By Xavier Hance 
Looking for the best online course platform?
I’ve learned a thing or two about what works in the world of online course platforms. Trust me, finding the right platform to host your course can be tricky.
Some platforms overpromise and underdeliver, while others are just mediocre. But there are a few gems that stand out, and I’m here to share them with you.
What Are the Best Online Course Platforms?
1. Thinkific
Best Overall Online Course Platform
My Take:
I’m a huge fan of Thinkific and it offers a fantastic student experience, easy integrations with payment providers like Stripe, and a super helpful support team.
It offers a fantastic blend of customization, affordability, and ease of use. Whether you’re a solopreneur or a large company like Fiverr, Thinkific caters to every type of online course creator.
It’s easy to set up, offers great tools for tracking student progress, and has a free plan to get you started.
It’s my top recommendation for anyone looking to sell online courses.
Thinkific Key Features:
- Live Lessons & Cohorts: Teach in real-time or offer scheduled content delivery.
- Advanced Customization: Personalize your course pages and entire website to match your brand, with no coding required.
- Website Templates: Thinkific offers a variety of attractive templates to make setting up a course site a breeze.
- Student Communities & Memberships: Create an engaging space for your students to interact and collaborate.
- Assessments & Certificates: Track student progress and offer certificates upon completion of courses.
Testimonials:
- Andrew McGuire, President of Income Growth Engine:
“Thinkific literally has everything you need right out of the box, and the trial experience is probably the easiest I’ve come across. I uploaded five course videos within minutes of starting my trial, which is great for beginners.” - Lewis Howes, Business Owner:
“You need to get on Thinkific. The team is creative, reliable, and offers unbeatable support. They always make sure all my bases are covered, and as a business owner, that’s invaluable.” - John Lee Dumas, Founder of Entrepreneurs on Fire:
“We’ve scaled our business by teaching our audience how to grow through online training. We couldn’t have done it without Thinkific.”
Pricing:
- Free ($0/month): A great way to test the platform, including 1 course, unlimited students, and access to the drag-and-drop editor.
- Basic ($36/month): Includes unlimited courses, custom domains, and email integrations.
- Start ($74/month): Adds membership communities, live lessons, and certificates.
- Grow ($149/month): Perfect for larger teams, offering advanced reporting and onboarding tools.
Product Updates:
- Thinkific Payments: Thinkific now offers integrated payment processing, making it easier for creators to collect payments globally and boost conversions with a faster checkout process.
- Order Bumps: Add-ons at checkout, like mini-courses or downloadable resources, are now easier to offer, helping creators increase their average order value.
- Updated Design Tools: New website themes and drag-and-drop enhancements make it easier than ever to customize your course pages.
Why You Should Try the Free Plan:
The free plan is a fantastic way to get a feel for Thinkific without any commitment. You can build your first course, try out the customization options, and even start enrolling students right away.
Plus, the intuitive drag-and-drop editor makes creating courses a breeze—even for beginners. If you’re serious about growing your online business, starting with a free trial is the easiest way to see if Thinkific is right for you.
2.Kajabi
Best High-End Online Course Platform for Professionals
My Take:
Kajabi is designed for serious entrepreneurs who want an all-in-one business solution. More than just a course platform, Kajabi integrates your website, marketing, and course delivery into one seamless experience.
This platform is perfect for those looking to scale their online businesses and streamline all their digital tools in one place.
Key Features:
- Marketing Automation: Automate emails, marketing campaigns, and customer follow-ups.
- Built-in Analytics: Track everything from course sales to engagement metrics.
- Custom Domains & Website Builder: Fully customizable website templates to suit your brand.
- Mobile App: Allow students to access your courses on the go with Kajabi’s mobile app.
Testimonials:
- Amy Porterfield, Online Marketing Expert:
“Kajabi has transformed my business. It’s allowed me to scale, automate my marketing, and focus on what matters most—my students.” - Brendon Burchard, Founder of Experts Academy:
“Kajabi is the gold standard for course creators who are serious about scaling their business.” - James Wedmore, Founder of Business by Design:
“With Kajabi, I can focus on delivering value to my audience without worrying about the tech side of things.”
Pricing:
- Basic ($149/month): Includes 3 products, pipelines, and up to 1,000 active members.
- Growth ($159/month): Adds unlimited pipelines, advanced automations, and up to 10,000 members.
- Pro ($319/month): Offers the full suite of features, including 100,000 emails/month and up to 100,000 active members.
Product Updates:
- New Pipeline Templates: Kajabi recently rolled out new sales funnel templates, making it easier to convert leads into paying students.
- Kajabi Payments: Kajabi now offers its own payment gateway for faster, seamless transactions.
- In-App Course Creation: You can now create and edit courses directly from the Kajabi mobile app.
Why You Should Try the Free Plan:
While Kajabi doesn’t offer a free plan, it does offer a 14-day free trial, giving you the chance to test out its comprehensive features.
If you’re serious about scaling your business and want a platform that can handle everything from marketing to course delivery, Kajabi is worth the investment.
3. Teachable
Best Online Course Platform for Beginners
My Take:
If you’re new to selling digital products online, Teachable offers an easy-to-use solution that’s adaptable to various needs—whether you’re selling courses, hosting webinars, or building a community.
It’s a fast, straightforward platform that many beginners favor for its affordability and simplicity.
Teachable offers a free plan, as well as paid options ranging from $39 to $199 per month. For those who want to avoid transaction fees, the Pro Plan at $119 per month is highly recommended.
What Makes Teachable Stand Out:
- Multiple Authors: Team up with other instructors and create content together.
- Sales Pages: Design professional-looking sales pages without any design experience.
