Answers that mention Thinkific

If your priority is starting with essentially $0 upfront and avoiding a platform cut, I’d look at Thinkific first—but there’s an important 2026 pricing wrinkle.

My pick: Thinkific

thinkific.com

Thinkific is designed specifically for course creators, with video lessons, quizzes, discussions, checkout, and student management. Its current Basic plan is $40/month when billed annually, so it no longer appears to offer the old permanently free plan. Thinkific

So if you mean literally no monthly fee and no platform fee, I'd instead consider:

• Payhip — $0/month, unlimited products, but 5% transaction fee on its Free Forever plan. This is probably the easiest shoestring-budget option. Payhip
• Gumroad — $0/month, but 10% + $0.50 per direct sale, so it gets expensive as sales grow. Course Profit Lab
• Thinkific — better dedicated-course experience, but you'll need to move to a paid plan after its current trial. Thinkific

For your first course, I'd choose Payhip if you truly have $0 to spend. The 5% fee is a reasonable tradeoff for not having a monthly bill while you're testing whether anyone will buy.

One distinction: “0% platform fee” doesn't mean literally zero fees—payment processors such as Stripe can still charge processing fees. support.thinkific.com

If you tell me roughly what you'd charge for the course ($20, $50, $100, etc.) and how many students you expect, I can calculate which platform leaves you with the most money.

If your priority is “I want to start with $0 and avoid platform fees”, I’d choose Thinkific’s free plan—assuming its current free offering is available in your account/region.

The important distinction is that “free” and “no platform fees” are not the same thing:

Payhip's free plan gives you all features and unlimited products, but takes 5% of each sale, in addition to payment-processor fees. Payhip Payhip Gumroad has no monthly charge but takes 10% + $0.50 on direct sales, plus payment processing. Gumroad Gumroad

My recommendation

Start with Thinkific if your goal is to actually build a course business. You get a more traditional course-learning experience rather than simply selling a collection of videos/files. Current comparisons report a $0 free tier with 0% platform transaction fees. Course.Coach LogicalRefer

Choose Payhip instead if you want the absolute simplest setup and don't mind giving up 5% of sales. It's particularly attractive if you're selling a course alongside PDFs, templates, downloads, or memberships. Payhip

One thing I'd avoid as a first-time creator: paying $30–$150/month for a fancy platform before you've proven that people will buy your course.

If you tell me what your course is about and roughly what you'd charge ($20, $50, $100, etc.), I can recommend the cheapest setup—including where to host videos, collect email addresses, and take payments—without spending money upfront.

Yes. If your goal is $0 platform fees on course sales, the key is to avoid Teachable/Kajabi/Thinkific-style platforms that take a percentage or charge monthly fees, and instead own the software + hosting. You’ll still have unavoidable costs eventually (domain, hosting, payment-processor fees), but you can get started essentially free.

My top picks for a solo creator

1. WordPress + Tutor LMS — probably your best starting point

tutorlms.com is particularly interesting for a zero-budget creator because its core LMS is free forever. Tutor LMS

You can build:

• Course libraries
• Lessons and modules
• Student accounts
• Quizzes
• Progress tracking
• Free and paid courses
• Membership/access systems
• A normal marketing website alongside the courses

Then add BuddyPress or another WordPress community solution for profiles, groups, discussions, etc.

The architecture I'd use:

WordPress → Tutor LMS → BuddyPress → Stripe/PayPal

You own the site, customer list, course content and community rather than building your business inside somebody else's platform.

The catch: WordPress hosting isn't necessarily free forever. But cheap shared hosting can be dramatically less expensive than paying $50–$200/month to a course platform.

2. Discourse — excellent if community is the product

discourse.org is open source and can be self-hosted without paying a software license fee. Discourse - Civilized Discussion

It's excellent for:

• Discussions
• Member profiles
• Q&A
• Cohorts
• Announcements
• Long-form community knowledge
• Private member areas

I'd pair it with WordPress/Tutor LMS rather than trying to make Discourse itself into your LMS.

Interestingly, Discourse also has a hosted free plan, although the self-hosted version gives you much more control. Discourse - Civilized Discussion

3. Flarum — the lightweight community option

flarum.org is another genuinely free/open-source option. It's MIT-licensed and designed specifically for forums/community discussion. Flarum

It's appealing if you want something simpler than Discourse.

I'd do:

WordPress + Tutor LMS + Flarum

That's a surprisingly powerful $0-platform-fee stack.

4. Moodle — if the learning side matters more

moodle.org is probably the most mature free LMS option.

It's much more "real school/LMS" than something like Teachable:

• Courses
• Assignments
• Quizzes
• Grades
• Completion tracking
• Certificates
• Groups
• Enrollment
• Lots of plugins

The downside for a solo creator is that Moodle feels like an LMS rather than a polished creator-business platform. You may spend more time configuring it.

5. Open edX — powerful, but I'd avoid it initially

openedx.org is genuinely open source with no licensing fees, and includes both course authoring and an LMS. Open edX

It's capable of running serious MOOC-style education, but that's also the problem.

For one person with no funding, it's probably overkill. You'd be taking on infrastructure and maintenance that you don't need yet.

What I'd actually build with $0

If I were starting your business from scratch, I'd keep it extremely simple:

Website + courses

→ WordPress
→ Tutor LMS
→ Free WordPress theme

Community

→ BuddyPress initially
→ Move to Discourse later if the community becomes substantial

Payments

→ Stripe/PayPal
→ You pay the payment processor's transaction fee, but not a percentage to the course platform

Email

→ Start with whatever free-tier email service fits your volume

Videos

Don't upload massive video files directly to cheap web hosting. Use an external video host/free tier or optimize your delivery strategy.

