Cheapest course platform at $1,000 a month in sales
At $1,000/month in sales (20 sales at $50) the cheapest course platform is systeme.io Free at $35/month (you keep $965), then Payhip Plus at $84/month. The most expensive cheapest-plan is Kajabi Basic at $214/month.
Last checked 2026-10-18 on the official pages.
20 sales at $50, monthly billing
| Platform and cheapest fitting plan | Plan | Platform fee | Card processing | Total / month | You keep | % of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| systeme.io Free | $0 | $0 | $35 | $35 | $965 | 3.50% |
| Payhip Plus | $29 | $20 | $35 | $84 | $916 | 8.40% |
| Thinkific Basic | $54 | $0 | $35 | $89 | $911 | 8.90% |
| Skool Hobby | $9 | $106 (incl. card processing) | incl. | $115 | $885 | 11.50% |
| Teachable Builder | $89 | $0 | $35 | $124 | $876 | 12.40% |
| LearnWorlds Pro Trainer | $99 | $0 | $35 | $134 | $866 | 13.40% |
| Podia Mover | $49 | $50 | $35 | $134 | $866 | 13.40% |
| Kajabi Basic | $179 | $0 | $35 | $214 | $786 | 21.40% |
Try Skool ↗ (affiliate link)
Disclosure: Links marked “affiliate link” (systeme.io, Skool) earn CourseCost a commission if you sign up, at no cost to you. Prices, totals and rankings are calculated the same way for every platform and never depend on affiliate status.
Try systeme.io ↗ (affiliate link)
Disclosure: Links marked “affiliate link” (systeme.io, Skool) earn CourseCost a commission if you sign up, at no cost to you. Prices, totals and rankings are calculated the same way for every platform and never depend on affiliate status.
5 sales at $200, annual billing
| Platform and cheapest fitting plan | Plan | Platform fee | Card processing | Total / month | You keep | % of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| systeme.io Free monthly price | $0 | $0 | $30.50 | $30.50 | $969.50 | 3.05% |
| Thinkific Basic | $40 | $0 | $30.50 | $70.50 | $929.50 | 7.05% |
| LearnWorlds Starter | $24 | $25 | $30.50 | $79.50 | $920.50 | 7.95% |
| Payhip Plus monthly price | $29 | $20 | $30.50 | $79.50 | $920.50 | 7.95% |
| Teachable Builder | $69 | $0 | $30.50 | $99.50 | $900.50 | 9.95% |
| Skool Hobby monthly price | $9 | $101.50 (incl. card processing) | incl. | $110.50 | $889.50 | 11.05% |
| Podia Shaker | $84 | $0 | $30.50 | $114.50 | $885.50 | 11.45% |
| Kajabi Basic | $143 | $0 | $30.50 | $173.50 | $826.50 | 17.35% |
Monthly cost = plan price + platform transaction fee + card processing on every sale, at the US card rate each platform states (international cards, currency conversion, sales tax tools and payment plans cost extra on most platforms). Student and contact caps (systeme.io, Kajabi, Thinkific) are checked against 12 months of buyers (sales per month × 12). monthly price = the platform does not publish an annual price as a number, so the monthly price is used. Ties are broken by name. Affiliate status is never used.
Other levels: $500 · $2,500 · $5,000 · $10,000 · $25,000 · calculator
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest course platform at $1,000 a month?
At $1,000/month in sales (20 sales at $50) the cheapest course platform is systeme.io Free at $35/month (you keep $965), then Payhip Plus at $84/month. The most expensive cheapest-plan is Kajabi Basic at $214/month.
What if I sell fewer, pricier courses?
At $1,000/month in sales (5 sales at $200) with annual billing the cheapest is systeme.io Free at $30.50/month, then Thinkific Basic at $70.50/month.
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