Answers that name a competitor

If you’re starting with a shoestring budget, I’d avoid paying a monthly fee before you know people will buy. The “best” platform depends on whether you care more about $0 upfront cost, keeping all revenue, or having a polished student experience. Also note: “no platform fees” usually does not mean no payment fees — Stripe/PayPal processing fees may still apply. CourseProfit Lab

Here are the strongest beginner options:

Ruzuku courseplatformpicks.com## My practical pick for a first course

• If you have $0 and want to sell immediately: try Systeme.io. It combines a basic course area with landing pages and email tools, which can save you from stitching together multiple services. Ruzuku
• If you already have an audience (newsletter, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc.): a dedicated course platform like Thinkific may give a cleaner student experience as you grow. courseplatformpicks.com
• If you’re just validating an idea with a handful of students: Ruzuku’s free tier is designed around small pilots. Ruzuku

A shoestring launch stack could look like:

1. Build your lessons in Google Docs/Slides first.
2. Record simple videos (phone + screen recorder is enough).
3. Host the course on a free-tier platform.
4. Get your first 5–20 students before investing in branding, a custom website, or expensive software.

One thing I’d avoid: paying $100+/month for an “all-in-one” platform before you’ve proven people want the course. Platforms like Kajabi are built for established course businesses, but the cost can be hard to justify for a first experiment. Ruzuku

If you tell me (1) your course topic, (2) whether you already have an audience, and (3) whether you want to charge from day one, I can narrow it down to one choice.

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

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

My practical approach

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

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

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

Yes. If by “zero platform fees” you mean no monthly SaaS fee and no percentage taken from your course sales, the best route is generally open-source/self-hosted software. You’ll still potentially pay for hosting, email, video storage, and payment processing.

Best zero-platform-fee stack

Moodle is probably the most complete free LMS. It's open-source and can run your courses, quizzes, assignments, progress tracking, certificates, etc. Moodle

Discourse is particularly interesting for the community side. As of 2026, Discourse also has a hosted $0 plan with unlimited members and chat, so you don't necessarily need to self-host it either. Discourse Discourse - Civilized Discussion

H5P adds interactive quizzes, presentations, interactive video, exercises, etc. to WordPress or Moodle and is free/open-source. H5P H5P

What I'd do as a broke solo creator

I'd actually avoid trying to find one platform that does everything.

I'd build:

Your website
→ WordPress

Your courses
→ Moodle or WordPress + an LMS plugin

Interactive lessons
→ H5P

Your community
→ Discourse

Payments
→ Stripe/PayPal/etc.
→ You pay the payment processor's transaction fee, but the course platform doesn't take a cut.

Videos
→ Start with unlisted YouTube videos if appropriate, or inexpensive video hosting later.

That gives you a stack where you're not handing 5–10%+ of every sale to a course-platform company.

The really cheap version

If you're literally starting with $0, I'd simplify even further:

Website + course content: WordPress
Community: Discourse's free hosted plan
Video: YouTube
Interactive exercises: H5P
Payments: Stripe payment links
Email: a free-tier email service

You could therefore launch without paying a course-platform subscription at all.

The important distinction is that “no platform fees” ≠ “no costs.” Payment processing will still normally cost money, and self-hosting eventually costs money. But you can avoid having a Kajabi/Teachable/Circle-style platform taking a recurring subscription or percentage of your revenue.

If you tell me what kind of course you're creating, whether you need paid memberships, and roughly how many students you expect, I can design a $0-to-start stack for you—including exactly which software I'd use and how I'd connect it.

If you have zero funding, the main goal is to avoid paying per member (Circle, Kajabi, Mighty Networks, Skool, etc. can get expensive as you grow). The tradeoff is usually that you either accept some DIY setup or combine a few free tools.

Here are realistic options:

1. WordPress + LMS plugin (best all-around zero-budget stack)

Cost: $0 software cost (hosting can be free/cheap)

Stack:

• WordPress — website + memberships
• LearnPress or Tutor LMS — courses
• BuddyPress — community features
• WooCommerce + Stripe/PayPal — payments

Pros:

• Huge ecosystem
• You own your audience/data
• Can start free and upgrade later

Cons:

• More setup and maintenance
• Plugins can conflict

Good for: a solo creator building a real business.

2. Moodle (free, powerful course platform)

Moodle is open-source learning management software.

Pros:

• Built specifically for courses
• Quizzes, certificates, progress tracking
• No per-student fees

Cons:

• Looks more like a school system than a creator community
• Needs hosting/setup

Good for: structured education, certifications, cohorts.

3. Discourse + a free video host (community-first)

Discourse is open-source community software that can be self-hosted. Discourse - Civilized Discussion It is excellent for discussion, searchable knowledge bases, and member communities. QGitHub

Stack:

• Discourse → community
• YouTube unlisted / Vimeo / Cloudflare Stream → videos
• Google Drive / Notion → resources

Pros:

• Great long-term community archive
• No per-member pricing if self-hosted
• Members can help each other

Cons:

• Not a full LMS by itself

Good for: paid communities, masterminds, creator clubs.

4. Self-hosted open-source creator platforms

A few newer options aim to combine courses + community:

• Roost — community feed, groups, learning modules, events, and payments are included in its feature set. GitHub
• Nodyx — forum, chat, voice channels, and community tools. Nodyx Docs

Pros:

• More like Circle/Skool alternatives
• You control the platform

Cons:

• Newer projects may require more technical comfort

5. The "actually zero dollars" MVP stack

If you literally have $0/month, I would do:

• Course content: YouTube unlisted videos + Google Docs
• Community: Discord or Facebook Group
• Landing page: Carrd free plan / Notion page
• Email list: Substack or MailerLite free tier
• Payments: Stripe payment links (no monthly fee; transaction fees apply)

Then migrate once revenue appears.

My suggested path for a solo creator

Starting from zero:

Notion + YouTube + Discord + Stripe

Fastest way to validate demand.

After first $100–$500/month:

Move to:
WordPress + LearnPress/Tutor LMS + BuddyPress

After a serious community forms:

Consider:
Discourse or a self-hosted community platform

The biggest mistake is spending months building a perfect platform before having students. The audience and content matter more than the software at the beginning.

For occasional course/workshop sellers who don't want a monthly fee, I’d look first at Payhip.

