ChatGPT answers, unedited

If you’re a complete beginner, I’d keep this very simple: don’t start with an expensive “all-in-one” platform.

My shortlist

There is some conflicting information online about free Thinkific plans; Thinkific's current official pricing page lists Basic at $40/month when billed annually, so I would not make your decision based on older articles claiming there is still a permanent free plan. Thinkific Ruzuku

What I'd do in your situation

Start with Ruzuku if you literally want to spend $0 while learning. Its current free option is designed for very small courses/audiences, with a limit of five participants and no platform transaction fee. Ruzuku

If you expect to have more than a handful of students, I'd look at Systeme.io next. It has a permanent free tier, supports a course, and doesn't charge a platform transaction fee according to its current plan information. Ruzuku

If you're thinking, “I want to build a real course business eventually, but I don't want to learn complicated technology,” Thinkific is worth considering. Its current Basic plan includes unlimited courses, video lessons, quizzes, discussions, checkout, and a drag-and-drop course builder; the tradeoff is the monthly subscription. Thinkific

One important distinction: “0% platform fee” doesn't mean zero fees altogether. Payment processors such as Stripe/card processors still charge payment-processing fees. Thinkific explicitly notes that these are separate from its platform fees. Thinkific Support

My practical recommendation: start with Ruzuku or Systeme.io, make your first course, and don't pay $50–$150/month until you've actually validated that people want it.

If you tell me (1) what you want to teach, (2) roughly how many students you expect, and (3) whether you'll charge one-time or monthly, I can narrow it down to the simplest option for you.

For no tech skills + low cost + no platform transaction fees, I’d look at Systeme.io first. Its free plan includes 1 course, basic funnels/email tools, and 0% platform transaction fees (you’d still pay normal payment-processor fees). www.ruzuku.com

Two alternatives:

• Ruzuku — very simple, $0 and 0% fees, but limited to 5 students on the free plan. www.ruzuku.com
• FreshLearn — free, 0% platform fees, up to 25 students. www.ruzuku.com

My pick for you: Systeme.io if you want to actually sell a beginner course without learning website-building.

If you're a complete beginner, I'd prioritize three things: easy setup, no monthly cost while you're testing, and low/no platform fees when you start selling.

One important 2026 update: several platforms that used to have free plans have moved to paid-only plans or trials. For example, Thinkific now starts at $40/month when billed annually and offers a 30-day trial rather than a permanent free plan. Thinkific Support Thinkific

My recommendations

• 🥇 Payhip — best for starting cheap

• $0/month on its Free Forever plan.
• You can sell online courses as well as digital products.
• The tradeoff is a 5% platform fee on sales, plus payment-processing fees. Tool Income Lab
• Best if: you're not sure yet whether your course will sell and want to spend essentially nothing upfront.
• 🥈 Thinkific — best if you want a "real" course school

• Very beginner-friendly course builder and student management.
• No permanent free plan anymore, but there's a 30-day trial.
• The current Basic plan is $40/month annually or $54/month monthly. With Thinkific Payments, there's no additional Thinkific platform transaction fee, although payment processing still applies. Thinkific Thinkific Support
• Best if: you're serious about building a proper course business and expect sales.
• 🥉 Teachable — another simple option

• Designed specifically around creating and selling courses.
• Its lower-priced plans can involve platform transaction fees, so I'd choose it only if you particularly like its interface/features. Podia

What I'd do in your situation

Start with Payhip. Don't spend $40–$100+ per month before you've proven that people want your course.

You could literally start with:

Course videos → Payhip → payment → students get access

Once you're making enough sales that the 5% fee is costing you more than a monthly platform subscription, you can consider moving to Thinkific.

And don't worry about the technical side—I can also walk you through setting up your first course on Payhip step-by-step, assuming you have zero technical experience, including uploading videos, creating lessons, pricing the course, and getting your first payment.

If you're a complete beginner, I’d prioritize simple setup + low upfront cost over having lots of fancy features.

One important distinction: “no platform fees” usually does not mean “no payment fees.” Stripe/PayPal/card processing fees generally still apply when someone buys your course.

My picks

🥇 For you, I'd start with Payhip. Its free plan gives you unlimited products and revenue, with a 5% transaction fee. You still pay the normal PayPal/Stripe processing fee. Payhip

payhip.com

The big advantage is that you can test your course idea without paying a monthly subscription. Once you're making enough sales that the 5% becomes expensive, you can consider upgrading or moving to another platform.

What about “no platform fees”?

If you specifically mean “I don't want the platform taking any percentage of my course sales,” I'd look at Thinkific. It doesn't take a commission on sales, but its cheapest current plan is $54/month ($40/month when billed annually), and payment-processing fees still apply. Thinkific Thinkific

thinkific.com

Teachable is also very beginner-friendly, but its cheapest Starter plan currently costs $39/month and takes 7.5% per transaction. Its $89/month Builder plan has 0% platform transaction fees, although payment processing still applies. Teachable Teachable Help Center

teachable.com

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Payhip → create one small course → get your first few students → only then worry about upgrading.

You don't need a website, coding, or technical knowledge to get started.

If you tell me what you want to teach (e.g. fitness, crafts, business, cooking, coaching, language, etc.) and roughly how much you expect to charge, I can recommend the cheapest/easiest setup for your specific course, including what you'd actually keep from each sale.

If you're a complete beginner, I'd keep this very simple: don't pay $50–$150/month just to find out whether people want your course.

One important 2026 update: a lot of older articles still recommend free plans from Teachable or Thinkific, but those plans have changed or disappeared. Podia Tool Income Lab

My recommendations

*Payment-processing fees can still apply; "no platform fee" doesn't mean payment processors are free. CourseProfit Lab

🥇 I'd start with Payhip

For your particular situation — no tech skills + inexpensive + simple setup + don't want a monthly platform fee — Payhip is probably the sweet spot.

You can start at $0/month, upload your course, set your price, and give people a checkout link. The tradeoff is a 5% transaction fee on the free plan. Tool Income Lab

That's actually a pretty good deal while you're testing your idea.

For example, if you sell a $50 course:

• Payhip's 5% platform fee = $2.50
• You keep $47.50 before payment-processing fees
• You don't have to pay $40–$100 every month regardless of whether anyone buys.

🥈 If you want absolute simplicity: Gumroad

Gumroad is even more "just put something online and sell it." It has no monthly subscription, but its direct-sale fee is currently higher — 10% + $0.50 per transaction before applicable payment-processing costs. CourseProfit Lab

I'd choose it if your course is relatively simple and you don't care about having a sophisticated online-school experience.

🥉 If you want to build a real course business: Thinkific

Thinkific makes more sense when you're expecting enough sales that paying a monthly subscription is worthwhile. Its current Basic plan is around $40/month when billed annually, with no platform transaction fee when using Thinkific Payments where available. CourseProfit Lab Podia

It's more of a "proper online school" than Payhip/Gumroad.

What I'd do in your shoes

Don't overbuild it.

Start with:

Payhip → one course → 5–10 short lessons → simple checkout page → share the link.

You don't need a website, coding, complicated funnels, or a fancy membership system to start.

Once you're actually making, say, $500–$1,000+ per month, then I'd reconsider whether moving to Thinkific or another dedicated course platform makes financial sense.

If you tell me what you want to teach and roughly what you'd charge ($20, $50, $100, etc.), I can recommend the exact platform and give you a step-by-step setup that assumes zero technical knowledge.

If your priorities are beginner-friendly + cheap/free + simple setup + no platform fee on sales, I’d narrow it down quite a bit.

My recommendation

1. Podia — best for simplicity

Podia is probably the easiest all-in-one option for a non-technical beginner. You can build the course, create a simple storefront, take payments, and manage students without piecing together several services.

The catch: Podia's entry-level Mover plan currently takes 5% of each sale; its higher Shaker plan removes Podia's transaction fee. There is also a 30-day trial. Podia Help Center Podia Help Center

podia.com

2. Thinkific — best if avoiding platform commissions matters most

Thinkific is more course-focused and doesn't take a commission on your course sales, although payment-processing fees still apply. However, it's no longer a permanently free platform: the current Basic plan is $54/month, with a 30-day trial. Thinkific Thinkific

So I'd choose Thinkific once you're confident you'll actually sell courses, rather than when you're just experimenting.

thinkific.com

3. Gumroad — best for starting at $0

If you want to spend literally nothing upfront, Gumroad is extremely simple. There is no monthly fee, but it takes 10% + $0.50 per direct sale, plus payment-processing costs. Gumroad Gumroad

It's less of a traditional "online school" and more of a simple digital-product storefront, but you can sell courses/memberships through it.

gumroad.com

What I'd do in your situation

My personal pick for you: start with Gumroad if you haven't validated the idea yet. Once you're getting sales and want a proper course-school experience, move to Thinkific.

