How Much Passive Income Can You Earn from Selling Online Courses?
- Global Self-Publishing
- 6 days ago
- 6 min read
Selling online courses is one of the most powerful ways to generate income today. But a question I get often is, “Can you really earn passive income from courses, and is it worth the effort?”
The short answer is yes. The longer answer is that it depends on your platform, your process, and your consistency. In this post, I’ll walk you through what’s involved in creating a course, how much income is possible and why self-hosted platforms are often the best choice for long-term revenue and control.
What Does “Passive Income” Really Mean?
Let’s clear something up. Passive income from online courses doesn’t mean no effort. What it does mean is that once your course is created and set up, it can continue to generate income without needing your constant time and attention.
Yes, you’ll need to monitor questions, update lessons occasionally, and market your content. But once the course is live, you’ve essentially built an asset that can work for you for months or even years into the future.
This is what makes online courses such a powerful revenue stream, particularly when you pair them with a self-hosted platform that gives you control and flexibility.
How Much Can You Realistically Earn?
I’ll give you some real numbers from my own journey. So far, I’ve earned:
Over $80,000 on Udemy
More than $40,000 on Skillshare
Consistent monthly income (approx $2,000 p/month) on Thinkific from premium courses and subscripton bundles for the past 3 years.
If you want to see the numbers, visit my YouTube video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkVkJWLO7Ws
These numbers didn’t happen overnight. They came from putting in the effort upfront, understanding how each platform works, and continuing to evolve over time. The good news is that once your systems are in place, your courses continue to sell, often while you’re focused on other things.
What Do You Need to Get Started?
You don’t need to overcomplicate things to begin. In fact, here’s what I used when I first started:
A webcam or smartphone
A simple Blue Yeti microphone
A basic light setup
Editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro, or a free tool like iMovie or DaVinci Resolve
You can get started for around $150 or less. The main thing is to have clear audio, decent visuals, and a message that adds value to your audience. Don’t wait for the perfect setup. Get going with what you have.
Course Marketplaces: Great for Beginners, But Limited
If you’re new to online courses, platforms like Udemy and Skillshare can be a great starting point. They have large, built-in audiences and don’t cost anything to upload your course.
Pros of Marketplaces:
Easy to get started
Free to upload
Millions of students looking for courses
Built-in marketing through platform algorithms
Downsides:
No control over pricing
No access to student emails
Limited ability to build your own brand
Courses are often heavily discounted, even if you set a higher price
For example, on Udemy, your $150 course might regularly sell for $14.99. And while that might sound frustrating, it’s worth noting that I’ve still made over $80,000 from Udemy alone.
Skillshare works differently. They pay based on watch time, not course sales. This model can be effective if your content is engaging and you build a large catalogue. I’ve earned over $40,000 on Skillshare through consistent uploads and engagement but my revenue has dropped significantly (by about 70%) over the past 12 months
That said, if you want more control over your pricing, branding, and audience, you’ll want to consider self-hosted options.
Why I Switched to Thinkific (Self-Hosted Platform)
After building a solid foundation with marketplace platforms, I wanted more control. That’s when I made the switch to Thinkific.
Thinkific is a self-hosted platform where you upload your courses and manage the entire experience, pricing, student access, branding, and more. It’s become my preferred platform for one major reason: control.
What Makes Thinkific a Strong Choice?
Simple and Professional Setup
Thinkific is user-friendly. You don’t need to know how to code. You can drag and drop content, add quizzes, create certificates, and build attractive landing pages without hiring a web developer. I created my first full course in a weekend.
Full Control Over Pricing and Promotion
One of the biggest advantages is the ability to set your own pricing. I’ve sold courses for $99, $195, and even bundled multiple courses together as a monthly subscription for $19. You decide the value and adjust as needed—without having to rely on platform-wide discounts.
Create Bundles and Membership Options
You can group courses together into a package or offer them through a subscription model. This not only increases perceived value, but also creates recurring income. Students get more content, and you build a more stable revenue stream.
Access to Customer Emails and Data
When you sell on Thinkific, you own your customer relationships. You can send follow-ups, promotions, bonus content, and launch announcements directly to your student base. This builds long-term trust and makes your future launches much more successful.
Is Thinkific Worth the Cost?
This is a fair question. Thinkific has a monthly fee. For the middle-tier plan, expect to pay $79 per month if you go annual, or $99 if you pay month to month.
But this is an investment in your own platform. If you sell just two courses per month at $49, you’ve already covered your monthly fee. Once you have several courses or bundles in place, that income can grow significantly.
Compared to marketplaces where your pricing is restricted, Thinkific allows you to build a premium product and sell it at full value. That difference adds up over time.
The Process of Creating a Course
Creating a course does take effort. But it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
Here’s a basic outline:
Identify a topic you know well
Use tools like ChatGPT to brainstorm your course structure and lesson topics
Write your outline and script each lesson
Record your lessons in short, engaging segments
Edit your videos and upload to Thinkific
Set up your course page, pricing, and launch plan
Don’t aim for perfect. Aim for clear, helpful, and focused content that solves a real problem. The key is consistency and action.
How Long Does It Take to Build Your First Course?
Expect to spend:
5 to 10 hours planning your course
10 to 20 hours recording and editing
Several more hours building your sales page and uploading content
That initial time investment becomes a long-term asset. Some of my courses created three years ago still sell regularly with minimal maintenance.
Marketing a Self-Hosted Course
Once your course is live on Thinkific, how do you get it in front of people?
Here are some of the methods I use:
Create helpful videos on YouTube with links in the description
Build an email list and share content consistently
Offer free resources like downloadable guides to attract leads
Use blog content and SEO to drive organic traffic
Leverage affiliate partnerships and cross-promotions
The great thing about Thinkific is that it integrates with marketing tools like ConvertKit, Zapier, and Stripe, making it easy to build automated systems for growth.
Final Thoughts: Is Course Creation Right for You?
Creating online courses can be one of the most rewarding things you do—not just financially, but also in terms of impact. If you have knowledge or experience that could help others, then building a course is a powerful way to share it while generating income.
Is it easy? Not Exactly. Is it worth it? Without a doubt.
If you’re motivated, willing to put in the work, and focused on building a long-term business, then self hosting platforms give you all the tools you need to succeed.
Want to See How I Did It?
I’ve created a free 2-hour Thinkific course that walks you through the entire process of building and publishing a course, from planning to launch. If you use my Thinkific affiliate link, I also offer a free one-on-one coaching session where we’ll plan your course content and structure together.
2-Hour Free Course Access:
Visit https://www.globalselfpublishing.com/thinkific-course-creation to get started.
And if you’re still on the fence, explore my YouTube channel for dozens of videos on course creation, Thinkific tutorials, and strategies to grow your digital income.
The opportunity is out there, and if you’re willing to take that first step, the results can be truly life-changing.
All the best,
Romney
Romney Nelson
Founder - Global Self-Publishing