So your initial stack could effectively be:

WordPress + Tutor LMS + BuddyPress + Stripe

And your cost can be $0 in platform commissions, with only infrastructure/payment-processing costs.

One important distinction

"No platform fees" and "completely free" aren't quite the same thing.

Even with open-source software, you'll eventually encounter:

• Hosting
• Domain registration
• Payment processing
• Email delivery
• Video storage/bandwidth
• Backups

But there's a huge difference between paying $10–20/month for infrastructure and giving a SaaS platform a recurring monthly fee plus a cut of every course sale.

For a bootstrapped solo creator, I'd optimize for ownership rather than absolute $0 cost.

My ranking for you

1. 🥇 WordPress + Tutor LMS + BuddyPress — best overall
2. 🥈 WordPress + Tutor LMS + Discourse — best if community is central
3. 🥉 Moodle — best if your courses are academically/LMS-heavy
4. Flarum + separate LMS — best lightweight community
5. Open edX — powerful but unnecessarily complex at the beginning

If you tell me what kind of courses you're selling (video, cohort, coaching, coding, fitness, etc.) and roughly how many students you expect, I can narrow this down to a $0–$20/month stack and explain exactly what I'd use for hosting, payments, video, email, courses, and community.

What I'd actually build with $0

If I were starting your business from scratch, I'd keep it extremely simple:

Website + courses

→ WordPress
→ Tutor LMS
→ Free WordPress theme

Community

→ BuddyPress initially
→ Move to Discourse later if the community becomes substantial

Payments

→ Stripe/PayPal
→ You pay the payment processor's transaction fee, but not a percentage to the course platform

Email

→ Start with whatever free-tier email service fits your volume

Videos

Don't upload massive video files directly to cheap web hosting. Use an external video host/free tier or optimize your delivery strategy.

So your initial stack could effectively be:

WordPress + Tutor LMS + BuddyPress + Stripe

And your cost can be $0 in platform commissions, with only infrastructure/payment-processing costs.

One important distinction

"No platform fees" and "completely free" aren't quite the same thing.

Even with open-source software, you'll eventually encounter:

• Hosting
• Domain registration
• Payment processing
• Email delivery
• Video storage/bandwidth
• Backups

But there's a huge difference between paying $10–20/month for infrastructure and giving a SaaS platform a recurring monthly fee plus a cut of every course sale.

For a bootstrapped solo creator, I'd optimize for ownership rather than absolute $0 cost.

My ranking for you

1. 🥇 WordPress + Tutor LMS + BuddyPress — best overall
2. 🥈 WordPress + Tutor LMS + Discourse — best if community is central
3. 🥉 Moodle — best if your courses are academically/LMS-heavy
4. Flarum + separate LMS — best lightweight community
5. Open edX — powerful but unnecessarily complex at the beginning

If you tell me what kind of courses you're selling (video, cohort, coaching, coding, fitness, etc.) and roughly how many students you expect, I can narrow this down to a $0–$20/month stack and explain exactly what I'd use for hosting, payments, video, email, courses, and community.

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

Here are the options I’d look at:

For donations, these are worth considering:

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

My recommendation for a tiny nonprofit

Lowest-cost practical setup:

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

If you have almost no technical capacity:

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

A few questions would change the recommendation:

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

Yes. If your main goal is cohort-based classes without giving a big percentage of revenue to the platform, I’d avoid the expensive “all-in-one academy” products at first.

Here’s how I’d shortlist them:

Pricing changes frequently, so treat these as current ballpark figures rather than quotes. Teachfloor Ruzuku Teachfloor

My picks for your situation

1. Maven — best if you don't want a monthly bill

Maven is particularly interesting for cohort businesses because it's designed around instructor-led cohorts rather than just hosting prerecorded videos. The tradeoff is revenue sharing rather than a subscription. That can be attractive when you're starting because $0/month is much easier to stomach than $89–$200+ before you've sold anything. Ruzuku

I'd consider this if you're selling something like:

4-week live course → $300–$1,000/student → 10–30 students

rather than a $29 self-paced course.

2. Ruzuku — best ultra-cheap experiment

Ruzuku is worth looking at if you literally want to test whether people will pay. Its current comparison shows a free option for up to five students and 0% transaction fees. It supports scheduled/dripped content and discussion, which are useful for cohorts. Ruzuku

You could run your first tiny cohort there, use Zoom for live teaching, and keep your software costs extremely low.

3. Teachfloor — best actual cohort platform

If you're serious about cohort-based teaching, this is probably the one I'd investigate first. Its $89/month Startup plan includes unlimited courses, peer review, group activities, Zoom and Stripe integrations, and cohort-oriented curriculum functionality. It says the only additional selling cost is Stripe's processing fee. Teachfloor

So, for example, if you sell a $500 seat, you're not handing another 5–10% of that sale to the course platform.

4. Thinkific — best if you may eventually add self-paced courses

Thinkific is less cohort-specialized, but it's a good option if you envision eventually having:

• live cohorts
• prerecorded courses
• memberships
• downloadable resources
• a course library

Recent pricing comparisons put its entry level around $36–49/month depending on plan/billing, with 0% platform fees when using its own payment system. Teachfloor Teachfloor

One strategy I'd seriously consider

You don't actually need a cohort platform to start.

