21 Best Online Course Platforms (Tested in 2026)

Key takeaways

• We've researched 21 online course platforms hands-on. Signing up, building test courses, comparing pricing, and cross-referencing real creator feedback.
  
  

• You can go with: all-in-one platforms or course-first platforms or community-first platforms or course marketplaces or LMS platforms or WordPress LMS solutions, based on your situation.
  
  

• All-in-one course platforms that bundle courses, community, coaching, and email marketing under one dashboard deliver the best value.
  
  

• AI-assisted course creation, offering courses on mobile apps, and community-driven learning are the top three trends this year.
  
  

• The "best" platform depends entirely on your stage, budget, and business model. This guide includes a decision framework to help you match.

Not a generic overview, originally researched by the author. 

Picking the wrong online course platform is an expensive mistake. We have seen creators burn months migrating students, rebuilding content, and losing revenue. This happens because they chose a platform that could not scale with them.

We spent 60+ hours testing 21 online course platforms to save you that headache. This guide breaks down the best online course platforms to create and sell courses in 2026.

Every platform was evaluated based on course, coaching, community features, pricing, marketing tools, and real creator experience.

Here are our picks.

The 21 best online course platforms by category in 2026

All-in-one platforms (courses + marketing + community in one dashboard)

1. EzyCourse for building courses, community, and coaching 

2. Thinkific for course creation, community, and marketing

3. Kajabi for marketing-heavy course businesses on autopilot

4. New Zenler for all-in-one features on a budget

5. Systeme.io for launching a course business with zero upfront cost

6. Graphy for AI-assisted course creation 

Course-first platforms (focused on course creation and delivery)

1. Teachable for beginner-friendly course building with flexible payments

2. LearnWorlds for interactive video and advanced assessments

3. Podia for simple digital products and course selling

4. FreshLearn for affordable course hosting

5. Ruzuku for free course creation 

Community-first platforms (community drives the learning experience)

1. Mighty Networks for building a paid community with courses inside

2. Skool for dead-simple community + course delivery

3. Circle for premium, cohort-based learning communities

Course marketplaces (built-in audience, but you pay off revenue share)

1. Udemy for testing a course idea with zero upfront investment

2. Skillshare for teaching project-based creative classes

3. Coursera for offering university-backed credentials

Funnel-focused platforms (course hosting as an add-on to sales tools)

1. Kartra for selling courses through advanced sales funnels

2. ClickFunnels for funnel-first course selling

3. SamCart for maximizing revenue per checkout

WordPress LMS (only if you prefer WordPress)

1. LearnDash for course hosting on your own WordPress site

Our recommendation: If you are serious about building a course business (not just testing an idea), start with either an all-in-one or course-first platform. You keep your revenue, own your audience, and control your brand.

Transparency note: EzyCourse is our platform. So yes, we have a horse in this race. To keep this guide honest, we tested every platform on the same criteria: features, pricing, ease of use, and real creator feedback. Where EzyCourse falls short, we say so. Where competitors do something better, we say that too. Our goal is to help you pick the right platform, even if that's not us.

What is an online course platform?

An online course platform is software that lets you create, host, market, and sell educational content to your audience. Think of it as your digital campus. 

It handles everything from video hosting and student enrollment to payment processing and completion certificates.

A solid course platform typically offers:

• Course builder with drag-and-drop content organization

• Video hosting and content delivery

• Payment processing 

• Student management and progress tracking

• Marketing tools (landing pages, email, coupons)

• Analytics and reporting dashboard

Some platforms go further, bundling in community features, coaching tools, membership sites, and branded mobile apps. Thus, they become a true all-in-one business platform for knowledge entrepreneurs.

Why your platform choice matters: The platform you pick affects how much revenue you keep (transaction fees vary from 0% to 10%), how professional your student experience looks, what marketing tools you can access, and how easily you can scale. Getting this decision right from day one saves you months of frustration later.

How we tested these platforms

We have conducted rigorous research to find the best platforms for course creators. Here is how we actually evaluated each platform:

• Hands-on testing: We signed up for free trials or free plans on every platform that offered one and built test courses to evaluate the real course creation experience.
  