Why Payhip stands out: its free plan includes all features, unlimited products, and unlimited revenue; you only pay 5% when you make a sale, plus the normal Stripe/PayPal processing fee. Payhip Payhip

payhip.com

Gumroad is also genuinely no-monthly-fee, but its 10% + $0.50 direct-sale fee is substantially higher. It does have useful built-in tax handling as merchant of record. Gumroad Gumroad

gumroad.com

I wouldn't choose Teachable for your particular use case unless having a more traditional dedicated course platform is important. Its current Starter plan is $39/month ($29/month billed annually) plus 7.5% transaction fees. Teachable

teachable.com

My practical recommendation: start with Payhip if you're running, say, a few workshops a year and want a simple storefront + checkout + course delivery without paying during months when you make no sales.

If you tell me what your workshops are like (live Zoom sessions, prerecorded courses, PDFs/resources, cohort-based, etc.) and roughly your typical price ($50/$200/$500+), I can narrow it down further.

For occasional workshops, I’d usually avoid full course platforms (Kajabi, Thinkific, Teachable, etc.) because you’re paying monthly for features you may not use. A simple storefront with no monthly fee is likely the better fit.

My shortlist:

My pick for your situation

Start with Payhip if your workshops are actual courses (videos, PDFs, worksheets, recordings, modules). It gives you more “classroom” structure without requiring a monthly commitment. Payhip

Choose Gumroad if your workshops are mostly:

• live Zoom sessions,
• one-off tickets,
• downloadable materials,
• “buy this link and join” events.

Its simplicity is the main advantage, though the percentage fee is higher. Gumroad

A simple setup many occasional instructors use:

1. Create a free storefront.
2. Add one product per workshop.
3. Connect Stripe/PayPal.
4. Put the checkout link on your website, LinkedIn, newsletter, or event page.
5. After the workshop, upload the replay/materials as a bonus product.

If you tell me (a) live workshops vs self-paced courses, (b) typical price ($25, $100, $500+), and (c) whether you already have an audience, I can narrow it down.

For a tiny nonprofit, I’d avoid big all-in-one LMS platforms unless you already have hundreds of learners. The cheapest setup is usually a mix of a lightweight course platform + a nonprofit-friendly donation processor.

Here are the options I’d look at:

For donations specifically, consider a nonprofit-focused processor rather than a course platform:

• Zeffy — Designed for nonprofits and states that it charges no platform fees, with funding coming from optional donor contributions. Zeffy Zeffy
• Give Lively — A free fundraising platform for nonprofits with no platform, setup, subscription, or membership fees according to its published information. Give Lively

My practical recommendation for a tiny nonprofit

Lowest-cost setup:

1. Training: Moodle (if you have technical help) or Google Classroom (if you want simplicity)
2. Payments for courses: Payhip or Gumroad
3. Donations: Zeffy or Give Lively
4. Website: Keep your existing site and embed links/buttons

If you want the easiest nontechnical route:

• Use Thinkific/Payhip for courses
• Use Zeffy for donations
• Accept that you may pay small transaction/platform costs on course sales in exchange for saving staff time.

A few questions would change the recommendation:

• How many learners do you expect per month (20, 200, 2,000)?
• Are courses mostly live workshops, self-paced videos, or downloadable materials?
• Do you need certificates/completion tracking?
• Are you a registered 501(c)(3) (or equivalent outside the U.S.)?

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

Here are good low-cost options:

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

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

My practical recommendation for a tiny nonprofit

Lowest-cost, sustainable setup:

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

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

A few details would change the recommendation:

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

If by “avoid monthly platform cut” you mean no percentage taken by the membership platform, I’d look first at Ghost.

• Ghost(Pro): 0% platform transaction fee. You pay Ghost’s subscription, plus Stripe’s payment-processing fee. Ghost currently lists $18/month billed yearly for Starter and $29/month billed yearly for Publisher; paid subscriptions are available on Publisher. Ghost Ghost
• Patreon: no monthly subscription to start, but new creators pay 10% of membership revenue, plus payment-processing and other applicable fees. Patreon Help Center Patreon
• Gumroad: no monthly fee, but takes 10% + $0.50 per direct transaction (and 30% through its Discover marketplace). Gumroad

For a freelance coach specifically

If you're launching with a small initial membership, there's an important tradeoff:

Lowest upfront cost: Patreon
Lowest ongoing platform percentage: Ghost
Simplest “sell and don't think about infrastructure” approach: Patreon/Gumroad
Best if you're building your own coaching brand/site: Ghost

For example, at $2,000/month in membership revenue, a 10% platform fee is about $200/month before processing fees. Ghost's 0% platform fee becomes increasingly attractive as membership revenue grows. Patreon Help Center Ghost

If you tell me your expected membership price (e.g. $29/$49/$99), expected first 20–100 members, and whether you need community + live calls, I can calculate the actual monthly cost of 3–4 platforms and show you the break-even point.

If your priority is “I don’t want to pay a monthly platform fee while I’m testing my first membership,” I’d look at Gumroad or Patreon rather than an all-in-one coaching platform.

• Gumroad — $0/month, but 10% + $0.50 per direct transaction (plus payment processing). It supports memberships. Gumroad Gumroad
• Patreon — $0/month to start, but new creators currently pay a 10% platform fee, plus payment-processing and other applicable fees. Patreon Help Center Patreon Help Center
• Podia — better suited to a coaching business because it combines memberships, courses, website, email, and digital products, but its entry plan is $49/month + 5% transaction fee; the $99/month Shaker plan removes the transaction fee. Podia
• Circle — excellent for community-heavy memberships, but starts at $89/month plus 2% transaction fees, so probably overkill for a tight-budget first launch. Podia

What I'd do in your situation

Start with Gumroad if you're primarily selling access to a simple membership. You avoid a fixed monthly bill while validating demand.

For example, at $29/month × 10 members = $290 revenue, Gumroad's 10% + $0.50 structure would cost roughly $34 before payment-processing/tax considerations. That's much less risky than committing to a $49–$99/month platform.

Once you've proven that people will consistently pay, you can move to something like Podia if you want a more polished coaching ecosystem.

If you tell me your planned membership price, expected number of members, and whether it includes live calls/community/courses, I can calculate the actual monthly cost of 3–4 platforms at your numbers.

