TPT
It’s Sunday night. Your lesson plan for Monday is half done, you’re out of ideas, and your coffee has gone cold. For millions of teachers, this is the moment they open a browser tab and head to Teachers Pay Teachers, the marketplace where educators share and sell the lessons they’ve already made.
This guide explains what the site is, who runs it, how buying and selling work, what the 2026 seller fee changes mean, and how to get the most out of it whether you’re a first-year teacher or a veteran with a folder full of worksheets.
What Is It, in One Sentence?
Teachers Pay Teachers is an online marketplace where educators, called Teacher-Authors, create and sell teaching resources, and other teachers buy them or download free ones.
Fast Facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Full name | Teachers Pay Teachers |
| Short name | TPT |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Founder | Paul Edelman, a New York City public school teacher |
| Parent company | IXL Learning (acquired in 2023) |
| Resources | More than 7 million free and paid items |
| Downloads | More than 1 billion |
| Reach | Used by more than 7 million educators, including 85% of U.S. PK-12 teachers, per the company |
| Products for schools | TPT School Access and Easel |
How It Started
Paul Edelman taught in New York City public schools. He noticed his students learned best when he borrowed great ideas from the teachers down the hall. He wondered: what if every teacher could share what works, and get paid for their effort?
In 2006, he launched the site to make that happen. The idea caught on fast. Teachers who spent nights building lesson plans could now earn money from them, and teachers short on time could buy ready-made materials made by people who understood the classroom.
In March 2023, IXL Learning, the company behind the IXL practice platform, announced it had acquired the company.
What You Can Find There
The marketplace covers almost every subject and grade from preschool to 12th grade. Common resource types include:
- Lesson plans with step-by-step guides
- Worksheets and printable activities
- Task cards for practice and review
- Bulletin board kits and classroom decor
- Digital activities for Google Slides, Google Forms, and Easel
- Assessments like quizzes and unit tests
- Bundles that package many resources at a discount
- Escape rooms and games for engagement
- Classroom management tools like behavior charts
- Special education and English learner materials
Many resources are free. Paid items range from under a dollar to large bundles that cost much more.
Part One: For Buyers
Step 1: Create an Account
Sign up with your email or Google account. A free account lets you download free resources, save favorites, and follow sellers.
Step 2: Search Smart
Use filters to narrow your search by:
- Grade level
- Subject
- Resource type
- Price, including free
- Format, such as PDF, Google apps, or Easel
- Standards, like Common Core or state standards
Step 3: Check the Preview
Before you buy, look at the preview images or file. Good sellers show several pages so you know what you’re getting.
Step 4: Read the Reviews
Ratings and reviews from other teachers are gold. Look for comments on accuracy, ease of use, and whether the resource worked with real students.
Step 5: Buy and Download
Once you buy, the file is saved to your purchases page, so you can download it again anytime.
Buyer Tips
| Tip | Why It Helps |
|---|---|
| Follow your favorite sellers | You’ll get alerts about new resources and sales |
| Wait for sitewide sales | The site runs sales a few times a year, often around back to school |
| Leave reviews | You may earn credits toward future purchases |
| Buy bundles | They tend to cost less than buying each item alone |
| Check the license | Most resources are licensed for one teacher only |
Understanding Licenses
This trips up many new buyers. In most cases, a purchase covers one teacher’s classroom use. If you want to share a resource with your grade-level team, you’ll need to buy additional licenses, which are often sold at a discount. Sharing a single purchase with colleagues goes against the terms.
Part Two: For Schools
TPT School Access
Schools and districts can buy a subscription called TPT School Access. It gives teachers access to a large library of resources paid for by the school, so teachers don’t have to spend their own money.
Easel by TPT
Easel is a tool that lets teachers turn PDFs into interactive digital activities. Teachers can add text boxes, answer fields, and assessments that students complete online. It’s included with TPT School Access.
Why Schools Use It
- Saves teachers from paying out of pocket
- Gives access to resources made by working teachers
- Offers digital tools for online and hybrid learning
- Supports a wide range of subjects and needs
Part Three: For Sellers
Who Can Sell?
Anyone can sign up to sell, though most sellers are current or former teachers. Many sell resources they first made for their own classrooms.
How Much Can You Earn?
Results vary a lot. Some Teacher-Authors earn a few dollars a month. A small group has built full-time incomes. Success depends on quality, consistency, and a lot of patience.
