Best platforms to sell teaching resources in 2026: what each one keeps from a $5 sale
On this page
- The short answer
- How much does each platform keep from a $5 resource?
- What changed at TPT in October 2026?
- Marketplace or your own storefront?
- Which platforms charge monthly versus per sale?
- Which suit interactive resources versus PDFs?
- Can I sell on more than one platform at once?
- Pick by sales volume
- FAQ
A teaching resource sells for a few dollars, so the fee structure decides more of a teacher-seller's income than the price does. On a $5 resource the nine platforms here leave the seller anywhere from $2.45 to $5.00, and TPT rewrote its seller tiers on 1 October 2026. Every fee below was read on the platform's own pricing or help page on 19 October 2026.
The short answer
- TPT has two seller tiers now. Basic: "One-time, non-refundable fee of $29 USD", "55% on all sales" and "30 cents per resource". Exclusive: "$59.95 USD/year" and 80% "for a limited time", falling to 77.5% "starting January 1, 2027", with resources sold only on TPT.
- Premium is closed: TPT says "Premium Seller memberships are no longer available for new sign-ups as of October 1, 2026."
- Lowest cost with a built-in audience: Etsy, at $0.20 a listing, 6.5% and US processing of 3% + $0.25, leaves about $4.08 of a $5 sale.
- Lowest cost on your own storefront: Payhip Free (5%, about $4.75 before PayPal or Stripe fees) or Sellfy (0% transaction fee, from $22 a month billed yearly).
- Interactive resources: Boom Learning's store takes a 15% service fee on Boom Cards sales.
How much does each platform keep from a $5 resource?
TPT Basic keeps the most: 45% of the price plus a 30-cent transaction fee, so a $5 sale pays the seller $2.45. TPT Exclusive keeps 20% at the current promotional rate, paying $4.00, and Etsy's three fees together come to about $0.93, leaving about $4.08. Gumroad's direct-sale rate of 10% + $0.50 leaves $4.00, and its Discover marketplace rate of 30% leaves $3.50.
The storefront platforms keep less per sale and charge differently. Payhip's free plan takes 5% ($0.25), and the page notes that "PayPal and Stripe will still charge at their standard rates". Sellfy takes nothing per sale and charges a plan fee instead. Shopify's card rate from 2.9% + 30 cents leaves about $4.56 before its monthly plan.
| Platform | Fees (as published) | Monthly or yearly cost | Seller keeps on a $5 sale | Model | Page read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TPT Basic Seller | "55% on all sales"; "30 cents per resource" | "One-time, non-refundable fee of $29 USD" | $2.45 | Marketplace | TPT help centre, updated 18 Oct 2026, read 19 October 2026 |
| TPT Exclusive Seller | 80% "for a limited time", 77.5% "starting January 1, 2027"; 15 cents only on orders under $3 | "$59.95 USD/year" | $4.00 now, $3.88 in 2027 | Marketplace, exclusive | TPT help centre, 19 October 2026 |
| Etsy | "$0.20 USD per listing"; "6.5% of the total order amount"; US processing 3% + 0.25 USD | None | about $4.08 | Marketplace | help.etsy.com, 19 October 2026 |
| Gumroad | "10% + $0.50" direct; "30%" via Discover | "No hidden fees, no monthly charges" | $4.00 direct, $3.50 Discover | Storefront plus marketplace | gumroad.com/pricing, 19 October 2026 |
| Payhip | Free: 5%; Plus: 2%; Pro: none; PayPal and Stripe "at their standard rates" | Free $0; Plus $29; Pro $99 a month | $4.75 on Free, before processing | Own storefront | payhip.com/pricing, 19 October 2026 |
| Sellfy | "does not charge a transaction fee" | Starter $29 a month or $22 billed yearly; Business $79 or $59; Premium $159 or $119 | $5.00 before processing | Own storefront | sellfy.com/pricing, 19 October 2026 |
| Boom Learning | Boom Store service fee 15%; external marketplace redemptions 10%; PayPal Mass Payment Fee deducted | Not stated in text on its pricing page | $4.25 before the payout fee | Marketplace for interactive cards | helpcenter.boomlearning.com, 19 October 2026 |
| Tes | Royalty on the VAT-exclusive price: Bronze 60%, Silver 70%, Gold 80%; 20p or 20c fee under £3 or $3 | None | $3.00 at Bronze | Marketplace (UK-led) | tes.com selling FAQ, 19 October 2026 |
| Shopify | Online card rates "from 2.9% + 30¢" | Basic $39 a month, or $29 a month paid yearly | about $4.56 before the plan | Own store | shopify.com/pricing, 19 October 2026 |
A labelled slot for one seller platform sits here, beside the fee table and outside it. The table keeps its order, and a sponsor's row says exactly what its fee page says.