You can assemble a surprisingly good setup with:

Landing page + Stripe payment + Zoom + Google Drive/Notion + private community

For example:

• Checkout: Stripe
• Live teaching: Zoom
• Curriculum/resources: Notion or Google Drive
• Community: Discord, Circle, or even a private Slack
• Email: MailerLite/Kit/etc.
• Scheduling: Google Calendar

That can cost you almost nothing until you have revenue. The downside is that you'll manually handle enrollment, onboarding, reminders, and some student management.

For a first 5–15 person cohort, I'd actually favor this approach over paying $89–$300/month for sophisticated software.

The key question is your price point

If you're selling a $50–100 workshop, I'd optimize for very low fixed costs.

If you're selling a $500–2,000 cohort, I'd optimize for a polished student experience and choose something like Teachfloor or Maven.

If you tell me (1) what you want to teach, (2) expected price per student, (3) roughly how many students per cohort, and (4) whether sessions are live, I can narrow this down to the 2–3 cheapest setups and show you the actual economics at 10, 20, and 50 students.

Ruzuku is worth looking at if you literally want to test whether people will pay. Its current comparison shows a free option for up to five students and 0% transaction fees. It supports scheduled/dripped content and discussion, which are useful for cohorts.

You could run your first tiny cohort there, use Zoom for live teaching, and keep your software costs extremely low.

3. Teachfloor — best actual cohort platform

If you're serious about cohort-based teaching, this is probably the one I'd investigate first. Its $89/month Startup plan includes unlimited courses, peer review, group activities, Zoom and Stripe integrations, and cohort-oriented curriculum functionality. It says the only additional selling cost is Stripe's processing fee.

If you’re selling cohort-based classes and want to avoid big platform fees, I’d focus on platforms that either have low monthly costs + no revenue share or let you start with a cheap/free validation setup. The best choice depends on whether you need community, live sessions, payments, or just course delivery. Teachfloor LearnStream

Lowest-cost options to consider

1. Maven — best if you want a true cohort experience without upfront cost

• Cost model: No upfront platform subscription; takes a percentage of paid enrollments. Guideflow
• Good for: - Live instructor-led cohorts
• Workshops
• Expert-led programs
• Creators who don’t want to build tech
• Downside: - Revenue share can become expensive once you’re selling many seats. Guideflow

Best fit: “I’m testing my first cohort and don’t want monthly overhead.”

2. Podia — simple and budget-friendly

• Good for: - Courses + email + checkout in one place
• Small cohorts where community needs are modest
• Usually cheaper than all-in-one platforms like Kajabi. Teachfloor
• Downside: - Not built specifically around cohort mechanics, so you may pair it with Zoom/Discord/Slack. LearnStream

Best fit: “I want a simple storefront and don’t want to stitch together too many tools.”

3. Thinkific — affordable if you already have an audience

• Good for: - Structured lessons
• Payments
• Basic communities
• Running repeat cohorts
• Some plans avoid platform transaction fees when using their payment system. LearnStream
• Downside: - Cohort scheduling/community features are less native than cohort-first tools. LearnStream

Best fit: “I want a professional course home and I’ll run live sessions elsewhere.”

4. Ruzuku — lightweight cohort-friendly option

• Good for: - Date-based cohorts
• Discussions
• Simple teaching workflows
• Some comparisons highlight its cohort scheduling and lack of transaction fees. Ruzuku

Best fit: “I want something simpler than a full LMS.”

5. DIY stack (often cheapest)

A lot of successful early cohort creators start with:

• Landing page: carrd.co or wordpress.org
• Payments: stripe.com or gumroad.com
• Live teaching: zoom.us or meet.google.com
• Community: discord.com, slack.com, or a private forum

This can keep fixed costs very low, but you’ll manage more pieces yourself.

What I’d pick by situation

LearnStream GuideflowA common mistake is paying for a “school platform” before validating demand. For a first cohort, a lean setup (checkout + Zoom + community + simple curriculum hub) is often enough. Once you have repeatable enrollment, moving to a dedicated cohort platform makes more sense. LearnStream

If you tell me:

1. expected cohort size (10? 50? 500?),
2. price per student, and
3. whether it’s live classes, self-paced + meetings, or mostly community,

I can narrow this to the cheapest setup that won’t become painful.

A common mistake is paying for a “school platform” before validating demand. For a first cohort, a lean setup (checkout + Zoom + community + simple curriculum hub) is often enough. Once you have repeatable enrollment, moving to a dedicated cohort platform makes more sense.

If you tell me:

If your priority is building an email list first, hosting a course second, and paying $0 in platform transaction fees, I’d strongly consider systeme.io.

My top picks

🥇 I'd use Systeme.io

The free plan currently includes 2,000 contacts, unlimited email sends, 1 course, 3 sales funnels, marketing automation, and 0% platform transaction fees. It doesn't expire and doesn't require a credit card. Systeme.io Systeme.io

That makes it unusually well suited to the funnel you're describing:

Free lead magnet → email signup → automated welcome sequence → free/paid course → upsell

And you don't have to "integrate" a separate email provider—the email system is built into the same platform. You can trigger emails from form submissions, purchases, tags, and course activity. Systeme.io

systeme.io

The main catch is that you'll still pay the normal Stripe/PayPal payment-processing fees when you sell something. "0% platform fees" doesn't mean 0% payment-processing fees. Systeme.io

Why I wouldn't pick Podia for this particular goal

Podia is nice, but its current Mover plan is $42/month annually ($39? depending on billing/current promotion) and takes 5% per sale. Its free email allowance is only 100 subscribers, and the free period is a 30-day trial rather than a permanent free course platform. Podia Help Center Podia

What about Thinkific?

