Udemy is free to publish on, which makes it feel like a zero-risk option. But the pricing model is fundamentally different from hosted platforms: instead of paying a monthly fee and keeping your revenue, Udemy takes 37-63% of each sale depending on how the student found your course. You also lose control over your pricing, your student relationships, and your brand.
Udemy's Plans at a Glance
All plans with monthly and annual pricing, limits, and key features.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Tx Fees | Courses | Students | Key Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instructor (Organic Sales) | $0/mo | $0/mo | 63% to Udemy | Unlimited | Unlimited | Udemy keeps 63% of organic sales |
| Instructor (Own Promotions)Popular | $0/mo | $0/mo | 3% to Udemy | Unlimited | Unlimited | Udemy keeps 63% of organic/marketplace sales |
Instructor (Organic Sales)
- Free to publish
- Access to Udemy's marketplace
- No monthly fees
- Udemy keeps 63% of organic sales
- No pricing control
Instructor (Own Promotions)
Popular- Keep 97% of sales you drive via coupon links
- Instructor coupon links
- No monthly fees
- Udemy keeps 63% of organic/marketplace sales
- Must drive your own traffic
What Udemy's Pricing Page Doesn't Make Obvious
Hidden fees, gotchas, and costs that aren't clear until you're already committed.
Udemy keeps 63% of organic (marketplace) sales
On a $100 course sold organically, you earn only $37. On a hosted platform with a $99/mo fee, you'd keep nearly $97 of that same sale
Frequent site-wide sales slash your course price to $9.99-14.99
Udemy regularly runs promotions that discount your courses to $9.99 or $14.99 — regardless of your original price. You earn 37-63% of the sale price, often $3-9 per student
No access to student email addresses
You cannot build an email list or contact students directly outside Udemy's platform — losing the ability to market future courses to past students
No pricing control above $199.99
Udemy caps course prices at $199.99. If your course is worth $500 or $2,000 based on the transformation it provides, you cannot price it accordingly
How Does Udemy's Revenue Share Actually Work?
Udemy's pricing model is fundamentally different from every other platform in this guide. Instead of paying a monthly fee to host your courses, Udemy takes a percentage of each sale — and the percentage depends on how the student found your course.
The Two Revenue Split Scenarios
Instructor-driven sales (you find the student): You keep 97% of the sale when a student buys through your personal coupon link. Udemy takes just 3%. This is the best-case scenario — but you're doing all the marketing work.
Organic sales (Udemy finds the student): Udemy keeps 63%, you keep 37%. A $100 course sold through Udemy's search, browse, or recommendations earns you $37.
Most instructors see a mix of both. The ratio depends entirely on how actively you market your own courses versus relying on Udemy's marketplace traffic.
The $9.99 Sale Problem
Udemy runs frequent site-wide promotions that discount courses to $9.99-14.99 — regardless of your set price. If your course is priced at $199 and Udemy runs a sale, students can buy it for $9.99. Your revenue on an organic sale: 37% of $9.99 = $3.70.
The Subscription Revenue Share Is Getting Worse
Udemy Business (their subscription product) has been steadily reducing instructor payouts: 25% in 2023, 20% in January 2024, 17.5% in January 2025, and 15% as of January 2026. That's a 40% reduction in three years. Udemy's CFO has acknowledged the company is "intentionally reducing" single-course sales to push subscriptions — where Udemy now keeps 85%.
What You Give Up: The Hidden Cost of "Free"
The most significant cost of Udemy isn't financial — it's strategic:
- No student emails: You cannot build a mailing list. Your students belong to Udemy, not you.
- No pricing control: Udemy can discount your course without your approval.
- No brand building: Students associate the experience with Udemy, not your brand.
- No premium positioning: $199.99 price cap prevents premium course pricing.
What Real Udemy Instructors Say
What Instructors Appreciate
"11 years on the platform, earned a bit below $1.5 million. 18 courses with minimal marketing. I am earning what I deserve given my level of effort."
The discovery engine is real for instructors who got in early. This veteran built passive income over a decade with minimal marketing. But other community members pointed out 13 specific factors behind his success — first-mover advantage, "Best Seller" badges, published author status, professional production quality — that newer instructors cannot replicate.
Common Complaints
"A course I had priced at $199 would suddenly be sold for $9.99."
The forced discounting is the most-cited frustration. Udemy's Deals Program — which instructors are opted into by default — routinely sells courses at $9.99 regardless of the original price.
"If you had once been able to live comfortably on your course income and suddenly could no longer do so, it would be a significant challenge."
Revenue declines are widespread. A Trustpilot reviewer with 80,000 students and 60+ courses reported a "30-50% revenue drop since the introduction of AI" in December 2024. Another instructor reported earnings down 67% year-over-year. Multiple forum users describe going from living on Udemy income to earning only "pocket money."
Non-AI courses are hit hardest. One instructor reported zero landing page visits in 90 days for a team-building course, while AI-related courses have "skyrocketed." The algorithmic shift toward AI content is leaving traditional course creators behind.
