Stan Store vs. Teachable: Best Commissions?
Selling courses, coaching, memberships, and digital products requires more than great content — it requires a platform that preserves your margins. This comparison explains how Stan Store and Teachable apply platform commission rates and how those fees combine with payment processor costs to affect your net income.
Creators will get a clear listing of commission structures, a side-by-side plan and feature comparison, and concrete earnings scenarios for $500 and $2,000 monthly sales so you can see real-world impact. The article also maps feature parity, marketing tools, and audience fit so you can choose the platform that matches your product mix and growth stage.
Throughout, we highlight when upgrading to a zero-platform-fee plan makes financial sense and where built-in features can offset toolstack costs. Read on for tables, scenario math, and practical recommendations that help you decide which platform keeps the most of your revenue.
What Are the Key Commission Rates and Transaction Fees for Stan Store and Teachable?
Understanding the direct platform commissions and the payment processor fees is the first step to predicting take-home pay. Platform fees are charged by Stan Store or Teachable on each sale, while processors like Stripe or PayPal apply a separate gateway fee (commonly around 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction), and the two combine to form your total cost per sale.
Knowing each platform’s plan-level commission percentages and fixed per-sale fees clarifies break-even points for upgrades. The following breakdown lists core plan fee structures and shows how processor costs stack with platform commissions to create an effective fee burden.
What Are Stan Store’s Commission Structures Across Its Plans?
Stan Store operates with at least two core plan categories that matter to commission calculations: the Creator plan and Creator Pro. The Creator plan applies a platform transaction fee of about 5% per sale, which reduces gross receipts on every transaction, while Creator Pro removes platform commission entirely (0% platform fee) for creators who pay for the higher-tier plan.
Beyond fees, Creator and Creator Pro differ by included monetization tools — Creator covers basic product and checkout capabilities, while Creator Pro adds built-in email, funnels, upsells, and affiliate tools that can reduce reliance on external subscriptions. Understanding this split helps creators weigh monthly subscription cost versus per-sale savings when projecting net income.
How Does Teachable’s Commission Rate Vary by Plan?
Teachable’s fee structure changes significantly by plan: the Free tier typically charges a fixed per-sale fee plus a percentage, Starter-level plans apply a platform percentage, and higher Builder/Growth/Advanced tiers remove platform transaction fees.
Practically, Teachable’s Free plan has a per-sale fixed amount plus a percentage, Starter-level plans carry a mid-range platform fee (for example, around 7.5%), while Builder/Growth and above can offer 0% platform fees in exchange for a higher subscription cost and expanded features. These tiered trade-offs matter because removing the platform percentage often shifts the cost calculus from variable to fixed, benefiting creators with rising sales volumes.
What Are the Standard Payment Processor Fees on Both Platforms?
Payment processor fees are applied by third parties (commonly Stripe or PayPal) and are unavoidable regardless of platform plan choice. A typical example used across comparisons is a processor fee around 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, which stacks on top of any platform fee to form the total deduction from gross sales.
Because the processor’s percentage scales with sale size and the fixed component scales with transaction count, creators with many small transactions experience proportionally higher fixed-fee drag than those with fewer, larger transactions. Accounting for both the platform percentage and the processor’s percentage-plus-fixed charge produces the realistic net payout number creators should use for budgeting.
Before you scan the quick reference table below, note the assumptions: platform percentages come from plan disclosures and the processor example is a common industry reference; monthly prices vary by billing and promotions.
The table below provides a concise, machine-friendly side-by-side of platform plans, platform transaction fee rates, and common payment-processor assumptions.
| Platform Plan | Monthly Price | Platform Transaction Fee | Payment Processor Fee | Key Monetization Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stan Store — Creator | Varies by billing | 5% platform fee | Typically ~2.9% + $0.30 | Unlimited digital products, coaching bookings, basic analytics |
| Stan Store — Creator Pro | Varies by billing | 0% platform fee | Typically ~2.9% + $0.30 | Built-in email marketing, funnels, upsells, affiliate tools |
| Teachable — Free | Varies / free tier | $1 + 10% fixed + percentage (per-sale) | Typically ~2.9% + $0.30 | Basic course hosting with core LMS features but limits |
| Teachable — Starter | Varies by billing | ~7.5% platform fee | Typically ~2.9% + $0.30 | Course builder, coupons, limited email features |
| Teachable — Builder/Growth | Varies by billing | 0% platform fee on higher tiers | Typically ~2.9% + $0.30 | Advanced course features, custom domain, analytics |
This table highlights how platform and processor fees layer to create the full fee burden. Next, we compare feature parity and pricing trade-offs so you can align fee structures with real value.
