Best online course platforms with 0% transaction fees (2025 review)

If you want to sell courses and keep as much of your revenue as possible, you might be searching for Thinkific alternatives, Teachable alternatives, or other platforms that advertise low or no transaction fees.

Some platforms offer plans with 0% platform fees, while others charge a percentage on each sale or add extra fees for certain features. The right choice depends on your budget, feature needs, and how you prefer to handle payments and branding.

Sherpo was built for creators who want an all-in-one course platform with flexible pricing. On our Ultra plan, platform fees are 0%, while the free Start plan keeps them between 1% and 5%. Ultra costs $79/month ($59/month billed annually) and includes full white-label branding under your own domain.

Why “zero fees” can be a business advantage, but not always the only factor

A 0% fee plan can make a big difference for high-volume sellers. For example, $100,000 in annual course sales with a 5% platform fee means $5,000 paid to the platform, often more than the cost of a yearly flat subscription. That said, fees are only one part of the decision. Some platforms with higher fees bundle in marketing tools, integrated email, or tax-handling services that might save time for certain creators.

The key is to compare total costs and benefits, not just the advertised platform fee.

2025 platform fee comparison

Below is a side-by-side look at platform transaction fees (excluding unavoidable Stripe/PayPal card processing costs) as of early 2025.

Platform	Entry Plan	0% Platform Fee Available?	Platform Fee on Lowest Plan	Notable Additional Costs / Trade-offs
Sherpo	Start (free)	Yes, on Ultra.	1–5%	Transparent fees; Stripe rates only
Teachable	Starter	Yes, on Builder, Growth, Advanced	7.5%	Optional BackOffice adds 2–2.8%; $15 chargeback fee (Teachable Pricing)
Kajabi	Basic	Yes, across all plans	0%	0.7% fee on subscriptions & payment plans; $0.15 per taxed sale (Teachable vs Kajabi)
Podia	Mover	Yes, only on Shaker plan	5%	No permanent free plan (30-day trial only)
Thinkific	Basic	Yes, with Thinkific Payments	5% (Basic, with Stripe/PayPal)	Third-party gateway fee by plan (5% down to 0.5%); waived on Plus (Thinkific Gateway Fee FAQ)

If keeping platform fees at zero is your top priority and you prefer to manage your own payment processing, Sherpo Ultra, Kajabi, and Podia Shaker are the main options. If you value integrated marketing more than fee savings, Teachable, Kajabi, or Thinkific with TCommerce might be worth the trade-off.

What each platform does well — and where it falls short

Sherpo offers a transparent and straightforward fee structure, with full white-label branding available earlier than most competitors and at a lower price point. Its free forever plan makes it easy for creators to start testing or selling without an upfront commitment, and the ability to work directly with your own Stripe account gives you more control over payments. However, Sherpo doesn’t bundle as many built-in marketing automation tools as platforms like Kajabi, so advanced CRM or email campaigns often require integrations.

Teachable is a well-known platform with a large community and strong integrations for third-party marketing tools. Its BackOffice service can simplify payouts and tax forms, which is attractive to many course creators. On the downside, the 7.5% fee on the Starter plan can be a significant expense for higher-volume sellers, and using BackOffice adds additional charges.

Kajabi stands out for its robust system that combines email marketing, landing pages, and funnels into a single package, potentially replacing other software in a creator’s toolkit. It has no platform fee on basic transactions, but charges a 0.7% fee on subscriptions and payment plans, as well as $0.15 for each taxed sale. These charges can accumulate quickly for large businesses, and Kajabi’s base subscription price is generally higher than many competitors.

Podia is praised for its simplicity and user-friendly interface, making it easy to sell courses, downloads, and memberships from one storefront. It’s an affordable option for small creators, but the lack of a permanent free plan means there’s always an upfront cost. The 5% fee on the Mover plan can also become restrictive as your sales volume grows.

Thinkific provides strong course creation tools and the option to use its TCommerce feature for built-in tax handling, acting as a marketplace facilitator in certain regions. For creators who prefer to process payments directly through Stripe or PayPal, however, there’s an additional “third-party gateway” fee unless you’re on the higher-tier Plus plan. White-labeling is also reserved for more expensive tiers.

FAQs

1. Which online course platform has the lowest fees?

Several platforms offer 0% fees on certain plans. Sherpo’s Ultra plan includes 0% fees with transparent Stripe/PayPal processing, while Kajabi and Podia’s Shaker plan also have 0% platform fees but may add other transaction charges.

2. Which platform is best for white-label branding?

Sherpo offers full white-label branding from the Pro plan upward. Kajabi, Teachable, Podia, and Thinkific also support white-labeling, but often only on higher-tier plans.

3. How do I sell online courses without platform fees?

Choose a provider with at least one 0% plan and factor in payment processing costs. Sherpo Ultra, Kajabi, and Podia Shaker all meet this requirement.

4. Is Sherpo free?

Yes. Sherpo Start is a forever-free plan with platform fees from 1%–5%. It’s the only free plan left in the industry! It's best for testing or low-volume sales before upgrading to Ultra for 0% fees.

Looking to compare your options? Check out our comparison blogs to see how our fee structure works for your business.