TeachMillers vs Udemy: own your academy instead of renting a listing
October 13, 2026 · 6 min read · Other platforms' prices and fees checked October 13, 2026
Udemy is a marketplace: it brings students, and in return it sets the rules. TeachMillers is a platform you teach on, with a marketplace as an extra. Here is what that difference means for your income, your students and your brand.
How the money works
On Udemy, when a student finds your course through Udemy itself (browsing, search, Udemy's ads), you receive 37% of the sale. When the student comes through your own coupon or referral link, you receive 97% of net revenue. Udemy also runs sitewide discounts, and courses in its Deals Program can have their price set per market by Udemy.
Students pay the teacher directly through the teacher's own Stripe account. TeachMillers takes no share of sales; it earns only from the teacher's plan. Stripe's own card fees still apply. You set your own prices, discounts and coupons.
Who owns the students
Udemy limits instructors to 2 promotional emails per course per month, and those may only link to Udemy courses. Educational announcements are limited to 4 per course per month, with no marketing.
The students are the teacher's: names and emails are visible in the dashboard and can be exported. You can message your students and community when you need to, and they stay yours if you ever leave.
More than video courses
- Live cohorts: run a program on dates, with weekly classes in a built-in live room, materials, assignments with feedback, and attendance.
- A private community with spaces, questions with accepted answers, polls, leaderboards, levels and badges.
- Books and free guides next to your courses, plus memberships and affiliates.
- Your own branding and web address, not a page inside someone else's store.
At a glance
| Udemy | TeachMillers | |
|---|---|---|
| Your share of a sale | 37% when Udemy brings the student; 97% via your own coupon or link | 100% minus Stripe's card fee |
| Who sets prices | Udemy's price tiers; Udemy may run discounts | You |
| Messaging your students | Limited per course per month | Your community and your student list |
| Your own website and domain | No | Yes |
| Marketplace discovery | Yes | Yes, curated |
When Udemy still makes sense
If you only want to publish one course and have no audience yet, Udemy's traffic can help you test an idea. Some teachers do both: they keep a course on Udemy for discovery and build their real business, cohorts and community on a platform they own.
Try TeachMillers free
Your own academy, your students, paid straight to your Stripe with 0% platform fee.
Questions
- Does TeachMillers take a percentage of my course sales?
- No. Payments go straight to your own Stripe account. TeachMillers earns only from your plan; Stripe charges its usual card fee.
- Can I see my students' emails on TeachMillers?
- Yes. Your students are yours: their names and emails are in your dashboard and can be exported.
- Is there a marketplace on TeachMillers too?
- Yes. Your academy works on its own, and you can also appear in the curated TeachMillers marketplace after a quick review.
Sources
- Udemy: instructor revenue share
- Udemy: coupons and referral links
- Udemy: pricing and the Deals Program
- Udemy: promotional emails
- Udemy: announcement rules
Prices and fees change. Always check the provider's own page before deciding.