TPT alternatives for sellers: compared side by side
The right TPT alternative depends on where you stand: on Basic, on Premium with an Exclusive decision due, new to selling, or outside the US. TeachLessons runs this comparison and is one of the options listed.
Short answer: The best TPT alternative depends on your situation. TPT Basic sellers can add non-exclusive channels such as TeachLessons, Etsy, Tes or their own shop. Exclusive sellers can sell only things like clip art, courses or Boom Cards elsewhere. New sellers can start free; sellers outside the US should choose by payout method.
Which TPT alternative fits your situation?
Disclosure: TeachLessons runs this comparison and is one of the options listed. Below we show where other platforms pay more per sale than we do.
Most lists of TPT alternatives rank platforms as if every seller had the same needs. They don't. A Premium seller weighing the new Exclusive membership has a different problem from a teacher selling a first worksheet, or a teacher-author in Australia who needs a payout method that works there. Start with the row that describes you, then read that section. Fees checked on October 28, 2026; platforms change their terms, so check the linked pages before you decide.
| Your situation | Main question | Options to look at first |
|---|---|---|
| On TPT Basic and staying | Where else can I sell the same files? | TeachLessons, Etsy, Tes, Classful, your own shop (Payhip, Gumroad, Classmade) |
| On Premium, choosing Exclusive | What can I still sell outside TPT? | Clip art and fonts, courses and PD, Boom Cards, physical products, free resources |
| On Premium, not opting in | What changes when I move to Basic? | Same as the Basic row, plus a list of which files to cross-list first |
| Never sold before | Where can I start without upfront costs? | TeachLessons, Tes, Classful, Lesson Planned, Payhip Free, Classmade Free |
| Outside the US | Which payout works where I live? | PayPal-based (TeachLessons, Boom, Lesson Planned), Tes bank transfer, Etsy in Etsy Payments countries, Teacha! |
Staying on TPT Basic: which channels can you add?
TPT Basic has no exclusivity. You pay $29 once, keep 55% of each sale and then $0.30 per resource comes off, so a $5 sale pays $2.45 (TPT Seller Fees and Payout Rates). Because Basic leaves you free to sell anywhere, the question isn't which platform replaces TPT, but which one adds the most for the effort.
| Channel to add | $5 sale pays | Effort for you | Fixed cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| TeachLessons | $3.40 | Low: you send files and a list by email, we write the product pages | None |
| Etsy (US seller) | About $4.08 | Medium: you write listings and make the photos | $0.20 per listing, renewing; possible set-up fee |
| Tes | $3.00 for a new author, up to $4.00 | Medium: you upload and describe each resource | None stated |
| Classful | About $4.31 | Medium: you upload and describe each resource | None |
| Payhip Free plan | About $4.31 | High: you bring every buyer yourself | None on Free |
| Gumroad (direct) | About $4.00 before processing | High: you bring every buyer yourself | None monthly |
Per sale, Etsy, Classful, Payhip and Gumroad pay more than TeachLessons on a $5 resource, and all of them pay more than TPT Basic. The trade-off is work. On a marketplace you write each listing, and on your own storefront you also bring every visitor. With TeachLessons you send the files and a Resource Submission List in one email to support@stifo.de, and we write the titles, descriptions, FAQ and SEO for each product page, plus your author page and landing pages.
A practical way to start: pick ten resources that sell steadily on TPT and list them on one extra channel first. After a few months, compare what each channel brought in against the time it took. Staying on TPT Basic and adding TeachLessons walks through this setup, and selling on more than one platform covers the day-to-day side.
Going TPT Exclusive in 2027: what can you still sell elsewhere?
TPT announced on October 1, 2026 that Premium closes to new sign-ups that day and ends on December 31, 2026 (TPT seller blog). From January 1, 2027, the Exclusive Seller membership costs $59.95 per year and pays 77.5%. Until December 31, 2026, Premium pays 80%. A $0.15 fee per resource applies only on orders under $3. On a $5 sale that is $3.88 in 2027, which is 48 cents more than TeachLessons pays.
The condition is exclusivity. According to TPT's Exclusive Seller FAQ, digital educational resources, memberships or subscriptions that include them, and licenses for them may not be sold off TPT. You can promote them anywhere, but the purchase must happen in the TPT store.
What Exclusive sellers can still sell off TPT
- Non-educational digital items, such as clip art and fonts
- Physical products
- Courses and professional development
- Boom Cards (Boom keeps 15% on Boom Store sales, monthly PayPal payouts by the 15th, per Boom's help center)
- Kindle books
- Free resources, as long as you don't also sell that resource on TPT
That rules out TeachLessons, Etsy, Tes and your own shop for paid teaching resources while you are Exclusive. Please don't send us resources an exclusive deal covers. Also check the exit rule: after January 1, 2027, leaving Exclusive for Basic means waiting a year before you can rejoin, with no prorated refund of the yearly fee.
Never sold before: where can you start without upfront costs?
If you haven't sold a resource yet, you probably don't want a yearly plan or a monthly bill. These options have no joining fee on their official pages:
| Platform | Joining fee | $5 sale pays | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| TeachLessons | None | $3.40 | We write your product pages; no extra review round, so send final files |
| Tes | None stated | $3.00 at first, rising with 12-month sales | Resources can take up to 3 working days to appear |
| Classful | None | About $4.31 | Pays out through Stripe |
| Lesson Planned | None | 4.00 on a 5.00 sale | UK-oriented, PayPal monthly |
| Payhip Free plan | None | About $4.31 | You bring your own buyers |
| Classmade Free plan | None | About $3.81 | Up to 10 published resources |
TPT Basic costs $29 upfront, TeacherStore.io charges $99 per year after its free trial, Boom needs a paid Publisher membership, and Etsy may charge a set-up fee whose amount isn't stated in its policy. None of that rules them out, but it's money you spend before the first sale.
