Key Takeaways
Udemy's subscription payouts have dropped 40% in three years. From 25% in 2023 down to just 15% as of January 2026, and the company has confirmed this shift is intentional.
On organic marketplace sales, Udemy keeps 63% of your revenue. A $100 course earns you just $37.
Udemy caps course prices at $199.99 and runs frequent site-wide sales that slash courses to $9.99.
You don't own your students on Udemy. The platform doesn't share student email addresses, so you can't build a mailing list or take your audience with you if you leave.
Courses can be removed without warning, explanation, or appeal. And Udemy's auto-enrollment of instructors into its Generative AI program sparked major backlash over content ownership.
The smarter long-term play is owning your platform. Standalone platforms like EzyCourse let you keep 100% of revenue, set any price, and build direct student relationships with no caps or forced discounts.
Udemy works as a discovery channel for beginners, but experienced instructors increasingly treat it as a funnel to their own platform.
Ever wondered if Udemy is really worth it for course creators in 2026? With over 70 million students, it’s the world’s biggest online course marketplace.
Sounds cool! But the hotter things are happening lately!
Recently, things have changed and become more challenging to monetize within Udemy. The subscription model, constant changes to the algorithm, and lower payouts make teaching on Udemy less rewarding.
In fact, instructor revenue from Udemy’s subscription plans has been steadily decreasing.
Here’s the revenue share structure trend of Udemy:
January 2024: Revenue dropped from 25% to 20%
2025 (expected): Revenue to fall to 17.5%
January 2026: Revenue dropped further to 15%
(Source)
Udemy's CFO has acknowledged the company is intentionally reducing single-course sales to push subscriptions, where Udemy now keeps 85%.
This all shows that Udemy is reducing payouts for instructors and making it harder to earn a steady income over the long term.
And support? It often feels like talking to a robot.
What’s the take on this for course creators then?
A lot of Udemy creators are frustrated!
‘’I’m an instructor on Udemy with around 20k students. As an instructor I’m also looking to move out of Udemy , recently they are focused on just cutting revenue of instructors and pocket their investors. Udemy gives creators only 37% before taxes if the person searches on Udemy and buys the courses. We have to sell courses for 10$ max to stay competitive. Instructor share from Udemy business has also been reduced , and will be further reduced next year.Overall , I have started building a community and value outside Udemy and would soon like to have my own site and brand.’’
You’ll find creators' frustration on Udemy like this on Reddit and elsewhere.
Is there any better way to sell courses online? Yes, there is. Stick with us till the end to know everything about Udemy and the online course business.
In this post, I’ll break down:
How much Udemy actually takes from creators
Why so many instructors are leaving, and
What’s really happening behind the scenes
How can you build your own online course business easily
If you’re a creator thinking about selling courses, it’s time to be aware and know the truth about what’s really going on.
Let’s see the behind-the-scenes of Udemy.
Why Are Udemy Creators Leaving Rapidly?
A big question for every instructor is, how much money will I actually make on Udemy? The answer depends on how students find and buy your course. Also, how much Udemy keeps.
1. Low Earnings from Marketplace Sales
If a student finds your course on Udemy through search, recommendations, or ads without using your personal coupon or link, Udemy keeps most of the sale.
Instructor earns: approximately 37%
Udemy keeps: approximately 63%
Example: If a student pays $50, the instructor gets about $18.50.
Many creators feel this is unfair, especially given the time and effort required to produce high-quality courses.
2. Instructor Promotions (Coupons & Referral Links)
If you share your course using your own coupon or referral link, you keep a bit more of the money. But don’t expect it to be a huge difference. It’s helpful, but not a guaranteed big boost.
Instructor earnings: 97%
Udemy earnings: 3% (transaction fees)
Example: On a $50 course, you earn $48.50. Though it’s better than organic sales, it’s not always enough to make a significant difference in income.
3. Subscription Model Reduce Payouts
Udemy also pays instructors through subscriptions, where students pay monthly and can access many courses. Payments here are based on how much students watch your course.
Instructor earnings: 20% down from 25% in January 2024
Revenue cuts: 17.5% in 2025 and 15% in 2026
Effect: Many creators feel unhappy that Udemy’s subscription model lowers the value of their content. Instead of being paid for each sale, instructors earn based on how much students watch their courses. This can result in much lower income, especially for courses that take a lot of time and effort to create.
4. No Pricing Freedom and Forced Discounts
Udemy caps course prices at $199.99.
If your course delivers a $500 or $2,000 transformation, you simply can't price it that way. On top of that, Udemy runs frequent site-wide sales that slash courses to $9.99–$14.99, regardless of your original price.
Instructors are opted into the Deals Program by default, and there's effectively no way to opt out on the standard agreement.
