For experts
Best Platform to Sell Live Cooking Classes Online in 2026
By Masterclass.tv 7 min read
Short answer. For a chef or cooking teacher who sells individual live classes to new people, Masterclass.tv is the best fit here. It sells one ticket per class, runs the cook along in a room for up to 1,000 on Pro, takes upvoted questions on air and sells the replay. Podia and Luma suit teachers who stay on Zoom, Kajabi suits a cooking school with courses and funnels, and Skool or Circle suit a paid recurring cooking club.
What a live cooking class needs from a platform
A cooking class is different from a lecture. Students are standing at a counter with a knife in their hand, not sitting at a desk. That changes what the platform has to do.
First, the ticket needs to be sold well before the class, so people can buy ingredients. Your class page should carry the ingredient list and equipment, and buyers should get joining instructions in the same confirmation. Second, the room must let you answer questions without stopping to read a chat. An upvoted queue helps, because the same question (can I swap the butter) tends to arrive five times. Third, a replay matters more than in most niches, since people cook along later at their own pace. Finally, check the room size against the class you promise. Forty students asking for feedback on a dough is a different session from a broadcast.
Our guide to the best platforms to sell live classes covers the wider market. Here the focus is cooking.
Platforms for live cooking classes compared
| Platform | Price from | Fee on sales | How the class runs | Sell one class ticket | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masterclass.tv | Pro 99 USD monthly or 49 USD per month billed yearly | 25 percent per ticket, expert keeps 75 percent | Inside the platform, room up to 1,000 on Pro, upvoted Q&A | Yes | Standalone paid cook along classes with replay sales |
| Podia | Mover 42 USD per month billed yearly | Mover 5 percent, Shaker no platform fee | Zoom, Google Meet or YouTube Live | Yes, event tickets | A simple store with Zoom delivery |
| Luma | Free plan | Free 5 percent, Plus 0 percent, card processing on top | Zoom integration | Yes, paid tickets | Community and pop up classes |
| Kajabi | Basic 179 USD monthly or 143 USD billed yearly | No platform fee with Kajabi Payments | Inside Course or Coaching products, up to 200 people | Via a product | A cooking school with courses and funnels |
| Skool | Hobby 9 USD per month | Hobby 10 percent, Pro 2.9 percent | Unlimited live calls | No, payment is for the group | A paid recurring cooking club |
| Circle | Professional 89 USD per month billed annually | 2 percent on Professional | Streams to 100 and rooms of 15 on Professional | Check paid access setup | A cooking community with live sessions |
Prices were checked on the vendors' own pages between October 15 and October 24, 2026. Podia prices use yearly billing.
Masterclass.tv for one off live cooking classes
Masterclass.tv lets you list a class, set a ticket price and teach in a room built for it. Pro is 99 USD monthly or 49 USD per month billed yearly. You can test with a room of 100 before choosing a plan. Attendees can vote on questions, and you can sell the replay to people who could not attend. Certificates are available when a class is part of someone's training.
The tradeoff is the 25 percent ticket share, which is higher than the fee on any other platform in the table. It is weaker for a members only recipe archive or email funnels. See the pricing plans and run your own numbers.
Podia and Luma for teachers who stay on Zoom
If you already teach on Zoom and just need to sell tickets, Podia and Luma both do that. Podia hosts the replay and can sell it as a product. Luma is the lighter choice with a 5 percent fee on the free plan. In both cases the room size and video quality come from your Zoom plan, so check them before you advertise a number of seats. If you are weighing these against our room, read the Podia alternative for paid live classes and the Luma alternative. Zoom's own event product is another route, covered in the Zoom Events alternative for paid workshops.
Kajabi, Skool and Circle for cooking schools and clubs
Kajabi fits a school that sells recorded courses and uses live classes to support them. Live video runs inside Course or Coaching products for up to 200 people. Skool and Circle fit a paid club where members cook together every week. They sell access to the group, so a stranger cannot buy a single Saturday class. If that matters, compare the Kajabi alternative and the Skool alternative for paid live classes.
What is the best platform to sell live cooking classes online?
Masterclass.tv is the best fit for selling single live cooking classes to new students, because every class has its own ticket, live room and replay. Choose Podia or Luma to keep Zoom, Kajabi for a course business, and Skool or Circle for a recurring paid club.
Can I sell cooking classes on Zoom?
Yes, but Zoom alone has no storefront in the way a class platform does. You still need a place that takes payment and sends the link. Podia and Luma connect to Zoom for that. Decide whether you want to manage two tools or sell and teach in one.
How much should I charge for a live cooking class?
Start with what the student takes away, a finished dish or a skill, and add ingredient cost for the buyer. Compare similar classes near you, then subtract platform and payment fees from your expected seats. Our guide to pricing a live masterclass ticket walks through the math.
Can I sell the recording of a cooking class?
Yes. Masterclass.tv sells replays from the class page and Podia can host a replay as a paid product. Tell buyers whether the ticket includes the recording. If you sell it separately, a short clip is a good way to show what the full class looks like, and you can turn the class page link into short video ads for it.
How to run your first paid cooking class on Masterclass.tv
- Pick one dish or skill. Write the ingredient and equipment list on the class page.
- Set date and price. Run a test class for a room of 100 first.
- Share the ticket link. Send it to your followers and email list at least a week ahead.
- Teach and follow up. Answer upvoted questions, offer the replay and issue certificates when relevant.