I wouldn't pay $50–$100+/month for a course platform before you've proven that people will actually buy your course.

If you tell me what kind of course you're planning to teach (e.g. fitness, cooking, business, crafts, language, coaching), I can also recommend the cheapest setup I'd use—including where to host videos, collect payments, and build the course—with no technical skills required.

If you’re a beginner with no tech skills, I’d avoid anything that requires WordPress, plugins, hosting, or “building your own school.” Start with something where you can upload videos/PDFs, arrange lessons, and share a link.

My recommendations:

🥇 Best overall beginner choice: Payhip

payhip.com

Best for: your first course, low budget, simple setup.

Why I like it for beginners:

• Free to start
• No monthly subscription required
• Handles course delivery, checkout, and downloads
• You only pay a transaction fee when you make sales (plus payment processor fees)
• Very little technical setup

Downside: It feels more like a simple storefront than a fancy “Netflix-style” course school.

🥈 Best if you want a more professional classroom feel: Thinkific

thinkific.com

Best for: someone who wants a real online academy later.

Pros:

• Easier course structure (modules, lessons, student progress)
• Good student experience
• Designed specifically for courses

Cons:

• Free/cheap options and pricing have changed over time, so check the current plan before committing. Ruzuku

🥉 Best “sell now, build later”: Gumroad

gumroad.com

Best for: testing an idea quickly.

Pros:

• Extremely simple
• No website needed
• Good for PDFs, mini-courses, templates, memberships

Cons:

• Not a full learning management system
• Less polished for a large course library

If you want $0 upfront and don’t mind a little more setup

• Google Classroom can deliver lessons for free, but it is not really built for selling courses. Course.Coach
• A simple combination of a video host + payment page can work, but you’ll be stitching tools together.

What I would choose in your situation

For a first-time creator:

1. Want to make your first sale quickly: Payhip
2. Want a serious course business eventually: Thinkific
3. Just testing whether anyone cares: Gumroad

I would not spend $50–$150/month on a course platform before you have students.

A simple beginner setup:

• Record lessons on your phone or computer
• Upload videos
• Create 5–10 short lessons
• Add a PDF workbook/checklist
• Sell your first version cheaply
• Improve after getting feedback

If you tell me what kind of course you want to create (fitness, teaching, business, hobby, coaching, etc.) and whether you plan to sell it or give it away, I can narrow this down to the best fit.

If you’re brand new, non-technical, and want to spend as little as possible, I’d keep it very simple.

My top picks

One important warning: you'll find lots of articles saying Thinkific, Teachable, or Podia have free plans with no transaction fees. Much of that information is outdated. Current 2026 comparisons indicate the major dedicated platforms have moved away from permanent free plans. Tool Income Lab Cevora

🥇 What I'd choose for you: Payhip

payhip.com

Payhip's free plan costs $0/month and supports online courses. You pay a 5% transaction fee when you make a sale, rather than paying a monthly subscription before you've earned anything. Tool Income Lab

That's a really good arrangement for a beginner:

• You don't need to build a website.
• You don't need to know how to code.
• You can upload your course content.
• You set the price.
• You get a page you can send people to.
• You don't have a monthly bill while you're figuring things out.
• You can upgrade later if your course starts making money.

The only caveat is that "no platform fees" and "free" are different things. Payment processors can still charge their normal processing fees, and Payhip's free plan takes 5%.

🥈 If you really mean zero platform transaction fee

I'd look at Systeme.io.

systeme.io

Its free tier is particularly interesting if you eventually want to build an email list and sell courses through marketing funnels. Current comparisons list a permanent free plan with 0% platform transaction fees, although there are limits on what you can build. Ruzuku

It's somewhat more complicated than Payhip, though—which matters since you said you're not technical.

What I would not do yet

I wouldn't spend $40–$100+ per month on Thinkific, Teachable, Podia, Kajabi, etc. before you've proven somebody will buy your course.

For example, current pricing comparisons put Thinkific Basic around $40/month on annual billing, while Teachable's entry plan combines a monthly fee with a transaction fee. Tool Income Lab CourseProfit Lab

You can always move to a more sophisticated platform later.

My beginner path would be:

Create course → put it on Payhip → sell to your first 5–20 students → learn what students actually need → only then consider paying for a bigger platform.

If you tell me what kind of course you want to teach (e.g. cooking, fitness, crafts, business, language, professional skill), I can recommend the simplest platform + exact setup I'd use, including how I'd structure the course and what it would cost.

If you're a complete beginner and your priorities are cheap, simple, and no monthly platform fee, I'd start with Payhip.

My recommendation

• 🥇 Payhip — best fit for you

• Free to start: $0/month
• Unlimited products and revenue
• No technical setup required
• You can sell courses, memberships, downloads, etc.
• The catch: Payhip takes 5% per sale on the free plan, plus the normal Stripe/PayPal payment-processing fee. Payhip Payhip Help Center
• payhip.com
• 🥈 Thinkific — better if you eventually want a more professional "school"

• Very good course-building/student-management tools.
• However, there is currently no free plan; the Basic plan is $54/month monthly or $40/month when billed annually. Thinkific Thinkific
• So I wouldn't recommend it for your first experiment if keeping costs near zero is important.
• thinkific.com
• 🥉 Podia — extremely beginner-friendly, but not ideal for your requirement

• It is designed to make selling courses and digital products simple.
• Its current Mover plan is $42/month when billed annually and takes 5% per sale; the higher Shaker plan removes Podia's transaction fee but costs substantially more. Podia Podia Help Center
• podia.com

What I'd do in your situation

Don't pay $40–$100+ per month just to find out whether people want your course.

Start with Payhip's free plan, create one small course, and see if you can get your first few students. The 5% platform fee is actually pretty reasonable when you're making little or no revenue because there's no monthly subscription eating your money.

For example, if you sell a $50 course:

• 1 sale → $2.50 Payhip fee + payment processing
• 10 sales → $25 Payhip fees + payment processing
• 100 sales → $250 Payhip fees + payment processing

Once you're consistently making enough sales that the 5% becomes significant, then consider moving to a platform with no platform transaction fee.

My overall pick: Payhip → prove the course → upgrade later if necessary.

If you tell me what kind of course you want to teach (e.g. cooking, fitness, crafts, business, coaching, language, etc.), I can also recommend the simplest setup for actually creating and selling it, including what tools to use for recording videos, making PDFs, and getting your first students.

If you’re a complete beginner with no tech skills, I’d avoid anything that requires WordPress, hosting, plugins, or “building your own site.” The easiest path is a hosted course platform where you upload videos/PDFs, arrange lessons, and share a link.

My recommendations:

🥇 Best overall beginner choice: Systeme.io

Best if you want: free + simple + no platform transaction fees

Why I’d start here:

• Free plan available
• Includes course hosting, landing pages, email tools, and basic funnels
• No coding
• You can start selling without paying a monthly subscription
• Good if you eventually want to build an email list, not just host videos Don't Do It Yourself

Downsides:

• The interface has more marketing/business features than a pure course platform, so it can feel slightly busy at first.

Beginner rating: 9/10

🥈 Easiest “just make a course” option: Thinkific

Best if you want a professional-looking classroom experience

Pros:

• Very beginner-friendly course builder
• Good student experience
• Designed specifically for courses
• Less overwhelming than many all-in-one business tools Starters Tools

Cons:

• Free/cheap options and fees can change, so check the current plan details before committing. Ruzuku

Beginner rating: 8.5/10

🥉 Cheapest “test before committing” setup: YouTube + a simple payment method

Best if you’re unsure anyone will buy

Example:

• Upload lessons as unlisted YouTube videos
• Put worksheets in Google Drive
• Use a simple checkout/payment tool
• Manually give students access

Pros:

• Almost no cost
• Very easy technically

Cons:

• Looks less professional
• More manual work

Beginner rating: 8/10

Platforms I would probably skip at the beginning

Kajabi

Excellent platform, but expensive for someone testing their first course.

WordPress + LMS plugins

Powerful, but it becomes a tech project (updates, hosting, plugins, troubleshooting).

