Why Upskwela is the Best Udemy Alternative for Filipino Educators
Udemy is great for getting started, but if you're serious about building a sustainable education business, you need more than just a marketplace listing. Here's why Upskwela is the better Udemy alternative in the Philippines.
1. Keep 2x-3x More of Your Revenue
Let's be honest about Udemy's commission structure:
- Organic sales (your own marketing): Udemy takes 37%, you get 63%
- Paid ads sales (Udemy's traffic): Udemy takes 50%, you get 50%
- Udemy promotions: Udemy takes 75%, you get only 25%!
On average, most Udemy instructors keep only 30-40% of their revenue because Udemy controls pricing and runs constant promotions.
With Upskwela, you keep:
- Free Plan: 65% of revenue (vs Udemy's 25-63%)
- Plus Plan (₱999/mo): 80% of revenue
- Pro Plan (₱4,999/mo): 90% of revenue
2. Build YOUR Brand, Not Udemy's
On Udemy, you're just another instructor in a crowded marketplace. Students buy "Udemy courses," not YOUR courses. You can't:
- Use your own branding
- Communicate directly with students
- Get student email addresses
- Build a loyal community
- Cross-sell your other products/services
With Upskwela, you get your own branded platform where students come to learn from YOU, not from a marketplace. You have full branding customization including:
- Your own logo and brand colors
- Personalized community appearance
- Complete control over your brand identity
3. Build a Community, Not Just Sell Courses
Udemy is purely transactional — students buy a course, watch videos, leave a review, done. There's no community, no ongoing engagement, no recurring revenue.
Upskwela is a community learning platform, which means you can:
- Create discussion forums for each course
- Host group chats for real-time support
- Build membership tiers with exclusive content
- Schedule live events and sessions
- Create ongoing relationships with students
This leads to higher student engagement, better learning outcomes, and recurring revenue from memberships.
4. Full Price Control
Udemy controls your pricing. They run constant sales where your $199 course gets sold for $9.99. You have no say in this.
With Upskwela, YOU set your prices. Want to charge ₱500? ₱5,000? ₱50,000? It's your choice. No forced discounts, no marketplace races to the bottom.
5. Local Payment Options for Filipino Students
Udemy requires credit cards or PayPal, which many Filipino students don't have or prefer not to use.
Upskwela offers:
- GCash payments
- Maya payments
- Local bank transfers
- Credit/debit cards
More payment options = higher conversion rates = more revenue for you.
6. Own Your Student Data
On Udemy, you don't get student emails or contact information. You can't market to them, can't build a relationship, can't bring them to your other offerings.
With Upskwela, you own all student data. Build your email list, nurture relationships, create lifetime customers.
When Might Udemy Still Make Sense?
Udemy can still be useful if:
- You're brand new and want to test course creation with zero upfront cost
- You want to leverage Udemy's existing marketplace traffic (but remember, you'll keep only 25-50%)
- You want to create lead magnets that funnel students to your Upskwela platform
However, if you're serious about building a real education business, Upskwela is the better long-term choice.
Common Questions: Udemy vs Upskwela
Can I use both Udemy and Upskwela?
Yes! Many educators use Udemy for discovery and lead generation, then funnel students to their Upskwela community for deeper engagement and premium content.
Does Upskwela have as many students as Udemy?
Udemy has more global traffic, but on Upskwela, YOU bring your own students (or we help you market). The advantage? Your students are YOUR students, not marketplace shoppers looking for the cheapest course.
How do I migrate from Udemy to Upskwela?
You can easily export your course content from Udemy and upload it to Upskwela. Many instructors keep courses on both platforms but offer exclusive content and community features on Upskwela.
Make the Switch: From Marketplace Instructor to Community Owner
Stop being just another course in a crowded marketplace. Build YOUR brand, YOUR community, and keep MORE of your revenue with the best Udemy alternative in the Philippines.