Hotmart review: selling your online course

Written by Benjamin Baillon

In brief: Hotmart is a Brazilian platform that allows you to sell online courses without technical skills. It manages payments, distribution, and affiliates for you.

⏱ Reading time: 7 minutes

01. What is Hotmart?

Hotmart is an online course sales platform founded in Brazil in 2011. It allows anyone to create a virtual school, host their video content, and sell it directly online, without having to manage the technical aspects.

It handles international payments, affiliate commissions, module access, and automatic reminders. It's one of the most used platforms by French-speaking content creators to monetize their expertise.

02. Why sell your course on Hotmart?

Hotmart centralizes everything a content creator needs to sell online. Here's why this platform attracts so many French speakers.

A start without initial investment

Unlike a Shopify store or a classic host, Hotmart does not require a monthly subscription. You publish your course for free. The platform only earns money from your sales, which eliminates any financial risk at launch.

For a beginner who wants to test a course idea without spending anything, this is a considerable advantage. You validate your concept before investing further.

An integrated affiliate system

Hotmart has a network of affiliates ready to promote your course in exchange for a commission. You define the percentage, they do the promotion. This is a powerful growth lever that allows you to get sales without spending on advertising.

This integrated affiliate system is one of Hotmart's great strengths compared to its competitors. It transforms your satisfied buyers into paid ambassadors.

03. The best alternative to get started without creating a course

Don't have a course to sell yet? No problem. There's an even faster solution to generate online income: PLR digital products. These are ready-to-resell content—ebooks, templates, videos—with resale rights included.

At captivateur.com, the Ultimate PLR Library offers over 9,000 digital contents ready to be marketed today, without creating anything. It's the most direct way to start an online income without specific expertise.

04. How to concretely sell your course on Hotmart?

Here are the precise steps to publish and sell your first course on Hotmart, even if you are a complete beginner.

Step 1: Create your Hotmart account

Go to hotmart.com and create a free account with your email address. Choose the "Producer" profile during registration. Fill in your banking information to receive your payments — Hotmart accepts SEPA transfers for European creators.

Step 2: Publish your product

In your Hotmart space, click on "Create a product". Upload your video modules, add a compelling description, set your price, and customize your sales page. Hotmart provides a simple integrated editor to use, even without design skills.

Step 3: Activate affiliates and promote

Once your course is published, activate the affiliate program from the dashboard. Set an attractive commission rate — usually between 30% and 50% — to motivate affiliates to promote your content. Then share your sales link on your social networks and email list to generate initial sales.

05. Hotmart vs other platforms: comparison

06. Hotmart FAQ: Your frequently asked questions

• Is Hotmart free to sell an online course?
  Yes, Hotmart does not charge any monthly subscription. The platform takes a commission on each sale — approximately 9.9% plus fixed fees depending on the price of your course. You only pay when you make a sale.
• Is Hotmart available in France and Europe?
  Yes, Hotmart is available in 188 countries including France, Belgium, Canada, and Switzerland. European creators can receive their payments by SEPA transfer directly to their bank account.
• What commission does Hotmart take on sales?
  Hotmart takes 9.9% of the sale amount plus fixed fees that vary depending on the buyer's country. For a course priced at €97, expect around €10 to €12 in commission per sale.
• Can you sell digital products other than courses on Hotmart?
  Hotmart is primarily designed for online courses and ebooks. To sell templates, faceless videos, or various PLR packs, a store like Shopify is more suitable and flexible.
• How does the Hotmart affiliate system work?
  By activating affiliation, you allow other people to promote your Hotmart course for a commission that you freely define. Hotmart automatically manages sales tracking and commission payments to affiliates.
• Is Hotmart the best platform to start online?
  Hotmart is an excellent option if you already have a course to sell. If you are starting without created content, PLR digital products allow you to get started even faster without investing time in creation.
• How long does it take to receive your first payments on Hotmart?
  The first withdrawal requests are available 30 days after the first sale, to avoid refunds. After that, payments are processed regularly according to the schedule you set in your dashboard.

07. Conclusion

Hotmart is a solid platform for selling online courses with no fixed fees and a powerful affiliate system. It is perfectly suited for creators who already have structured educational content to offer. To go further, consult our complete guide to creating an online course to master all the steps.

If you're starting out and want to generate online income without creating a course, explore our ready-to-resell PLR digital products or discover our selection of digital products to get started today.