  

• Feature-by-feature comparison: We mapped out 25+ features across all 20 platforms, covering course creation, marketing, community, coaching, monetization options, and AI integration.
  
  

• Pricing analysis: We compared current prices with actual costs, including transaction fees, add-on charges, and what you get at each tier.
  
  

• User review research: We cross-referenced our findings with verified reviews on G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, and active course creator communities on Reddit and Facebook.
  
  

• Real creator feedback: We spoke with educators, coaches, and course creators actively running programs on these platforms to understand long-term strengths and pain points.

Every platform in this guide was tested against these criteria.

Quick comparison: 21 course creation platforms at a glance

Now, into the 21 best online course platforms we tested…

Let’s get a detailed overview of the best platforms to create online courses. We are going to compare the platforms with important aspects such as features, pros, cons, pricing, fees, creator experience, our experience, etc.

#All-in-one platforms

1. EzyCourse (Best AI-powered course platform)

Best for: Course creators, coaches, and membership business owners who want everything: courses, community, coaching, memberships, email marketing, and a branded mobile app for free.

Starting price: $55/month (billed yearly)

Transaction fees: 0% on all plans

EzyCourse is an all-in-one online AI course platform for courses, coaching, communities, memberships,  etc. It’s a feature-rich, affordable, and easy-to-use. 

If you are looking for a platform to 

- sell online courses (with AI)

- build a vibrant community

- monetize with memberships

- start online coaching 

…you can do all with EzyCourse.

For courses: you get 13 types of lessons, ranging from: 

Video, PDF, survey, assignments, live, SCORM/HTML, and more. 

What's more, you will get an AI feature inside course creation with free 800 credits.

There are also different pricing options to sell your courses, such as one-time, subscription, split payments, and more.

Moreover, teachers can customize certificates from the dashboard for their students. 

For community: you can create a Facebook-like community inside the platform to boost student engagement. There are community tabs like: events, live meetings, courses, and leaderboards. Inside the community feed, members can interact with each other through posts, comments, polls, and so on. 

For coaching: you can sell 1:1 or group coaching like any sophisticated online coaching platform.

For memberships: The platform lets you create a membership hub of your gated content. 

For course creators who care about mobile, EzyCourse offers a white-label branded mobile app (Android and iOS), free on Unlimited and Elite plans. Students get push notifications, offline access, and a seamless mobile learning experience under your brand. 

Also, you can see detailed analytics directly from your dashboard. EzyCourse is rich in email marketing options that help you send and automate emails with ease. 

What’s more, you can build your entire course website within the blink of an eye with the EzyCourse AI website builder.

All these features have made EzyCourse one of the best online course platforms for creating and selling online courses. 

Features worth highlighting

• AI website builder 

• Up to 100,000 AI-credits for course creation 

• Unlimited courses, coaching, communities, and digital products 

• Complete white-label branding 

• Free branded Android & iOS apps 

• Live streaming, built-in email marketing, and a complete automation workflow

• Full SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004 compliance

• Plus many more

What's exclusive on EzyCourse 

• Beginner-friendly and easy-to-use for all 

• All-in-one platform for knowledge creators. Courses, coaching, communities, live sessions, branded apps, email marketing, automation workflows, and so on.

• AI course creation and an AI-website builder to create any website within a few seconds 

• EzyCourse AI: you can build everything: websites, pages, emails, courses, blogs, and more.

• Affordable pricing plans compared to any similar platforms 

• 24/7 real-human dedicated customer support (5/5 G2 rating, indicating a significantly better support experience)
  
  

Limitations 

• Native live streaming is locked in the Essential & Pro plans

• No free plan

EzyCourse pricing

You can start exploring EzyCourse with a free 14-day trial. There are four different pricing plans if you pay yearly-

• Essential plan - starts at $55/month (unlimited courses)

• Pro plan - starts at $129/month (5 coaching, 5 communities)

• Unlimited plan - starts at $189/month (Branded app included, all features unlimited)

• Elite plan - starts at $279/month (VVIP support)

Note: Pricing may be subject to change at any time.

👉Try EzyCourse for free now! 

2. Thinkific (Feature-rich course platform)

Best for: Creators who want a polished course creation with 0% transaction fees and strong customization.

