Best Online Course Platforms
Skool is the best overall online course platform for online courses.
Teachable is the best online course platform for creating, selling and marketing online courses.
Thinkific is a beginner friendly choice, with easy to use features. Everythign you need to get you started.
Podia s the community go to for course platforms. If you are building a members area this is for you.
LearDash is the top choice if you are looking for a WordPress solution for your online course.
BEST ONLINE COURSE PLATFORMS – Updated July 2024
Online course platforms are becoming a huge part of education, expected to hit $325 billion in value by 2025. They’re growing quickly and bringing new learning options to people all over the world.
What Is The Best Online Course Platform?
Here are my top picks for the best course creation platform in 2024.
- Skool – Best Online Course Platform and Members Community
- Teachable – Best Overall Online Course Platform
- Thinkific – Most Popular for Beginners
- LearnDash – Best for WordPress
- Podia – Best For Hosting Communities
- Kajabi – Best All in one platform
- New Zenler – Best video features
- Ruzuku – Simple but powerful course management
- Mighty Networks – Best community-based platform
- Academy of Mine – Best for large organizations and enterprises
Course creators are making money by selling online courses, taking advantage of the growing opportunity in online education. Choosing the appropriate platform is essential for success, as it should align with the content being taught. We’ve reviewed the leading platforms to help creators make an informed decision on where to host their courses.
1. Skool
📚 Personal Experience with Skool
Skool stands out for its user-friendly interface, making course creation and navigation seamless. The ability to customize and create engaging courses easily is a highlight of my experience.
✔️ Pros:
- User-Friendly: The platform’s simple, straightforward interface is easy to navigate, enhancing the overall experience.
- Rich Features: Offers a wide array of tools and features for creating interactive and engaging courses.
- Affordability: The $99/month plan provides great value, considering the extensive features it offers.
- Engagement: Gamification features keep students motivated and engaged throughout their learning journey.
- Flexibility: A 14-day trial and unlimited course creation offer great flexibility for creators.
- Innovation: Regular updates and new features ensure a cutting-edge learning experience.
❌ Cons:
- Cost Concerns: The fixed monthly fee may be a barrier for those with fewer courses or just starting out.
- Course Selection: Limited course offerings may not meet the needs of all learners.
- Customer Service: Some users have reported less than satisfactory support experiences.
🆕 What’s New:
Skool consistently innovates, with recent updates enhancing search functionality, course management, creation tools, and performance tracking. Skool Games, to Gamify the platform.
💡 Buying Advice:
Skool is highly recommended for its user-friendly design and comprehensive features. However, weigh its cost against your specific needs and preferences before deciding.
4.8
Build and Sell Online Courses! Use your skills and knowledge to create a profitable course today. Powerful yet simple platform
2. Teachable
📚 Personal Experience with Teachable
Teachable offers a comprehensive platform for course creation, management, and marketing, providing full access to student databases and a user-friendly admin panel for an intuitive learning and teaching experience.
✔️ Pros:
- Marketing Freedom: Complete control over course marketing with advanced tools for a customized approach.
- User Interface: Clean, direct interface with a well-designed course builder for easy navigation and course organization.
- Efficiency: Bulk upload feature for quick content management and superior user experience.
- Learning Tools: Incorporates quizzes and content dripping for effective learning assessments.
- Analytics: Powerful analytical tools for precise course performance evaluation.
- Payment Options: Supports modern payment methods including Apple Pay and Google Pay.
- Video Hosting: Unlimited video hosting capacity, allowing for extensive multimedia content.
❌ Cons:
- Limited Customization: While offering room for customization, the tools provided may limit the ability to build elaborate sites.
- Feature Limitations: Lacks support for advanced quizzes, assignments, and community-building features.
- Transaction Fees: Applies transaction fees on free trials and basic plans, which could deter potential users.
- Pricing Structure: Limited pricing and payment options for recurring users, and lacks a membership-based subscription model.
🆕 Extra Features:
Teachable’s standout feature is its uncapped video hosting potential, allowing creators to upload unlimited fully encrypted video content, enhancing the course’s value.