For low-cost cohort classes, look at these:

If you’re just proving the idea, I’d start with Payhip/Gumroad + Zoom + a free community tool. Once you have repeat cohorts, move to a dedicated cohort platform like Maven or Ruzuku. www.ruzuku.comtoolincomelab.com

Key question: are your cohorts live (weekly Zoom sessions) or mostly self-paced with a start date and community? That changes the best choice.

If you’re selling cohort-based classes (live sessions + community + deadlines) and want to avoid big platform fees, I’d look at a few different models. The cheapest option is often not a “course platform” at all — it’s a lightweight stack. LearnStream Datanest Digital Products

Lowest-cost setups

1. DIY stack (cheapest, most flexible)

Cost: ~$0–$50/month + payment processing

A common setup:

• Zoom / Google Meet — live classes
• Discord / Slack / Circle community — discussion and accountability
• Notion / Google Docs — curriculum, resources, assignments
• Stripe / PayPal — payments
• Calendly (optional) — scheduling

Best if:

• You’re running your first few cohorts
• You have fewer than ~100 students
• You don’t need a polished “school” experience

Downside:

• More manual onboarding, reminders, and organization.

2. Maven

Cost: low upfront, but revenue share

Maven is built specifically for cohort courses: live sessions, cohort scheduling, community, and payments. It can make sense if you want a cohort-native experience without paying a monthly subscription, especially while validating demand. The tradeoff is that it takes a percentage of revenue rather than charging only a flat fee. Ruzuku

Best if:

• You’re launching your first premium cohort
• You want built-in cohort workflows
• You don’t want to stitch tools together

3. Podia

Cost: typically lower monthly subscription tier

Podia is more of an all-in-one creator platform (courses, digital products, email, sales pages) than a pure cohort platform. It can work well if your cohort is part of a broader creator business. ClawHub

Best if:

• You want simple setup
• You also sell downloads, memberships, or coaching
• You don’t need advanced cohort operations

4. Circle + payment tool

Cost: monthly subscription + payment fees

Circle is community-first. Many cohort instructors use it with Zoom and Stripe because the community/accountability layer is often the most important part of a cohort experience. Gigs Money Tips

Best if:

• Your value is peer interaction
• You plan to run multiple cohorts
• You want alumni communities

5. Teachable

Cost: monthly subscription; some lower tiers include transaction fees

Teachable is inexpensive compared with enterprise platforms and is good for course delivery, checkout, and basic student management. However, it’s designed more around courses than true cohort mechanics, so you may still use Zoom/community tools alongside it. Teachable LearnStream

Best if:

• You want a more traditional course business
• Your cohort has recorded lessons plus live calls
• You want a branded student portal

A practical low-budget recommendation

If you’re just starting:

First cohort (under 50 students):

• Stripe payment link
• Zoom
• Notion curriculum hub
• Discord or Circle free/community alternative
• Email list tool

After you prove demand:

• Move to Circle, Maven, Teachable, or another dedicated platform.

The biggest mistake is paying $100–300/month before you know people will buy. A simple stack can validate the offer first.

A few questions would change the recommendation:

1. What price will you charge per student (e.g., $99, $500, $2,000+)?
2. How many students do you expect in your first cohort?
3. Is it mostly live teaching, community/accountability, or self-paced lessons with live Q&A?

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

• Ruzuku — unusually attractive for testing the idea: its free plan supports up to 5 paying students, includes video lessons, and charges 0% platform transaction fees. You still pay normal Stripe/PayPal processing fees. Ruzuku Ruzuku
• Payhip — very low upfront cost and supports video products/courses. The free plan is $0/month but takes 5% per sale; its $99/month Pro plan has 0% platform transaction fees. Payhip Payhip
• Thinkific — more of a full-fledged course platform. Current pricing sources put its entry paid plan around $40/month when billed annually, with 0% transaction fees when using Thinkific Payments, subject to payment availability. CourseProfit Lab Ruzuku

Practical choice

If “no platform fee” is the priority and you expect only a handful of students initially, Ruzuku's free plan is worth testing first.

If you want to sell lots of individual workout videos or courses without committing to a monthly fee, Payhip is simpler, but its 5% sales fee means it isn't truly fee-free.

For live Zoom-style classes, rather than prerecorded video lessons, I'd structure the setup differently—e.g., a simple payment/course platform plus Zoom.

For a local fitness instructor starting online classes, Ruzuku is worth a close look if “no platform fee” is the priority. Its free plan includes video lessons, up to 5 students, unlimited courses, payments, and live video meetings, with 0% platform transaction fees; you still pay normal payment-processing fees. Ruzuku Ruzuku

Another particularly low-cost option is OneSol: it advertises $0/month, video lessons, gated student access, and 0% platform commission, with only standard Stripe processing fees. OneSol

For a fitness instructor specifically: if classes are primarily pre-recorded workout videos, I'd investigate OneSol or Ruzuku first. If they're primarily live Zoom-style classes, Ruzuku has built-in live meetings, which simplifies the setup. Ruzuku

One important distinction: “0% platform fee” doesn't mean zero payment fees—Stripe/PayPal or another processor can still charge its normal processing fee. Ruzuku

If your priority is building an email list + hosting a course + paying $0 in platform transaction fees, I’d start with systeme.io.

My shortlist

systeme.io is the standout for your specific use case. Its free tier currently gives you 2,000 contacts, unlimited email sending, 1 course, 3 funnels, and 0% platform transaction fees. Systeme.io Systeme.io

The particularly useful part is that the email list and course are in the same system. Someone can opt into your funnel, get tagged/added to your list, receive an automated email sequence, and then be enrolled in the course after purchasing—without needing Zapier or a separate email provider. Systeme.io Systeme.io

You'd still pay the normal Stripe/PayPal payment-processing fees when you sell something; "0% platform fees" doesn't mean payment processors are free. Systeme.io

What I'd do

Start with systeme.io's free plan:

1. Landing page → collect email
2. Automated welcome sequence → nurture subscriber
3. Free mini-course → build trust
4. Paid course/offer → sell through the same funnel
5. Email automation → follow up with buyers/non-buyers

You can stay free until you exceed 2,000 contacts or need more than one course. The next tier is currently listed at $17/month on systeme.io's pricing page. Systeme.io

One caveat: if course UX/learning features are your absolute priority rather than list-building and marketing, I'd look at Thinkific instead. Its course functionality is more specialized, but you'd likely need a separate email platform, which makes the overall stack more expensive. thinkific.com

If you tell me what kind of course you're selling and roughly how many subscribers you expect (100 / 1,000 / 10,000+), I can narrow this down to the cheapest setup and show you exactly how I'd structure the funnel.