What changed at TPT in October 2026?
TPT now offers two seller memberships, Basic and Exclusive, and closed Premium to new sign-ups from 1 October 2026; existing Premium sellers "will need to choose between the two membership types". TPT's help article, updated on 18 October 2026, sets Basic at a one-time $29 fee, a 55% payout and 30 cents per resource, and Exclusive at $59.95 a year with a payout of 80% for a limited time and 77.5% from 1 January 2027.
Exclusive comes with a condition that matters more than the rate: "Digital educational resources must be sold exclusively on TPT". The $29 Basic fee also "cannot be applied towards an Exclusive Seller subscription" if you upgrade later.
Marketplace or your own storefront?
A marketplace brings buyers who are already searching, and charges for it: TPT, Etsy, Tes, Boom's store and Gumroad's Discover all take a share of each sale in return for traffic. A storefront such as Payhip, Sellfy or Shopify brings no buyers of its own, so it suits a teacher with an audience on a blog, a newsletter or social media.
Most teacher-sellers start on a marketplace and add a storefront once repeat buyers arrive. The one combination TPT now rules out is Exclusive plus anywhere else: a Basic seller can list on Etsy or Payhip too, an Exclusive seller cannot.
If no one knows your name yet, start where teachers already search; once they do, move the bestsellers to a storefront that keeps 95% or more.
Which platforms charge monthly versus per sale?
Per-sale only: TPT Basic after its one-time $29, Etsy, Gumroad, Boom and Tes. Monthly or yearly: TPT Exclusive ($59.95 a year), Sellfy (Starter $29 a month or $22 billed yearly, Business $79 or $59, Premium $159 or $119, with "Up to $10k in sales per year" on Starter), Payhip Plus ($29) and Pro ($99), and Shopify Basic ($39 a month or $29 paid yearly).
A flat plan beats a percentage once sales pass a break-even point. Against Payhip's free 5%, Sellfy Starter at $22 a month wins above $440 a month in sales, and Payhip Pro at $99 wins above $1,980.
Which suit interactive resources versus PDFs?
Boom Learning is built for interactive, self-checking Boom Cards that students complete on a device; its store charges a 15% service fee, external marketplace redemptions 10%, and payouts are what remains after the service fee and the PayPal Mass Payment Fee, settled monthly. PDF worksheets, slides and unit plans sell on every other platform here. If a PDF is the product, our guide to document protection for course creators covers stopping it being shared freely.
TPT (Teachers Pay Teachers) teacherspayteachers.com
Basic: $29 once, 55% payout, 30 cents per resource. Exclusive: $59.95 a year, 80% for a limited time, 77.5% from 2027, TPT only.
A marketplace built only for teaching resources, and from October 2026 an 80% payout for sellers who commit to it.
Etsy etsy.com
$0.20 a listing, 6.5% transaction fee, US processing 3% + $0.25.
A large general marketplace with no subscription, where printable classroom decor and planners reach parents and homeschoolers as well as teachers.
Payhip payhip.com
Free Forever $0 + 5%; Plus $29 a month + 2%; Pro $99 a month, no transaction fee.
A free plan that keeps 95% of each sale on your own storefront, so a teacher can start selling direct with no upfront cost.
Sellfy sellfy.com
Starter $29 a month or $22 billed yearly, up to $10k in sales a year; 14-day free trial.
No cut of any sale, which beats every percentage model here once a store passes about $440 a month.
Boom Learning boomlearning.com
Service fee 15% on Boom Store sales and 10% on external marketplace redemptions; monthly payouts.
The specialist store for interactive, self-checking digital task cards, which no PDF platform here can sell.
Gumroad gumroad.com
"No hidden fees, no monthly charges." Direct links and profile sales at 10% + $0.50; marketplace sales at 30%.
A storefront and a marketplace in one account with no monthly fee, the simplest way to test whether a resource sells outside TPT.
Can I sell on more than one platform at once?
Yes, on every platform here except TPT Exclusive, which requires that "digital educational resources must be sold exclusively on TPT". TPT Basic, Etsy, Gumroad, Payhip, Sellfy, Tes and Shopify all allow the same resource to be listed elsewhere. Boom Cards can be sold through external marketplaces with a redemption link, at the 10% external fee.
Income from any of them is self-employment income in the US: the IRS self-employment tax rate is 15.3%, and it applies when net earnings from self-employment are $400 or more (IRS). For selling full courses rather than single resources, see our best course platforms to sell online.