Before you pick a platform, pick the resource. How to start selling teaching resources and pricing your first teaching resource help with that. Our suggestion, which you are free to ignore, is at least $4.99 for a single resource.
Selling from outside the US: which alternatives pay you where you live?
For sellers in the UK, Canada, Australia or elsewhere, the payout method decides more than the percentage. A platform that can't pay into your account isn't an option, whatever its rate.
| Platform | Payout method | Country notes from the official pages |
|---|---|---|
| TeachLessons | PayPal in US dollars, monthly by the 15th | Any country, if you can receive PayPal in USD |
| TPT | Hyperwallet | Options depend on your country; no country list published |
| Tes | Bank transfer | Sellers outside the UK allowed; a small number of countries excluded |
| Etsy | Etsy Payments to bank | Etsy Payments countries; fee tables for US, UK, Canada, Australia and more |
| Boom Learning | PayPal | No country list; needs PayPal |
| Lesson Planned | PayPal, monthly by the 28th | UK-oriented, open to anyone |
| Teacha! | Bank transfer or PayPal, every second month | Teachers anywhere; many currencies |
| Classful, Classmade, TeacherStore.io | Stripe | Depends on Stripe being available in your country |
UK sellers should read where to sell teaching resources in the UK. For everyone else, where to sell teaching resources outside the US and selling from outside the US go further. Currency conversion costs depend on your PayPal or bank account, and taxes on your income are your responsibility, so ask a tax advisor in your country.
Where does TeachLessons fit among TPT alternatives?
TeachLessons fits best as a non-exclusive extra channel for TPT Basic sellers, sellers leaving Premium, new sellers who don't want upfront costs and sellers outside the US who use PayPal. It doesn't fit resources under an exclusive deal.
| What you get | What you give up |
|---|---|
| No fees of any kind | Lower pay per sale than TPT Exclusive, Etsy, Classful or your own shop |
| No exclusivity; sell the same files anywhere | A new program (launched October 2026) with a smaller audience than the big marketplaces |
| Product pages, FAQ and SEO written for you | You don't edit listings yourself; changes go by email |
| Author page, landing pages and blog mentions | Payouts by PayPal only, in US dollars |
| Monthly PayPal payout by the 15th, with a statement | No promise of any number of sales |
The numbers: you keep 70% of net revenue, where net revenue is the price paid minus a 3% payment cost. That's $3.40 on a $5 sale and $6.79 on a $10 sale. You keep your copyright, you can remove resources by email (effective within 60 days), and buyers keep what they bought. The side-by-side comparison and pros and cons pages go further. To apply, use the short application form; it takes about five minutes.
Sources
Fees checked on October 28, 2026; platforms change their terms, so check the linked pages before you decide. All competitor figures come from the official pages below. Made By Teachers, TeachShare and Amped Up Learning are left out because we couldn't confirm their current seller terms or whether they accept new sellers on their official pages.
- TeachLessons: Seller program key terms and the payout calculator
- Teachers Pay Teachers: Seller Fees and Payout Rates, How do I get paid as a Seller, Terms of Service, Exclusive Seller announcement (October 1, 2026), Exclusive Seller FAQs for existing Premium sellers
- Tes: Selling resources FAQ, Author royalty page
- Etsy: Fees and payments policy, Etsy Payments policy, payment processing fee table
- Classful: For merchants, Terms, Classful article with the fee numbers
- Boom Learning: Payment schedule, payouts and service fees, Quick start for authors
- TeacherStore.io: Seller page, Plans page
- Classmade: Pricing, Terms
- Payhip: Pricing, How do I get paid
- Gumroad: Pricing, Gumroad's fees
- Lesson Planned: FAQ, Selling on Lesson Planned
- Teacha!: Seller commission help article, Payout help article
Frequently asked questions
What is the best TPT alternative for sellers?
There isn't one answer. Basic sellers can add non-exclusive channels such as TeachLessons, Etsy, Tes or their own shop; Exclusive sellers can only add non-educational items, courses, Boom Cards or physical products off TPT.
Can TPT Exclusive sellers also sell on TeachLessons?
Not for paid digital educational resources. TPT's Exclusive Seller terms require those to be sold only on TPT, so please don't send us resources the agreement covers.
What happens if I don't opt in to TPT Exclusive?
Premium sellers who don't opt in by December 31, 2026 become Basic sellers on January 1, 2027, with the $29 fee waived and $5 refunded per remaining month. Basic pays 55% minus $0.30 per resource and has no exclusivity.
Which TPT alternative pays the most per sale?
Among the options we could verify, your own Shopify shop pays about $4.56 on a $5 sale before the monthly plan, and Classful and Payhip's Free plan about $4.31. TeachLessons pays $3.40 with no fees.
Which TPT alternatives work for sellers outside the US?
PayPal-based options such as TeachLessons, Boom Learning and Lesson Planned work wherever PayPal can receive money. Tes pays by bank transfer to most countries, and Stripe-based platforms depend on Stripe being available where you live.
Does TeachLessons charge anything to join?
No. There are no membership, sign-up, annual, listing or per-resource fees. A 3% payment cost comes off each sale before the 70/30 split.
On TPT Basic or leaving Premium? Add TeachLessons
No fees and no exclusivity. Keep 70% of net revenue, get product pages and an author page written for you, and a PayPal payout every month. Resources under an exclusive deal stay where they are.
Keep reading
General information about the TeachLessons Seller Program, not legal, tax or financial advice. The signed Seller Agreement sets out the binding terms. Questions: support@stifo.de.