How Do Stan Store and Teachable Compare in Pricing and Features for Creators?
Comparing fees without mapping features misses how built-in tools reduce total costs by replacing third-party subscriptions and time investments. Feature-rich plans that remove platform fees often include email, funnels, affiliate tools, or richer LMS functionality that can substitute other paid tools, changing the net ROI of a subscription.
Evaluating monthly pricing vs. the value of included features helps identify whether a fixed subscription or variable per-sale fee is the better economic choice for a creator’s workflow and marketing needs.
What Features Are Included in Stan Store’s Creator and Creator Pro Plans?
Stan Store’s Creator tier supports quick product launches with unlimited digital product listings, simple coaching and booking flows, and basic analytics useful for early-stage sellers. Creator Pro expands on this by adding native email marketing, sales funnels, checkout upsells, and affiliate management — features that let creators run end-to-end funnels without many external tools.
These built-in monetization features can offset the monthly subscription cost because they eliminate parallel subscriptions and integration effort, especially for creators who prioritize fast, social-driven launches and higher checkout conversion tactics.
The main monetization features in Stan Store include:
- Unlimited digital product listings that simplify catalog management.
- Native funnels and upsells to increase average order value without third-party tools.
- Built-in email and affiliate tools that reduce external platform costs.
These features can materially lower overall operating expense when compared to assembling the same toolset from separate vendors.
What Features Do Teachable’s Starter, Builder, and Advanced Plans Offer?
Teachable centers on course creation and student management, offering a progressive unlock of LMS capabilities across plans. Starter plans provide core course builder features, coupons, and basic student management but retain platform fees; Builder/Growth plans introduce advanced content structuring, improved analytics, custom domains, and options to remove platform fees.
For creators focused on structured, long-form learning with deeper student tracking, the LMS-focused features in higher Teachable tiers are designed to justify the subscription cost by providing essential course infrastructure and administrative convenience.
Core Teachable differentiators by plan include:
- Structured course builder and lesson sequencing for multi-module courses.
- Student analytics and progress tracking that support learning outcomes.
- Custom domain and advanced admin features for branding and enterprise needs.
These features make Teachable particularly suitable for creators whose primary product is a classroom-style course.
How Do Monthly and Annual Costs Differ Between Stan Store and Teachable?
Monthly list prices vary by billing cadence and promotions, but the practical comparison is about effective monthly cost after annual discounts and the break-even horizon for fee savings.
Upgrading to a zero-platform-fee plan converts variable per-sale costs into a predictable subscription expense; if your monthly sales volume produces platform fee savings that exceed the subscription delta, upgrading pays for itself. Annual billing often reduces per-month cost and shortens the time needed to recoup the subscription through avoided platform fees.
Considerations when comparing billing options:
- Calculate yearly subscription savings versus cumulative platform fees at your revenue level.
- Estimate break-even month where subscription cost is offset by fees avoided.
- Factor in feature value that may eliminate other tool subscriptions and speed time-to-sale.
Use these calculations to decide whether a subscription or pay-per-sale approach best matches your revenue pattern and growth plans.
What Is the Real-World Impact of Commission Rates on Creator Earnings?
Percentages sound small until you multiply them by volume. Comparing net earnings after platform and processor fees for concrete monthly sales scenarios reveals when percentage-based fees become materially expensive and when fixed subscriptions are the better option. The next sections use clear stepwise math and consistent assumptions so you can follow the calculation method and apply it to your own numbers.
How Does a New Creator with $500 Monthly Sales Fare on Each Platform?
Assumptions: processor fee 2.9% + $0.30 applied once per aggregated payment for simplicity; platform fees per plan as listed earlier. For $500 gross sales:
- Stan Store Creator (5%): Platform fee = $25. Processor fee = $500 * 2.9% = $14.50 plus $0.30 = $14.80. Net = $500 – $25 – $14.80 = $460.20.
