Why I Don’t Recommend Selling Courses on Udemy (And What To Do Instead)

Let me start by saying this: I have nothing against Udemy.

In fact, I think it has helped thousands of people discover online learning. But from a course creator’s and marketer’s perspective, I don’t recommend publishing your courses there if your goal is to build a brand, a business, or real ownership over your work.

Here’s why.

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1. Udemy is a marketplace. Not your business.

Udemy is like Amazon for online courses. People browse, compare prices, and buy the cheapest or most-reviewed option that looks “good enough.”

That means your success depends less on your expertise and more on:

• How many reviews you have
  
• How cheap your course is
  

So instead of pricing your course based on your experience, effort, or results, you’re forced to compete in a race to the bottom.

As a creator, that’s disheartening. You spend weeks recording videos, polishing lessons, and designing your curriculum… only to price it at $9.99 because that’s what the marketplace dictates.

2. You don’t own your students. Udemy does.

When someone buys your course on Udemy, they’re not your student. They’re Udemy’s.

You don’t get their email address.
You can’t reach out when you launch something new.
You can’t nurture them into long-term clients.

You’re essentially building on rented land, and Udemy decides how (and when) your course gets shown in their algorithm.

From a marketing standpoint, that’s a nightmare. You lose the chance to:

• Build a community
  
• Increase your customer lifetime value
  
• Sell future courses to your existing buyers
  

You’ve done all the work, but you’re not in control of the relationship.

3. People choose Udemy because they want to avoid marketing.

And I get it.

Most people who create courses are teachers at heart. They want to teach, not sell.

The appeal of Udemy is that it feels like the marketing is “done for you.” You upload your course, and the marketplace takes care of traffic.

But here’s the hard truth:
You can’t outsource your sales to an algorithm.

Even the top Udemy creators who have thousands of reviews? They marketed heavily in the beginning to get that traction. They built their own audiences outside the platform.

You can’t rely on “maybe someone will find it”. That’s not a strategy. That’s wishful thinking.

4. If you want control, you need to own your platform.

If I were your big sister in this space, here’s what I’d tell you:
Host your own course.

Start with something simple like Systeme.io. It’s free and easy to use. You can build your own:

• Course area
• Checkout page
• Funnel
• Email list

When you’re ready to scale, move to more advanced platforms like Kajabi, New Zenler, or Podia.

That way, you own your data, your students, and your sales.

5. Don’t be afraid of marketing. Learn it, or start small.

Marketing isn’t scary. It’s a skill.

If you truly believe in your course, you owe it to yourself to learn how to sell it.

Start simple. Post on Instagram. Talk about what you teach. Share your lessons. The barrier is low, and it’s one of the easiest platforms to gain visibility on.

And once you earn more, you can hire help. But until then, don’t hand your entire business to a marketplace that doesn’t care about your growth.

Final Thoughts

If your only goal is visibility, fine. Put your course on Udemy. But if your goal is to build a real business and create long-term impact, own your platform.

You worked too hard on your knowledge to let it be sold for $9.99.

You deserve to build something that grows with you.

If you’re an online course creator or coach who wants to learn how to market your programs properly and design a curriculum that actually transforms lives, stick around.

That’s exactly what I teach here.