Which Learning Platform Pays the Most? Real Numbers, Real Experiences

Ever wondered if teaching online can actually pay your bills—or even make you rich? The truth is, some e-learning platforms hand out thousands a month, while others barely cover your coffee. The way these platforms pay creators is all over the map, and it's not just about choosing the most famous name out there.

If you're thinking about making a course, you've got to know where the real money is. Each big name—like Udemy, Coursera, and Skillshare—has its own rules, payout systems, and tricks baked in. Some pay per student, some split subscriptions, others dangle bonuses or have strict approval hoops to jump through. Miss the fine print, and you might walk away with pocket change instead of a payday.

Let's break down what really matters: how much creators actually make, which platform is worth your sweat, and how to dodge the little traps that shrink your take-home. No hype, just the facts and numbers you can actually use.

• How Big Learning Platforms Actually Pay
• Real Earning Numbers: Comparing Udemy, Coursera, Skillshare, and More
• What Impacts Your Earnings Most
• Payment Tricks and Hidden Costs
• Top Strategies to Boost Your Payout

How Big Learning Platforms Actually Pay

If you look behind the scenes, every learning platform pays differently—and it’s not always clear until you dig deep or talk to instructors who've been paid. Here’s what you’re really signing up for on the top platforms.

Udemy is the most famous for DIY course creators. They run on a revenue-share model. If a student finds your course through Udemy itself, you get 37% of the price. If you bring in the student through your promo link, you snag 97%, but you lose out on Udemy’s reach. The bulk of most folks’ earnings is from that lower 37% cut.

Skillshare works completely differently—they pay teachers via a big, shared pot of subscription money. You get a share based on how many minutes people watch your classes. In 2024, the average teacher who was active earned about $200/month. Top 1% Skillshare teachers did pull in over $2,500/month, but that’s rare.

Coursera and edX are more closed-off, only working with universities or big companies. If you get in, earnings are from direct contracts, not revenue share or minutes watched, so amounts can be much higher. For most regular folks, though, they’re not an option you just sign up for.

Let’s look at a rough snapshot:

Teachable and Thinkific flip the model—you set your own price, run your own promotions, and keep more (after payment processing fees). Some creators crush it and make $10k a month, but you have to do all your own marketing. No help from a learning platform’s audience.

One thing’s clear: the headline numbers can be deceiving unless you know exactly how each platform slices up the cash. Always check for small print about old courses, promo deals, or possible platform changes that can shrink your payout overnight.

Real Earning Numbers: Comparing Udemy, Coursera, Skillshare, and More

Let’s get into the numbers you actually want to see. If you’re hoping to make serious money teaching on an e-learning site, you’ve got a few choices—each with its own deal, and not all are created equal. Here’s what instructors are really earning on the biggest learning platforms out there.

Udemy is the go-to for a lot of people because it’s open to everyone and covers everything from coding to cake baking. Most instructors make between $1–$10 per student, depending on how the student found their course (Udemy does heavy discounting and takes a big chunk if they brought the student in). The average Udemy teacher earns about $300–$450 a month, but top instructors—those who crack the code with lots of courses and good marketing—can see $5,000+ monthly. Here’s the catch: most courses never get close to those numbers unless you’re pretty much a full-time creator.

Coursera is different. They run big, university-style classes with real accreditation. You can’t just sign up and upload—most courses are by invite or built with colleges. Payments are more complex: creators and their institutions split revenue, which comes from course fees, certificates, or degrees. According to Class Central, some Coursera instructors have earned over $250,000 in a year, but this is usually teams or professors leading huge courses. Most instructors see a cut only if their course really takes off.

Skillshare works kind of like Netflix; students pay a subscription, and teachers get paid a share of the minutes watched. That means your earnings depend on keeping viewers engaged, not just signing them up. Average monthly payouts land around $150–$300, but there are cases of teachers with huge followings making $2,000+ per month.

Here’s a quick table to make the comparison easier:

Some other platforms pop up too. Teachable gives you full control but you handle your own marketing; there’s no ceiling, but there’s no safety net either. A few instructors have pulled in $100,000+ a year, but most do way less unless they already have an audience. Then there’s Kajabi and other all-in-one platforms for total DIY types—big income, but only if you can handle business, tech, and marketing yourself.

“I cleared $70,000 on Udemy last year, but only after three years and seven courses. Most folks won’t get there unless they hustle outside the platform.” — John Purcell, top Udemy instructor

The bottom line? Picking where to teach depends on your skills, audience, and how much risk you want. If you’re after the biggest potential payout, a niche course on your own site (via Teachable or Kajabi) is king—but it’s also the hardest route. For steadier, passive income, Skillshare and Udemy can pay off if you keep your content fresh and market hard. Make no mistake: the platform you choose will decide whether teaching online is a side hustle, or your main gig.