2026 Seller Memberships and Fees
The site updated its seller memberships in 2026. According to a comparison published on October 19, 2026, which cited the company’s help center, here’s how the options look:
| Membership | Cost | Payout | Transaction Fee | Rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | One-time fee of $29 | 55% of each sale | 30 cents per resource | Can sell on other sites too |
| Exclusive | $59.95 per year | 80% for a limited time, then 77.5% starting January 1, 2027 | 15 cents, only on orders under $3 | Digital teaching resources must be sold only on the site |
What happened to Premium? The same source reports that Premium seller memberships closed to new sign-ups on October 1, 2026, and that current Premium sellers will need to choose Basic or Exclusive.
What That Means in Dollars
On a $5 resource:
- Basic: You keep about $2.45.
- Exclusive: You keep about $4.00 at 80%, or about $3.88 at 77.5%.
At that price point, the Exclusive plan pays for itself after about 39 to 43 sales a year. Always check the official help center before deciding, because fees can change.
How to Start Selling
- Sign up as a seller and choose a membership.
- Set up your store with a name, logo, and short bio.
- Create your first resource using a tool like PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Canva.
- Make a strong cover and preview. These sell your product.
- Write a clear description. Include grade, subject, standards, and what’s inside.
- Price it with care. Look at similar resources for guidance.
- Upload and publish.
Seller Tips That Work
| Tip | Why |
|---|---|
| Solve a real problem | Teachers buy what saves them time |
| Use clear, simple design | Busy teachers want easy-to-use pages |
| Offer a free sample | It builds trust and brings followers |
| Create bundles | Bundles raise your average sale |
| Respect copyright | Use only fonts and clip art you have rights to |
| Be patient | Most stores take months or years to grow |
Copyright and Clip Art
This is a big one. You can’t use images, fonts, or characters you don’t have permission to use. Many sellers buy commercial-use licenses for clip art and fonts. Never copy another seller’s work or use copyrighted characters from movies or books.
The Pros and Cons
Pros
- Huge library of resources made by real teachers
- Many free options
- Saves planning time
- Lets teachers earn extra income
- Covers niche needs, from speech therapy to AP courses
Cons
- Quality varies from seller to seller
- Costs can add up for teachers paying out of pocket
- Some resources may not match your exact curriculum
- Seller fees and payout rates have changed over time
A Day in the Life: How Teachers Use It
Here’s how a typical teacher might use the marketplace in a single week:
- Monday: Downloads a free warm-up activity for a new math unit.
- Tuesday: Buys a reading comprehension bundle during a sale.
- Wednesday: Turns a PDF worksheet into a digital activity with Easel for students who are absent.
- Thursday: Leaves a review and earns credits toward future purchases.
- Friday: Uploads a holiday activity she made to her own store.
That mix of buying, using, and selling is what keeps the community going. Many teachers start as buyers and later become sellers once they see what works in their own classrooms.
Common Questions
Is the site free to use? Yes, signing up and downloading free resources costs nothing. You pay only for paid resources.
Who owns it now? IXL Learning acquired the company in 2023.
Can I share a resource with a coworker? Not with a single license. You’ll need to buy an extra license for each teacher.
What is Easel? Easel is a tool for turning PDFs into interactive digital activities.
How do sellers get paid? Sellers earn a percentage of each sale based on their membership, minus transaction fees, and receive payouts on a regular schedule.
Can I sell there and on other sites too? With a Basic membership, yes. With an Exclusive membership, your digital teaching resources must be sold only on the site.
How It Compares to Other Options
Teachers today have more choices than ever. Some sell on their own websites, Etsy, or platforms like Payhip. Others use free sites run by school districts or nonprofits. Still, Teachers Pay Teachers remains the largest and best-known marketplace made for teachers, which is why so many sellers start there.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of It
- Plan ahead. Buy resources during sales and save them for later.
- Mix and match. Combine free and paid items to fill gaps in your curriculum.
- Adapt with confidence. Most resources are editable or easy to adjust for your students.
- Support small sellers. Many great resources come from new Teacher-Authors.
- Give feedback. Reviews help sellers improve and help other buyers decide.
Final Thoughts
TPT began with one teacher’s idea: that educators should be able to share their best work and get paid for it. Today, it’s a marketplace with millions of resources used by most U.S. teachers. Whether you need a quick worksheet for tomorrow or want to turn your lesson plans into a side income, it’s worth learning how it works.
If you plan to sell, take a close look at the 2026 membership changes so you choose the plan that fits your goals.
Key Takeaways
- TPT stands for Teachers Pay Teachers, an online marketplace for educator-made resources.
- It was founded in 2006 by New York City teacher Paul Edelman and acquired by IXL Learning in 2023.
- It offers more than 7 million free and paid resources across PK-12 subjects.
- School Access and Easel help schools provide resources and digital activities.
- In 2026, sellers choose between Basic ($29 one-time, 55% payout) and Exclusive ($59.95 a year, 80% then 77.5% from 2027).
- Most purchases cover one teacher, so extra licenses are needed for sharing.
