Is Creating an Online Course Worth It? Use This Calculator to Find Out

If you’re a subject expert (and by the way, we all are), you’ve probably had this thought more than once in your career:

“People keep asking me for help on this… maybe I should create an online course.”

And then, about three seconds later, you ask yourself:

“Yes, but… is it really worth the effort?”

Which is a totally fair question.

The fastest way to answer it, though, isn’t with feelings. It’s with numbers.

Once you actually run the maths on what a course could earn you, things start to look very different. What feels like “a nice idea one day” can turn into a clear, believable income stream.

This post is here to help you:

• See the real financial potential of your course.
• Understand what’s realistically possible in your niche.
• And use an interactive calculator to model your own numbers.

Let’s start by grounding everything in simple, clear maths before you get to play with our calculator.

Step 1: Price Points That Actually Work (and Why)

Before you can work out whether creating a course is “worth it,” you need a clear view of what people actually pay for online learning. The good news? The major platforms all agree on the same broad pricing categories.

Across Teachable, Thinkific, Podia, Kajabi and the big‑name course strategists (Amy Porterfield, Jeff Walker), online courses consistently fall into four pricing bands:

Low‑ticket (£15–£99)

Teachable’s pricing analysis shows that the most common mini‑course prices sit between $10–$50, with mini‑courses rarely exceeding $100. Thinkific confirms this, listing $20–$100 as the typical range for small, focused lessons.

These courses tend to be short, practical and very specific — perfect for a “Quickstart Workshop” or “Fundamentals Bootcamp”.

Mid‑ticket (£100–£499)

This is the largest and most competitive pricing group. Teachable reports $50–$200 as the most common band overall, and Podia highlights $100–$499 as a dominant bracket for full‑length practical courses.

Kajabi echoes this, saying creators typically launch early courses at £99–£199 as an entry point.

High‑ticket (£500–£1,999)

Here’s where the real transformation offers sit. ConvertKit’s Creator Report notes that education creators earn their highest revenue from offers above $500. Thinkific lists $250–$1,000 as the standard range for multi‑module courses, and Podia’s data shows that career‑changing courses often price between $500 and $2,000.

Amy Porterfield’s “Signature Course” model (priced at £997–£1,997) and Jeff Walker’s PLF case studies (typically £997–£1,997) reinforce this as the industry norm.

Premium Hybrid / Coaching (£2,000+)

These are courses that include mentorship, coaching, critique or portfolio review. Kajabi case studies regularly feature programs priced at £2,000–£10,000+, especially in creative and business niches.

So rather than guessing a number or assuming your course “needs to be cheap”, it’s smarter to look at what the industry already recognises as standard. Your expertise sits comfortably in the mid‑ticket to high‑ticket range because:

• Specialist skills are rare,
• Learning often changes careers,
• And your topic may be underserved by formal education.

You’re not selling videos! You’re selling professional confidence, employability, and transformation. That’s why pricing in the mid‑to‑high bracket is not only acceptable… it’s normal.

Step 2: Set a Real Annual Income Goal

Before you decide whether it’s “worth it”, ask yourself:

“How much would I like to earn from my course over a year?”

Be specific:

• “An extra £10,000 to take the pressure off my day job.”
• “£25,000 to fund a sabbatical.”
• “£100,000 to replace my full‑time role.”

Write that number down.

This is now your target — and the rest is just the arithmetic.

Step 3: Do the Maths (How Many Sales Do You Actually Need?)

Here’s how the numbers could look:

The third row is the one that usually makes people stop and blink:

At £999, you need roughly 8 sales a month to hit £100,000 a year.

That’s fewer than two students a week.

When you see it in black and white, “it’s not worth the effort” starts to feel… less convincing.

Step 4: Use Our Revenue Planner

Now, instead of just reading, it’s your turn to plug in your own numbers.

Not all email lists convert the same and the “2% rule” you often hear online is actually a conservative baseline, not a ceiling. Here’s what industry data shows:

• Cold or barely‑engaged lists: often 0.5%–1%
• Warm, well‑nurtured lists: typically 2%–3%
• Highly aligned, trust‑based lists (your best followers): can reach 4%–5%+

When using the calculator below, try running your numbers at 2%, 3%, and 5% to see the range of possibilities. It will give you a much more realistic sense of what’s achievable when your course, messaging and audience are well aligned.

Use the calculator below to play with your own income goal, course price, email list size and conversion rate. Try three scenarios: a realistic goal, a stretch goal, and a “wild dream” goal — and see what each one needs in terms of monthly sales.

Step 5: “But Will Anyone Actually Buy From Me?”

Here’s the point where the doubts kick in:

• “Is this realistic in my topic?”
• “Do I even know enough?”
• “What if no one buys?”

Let’s tackle those head‑on.

1. “Is there really demand in my topic?”

In short, the answer is: almost certainly, yes.