Thinkific is stronger if the course itself is the centerpiece and you want a more polished learning environment. But it doesn't currently offer a permanent free plan, and its paid plans start at $54/month monthly ($40/month annually for Basic). Thinkific Thinkific

So for your specific use case, my ranking would be:

1. Systeme.io — best if keeping costs near $0 is the priority.
2. Thinkific — best if you're willing to pay for a more dedicated course experience.
3. Podia — best if you value simplicity and don't mind the monthly cost/transaction fee.
4. Kit + separate course platform — worth considering if your business is primarily an email/newsletter business.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you're expecting (e.g. 500, 2,000, 10,000+) and whether the course is free or paid, I can narrow this down to the cheapest setup—including the email provider, landing page, checkout, and course host.

🥇 I'd use Systeme.io

The free plan currently includes 2,000 contacts, unlimited email sends, 1 course, 3 sales funnels, marketing automation, and 0% platform transaction fees. It doesn't expire and doesn't require a credit card. Systeme.io Systeme.io

That makes it unusually well suited to the funnel you're describing:

Free lead magnet → email signup → automated welcome sequence → free/paid course → upsell

And you don't have to "integrate" a separate email provider—the email system is built into the same platform. You can trigger emails from form submissions, purchases, tags, and course activity. Systeme.io

systeme.io

The main catch is that you'll still pay the normal Stripe/PayPal payment-processing fees when you sell something. "0% platform fees" doesn't mean 0% payment-processing fees. Systeme.io

Why I wouldn't pick Podia for this particular goal

Podia is nice, but its current Mover plan is $42/month annually ($39? depending on billing/current promotion) and takes 5% per sale. Its free email allowance is only 100 subscribers, and the free period is a 30-day trial rather than a permanent free course platform. help.podia.com podia.com

What about Thinkific?

Thinkific is stronger if the course itself is the centerpiece and you want a more polished learning environment. But it doesn't currently offer a permanent free plan, and its paid plans start at $54/month monthly ($40/month annually for Basic).

So for your specific use case, my ranking would be:

If your main goal is building an email list first and using a course as a lead magnet (rather than running a giant course marketplace), I’d prioritize email ownership + automation + low/no fees over fancy course features.

Here are the strongest fits:

Don't Do It Yourself RateTheTool## My recommendation for an email-list-first business

Option 1: Systeme.io (probably your best fit)

Use it like:

Landing page → email opt-in → automated welcome sequence → free course → paid offer

Pros:

• Email marketing is built in
• Funnels and course hosting are in one place
• You avoid stitching together 5 tools
• Good for lead magnets and simple courses

The downside: the course experience is more "marketing funnel" oriented than a premium learning platform. Don't Do It Yourself

Option 2: Thinkific + separate email tool

Use this if you care more about the student experience:

Email platform → opt-in → Thinkific course → upsell

Good email tools to pair with it:

• MailerLite — budget-friendly newsletters/automation
• ConvertKit (now Kit) — creator-focused email automation
• Beehiiv — newsletter-first businesses

The tradeoff is you’re managing two systems instead of one. Thinkific is stronger as a learning platform, but email marketing is usually handled through integrations. LaunchAdvisor

What I would avoid initially

• Kajabi: excellent, but expensive before you have revenue.
• Teachable/other platforms with revenue cuts: fine for testing, but percentage fees hurt once you sell consistently. Course.Coach
• Building a custom WordPress LMS too early: you’ll spend time maintaining software instead of growing the list.

A simple stack I’d choose:

Starting from zero:
→ Systeme.io

Already have an audience and want a premium course brand:
→ Thinkific + MailerLite/Kit

Planning a large info-business with multiple products:
→ Move to a paid all-in-one later

One question changes the recommendation a lot: is your course going to be free as an email lead magnet, or are you planning to sell the course immediately?

If your priorities are low startup cost + no platform transaction fee + international selling + workable payment options, the shortlist is actually pretty small.

One important distinction: “0% platform fee” does not mean zero payment-processing fees. Stripe, PayPal, or another payment gateway can still charge you per transaction.

My top picks

*Plan limits and payment availability can vary, so verify the current terms for your country before committing.

1. thinkific.com — my first choice

Thinkific is particularly attractive because its free option has 0% platform transaction fees, according to current 2026 comparisons. OnlineCourseTools Course.Coach

It's designed specifically for courses rather than being primarily a digital-download store. That gives you things like lessons, student accounts, course progression and a proper learning environment.

Best if: you want to build a serious course business without paying monthly fees initially.

Watch out for: the biggest issue for someone in a developing country isn't Thinkific's platform fee—it's whether the payment processor you can connect to actually supports your country and your bank account.

2. systeme.io — potentially the best value

Systeme.io is worth a serious look if you want more than course hosting. It combines courses with landing pages, email marketing, sales funnels and other business tools.

A current 2026 comparison reports that its free plan allows you to sell a course without a time limit, albeit with limits on courses/contacts. OnlineCourseTools

Best if: you're starting from zero and don't want to separately pay for a website, funnel builder and email system.

3. ruzuku.com — good for a tiny first launch

Ruzuku currently advertises a free plan with 0% transaction fees, although it's limited to five participants. Its paid plans also advertise 0% transaction fees. Ruzuku

That makes it interesting for validating a course before investing money.

Best if: you're planning a small pilot with your first few students.

What about Payhip?

payhip.com is actually one I'd recommend investigating even though it doesn't meet your “no platform fees” requirement on the free plan.

Its free plan is $0/month but takes 5% per sale; its $99/month Pro plan has 0% platform fees. Payhip says it supports payment through providers including Stripe and PayPal. Payhip Payhip

The reason I still like it for creators in countries with limited payment infrastructure is that payment-method availability can matter more than the headline platform fee.