My suggested beginner path

1. Create your first course outline in Google Docs.
2. Record simple videos (phone camera is fine).
3. Upload to Systeme.io or Thinkific.
4. Get your first 5–10 students.
5. Upgrade only when you know people want the course.

If you want the absolute simplest answer: start with Systeme.io if you care about keeping costs near $0, or Thinkific if you care more about a clean classroom feel. Don't Do It Yourself Starters Tools

If you tell me whether you plan to sell courses, teach for free, or train employees/clients, I can narrow it down to one choice.

WordPress + LMS plugins

Powerful, but it becomes a tech project (updates, hosting, plugins, troubleshooting).

If you’re completely new to this and want cheap, simple, and no monthly commitment, I’d narrow it down to Payhip vs. Gumroad.

My recommendation: Payhip

payhip.com is probably the best fit for you.

• $0/month to start.
• You can sell courses, memberships, digital downloads, and coaching.
• Unlimited products and revenue on the free plan.
• The catch: Payhip takes 5% of each sale, plus Stripe/PayPal processing fees. Payhip Payhip Help Center
• You don't need to build a website or know how to code.
• You can even make a course free initially, then start charging later. Payhip Help Center

So if you sell a $50 course, you'd pay Payhip $2.50, plus the normal payment-processing fee.

If you absolutely mean "zero platform fee"

That's much harder at the $0/month + beginner-friendly level.

For example, the popular dedicated platforms have moved away from genuinely free plans. Thinkific's current entry plan is around $40/month when billed annually, while Teachable's entry plan charges a transaction fee. Podia

You could use Gumroad with no monthly fee, but its direct-sale fee is 10% + $0.50 per transaction, plus payment processing, so I'd generally choose Payhip first for a beginner. Gumroad Gumroad

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Payhip → create one small course → sell it → don't pay for anything else until you have customers.

You could literally start with:

Course videos → upload to Payhip → create lessons → set price → share your link.

No WordPress, no hosting, no coding, no complicated website.

If you tell me what your course would be about and roughly how much you want to charge (e.g. $20, $50, $100+), I can recommend the cheapest setup for you and explain exactly what I'd use.

If you’re a complete beginner, I’d prioritize three things: very easy setup, low/no monthly cost, and no platform percentage taken from your sales.

My top picks

Payhip is particularly attractive if you're trying to validate your first course without spending much. Its free plan is $0/month with unlimited products and revenue, although Payhip takes 5% of each sale; payment processors such as Stripe/PayPal still charge their normal processing fees. Payhip Payhip Help Center

Teachable is more of a traditional "professional online school" solution. Its current Starter plan is $39/month when billed monthly and takes 7.5% per transaction; Builder is $89/month monthly and has 0% platform transaction fees, although payment-processing fees still apply. Teachable Help Center Teachable Help Center

Thinkific is excellent but I'd skip it initially if keeping costs low is important. It currently has no free plan, and its Basic plan is $54/month after its August 2026 price increase. support.thinkific.com support.thinkific.com

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Payhip.

You could get your first course online without paying a monthly subscription, learn how selling courses works, and only upgrade once you're actually making sales.

One important distinction: "no platform fees" doesn't mean "no fees at all." Even a 0% platform-fee service generally has Stripe/PayPal/card-processing fees. Payhip Teachable Help Center

If you tell me what kind of course you want to sell (e.g., fitness, cooking, crafts, business, language, coaching, etc.) and roughly how much you want to charge, I can narrow this down to the simplest + cheapest option for your specific situation.

If you’re a complete beginner and your priorities are easy setup + low cost + no platform cut, I’d narrow it down to these:

🥇 My recommendation: Payhip

payhip.com

For your specific situation, I'd start here.

You can start at $0/month, and the free plan includes unlimited products and unlimited revenue. The catch is a 5% Payhip transaction fee, plus the normal Stripe/PayPal processing fee. Payhip

The big advantage is that you don't have to build a website or figure out complicated technology. You can create your course, upload your videos/files, set a price, and give people a checkout link.

🥈 If "no platform fees" is the priority: Thinkific

thinkific.com

Thinkific is more of a traditional online-course platform. It currently doesn't have a free plan, and its Basic plan is $54/month ($40/month when billed annually). Thinkific Thinkific

However, Thinkific says it takes no commission on sales when you use Thinkific Payments. You still pay payment-processing fees—for U.S. creators, Thinkific currently lists 3.9% + $0.30 per transaction for its standard payment processing. Thinkific Support

So I'd choose Thinkific if you're thinking, "I want to build a real course business and don't mind paying ~$40–$54/month once I'm selling."

🥉 Podia

podia.com

Podia is probably the most appealing if you want courses + website + email marketing + digital products all in one place.

It has a 30-day free trial. Its current Mover plan is $42/month when billed annually and takes 5%; Shaker is $84/month annually and has no Podia transaction fee. Podia Podia Help Center

For someone just starting, though, I wouldn't pay $84/month before you've proven that people want your course.

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Payhip → create your first course → sell it → only move to Thinkific/Podia once the course is making money.

That keeps your risk extremely low.

And don't get too hung up on finding a platform with literally zero fees. No platform fee doesn't mean no payment-processing fee—Stripe/PayPal will generally still take a percentage when someone pays you.

If you tell me what you want to teach and roughly how much you want to charge (e.g. $29, $99, $299), I can recommend the cheapest setup for you—including exactly what I'd use for videos, checkout, email, and hosting.

If you're a complete beginner, want to spend little or nothing upfront, and especially want to avoid platform fees on every sale, I’d narrow it down to two choices:

🥇 My pick: Systeme.io

systeme.io

This is probably the best match for what you described.

• Free plan available
• 0% platform transaction fees on course sales
• Course hosting + checkout + basic website/funnel tools in one place
• You don't need to know how to code
• You can start with one course and upgrade later if your business grows
• It also handles things like payment plans and memberships. Systeme.io Ruzuku

Downside: It's more of an all-in-one business platform than a pure course platform, so the interface can feel like there's a lot going on initially.

🥈 If simplicity is your #1 priority: Ruzuku

ruzuku.com

Ruzuku is worth considering if you want something that feels more like "upload lessons → invite students → teach."

Its free tier is reported to be permanent, with 0% transaction fees, but it's limited to 5 students. Ruzuku

That's actually useful if you want to test your first course with a handful of people before spending money.

What I would NOT choose initially

• Teachable: Very beginner-friendly, but its free plan is gone; the entry plan charges a platform fee on sales. Podia
• Thinkific: Excellent course software, but its free plan is gone too, so you're looking at a monthly subscription. Podia
• Podia: Very easy to use, but it isn't the best fit if zero platform fees is a hard requirement. CourseProfit Lab
• Gumroad: Extremely easy and has no monthly subscription, but it takes 10% + $0.50 per direct sale, so it doesn't meet your "no platform fees" goal. CourseProfit Lab

My recommendation for you

I'd start with Systeme.io's free plan.

Don't worry about building a fancy website, logo, email funnel, or anything complicated. Start with:

Your course idea → 5–10 short lessons → upload them → set a price → send the checkout link to potential students.

Once you've actually sold some courses, then worry about upgrading or moving to a more sophisticated platform.

If you tell me what you want to teach and roughly how much you expect to charge ($20, $50, $100+, etc.), I can recommend the best platform for your specific situation and show you the cheapest setup from zero to your first sale.

If you’re a complete beginner, I’d prioritize simple setup + no monthly cost + low/no platform fees over having lots of advanced features.

My top picks

1. Payhip — what I'd choose for you

Payhip's free plan costs $0/month, gives you unlimited products and revenue, and charges 5% per sale. You still pay the normal Stripe/PayPal processing fee. Payhip

That's a particularly good deal when you're testing your first course, because you don't have to pay $30–$100+ every month before you've made a sale.

You can use it for a course, downloads, memberships, etc., without needing to build a complicated website.

2. Thinkific — better if you want a "real online school"

Thinkific is more course-focused and gives you more structure for lessons, students, courses, etc. However, its pricing/fees are more complicated, and payment-processing fees still apply. Thinkific Support Thinkific Support

I'd choose it after you've validated that people actually want your course, rather than paying for it on day one.

3. Podia — probably the easiest polished option

Podia is very beginner-friendly because it combines your course, website, checkout, email marketing, and digital products. It currently offers a 30-day free trial. Podia Help Center

The catch is that its inexpensive Mover plan charges 5% per sale; the no-Podia-fee plan is considerably more expensive. Podia Help Center Podia

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Payhip for $0/month.

