The Best Platform to Create and Sell Online Courses

I've tried a lot of digital product platforms. A LOT. Out of all of them, Payhip is my top online course platform pick for businesses – including those focused on metaphysical and spiritual topics. It's simple to use, affordable for every budget, and an effective way to create a great experience for your audience. Here's why I think it's the best platform to create and sell online courses and digital products.

This post may contain affiliate links. This means that I may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links – this is at no cost to you.

Here's Why I Love Payhip: And Why I Think You Will, Too

As an instructional designer with years of experience, I've seen my fair share of online course platforms. I have always needed a platform that's not only intuitive but also rich in features, capable of supporting a diverse range of educational content, and provides a good user experience.

All of that to say: I'm really picky when it comes to choosing the right platform for my courses and digital products.

Over the years, I've tried various platforms, each with its own set of pros and cons. However, it wasn't until I tried Payhip a few months go that I felt I'd found a platform that truly delivers a high quality product, with down-to-Earth pricing, tons of features (for no extra $$), and great customer service.

Payhip is the best platforms for online courses and digital products I've tried: it's one of the easiest to use, doesn't compromise on features, and their pricing structure will work for anyone – even if you are just getting started or don't have a dedicated customer base (yet!). The user interface is streamlined and intuitive, which makes the process of creating and managing courses and digital products a breeze. This ease of use is a game-changer and lets you be an expert at YOUR area…not figuring out an overly-complex course site.

Versatility, Flexibility, and Options

Payhip is versatile enough to handle everything from simple PDF uploads to comprehensive video courses and interactive content. This flexibility allows me as to be creative and innovative in how I design and deliver my courses. Whether it's drip-feeding content, creating bundles, or offering discounts and promotions, Payhip can do it all.

Payhip's pricing structure is also one of the most generous I've come across. The platform offers a free plan, which is perfect for those just starting out or working with limited resources. The best part is that you can access all of their features, with no upfront cost. I repeat: ALL OF THEIR FEATURES. This is an absolute game changer – and incredibly uncommon in the online course landscape. For reference, with my last platform, I was paying almost $100/month – but couldn't even access a list of participants enrolled in any of my courses, unless I doubled my monthly spend.

With Payhip, however, you get all their features, with no monthly rate: you simply pay a percentage when you sell a course or digital product. This model makes it easy – and so low risk – for any business to begin offering courses or digital products: even if you just want to test the waters on offering something new. And, as your course sales grow, Payhip offers monthly options that allow you to pay a bit more upfront, but keep a larger portion of your revenue. No matter which makes more sense for you, it's always a win-win. 

To wrap this section up, Payhip has been an amazing solution for me. It combines ease of use, a ton of features, and a super affordable pricing model, making it the best platform for business owners like myself who need a course delivery option that is easy to use, highly customizable, has a wide range of features, and creates an aesthetic and functional user experience. If your business sells digital products, subscriptions, or online courses, I highly recommend giving Payhip a try – it might just be the platform you've been looking for.

Payhip: The Best Platform to Create and Sell Online Courses

Payhip is an all-in-one solution, ideal for course creators and anyone offering digital downloads. This platform supports everything from guided meditations, to video courses, to e-books, making it an easy choice among the most popular online course platforms.

Simplicity and Support: Why Payhip is a Great Option

Payhip's approach is straightforward, prioritizing ease of use and clarity, which is so important when you are a content creator. Catering to niche audiences, Payhip simplifies the sales process, making it a good option for those seeking complete control over their digital products. It allows you to customize fonts, images, colors, and more – giving you a simple solution to add your branding, logo, and overall look and feel to the platform. 

User-Friendly Interface: Making Course Content Creation Effortless

With a clean and intuitive user interface, Payhip is perfect for online course creators: even if you aren't an expert (and don't know a thing about coding). Setting up is hassle-free, with simple tools for building sales pages, landing pages, and more. Payhip makes it easy to create courses, video lessons, sales pages, and a digital product storefront that looks great and is simple to navigate. You're even able to set up a custom domain, or use the built in domain structure that Payhip offers.

Cost-Effective Solutions: Maximizing Your Earnings with Payhip

Payhip's free plan offers a great starting point, and its transparent pricing, including its basic plan, is truly a breath of fresh air: I haven't seen anyone offer more value, for a lower price point. The minimal transaction fees ensure that creators keep a larger portion of each sale, which is important for anyone just starting out, selling lower-ticket items, or considering a platform switch. As you grow, you'll have the option to pay a monthly rate, which allows you to keep more of each sale; however, there is no time limit, student threshold, or maximum course number for their free plan. 

