E-Learning Platform Cost Calculator 2025/26

For beginners: Thinkific Free is the best starting point — no cost, no transaction fees, one course. Once you have proven demand and want to launch multiple courses, Thinkific Basic (£29/mo) or Teachable Basic (£29/mo with 5% transaction fees) work well. Kajabi is the premium all-in-one option but at £119-£319/month is only cost-effective once you have established revenue. Self-hosted (WordPress + LMS plugin) suits technical creators who want maximum control and zero platform fees.

Transaction fees vary significantly: Teachable charges 5% on the Basic plan (£29/mo), 0% on Pro (£95/mo) and above. Thinkific charges 0% transaction fees on all plans including the free tier. Kajabi charges 0% on all paid plans. Gumroad charges 10% on the free plan, reducing to 5% for Gumroad Pro. At high revenue, even a 5% transaction fee makes upgrading to a fee-free plan highly economical — a course generating £2,000/month saves £100 by upgrading from Teachable Basic to Pro.

No — UK VAT-registered sellers of digital products (including online courses) to UK consumers must charge 20% VAT. When selling to EU consumers, OSS (One Stop Shop) VAT registration may be required. When selling to non-EU, non-UK consumers, no VAT is charged. Most e-learning platforms handle VAT collection for UK and EU sales automatically if set up correctly. Businesses below the UK VAT threshold (£90,000/year) do not need to register for VAT unless selling to EU customers who trigger OSS obligations.