Don't spend money on a fancy course platform until you've proven that someone will buy the course.

A very simple setup could be:

You → record lessons on your phone/computer → upload course → Payhip checkout → students get access.

You don't need to know how to code or build a website.

One important clarification: "no platform fees" and "no fees at all" are different. Almost every platform/payment system will have some payment-processing cost when someone pays by card. The realistic goal is $0 monthly + as little platform commission as possible.

If you tell me what kind of course you want to teach (e.g. fitness, cooking, business, crafts, language, coaching), I can narrow this down to the simplest $0-start setup and show you exactly how I'd structure it.

If you’re a complete beginner, I’d prioritize three things: easy setup, low/no monthly cost, and no platform commission on your course sales.

My top recommendation: Thinkific

Thinkific is probably the best fit if you want a proper course website without learning anything technical.

• Drag-and-drop course builder
• Hosts your videos and lessons
• Handles student accounts and course access
• Built-in checkout
• You can create unlimited courses on its current Basic plan
• Thinkific says it doesn't take a commission on sales when you use Thinkific Payments; you still pay normal payment-processing fees. Thinkific Thinkific
• The catch: there is currently no free plan, despite some older comparisons online saying there is one. The current Basic plan is $54/month monthly or $40/month when billed annually. Thinkific Thinkific

thinkific.com

If you want to spend $0 initially

I'd look at Gumroad, but with an important tradeoff: there's no monthly subscription, but Gumroad takes a percentage of each sale. So it's cheap to start, but it doesn't meet your "no platform fees" requirement. SavingSec

What I'd avoid for your situation

• Kajabi — excellent but far too expensive for someone just starting.
• Teachable — easy to use, but entry-level plans can involve transaction fees.
• Udemy — easy technically, but you're selling through their marketplace and giving up a substantial share of revenue.
• WordPress + plugins — potentially cheap long-term, but much more technical to set up.

My recommendation for you

If you're saying:

"I don't know tech, I want something that looks professional, I want students to log in and take my course, and I don't want to mess with websites or code."

Start with Thinkific.

If you're saying:

"I haven't even validated whether anyone will buy this, and I absolutely don't want to spend $40–$50/month yet."

Start with a simpler $0/pay-per-sale option, validate the course, then move to Thinkific once you're making sales.

One important distinction: "no platform fees" doesn't mean "no payment fees." Even platforms that charge 0% commission generally still have Stripe/credit-card processing costs (for example, Thinkific lists U.S. card processing at 2.9% + $0.30 in many standard cases). Thinkific Support

If you tell me (1) what you want to teach, (2) roughly how many students you expect, and (3) whether you want to charge $20, $50, $100+, etc., I can narrow this down to the cheapest 2–3 options for your exact situation.

For a complete beginner with no tech skills, I’d avoid anything that requires building a website (WordPress, plugins, hosting, etc.). You want something where you can upload videos/PDFs, create lessons, connect payments, and share a link. Course.Coach

My recommendations:

🥇 Best overall beginner choice: Thinkific

Best if you want a “proper” course platform without platform fees. LogicalRefer

Pros

• Very beginner-friendly course builder
• Professional student experience
• Good for video courses, quizzes, modules
• No need to code
• Designed specifically for courses

Cons

• You may eventually need a paid plan for advanced features

Choose this if: you’re serious about building a real course business and want to avoid giving away a percentage of sales. LogicalRefer

🥈 Easiest “just get it online” option: Gumroad

Best if you want to test an idea cheaply. SchoolMaker

Pros

• No monthly subscription to start
• Very simple setup
• Upload content, set a price, share a link
• Good for mini-courses, guides, templates, downloads

Cons

• Less like a traditional classroom
• Takes a percentage of sales rather than charging a monthly fee SchoolMaker

Choose this if: you have never sold anything online and want to validate your idea before investing.

🥉 Best polished beginner experience: Teachable

Best if you want a very guided, professional-looking course site. SchoolMaker

Pros

• Very easy course creation
• Good checkout/student experience
• Trusted by many creators

Cons

• Free/cheap options can include transaction fees, which reduce your earnings. SchoolMaker

Choose this if: you value simplicity more than keeping every percentage of revenue.

Options I would avoid as a beginner

• WordPress + LMS plugins — cheapest long-term, but too technical at the start. You’ll spend time fixing websites instead of making courses. Course.Coach
• Kajabi — excellent, but expensive and designed for established businesses. PickLogic
• Udemy — easy to publish, but you don’t fully own the customer relationship and revenue share can be significant. SchoolMaker

My simple recommendation

If I were starting from zero:

1. Make your first small course (5–10 lessons)
2. Put it on Gumroad if you just want to test whether anyone buys
3. Move to Thinkific once you know people want it

That keeps your costs and technical headaches close to zero.

A couple of questions would change the recommendation:

• Are you creating a course to sell, or just hosting lessons for a group/company/community?
• Will it be mostly video, PDFs, live teaching, or memberships?
• Do you need to collect payments, or is it free?

If you’re a complete beginner with no tech skills, I’d avoid anything that requires WordPress, hosting, plugins, or building your own website. The goal is: upload lessons → set a price → share a link → get paid.

My recommendations:

🥇 Best overall: Thinkific (Free plan)

thinkific.com

Best for: Your first real online course.

Pros:

• Free to start
• Beginner-friendly drag-and-drop course builder
• Students get a professional learning experience
• No platform transaction fee on the free plan (payment processor fees still apply) Course.Coach CourseMargin
• Good if you eventually want to grow into multiple courses

Cons:

• Free plan has limits (for example, you may need to upgrade as your course business grows) Course.Coach

My pick for you if: You want to build something that could become a real course business.

🥈 Easiest “just get it online”: Gumroad

gumroad.com

Best for: Testing an idea quickly.

Pros:

• Extremely simple setup
• No monthly fee
• Sell videos, PDFs, guides, mini-courses
• No technical setup

Cons:

• It’s more of a digital product storefront than a full learning platform
• Less polished student experience
• Takes a percentage of sales courseplatformpicks.com

My pick for you if: You have zero audience and want to test whether anyone will buy.

🥉 Best “all-in-one beginner business” option: systeme.io

Best for: Course + email list + simple sales funnel.

Pros:

• Free plan available
• Includes marketing tools (landing pages, email, funnels, course features)
• Can avoid paying for several separate tools courseplatformpicks.com

Cons:

• Interface can feel less polished than dedicated course platforms

My pick for you if: You want to sell courses and build an audience at the same time.

I would avoid for your situation:

• WordPress + LMS plugins — cheapest long-term, but frustrating if you’re non-technical.
• Kajabi — excellent, but expensive before you have sales. Starters Tools
• Udemy — easy to upload, but you don’t fully control pricing, branding, or the customer relationship. courseplatformpicks.com

My simple beginner path:

1. Start with Thinkific Free if you want a proper course.
2. Create a small first course (5–10 lessons).
3. Sell it to your first few students.
4. Upgrade only when revenue justifies it.

If your main goal is “I want to make my first $100–$1,000 online with a course”, I’d choose Thinkific. If your goal is “I just want to put some lessons online this week with almost no learning curve”, I’d choose Gumroad.

If your priorities are beginner-friendly + cheap/free + easy setup + no platform fee on sales, I’d narrow it down to these:

My top recommendation: Payhip

payhip.com is probably the easiest place to start if you're not technical.

• $0/month to get started.
• You can sell courses, memberships, digital products, etc.
• No website or hosting setup required.
• You get a storefront and checkout page.
• The catch: the free plan takes 5% per sale, in addition to Stripe/PayPal processing fees. Payhip Payhip
• If you eventually want 0% Payhip platform fee, the Pro plan is $99/month. Payhip

For a beginner testing whether people will buy your course, I'd start here.

If "no platform fee" is the #1 priority: Thinkific

thinkific.com is more purpose-built for online courses and has a polished student experience.

However, it's not actually free anymore—Thinkific says it offers a free trial rather than a free plan. It also says it doesn't take a commission on sales, although payment-processing fees still apply. Thinkific Thinkific Support

So I'd choose Thinkific once you're confident you're going to sell courses, rather than as your first experiment.

What I'd do in your shoes

I'd avoid paying $50–$150/month for a course platform before you've made your first sales.

Start with Payhip → create one small course → get your first 5–10 customers → then decide whether the 5% fee is worth eliminating.