💡 Buying Advice:
Teachable is an excellent choice for experienced online trainers aiming to expand their brand. Its comprehensive marketing and content management tools offer significant advantages. However, beginners may find the platform’s complexity challenging. Careful consideration of your level of experience and marketing skills is advised before committing to Teachable.
4.7
Online Course Platforms
3. Thinkific
📚 Personal Experience with Thinkific
Thinkific shines with its straightforward interface and pre-embedded course templates, simplifying the course creation and organization process. Its high-performance site builder and transparent white labeling enhance the overall user experience.
✔️ Pros:
- Interface: Direct and user-friendly, making course management and creation effortless.
- Templates: Offers on-site course templates for easy course deployment.
- White Labeling: Allows for a fully branded learning experience with direct signup on the user’s domain.
- Payment Integration: Direct payment options with PayPal and Stripe for seamless transactions.
- Content Organization: Clear content categorization and easy access to different templates for efficient course setup.
- No Transaction Fee: Charges no extra fees for transactions, enhancing profitability for course creators.
- Tutorials: Provides comprehensive tutorials for all aspects of using the platform, beneficial for newcomers.
❌ Cons:
- Course Design: The design options for courses are basic and may not fully engage students.
- Quizzes: Offers generic quizzes that may not effectively assess learning outcomes.
- Upsell Complexity: Adding upsell offers is complicated, which may discourage some users.
🆕 Extra Features:
Despite its ease of use, Thinkific goes further by offering in-depth tutorials for every aspect of the platform, ensuring that even those new to digital coaching can confidently navigate its features.
💡 Buying Advice:
Thinkific’s simplicity, coupled with multiple pricing plans and a free trial, makes it an excellent choice for beginners and those hesitant about their tech skills. Its emphasis on educational support through tutorials makes it an inviting platform for all levels of users.
4.6
- Create, market & sell your own online courses.
- Custom courses for your own brand!
4. LearnDash
📚 Personal Experience with LearnDash
LearnDash, a leading WordPress LMS plugin, offers unparalleled flexibility and a robust feature set for creating and selling online courses. Its user-friendly design and integrations make it ideal for both newcomers and experienced course creators.
✔️ Pros:
- Flexibility: Allows for custom course formats and structures, catering to a wide range of teaching styles and preferences.
- Feature-Rich: Includes comprehensive tools for course creation, payment processing, learner tracking, and more, with additional add-ons for extended functionality.
- Integrations: Built-in support for WooCommerce, Gravity Forms, and other WordPress plugins enhances course capabilities without coding.
- Support & Development: Continuous updates and support from the developer team ensure the platform evolves with user needs.
- Hosting Options: Offers course hosting with features like one-click backups and access to all features and integrations.
❌ Cons:
- Tracking Challenges: Progress tracking can be unclear, with completed lessons sometimes not marked as such, leading to confusion over learner progress.
- Accuracy Issues: May not always provide accurate information about learner performance, affecting self-monitoring for students.
- Cost: Pricing can be higher than other LMS options, potentially a barrier for some users or institutions.
🆕 Extra Features:
LearnDash excels with additional features like course outlines for easy navigation, support for certificates and badges to motivate students, and a suite of engagement tools including forums and gamification.
💡 Buying Advice:
While LearnDash stands out for its ease of use and comprehensive tools, consider its subscription model and absence of a free trial when deciding. Its strengths in flexibility, integration, and support make it a top choice for a wide range of educational needs.
4.6
Looking for a learning management system for WordPress?
Look no further.
5. Podia
📚 Personal Experience with Podia
Podia emerges as a standout platform for hosting online courses, offering a trifecta of money-making opportunities. Its simplicity and multifunctionality make it an attractive option for creators at all levels, especially those new to the online course landscape.
✔️ Pros:
- Versatility: Enables earning through courses, digital downloads, and memberships, all within a singular, user-friendly interface.
- Bundle Offers: Allows for the bundling of products to attract more learners, alongside upsell options for maximizing profits.
- Payment Ease: Integrated PayPal and Stripe payments streamline transactions for users and their customers.
- Support: Excellent customer service with 24/7 availability to resolve any issues promptly.
- No Transaction Fees: Maximizes earnings by eliminating additional costs on sales.
