Where to sell teaching resources in the UK: Tes and the alternatives

Where can UK teachers sell teaching resources?

Several well-known platforms work in US dollars and US grade levels. These are the options that publish clear seller terms and work for an author based in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

How do Tes, Lesson Planned, Etsy and the others compare in detail?

Tes

Anyone aged 18 or over with a Tes account can sell, including authors outside the UK (a small number of countries are excluded). Royalties are a share of the VAT-exclusive price, set by your sales over a rolling 12 months: Bronze up to £999.99 earns 60%, Silver £1,000 to £5,999.99 earns 70%, Gold from £6,000 earns 80%. Tiers are reviewed monthly. A 20p fee applies only to resources priced, or discounted, below £3. New resources can take up to 3 working days to appear. You withdraw by bank transfer once your balance passes £10, at most once a week; UK transfers take 5-7 working days. No exclusivity rule is stated. Source: Tes selling resources FAQ and author royalty page.

Lesson Planned

A UK marketplace that says it is open to "anyone and everyone" and "completely free to join". Sellers keep 80% of every sale with "no other charges or fees deducted". Earnings are paid by PayPal monthly, arriving the following month no later than the 28th. The FAQ doesn't state a minimum payout, the payout currency or any exclusivity rule, so ask before you rely on those points. Sources: Lesson Planned FAQ, selling on Lesson Planned.

Etsy (UK seller)

Etsy is a general marketplace, so your printable sits next to wall art and planners rather than other key stage resources. For a UK seller: a $0.20 listing fee (charged in US dollars and renewed every four months), a 6.5% transaction fee, payment processing of 4% + £0.20, and a Regulatory Operating Fee of 0.48% from June 22, 2026. Etsy's fees are exclusive of VAT, and VAT is added to them for sellers in VAT countries. A one-time shop set-up fee may apply; Etsy doesn't state the amount in its policy. Payouts go to your bank daily (from £15), weekly, fortnightly or monthly. No exclusivity. Sources: Etsy fees policy, payment processing fees, Regulatory Operating Fee announcement, Etsy Payments policy.

TPT Basic

TPT is US-based and prices are in dollars. Basic costs $29 once, pays 55% of the sale price, then deducts $0.30 per resource. Payouts are monthly through Hyperwallet, and the options "depend on your country". Basic has no exclusivity. TPT's Exclusive Seller plan, which replaces Premium on January 1, 2027, costs $59.95 a year and pays 77.5%, but paid digital educational resources must then be sold only on TPT. Sources: TPT seller fees, how TPT pays sellers, Exclusive Seller announcement.

Your own shop: Payhip, Gumroad or Shopify

Payhip's Free plan takes 5% per sale, plus PayPal or Stripe fees, and money arrives instantly in your connected account. Payhip and Gumroad both say they handle UK VAT on digital sales, which some authors find useful. Gumroad charges 10% + $0.50 on direct sales before processing. Shopify suits authors who want a full website; its pricing page lists US plans from $29 a month billed yearly, so check the UK price there. With any own shop, you find every buyer yourself. Sources: Payhip pricing, Payhip payouts, Gumroad pricing, Shopify pricing.

Which UK resources sell where: key stages, GCSE and A level?

None of these platforms publishes sales data by key stage, so treat this as practical advice rather than a ranking. What decides whether a UK resource sells is mostly how clearly a busy teacher can see that it fits their scheme of work.

• Primary (KS1 and KS2): say the year group, not only the key stage, and match National Curriculum wording. Phonics, SPaG, times tables and reading comprehension are the classic examples. Etsy may also reach parents buying home learning packs.
• KS3: knowledge organisers, retrieval quizzes and homework booklets work well because departments reuse them every year. Label them Year 7, 8 or 9.
• GCSE and A level: name the exam board and specification point in the title. Write your own exam-style questions; don't copy past papers or mark schemes.
• International schools: many follow an English-style curriculum and buy UK material, which is one reason a channel outside the UK can be worth adding.

Teachers on any platform look for the same things: a clear preview, the answer key included, an editable version only where it helps, and a title that names the year group and topic. For exam-level material, see selling Cambridge IGCSE and A level resources and selling exam revision resources.

Checklist before you list outside Tes

1. Check your contract. Whether you can sell what you made for your school depends on your employment contract and local law. Read it, or ask your school or union.
2. Check your licences. Fonts, clip art and images must be licensed for commercial use in resources you sell, on every platform you use.
3. Check exclusivity. If you join TPT's Exclusive plan, paid digital educational resources may then be sold only on TPT.
4. Pick your currency. Decide which platforms you'll price in pounds and which in dollars, and note both prices in one spreadsheet.
5. Prepare files once. One final PDF, A4 or both sizes, answer key inside, clear file name such as Fractions-Practice-Year-5.pdf.
6. Keep records. Save every statement and payout email for your tax advisor.

If TeachLessons looks like a fit, apply with the short form (about five minutes). We email you the seller documents, and you send your files with previews and thumbnails to support@stifo.de in one email. The programme overview and the payout calculator show the numbers for your own prices.