What Impacts Your Earnings Most

This is where most new instructors get tripped up. It’s not just about making a great course—the way each learning platform sets up its payout system, and the little details in their rules, have a huge effect on what you actually take home. Let’s unpack the key factors that decide how big your payday is.

• Platform payment model: Some sites, like Udemy, pay you a cut when a student buys your course. Others, like Skillshare, use a subscription pool and divvy up earnings based on minutes watched. Coursera usually pays universities or partners, and they negotiate your take—individuals have it tougher there.
• Course pricing and discounts: On most e-learning platforms, you won't decide final prices. For example, Udemy is notorious for deep discounts, so a course listed at $100 probably sells for $10—and your cut shrinks from there.
• Number of enrolled students: The obvious one. The more signups, views, or active learners, the better you do. But big platforms are crowded, so it takes serious hustle to stand out.
• Revenue share: Each site keeps a chunk. Udemy might take 50%, maybe lower if you bring the buyer yourself. Skillshare’s monthly pool changes every month depending on total minutes watched across the platform. You’re not just competing for students, you’re fighting for a slice of the pie.
• Geography of your audience: Students from high-income countries pay higher course fees, so targeting US, UK, and Australia can mean bigger checks. Skillshare and Udemy both reflect this in your earnings.
• Promotion and marketing: Did you bring the traffic or did the platform? Platforms like Udemy give bigger shares if students use your coupon link instead of finding you on their marketplace. It pays—literally—to promote your stuff.

Take a look at some sample numbers:

One more tip: reviews and course ratings directly push your ranking and visibility. Higher stars mean more enrollments, which snowballs your earnings. Respond to student feedback and keep your course updated—platforms love active instructors, and usually reward them with more traffic.

Payment Tricks and Hidden Costs

Here’s where a lot of creators hit roadblocks. Learning platform payouts aren’t always as straightforward as the promo page sells you. There’s a mix of fees, rules, and sneaky deductions that can take a bite out of what you thought you’d pocket. You’ll want to know about them up front—so you don’t get surprised when your first payment lands well below expectations.

Udemy often advertises up to 97% of the course price if the student uses your link. But if a student finds you through Udemy search instead, you only get 37%. If they came from a Udemy ad, it drops to 25%. The catch? Most sales actually come from their marketing and not your link. Also, Udemy can discount your course heavily—sometimes selling your $100 course for $12—and you split that lower revenue.

Skillshare looks enticing with a royalty pool model. But the total payout gets divided among all teachers based on the number of premium minutes watched. Teachers complain in forums that it can feel like pennies per view, especially if a big creator uploads a mega-course the same month, soaking up more of the pool. Add in the $10 minimum payment threshold: if you don’t meet it, you roll over to the next month.

Hidden costs to watch for on these e-learning platforms:

• Transaction fees: Platforms like Teachable and Thinkific charge PayPal or Stripe fees (about 2-5%), plus sometimes their own per-transaction cut.
• Payout delays: Udemy pays out monthly, but only after a 30-day refund window. Skillshare can take up to six weeks for a payout after a class is watched.
• Foreign exchange fees: If your payout is in a different currency, banks and payment processors take their slice. For example, getting paid in INR from US dollars can mean losing an extra 1-3%.
• Withholding tax: Coursera and Udemy (both US-based) may withhold up to 30% if you don’t submit a tax form.

Here’s a quick look at how some popular online teaching sites handle fees and payouts:

Bottom line: Always read the payout section of any online teaching platform. Run the numbers for your actual audience and price. And if you spot a platform offering total control or zero platform cuts, dig deeper—there’s almost always a catch, and you don’t want it hitting your wallet late in the game.

Top Strategies to Boost Your Payout

If you're dead serious about earning more on a learning platform, it’s not just about posting any old course and hoping for the best. There are practical moves you can make that directly change how much you bring home each month.

• Pick the Right Niche. Courses in tech, business, and test prep usually earn higher because demand is huge. On Udemy, coding instructors have reported five-figure monthly payouts if their course lands on “featured” lists.
• Go for Multiple Platforms. Don’t just stick to Skillshare or Udemy. Many instructors upload the same course to several big e-learning platforms. This way, you double or triple your reach—some report up to 40% higher total earnings just by going multi-platform.
• Keep Content Updated. Sites like Coursera and Udemy give higher rankings and promo spots to newer or refreshed courses. Update your course at least once a year to keep it ranking high and visible. Outdated stuff gets buried fast.
• Work the Promo System. Platforms often have built-in promos or e-mail blasts. On Udemy, instructors who run their own promos can keep up to 97% of each sale—that beats the standard 37% from regular Udemy sales a mile.
• Dig Into Student Reviews. Aim for a high average rating. Courses with 4.5 stars or more appear in more searches. One case: A Skillshare instructor saw payouts climb by 30% after responding to reviews and tweaking lesson flow based on feedback.

If you’re curious about what difference these tips can make, check this out:

No matter where you teach, these moves stack the odds in your favor. Test a few, track what works for you, and watch those payouts climb.