One important distinction: "no platform fees" doesn't mean "no fees at all." Even platforms that don't take a percentage generally still have payment-processing fees from companies such as Stripe/PayPal. Payhip Thinkific Support

If you tell me what you're planning to teach and roughly how much you expect to charge (e.g. $29, $99, $500), I can recommend the cheapest/easiest setup for your specific situation.

If you're a complete beginner and your priorities are:

• Very simple setup
• Little/no technical knowledge
• Low cost
• No platform fee if possible
• Selling courses directly to students

I'd narrow it down to Payhip vs. Thinkific.

🥇 My pick for you: Payhip

payhip.com is probably the easiest place to start.

• $0/month on the Free Forever plan
• Unlimited products and revenue
• No feature restrictions on the free plan
• You can sell courses, digital downloads, memberships, etc.
• The catch: Payhip takes 5% of each sale, plus the normal Stripe/PayPal processing fee. Payhip Payhip
• You don't need to build a complicated website—the platform handles the storefront and checkout.

So if you're thinking, "I just want to upload my lessons and give people a link to buy/access them," I'd start here.

🥈 Thinkific — better if you want a "real" course school

thinkific.com is more purpose-built for online courses and gives you a more traditional student/course experience.

However, it's not free anymore; Thinkific currently offers a free trial rather than a free plan. It also doesn't take a commission when you use Thinkific Payments, although payment-processing fees still apply. Thinkific Thinkific Support

I'd choose Thinkific if you expect your course business to grow and want things like a more sophisticated course/student experience.

What I'd skip for your situation

Podia is very beginner-friendly, but it doesn't fit your "no platform fees + cheap" requirement particularly well. Its current Mover plan charges a 5% transaction fee, while the no-platform-fee Shaker plan is substantially more expensive. Podia Help Center Podia

My recommendation

*Payment processing fees still apply.

For you, I'd start with Payhip. You can get your first course online without spending anything upfront, learn how selling courses works, and only pay Payhip when you actually make a sale.

If you tell me what kind of course you're planning to teach (e.g. fitness, crafts, business, language, music, coaching), I can also recommend the simplest platform specifically for that type of course.

If you’re a complete beginner with no tech skills, I’d avoid anything that requires WordPress, plugins, hosting, or coding. Look for a “done-for-you” course platform where you can upload videos/PDFs, make a sales page, and take payments.

My top recommendations:

1. Systeme.io — best truly cheap/free starting point

systeme.io

Best for: Your first course, testing an idea, keeping costs at $0.

Pros:

• Free plan available
• No coding
• Course hosting + email marketing + sales funnels in one place
• No platform transaction fees on the free tier (payment processor fees still apply) Don't Do It Yourself

Cons:

• The course experience is more basic than premium platforms
• Design options are limited

My pick if you have $0 budget: Start here.

2. Thinkific — best beginner course platform

thinkific.com

Best for: Someone who wants a “real” online school feel.

Pros:

• Very beginner-friendly drag-and-drop builder
• Built specifically for courses
• Good student experience
• No coding required Thinkific

Cons:

• You may need a paid plan as you grow
• Marketing tools are less all-in-one than Systeme.io

My pick if you expect to build a serious course business: Thinkific.

3. Podia — easiest polished experience

podia.com

Best for: Coaches, creators, and people selling courses + downloads + memberships.

Pros:

• Very simple interface
• Website, email, courses, and products together
• Minimal technical setup Thinkific

Cons:

• Usually becomes a paid option once you need more features
• Less flexible than some competitors

4. Teachable — simple but watch fees

teachable.com

Pros:

• Very easy for beginners
• Good-looking course pages
• Handles much of the technical side

Cons:

• Lower-priced plans may include transaction fees, which can eat into sales PickLogic

What I would choose in your situation

A simple beginner path:

1. Record your lessons (phone camera is fine at first)
2. Create a free account on Systeme.io or Thinkific
3. Upload 5–10 lessons
4. Give it to a small test group
5. Improve before spending money

I would not start with expensive all-in-one platforms like Kajabi unless you already have customers and revenue; they’re powerful but usually overkill for a first course. PickLogic

If you tell me whether you plan to sell the course, give it away, or use it for coaching/training, I can narrow this down to one choice.

If you're a complete beginner and your priorities are cheap/free + simple setup + avoiding platform fees, I’d narrow it down to these:

My top picks

1. Payhip — easiest place to start

• Free to set up.
• Unlimited products and revenue.
• Very beginner-friendly.
• The catch: the free plan takes 5% per sale, plus normal PayPal/Stripe processing fees. Its $99/month Pro plan has 0% platform transaction fees. Payhip Payhip Help Center
• payhip.com
• Thinkific — better if you want a "real school"

• Designed specifically for online courses.
• More polished course/student experience than a simple digital-product store.
• However, it no longer has a free plan; it currently offers a 30-day trial, and paid plans start at $54/month monthly after its August 2026 pricing increase. Thinkific Support Thinkific
• If you use Thinkific Payments, you're paying payment-processing fees rather than an additional platform transaction fee. Thinkific Thinkific Support
• thinkific.com
• Teachable — easy, but I'd skip it for your particular goal

• It's beginner-friendly and very course-focused.
• But its lower-priced plans can have transaction fees, so it doesn't fit your "no platform fees" requirement as well as you'd like.

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Payhip. Don't spend $50–$100/month before you've proven that people actually want your course.

You can create the course, put it online, and start selling it for essentially $0 upfront. Once you're making enough sales that the 5% fee becomes painful, then consider moving to a platform with no platform transaction fee.

One important distinction: "no platform fees" doesn't mean "no fees at all." Payment processors such as Stripe or PayPal will normally still take their processing fee when someone pays you. Payhip explicitly notes this. Payhip

If you tell me what you want to teach (e.g. fitness, cooking, coaching, crafts, business, language, etc.) and roughly how much you want to charge, I can recommend the simplest setup and walk you through exactly what I'd use.

For someone with no tech skills, I’d avoid anything that requires WordPress, hosting, plugins, or building your own website. You want a “sign up → upload videos/PDFs → add a price → share link” experience.

My recommendations:

1. Systeme.io — best overall free starting point

systeme.io

Best for: A beginner who wants to sell a first course without paying monthly fees.

Pros:

• Free plan available
• Course hosting + sales pages + email tools in one place
• No coding needed
• Good if you eventually want funnels, email lists, and marketing tools

Cons:

• The course area is more basic than premium platforms
• Less “beautiful” than some dedicated course platforms

This is probably where I’d start if you’re building a small paid course from scratch. courseplatformpicks.com OnlineCourseTools

2. Podia — easiest interface

podia.com

Best for: Someone who values simplicity over advanced features.

Pros:

• Very beginner-friendly
• Clean course builder
• Also handles digital downloads, memberships, and email

Cons:

• Free/low-cost options may include transaction fees
• You may need a paid plan as you grow SavingSec Oversite

3. Gumroad — simplest “just sell something”

gumroad.com

Best for: A first mini-course, workshop, ebook, templates, or downloadable lessons.

Pros:

• Extremely easy setup
• No monthly subscription required
• Good for testing an idea

Cons:

• Not a full classroom experience
• Limited quizzes, student tracking, community features Threecus

4. Thinkific — best if you want a more “professional school” feel

thinkific.com

Best for: A serious course business after you know people want your content.

Pros:

• Strong course structure
• Better student experience
• More education-focused

Cons:

• Free options and pricing have changed over time, so check current limits before committing. Ruzuku

What I would choose in your situation

• $0 budget + beginner: Systeme.io
• Want the easiest interface: Podia
• Testing a small idea this month: Gumroad
• Planning a real course business: Thinkific

I would not start with:

• WordPress + LMS plugins (too technical)
• Kajabi (excellent, but expensive for a beginner)
• Building a custom website

A simple beginner path:

1. Record lessons with your phone or Zoom.
2. Put videos in Systeme.io or Podia.
3. Create a simple sales page.
4. Get your first 5–10 students.
5. Upgrade only after you have proof people will pay.

If you tell me (1) whether you want to sell the course or give it away, (2) your expected price, and (3) whether it’s video/audio/PDF/live classes, I can narrow it down to one platform.

If you’re a complete beginner, I’d prioritize simple setup + no monthly cost over having tons of advanced features.

