Hotmart vs Udemy: Commission Wars

Marketplaces like Udemy promise exposure. 'Millions of students browse our platform!' But here's the reality:

1. Your course competes with thousands of others 2. You have no control over when (or if) you appear in search 3. When someone buys, Udemy owns that relationship, not you 4. Discounting is constant—your $200 course sells for $9.99

You're trading ownership for the hope of discovery.

Hotmart positions itself between marketplaces and self-hosting. You control pricing and have more ownership than Udemy.

But you're still paying 10%+ on every sale. And your checkout happens on Hotmart, not your branded site. It's better, but it's not freedom.

Let's do the numbers for $50,000 in course sales:

- **Udemy (50% average commission)**: You keep $25,000 - **Hotmart (10% commission)**: You keep $45,000 - **iLoquio (5% commission)**: You keep $47,500

Over a career of $500,000 in sales, the difference is staggering. Udemy takes $250,000. Hotmart takes $50,000. iLoquio takes only $25,000—and that includes all payment processing.

When you own your platform:

- **Your email list** grows with every student - **Your brand** gets stronger with every course - **Your pricing** reflects your value, not an algorithm - **Your future** isn't dependent on platform policy changes

Marketplaces give you customers. Your own platform gives you a business.