- Engagement Tools: Quizzes enhance course engagement and effectiveness, offering valuable feedback for content improvement.
❌ Cons:
- Limited Customization: Despite its versatility, Podia’s platform may lack advanced customization tools for some users’ needs.
- Price Point: The cost can feel steep, especially given the limited customization options.
- Email Marketing: The platform’s email marketing capabilities are somewhat basic, potentially limiting for those aiming to expand their audience.
🆕 Extra Features:
Podia differentiates itself with unique features like easy quiz integration, simplifying the process of creating engaging and interactive content for course creators.
💡 Buying Advice:
Podia is ideally suited for those new to online education or with limited technical skills, thanks to its straightforward dashboard and clear instructions. If you’re embarking on your online teaching journey, Podia offers a seamless start with ample growth opportunities.
4.6
- Build your website
- Sell your course
- Grow your community and brand
6. Kajabi
📚 Personal Experience with Kajabi
Kajabi stands out as the premier online course platform, providing an unparalleled array of features for course creation, marketing, and sales, all within a user-friendly interface. Its comprehensive tools have driven over $1 billion in sales, making it a top choice for content creators globally.
✔️ Pros:
- All-in-One Platform: From course creation to marketing and sales, Kajabi offers a complete suite of tools to manage and grow your online course business.
- Customized Email Campaigns: Automated email functionality allows for tailored communications with subscribers and potential clients.
- Integrated Payment Systems: Seamless integration with PayPal and Stripe for easy payment processing.
- Continuous Updates: A dedicated IT team ensures the platform remains cutting-edge with regular updates and new features.
- Website Builder: Enables the creation of custom websites to enhance branding and user engagement.
- Membership Program: Offers a flexible, multi-tier membership system to suit various needs and budgets.
- Encrypted Video Hosting: Collaborates with Wistia for secure video sharing within the Kajabi community.
- No Transaction Fees: Maximizes earnings by removing additional costs on sales.
❌ Cons:
- Pricing: The cost can be a barrier for some, despite the value provided through its extensive features and services.
- Service Variability: Different membership levels offer varied services, which could lead to dissatisfaction among users seeking more at lower tiers.
🆕 Extra Features:
Kajabi’s partnership with Wistia for video hosting ensures content security and exclusivity, setting it apart from platforms reliant on external video services. This feature underscores Kajabi’s commitment to providing an all-encompassing and secure online teaching environment.
💡 Buying Advice:
For those embarking on their digital teaching journey, Kajabi offers a robust, secure, and user-friendly platform that’s well worth the investment. It’s especially beneficial for beginners seeking comprehensive support and advanced creators looking for an all-in-one solution.
4.0
Kajabi is an all one solution to getting started!
7. New Zenler
📚 Personal Experience with New Zenler
New Zenler stands as a comprehensive platform for creating, marketing, and selling online courses. Its user-friendly interface and diverse functionalities cater to both seasoned course creators and beginners, simplifying the course creation process.
✔️ Pros:
- Interactive Features: Offers tools like drag-and-drop quiz creators and seamless PowerPoint conversion for engaging course content.
- Marketing and Automation: Powerful automation and pre-made marketing funnels streamline campaign creation and student interaction.
- Community Building: Enables the creation of discussion boards for user interaction, enhancing the learning environment.
- Membership and Payment Flexibility: Supports various pricing models with no transaction fees, enriching the creator’s earning potential.
- Customization and Security: Custom domains and encrypted video hosting provide a secure and personalized platform.
- Live Features: Introduction of live classes and webinars facilitates an immersive learning experience.
❌ Cons:
- Cost: The pricing structure can be a barrier for some creators, especially when starting out.
- Self-Managed Course Creation: Requires creators to handle all aspects of their courses, which may be overwhelming for new users.
- Limited Themes: Absence of pre-made website themes demands additional time for site creation.
- Email Marketing Limitations: The platform’s email tools lack the depth and customization options found in specialized software.
🆕 What’s New:
New Zenler has recently enhanced its live offering, including classes, webinars, and interactive elements, to provide a more dynamic and engaging user experience, supporting up to 500 video participants.