Starting price: $49/month 

Transaction fees: 0% on all plans

Thinkific is one of the best platforms for creating online courses, communities, and memberships easily. The platform comes with customizable course templates to let you design your courses. 

Thinkific offers some course creation features, such as live lessons, quizzes, assignments, easy content import, etc. Plus, options like bundles, coupons, and cross-selling enhance monetization opportunities in courses. 

Coming with a branded mobile app, Thinkific lets you offer your courses on mobile under your brand. Moreover, there are live lessons and events for real-time interaction and engagement.

However, Thinkific has some limitations. It doesn’t offer funnel features or native email marketing, lacks community features, blogging tools, etc. Also, there is some negative feedback on review platforms about their customer support that provoke some users to search for Thinkific alternatives.

Features worth highlighting

• All-in-one course creation with communities, memberships, and digital downloads

• Built-in landing pages and email automation 

• Coaching, webinars, and interactive learning experiences

• Native analytics dashboard 

• Branded iOS and Android mobile app 

What's exclusive on Thinkific 

• All-in-one platform

• No transaction fees

• User-friendly intuitive interface 

• Seamless integration with multiple platforms

• Thinkific App Store offers 80+ third-party integrations and add-ons built specifically for the platform

Limitations 

• Payment processing requires third-party KYC verification that can permanently revoke access after launch 

• Users widely report being charged after cancellation, with difficulty removing stored payment cards

• Customer support is slow or unresponsive

• Key features get locked behind progressively expensive plans 

• No native email marketing, funnel builder, or coaching tools — requires paid third-party add-ons

How Much Does Thinkific Cost

The most popular Thinkific plan is the Grow Plan at $199 per month. Thinkific comes with different pricing plans, including -

• Basic Plan – $49/month

• Start Plan – $99/month

• Grow Plan – $199/month

• Plus Plan – Custom price 

3. Kajabi (Best for creators with high budget)

Best for: Established creators and businesses with a budget to invest in a premium, marketing-focused all-in-one platform.

Starting price: $179/month

Transaction fees: 0%

Kajabi is the luxury option in the course platform space. It offers course creation with a full suite of marketing tools. You get email campaigns, sales funnels, landing pages, webinars, memberships, and detailed analytics — all in one place.

The course builder is solid. And Kajabi's marketing tools are premium. The pipeline builder (their funnel tool) is one of the most polished in the industry. Email marketing is built in and genuinely powerful, with automation sequences, segmentation, and broadcast features.

Kajabi also offers a branded mobile app, podcasting, and community tools. The AI assistant can help with product creation, email drafting, and page building, which accelerates setup for non-technical creators.

But the elephant in the room is price. At $179/month for the Basic plan (which limits you to 5 products, 1 community, and 2,500 contacts), Kajabi is 3x more expensive than platforms offering comparable features. For a solo creator just starting out, that math does not work. But for established businesses doing $10K+/month in revenue, the consolidated toolset can be worth it if they can afford the higher plans on Kajabi.

Features worth highlighting

• All-in-one — courses, community, email, funnels, podcasting tools, and website builder

• Unlimited marketing emails, funnels, and landing pages on every plan

• AI features are included across all tiers

• Advanced automations and webhooks for scaling (Growth+)

• Branded mobile app included on Pro

What's exclusive on Kajabi

• No revenue sharing or transaction fees on Kajabi Payments

• Pro plan ($499/mo) can be a good spot — Unlimited products, 3 communities, 100K contacts, automations, affiliates

• Strong training resources and creator community

• Creator Studio and AI tools available on all plans

• Cohort-based courses for structured learning programs (Growth+)

Limitations

• Expensive entry — Basic starts at $179/mo, way pricier than competitors

• Only 2,500 contacts on Basic — forced to upgrade fast

• Affiliate programs, automations, and webhooks locked behind $199/mo Growth plan

• Branded mobile app and API access require the $399/mo Pro plan

• Can't remove Kajabi branding until Growth, your site advertises them for free

• Extra 1–2% fee if you use any payment provider other than Kajabi Payments

• Only 1 website and 1 community even on Growth — need Pro ($499/mo) for more

How Much Does Kajabi Cost

• Basic: $179/month (5 products, AI features, 2.5K contacts)

• Growth: $249/month (50 products, 1 community, 25K contacts)

• Pro: $499/month (unlimited products, 3 communities, 100K contacts, branded app)

Want Kajabi features without the Kajabi price? Check out the top Kajabi alternatives.