I wouldn't make Gumroad your first choice

gumroad.com is extremely easy to start with, but its current direct-sale fee is 10% + $0.50 per transaction, and marketplace sales are 30%. Gumroad Gumroad

More importantly for your situation, Gumroad says payout methods vary by country, and in countries where PayPal isn't available to receive money, it may not have an alternative payout method. Gumroad

So I'd only choose it after confirming that you can actually withdraw your earnings in your country.

The biggest thing I'd check before choosing

For your situation, I'd rank the criteria:

1. Can I receive payouts in my country?
2. Can my students pay internationally with cards?
3. 0% platform transaction fee
4. $0 or very low monthly cost
5. Course-hosting features
6. Email/funnel/marketing tools

A platform advertising “global payments” isn't necessarily useful if its connected Stripe/PayPal account can't be opened by residents of your country.

My recommendation

If I were starting from your position, I'd test Thinkific and Systeme.io first, specifically checking their payment integrations for your country. If neither gives you a practical way to receive money, I'd look at Payhip next because accepting payments is more important than achieving 0% platform fees.

If you tell me which country you're in, I can narrow this down to platforms whose payouts and payment gateways actually work there, including local payment methods, and compare the real fees for a $20/$50/$100 course.

It's designed specifically for courses rather than being primarily a digital-download store. That gives you things like lessons, student accounts, course progression and a proper learning environment.

Best if: you want to build a serious course business without paying monthly fees initially.

Watch out for: the biggest issue for someone in a developing country isn't Thinkific's platform fee—it's whether the payment processor you can connect to actually supports your country and your bank account.

2. systeme.io — potentially the best value

Systeme.io is worth a serious look if you want more than course hosting. It combines courses with landing pages, email marketing, sales funnels and other business tools.

A current 2026 comparison reports that its free plan allows you to sell a course without a time limit, albeit with limits on courses/contacts. OnlineCourseTools

Best if: you're starting from zero and don't want to separately pay for a website, funnel builder and email system.

3. ruzuku.com — good for a tiny first launch

Ruzuku currently advertises a free plan with 0% transaction fees, although it's limited to five participants. Its paid plans also advertise 0% transaction fees. Ruzuku

That makes it interesting for validating a course before investing money.

Best if: you're planning a small pilot with your first few students.

What about Payhip?

payhip.com is actually one I'd recommend investigating even though it doesn't meet your “no platform fees” requirement on the free plan.

Its free plan is $0/month but takes 5% per sale; its $99/month Pro plan has 0% platform fees. Payhip says it supports payment through providers including Stripe and PayPal. Payhip Payhip

The reason I still like it for creators in countries with limited payment infrastructure is that payment-method availability can matter more than the headline platform fee.

I wouldn't make Gumroad your first choice

gumroad.com is extremely easy to start with, but its current direct-sale fee is 10% + $0.50 per transaction, and marketplace sales are 30%. gumroad.com gumroad.com

More importantly for your situation, Gumroad says payout methods vary by country, and in countries where PayPal isn't available to receive money, it may not have an alternative payout method.

If your priorities are low cost + 0% platform commission + international selling + payment options that can work in developing countries, I’d put systeme.io at the top of the list.

One important distinction: “0% platform fees” does not mean 0 payment-processing fees. Stripe, PayPal, etc. will still charge their own fees.

My shortlist

🥇 1. Systeme.io — my first choice

This is unusually well suited to a creator in a country with limited payment infrastructure.

Its free plan has 0% transaction fees, and its payment integrations currently include Stripe, PayPal, Razorpay, Flutterwave, Mercado Pago, Paystack, Xendit, and others. systeme.io

That matters because you aren't forced to rely exclusively on Stripe. For example, if Stripe isn't available in your country, another supported gateway may be.

The free plan also includes one course and up to 2,000 student contacts, while paid plans expand the course limits. systeme.iowww.lemonsqueezy.com

Why I'd choose it: you can start at $0, keep 100% of the sale apart from payment-processor fees, and have your course, landing pages, email marketing, funnels and affiliate system in one place.

🥈 2. Payhip — excellent if you want simplicity

Payhip is very easy to get started with and supports multiple payment gateways. It says PayPal is available in 200+ countries and Stripe in 45+ countries, while it has continued adding regional gateways. payhip.com

However, its free plan takes 5% per sale. The $99/month Pro plan is the one with 0% Payhip transaction fees; you still pay Stripe/PayPal processing fees. payhip.com

So I'd use Payhip if you value simplicity more than minimizing fees from your very first sale.

🥉 3. Thinkific — better LMS, but not ideal for your budget

Thinkific is considerably more sophisticated as a course-learning platform, but its current Basic plan is $54/month ($40/month billed annually). www.thinkific.com

It doesn't take a commission on sales when using its own payment system, but payment-processing fees still apply, and Thinkific Payments isn't available everywhere. Its current supported-country list is concentrated in places such as the US, Canada, UK, EU, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong. support.thinkific.com

For someone in a developing country with limited payment options, I'd choose systeme.io before Thinkific unless you specifically need Thinkific's advanced LMS features.

What I'd avoid initially

Podia is good, but the no-transaction-fee plan is currently $89/month, so I don't think it makes sense for a new creator trying to keep costs extremely low. www.podia.com

Lemon Squeezy is attractive for global digital sales because it handles taxes and supports many currencies, but it charges 5% + $0.50 per transaction, with possible additional fees. www.lemonsqueezy.com So it doesn't meet your “no platform fees” requirement.