What I'd do

Start with systeme.io's free plan:

If your priorities are free/low-cost + zero platform transaction fees + course hosting + email list building, I’d start with systeme.io.

My shortlist

• systeme.io — best fit for your requirements

• Free plan: $0/month
• Up to 2,000 contacts
• 1 course
• Unlimited email sends
• Sales funnels + email marketing built in
• 0% platform transaction fees (you still pay Stripe/PayPal processing fees)
• No separate email service is necessary for the basic setup. Systeme.io Systeme.io

The big advantage is that your course and email list live in the same ecosystem, so you can do something like free mini-course → email sequence → paid course without stitching several services together.

• payhip.com — good if selling digital products is the priority

• Free plan
• Unlimited products
• Courses, memberships, downloads, etc.
• Can use free courses as lead magnets and collect email addresses
• But: the free plan takes 5% of sales, so it doesn't meet your "zero platform fees" requirement unless you move to the $99/month Pro plan. Payhip Payhip Help Center
• thinkific.com — better LMS, but not your low-cost option

• Stronger dedicated course-platform features
• Currently starts at $54/month monthly billing
• No free plan
• Payment/transaction economics depend on which payment system you use. Thinkific Thinkific

What I'd do

For a new email-list business, I'd keep it simple:

Landing page → free course → Systeme.io email list → automated welcome sequence → paid offer

You can start at $0, validate that people actually want the course, and only upgrade when you hit the free-plan limits. The free Systeme.io plan's 2,000-contact limit and one-course limit are probably plenty for an initial launch. Systeme.io

If you tell me (1) whether the course itself is free or paid, (2) roughly how many subscribers you expect, and (3) what email service you're currently using (if any), I can narrow this down to the cheapest setup and tell you exactly how I'd structure it.

If your priorities are low upfront cost + no platform cut + international payments, the key distinction is between platform fees and payment-processing fees. Almost every legitimate platform still has some payment-processing cost (Stripe, PayPal, etc.), even when the course platform itself takes 0%.

Options worth considering

A particularly interesting choice for someone in a developing country is Payhip, because it has been expanding its payment-gateway coverage specifically to support creators in more countries. Its free plan has a 5% platform fee, though, so it doesn't meet your strict "no platform fees" requirement unless you move to the $99/month Pro plan. Payhip Payhip

Thinkific currently has no commission on course sales, but its Basic plan is $40/month when billed annually. Payment-processing fees still apply, and which payment processor you can use depends on your country. Thinkific Thinkific

Teachable has 0% platform fees on Builder and higher plans, but those plans cost considerably more. Its Starter plan is cheaper ($29/month annually) but takes 7.5% per transaction. Teachable Help Center Teachable

What I'd prioritize in your situation

Don't choose based on "0% fees" alone. Payment availability in your country is probably the most important constraint. A platform can advertise global payments but still require you to have a Stripe/PayPal account that isn't available where you live.

I'd therefore narrow it down like this:

1. Systeme.io — investigate first if minimizing monthly expenses is critical.
2. Payhip — particularly attractive if one of its many supported gateways works in your country.
3. Thinkific — consider once you have enough revenue to justify ~$40/month.
4. Teachable Builder — attractive if international checkout/tax handling is worth the higher monthly cost.

If you tell me your country and the payment methods you currently have access to (e.g. PayPal, Stripe, Payoneer, Wise, local bank/mobile money), I can check which platforms actually let a creator in your country receive payments and narrow this to 2–3 realistic options.

A particularly interesting choice for someone in a developing country is Payhip, because it has been expanding its payment-gateway coverage specifically to support creators in more countries. Its free plan has a 5% platform fee, though, so it doesn't meet your strict "no platform fees" requirement unless you move to the $99/month Pro plan.

Thinkific currently has no commission on course sales, but its Basic plan is $40/month when billed annually. Payment-processing fees still apply, and which payment processor you can use depends on your country.

Teachable has 0% platform fees on Builder and higher plans, but those plans cost considerably more. Its Starter plan is cheaper ($29/month annually) but takes 7.5% per transaction.

What I'd prioritize in your situation

If your priorities are low upfront cost + no platform fee + international customers + payment options that work in developing countries, there’s an important catch: truly zero platform fees are much rarer than “free to start” platforms.

Options worth considering

Payhip is particularly interesting for a creator in a developing country because it supports a large range of payment processors—not just Stripe/PayPal. It specifically lists Paystack, Flutterwave, Razorpay, Xendit, Midtrans, PayU, PayTabs, Iyzico, Mercado Pago, and others, with availability determined by your country. Payhip

However, its free plan charges 5% per sale. The 0% platform-fee plan is $99/month, although you would still pay the payment processor's own fees. Payhip Payhip

Thinkific is less universally suitable: its native Thinkific Payments service is currently available only in a defined list of countries, largely North America, Europe, and certain Asia-Pacific markets. Thinkific Support

What I'd do in your position

If you're just starting and don't have predictable sales yet, I would not pay $99/month merely to eliminate a 5% fee.

Instead, I'd look for a platform/payment combination where you can:

1. Start at $0/month.
2. Accept local payment methods, not just international cards.
3. Automatically deliver course access.
4. Upgrade to a zero-platform-fee plan only after your sales volume makes the math worthwhile.

For example, with Payhip's free plan, a $100 sale currently means a $5 Payhip fee plus the payment processor's fee. Once your monthly sales become substantial, the $99 Pro plan can become mathematically attractive. Payhip

The most important variable is your country. Payment-gateway availability differs significantly by country, so I wouldn't choose a platform until checking which gateways you can actually connect to.

If you tell me your country and whether you need local payments (mobile money/bank transfer) or mainly international cards, I can compare the available platforms and payment gateways specifically for you.

What I'd do in your position

If you're just starting and don't have predictable sales yet, I would not pay $99/month merely to eliminate a 5% fee.

Instead, I'd look for a platform/payment combination where you can:

For an early-stage SaaS founder creating onboarding courses, I’d look less at traditional LMS platforms and more at tools that let you embed a branded learning experience inside your app/help center without taking a revenue cut.