💡 Buying Advice:
When considering New Zenler, evaluate the type of courses you plan to offer, your willingness to invest time in course creation, and your budget. New Zenler is particularly suited to those seeking a blend of ease of use and comprehensive features for a dynamic online teaching experience.
8. Ruzuku
📚 Personal Experience with Ruzuku
Ruzuku simplifies online course creation with its user-friendly platform, offering a range of features to create, manage, and sell courses efficiently. Its straightforward pricing model and excellent customer support make it an appealing choice for both beginners and experienced educators.
✔️ Pros:
- Accessibility: Free plan available, allowing for course creation and enrollment of up to 5 students, with affordable upgrade options for unlimited access.
- Features: Offers comprehensive tools for course customization, live sessions, and integration with key marketing platforms like Mailchimp.
- Support: Exceptional customer support through various channels, ensuring assistance is readily available.
- Course Health Feature: New updates include monitoring tools for assessing student engagement and progress.
❌ Cons:
- Limited Customization: Customization options for courses are somewhat restricted.
- Student Capacity for Live Sessions: Teleconferences and webinars have a limited participant capacity.
- Complex Design: Setting up the instructor interface can be time-consuming, although student navigation is streamlined.
- Additional Costs: Some features, like certifications and quizzes, require paid add-ons.
🆕 What’s New:
Ruzuku has introduced features like the Course Health Feature for tracking student progress, and enhanced teleconference capabilities with slides, group chat, and automatic recording, enriching the teaching and learning experience.
💡 Buying Advice:
Consider Ruzuku if you’re looking for a comprehensive platform with robust support and a free trial. It’s well-suited for experienced educators ready to invest in a feature-rich environment, though beginners may find it a bit challenging. Evaluate your budget and teaching needs to determine if Ruzuku’s offerings align with your goals.
9. Mighty Networks
📚 Personal Experience with Mighty Networks
Mighty Networks excels as a platform for creating engaging and interactive online courses. Its versatility allows for a vibrant community-driven learning environment, enhancing the overall educational experience.
✔️ Pros:
- Community Engagement: Supports interactive discussions, feedback, and peer interaction within courses.
- Comprehensive Course Management: Easy tracking of student progress and a wide range of content types supported.
- Marketing and Sales Tools: Offers robust tools for course promotion, including compelling landing pages and social media integration.
- Membership Levels: New features support tiered pricing models, providing flexibility in offering content and access levels.
❌ Cons:
- Limited Video Support: Native video and live streaming capabilities are lacking, requiring workarounds for integration.
- Basic Design Options: The platform’s landing page templates are limited and lack a drag-and-drop editor for customization.
- Limited Payment Options: Absence of PayPal integration may hinder some course sales.
- SSO Integration: Lack of Single Sign-On (SSO) integration with other platforms can complicate student transfers.
🆕 What’s New:
Recent updates have introduced membership levels and enhanced landing page features, further solidifying Mighty Networks as a versatile platform for course creation and community building.
💡 Buying Advice:
Consider Mighty Networks if you value community engagement and flexible course offerings. It’s ideal for creators looking for an easy-to-use platform with a focus on membership and community features. Assess your need for advanced design and payment options, as well as your budget, before deciding.
10. Academy Of Mine
📚 Personal Experience with Academy Of Mine
Academy Of Mine offers an extensive platform for large-scale training programs, supporting a wide range of content formats and advanced integration capabilities. Its focus on scalability and customization makes it ideal for professional development and certification programs.
✔️ Pros:
- Scalability: Adapts to growing customer bases, charging per active user, with customizable limits.
- Content Diversity: Supports a variety of content types and interactive modules for a comprehensive learning experience.
- Advanced Analytics: Offers detailed monitoring and visual reports for effective course management and student progress tracking.
- Marketing and SSO: Allows for public page creation to market courses and supports Single Sign-On (SSO) for seamless user access.
❌ Cons:
- Complexity: May be overly complex for simpler training needs, with a steep learning curve.
- Customer Support: Some reports of less responsive support, particularly for users on the free plan.
- Cost: Higher price point compared to other platforms, reflecting its comprehensive feature set.
- File Upload and Integration: Limitations on file uploads and potential challenges with cohesive third-party integrations.
