Three Ways to Price Your Course

There’s no single formula that spits out the perfect price. But there are three methods that, used together, give you a solid number grounded in reality instead of fear.

Method 1: Replacement Cost

Ask: “What would it cost the student to get this result without my course?”

If you teach web design, how much does hiring a web designer cost? $2,000-10,000 depending on complexity. Your course at $297 lets them do it themselves. That’s a clear value proposition.

If you teach email marketing, what does an email marketing consultant charge? $150-300/hour. Your course covers what they’d learn in 10-20 hours of consulting. That’s $1,500-6,000 of value.

If you teach course creation, what does a course creation coach charge? $3,000-15,000 for a full package. Your course at $197-497 is the DIY version at a fraction of the cost.

The replacement cost method sets a ceiling. Your price should be significantly below what it would cost to hire someone to do the work or teach them one-on-one.

How to calculate it: Write down what it would cost to hire you (or someone with your expertise) for 1-on-1 help to achieve the same outcome. Your course price should be 10-20% of that number.

Method 2: Market Research

Look at what similar courses charge. Not to copy them — to understand the range.

Search for courses in your niche. Note the prices. You’ll typically see a cluster at certain price points. That cluster tells you what the market considers normal.

But the market cluster is often lower than what the best courses charge. The top courses — the ones with the best outcomes, the strongest brands, the most reviews — are usually priced above the cluster.

Use market research to understand the range, not to set your price. If similar courses cluster at $97-197, and yours is more comprehensive with better support, $297-497 is reasonable. If you’re offering something more targeted and concise, $97-147 might fit.

How to use it: Research 10-15 courses in your niche. Note their prices, what’s included, and the level of the instructor. Find where you fit in that landscape. Then price at or above the median, not below it.

Method 3: Outcome-Based Pricing

This is the most powerful method because it’s tied directly to results.

Ask: “What is the financial value of the outcome my course delivers?”

If your course teaches someone to launch a course that earns $5,000, a $497 price is 10% of the result.

If your course teaches someone a skill they can monetize at $100/hour, and they pick up even 10 hours of work from it, that’s $1,000 of value. A $197 course pays for itself twice over.

If your course helps someone avoid a $10,000 mistake (buying the wrong platform, running ads without a strategy, pricing too low), the course is worth a significant fraction of that avoided cost.

Outcome-based pricing works because it reframes the course from an expense to an investment. The student isn’t spending $497. They’re investing $497 to unlock $5,000+ in value.

How to calculate it: Estimate the financial value of the outcome. Your price should be 5-20% of that value.

Triangulating Your Price

Use all three methods. Write down the number each one gives you:

• Replacement cost: What it costs to hire someone = _____. Your price (10-20%) = _____
• Market research: Median price in your niche = _____. Your price (at or above) = _____
• Outcome-based: Financial value of the result = _____. Your price (5-20%) = _____
• Your triangulated price: _____

If all three methods give you numbers in the same range, you have your answer. If they’re far apart, you need to think about why. Usually it means your course either delivers more value than the market expects (opportunity to price higher) or less (need to sharpen the outcome).

Your Task

Calculate your price using all three methods. Write down each number. Average them. That’s your starting point.

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