A few good fits:

For a SaaS onboarding use case, I’d generally shortlist:

1. cforj — if your onboarding is more like “learn by doing” (interactive walkthroughs, quizzes, scenarios). Cforj
2. Embedin — if you mainly want “a course tab inside our app/dashboard/docs site” with minimal engineering. Embedin a free online course platform
3. Coursegen — if speed matters and you want to turn existing docs/videos into structured onboarding quickly. Coursegen

A couple of popular creator-course platforms (like Teachable, Thinkific, Kajabi) can work, but they’re usually optimized for selling courses rather than reducing SaaS activation friction, and embedding/custom UX may be less seamless.

For a very lean MVP, I’d probably start with:

• Notion + Super/website embed for simple documentation-style onboarding, or
• Embedin/cforj for a true “academy inside the product” experience. Embedin a free online course platform Cforj

If you mean in-app onboarding courses for your own SaaS users (e.g., “complete these 5 lessons after signup”) rather than a public customer academy, the recommendation changes slightly.

For an early-stage SaaS founder building onboarding/customer-education courses, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: EmbedIn

embedin.com is particularly interesting for your use case because its core pitch is embedding an online course into an existing website, rather than making you build a separate course business/site. Its free plan supports one course and 25 students, with 0% transaction fees, and its Starter plan is currently advertised at $19/month with a founding discount. Embedin a free online course platform

That makes it unusually well suited to a SaaS onboarding course such as:

yourapp.com/academy/getting-started

where you want customers to feel like they're still inside your product/brand.

If you expect to scale quickly

Thinkific is probably the safer conventional choice. Its Basic plan is now $54/month monthly or $40/month when paid annually, following its August 2026 price increase. Thinkific Support Thinkific can avoid its platform transaction fee when using Thinkific Payments. Thinkific Support

Teachable is less attractive for your specific requirement at the lowest tier: Starter is $29/month annually but takes 7.5% per transaction. Its 0% transaction-fee Builder plan is $69/month annually. Teachable

Bottom line: If your priority is cheap + 0% platform fees + easy embedding into your SaaS, I'd test Embedin first. If you need a more established LMS with deeper course/learner functionality, look at Thinkific.

If you tell me roughly how many customers/students you expect (e.g. 50, 500, 5,000) and whether the course is free as part of SaaS onboarding or separately paid, I can narrow it down to the cheapest setup.

If you’re starting on a tiny budget and your priority is keeping subscription revenue (no platform cut), I’d avoid the big-name community platforms at first. Many are polished, but they either charge a monthly fee, take transaction fees, or both. Kazokus

Here are the options I’d shortlist:

Drry Communi SystemeScale### My practical picks for a bootstrapped launch

1. Cheapest “just start” setup: Drry

• Good fit if you have:

• a small audience
• a few courses
• paid membership
• need something live quickly
• It advertises $0 platform fees and lets payments run through your Stripe account. Drry

2. Best balance of cheap + all-in-one: Communi

• Community, courses, events, and payments in one place.
• Advertises 0% platform transaction fees (Stripe processing still applies). Communi Communi

3. Lowest-cost “business stack”: Systeme.io

• Worth considering if your community is really a funnel into courses/coaching:

• email list
• landing pages
• checkout
• courses
• automation

What I’d avoid initially

• Circle / Mighty Networks: excellent products, but the fixed monthly cost is harder to justify before revenue exists. Kazokus
• Skool: very simple and popular, but calculate the fee impact if you expect meaningful subscription revenue. Kazokus

A lean launch stack I’d use

For a first 50–200 members:

• Platform: Drry or Communi
• Payments: Stripe
• Video hosting: unlisted YouTube/Vimeo/Loom initially
• Email: built-in tools or a cheap email provider
• Community: keep it simple (weekly posts, office hours, course drops)

Once you’re making a few thousand dollars/month, you can reassess based on features rather than trying to predict everything upfront.

If you tell me your expected monthly membership price, number of members in year 1, and whether courses are self-paced or cohort/live, I can narrow it to the cheapest setup.

If you’re starting a paid community + courses on a tiny budget, the main tradeoff is:

• Lowest upfront cost → accept a revenue cut.
• Keep more subscription revenue → pay a monthly platform fee.

For a lean launch, these are the options I’d look at:

Pricing and fee structures change often, but current comparisons show that many creator-focused platforms charge either a monthly fee, a transaction percentage, or both. GitHub StackScored

My shortlist for a tiny-budget launch

1. Cheapest validation setup: WordPress + Stripe + community plugin

• Keep your own payments.
• No platform percentage cut.
• You own the customer list and content.
• More technical setup.

Good if you can handle some DIY.

2. Easiest “launch this weekend” option: Skool

• Very fast to set up.
• Community + courses + gamification in one place.
• The low-cost tier is attractive when you have only a few members, but percentage fees can become expensive as revenue grows. Cool New Apps

3. Best “professional brand” option: Circle

• Cleaner experience for a premium membership.
• Better if you care about branded spaces and organization.
• Higher fixed cost than a bootstrapped setup. StackScored

A budget stack I’d consider

For the first 50–100 members:

• Landing page: Carrd / WordPress
• Payments: Stripe
• Courses: WordPress LMS, Podia, or a simple members area
• Community: Discord or a lightweight community tool
• Email: MailerLite / ConvertKit alternative

Then migrate to Circle/Mighty Networks/etc. once revenue justifies it.

A key question: what price point are you planning for the membership? (e.g., $10/mo, $49/mo, $199/mo) and do you need video courses hosted inside the platform, or just a community + links to lessons? That changes the cheapest choice quite a bit.

For a hobby photographer selling Lightroom presets + short video/photo courses, I’d look at these first:

My pick: Payhip

Payhip's free plan is genuinely usable: $0/month, unlimited products and revenue, with a 5% transaction fee, plus Stripe/PayPal processing. It supports digital downloads and courses, and you can even use free products as lead magnets. Payhip Payhip Help Center

For your setup, you could have:

• Preset packs → ZIP download containing .xmp/DNG files
• Mini-courses → hosted course with video lessons
• Bundles → e.g. "Moody Portrait Presets + Editing Course"
• Free preset → email-capture lead magnet
• Coupons/discounts → useful for Instagram launches

The main drawback is the 5% platform fee on the free plan. If you're eventually doing enough volume, Payhip's $99/month Pro plan removes its transaction fee, although payment-processor fees still apply. Payhip

Fourthwall is worth considering

fourthwall.com is particularly attractive if you want your photography business to feel like a proper branded storefront rather than a digital-download page. It supports ZIP/PDF and other digital products, handles file hosting/delivery, and has no monthly fee on the free plan. Digital products currently have a 5% fee; its $15/month Pro plan removes the digital-product fee. Fourthwall Fourthwall

One important distinction: "no platform fee" doesn't mean no fees at all. Payment processing (e.g. Stripe/card fees) generally remains even when a platform advertises 0% transaction fees.