My top picks

1. Payhip — my recommendation

Payhip

Payhip's free plan gives you all features, unlimited products and unlimited revenue; the tradeoff is a 5% Payhip transaction fee, plus normal Stripe/PayPal processing fees. payhip.com

For a beginner, I particularly like it because you can create a course without building a website. You create sections, add lessons/videos, and share the course page. You can even use YouTube/Vimeo for video hosting at no additional Payhip cost. payhip.com

2. Gumroad — simplest if your course is relatively basic

Gumroad

There's no monthly fee, and you can sell courses, video lessons and memberships. However, Gumroad's fee is higher: 10% + $0.50 per direct transaction, plus payment processing; marketplace/discovery sales are 30%. payhip.comgumroad.com

One important clarification

If by "without platform fees" you mean literally 0% platform commission, that's harder to get while also having a free, no-tech, fully hosted platform.

Payhip gets you close: $0/month, but 5% per sale. Its $99/month Pro plan removes Payhip's transaction fee, though Stripe/PayPal processing still applies. payhip.com

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Payhip. Don't spend money on a website, hosting, fancy funnel, or expensive course software yet.

You could have:

You → Payhip course page → customer pays → customer gets course access

And if you eventually start making substantial sales, then worry about reducing fees or moving to a more sophisticated platform.

If you tell me what kind of course you want to teach (e.g. fitness, cooking, business, crafts, coaching, etc.) and roughly how much you expect to charge, I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 options for your exact situation.

If you're a complete beginner and your priorities are cheap/free, easy setup, and avoiding platform fees, I'd narrow it down to these:

🥇 My recommendation: Payhip

Payhip

For someone with no technical skills, I'd start here. Payhip has a $0/month plan with all features, unlimited products and unlimited revenue. The catch is a 5% Payhip transaction fee, plus the normal Stripe/PayPal payment-processing fee. payhip.com

The nice part is that you don't need to build a website or mess with hosting. You can create a course, upload your material, set a price, and give people a checkout link.

One important distinction: if by "without platform fees" you mean literally 0% platform commission, Payhip's free plan doesn't meet that requirement. Its $99/month Pro plan removes the 5% fee. payhip.com

🥈 If you absolutely want 0% platform commission

I'd look at Thinkific, but only once you're making enough money to justify the monthly cost.

Thinkific

Thinkific currently starts at $54/month, and it says it doesn't take a commission on sales when you use its own payment system. However, payment processing still costs money; for US/Canada cards, Thinkific currently lists 3.9% + $0.30 per transaction. www.thinkific.com

So it's not free, but it can make sense once you're selling consistently.

What I'd do in your shoes

Don't pay $50–$100/month just to get started.

Start with Payhip's free plan, create your first small course, and see if anyone actually buys it. You can even offer a course for free initially to test the setup and collect students. help.payhip.com

Once you're making, say, $1,000+/month, then revisit whether paying a monthly fee to eliminate/reduce transaction fees makes sense.

If you tell me what kind of course you want to sell (e.g. fitness, cooking, business, crafts, coaching, etc.) and roughly how much you expect to charge, I can recommend the cheapest setup and show you exactly what I'd use.

If you're a complete beginner, I'd prioritize three things: no monthly cost, very little technical setup, and low fees when you actually make a sale.

One important clarification: “no platform fees” and “free” are different things. Payment processors such as Stripe/PayPal will generally still take their processing fee. What we're trying to avoid is an additional fee from the course platform.

My top picks

🥇 I'd start with Payhip

payhip.com

For someone with no tech skills, Payhip is probably the easiest place to start. Its free plan is $0/month, includes all features, and allows unlimited products and revenue; it takes 5% per sale, plus the normal Stripe/PayPal processing fee. Payhip Payhip

You can create course sections, add lessons/videos, and share a ready-made sales page without building a website yourself. Payhip

Why I like it for you: you can get something online without buying a domain, learning WordPress, or hiring anyone.

🥈 If “absolutely no platform fee” is the priority: Ruzuku

Ruzuku's current free tier is particularly interesting: it allows unlimited courses and charges 0% transaction fees, but you're limited to 5 students total. You'd still pay the normal Stripe processing fees. Ruzuku

That's actually a nice option if you're thinking:

“I want to teach 5 people first, see if I like doing this, and then expand.”

🥉 Gumroad — easiest, but I'd skip it for a course

gumroad.com

Gumroad is extremely beginner-friendly and has no monthly fee, but its current direct-sale fee is 10% + $0.50 per transaction, before applicable payment-processing costs. Gumroad Gumroad

So I'd use it more for a PDF, ebook, template, or small digital product than for a serious course.

What I would do in your shoes

Start with Payhip's free plan.

Don't worry about a fancy website, logo, domain, email funnel, or expensive camera.

Your first version could simply be:

Course → 5–10 short video lessons → downloadable worksheet → $19–$49 price → Payhip checkout

Get your first few students. Once you're actually making money, then consider whether paying for a 0%-platform-fee plan makes financial sense.

And I would not start with WordPress. Although it can eventually give you much more control and avoid platform fees, it introduces hosting, plugins, updates, domains, and other technical work—the opposite of what you're looking for. Course.Coach

If you tell me what you want to teach (e.g. cooking, fitness, crafts, business, coaching, music, etc.) and roughly how much you expect to charge, I can narrow this down to the simplest and cheapest setup for your particular course.

For a beginner with no tech skills, I’d avoid anything that requires WordPress, hosting, plugins, or custom websites. Those can be cheap but often cost you time and frustration. course.coach

My recommendations:

starters-tools.compicklogic.co

My pick for you:

1. Start with Podia if you want the easiest experience.
You can upload videos, PDFs, lessons, and create a simple sales page without much technical work. It’s designed for creators who don’t want to build a website from scratch. courseprofitlab.com

2. Start with Systeme.io if avoiding platform fees is your top priority.
It’s more business/marketing focused, but it gives you tools for landing pages, email lists, and selling courses in one place. www.ruzuku.com

3. Use Gumroad if you’re just testing an idea.
You can create a simple course product and see if anyone buys before committing to a monthly subscription. The tradeoff is that it takes a percentage of sales. courseprofitlab.com

I would not recommend:

• WordPress + LMS plugins → cheapest long-term, but too technical for a first course. course.coach
• Kajabi → excellent, but expensive before you have revenue. starters-tools.compicklogic.co
• Marketplace-only platforms like Udemy → easy distribution, but you give up control over pricing and customer relationships. www.savingsec.com

A simple beginner path:

1. Create your first course in Google Docs/Slides.
2. Record lessons with your phone or screen recorder.
3. Upload to Podia or Systeme.io.
4. Sell to your first 10–20 students.
5. Upgrade only when revenue justifies it.

If you tell me whether you want to sell the course (paid) or give it away (lead generation) and roughly how many students you expect, I can narrow it to one platform.

Yes. Since you’re a complete beginner, I’d prioritize “easy enough that I’ll actually launch” over having lots of advanced features.

One important catch: “no platform fee” usually doesn’t mean zero fees at all. Payment processors such as Stripe/PayPal can still charge their normal processing fee.

My top choices

Current 2026 comparisons indicate that Systeme.io has a free tier with one course and 0% platform transaction fees, while Ruzuku and FreshLearn also offer limited free plans without platform transaction fees. www.ruzuku.com

🥇 What I'd choose for you: Systeme.io

If your priorities are:

• I don't know anything technical
• I don't want to pay monthly
• I don't want the platform taking a percentage of every sale
• I want to sell an actual course
• I want the setup to be reasonably simple

I'd start with Systeme.io.

Its free plan is designed around having a course plus basic marketing functionality, rather than making you build a website yourself. The tradeoff is that the course features aren't as sophisticated as expensive platforms. www.ruzuku.com

🥈 If absolute simplicity matters more than fees

I'd look at Payhip.

It's more like: upload your course → set a price → get a sales page → share the link.

That's very attractive for someone who doesn't want to learn technology. The downside is that free/pay-as-you-go platforms generally take a percentage of sales, so it's not the best choice if zero platform fees is your #1 requirement. www.threecus.com

What I would NOT do yet

I wouldn't start with WordPress, a self-hosted LMS, or anything requiring you to buy hosting and configure plugins. Those can eventually give you more control and potentially eliminate platform fees, but they introduce exactly the technical complexity you're trying to avoid. course.coach

I also wouldn't pay $50–$150/month for something like Kajabi before you've proven that people will actually buy your course.

My recommendation: start with Systeme.io if avoiding platform fees is important, or Payhip if having the absolute easiest setup is more important.

