How to price your online course in dinars: 6 pricing models and 5 mistakes that cost you students

The question teachers ask most before launching: “How much should I charge?”. The honest answer: there isn't one right price. There's a price that fits your student, a way to pay that fits their budget, and an offer that makes the decision easy.

We start with a way to set your base price, walk through six pricing models, and finish with the mistakes we see most often.

#Start from the alternative your student knows

Students don't compare your course with nothing; they compare it with what they know. In Algeria, the obvious alternative is usually private tutoring or an in-person support group. Ask yourself: how much does the student pay each month to get the same result in person? And what do travel and time cost them?

1. Define the result you promise (for example: mastering functions before the bac).
2. Work out what the student pays for the in-person alternative for the same result over the same period.
3. Price below it if your course is recorded only, and close to it if you add live follow-up, exams and answers to questions.

#Model 1: one price, lasting access

The simplest to understand: pay once, keep access. It suits short courses with a clear result (a chapter, a skill, exam preparation).

• Upside: a simple buying decision and no payments to chase.
• Downside: one-off income, so you need a steady flow of new students.

#Model 2: the monthly subscription

Ideal for subjects that run all school year: the student pays monthly and gets that month's lessons and exams. Income is recurring and predictable, and students pay a small amount rather than a large one upfront.

#Model 3: instalments

For pricier courses, instalments turn “I don't have the money right now” into “I'll start today”. Split the price into two, three or more payments spaced over time, without cutting the course's value.

A worked example: a 12,000 DZD course can be offered as three payments of 4,000 DZD a month apart. The same total income, and an entry barrier three times lower.

#Model 4: tiers (essential, with follow-up, with one-to-one)

Offer the same course in three tiers. Most students pick the middle one, and the top tier makes the middle look reasonable:

#Model 5: paid community membership

Sometimes the value isn't the lessons but access to you: questions answered, weekly exercises, challenges, live meet-ups. Here you sell membership itself — monthly, quarterly or yearly.

#Model 6: one-to-one sessions and packs

A one-to-one session is the most valuable hour you sell. Sell it singly, in a pack (say 4 sessions for less than 4 singles), or as a monthly subscription. Packs secure the student's commitment and give them a better price.

#5 mistakes that cost you students

1. Pricing too low: it signals the course isn't worth much and attracts students who don't commit. Students who paid a serious amount finish.
2. Only one way to pay: if it's cards only, you lose most of your students. Accept BaridiMob, CCP, cash on delivery and activation cards.
3. No reason to buy now: a launch price with a real deadline, or a cohort with a start date, turns hesitation into a decision.
4. Hiding the price: “message me for the price” drives away half your interested students. A visible price saves you dozens of messages.
5. Forgetting commissions: some platforms take a cut of every sale. Work out what reaches you net, not the listed price — see our platform comparison.

#Worked example: what actually reaches you?

Say 60 students subscribe to your course at 3,000 DZD a month:

On a platform taking 10% of sales, you'd pay 18,000 DZD a month for the same result, and more with every new student. On Dirassa+ your plan stays fixed however much you sell, within your plan's limits.