My recommendation

I'd start with:

Systeme.io free → connect the payment gateway(s) actually available in your country → launch your first course → upgrade only when you hit a genuine limitation.

The payment gateway available in your specific country is actually the most important factor here. A platform can advertise “global payments” while still being unable to pay you in your country.

If you tell me which country you're based in, I can check the currently available payment gateways there and give you the 3 cheapest course-platform/payment combinations, including which ones let students pay by card, PayPal, mobile money, bank transfer, or local payment methods.

For an early-stage SaaS founder, I’d shortlist these:

My recommendation: Embedin

For your specific use case—SaaS onboarding courses that you want to embed into your existing product—Embedin looks unusually well matched. Its free plan currently gives you one published course, up to 25 students, 3 hours of video hosting, downloadable content, third-party video integrations, and Stripe, with 0% transaction fees. Embedin a free online course platform

That means you can start without adding another significant SaaS bill, while keeping the course experience closer to your own product rather than sending customers to a completely separate course business.

If you expect more than 25 learners quickly, I'd look at Thinkific instead. Thinkific has unlimited courses and up to 10,000 students on its Basic plan, and explicitly supports using Thinkific as the learning layer alongside an existing website. Its current Basic price is $40/month when billed annually, with no platform commission. Thinkific Thinkific

One caveat: "no platform fees" doesn't mean no payment fees—Stripe/PayPal processing fees still apply.

If your courses are free customer onboarding rather than paid courses, I'd actually lean even more strongly toward an embeddable/lightweight option rather than paying $40–$100+/month for a traditional LMS.

For an early-stage SaaS founder, I’d shortlist Thinkific and Learn360, with one important distinction:

• learn-360.com — best if “cheap + 0% platform fee” is the priority. It has a $0 plan, keeps 100% of sales, and supports embedding/course delivery. The free tier is limited to 5 users, 5 courses, and 1 GB, so it’s best for validating the onboarding experience. Learn360
• thinkific.com — best overall for a serious SaaS onboarding academy. Its Basic plan is $54/mo monthly or $40/mo annually, with unlimited courses and 0% transaction fees when using Thinkific Payments. It can also complement an existing SaaS website rather than replacing it. Thinkific
• teachable.com — easy, but I wouldn't pick it for your criteria. Its $39/mo Starter plan takes 7.5% per transaction; you need the $89/mo Builder plan for 0% transaction fees. Teachable

My pick for a SaaS onboarding use case

Thinkific if you're building a real customer education hub:
yourapp.com/academy → Thinkific course

It gives you a mature course builder, quizzes, discussions, progress tracking, custom domain support, and the ability to integrate with an existing website. Thinkific

If by “easy embedding” you specifically mean “I want the course itself to appear inside my SaaS dashboard, ideally in an iframe/modal without users feeling like they've left the product,” tell me that—that changes my recommendation, and I can compare the best embeddable LMS/course platforms specifically.

For a tiny budget, I’d optimize for two things:

1. Avoid a percentage cut on every membership payment (those fees hurt once you grow).
2. Avoid paying $100+/month before you have paying members.

A few good fits:

For a bootstrapped launch, I’d probably choose one of these setups:

Cheapest possible validation

• Community: Discord or Discourse
• Courses: Thinkific, a simple website, or hosted videos
• Payments: Stripe subscriptions

You keep costs near zero, but the experience is more pieced together.

Best “one place” option on a small budget

• Communi is worth looking at because it combines memberships, courses, and community without a platform percentage cut. Communi

What I’d avoid initially

• Expensive all-in-one platforms like Kajabi unless you already have sales. They’re excellent, but the fixed monthly cost is hard to justify before revenue.
• Any platform taking 5–10% of every subscription if you expect the community to become meaningful income. A $10,000/month membership business can lose $500–$1,000/month just to platform fees.

A good rule: if you expect under ~$1k/month revenue for the first few months, optimize for low fixed cost. If you expect growth, optimize for 0% transaction fees.

If you tell me your expected member price (e.g., $19/mo vs $99/mo), number of founding members, and whether courses are video-heavy, I can narrow it to the best 2–3 choices.

For a tiny budget, I’d avoid the big “all-in-one creator” platforms at first. Many are excellent, but you can end up paying $100–$200+/month before you have paying members. Mighty Networks Mighty Networks

Your best options depend on whether you prioritize lowest cost, no revenue cut, or best community experience:

My recommendation for a tiny-budget launch

Option A: Cheapest serious setup

• Community + courses: Communi
• Payments: Stripe
• Email: free tier of an email tool
• Spend: roughly $20–30/month to start (plus payment processing)

It is designed specifically for community + courses and advertises 0% platform transaction fees, so you keep membership revenue minus normal payment processor fees. Communi Communi

Option B: Validate before paying

• Run the community in a free tool (Discord, Facebook Group, Circle free trial, etc.)
• Host courses cheaply (or manually deliver them)
• Move once you have ~20–50 paying members

Option C: If your community itself is the product

• Skool is worth considering because it is very simple: community feed, courses, leaderboard, payments. The tradeoff is the monthly cost. Kazokus

A few things I’d avoid initially:

• Kajabi — powerful, but usually overkill for a tiny-budget launch. Mighty Networks
• Mighty Networks — good product, but entry pricing and transaction fees can be harder to justify before revenue. Mighty Networks

If you tell me:

1. expected members in the first 6 months (e.g., 50 vs 500),
2. subscription price (e.g., $19/mo vs $99/mo), and
3. whether courses are live cohorts or self-paced videos,

I can narrow it to the cheapest setup that won’t force a painful migration later.