If you tell me what you want to teach and roughly how much you want to charge (e.g. "$49 course about photography"), I can narrow it down to one platform and explain exactly how I'd set it up for a non-technical beginner.

If you’re brand new, non-technical, and want to spend as little as possible while avoiding platform fees, I’d narrow it down to two choices:

🥇 My pick: Systeme.io

Systeme.io

This is probably the best fit for what you described.

• $0 to start
• 0% platform transaction fee — you still pay normal payment-processing fees such as Stripe/PayPal
• Can host one course on the free plan
• Includes landing pages, checkout, email marketing, and a basic sales funnel
• No need to build a website or know how to code
• You can upgrade later rather than rebuilding everything

Their current information says the free plan supports one course and 2,000 contacts, with 0% transaction fees. systeme.io

Why I'd choose it for you: you're not just looking for a place to upload videos—you want something that lets you actually sell the course without assembling five different tools.

🥈 If you want the absolute simplest setup: Gumroad

Gumroad

Gumroad is extremely easy: upload your material, give it a price, and share the link.

The downside is that it's not really a full-fledged course platform, and it takes a percentage of each sale (currently reported around 10% + $0.50). www.savingsec.comcourseprofitlab.com

So I'd use Gumroad if you're thinking "I want to test whether anyone will buy this", rather than building a polished course business.

What I would NOT start with

Kajabi: excellent, but massively overkill and expensive for a beginner.

Teachable: very beginner-friendly, but current plans can involve monthly fees and/or transaction fees, so it doesn't match your "no platform fees" requirement as well. www.savingsec.comcourseprofitlab.com

Thinkific: historically a great recommendation for beginners, but you'll find conflicting 2026 information online about its free plan. I wouldn't choose it without checking the exact plan available when you sign up.

My recommendation for you

If I were starting from zero in your shoes, I'd use Systeme.io. You can get your first course online without paying a monthly subscription, and you don't need technical skills.

If you tell me what your course is about and whether you plan to charge (and roughly how much), I can recommend the cheapest setup and walk you through exactly what I'd use.

If you're a complete beginner and your priorities are cheap/free + very simple setup + no platform fee, I'd narrow it down to these:

🥇 My recommendation: Payhip

For your situation, I'd start with Payhip.

You can start for $0/month, upload your course, sell it, and avoid paying anything until you make a sale. The catch is a 5% Payhip transaction fee, plus the normal Stripe/PayPal payment-processing fee. Payhip says its free plan includes all features and unlimited products. payhip.com

It's particularly attractive for a beginner because you don't have to build a website or learn complicated technology. You can create courses, memberships, bundles, and digital products from the same platform. help.payhip.com

One important distinction: if by "without platform fees" you mean literally 0% to the platform on every sale, Payhip's free plan doesn't meet that requirement. Its $99/month Pro plan has 0% platform transaction fees. payhip.com

🥈 Gumroad — easiest alternative

Gumroad is probably the simplest if your course is relatively straightforward. There's no monthly fee, and it supports courses/tutorials, memberships, and digital products. But the fee is 10% + $0.50 per direct sale, so it gets expensive as your sales grow. gumroad.com

For example, on a $50 course, you'd pay roughly $5.50 to Gumroad before payment-related considerations.

🥉 Thinkific — when you're ready to build a "real school"

Thinkific is much more course-focused, but I'd not start here if keeping costs near zero is your priority. Thinkific currently doesn't offer a free plan, and its pricing was increased in August 2026; the Basic plan is now $54/month monthly. support.thinkific.com

It becomes more attractive once you're making enough from your course to justify a dedicated learning platform.

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Payhip → create one small course → sell it → upgrade only after you have customers.

You don't need to spend hundreds of dollars building a website, buying software, or learning complicated technology before knowing whether people want your course.

If you tell me what you want to teach (e.g. fitness, cooking, crafts, business, tutoring, etc.) and roughly what you'd charge for the course, I can recommend the cheapest setup and show you exactly what I'd use for video hosting + course platform + payments + email, without requiring technical skills.

For a complete beginner with no tech skills, I’d prioritize:

1. $0 upfront
2. 0% platform transaction fees
3. Easy drag-and-drop setup
4. A proper student experience—not just a file-download page
5. Room to grow without rebuilding everything

🥇 My first choice: Systeme.io

Systeme.io

This is probably the best match for what you described. Its free plan lets you build and sell a course, host the members area, and take payments, with 0% platform transaction fees. systeme.iowww.ruzuku.comwww.savingsec.com

Why I'd choose it for you:

• Free to start
• No coding
• Course hosting + sales page + email tools in one place
• 0% platform cut
• You don't have to pay $30–$100/month before knowing whether your course will sell

The main limitation is that the free plan is designed around one course, so it's better for starting with a single flagship course.

🥈 If absolute simplicity matters most: Podia

Podia

Podia is particularly beginner-friendly and is known for its simple, no-code setup. www.thinkific.com

The catch: its free option has a transaction fee, so it doesn't meet your "no platform fees" requirement as well as Systeme.io. Current comparisons put the free-plan fee at around 8%. systeme.iowww.ruzuku.comwww.savingsec.com

🥉 If you want a very simple "sell my course" setup

Payhip is another one I'd consider. It has a very low barrier to entry and doesn't require you to build a complicated website first. The tradeoff is that its free plan takes a percentage of sales.

What I'd avoid for now

Kajabi — excellent, but way too expensive when you're just starting.

Teachable — easy to use, but its current entry-level pricing/fees make it less attractive if your priority is keeping costs down. courseprofitlab.com

Thinkific — very good course software, but be careful with older articles claiming it has a free, zero-fee plan; pricing and free-tier information has changed, and recent sources conflict. systeme.iowww.ruzuku.comwww.savingsec.com

My recommendation for you

If you told me, "I have never built a course before and I just want someone to show me the easiest way to get my first course online without spending much," I'd start with Systeme.io.

You don't need a website, coding, or a bunch of separate software. Start with one course, get it working, and only pay for upgrades once you're actually getting students.

If you tell me what your course is about (e.g. fitness, cooking, business, crafts, coaching, etc.) and whether you plan to sell it or give it away, I can narrow this down to the simplest setup and tell you exactly what I'd use.

If you're brand new, non-technical, and want to spend as little as possible, I’d narrow it down to two choices:

🥇 My pick: Systeme.io

Systeme.io

This is probably the best fit for what you described because:

• Free to start
• 0% platform transaction fees — you still pay normal payment-processing fees such as Stripe/PayPal
• Course hosting and a members area are included
• You can sell the course directly from the same platform
• It also includes landing pages, email marketing, and sales funnels, so you don't have to stitch several tools together. systeme.io

The tradeoff is that it can feel like more software than you need when you're first learning.

🥈 Simplest alternative: Podia

Podia

Podia is particularly good if your priority is "I don't want to learn complicated technology." Its interface is designed around putting your course, website, payments, and digital products in one place. Current pricing/fee details vary by plan, though, so it doesn't fit your zero platform-fee requirement as well as Systeme.io. www.savingsec.comwww.ruzuku.com

What I'd avoid initially

Teachable, Thinkific, Kajabi, etc. can be excellent, but I'd avoid paying $30–$150+ per month before you've even proven that people want your course. Also, be careful with older articles claiming Thinkific or Teachable have free plans with 0% fees—their pricing has changed, and current comparisons conflict because many are outdated. www.savingsec.comwww.ruzuku.com

My recommendation for you

If I were starting from zero in your shoes, I'd start with Systeme.io and not spend anything until I had my first students.

If you tell me what kind of course you want to create (e.g., fitness, cooking, crafts, coaching, business, etc.) and roughly how much you want to charge, I can recommend the simplest setup and walk you through exactly what to click, step by step.

If you're a complete beginner, I'd prioritize easy setup + no monthly cost + low/no platform commission rather than choosing the most powerful LMS.

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

My picks

Payhip's free plan gives you all features and unlimited products, but takes 5% of each sale; payment processor fees still apply. payhip.com Gumroad has no monthly fee but charges 10% + $0.50 per direct sale, plus payment-processing costs. gumroad.com

🏆 What I'd choose in your situation

Start with Systeme.io if your goal is:

• Make a simple course
• Upload videos/PDFs
• Let people pay you
• Have a basic sales page
• Avoid technical setup
• Spend $0 initially

If you want something even more straightforward and don't mind giving up 5% per sale, Payhip is probably the easiest option.