4. New Zenler (All-in-one platform with automation)

Best for: Course creators who want an all-in-one platform.

Starting price: $57/month 

Transaction fees: 0%

New Zenler is a feature-dense platform. It covers course creation, community building, funnel creation, email campaigns, and built-in webinars. 

You get a page/funnel builder, affiliate program, email automation, live webinar hosting, a mobile app, and community tools. For a creator who needs "a bit of everything" without juggling five subscriptions, Zenler checks a lot of boxes.

However, the course design options feel limited compared to polished competitors like Kajabi or EzyCourse. The community feature looks outdated, and the overall UI has an old-school feel that might not impress your students on first click. If branding and student experience are top priorities, Zenler might underwhelm.

Features worth highlighting

• All-in-one — courses, community, email, funnels, webinars, and website builder

• Built-in affiliate program on all plans

• Page and funnel builder included

• Live webinar and event hosting built in

• Mobile app for student access
  
  

What's exclusive on New Zenler

• Affordable compared to Kajabi 

• Webinar hosting is built directly into the platform 

• Actively evolving with frequent feature updates

• Zero transaction fees on any plan
  
  

Limitations

• Community feature feels outdated and lacks polish

• Course content can be deleted permanently without warning: multiple users lost entire courses with no prior email or heads-up

• Customer support is slow and often dismissive 

• Platform performance is sluggish: video playback lags, API breaks without warning, and basic page editing

How much does New Zenler cost?

• Starter: $57/month (5 courses, 1 community, 500 contacts, 5K emails/mo, 2 funnels, 10 live sessions)

• Pro: $117/month (unlimited courses, 20 communities, unlimited contacts, 100K emails/mo, 100 funnels, 100 live sessions)

• Premium: $347/month (unlimited courses & communities, unlimited contacts, 500K emails/mo, unlimited funnels, 300 live sessions, SSO, priority support)

Want a modern alternative with better design and more affordable pricing? Check out the top New Zenler alternatives.

5. Systeme.io (Best for launching with free plan)

Best for: Budget-conscious creators and solopreneurs who want courses, funnels, and email marketing in one tool.

Starting price: Free | Paid from $17/month (5 courses)

Transaction fees: 0% on all plans

Systeme.io is an affordable all-in-one platform on this list. It bundles courses, sales funnels, email marketing, a website builder, blog, and webinar hosting. 

The free plan is functional. You get 1 course, unlimited students, 2,000 contacts, 3 sales funnels, unlimited emails, and an affiliate program. For a creator testing their first course idea, this removes the financial barrier entirely.

On paid plans, things scale up quickly. The Startup plan at $17/month gives you 5 courses, 5,000 contacts, 10 funnels, custom domains, and removes Systeme.io branding from your pages. The Webinar plan ($47/month) unlocks webinar hosting and A/B testing. And the Unlimited plan ($97/month) removes all caps: unlimited courses, contacts, funnels, communities, and includes 1-on-1 coaching.

However, there are clear trade-offs. The course builder is basic. No advanced quizzes, no certificates, no SCORM, no interactive video. Page templates look functional but not polished. Design customization is limited, so matching your brand precisely can be difficult. And as your business grows past 10,000 contacts, you are pushed toward the $97/month Unlimited plan regardless.

Features worth highlighting

• All-in-one: courses, funnels, email marketing, blog, affiliate program, and webinar hosting

• Genuinely free plan with 2,000 contacts and unlimited emails

• Sales funnel builder with A/B testing (Webinar plan+)

• Built-in affiliate program management on all plans

• Automation workflows and tagging for email sequences

• Supports 8 types of payment gateways, including Stripe, PayPal, Razorpay, COD, and more

What's exclusive on Systeme.io

• A generous free plan in the market — 1 course, 2,000 contacts, 3 funnels, unlimited emails, and 0% fees

• Unlimited sub-accounts on every plan: each sub-account inherits the full feature set of your plan at no extra cost

• Unlimited emails and automation

Limitations

• Course builder is basic: no quizzes, certificates, SCORM, or interactive features

• Page templates and design customization are limited compared to polished competitors

• Platform glitches during feature rollouts: users report funnels and popups breaking without notice

• Support can be slow (12-19-hour response times reported) with scripted rather than solution-oriented replies

• Free plan includes Systeme.io branding on all your pages (no custom domain)

How much does Systeme.io cost?

