Sell study notes and exam prep on Stuvia / Docsity
Rank #22 · Tier A · Priority score 63/100 · Category: Education & tutoring
Upload your own original lecture notes, summaries and practice questions to Stuvia or Docsity; earn per download, withdrawable from EUR/USD/GBP 10.
Scores
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Payment probability (6 months) | 5/10 |
| Automation after setup | 7/10 |
| Setup effort (1 = trivial) | 3/10 |
| Ongoing effort (1 = none) | 2/10 |
| Income potential | 4/10 |
| AI leverage | 7/10 |
| Legal in reference countries | 100% |
| Platform pays out in reference countries | 80% |
| Capital required | $0 |
| Time to first dollar | 14–180 d |
| Typical monthly income (low / median / high) | $0 / $30 / $800 |
Realistic expectations
Most people who try this earn around $0–$30 per month in the first year; the high figure of $800 is a ceiling for a focused solo operator, not a typical outcome. The chance of receiving at least one real payout within six months is rated 5/10. Expect the first payment after 14–180 d.
How it works
Students and professionals upload original study notes, summaries and exam-prep guides. Buyers searching for a course or exam pay per document; Stuvia takes a per-sale commission (shown when you set the price; reviews put it near 30%) and lets you withdraw once your wallet reaches EUR/USD/GBP 10. Docsity uses a points system convertible to cash. Only sell notes you wrote; reproducing textbooks, professors' slides or exam papers violates copyright and university rules.
Platforms: Stuvia, Docsity
Resources & business plan
What you need to start
| Resource | Amount |
|---|---|
| Time to launch | 10 hours |
| One-time cash | $0 |
| Recurring fixed cost | $0 / month |
| Tools | Stuvia / Docsity (free); AI for formatting and practice questions |
| Skills | writing clear, original course summaries |
| Equipment | laptop |
| Accounts | Stuvia seller account; bank via Tipalti |
How the money is made (unit economics)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Unit | per document sold |
| Typical price per unit (low / median / high) | $5 / $10 / $20 |
| Direct cost per unit | $0 |
| Platform fee | 30% |
| Gross margin (median case) | 70% |
| Human hours per unit after automation | 0.2 |
Notes sell for ~EUR/USD 5-15; Stuvia only says it takes "a small commission per sale" and shows earnings at pricing time, so ~30% is estimated from reviews. Hours = writing time spread over expected sales.
Break-even
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Monthly fixed cost | $0 |
| Units per month to break even | 0 |
| Typical months to break even | 4 |
| Months to recover startup cash | 0 |
Fixed cost = recurringMonthlyUsd only (startup cash not amortised). No fixed cost.
Market conditions (Nov 2026)
| Factor | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Demand trend | declining |
| Competition | high |
| Effect of AI | headwind |
| Price pressure | falling |
| Chance of real net profit within 12 months (≥ $100/month where the plan can pay that much) | 12% |
| Typical net profit at month 12 (low / median / high) | $0 / $20 / $700 |
Best sellers cover large first-year courses at big universities (NL, UK, ZA) with exam-season peaks. Students increasingly ask AI for summaries, lowering demand for generic notes. Sales are seasonal and concentrated. Verifier: likelihood lowered from 25 to 12 because $100/month needs ~15 sales a month year-round, which few sellers sustain outside exam peaks.
Pricing strategy
Price slightly below the course's top-rated notes, bundle multiple modules, and raise prices before exam season.
Path to profit
- Month 0: upload notes for 3-5 courses (cost $0)
- Month 1-3: first sales around exams
- Month 3-6: add bundles and practice exams
- Month 6-12: $20-$100/month averaged, peaking at exams
Business-plan sources:
- https://help.stuvia.com/en/articles/10079901-what-is-the-minimum-amount-to-withdraw-money
- https://help.stuvia.com/en/articles/13311540-when-does-stuvia-pay-out-withdrawn-funds
- https://help.stuvia.com/en/articles/10079842-how-much-do-i-earn-per-document-sold-on-stuvia
Payout path
- Methods: bank transfer
- Minimum payout: Stuvia: EUR 10 / $10 / GBP 10 / R200
- Frequency: Stuvia: requests before Sunday 23:59 CET processed the following Monday
- Typical delay: 7 days
- Notes: Stuvia: arrives 2-4 business days after Monday processing (1-2 in South Africa); payout via Tipalti. Exact commission not published (~30% per reviews). Docsity points/payout rules not re-verified (site blocks automated access).
Full cycle (setup → earn → bank account)
- Sign up
- Upload original notes
- Price documents
- Earn per sale
- Weekly bank payout
What can be automated
- AI-structured summaries from your own notes
- Auto-generated practice questions
- SEO-optimized titles/descriptions
Unavoidable manual steps
- Creating the original notes
- Bank details
Legality & compliance
Selling your own notes is legal; some universities prohibit selling notes from their lectures.
- Compliance requirements: original content only; respect university policies; tax reporting
- Platform availability: Stuvia and Docsity accept sellers internationally; bank payout.
Risks
- Copyright issues if not original
- Seasonal demand
- Low per-document earnings
Evidence that people get paid
Stuvia's help center documents the 10-unit minimum and weekly Monday payout processing; reviews report average earnings per sale of $4-9.
Sources
- https://help.stuvia.com/en/articles/10079901-what-is-the-minimum-amount-to-withdraw-money
- https://help.stuvia.com/en/articles/13311540-when-does-stuvia-pay-out-withdrawn-funds
- https://help.stuvia.com/en/articles/10079842-how-much-do-i-earn-per-document-sold-on-stuvia
Tags: passive, digital-products, students
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