- Stan Store Creator Pro (0%): Platform fee = $0. Processor fee = $14.80. Net = $485.20 minus any subscription cost not calculated here.
- Teachable Starter (~7.5%): Platform fee = $37.50. Processor fee = $14.80. Net = $447.70.
- Teachable Free ($1 + 10% example): Platform fee = $50 + $1 fixed = $51. Processor fee = $14.80. Net = $434.20.
At $500/month, percentage-based platform fees cost between roughly $25 and $51 before processor fees, making low-volume creators often better off on a plan with lower initial friction even if it requires a modest subscription — the subscription begins to pay for itself as revenue grows.
What Are the Earnings for a Growing Creator with $2,000 Monthly Sales?
Using the same assumptions for $2,000 gross:
- Stan Store Creator (5%): Platform fee = $100. Processor fee = $58.30 (2.9% = $58 + $0.30). Net = $2,000 – $100 – $58.30 = $1,841.70.
- Stan Store Creator Pro (0%): Platform fee = $0. Processor fee = $58.30. Net = $1,941.70 minus subscription cost.
- Teachable Starter (~7.5%): Platform fee = $150. Processor fee = $58.30. Net = $1,791.70.
- Teachable Builder/Growth (0%): Platform fee = $0. Processor fee = $58.30. Net = $1,941.70 minus subscription cost.
At $2,000/month the absolute dollar difference between 0% and 5–7.5% platform fees becomes significant ($100–$150 per month), and creators should calculate whether the subscription price for a zero-platform-fee tier is less than these monthly savings. For many scaling creators, moving to a 0% tier recoups the subscription cost quickly.
How Do Zero Transaction Fee Plans Affect Profit Margins?
Removing a platform percentage turns a variable cost into a fixed expense and reduces the incremental cost of each additional sale. The savings formula is straightforward: Monthly savings = (Platform % avoided) × Monthly sales. Compare those savings to the extra subscription cost to compute the payback period in months.
Zero-fee plans are especially impactful for creators with consistent monthly revenue and frequent repeat sales, because each sale after break-even yields pure incremental margin improvements.
Quick ROI checklist for zero-fee upgrades:
- Compute monthly savings from avoided platform % at current revenue.
- Subtract additional subscription cost to determine net monthly benefit.
- Estimate months to recoup the subscription from fee savings.
This quantitative approach shows when a subscription is an investment rather than a cost.
The table below summarizes two scenario calculations for easy comparison. Values show net earnings after platform and processor fees under the simplifying assumption of an aggregated processor fee applied once.
| Sales Scenario | Platform Plan | Platform Fee % / Fixed | Processor Fee Applied | Net Earnings (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $500 monthly | Stan Store — Creator | 5% | 2.9% + $0.30 | $460.20 |
| $500 monthly | Teachable — Starter | ~7.5% | 2.9% + $0.30 | $447.70 |
| $2,000 monthly | Stan Store — Creator | 5% | 2.9% + $0.30 | $1,841.70 |
| $2,000 monthly | Teachable — Builder/Growth | 0% | 2.9% + $0.30 | $1,941.70 |
These examples make clear how percentage fees grow with revenue and why creators should model both fixed and variable cost strategies as they scale.
Which Platform Is Better Suited for Different Types of Digital Creators?
Fee structures and features create natural matches between platforms and creator archetypes. Aligning product type, sales channels, and growth stage with platform strengths ensures you minimize fees while maximizing conversion and delivery functionality. The recommendations below pair archetypes with the platform attributes that best preserve margins and support faster launches.
Who Should Choose Stan Store Based on Commission Rates and Features?
Stan Store is highly attractive for social sellers, quick-launch digital product creators, and those who prioritize frictionless checkouts and funnel-based sales. The Creator plan facilitates rapid listing and checkout, while Creator Pro’s zero transaction-fee option plus native funnels, upsells, and affiliate tools help creators scale without adding external tool costs.
For creators who sell frequently via social links and want to maximize early margins while leveraging integrated marketing features, Stan Store’s combination of ease-of-use and zero-fee higher tiers often yields superior net margins.
Who benefits most from Stan Store:
- Social-media sellers who need fast checkout flows and native link-to-pay funnels.
- Creators running promotions or limited launches that rely on upsells and checkout optimization.
- Sellers aiming to consolidate tools since Creator Pro includes email, funnels, and affiliates.