I'd skip Gumroad for your particular goal

Gumroad is extremely easy, but its current direct-sale fee is 10% + $0.50 per transaction, before applicable payment-processing costs. Marketplace/discovery sales can be 30%. Gumroad Gumroad

So if you're already bringing customers from Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or your photography portfolio, you're paying a fairly substantial amount for convenience.

Bottom line: I'd start with Payhip Free. It gives you the combination you're looking for—almost no upfront cost + downloadable presets + courses + a storefront—without locking you into a monthly subscription. If your brand grows and you want a more polished creator storefront, I'd compare it with Fourthwall.

If you tell me roughly how many preset/course sales you expect per month and your typical price ($10, $30, $100, etc.), I can calculate the actual fees for Payhip vs Fourthwall vs Gumroad at your volume.

For presets + short photography courses, I’d focus on platforms that let you upload files, deliver them automatically, and keep the storefront simple.

Payhip's free plan includes all features, unlimited products and unlimited revenue; you pay 5% per transaction plus Stripe/PayPal processing. It supports digital downloads and courses, and can even deliver free downloads as lead magnets. Payhip Payhip Help Center

Ko-fi is similarly straightforward: no monthly/listing fees, digital-product hosting, and a 5% fee when you make a sale, plus normal payment processing. Ko-fi

Fourthwall has no monthly fee, but its current free plan charges 5% on digital products; its Pro plan is $15/month and removes the digital-product fee. Fourthwall Fourthwall Creator

Gumroad is considerably more expensive for this use case: currently 10% + $0.50 on direct/profile sales, with 30% for sales through its Discover marketplace. Gumroad

What I'd choose for you

Start with Payhip. For a hobby photographer, it hits a particularly useful combination:

• Upload Lightroom presets, LUTs, PDFs, ZIP files, etc.
• Sell short courses from the same storefront.
• Start at $0/month.
• No artificial limit on the number of products.
• Create free preset/sample downloads to build an email list.
• Upgrade later only if the 5% transaction fee becomes more expensive than a monthly plan.

For example, you could have:

Free: "5 Favorite Lightroom Presets" → email signup
$9: "Moody Film Preset Pack"
$19: "Golden Hour Preset Collection"
$39: "Complete Lightroom Preset Bundle"
$29–59: "Shoot & Edit Better Photos" mini-course

One important distinction: "no platform fee" doesn't mean no fees at all. Even platforms advertising 0% platform fees generally still have Stripe/PayPal/card-processing fees. Payhip explicitly notes this, for example. Payhip

payhip.com · ko-fi.com · fourthwall.com

If you tell me roughly how many preset sales/month and course sales/month you expect, I can calculate the actual dollar cost of Payhip vs Ko-fi vs Fourthwall for your situation.

If your income is unpredictable, the key distinction is “no monthly fee” + “pay only when you sell” versus a platform that has $0 platform transaction fees but still charges a subscription.

Based on current 2026 pricing, CourseSpot is the closest match to exactly what you described: no monthly fee and pay-as-you-go. It charges 2.5% per transaction, plus Stripe processing, and includes course hosting, unlimited courses/students, website tools, email automation, and analytics. CourseSpot

CourseSpot is therefore particularly relevant if some months you make $0 and you don't want another recurring bill. Its tradeoff is the 2.5% platform cut. CourseSpot

One important caveat: “0% platform fees” doesn't mean zero fees overall. Payment processors such as Stripe still charge payment-processing fees. Ruzuku

If you tell me roughly whether you're expecting $0–$500, $500–$2,000, or $2,000+ per month in course sales, I can calculate the actual dollar cost of the lowest-cost options for your situation.

If your income is unpredictable, Payhip’s free plan is probably the closest match to what you’re describing: $0/month, no upfront commitment, and pay-as-you-go. It supports online courses as well as digital products. The tradeoff is a 5% transaction fee on the free plan. Payhip Payhip

Gumroad also has no monthly charge and explicitly supports courses, but its direct-sale fee is 10% + $0.50, making Payhip cheaper on each sale under its free plan. Gumroad

One important distinction: if by “no platform fees” you mean literally 0% platform transaction fees, rather than “no monthly subscription,” then Payhip Free doesn't qualify. Thinkific currently offers 0% platform transaction fees when using Thinkific Payments, but you pay a monthly subscription. courseprofitlab.com podia.com

For a solo entrepreneur who might make $0 one month and $1,000 the next, I'd focus on Payhip vs. Gumroad because neither requires you to carry a monthly subscription during slow months.

If your goal is live workshops + evergreen courses while keeping platform transaction fees at 0%, I’d evaluate these first:

Pricing and fee structures change, so I’d verify the exact plan before committing. For example, LearnWorlds currently lists Starter at $24/mo annually with a $5 enrollment fee, while Pro Trainer is $79/mo annually with no enrollment fees. LearnWorlds LearnWorlds Ruzuku lists a free plan limited to five participants and a $99/mo Core plan with 0% transaction fees. Ruzuku

My shortlist for your particular model

1. Systeme.io — investigate first if keeping costs extremely low matters.
Its appeal is that you're getting the course delivery, sales funnels, email marketing, and webinar functionality together rather than stitching several services together. Current comparisons list its free plan at 0% platform transaction fees and paid plans starting around $17/mo. Teachable CourseMargin

2. Thinkific — investigate if the courses themselves are the centerpiece.
It's more purpose-built around structured courses, student management, and learning experiences. Current pricing information puts the annual Basic plan around $36–$40/month, with 0% platform transaction fees when using Thinkific Payments. Teachable LearnWorlds

3. LearnWorlds — investigate if your workshops need a more polished teaching experience.
It supports live 1:1/group sessions and webinars, plus unlimited courses. The important pricing breakpoint is Pro Trainer: $79/month annually and no enrollment fees. LearnWorlds

4. Podia — investigate for simplicity.
It's attractive if you want courses, digital products, memberships, and coaching in one relatively uncomplicated system. The catch is that the inexpensive Mover tier has a 5% transaction fee; the Shaker tier eliminates that fee and is currently about $84/month annually. Teachable Ruzuku

5. Ruzuku — particularly worth looking at if “live workshop” is more important than fancy marketing automation.
Its pricing structure explicitly supports live teaching and has 0% platform transaction fees on its paid Core plan. Ruzuku

One important distinction

“No platform fees” doesn't mean literally zero cost per sale. You'll generally still pay your payment processor (Stripe/PayPal/etc.). The useful comparison is:

monthly platform fee + platform transaction fee + payment processing + webinar/live-session costs + email/marketing costs.

