The online course pricing calculator compares your profit at four price tiers — budget ($27-97), mid-range ($197-397), premium ($497-997), and high-ticket ($997-2997) — based on your production costs, audience size, and expected conversion rate. Find the price that maximizes profit, not just revenue.
Costs
Filming, editing, platform setup, graphics
Ads, affiliates, webinar platform, email tools
Stripe: 3%, Teachable: 0%, Gumroad: 10%
Audience & Conversion
Email subscribers or launch funnel size
Warm list: 2-5%, cold traffic: 0.5-2%
Typical range: 5-15%
How to Price Your Online Course
The online course pricing calculator helps you make data-driven pricing decisions instead of guessing. Many creators undercharge because they price on time spent creating — not on the value delivered to students.
Step 1: Calculate Your Total Costs
Add up all production costs: filming equipment rental or purchase, video editing (or software), course platform fees, graphic design, and any professional review or coaching. For a self-produced course on Teachable, costs are often $500-3,000. With professional video production, they can be $5,000-20,000. Marketing costs (paid ads, affiliate commissions, webinar platform) add another $200-2,000 for a typical launch.
Step 2: Know Your Audience Size and Temperature
Your conversion rate depends heavily on how warm your audience is. Cold social media followers convert at 0.5-1%. Email subscribers who've been nurtured for months convert at 2-5%. An audience who completed a free challenge or attended your webinar might convert at 5-15%. For a first launch to a 2,000-person email list, 2-3% (40-60 sales) is realistic.
Step 3: Compare Price Tiers
Run the numbers at each tier. Surprisingly, $497 often earns more net profit than $97 — even with fewer sales. At $97, you might sell 60 units for $5,820 gross. At $497, you might sell only 15 units for $7,455 gross. The higher price also filters for more motivated students with better completion rates and testimonials.
The Break-Even Math
Break-even units = (Production + Marketing costs) / Net price per unit after refunds and fees. With $2,500 in total costs and a $297 price point at 8% refund and 3% platform fee, your net per sale is about $270, meaning you need 10 sales to break even. Everything beyond that is profit. Use this calculator to find where different price points cross into profitable territory.
FAQ
Is this online course pricing calculator free?
Yes, completely free with no signup required. Enter your production costs, audience size, and conversion rate to see projected profit at four price tiers — budget, mid-range, premium, and high-ticket. All calculations run locally in your browser.
How do I choose the right price for my online course?
Course pricing should reflect your audience's perceived value and willingness to pay, not just your production costs. A course that saves someone 10 hours of frustration or helps them earn $10,000 more can be priced at $497-997 even if it took you 20 hours to make. Generally: skill-based practical courses command higher prices, general knowledge courses price lower, and high-ticket programs with coaching add $997+.
What conversion rate should I expect for a course launch?
Cold traffic landing pages typically convert at 0.5-2%. Warm audiences (email list, existing followers) convert at 2-5%. Hot audiences who have been through a launch funnel, webinar, or challenge often convert at 5-15%. For your first launch to a built-up email list, use 2-3% as a realistic baseline.
What platform fees should I budget for?
Platform fees vary: Teachable (Pro: $119/month + 0%), Kajabi ($149/month + 0%), Thinkific (free tier + 0-10%), Podia ($39/month + 0%), Gumroad (10% + Stripe fees), and Udemy (37-97% revenue share). Direct sales through your own site + Stripe costs 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. This calculator uses a customizable fee percentage.
What's a typical refund rate for online courses?
Most online course platforms see 5-15% refund rates, with higher-priced courses having slightly higher refund rates (since buyers are more cautious). Budget courses ($27-97) see 3-8% refunds. Premium courses ($297-997) see 8-15%. High-ticket programs with coaching see 2-5% since buyers are more committed. A 10% refund rate is a safe planning assumption.
Is my course business data safe using this tool?
Yes, all calculations run entirely in your browser. No audience size, revenue figures, or business data are sent to any server or stored anywhere. The tool is completely private.
How many courses do I need to sell to quit my day job?
That depends on your course price and expenses. To replace a $5,000/month income: at $97 you need 52 sales/month, at $297 you need 17 sales/month, at $997 you need 5 sales/month. Higher-priced courses with coaching attached require fewer sales but more 1-on-1 time. Use this calculator to model which price tier makes your income goals achievable.