-transaction-fee plans cost considerably more. fitclips.appsevenportal.apphelp.podia.com

Bottom line:

• $0 budget: seven
• ~$20/month + fitness-specific: FitClips
• Want a full course/membership website: Podia
• Just want to sell individual video products: Gumroad

If you tell me whether the classes are live Zoom-style classes, prerecorded workouts, or both, I can narrow it down to the best 2–3 options.

For a local fitness instructor starting online classes, the best low-cost choice depends on whether you need live classes, recorded video lessons, payments, or a full coaching app. A few good options:

My practical recommendation for a new local instructor:

• Starting with 5–50 clients: Use Zoom + Stripe/PayPal + a private Facebook group or Google Drive folder. It keeps costs near zero and lets you own your customer list.
• Want a fitness-specific app without paying monthly software fees: Try seven or NForge. nforge.fitsevenportal.app
• Want to build a paid video library (members watch anytime): Look at a fitness-focused platform like FitClips or similar creator tools. fitclips.app

One thing to watch: “no platform fees” often means the platform does not take a cut, but payment processors (such as card processing fees) may still charge per transaction.

For a local instructor, I’d usually avoid expensive all-in-one gym software at the beginning and start with a simple setup until you have recurring memberships.

For a local fitness instructor starting online, I’d look at these first:

My pick: Ruzuku if you're just starting. Its free plan supports up to 5 students, unlimited courses, hosted videos up to 2 GB each, live video meetings, and payments with 0% platform transaction fees. You'd still pay the normal Stripe/PayPal processing fee. www.ruzuku.com

If you expect to have more students quickly, FreshLearn is compelling: its Pro plan is currently advertised at $35/month on a long-term billing option, with 0% transaction fees, video courses, and live webinars. freshlearn.com

For a fitness-specific business, Progressic is particularly interesting: it has a free tier, advertises 0% platform fees, and combines courses, workout programming, coaching, and video. Its free tier allows up to 25 course students, although hosted video uploads require upgrading (the free tier can embed YouTube/Vimeo). progressic.app

Bottom line:

• Cheapest way to validate the idea: Ruzuku
• Best fitness-focused option: Progressic
• Best traditional course platform: FreshLearn

If you tell me whether your classes are live Zoom-style classes, prerecorded workout videos, or both, I can narrow it down to the best 2–3 options.

For a local fitness instructor just starting online, Payhip is probably the best low-cost fit—with one important caveat: its free plan does charge a 5% platform transaction fee. payhip.com

My recommendation:

• If minimizing upfront cost matters most: Payhip. You can sell courses, memberships, and coaching, and upload video lessons. payhip.com
• If “no platform fee” is non-negotiable: Thinkific's free tier is worth investigating; current comparisons report 0% transaction fees on its free plan. course.coach
• If you're willing to pay monthly to eliminate revenue fees and want a fitness-specific setup: Marvelous is designed for wellness businesses and combines on-demand video, live classes, memberships, scheduling, and Zoom integration, but starts at $79/month. www.heymarvelous.com

One distinction: “0% platform fee” doesn't mean zero payment-processing fees—Stripe/PayPal can still charge their normal processing rates. payhip.com

For someone testing demand with, say, $15–$25/month fitness memberships or individual video classes, I'd start with Payhip or Thinkific rather than paying $79+/month.

For a solo fitness instructor, I’d prioritize low/no platform fees + simple video delivery, rather than a full studio-management system.

Best low-cost options

My pick for starting out: Google Meet + your own payment method. A free Google account lets you host up to 100 participants for up to 60 minutes, so it can work well for a weekly live class without giving a platform a cut of your class revenue. workspace.google.com

If you want recorded/on-demand fitness lessons, Perspire is more purpose-built: it says trainers can upload content and have no platform/monthly fees, but it keeps 20% of streaming revenue. static.perspire.tv

If you want an actual coaching platform rather than just video conferencing, seven is unusually attractive: it advertises $0 platform fees, 0% commission, unlimited roster size, programs, content library, client messaging, and a member app. sevenportal.app

One caveat: “no platform fee” doesn't necessarily mean zero payment-processing fees. If clients pay by card through a separate processor, that processor can still charge its normal transaction fee.

If you tell me whether the instructor wants live Zoom-style classes, prerecorded lessons, or both, I can narrow this to the 2–3 cheapest setups and explain exactly how clients would pay and access the videos.