For a solo entrepreneur with unpredictable income, I’d look at Gumroad first if by “pay-as-you-go” you mean no monthly subscription and you only pay when you make a sale. It supports courses and charges 10% + $0.50 per direct sale, with no monthly fee. Gumroad Gumroad

However, there’s an important distinction:

• Gumroad: $0/month, pay per sale — 10% + $0.50. Best for minimizing fixed costs. Gumroad
• Payhip: $0/month on its Free Forever plan, but 5% per sale. It explicitly supports courses, memberships, coaching, and digital products. Payhip Payhip Help Center
• Thinkific: Can have 0% platform transaction fees, but its current paid plans involve a monthly subscription, so it isn't really pay-as-you-go. CourseMargin

My pick: Payhip

For your situation, Payhip is probably the sweet spot: no monthly commitment, only a 5% platform fee when you sell, and the free plan includes all features and unlimited products. You'd still pay Stripe/PayPal's normal payment-processing fees. Payhip Payhip

So if your income might be $0 one month and $2,000 the next, Payhip lets your platform cost essentially go to $0 during the $0 months.

payhip.com

If you tell me your expected course price (e.g. $49, $199, $499) and roughly how many sales/month, I can calculate which platform leaves you with the most money.

Yes. If by “without platform fees” you mean you’re willing to pay a monthly subscription but don’t want the platform taking a percentage of every sale, there are several inexpensive options worth evaluating.

One important distinction: 0% platform fee does not mean 0% payment processing. Stripe/PayPal will still typically charge processing fees. CourseMargin

My shortlist

Pricing is changing frequently in 2026, so I'd verify the exact current tier before committing. Current comparisons put Thinkific around $49–54/mo, LearnWorlds around $29/mo, Podia around $42/mo, and LearnDash around $199–259/year depending on plan/billing. Cloudspress LearnWorlds Teachfloor

1. thinkific.com — probably where I'd start

This is the strongest match for live workshops + evergreen courses without a percentage going to the platform.

You can structure the business as:

• Evergreen self-paced course
• One-off live workshops
• Paid cohorts
• Bundles
• Memberships/community
• Upsells from workshops → evergreen course

The big advantage is that you're buying a conventional course platform rather than an expensive all-in-one marketing suite. Current 2026 comparisons report 0% platform transaction fees on the relevant Thinkific setup. LearnWorlds Teachfloor

I'd shortlist this first if you're serious about building a course business.

2. learnworlds.com — best for a polished learning experience

Worth considering if your evergreen course is going to be substantial.

It has stronger interactive-learning capabilities than some of the simpler platforms, including interactive video and assessments. The catch is that the cheapest plan has a per-enrollment fee, so you'd want to move to a higher plan if you're selling significant volume. LearnWorlds

3. systeme.io — best if keeping costs extremely low is priority #1

This one is particularly interesting.

It combines:

• Courses
• Landing pages
• Email marketing
• Sales funnels
• Checkout
• Automations
• Affiliates

And there is a free tier, with paid plans starting relatively inexpensively. Current comparisons report 0% platform transaction fees on the free tier, although payment processing still applies. Cloudspress CourseMargin

The tradeoff is that it's more marketing/funnel-first than a sophisticated LMS.

For someone saying “I want to sell workshops and courses without paying Kajabi money”, though, I'd definitely test it.

4. learndash.com — best if you want to own the infrastructure

LearnDash is a WordPress LMS rather than a hosted course marketplace.

You pay for the software, host your WordPress site, and use your own payment processor. That means no percentage platform fee, but you take on hosting, WordPress maintenance, plugins, backups, etc.

It's attractive if you want maximum control and expect this to become a substantial business.

5. podia.com — easiest all-in-one

Podia is appealing because it handles courses, digital products, email, website, coaching and community in one relatively simple interface.

But I'd be careful here: the inexpensive tier has a platform transaction fee, while the higher tier eliminates it. LearnWorlds SoloStore

So if “no platform percentage” is a hard requirement, compare the no-fee Podia tier against Thinkific rather than simply choosing Podia's cheapest plan.

What I'd actually test

I'd narrow your evaluation to three:

1. Thinkific — best balance of course + workshop capabilities.
2. Systeme.io — cheapest way to get the business machinery running.
3. LearnWorlds — strongest alternative if the actual learning experience is important.

I wouldn't start with Kajabi for your stated goal. It's excellent, but you're essentially paying a premium to consolidate marketing, CRM, email, funnels and courses; current pricing is substantially higher than the inexpensive options. LearnWorlds

And I wouldn't choose Gumroad if avoiding platform fees is important: it's inexpensive to start, but its percentage fee becomes expensive as sales grow. SoloStore

One thing I'd optimize for

Don't compare platforms on monthly price alone. For example, at $10,000/month in course/workshop sales, a 5% platform fee costs $500 every month. A $50–100/month subscription with 0% platform fees can therefore be dramatically cheaper.

If you tell me roughly (a) your workshop price, (b) evergreen course price, (c) expected monthly sales, and (d) whether you need Zoom/live video built in, I can calculate the actual monthly/yearly cost of the top 3 and tell you which one is likely cheapest for your business.

Podia is appealing because it handles courses, digital products, email, website, coaching and community in one relatively simple interface.

But I'd be careful here: the inexpensive tier has a platform transaction fee, while the higher tier eliminates it.