Payhip lets you offer unlimited courses, create membership sites and bundles, offer a range of payment and pricing plans, and enroll unlimited students. 

Flexibility and Features: Digital Downloads, Courses, Memberships, and More

Payhip's customizable storefronts and product flexibility are among its best features, supporting various file types, from video content to text files. It's easy to switch between products, and Payhip allows you to fully customize the look and feel of each one. This makes it an ideal all-in-one online course platform, that can cater to your specific needs.

Customer Experience: Simple Checkouts and Transactions

Payhip ensures a seamless shopping experience and simple checkout, which makes it easy for people to purchase your products. It integrates with Stripe and PayPal, to offer secure transactions and easy credit card payments. At the time of writing, the only caveat here is that recurrent payments can only be processed through Stripe; all other single-payment products can also be processed through PayPal. 

Marketing and Sales Tools: Expanding Your Reach

Payhip offers a variety of marketing tools, including discount codes, referral options, and a built-in affiliate marketing structure. These can help you share your products, drive sales, and create an incentive for word of mouth sharing. You are also able to connect your email list with Payhip, to set up workflows or mailing lists for those who enroll in your programs. They also have a blog feature, which has been helpful for supporting my audience, even before they make a purchase.

Customer Service: Timely, Knowledgeable Support

The support at Payhip is also invaluable. With responsive customer support, knowledge base, and additional resources, Payhip is a great option for those looking for an online course creation platform with dedicated, knowledgeable support. As they are based in the U.K., I typically receive answers from their team the following business day. While they don't offer chat support, I have found their customer service to be extremely helpful and always willing to help me work through any questions or things that come up. 

VAT: Handled In-Platform

One of the biggest things I was looking for when I switched to Payhip is a platform that could handle VAT (Value Added Tax) in the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK). As VAT is required to be collected and remitted for ALL purchases (with no minimum threshold) made from all countries in the EU and UK, I needed a platform that could handle it for me: and there are very few who do.

As a note, Etsy is another platform that handles VAT, but doesn't have the robust customization options that Payhip does. Etsy is also a marketplace – while Payhip gives you your own standalone website. If you're looking to leverage both types of platforms, you could try selling on Etsy AND Payhip.

Payhip offers a streamlined solution for handling VAT on digital products, particularly for sales in the EU and UK. This service is crucial for sellers who have customers in these regions, as it complies with the VAT laws requiring VAT to be charged based on the customer's location.

This VAT handling feature by Payhip is especially beneficial for sellers who might find international tax laws daunting, ensuring compliance with VAT regulations without the need for in-depth tax knowledge, additional administrative effort, or expenditures for a tax expert to sort it all out.

Payhip vs Other Online Course Platforms

When selecting the right online course platform for your needs, it's important to understand how different platforms will (or will not) address your specific needs and preferences: what you need, what is a “nice to have,” how you prefer to operate your courses, and what you are (or are not) willing to deal with, when a feature you want isn't there or doesn't quite work how you'd like it to (this happens with EVERY platform: there are pros and cons to every single one).

Here, we compare Payhip with other popular platforms like Teachable, Kajabi, and Podia to highlight what makes Payhip a great choice for specific types of businesses or content creators.

Payhip vs Teachable

• Pricing: Payhip offers a forever-free base plan with a 5% transaction fee, whereas Teachable's lowest pricing plan starts at $59/month plus a 5% fee. This makes Payhip more affordable, especially for small business owners or individual creators.
• Unlimited Products and Revenue: Both Payhip and Teachable allow for unlimited products and revenue, but Payhip's free plan includes this feature, while Teachable's does not.
• Digital Downloads and Online Courses: Both platforms support the sale of digital downloads and online courses. However, Payhip also supports the sale of physical products, a feature not available with Teachable.
• Marketing Tools: Payhip provides a range of marketing tools like affiliate marketing, email marketing, and coupon codes. Teachable also offers marketing tools, but some advanced features like removable branding and theme customization are limited to higher-priced plans.
• Ease of Use: Payhip is known for its user-friendly interface, making it easier to use compared to Teachable, particularly for beginners.
• Customization and International Sales: Payhip offers a fully customizable store editor and supports multiple currencies, making it advantageous for international sales.