For a local fitness instructor just starting online, Payhip is probably the best low-cost fit—with one important caveat: its free plan still takes 5% per sale. payhip.com

• Payhip — $0/month + 5% per sale. It supports full online courses with video lessons, memberships, subscriptions, drip content, quizzes, and downloads. You can embed YouTube/Vimeo videos for free, or Payhip's own video hosting costs $5/month for 16 hours. help.payhip.com
• If “no platform fees” is non-negotiable: Payhip's Pro plan is $99/month with 0% platform transaction fee, although Stripe/PayPal processing fees still apply. payhip.com
• Gumroad — no monthly fee, but its current fee is 10% + $0.50 per transaction, so it's considerably more expensive once you're selling regularly. gumroad.com

My pick: Start with Payhip Free + unlisted YouTube/Vimeo video embeds. That keeps your fixed cost at $0 and gives you a professional course area. Once revenue is high enough, you can decide whether Payhip Pro's $99/month fee makes sense to eliminate the 5% platform cut.

If by “online classes” you mean live Zoom-style fitness classes rather than prerecorded video courses, the best choice changes.

If the goal is low cost + video lessons + keeping as much revenue as possible, I’d look at these:

My pick for a new instructor

EventSchedule is probably the cheapest way to start if you're primarily teaching live online classes. It advertises $0 platform fees, lets you charge for classes through Stripe, and can connect each class to Zoom, Google Meet, or YouTube Live. eventschedule.com

If you want customers to buy access to a library of recorded workout videos, seven is particularly interesting: it advertises $0 to coaches, 0% commission, and includes a content library. sevenportal.app

If you want a more polished Netflix-like on-demand fitness site, Libree supports an unlimited video library and memberships, but its current Creator plan adds a 5% transaction fee. libree.io

I wouldn't choose Patreon or Gumroad if avoiding platform fees is a priority. Patreon charges a platform percentage on paid memberships, while Gumroad currently charges 10% + $0.50 per direct transaction. support.patreon.com

Bottom line:

• Live Zoom classes: EventSchedule
• Recorded/on-demand + coaching: seven
• Polished branded video membership: Libree
• Absolute priority = 0% platform commission: seven or EventSchedule

If you tell me whether the instructor wants live classes, prerecorded classes, or both, I can narrow it down to the cheapest setup and estimate the monthly cost at, say, 20, 50, and 100 students.

For a local fitness instructor starting online, I’d shortlist these:

• FitClips — best overall for fitness. It’s built specifically for trainers, supports programs and video workouts, and charges 0% platform fee. The Hobby plan is $19/month for up to 25 active members; Stripe processing fees still apply. fitclips.app
• Perspire — lowest upfront cost. Free to join, no monthly/platform fee, and you can upload video content. The catch is that you keep 80% of streaming revenue, so it isn't truly fee-free. static.perspire.tv
• Teachable — good for structured video courses. It supports fitness educators and has 0% transaction fees on Builder and higher plans, but those plans cost considerably more than FitClips. www.teachable.com

My pick: FitClips if the instructor wants to sell recurring online fitness classes/programs and keep costs predictable. If they're just testing demand and want $0 monthly cost, Perspire is worth trying.

One important distinction: “0% platform fee” doesn't mean zero payment fees—Stripe/card processing can still apply. fitclips.app

For a local fitness instructor starting online, I’d look at these:

My pick: Ruzuku if you're just starting. Its free plan allows up to 5 paying students, unlimited courses, unlimited videos up to 2 GB each, live video meetings, and 0% transaction fees (Stripe/PayPal processing still applies). www.ruzuku.comwww.ruzuku.com

If you expect more than five students quickly, learnfrom.co is particularly interesting because there's no monthly subscription and it supports video hosting and unlimited students; it charges a per-student enrollment fee instead. www.learnfrom.co

If you want something specifically designed around fitness, GymCourse starts at $10/month and includes video/text lessons, unlimited students and courses, but it does take 3% of course sales. course.fitness

Bottom line: For a low-risk launch, I'd start with Ruzuku, especially if you're planning to teach a small initial group and want to avoid platform fees. www.ruzuku.comwww.ruzuku.com

For a local fitness instructor just starting online, I’d look at these:

My pick: FitClips if you want customers to buy workout programs/classes directly. Its $19/month Hobby plan includes unlimited programs and workouts, a workout player, member dashboard, and 0% platform fee; Stripe processing fees still apply. fitclips.app

If keeping costs absolutely minimal matters most, seven is compelling: it's free for coaches, takes 0% commission, and includes a content library and client programs. sevenportal.app

I wouldn't choose Teachable for this particular use case unless you're building a more conventional course business—the entry plan is $39/month and has a 7.5% transaction fee. support.teachable.com

Bottom line:

• 🥇 FitClips — best all-around for an online fitness business
• 💰 seven — best if you want to spend essentially $0 upfront
• 🎥 CoachCore — better if you want coaching, scheduling, and video together