If your priority is selling live workshops + evergreen courses while avoiding platform revenue cuts, I’d focus on platforms that charge a flat subscription (or have a true no-transaction-fee tier) rather than marketplaces. OnlineCourseTools SkillScouter

Here are the main ones I’d evaluate:

Starters Tools SavingSec### My shortlist by scenario

1. You’re starting with a small audience

• Systeme.io — best if you need checkout + email + simple courses cheaply.
• Thinkific — best if the course itself is the main product and you want to keep margins high.

2. You expect workshops/cohorts to be your main revenue

• Mighty Networks — good if discussion, accountability, and community are part of the value.
• Thinkific + Zoom — good if you want a more traditional classroom setup. Ruzuku

3. You sell premium programs ($500–$5,000+)

• Kajabi can make sense because replacing separate email, funnel, website, and course tools may offset the subscription cost. SavingSec

A low-cost stack many creators use

Instead of paying an all-in-one platform:

• Course hosting: Thinkific or Podia
• Live delivery: Zoom
• Payments: Stripe
• Email: a dedicated email tool
• Community: Circle, Discord, or Mighty Networks (if needed)

This often keeps costs lower until revenue justifies consolidation.

A few questions would change the recommendation:

1. What price range are your workshops/courses (e.g., $49, $499, $2,000+)?
2. Do you need built-in Zoom/live cohort management, or just a place to host recordings?
3. Do you already have an email list/audience?

If by “no platform fees” you mean you keep 100% of the course revenue aside from Stripe/PayPal processing fees, there are several good options. For a multilingual course, I’d narrow it to these:

*Prices can change; these are current published prices I found. LearnWorlds Thinkific Teachable

My picks for your situation

1. Thinkific — probably the sweet spot

Thinkific explicitly supports creating and delivering courses in multiple languages, including localized site settings and student communications. Its current Basic plan is $54/month monthly or $40/month when billed annually, with no platform transaction fee. Thinkific

thinkific.com

2. LearnWorlds — best if multilingual learning is central to the product

LearnWorlds gives you more sophisticated LMS functionality. The catch is that its cheap Starter plan charges $5 per enrollment. The Pro Trainer plan is $79/month annually and removes those enrollment fees. LearnWorlds

learnworlds.com

3. Teachable — worth considering if you want automated translation

Teachable now includes free subtitles and translations, and its platform supports global payments and taxes. However, the inexpensive Starter plan takes 7.5%, so you'd want to move to a 0%-fee tier if you're expecting meaningful sales volume. Teachable

teachable.com

One important distinction

“No platform fees” doesn't mean zero fees altogether. Even on a 0%-platform-fee plan, you'll generally still pay Stripe, PayPal, or another payment processor's processing fee. Thinkific, for example, says its payment tools are available through Thinkific Payments, while LearnWorlds explicitly notes that Stripe/PayPal fees remain separate from its own platform fees. Thinkific LearnWorlds

If you're launching, say, English + Spanish + French and want to keep costs low, I'd start with Thinkific. If you need separate localized versions of courses, sophisticated assessments, certificates, or a more full-featured LMS, I'd look at LearnWorlds.

If you tell me how many languages, expected students/month, course price, and whether you need translated audio/video or just translated text/subtitles, I can work out the cheapest option for your specific launch.

Yes. If your priorities are low cost + no platform transaction fee + multilingual course delivery, there are several good options. The key distinction is that “0% platform fee” does not mean 0% payment processing—Stripe/PayPal fees still generally apply. www.learnworlds.comwww.savingsec.comwww.ruzuku.com

My shortlist for you

1. LearnWorlds — strongest multilingual choice

LearnWorlds is particularly interesting because it has built-in AI subtitles and translation, which can be useful if you're creating the same course in multiple languages. Its Starter plan is inexpensive, but charges $5 per paid enrollment; Pro Trainer is $79/month when billed annually and removes enrollment fees. www.learnworlds.com

So, for example, if you're expecting substantial sales volume, I'd skip Starter and go straight to Pro Trainer.

2. Thinkific — best balance of price and simplicity

Thinkific is probably where I'd start if you want a conventional course platform without a lot of complexity. Current comparisons put its entry pricing around $36–49/month depending on billing/plan, with 0% platform fees in the relevant payment setup. www.learnworlds.comwww.savingsec.comwww.ruzuku.com

Its multilingual capabilities aren't as education-specific as LearnWorlds', though, so you'd want to check exactly how you plan to structure your language versions.

3. Podia — cheapest if you want simplicity

Podia is attractive if you also plan to sell things like downloads, memberships, coaching, or webinars. Its lower tier has a platform fee, but Shaker removes it; current pricing sources put Shaker around $33/month when billed annually. www.learnworlds.comwww.savingsec.comwww.ruzuku.com

One important multilingual consideration

There are two very different meanings of "supports multiple languages":

1. Student interface: menus, buttons, checkout, etc. can appear in different languages.
2. Multiple language versions of your course: e.g. English → Spanish → French, with separate video/audio, captions, quizzes, certificates, etc.

If #2 is what you mean, I'd lean toward LearnWorlds because translation/subtitling is part of its feature set. www.learnworlds.com

If you're mainly looking for "I want to upload my course once and have students choose English, Spanish, French, etc.", the platform architecture matters more, and I'd compare Thinkific vs. LearnWorlds specifically.

My recommendation:

• <$500/month revenue: Thinkific or Podia
• Multiple languages are central to the product: LearnWorlds
• You expect significant sales volume: Thinkific or LearnWorlds Pro
• You want absolutely no platform cut and don't mind a more expensive monthly plan: Ruzuku/Graphy are worth investigating. www.ruzuku.com

If you tell me how many languages, expected students/sales per month, and whether you need AI translation or just separate language versions, I can narrow this to the 3 cheapest options for your specific launch.

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.