Payhip vs Kajabi

• Pricing: Payhip is significantly more affordable than Kajabi. While Payhip has a free plan with 5% transaction fees, Kajabi's pricing starts at $149/month. This makes Payhip a more cost-effective choice for creators at various stages of their business.
• Product Variety: Payhip supports a wide range of products including digital downloads, online courses, coaching services, and memberships. Kajabi, while also versatile, is more expensive for similar offerings.
• Marketing Tools: Both platforms offer robust marketing tools, but Payhip's affordability gives it an edge for creators who are budget-conscious.
• User-Friendliness: Payhip is noted for its ease of use, with an intuitive design that simplifies the selling process. Kajabi, while powerful, might have a steeper learning curve.

Payhip vs Podia

While a direct comparison with Podia was not found in the recent searches, here are some known differences based on general knowledge:

• Pricing: Like Payhip, Podia also offers a relatively affordable pricing structure compared to Kajabi, with plans ranging from free to higher-tiered paid options.
• Product Range: Both Payhip and Podia cater to a wide range of digital products. However, Payhip’s unique selling point is its support for physical product sales and extensive international sales features, including handling UK & EU VAT.
• Marketing and Community Features: Podia shines in community building and has a strong focus on creator engagement, similar to Payhip's marketing tools and community support.

While I love Payhip for the reasons I've outlined in this post, I would highly recommend that you give any that you are interested in a try and compare them, to see which best meets your needs.

What is the best platform for selling online courses? For me, that has been Payhip – hands down. However, you are the one who will need to be able to work with the platform you choose: so it's worth it to take the time to see what you prefer. Again, I've used or tried all of of these (and so, so many others) and have been thrilled with Payhip for about 6 months now (and counting).

Payhip: My Pick for Best Platform for Selling Online Courses + Digital Products

Payhip is a gret choice for small to medium-sized businesses or individual creators who value ease of use, control over pricing and promotions, and a higher revenue share from their sales. It is particularly beneficial for those who sell a variety of digital products, not just courses, and who are looking for an affordable yet feature-rich platform to grow their online presence.

While other platforms have their unique strengths, Payhip's balanced approach to simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and versatile tools makes it an excellent choice for content creators, especially in the metaphysical and spiritual niches.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Payhip

What types of products can I sell on Payhip?

Payhip is versatile and allows you to sell a variety of digital products including ebooks, courses, software, design assets, and music. You can also offer memberships and subscriptions through the platform.

How does Payhip handle payments and what are the transaction fees?

Payhip integrates with the major payment gateways PayPal and Stripe. Regarding transaction fees, Payhip is known for its low fees, ensuring that a larger portion of the sale goes to the creator. The specific fee structure can vary, so we recommend that you check their current pricing for the most accurate information.

Is Payhip suitable for beginners without technical skills?

Absolutely. One of Payhip’s major strengths is its user-friendly interface, making it easy for beginners to set up and manage their online store without needing advanced technical skills.

Can I use Payhip if I'm selling on other platforms too?

Yes, Payhip allows you to sell your digital products even if you are selling them on other platforms like Amazon or Etsy. This makes it a flexible option for creators looking to diversify their sales channels.

How does Payhip help with marketing my products?

Payhip offers various marketing tools including affiliate marketing, discount codes, and email marketing integration. These tools help you promote your products, reach a wider audience, and engage with your customers effectively.

What kind of support does Payhip offer to its users?

Payhip provides robust customer support including email support, a comprehensive help center, and resources like guides and tutorials to assist users in maximizing the use of the platform.

Can I customize my Payhip storefront?

Yes, Payhip provides customization options for your storefront. You can tailor the look and feel of your store to match your brand identity, including layout changes and color schemes.

How does Payhip handle VAT and taxes?

Payhip automatically calculates and applies the appropriate VAT to your products based on the customer's location. This feature simplifies the tax handling process for sellers, especially those dealing with customers in different countries.

Is there a free trial or a free plan available on Payhip?

Payhip offers a free plan, which is great for creators just starting out or those operating on a smaller scale. This plan allows you to test the platform’s capabilities before committing to a paid plan.

How secure is Payhip for selling digital products?

Payhip places a high priority on security, implementing measures to protect both your digital products and customer data. This includes secure payment processing and measures to prevent unauthorized distribution of your content.