These use-cases highlight when Stan Store’s fee and feature balance preserves revenue and simplifies operations.
Who Benefits Most from Teachable’s Course-Focused Platform?
Teachable suits creators building structured, long-form educational content where lesson sequencing, student progress tracking, and classroom experience matter. Organizations or individual instructors who require a dedicated LMS, advanced analytics, and course engagement tools will find Teachable’s higher tiers fit their administrative and pedagogical needs.
When courses are the primary product and the need for deep student management outweighs funnel-style selling, paying for Teachable’s course-centric features can justify the subscription cost and any platform fees.
Ideal Teachable scenarios include:
- Comprehensive online academies that need student cohorts and analytics.
- Instructors delivering multi-module certification programs with assessments.
- Organizations prioritizing structured learning over rapid social-sales funnels.
In these scenarios, feature value can offset incremental commission expenses through better retention and course outcomes.
How Do Platform Features Support Various Digital Products and Monetization Models?
Mapping product types to platform strengths reveals where fees are only one part of the decision. Subscriptions and memberships benefit from reliable recurring billing and student access controls; coaching packages need booking and calendar integrations; digital downloads prioritize simple checkouts and file delivery.
Platforms that provide the necessary feature set natively reduce the need for third-party tools and their subscription costs, sometimes offsetting higher upfront platform subscriptions.
Product-to-feature mappings:
- Courses require LMS features, quizzes, and student progress tracking.
- Memberships/subscriptions need recurring billing and gated content tools.
- Coaching and services benefit from booking systems and calendar sync.
- Digital downloads need simple checkouts and file delivery.
Beyond Commission Rates: What Other Factors Influence Platform Choice?
Commission rates are critical, but operational fit, ease of use, and marketing capabilities often determine whether creators achieve sustainable payouts. Platform reliability, integration breadth, analytics depth, and available growth tools shape your long-term costs and conversion performance. Below we compare setup friction, marketing tool availability, and product versatility so you can evaluate total value beyond headline fees.
How Do Ease of Use and Setup Compare Between Stan Store and Teachable?
Stan Store emphasizes rapid setup and low-friction checkout flows, enabling creators to go from idea to sale quickly using link-based funnels and simple product pages. Teachable’s onboarding focuses on structured course creation, which can take more time but yields a richer course experience for students.
For creators prioritizing speed-to-market and social selling, Stan Store’s streamlined interface reduces time and technical overhead; for educators prioritizing lesson structure and student engagement, Teachable’s course builder and admin tools justify a longer setup.
Ease-of-use contrasts:
- Stan Store: Fast setup, funnel-first UX, minimal configuration to take payments.
- Teachable: Deeper course setup tools, steeper initial configuration for richer LMS features.
- Choice driver: Pick speed for launches or depth for course pedagogy.
These operational trade-offs influence how quickly you can monetize and iterate.
What Marketing and Sales Tools Do Each Platform Provide?
Built-in marketing tools materially affect how many external subscriptions you need. Stan Store’s Creator Pro bundles email, funnels, upsells, and affiliate tools that can replace several third-party services, while Teachable provides native coupons, basic email integration, and course-focused promotions with strong LMS-centric features.
Where platforms lack a native capability, creators rely on integrations that add recurring costs and integration complexity, shifting the total cost of ownership.
Marketing tool comparison highlights:
- Stan Store: Native funnels, upsells, email, and affiliates reduce external tool reliance.
- Teachable: Coupons, student emails, and course promotion tools designed for LMS workflows.
- Integration note: External mailing lists or automations may still be needed based on scale.
Choosing a platform with the right native toolset can meaningfully reduce ongoing expenses.
How Does Product Versatility Affect Creator Success on Each Platform?
Multi-product creators who bundle courses, downloads, coaching, and memberships need a platform that supports cross-sells, unified customer records, and flexible access controls. Stan Store’s funnel and upsell focus makes it straightforward to combine product types at checkout, while Teachable’s strengths revolve around packaged courses with stronger student lifecycle tools.
The right level of versatility decreases friction for customers and increases average order values, improving long-term monetization and retention.
Versatility considerations:
- Bundling abilities increase average order value and lifetime value.
- Unified access control simplifies membership and course entitlements.
- Tool consolidation reduces cost and improves customer experience.
