Question 1

How much can an online course creator earn?

Accepted Answer

Course revenue varies widely: beginner creators with small audiences: $1,000-10,000 per launch. Established creators with 10K+ engaged audiences: $50,000-500,000 per launch. Top creators (1M+ audiences): $1M+ per launch. The course price × conversion rate × audience size formula applies. A $997 course, 2% conversion, 5K list = $99,700 gross per launch — achievable for creators with warm, niche audiences.

Question 2

What's the optimal price for an online course?

Accepted Answer

Price based on transformation, not time. Value tiers: $47-97 — mini-courses, impulse buy, low support needed. $197-497 — solid foundational courses, some email support. $997-1,997 — comprehensive courses, live Q&A. $3,000-10,000+ — high-touch, coaching-hybrid, cohort programs. Research shows $497-997 is the sweet spot for creator courses: high enough to attract serious buyers, accessible enough for good conversion.

Question 3

Teachable vs Kajabi vs Udemy — which platform pays most?

Accepted Answer

Revenue comparison: Kajabi (0% transaction fee, $149-399/mo subscription) — best for 6-figure creators. Teachable (5% transaction on basic plan, $0 on Pro at $119/mo) — good mid-tier choice. Podia (3% or 0% depending on plan) — great for digital downloads + courses. Udemy (37% of non-promoted revenue, 25% with coupon — effectively 50-60% cut) — marketplace exposure but poor margins. Self-hosted (Stripe + membership plugin) — 0% fees, high setup cost.

Question 4

Should I do a launch or evergreen funnel?

Accepted Answer

Launches generate urgency and higher conversion rates (2-5% vs 0.5-1% evergreen) but require heavy marketing effort every few months. Evergreen funnels (webinar or email sequence driving to purchase) generate predictable monthly income but at lower conversion. Best strategy: launch to your existing audience 2-3x per year (highest revenue), run an evergreen funnel year-round for continuous sales. Your first course should be a launch — validates the offer before investing in evergreen infrastructure.

Online Course Revenue Calculator — Launch Revenue & Evergreen Income

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