We consistently see strong demand for courses in topics such as:

• Advanced software skills
• Specialised technical tools
• Small‑batch or niche production methods
• Career‑transition portfolio building and professional skills
• Branding, content creation and creative entrepreneurship

Formal education can’t cover all of these in depth or in a flexible way. The gaps are where independent experts step in.

2. “Am I expert enough?”

If you’re:

• Teaching in higher education
• Working professionally in your field
• Frequently asked for help or advice

…then you are more than expert enough for a beginner–intermediate audience. You only need to be a few steps ahead of your students. You’re not applying to be the “global supreme authority in a field” – you’re helping specific people achieve specific results, faster.

3. “What if I build it and nobody buys?”

You don’t have to build it first.

You can pre‑sell.

That means:

1. You validate your idea with a small audience.
2. You offer a “founding cohort” at a reduced price.
3. You only build the full course if enough people join.

This is exactly how many top course creators reduce risk. You can do the same.

Step 6: Conversion Rates – How Many Buyers Can You Expect?

A simple benchmark:

• A typical “warm” email list converts at around 2–3% per launch.
• Strong, well‑aligned offers can go higher.
• Super cold audiences will be lower.

So if you have 1,000 subscribers and a 2% conversion rate:

• 1,000 × 2% = 20 buyers

At £499, that’s £9,980 from a launch.
At £999, that’s £19,980.

Grow your list to 5,000?

• 5,000 × 2% = 100 buyers
• 100 × £999 ≈ £99,900

It’s not magic. It’s maths plus a good offer.

Step 7: Your First 100 Subscribers Checklist

Before you worry about “5,000 subscribers”, focus on your first 100.
Here’s a simple checklist you can follow.

A. Clarify who you want on your list

• Write one clear sentence: “I help [who] to [achieve what] without [pain].”
• Choose one main topic for your first course (e.g., “Fundamentals for Beginners”).

B. Create a simple lead magnet

• A 1–3 page PDF or checklist your ideal student would genuinely want.
• Examples:
• “10 Portfolio Mistakes Graduates Make (and How to Fix Them)”
• “First Project Planning Sheet”
• “Prep Checklist: What You Need Before You Start”
• Add one clear call to action: “Join my email list to get this free guide.”

C. Set up a basic email list (no need to overcomplicate)

• Choose an email service (Mailerlite, ConvertKit, Kajabi, etc.).
• Create:
• 1 opt‑in form
• 1 thank‑you page
• 1 simple welcome email explaining who you are and what to expect.

D. Share your lead magnet where your people already are

Aim for 1–3 channels to start, such as:

• Instagram (feed posts, Stories, and a link in bio)
• LinkedIn
• Facebook groups (where allowed)
• Your existing contacts or alumni mailing list (with permission)
• Department or alumni newsletters

For each channel, do this:

• Post something helpful (a tip, mini‑tutorial, or before/after)
• Invite people to get your free resource (link to your opt‑in)
• Repeat consistently for at least 4–6 weeks.

E. Leverage your existing relationships

• Tell your current acquaintances: “I’m creating extra resources – if you’d like them, join this email list.”
• Reach out to ex‑students/clients/alumni via LinkedIn or email.
• Ask colleagues or industry friends to share your lead magnet if it fits their audience.

F. Measure and refine

• Once a week, check:
• New subscribers
• Where they came from
• Double down on what’s working.
• Tweak anything that isn’t – headline, image, or topic.

If you follow this checklist for 6–8 weeks, you’ll be surprisingly close to – or past – your first 100 subscribers.

And remember the maths:
If you have 100–300 warm, well‑aligned subscribers and your course is well‑positioned, your first launch doesn’t have to be huge to be worth it.

Step 8: Revenue vs Profit (The Grown‑Up Bit)

One last important distinction:

• Revenue = how much money comes in from course sales.
• Profit = revenue minus your costs.

Your costs might include:

• Your time (planning, filming, editing)
• Software (Kajabi, email tool, design tools)
• Equipment (mic, light – if you need them)
• Optional: ads

The good news? Once the course is built, your margins are high.
The second, tenth and hundredth sale cost you far less to deliver than the first one.

That’s why online courses are such powerful assets for subject experts.

The Bottom Line

If you’re a subject expert, here’s what’s true:

• There is genuine demand for skilled, practical online education.
• You don’t need to be “famous” – you just need to be a few steps ahead of your students.
• You can test and pre‑sell your idea before fully building it.
• You can reach realistic income goals with surprisingly modest sales numbers.

The real question isn’t “Is it worth the effort?”

It’s:

“Am I willing to give myself the chance to turn my expertise into an asset that can pay me again and again?”

Ready to See What Your Numbers Could Look Like?

If you’d like help:

• Choosing your course topic
• Pricing it strategically
• Mapping out your first 100 subscribers
• Or turning your idea into a launch‑ready online course

Contact us below for a free dsicovery call.

We’ll help you do the maths, shape the offer, and build something that doesn’t just look good – it sells.