For example, a $0 platform fee with Stripe isn't the same thing as receiving 100% of the customer's payment.

If you tell me roughly (a) your course price, (b) workshop price, (c) expected monthly sales/attendees, and (d) whether you need built-in email marketing, I can calculate the approximate monthly cost of these five and narrow it down to the 2–3 worth testing.

If your priority is selling live workshops + evergreen courses while keeping platform fees close to zero, I’d evaluate platforms in three buckets:

1. Low monthly cost + no revenue share
2. All-in-one tools (courses + email + funnels)
3. DIY stack (lowest fees, more setup)

A key distinction: “no platform fees” usually means no percentage taken by the course platform. You’ll still typically pay payment processing fees from Stripe/PayPal. Course Profit Lab

Platforms worth evaluating

SavingSec Course Profit Lab## My shortlist by business model

If you’re selling $100–$2,000 workshops and courses

Evaluate:

• Thinkific — strong balance of course delivery, payments, and scalability. Webflow
• Podia — good if you want fewer moving parts (course + digital products + email). PickLogic
• Systeme.io — attractive if funnels and email automation matter as much as the course itself. CourseMargin

If live workshops are your main product

Look for:

• Zoom integration
• cohort scheduling
• reminders/email automation
• replay hosting
• discussion/community features

Good candidates:

• Mighty Networks for community-driven cohorts
• Thinkific for a more traditional course business
• Podia for simpler creator workflows

SavingSec### If you want the absolute lowest overhead

A DIY stack can be cheaper:

• Website/landing page: WordPress, Webflow, or similar
• Payments: Stripe
• Live delivery: Zoom
• Video hosting: Vimeo, YouTube unlisted, or cloud storage
• Email: MailerLite, ConvertKit, etc.
• Course area: a lightweight LMS plugin

You keep more control, but you’re responsible for stitching everything together.

A practical evaluation checklist

Before choosing, test:

• Can I sell a $500 workshop without losing a percentage?
• Can students access recordings automatically?
• Can I run cohorts with dates, reminders, and Zoom links?
• Can I export my customer list?
• Can I add email automation without another expensive tool?
• Does checkout support coupons, payment plans, and taxes?

For many solo creators, I’d start by comparing:

1. Thinkific (course-first)
2. Podia (simple creator business)
3. Systeme.io (marketing-first)
4. Mighty Networks (community/cohort-first)

That gives you four different approaches without spending much upfront. SavingSec CourseMargin

For many solo creators, I’d start by comparing:

1. Thinkific (course-first)
2. Podia (simple creator business)
3. Systeme.io (marketing-first)
4. Mighty Networks (community/cohort-first)

That gives you four different approaches without spending much upfront. SavingSec CourseMargin

For a small paid mastermind, I’d look at Square first if by “zero platform fees” you mean no monthly software/subscription fee.

• squareup.com — $0/month for the subscription-management software, with recurring weekly/monthly/quarterly/annual billing, payment links, and automatic card charging. You still pay payment-processing fees. Square currently lists 3.3% + $0.30 for subscription payments on its Free plan, though rates can vary by plan/account. Square Square
• stripe.com — more flexible and polished if you want a proper membership/subscription setup. There is no monthly fee on pay-as-you-go Billing, but Stripe charges 0.7% of Billing volume on top of its payment-processing fees. Stripe Stripe
• gumroad.com — no monthly fee and supports memberships, but its 10% + $0.50 per direct transaction makes it substantially more expensive for recurring mastermind dues. Gumroad
• PayPal can do recurring billing, but its US pricing currently lists an additional $10/month for its Recurring Billing add-on, so it doesn't fit your “zero platform fee” requirement as cleanly. PayPal

My practical pick

Square is probably the simplest for, say, 5–30 members paying a fixed monthly amount. You can create a subscription, send members a signup/payment link, and let Square automatically charge them each month—without paying for a separate membership platform. Square Square

If you tell me roughly how many members and what you're charging per month (e.g. 15 people × $200), I can compare the actual monthly fees for Square vs. Stripe and show you the cheapest setup.

Yes. If your priorities are low cost + 0% platform transaction fees + multilingual course delivery, there are several viable routes. The important distinction is that “no platform fee” usually does not mean “no payment-processing fees”—Stripe/PayPal/card fees can still apply.

Current 2026 pricing comparisons show Thinkific Basic around $40/month annually with no platform fee when using Thinkific Payments; Teachable Builder is about $69, LearnWorlds Pro Trainer $79, and Podia Shaker $84. CourseProfit Lab Teachable

My shortlist for your use case

1. Thinkific — simplest hosted option

If you want to avoid technical maintenance, this is probably the first one I'd investigate. You can create separate courses/products for different languages or structure a course with multilingual lesson content. Its Basic plan is currently about $40/month on annual billing, with 0% platform fees when eligible for Thinkific Payments. CourseProfit Lab Teachable

2. WordPress + LifterLMS — potentially the cheapest long-term

LifterLMS's core plugin is free and explicitly says there are no limits based on courses, students, enrollments, or earnings. You'd pay for WordPress hosting and potentially premium add-ons, but you don't pay an LMS percentage of your sales. WordPress.org

This is particularly interesting for multilingual courses, because WordPress gives you considerable control over translated pages, language switchers, SEO, checkout, and localization through the broader WordPress ecosystem.