Evaluate how frequently you’ll bundle different products and pick the platform that streamlines that flow.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of digital products are best suited for Stan Store?
Stan Store is particularly effective for creators selling digital products that benefit from quick launches and streamlined sales processes. Ideal products include eBooks, online courses, coaching sessions, and memberships. The platform’s built-in features, such as native funnels and upsells, enhance the sales experience, making it easier for creators to maximize their revenue. Additionally, social sellers who rely on fast checkout flows will find Stan Store’s capabilities especially advantageous for driving conversions.
How does Teachable support course creators differently than Stan Store?
Teachable is designed specifically for course creators, offering robust features tailored to educational content. It provides advanced learning management system (LMS) capabilities, such as lesson sequencing, student progress tracking, and comprehensive analytics. This makes it ideal for instructors who need to manage multi-module courses and assess student performance. In contrast, Stan Store focuses more on quick sales and marketing funnels, making it less suited for structured educational experiences.
Can I integrate third-party tools with either platform?
Yes, both Stan Store and Teachable allow for third-party integrations, but the extent and ease of integration can vary. Stan Store’s Creator Pro plan includes many built-in marketing tools, reducing the need for external services. However, if additional functionalities are required, creators can integrate tools like email marketing services or analytics platforms. Teachable also supports integrations, particularly for email marketing and payment processing, but may require more setup to connect various tools effectively.
What are the advantages of using annual billing over monthly billing?
Choosing annual billing can provide significant cost savings compared to monthly billing. Many platforms, including Stan Store and Teachable, offer discounts for annual subscriptions, which can lower the effective monthly cost. Additionally, annual billing can simplify budgeting by providing a clear, upfront cost for the year. For creators with consistent sales, this approach can also help in calculating break-even points more effectively, as it reduces the impact of monthly platform fees on cash flow.
What should creators consider when choosing between Stan Store and Teachable?
When deciding between Stan Store and Teachable, creators should evaluate their specific needs, such as the type of digital products they offer and their sales strategy. Consider factors like commission rates, platform features, ease of use, and the importance of marketing tools. Additionally, assess your target audience and how each platform aligns with your growth goals. By weighing these elements, creators can select the platform that best supports their business model and maximizes their revenue potential.
Which Platform Offers Better Commission Rates for Creators at Different Levels?
For low-volume creators, platforms with lower upfront subscriptions and modest per-sale fees often keep more earnings because fixed subscriptions can be prohibitively expensive relative to revenue. For scaling creators, zero-platform-fee plans (when available) typically provide better margins because avoided percentages compound as revenue grows. In short: low-volume sellers often prioritize low barrier-to-entry plans, while growing creators should compute the subscription break-even for upgrading to zero-fee tiers.
Are There Any Hidden or Additional Fees Creators Should Know About?
Beyond platform and processor fees, creators should account for chargeback fees, currency conversion charges for international sales, and third-party tool subscriptions for services not included natively. These indirect costs can erode margins and should be factored into lifetime value calculations and pricing strategies. Always check terms for region-specific gateway fees and potential payout delays that affect cash flow.
Can Creators Avoid Transaction Fees on Either Platform?
Yes — creators can avoid platform transaction fees by upgrading to higher-tier plans that remove percentage-based fees, such as Stan Store’s Creator Pro or Teachable’s Builder/Growth tiers, but processor fees remain unavoidable. To determine whether upgrading is worth it, compare the incremental subscription cost to monthly fee savings generated by avoided percentages; this gives a clear payback timeline and ROI estimate.
Quick decision checklist:
- Calculate monthly platform fees paid now at current revenue.
- Compare to additional subscription cost for a zero-fee tier.
- Decide based on months-to-payback and feature improvements.
As a practical resource, creators researching platform fit and fee impact can consult educational guides from industry-focused sources — for example, Dammy Ade’s digital marketing blog provides simplified comparisons and highlights Stan Store’s zero transaction fees on higher plans as a relevant option for creators prioritizing margin preservation.
Conclusion
Choosing the right platform for selling digital products can significantly impact your earnings, with Stan Store and Teachable offering distinct advantages based on your needs. Understanding commission structures and the value of built-in features is essential for maximizing your revenue potential. By evaluating your sales volume and product type, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your growth strategy. Explore our detailed comparisons and find the platform that best suits your creative journey today.