RESOURCE: ______________________ PRICE: $______ Platform: ____________ Plan: ____________ Platform share or fee %: ____ % x price = $______ Flat fee per sale (30c TPT Basic, 50c Gumroad, 20c Etsy): $______ Processing (if the platform passes it through): $______ I KEEP per sale: $______ Monthly or yearly plan cost: $______ / I keep per sale = ______ sales to cover it Exclusivity: can I list it anywhere else? Y / N Payout: how, how often, minimum: ______________ Tax: keep records for Schedule C; self-employment tax applies above $400 net.
Pick by sales volume
- If you are just starting and want buyers to find you, list on TPT Basic and Etsy together, because both bring searching buyers and neither requires exclusivity; on a $5 resource Etsy leaves about $4.08 against TPT Basic's $2.45.
- If you sell more than about 39 resources a year on TPT, move to TPT Exclusive, because at 80% the extra $1.55 per $5 sale covers the $59.95 fee, as long as you are willing to sell only on TPT.
- If you have your own audience and modest sales, open Payhip Free, because it keeps 95% with no monthly fee.
- If your own store sells more than $440 a month, switch to Sellfy Starter at $22 a month billed yearly, because its 0% transaction fee then costs less than any percentage.
- If your resources are interactive task cards, sell on Boom Learning, because Boom Cards run only on its platform and its store fee is 15%.
- If you sell mainly to UK schools, use Tes, because its royalties are set in pounds and rise from 60% to 80% with sales.
We read each platform's own pricing page or help-centre fee article on 19 October 2026 and recorded the fees exactly as published in US dollars (Tes publishes its tiers in pounds). The $5 examples and break-even points are arithmetic on those published rates for one digital sale with no sales tax or shipping; they are not sales we made. Card processing is included where the platform publishes it (Etsy, Shopify) and noted as extra where the platform passes it through (Payhip, Sellfy, Boom). Prices and payout rates change; each row shows the date it was read.
Frequently asked
What are TPT seller fees in 2026?
TPT Basic Sellers pay a one-time, non-refundable $29 fee, earn 55% on all sales and pay 30 cents per resource. TPT Exclusive Sellers pay $59.95 a year and earn 80% on all sales for a limited time, falling to 77.5% from 1 January 2027, and must sell their digital educational resources only on TPT. Premium Seller memberships closed to new sign-ups on 1 October 2026.
Is TPT Exclusive worth it?
On a $5 resource, Exclusive pays $4.00 at 80% against $2.45 on Basic, so the $59.95 yearly fee is covered after 39 sales a year, or 43 sales once the rate falls to 77.5% in 2027. It is worth it only if you are willing to sell those resources on TPT alone.
Is Etsy or TPT better for selling teaching resources?
On a $5 resource Etsy leaves about $4.08 after its $0.20 listing fee, 6.5% transaction fee and US processing of 3% + $0.25, against $2.45 on TPT Basic. TPT reaches teachers searching specifically for classroom resources; Etsy reaches a wider audience including parents and homeschoolers. A Basic seller can use both.
Which platform takes no cut of teaching resource sales?
Sellfy does not charge a transaction fee; it charges a monthly plan from $22 billed yearly. Payhip Pro also has no transaction fee at $99 a month. Payment processors still charge their standard card fees on both.
What does Boom Learning charge sellers?
Boom Learning's help centre lists a 15% service fee on Boom Store sales and 10% on external marketplace URL redemptions. Payouts are what remains after service fees and the PayPal Mass Payment Fee, settled monthly.
Do I pay tax on teaching resource sales?
In the US, profit from selling resources is self-employment income reported on Schedule C, and self-employment tax of 15.3% applies when net earnings from self-employment are $400 or more, according to the IRS. This is general information, not tax advice.
Sources behind this page
Selling teaching resources or coaching is self-employment income in the US, and the rules on reporting it and on how sellers may be endorsed are federal. The primary sources are below, alongside each platform's own fee page cited in the table.
- IRS self-employment tax states the 15.3% self-employment tax rate and the $400 net-earnings threshold that triggers it.
- IRS Schedule C is the form sole proprietors use to report profit or loss from a business such as a resource store.
- FTC endorsements, influencers and reviews sets the disclosure rules that apply when a seller pays for or rewards a review.
- FTC Negative Option Rule governs subscription plans that renew unless cancelled, which covers every monthly seller plan here.
Worked examples on this page are arithmetic on each platform's published rates, not sales we made. Tax treatment depends on your circumstances; this is general information, not tax advice.