Your revenue on a discounted organic sale? 37% of $9.99 = roughly $3.70 per student.
Months of work, $3.70 per sale.
The Hidden Risk: Course Removals
Imagine spending months creating a course, only to wake up one day and find it completely removed from Udemy. How useless it would be to a creator! Unfortunately, this has happened to many instructors.
No warning before the course is taken down.
No clear explanation for why it was removed.
No appeal process to challenge the decision.
The Effect on Creators
Lost income: Months of work vanish along with potential earnings.
Damage to reputation: If students were enrolled in or promoted the course, the takedown can affect the instructor’s credibility.
Emotional toll: Many creators feel stressed, demotivated, and uncertain about continuing on the platform.
The Generative AI Controversy: Consent or Compliance?
In late 2024, Udemy introduced a new Generative AI program and automatically enrolled instructors. Instructors had only three weeks to opt out, and for some, the option didn’t even show up.
This widespread frustration among instructors:
Lack of Consent: Many instructors felt that they were not informed or consulted about their participation in the GenAI program.
Content Misuse: Instructors worry that their courses could be utilized to train AI models without their authorization. That’s why it has potentially affected their valuable work.
Creators' Frustration: Online forums, including Reddit, were filled with complaints from instructors expressing their unhappiness with the sudden changes.
Source: Reddit
The Bigger Picture: Why Creators Feel Disappointed
It’s essential to understand what’s going on with sites like Udemy. The company is focusing more on major business clients and AI technologies than on individual producers.
For instructors, the message is clear:
Less control over pricing: Udemy can discount your course without approval and caps prices at $199.99
Less control over content: courses can be removed or used in AI programs without meaningful consent
Less control over earnings: subscription payouts have dropped 40% in three years
No ownership of student relationships: Udemy does not share student email addresses with instructors. If you leave, your students stay behind. You can't build an email list, market future courses, or maintain direct contact outside the platform.
Many creators have shared their stories of frustration, such as courses being discounted to $9.99 without warning, content being used in ways they didn't allow, and revenue cuts that made months of work feel worthless.
For people relying only on Udemy, these issues show that the platform isn't a reliable or fair environment for independent educators.
A Creator's Perspective: “Why I Stopped Selling Online Courses on Udemy!”
From the creator, Krystal Wascher's experience with Udemy:
When I was creating courses, Udemy felt like a dream. Millions of students, instant exposure, and the promise of easy sales. It seemed like the perfect way to share my knowledge. I was excited seeing enrollments trickle in, reading reviews, and knowing my content was reaching people around the world. It felt like I was making an impact.
But soon, reality set in. I noticed my courses were constantly being discounted. A course I had priced at $199 would suddenly be sold for $9.99. Sometimes, when students came through Udemy’s ads, my revenue share dropped even further. I started feeling like all my hard work was being undervalued. It was disheartening to spend months creating content, only to earn just a few dollars per sale.
Then came the limitations. I couldn’t control who my students were, how they received messages, or even market additional offerings. All the connections I wanted to build were controlled by the platform. On top of that, my content could be used in promotions or AI programs without my permission. It felt like I didn’t truly own my work anymore.
I wanted control, stability, and the freedom to grow on my own terms. That’s why I moved to the platform.
She eventually left Udemy for a standalone platform where she could control pricing, own her audience, and build her brand on her own terms.
The Solution: Build Your Own Course Business
Here’s the reality. Marketplaces will always prioritize their own profits.
Not yours.
So, if you want real stability, ownership, and predictable income, you need to take back control.
Don’t build a business on a platform you can’t control.
That’s why more instructors are looking for standalone online course platforms. The platforms that allow everything from:
Creating and selling courses
Building community
Creating your own site
Monetize from memberships
Run email campaigns
If you want full freedom to build your courses from your branded website, EzyCourse will be the best option for you. It’s an all-in-one platform designed to handle course creation, website building, email marketing, and community and many more features. Once you get started with the platform, you have full control. The platforms don’t take any revenue cut or charge any extra fee.
How EzyCourse Can Help Course Creators
EzyCourse is a complete business-building platform. Here’s a closer look at the features that make it stand out:
1. Create and Sell Courses using AI
It's super user-friendly for online course creators, where you can create and share your courses with AI on the go using this platform. You can add videos, PDFs, quizzes, gamification, or any type of multimedia to keep your lessons engaging. You’ll also find ready-made templates. So you don’t waste time designing from scratch. Pricing and structure will stay fully under your control. Your courses look exactly how you want them to.
2. Personalized Coaching & Mentorship
Offer one-on-one or group coaching sessions directly through EzyCourse. Any creators can schedule sessions easily, pay for them upfront, and manage them within the platform. No extra tools required.