3. Systeme.io — budget-first

If you're primarily selling video/PDF courses and want landing pages, email marketing, funnels, and checkout in one place, Systeme.io is worth considering. Current comparisons list a free tier and paid plans starting around $17/month, with 0% platform transaction fees. Teachable

4. LearnWorlds — stronger multilingual/learning experience

I'd look here if your course is more sophisticated—quizzes, interactive content, assessments, certificates, etc. The catch is that the no-platform-fee tier is considerably more expensive: Pro Trainer is around $79/month annually. Ruzuku CourseProfit Lab

One thing I'd be careful about

For a multilingual launch, don't just ask whether the course content can be translated. Check whether the platform lets you localize:

• Course lessons
• Navigation/interface
• Checkout
• Emails
• Landing pages
• Certificates
• Coupons/pricing
• Student account pages
• SEO metadata
• VAT/GST handling
• URLs/domains by language

Those differences can matter more than the headline monthly price.

If you're trying to spend as little as possible, I'd narrow it to Systeme.io vs. Thinkific vs. WordPress/LifterLMS. The first is easiest, Thinkific is more purpose-built as an LMS, and WordPress gives you the most control for multilingual localization.

If you tell me (1) your number of languages, (2) expected students/month, (3) whether you already have a website, and (4) whether you need subscriptions or just one-time course sales, I can calculate the approximate monthly cost of the cheapest options for your situation.

2. WordPress + LifterLMS — potentially the cheapest long-term

LifterLMS's core plugin is free and explicitly says there are no limits based on courses, students, enrollments, or earnings. You'd pay for WordPress hosting and potentially premium add-ons, but you don't pay an LMS percentage of your sales. WordPress.org

This is particularly interesting for multilingual courses, because WordPress gives you considerable control over translated pages, language switchers, SEO, checkout, and localization through the broader WordPress ecosystem.

3. Systeme.io — budget-first

If you're primarily selling video/PDF courses and want landing pages, email marketing, funnels, and checkout in one place, Systeme.io is worth considering. Current comparisons list a free tier and paid plans starting around $17/month, with 0% platform transaction fees. Teachable

4. LearnWorlds — stronger multilingual/learning experience

I'd look here if your course is more sophisticated—quizzes, interactive content, assessments, certificates, etc. The catch is that the no-platform-fee tier is considerably more expensive: Pro Trainer is around $79/month annually.

One thing I'd be careful about

For a multilingual launch, don't just ask whether the course content can be translated. Check whether the platform lets you localize:

Yes. The key distinction is “no platform transaction fee” versus “no fees at all.” Payment processors will still generally charge card/PayPal processing fees.

For a multilingual course, these are the main options I’d consider:

1. teachable.com

Teachable's Builder plan is $69/month when billed annually and has 0% platform transaction fees. Its Growth plan is $139/month annually and adds features including free subtitles/translations. Payment processing fees still apply. Teachable Teachable Help Center

For multilingual courses specifically, Teachable has particularly useful localization features: its checkout can automatically translate into 34 languages, and its higher plans include subtitle/translation functionality. Teachable Help Center Teachable

Good choice if: you want to upload courses, take payments, handle taxes, and sell internationally without assembling lots of separate tools.

2. thinkific.com

Thinkific's Basic plan is currently $40/month when billed annually ($54 monthly), and it supports multiple languages for course delivery and site/student communications. Thinkific

With Thinkific Payments, there isn't an additional platform transaction fee, although payment processing itself costs money. For U.S. creators, Thinkific currently lists 3.9% + $0.30 per transaction for standard payments. Thinkific Support

Good choice if: keeping the monthly subscription relatively low is more important than having sophisticated built-in translation tools.

3. Self-hosted WordPress + LMS

If you're comfortable managing your own website, this is potentially the lowest platform-fee approach.

You'd typically combine:

• WordPress
• An LMS plugin such as LearnDash, Tutor LMS, or LifterLMS
• A multilingual plugin
• Stripe/PayPal for payments

There can be 0% LMS/platform commission, but you'll pay for hosting, plugins, payment processing, and potentially translation software.

The advantage is that you can structure languages however you want—for example:

/en/course-name
/es/nombre-del-curso
/fr/nom-du-cours

This is the option I'd investigate if you expect substantial sales volume and want to avoid being locked into a hosted platform.

4. gumroad.com

Gumroad is worth considering if your "course" is relatively simple—videos, PDFs, downloads, etc.—rather than requiring a sophisticated LMS.

The tradeoff is that Gumroad's business model relies much more heavily on fees per sale rather than a traditional monthly LMS subscription, so it doesn't meet your strict “no platform fees” requirement as well as Teachable Builder or Thinkific with their native payment systems.

What I'd shortlist

If your priorities are cheap + multilingual + no platform commission, I'd narrow it to:

1. Thinkific — lowest hosted-platform starting price among these options, with multilingual course support.
2. Teachable Builder — more expensive, but 0% platform fee and stronger built-in international selling/localization features.
3. WordPress + LMS — potentially cheapest at scale, but requires more technical setup and maintenance.

One important consideration: if by “multiple languages” you mean one course where students can switch between English/Spanish/French versions, rather than simply having a translated checkout, the platform choice changes. I can compare the best options specifically for one course → multiple language versions, including pricing and whether students can switch languages without buying the course twice.

Gumroad is worth considering if your "course" is relatively simple—videos, PDFs, downloads, etc.—rather than requiring a sophisticated LMS.

Thinkific's Basic plan is currently $40/month when billed annually ($54 monthly), and it supports multiple languages for course delivery and site/student communications. thinkific.com

With Thinkific Payments, there isn't an additional platform transaction fee, although payment processing itself costs money. For U.S. creators, Thinkific currently lists 3.9% + $0.30 per transaction for standard payments.

Good choice if: keeping the monthly subscription relatively low is more important than having sophisticated built-in translation tools.

3. Self-hosted WordPress + LMS

If you're comfortable managing your own website, this is potentially the lowest platform-fee approach.

For a non-technical beginner, I’d start with Thinkific’s free plan if your priority is a real course experience with no platform transaction fee. Current comparisons report $0/month and 0% platform fees, though payment-processing fees can still apply. Course.Coach CourseProfit Lab

• Thinkific — Best fit for a proper course: videos, lessons, quizzes, student management.
• Gumroad — Simplest setup, but takes roughly 10% + $0.50 per sale; good for testing an idea. CourseProfit Lab
• Podia — Very beginner-friendly, but paid plans start around $42/month annually and some plans charge transaction fees. CourseProfit Lab

My pick for you: Thinkific. It gives you room to learn without paying a monthly fee or giving up a percentage to the platform.

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.