How to Sell Online Courses Without Teachable or Kajabi
When I first started selling online courses, everyone told me to use Teachable or Kajabi. I signed up, tried to figure them out, and quickly felt overwhelmed. Between the tech setup, the price, and the constant need for third-party tools, I realized I needed something simpler. That’s when I discovered Skool — and it completely changed how I sell courses.
If you want to sell online courses without using Teachable or Kajabi, I’ll walk you through exactly how I did it — step-by-step, using a tool that keeps everything in one place.
Table of Contents
Why I Avoided Teachable and Kajabi
Let’s be honest — Teachable and Kajabi are expensive, and they’re built with complexity in mind. I didn’t want to spend $199/month just to test out a course idea. I didn’t want to build funnels, email automations, and landing pages just to deliver simple videos. I wanted a platform where I could sell and teach without the tech stress.
What I Use Instead: Skool
Skool changed everything for me. It’s $99/month, and that includes community, course hosting, Zoom calendar integration, payments via Stripe, gamification, and more. There are no upsells, no plugins, and no complicated setup.
In fact, I launched my first course inside Skool in less than an hour — and it sold within the first day.
How I Sold My First Course Without Teachable or Kajabi
Here’s exactly what I did:
- Picked a focused topic: I chose something I already had results in — a skill I knew people would pay to learn.
- Created a 6-week course outline inside the Skool classroom.
- Set the price and connected Stripe to Skool for easy payment.
- Used the built-in calendar to schedule weekly Q&A sessions.
- Invited my email list and followers to join via a checkout link.
- Delivered live calls and uploaded replays inside the classroom tab.
It was simple, clean, and effective — no Teachable, no Kajabi, no drama.
Why Skool Is Better for Selling Courses
I’ve used both Kajabi and Teachable before, but here’s why I stick with Skool:
- It combines course + community in one place
- I don’t need an external email marketing tool
- The interface is distraction-free and clean
- My students actually engage with the material
- It’s easier to support and onboard people
- It builds loyalty and retention automatically
I’ve noticed that people learn better when they feel like they’re part of a group — not just watching videos alone. That’s what makes Skool so powerful. It’s not just a course platform — it’s a real learning experience.
Do You Still Need a Website?
No. Skool replaces all of that. You don’t need a fancy website, funnel builder, or separate checkout page. You just set your price inside Skool, and your checkout link is ready. When someone pays, they’re automatically added to the group.
No more Zapier connections. No more tech mess.
How I Continue to Sell My Courses on Autopilot
Once I built my Skool classroom and recorded my content, I turned it into an evergreen product. Now when people join, they can go through the content at their own pace, but still join my weekly live calls if they want extra support.
I also use the community feed to post updates, announcements, and encouragement. It feels alive — like a coaching experience, not a static video library.
Skool Helped Me Make More With Less Effort
Since switching to Skool, I’ve sold more courses than ever — and I’ve done it with fewer tools, fewer headaches, and more confidence. It gave me the freedom to focus on what I do best: helping people. And my income has grown because of that.
If you’re looking to sell your course without Teachable or Kajabi, skip the overwhelm and go with what works.
Click here to start your course with Skool
Before I made the switch, I was constantly stuck in tutorials trying to figure out how to connect my Teachable account to my email platform. Every small tweak required a new video or plugin. It drained my time and energy. With Skool, it was the opposite. I didn’t need a course just to launch my course.
I realized quickly that Kajabi was built more for marketers than actual teachers. The platform pushes you to build complicated funnels and automations. But that wasn’t what I needed. I just wanted to share my knowledge, build community, and get paid. Skool aligned with that perfectly.
One of the best things about selling courses with Skool is that I don’t have to split my audience. They don’t have to learn in one platform, chat in another, and get emails somewhere else. It’s all centralized — and that means better engagement.
I used to worry about tech support. When something went wrong in Kajabi, I’d wait hours for a response that didn’t even solve the issue. With Skool, the team is responsive and proactive. That support alone is worth the $99/month.
Another thing I noticed was the sense of ownership. With Teachable, my course felt like it belonged to their system. On Skool, I feel like I truly own my classroom, my community, and my coaching. It’s a huge mindset shift when you feel in control.
Skool also helped me create more repeat buyers. Once someone’s inside, they often join my other groups or upgrades. That wouldn’t happen on platforms where the course is just a static experience. The community vibe keeps people coming back.
If you’re planning to launch multiple courses or coaching containers, Skool makes it easy to manage them all. I run two separate coaching programs right now, and I just switch between groups. It’s like having multiple businesses under one roof.
You’d think it would take a lot of time to set up, but it doesn’t. I built my first group in under an hour. The drag-and-drop layout made it simple to organize my lessons and bonus materials. Then I uploaded a custom image, set a price, and launched. Done.
Also, I didn’t need to write complicated sales pages. I just recorded a simple Loom video and dropped it into a Google Doc with my Skool checkout link. That small, honest approach brought in my first $1,000 in course sales — without a funnel.
Since I switched, I’ve also made consistent Skool affiliate commissions just by sharing my experience. I don’t hard-sell. I just tell the truth: it’s the easiest way I’ve found to deliver courses and grow a coaching business at the same time.
I know how overwhelming it can be to look at all the tools out there. But if you’re starting fresh or feeling burned out from tech overload — I highly recommend you keep it simple. Start with one course. One price. One Skool group.
Click here to sell your first course with Skool
That’s how I did it — and it’s still working today.