🆕 What’s New:
Recent updates include a new editor for easier content formatting, enhanced engagement tools for student participation, an updated grade book, and advanced analytics for deeper insights into course utilization.
💡 Buying Advice:
Academy Of Mine is best suited for businesses seeking to bolster their online training capabilities with a feature-rich platform. It’s recommended for organizations prioritizing in-depth course creation and analytics over simplicity and cost-effectiveness.
11. Udemy
📚 Personal Experience with Udemy
Udemy stands out as a versatile platform for both learners and instructors, offering a vast array of courses across various categories. Its user-friendly interface and extensive course catalog make it a popular choice for self-paced learning.
✔️ Pros:
- Extensive Course Catalog: Offers thousands of courses on a wide range of topics, catering to diverse learning needs and interests.
- Accessibility: Courses are available on-demand, allowing learners to study at their own pace and on their schedule.
- Instructor Support: Provides robust tools and resources for instructors to create and market their courses effectively.
- Community Engagement: Facilitates interaction between students and instructors through Q&A sections and course reviews.
❌ Cons:
- Revenue Share Model: Instructors may find the revenue share model less favorable, especially with courses sold through Udemy’s promotional activities.
- Course Quality Variation: With open course creation, the quality of courses can vary, necessitating careful selection by learners.
- Limited Customization: Instructors have limited control over branding and pricing, which may impact their course’s marketability.
- Competition: The vast number of courses available can make it challenging for new instructors to stand out.
🆕 What’s New:
Udemy continually updates its platform to enhance user experience and engagement. Recent updates have focused on improving course discovery, enhancing mobile accessibility, and expanding its offerings with more specialized courses.
💡 Buying Advice:
For those looking to learn new skills or expand their knowledge, Udemy offers a wealth of resources across various disciplines. Instructors seeking to reach a wide audience may benefit from Udemy’s platform, though they should consider the competitive landscape and revenue share model.
Online Course Platforms FAQ
📚 What is an online course platform?
An online course platform is a tool that lets educators build, manage, and offer courses online. It comes with features for creating engaging courses, supports videos, images, and audio, and includes tools for evaluating student performance.
✅ Benefits of using an online course platform include:
- Access to a broad audience.
- User-friendly interfaces for easy course creation and management.
- Support for multimedia content to enrich courses.
- Tools for tracking and assessing student progress.
- Seamless integration with other apps for content sharing and collaboration.
❌ Drawbacks of online course platforms:
- Potential for feeling isolated due to lack of in-person interaction.
- Requires high self-discipline and motivation from students.
- Limited immediate feedback and support for students.
🔍 Choosing an Online Course Platform:
Consider these four main types based on your needs:
- Standalone Platforms: Ideal for small businesses or individuals focused on comprehensive online teaching solutions.
- WordPress Plug-In Platforms: Best for those with an existing WordPress site, offering course creation tools within your website.
- Marketplace Platforms: Suitable for beginners without an existing audience, providing a ready market but with shared profits.
- All-In-One Platforms: Offers both course creation and marketing tools for full control over your online teaching business.
Start with platforms offering free trials to understand their functionality better.
💰 Budgeting and Pricing:
When pricing your course, consider the platform’s revenue share, the value your course offers, and be open to adjusting prices based on learner uptake.
🔌 Essential Third-Party Integrations:
A good platform should support:
- Video conferencing tools.
- Single sign-on features.
- JavaScript for web service connectivity.
- API and plugins for customization and integration with other services.
📞 Customer Support:
Opt for platforms known for excellent customer support, like Thinkific and Podia, to ensure help is available when needed.
Conclusion
And there you have it, folks, our exhaustive guide on online coaching platforms that will help you choose the best option for your teaching program.
My Opinion - Top Course Platforms
If you’re looking to start creating or selling online courses, you may be wondering which platform to use.
After extensive research and testing, and feedback from expert course creators we determined the top four online course platforms for different needs.
- Skool: Best online course platform and community builder
- Teachable: Best overall online course platform
- Thinkific: Most popular for beginners, with intuitive course creation tools and a free plan option
- LearnDash: Best for WordPress, with seamless integration and advanced course customization options
- Podia: Best for hosting communities, with a user-friendly community feature and advanced customization options