Udemy as a Channel, Not a Platform
The consensus among experienced instructors: Udemy works best as a discovery channel alongside your own platform. One community member put it clearly — on Udemy, "you don't need to have an audience to begin," but independent platforms "only work if you already hold a large cohort of followers." The strategic play is using Udemy to build awareness while keeping premium content on a platform you control.
See our complete marketplace vs hosted platform comparison and honest Udemy review. You can also view Udemy's instructor page for current revenue share details.
Real-World Cost Scenarios
What Udemy actually costs at three revenue levels — including fees, add-ons, and the plan you'd really need.
Solo Creator
$1,000/mo revenueUdemy
$500/mo
Instructor (Mixed): $0/mo
Processing fees: $500/mo
Annual: $6,000/yr
Ruzuku
$99/mo
Core ($99/mo): $99/mo
0% platform fee (standard Stripe 2.9% + $0.30)
Annual: $1,188/yr
What you get on Udemy
- Access to Udemy's marketplace
- Built-in audience
- No monthly fees
- Udemy handles payments
What you'll still need
- Udemy keeps ~50% ($500/mo) of your revenue
- No pricing control
- No student emails
- No brand building
Growing Business
$5,000/mo revenueUdemy
$2,500/mo
Instructor (Mixed): $0/mo
Processing fees: $2,500/mo
Annual: $30,000/yr
Ruzuku
$99/mo
Core ($99/mo): $99/mo
0% platform fee (standard Stripe 2.9% + $0.30)
Annual: $1,188/yr
What you get on Udemy
- High-volume marketplace exposure
- No monthly fees
What you'll still need
- Udemy keeps ~$2,500/mo
- No email list building
- No premium pricing
- Frequent $9.99 sales
Established Creator
$20,000/mo revenueUdemy
$10,000/mo
Instructor (Mixed): $0/mo
Processing fees: $10,000/mo
Annual: $120,000/yr
Ruzuku
$199/mo
Pro ($199/mo): $199/mo
0% platform fee (standard Stripe 2.9% + $0.30)
Annual: $2,388/yr
What you get on Udemy
- Massive marketplace exposure
- Passive income potential
What you'll still need
- Udemy keeps ~$10,000/mo of your revenue
- No student relationships
- No brand equity
- No premium pricing
Udemy vs. Ruzuku: Honest Comparison
A fair, side-by-side cost comparison focused on what matters most to course creators.
| Feature | Udemy | Ruzuku |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $0 (free to publish) | $99/mo (Core) |
| Revenue you keep | 37-63% per sale | ~97% (minus Stripe 2.9%) |
| Pricing control | Capped at $199.99, frequent $9.99 sales | Set any price you want |
| Student contact info | No — students belong to Udemy | Yes — you own the relationship |
| Branding | Udemy branding only | Your brand, your domain |
| Built-in audience | Millions of learners | You bring your own audience |
| Course features | Standard video + quizzes | Video, Zoom, quizzes, assignments, drip |
| Student tech support | Udemy handles support | Ruzuku handles support |
| Community | Q&A section only | Built-in discussion forums |
| Live sessions | Not supported | Native Zoom integration |
Choose Udemy if:
You want exposure to Udemy's massive marketplace audience and don't mind giving up 37-63% of revenue, pricing control, and student relationships. Udemy works best as a lead generation channel alongside (not instead of) your own course platform.
Choose Ruzuku if:
You want to keep 97%+ of your revenue, set your own prices, own your student relationships, and build your brand. You're willing to bring your own audience rather than relying on a marketplace.
Udemy Pricing FAQ
How much do Udemy instructors actually earn?
Revenue varies enormously. Udemy keeps 63% of organic (marketplace) sales and 37% of sales you drive with your own coupon links. With frequent site-wide discounts to $9.99-14.99, many instructors earn $3-9 per student on discounted sales. Top instructors with large catalogs can earn six figures, but the median instructor earns far less.
Is Udemy free for instructors?
Yes, publishing on Udemy is free — there's no monthly fee. Instead, Udemy takes a revenue share: 63% of organic sales and 37% of instructor-driven sales. This makes Udemy significantly more expensive than a monthly-fee platform once you're generating consistent revenue.
Can I set my own price on Udemy?
Partially. You can set a base price up to $199.99, but Udemy regularly runs site-wide sales that discount courses to $9.99-14.99 regardless of your set price. You cannot opt out of these promotions on the standard instructor agreement.
Do I own my students on Udemy?
No. Udemy does not share student email addresses with instructors. You can send messages through Udemy's platform, but you cannot export student contacts to your own email list. If you leave Udemy, your student relationships stay behind.
Should I use Udemy alongside my own platform?
Many successful course creators use Udemy as a lead generation channel — offering a lower-priced or introductory course on Udemy that funnels students to their own platform for premium content. This strategy uses Udemy's audience without giving up your core revenue.