9 Best Udemy Alternatives for Course Creators (High-Profit Options)

If you want to create and sell an online course, you’re likely familiar with Udemy. With over 250,000+ courses and millions of learners, there’s no doubt that Udemy is a top player in the online learning space.

But Udemy isn’t for everyone. As an instructor, you’re competing for attention on a platform with over 75,000+ other teachers, trainers, and coaches. 

Udemy operates on a revenue-share business model. So if someone finds your course directly from Udemy without your specific referral link, you only get 37% of the net sales. That’s right, Udemy can take a 63% commission of your course. 

If you prefer a bit more control over your sales without being boxed into a specific platform, there are plenty of other Udemy alternatives that profit-driven instructors can consider. Whether you want to be a mobile-first instructor or you want to sell courses in a niche-specific industry, I’ve included something for everyone below.

Key Takeaways

• Revenue Control: Udemy can take up to 63% of your sales; alternatives like Buildfire and Thinkific allow you to keep 100% of profits (minus processing fees).
• Mobile Learning: 70% of learners are more motivated on mobile; Buildfire is the top choice for creating a dedicated mobile education app.
• Niche Platforms: Tech-focused instructors should consider Educative or Udacity for coding and data science audiences.
• Pricing Models: Alternatives range from transaction-based fees (Teachable) to flat monthly subscriptions (Buildfire, Thinkific).

1. Buildfire

Buildfire is a no-code app builder that’s been used to create over 10,000+ successful apps for iOS and Android. It’s the perfect option for instructors who want to sell profitable online courses through their own fully customized mobile app.

Research shows that 70% of people feel more motivated to learn when they’re taking courses on their smartphones. Studies also found that mobile learning improves productivity, as users complete courses 45% faster on their phones compared to computers. 

With Buildfire, you’re in total control over every aspect of your online course—from the format to the revenue model, and you can keep 100% of your profits. You’ll also have the ability to:

• Charge a one-time fee, recurring subscription, or a combination of both.
• Upload video tutorials by integrating with YouTube and Vimeo.
• Add tests, quizzes, polls, and other interactive elements.
• Build slideshow lessons and combine them with audio and video files.
• Create access tiers so users who pay more can unlock premium perks.

Selling your course through an education app unlocks dozens of other features and capabilities that you wouldn’t otherwise get from a traditional online learning platform. 

You can send push notifications directly to users’ home screens, set up message boards for your community, and ultimately provide a highly personalized experience to anyone who takes your course.

This also puts you in a unique position to sell multiple courses to the same people. Once the app has been installed on their phone, you can continue marketing new courses and add-ons while upselling your students. 

The initial setup takes a bit longer since you’re building an app and an online course. But it’s worth it in the long run as you’ll have a much better opportunity to earn sky-high profits. 

Plans start at just $85 per month, so you can break even with just one or two sales. Try a 30-day free trial of Buildfire to get started. 

2. Teachable

Teachable is very similar to Udemy in the sense that they’re both popular online learning platforms. It’s trusted by over 150,000+ course creators, so you know that it’s reputable and has lots of the tools you need to get started. 

But unlike Udemy, Teachable doesn’t take ultra-high commissions on your course sales. 

You can use it to sell:

• Online courses
• Digital downloads
• Coaching services
• Memberships

If you’re on an entry-level Basic plan from Teachable, you’ll pay a 5% transaction fee. However, this plan really limits how many courses you can sell—and it only lets you create a single membership tier for your users.

The transaction fees are eliminated if you use Teachable payment gateway on higher plan tiers. But the monthly fee spikes significantly. 

I think Teachable is fine for beginners or people who aren’t ready to jump in with both feet. Although I think your growth can be a bit limited at scale. 

You’re boxed into a platform that isn’t super flexible or customizable. But it definitely earns a spot on this list simply because the commissions are drastically less than Udemy. 

3. Educative

Educative is specifically built for developers who want to teach tech-related skills. In addition to generating revenue, many people use Educative as a way to build their online reputation in the development space—ultimately opening more doors and creating additional opportunities in their careers.

The platform currently has over 700+ courses related to coding, including programming languages and topics like:

• Python
• Java
• JavaScript
• React
• DevOps
• C#
• Machine Learning
• Data Science

You can also create courses related to things like tech interviews, surviving layoffs, and other industry-specific tips for developers. 

One unique standout of Educative is that all the courses are text-based. This means you won’t need any cameras or studio equipment to create your course.

I’m personally more of a visual learner, so I don’t think I’d find this too helpful as a student, but it definitely lowers the bar for creators in terms of the time and effort they need to spend creating courses.

4. MasterClass

Full disclosure—not everyone can be an instructor on MasterClass. There’s no open application on the website, and most of the instructors have been invited to join.

That said, you can find some workarounds to reach out to someone at MasterClass directly to pitch your course idea. Just don’t waste your time doing this unless you’re truly an industry leader in your respective field. 

You’ll see big names and celebrities teaching courses on MasterClass, including:

• Spike Lee
• Gordon Ramsey
• Steph Curry
• David Balducci
• Steve Martin
• Samuel L. Jackson
• James Patterson
• Mariah Carey

You get the idea.

There are still plenty of lesser-known people teaching online via MasterClass. But they don’t accept just anybody. 

In terms of profitability, it’s been reported that MasterClass pays instructors an upfront fee of $100,000 to create a course and then a 30% commission on sales. 

One of my knocks against Udemy was its high revenue-sharing model (not in your favor). While MasterClass does the same thing, there’s still an opportunity for huge profits—as there are over 11.4 million people using the platform. 

5. Udacity

Udacity is another niche-specific online learning platform with a primary focus on coding, development, and data engineering. 

It’s a bit different from the other options on my list because you aren’t actually creating and selling your own online course but rather becoming an online educator on an existing learning platform. 

There are five different roles that you can apply for to teach on Udacity:

• Session Lead — Industry experts bringing real-world examples to virtual classes.
• Career Coach — Offering personalized learning experiences and mentoring students who want to sharpen their skills and advance their careers.
• Tutor — Guiding students through interactive webinars and giving advice through community boards. 
• Guru — Freelance specialists who want to pass their skills to other freelancers. 
• Project Reviewer — Industry professionals who help provide personalized feedback to users completing projects on Udacity. 

Pay varies by position and expertise, but there’s definitely money to be made on the platform. 

Just check out Udacity’s open positions online to apply as a mentor. 

6. Thinkific

Thinkific is an online course builder that, unlike Udemy, is built specifically for instructors instead of a platform that facilita

Udemy is a solid option for teaching online courses. But it’s not the only game in town. 

As an instructor, you have plenty of other options to consider—especially if you want to earn higher profits. 

Buildfire is the best Udemy alternative because it’s mobile-first and truly the only option that offers limitless customization and scalability. Anyone can use Buildfire to create their own mobile app without writing a single line of code, and it’s extremely versatile in terms of what you can teach. Sign up for Buildfire today and try it free for 30 days.

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