I wouldn't start with WordPress. Technically you can build a course with free LMS software, but you'll have to deal with hosting, plugins, updates, domains, etc.—exactly the sort of technical work you're trying to avoid. course.coach

Also, I'd skip Gumroad for a course unless simplicity is more important to you than fees. A 10% + $0.50 cut becomes pretty painful as sales grow. gumroad.com

If you tell me what kind of course you're thinking of (e.g., fitness, crafts, business, cooking, education, etc.) and roughly how much you'd charge, I can narrow this down to the single best platform for you.

If you're a complete beginner and your priorities are cheap/free + very simple setup + no platform cut, I'd narrow it down to these:

🥇 My recommendation: Payhip

Payhip

I'd start with Payhip's free plan. It costs $0/month, gives you all features, and lets you sell unlimited products. The catch is a 5% Payhip transaction fee, plus the normal Stripe/PayPal processing fee. payhip.com

The big advantage for a non-technical beginner is that you don't need to build a website from scratch. You can upload your course, set a price, and share your course/store link.

If "zero platform fees" is absolutely non-negotiable

Then I'd look at Thinkific, but only once you're actually making enough money to justify the subscription.

Thinkific

Thinkific currently doesn't have a free plan, and its Basic plan increased to $54/month in August 2026. support.thinkific.com With Thinkific Payments, you're still paying payment-processing fees (for example, U.S. cards are generally 2.9% + $0.30), but Thinkific itself doesn't take a commission on those sales. support.thinkific.com

What I'd do in your shoes

Don't pay $50–$100/month yet. Start with Payhip, make your first small course, and see whether people actually buy it.

Once you're getting consistent sales, you can move to a platform with a subscription and 0% platform commission.

If you tell me what kind of course you want to create (e.g. fitness, cooking, language, business, crafts, coaching), I can recommend the simplest specific setup—including where to host videos, how to take payments, and how to get your first students—without needing any tech skills.

If you're a complete beginner and your priorities are easy setup + low/no monthly cost + avoiding platform fees, I’d narrow it down to these:

🥇 I'd start with Payhip

Payhip is probably the closest match to what you're describing. Its Free Forever plan is $0/month and includes all features, unlimited products, and unlimited revenue. The catch is a 5% transaction fee, plus the normal PayPal/Stripe payment-processing fee. payhip.com

It also supports courses, memberships, coaching, and bundles, so you're not locked into selling simple PDFs or downloads. help.payhip.com

The setup is relatively straightforward: create an account, create your course, upload your lessons, set a price, and share your course link.

🥈 Gumroad — simplest, but I'd only choose it for very small sales

Gumroad is extremely beginner-friendly and has no monthly fee. But its current fee is 10% + $0.50 per transaction, before certain additional processing costs. help.payhip.comgumroad.com

So, for example, on a $50 course, that 10% + $0.50 is already $5.50 before other applicable fees.

I'd choose Gumroad if your priority were "I want the absolute simplest possible way to sell something online."

🚫 I wouldn't start with Thinkific

Thinkific is a much more complete learning platform, but it's overkill for someone just starting out. It no longer has a free plan, and its Basic plan is currently $54/month after its August 2026 price increase. www.thinkific.com

It does have the advantage of not taking a percentage of sales on its paid plans, although payment-processing fees still apply. support.thinkific.com

One important distinction

If by "without platform fees" you mean literally 0% platform commission, that's different from "free to start."

You generally still have payment-processing fees (Stripe/PayPal/etc.). The realistic choices are:

• $0/month + small percentage of sales → Payhip
• $0/month + larger percentage of sales → Gumroad
• Monthly subscription + potentially 0% platform commission → Thinkific and similar platforms

For you, I'd start with Payhip. Don't spend weeks building a fancy website. Make one small course, put it on Payhip's free plan, and see if people actually buy it before paying for a more sophisticated platform.

If you tell me what you want to teach and roughly how much you'd charge (e.g. $20, $50, $100), I can recommend the cheapest setup and explain exactly what you'd need to do, step by step.

If you’re a complete beginner, I’d prioritize three things: no monthly commitment, very little setup, and low/no platform fees.

My top picks

There is some conflicting current information online about which platforms still have genuinely free plans, so I'd verify the pricing immediately before signing up. For example, recent comparisons disagree about Thinkific's free tier. course.coach

For you, I'd start with Payhip or Gumroad. They're much less intimidating than setting up WordPress or building a full website. Gumroad has no monthly subscription and supports courses/tutorials, charging when you make a sale. gumroad.com

If you want something that feels like a proper online school—less like selling a downloadable product—I'd choose Thinkific if its current free/trial offering meets your needs. It has a more traditional course-learning experience. picklogic.co

What I'd avoid initially

• Kajabi — excellent, but overkill and expensive for a beginner.
• WordPress + LMS plugins — cheap in theory, but much more technical.
• Teachable — polished, but transaction fees/subscription costs can make it less attractive when you're just starting. www.savingsec.com

My simple recommendation:
👉 Payhip if your #1 priority is "I want this live with almost no technical work."
👉 Thinkific if your #1 priority is "I want it to look and function like a real course platform."
👉 Gumroad if you want "I just want to test whether people will pay for my idea."

If you tell me what kind of course you're planning to teach (e.g. fitness, cooking, business, crafts, coaching), I can narrow it down to the one I'd personally use, including the cheapest way to set it up.

If you’re brand new, non-technical, and want to spend little or nothing upfront, I’d narrow it down to Payhip vs. a dedicated course platform.

🥇 My pick: Payhip

Payhip is probably the easiest place for you to start.

• $0/month to start
• You can sell online courses, digital downloads, memberships, etc.
• No coding or website-building required
• The free plan gives you the same core features as the paid plans
• The tradeoff: 5% Payhip transaction fee, plus normal Stripe/PayPal processing fees. payhip.com

So if you sell a $50 course, Payhip's platform fee would be $2.50, before payment-processing fees.

🥈 If "no platform fees" is the priority

I'd look at Thinkific, but there's an important catch: information online about its free plan is conflicting and some articles are outdated. Current 2026 sources indicate that Thinkific has moved away from a permanent free plan, so I wouldn't choose it specifically because you want $0 upfront. www.ruzuku.com

🥉 Gumroad — extremely simple, but higher fees

Gumroad is very beginner-friendly and has no monthly subscription, but its direct-sale fee is around 10% + $0.50, so it gets expensive as your course sales grow. www.savingsec.com

What I'd do in your situation

Start with Payhip. Don't pay $30–$100/month for a fancy platform before you've proven that people will actually buy your course.

You can essentially:

Create course → upload lessons → set price → share your link → get paid.

Once you're making consistent sales, you can consider moving to a platform with more sophisticated course features.

One important distinction: "no platform fees" doesn't mean "no fees at all." Even a platform charging 0% will generally still have payment-processing fees from Stripe/PayPal.

If you tell me what kind of course you want to sell (e.g. fitness, crafts, business, cooking, coaching, etc.) and roughly how much you'd charge, I can recommend the cheapest/easiest setup for your specific situation.

For someone with no tech skills, I’d prioritize:

1. Easy setup
2. No monthly cost until you prove people will buy
3. Low or no platform fees
4. No need to build a website

My recommendations:

www.schoolmaker.comwww.teachfloor.com

My pick for you

If you want to spend $0 and learn as you go:
→ Systeme.io
You can create a course, landing page, email list, and basic sales funnel without stitching together lots of tools. www.schoolmaker.com

If you just want to upload lessons and sell a small course this week:
→ Gumroad
It’s probably the least intimidating. You can sell videos, PDFs, templates, or a mini-course without learning complicated software. The tradeoff is less of a “school” experience and a sales fee. www.schoolmaker.com

If you expect to build a real course business:
→ Podia or Thinkific
They’re better once you need a cleaner student experience, multiple courses, memberships, or more structure. www.schoolmaker.comwww.teachfloor.com

A simple beginner path I’d suggest:

1. Create your first course in Google Docs + phone videos (don’t overproduce).
2. Upload it to Systeme.io or Gumroad.
3. Get your first 5–20 students.
4. Upgrade platforms only after you know people want it.

I would avoid starting with expensive all-in-one platforms like Kajabi because the monthly cost is hard to justify before you have sales. www.schoolmaker.comwww.teachfloor.com

If you tell me:

• what kind of course you want to sell (fitness, coaching, crafts, business, etc.)
• whether you already have an audience
• whether you want one-time sales or a membership

…I can narrow it down to one platform.