- Secure Payments: All transactions are handled securely with PCI level-1 compliant payment providers.
- Custom Domains: Use your own web address or go with Teachable’s domain.
- Live Interaction: Host live webinars directly on the platform.
- Flexible Scheduling: Teach on your own schedule.
User Experience:
Teachable is beginner-friendly, with a simple setup and plenty of tutorials.
You can customize your course’s look and feel with ease, and everything from creating content to building an audience is structured intuitively.
Pricing:
- Free Plan
- Basic Plan ($39/month): 5% transaction fees, 2 admin users, drip content, and more.
- Pro Plan ($119/month): No transaction fees, advanced reporting, course certificates.
- Business Plan ($199/month): More features like custom user roles.
What We Like:
- Unlimited courses, students, and coaching services.
- Optimized sales pages.
- Live Zoom courses on Pro Plan.
- International payment options in 130+ currencies.
What Could Improve:
- Initial navigation can be tricky.
- Support for individual cases could be better.
Product Updates:
- New course templates: ‘Simple’ and ‘Colossal’ help you build courses quickly.
- Lead capture forms added to product pages to grow your email list.
- Bundle functionality lets you offer course packages.
Why You Should Try Teachable:
With its free plan, you can start selling courses right away. Plus, you can use the promo code PROSOCIATE1MFREE for a free month of the Pro Plan.
Whether you’re just starting out or need advanced features, Teachable’s flexibility makes it a great choice for beginners and professionals alike.
4. LearnWorlds
Best for Interactive Learning
My Take:
If you’re aiming to engage your students with interactive features like quizzes, surveys, and gamification, LearnWorlds offers one of the best platforms available.
It stands out for creating a dynamic learning experience that encourages active participation, even though its student interface might not be as visually appealing as other platforms like Thinkific.
Key Features:
- Comprehensive Support: With live chat, walkthroughs, and tutorials, LearnWorlds provides robust customer support.
- Mobile App Builder: Create a mobile app so your students can access your courses on the go.
- Learning Community: Build a hub where students can connect and learn from each other.
- Certificates and Assessments: Award digital certificates of completion and track student progress with versatile assessments.
User Experience: LearnWorlds offers extensive customization options for your course layout and branding. While it takes a bit of time to get used to uploading media and organizing lessons, once mastered, the platform makes it easy to create professional-looking content.
The built-in SEO tools also help your courses rank higher in search engines.
Pricing:
- Starter Plan ($29/month): Includes unlimited courses, custom domains, and a $5 fee per course sale.
- Pro Trainer Plan ($84/month): Includes no transaction fees, subscriptions, live classes via Zoom, and affiliate management.
- Learning Center Plan ($254/month): Adds premium support, branded corporate academies, and more advanced features.
What I Like:
- Interactive videos, quizzes, and gamification elements.
- Custom mobile app options and free course offerings.
- Social media integrations and a custom domain name.
- 24/7 support and robust analytics tools.
What Could Improve:
- Limited ability to disable certain site-wide features.
- Language customization is not always seamless.
Product Updates:
- A new Multi-Purpose Form Builder allows you to create custom forms like surveys and quizzes.
- Additional course templates make it easy to create visually appealing websites without coding knowledge.
Why You Should Try Teachable:
LearnWorlds is ideal for those who want to build interactive courses that go beyond traditional video lectures.
The platform’s extensive range of tools for engaging students—like quizzes, gamification, and assessments—makes it perfect for educators who value student interaction.
Plus, with a 30-day free trial, there’s little to lose in trying it out.
For course creators who want to bring learning to life, LearnWorlds provides the tools to make that happen.
5. Podia
Best for Digital Products and Memberships
My Take:
Podia is a powerful, all-in-one platform for selling not only courses but also digital downloads and memberships.
Known for its user-friendly interface and community-building tools, Podia is a perfect choice for anyone looking to scale their online business.
Key Features:
- Drip Courses: Schedule content to keep students engaged over time.
- Instant Payouts: Podia offers quick payouts without long waiting periods.
- Membership Communities: Foster a strong connection with your audience by creating a community around your courses.
- No Transaction Fees: Unlike many competitors, Podia lets you keep all of your earnings.
Testimonials:
- Ashley Gainer, Freelance Writer and Course Creator:
“Podia is so easy to use, and I love the membership features. It’s perfect for growing a community around my content.” - Jill Stanton, Co-Founder of Screw the Nine to Five:
“I can do everything from hosting courses to running my membership site, all on Podia. It’s been a total game-changer for my business.” - Pat Flynn, Founder of Smart Passive Income:
“Podia makes it simple to create a great customer experience, whether you’re selling courses, memberships, or digital products.”
Pricing:
- Free Plan: A great option for creators starting out with digital downloads and coaching services.
- Mover ($33/month): Unlock unlimited courses and products, plus 5k emails/month.
- Shaker ($75/month): Adds membership communities and affiliate management, plus 15k emails/month.
Product Updates:
- Enhanced Email Marketing: Podia’s email marketing features are now more robust, allowing creators to segment their audience and send personalized campaigns.
- Improved Membership Features: New tools make it easier to manage members, set up recurring payments, and create exclusive content for paying members.
Why You Should Try the Free Plan:
Podia’s free plan lets you dip your toes in the water with zero upfront cost. You can sell digital downloads and coaching services while getting to know the platform.
Once you’re ready to expand, upgrading unlocks powerful features like memberships, email marketing, and more.
Looking for More Online Course Platform Alternatives?
If you’re still searching for the perfect platform, don’t worry! Click here to read our full comparison and find the best fit for your specific needs!