What Course Platforms Really Charge Indian Creators (2026)
Flat fee, percentage of sales, or both? A plain comparison of what the main platforms charge, checked against their own pricing pages.
Yashraj Anshukla, Founder & CEOUpdated 14 October 2026 · 7 min readIn this article
Course platforms advertise a headline price, but that number is only one of three costs. The others are a percentage of every sale and the add-ons you need to run a proper business, such as a branded app. This guide lays out what each major platform lists on its own pricing page as of 14 October 2026, then shows how to work out what you would actually pay.
The three costs that make up your bill
- The plan fee. A flat monthly or yearly price. This is what the pricing page leads with.
- The platform commission. A percentage of each sale that the platform keeps. Some plans have it, some do not, and it often falls as you move up a tier.
- Add-ons. Features that sit outside the plan, such as a branded mobile app or extra seats.
What each platform lists
| Platform | Entry price | Commission on sales |
|---|---|---|
| Graphy | ₹24,999 a year (Launch) | 10% on Launch, 7.5% on Grow, 5% on Rise |
| Learnyst | ₹26,997 a year (Launcher) | 10% on Launcher; 0% on Professional and above |
| Topmate | No upfront fee | 10% via your link, 20% via the marketplace |
| Teachable | $29 a month billed annually | 7.5% on Starter; 0% on higher plans with Teachable Payments |
| Thinkific | $40 a month billed annually | 2.9% on Thinkific Payments; Stripe and PayPal fees separate |
| Kajabi | $143 a month billed annually | Kajabi Payments 2.9% + $0.30 (US entities) |
| Podia | $42 a month billed annually | 5% on Mover; none on Shaker and above |
| Synappses | Free, then ₹7,199 a month billed annually (Basic) | 0% on every plan |
Two things stand out. The Indian platforms with the lowest entry price take the largest cut of each sale. And the dollar-priced platforms bill in USD, which adds currency movement to your costs.
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A worked example: when does a flat fee beat a commission?
Take a creator selling ₹50,000 of courses a month. On Graphy's Launch plan that is ₹24,999 a year plus 10% of ₹6,00,000, which is ₹60,000: about ₹84,999 in a year. On Synappses Basic billed annually it is ₹86,388 with no commission. At that revenue the two cost almost the same.
| Monthly sales | Graphy Launch | Synappses Basic (annual) |
|---|---|---|
| ₹25,000 | ₹54,999 | ₹86,388 |
| ₹50,000 | ₹84,999 | ₹86,388 |
| ₹1,00,000 | ₹1,44,999 | ₹86,388 |
| ₹2,00,000 | ₹2,64,999 | ₹86,388 |
Below roughly ₹51,000 a month, the lower flat fee wins. Above it, the commission is what you are really paying for. To work it out for your own sales, add the plan fee to the commission percentage multiplied by a year of sales.
Add-ons: where the extra cost hides
- Branded mobile app. Thinkific lists its branded app as a $199 a month add-on. Learnyst puts branded Android on Premium and branded Android and iOS on Business, with a note about additional charges. Graphy lists a branded Android app on Launch and iOS on Rise, though its page also calls iOS a paid add-on.
- Removing the platform's branding. Learnyst removes "Powered by Learnyst" from Premium; Thinkific removes its branding from Grow.
- Seats. Teachable's Starter plan has one admin user, and Kajabi's Basic has two.
How to choose
- Just testing an idea? A low or zero upfront cost and a percentage of sales is reasonable. Topmate is built this way, and Synappses has a free plan that includes 1:1 sessions.
- Selling steadily? Add up a year of commission. If it is more than the cost of a flat plan, the flat plan is cheaper.
- Want your own app? Check whether it is in the plan, an add-on, or on a higher tier, and which stores it covers.
- Selling to India? Check the currency you are billed in and whether the platform issues a GST invoice.
For side-by-side detail, see how Synappses compares with Graphy, Learnyst and Topmate.
Frequently asked questions
- Which course platform has no commission?
- Several list 0% on higher plans, including Learnyst's Professional tier and above and Teachable's Builder tier and above with Teachable Payments. Synappses charges 0% commission on every plan, including the free one.
- Do payment gateway fees still apply on a 0% commission plan?
- Yes. The platform's commission and your payment gateway's processing fee are separate charges. A 0% commission plan removes only the first.
- Is a lower entry price always cheaper?
- No. A plan with a low flat fee and a 10% commission can cost more than a higher flat fee with no commission once your monthly sales pass a break-even point.
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