You can set session durations, limit participant numbers for group coaching, and even bundle coaching with your courses or memberships. Also, you can record coaching sessions for students who miss them or for upselling future packages.
If you want to know how to become an online fitness coach in 2026, you’ll find the way in EzyCourse.
3. Build Memberships
It can be created instead of just one-time courses. Premium content can be put behind memberships, and different levels of access can be offered. Extra perks like workshops or downloadable resources can also be included. This helps earn a steady, predictable income instead of relying on one-time sales on sites like Udemy.
👉Start your membership business!
4. Build Engaging Communities
One of the biggest frustrations on Udemy is the lack of real student connection. EzyCourse fixes that with built-in community tools. You can create forums, discussion spaces, or private groups where learners interact, ask questions, and stay engaged. Stronger communities = more loyal students = higher long-term revenue.
5. Get Your Own White-label Mobile App (FREE*)
Most platforms charge extra for mobile apps after buying them. But EzyCourse doesn't. A mobile app helps you to connect with your students anytime, anywhere. And if you use platforms like EzyCourse, you’ll get the mobile app fully branded under your brand name. Having your own app instantly shows your professionalism and makes you stand out as a serious educator.
6. Powerful Built-in Email Marketing
Reach your students directly with built-in email marketing tools. Unlike marketplaces where you have limited access to your audience, EzyCourse lets you send announcements, course updates, promotions, and newsletters straight to your students’ inboxes. It keeps your students connected, informed, and coming back for more.
Key benefits include:
Automated emails and reminders to keep students on track.
Targeted messages for different student groups based on courses or membership levels.
Follow-ups to re-engage students who haven’t been active.
Simple analytics to track opens, clicks, and engagement.
This makes it easy to keep students engaged, promote courses, and increase sales. That means all-in-one features to grow your business.
7. Build Your Own Site Like Udemy
Wondering how? EzyCourse comes with an add-on named the marketplace for creators.
With this add-on, you can create a full-featured platform where multiple instructors or companies sell courses, memberships, and even digital or physical products, all under your brand.
Key Features of EzyCourse Marketplace:
Marketplace – Build your own Udemy-style marketplace and invite other creators to sell on your site.
Advanced Editor – Creators can create and bundle rich content (courses, memberships, pre-sells, and drip content) with flexible pricing.
Showcase Your Marketplace – Add a widget on your website so users can browse offers, search by category, and view seller profiles.
Manage Sellers – Approve and regulate who sells on your platform to maintain the quality and credibility of your own platform.
Commissions & Transactions – Set your own commission rates, control payouts, and manage transactions with full flexibility.
Seller Dashboard – Give each seller a dedicated dashboard to track sales, manage products, and view updates.
Best Seller Badge – Reward top-performing sellers with badges to boost trust and visibility.
So, you see what! You can become a Udemy user or a Udemy-type platform owner by using the Marketplace add-on of EzyCourse.
Although if this is not your goal, then you don’t need this add-on. Just create and sell courses, build communities, offer memberships to your students, and do the marketing easily using your own EzyCourse dashboard.
8. Build Your Website with AI Builder
EzyCourse recently launched AI Website Builder. It's genuinely one of the most creator-focused AI site builders you'll ever find. The EzyCourse AI is an intelligent assistant that understands your brand, audience, and goals to build a full page from a single prompt.
Is Udemy Worth It for New Instructors in 2026?
Are you becoming a new instructor? If so, then maybe it can be hard to earn a stable income on Udemy, and long-term sustainability is uncertain. Many issues remain, like
Low revenue share
Subscription-based earnings
Poor support
Risk of content theft, and
Loss of visibility.
The honest advice would be for you that Udemy can be okay as a starting point to gain experience and reach students, but it’s not the best choice for building a long-term teaching career.
According to many experienced instructors, the answer is clear: No, Udemy isn’t worth it anymore.
For instructors who want long-term earning stability, having their own platform gives them complete control, steady income, and the freedom to grow their online teaching business.
These benefits aren’t guaranteed when you’re relying on Udemy’s marketplace model.
👉Create and sell online courses now!
Final Thoughts
Udemy’s recent issues aren’t just occasional. But also, they show that the platform no longer focuses on the needs of independent instructors.
If you’re tired of low payouts, confusing rules, and constant uncertainty, ask yourself:
Do you want to stay stuck on a big platform or create something that’s truly yours?
With EzyCourse, you don’t just make courses; you can build your own business. You stay in control, set your own prices, and grow on your terms. You own your content, your audience, and your brand.
Instead of giving away your work to a platform that decides its value, you must decide what your knowledge is worth. That’s the freedom every creator deserves.