• Free: $0/month (1 course, 2,000 contacts, 3 funnels, unlimited emails)

• Startup: $17/month (5 courses, 5,000 contacts, 10 funnels, custom domain)

• Webinar: $47/month (20 courses, 10,000 contacts, 50 funnels, webinars, A/B testing)

• Unlimited: $97/month (unlimited everything, 1-on-1 coaching, priority support)

Looking for more options? Check out the top Systeme.io alternatives.

6. Graphy (AI-powered course platform)

Best for: Creators and educators who want an AI-powered platform with a white-label website, branded mobile app, and multi-language support — especially popular in India.

Starting price: $49/month 

Transaction fees: 0% on all plans 

Graphy is an all-in-one AI-assisted course platform. This platform combines course creation, community building, digital product selling, and AI-powered tools. 

More importantly, Graphy includes the AI layer. The platform includes an AI website builder, AI sales agents, AI support agents, and AI marketing agents.

Graphy gives you a white-label course website and branded mobile apps. The course builder supports video, PDF, SCORM lessons, assignments, and interactive content. There are also community tools to let you build and migrate communities from social media or chat apps. Payments are handled through integrated gateways with multi-currency and country-specific pricing support.

However, Graphy has some rough edges. Some users report poor customer support on review platforms like Trustpilot. And if you want to remove Graphy's branding from your site, you will need the Scale plan at $399/month, which puts full white-labeling out of reach for most solo creators.

Features worth highlighting

• AI-powered agents for sales, marketing, and learner support

• AI website builder for quick setup

• White-label course website and branded mobile apps

• Unlimited courses, memberships, and paid communities

• SCORM lessons and multi-language support

• Multi-currency payments with country-specific pricing

What's exclusive on Graphy

• Built-in AI sales, support, and marketing agents that automate selling and re-engage learners 

• Country-specific dynamic pricing: lets you set different prices per region

• Free migration support 

Limitations

• To remove branding, you have to start with the highest plan 

• Platform glitches are frequently reported after feature rollouts

• Customer support experience is reported as unmet promises and cancellation difficulties 

• No gamification features

• Lacks advanced checkout options, bulk import, and diverse lesson types compared to competitors

How much does Graphy cost?

Current plans start at $49/month with a 14-day free trial. Graphy has recenlty removed per-sale transaction fees across all plans.

• Starts at $49/month on Launch plan (14-day free trial, 0% transaction fees)

• Rise plan at $149/month (AI agent included)

• Scale plan at $399/mo (DRM, remove branding)

Note: Graphy's pricing page uses dynamic loading — always verify current plans at graphy.com/pricing before committing.

Looking for a Graphy alternative? Check out platforms like Graphy here.

#Course-first platforms

7. Teachable (Simple course builder with built-in payments)

Best for: Beginner creators and coaches who want a simple platform to launch their first course with flexible payment options.

Starting price: $39/month (monthly) | 7-day free trial

Transaction fees: 7.5% on Starter plan | 0% on Builder and above

Teachable has been one of the most recognized names in the course platform space. It is built for creators who want a simple way to create courses.  

The course builder supports video lessons, quizzes, assignments, and downloadable resources. Content import from Dropbox and Google Drive makes it easy to upload existing materials. Teachable also offers coaching programs and digital downloads. 

Payment flexibility is a good highlight of Teachable. Students can pay in 130+ currencies, and creators can offer one-time purchases, subscriptions, payment plans, and coupon codes. Teachable also handles US sales tax, global VAT, and GST automatically on all plans. Thus, it can save you the headache of tax compliance.

However, Teachable restructured its pricing in mid-2025, and the pricing changes hit creators hard. The free plan was essentially gone. The new Starter plan at $39/month carries a 7.5% transaction fee on every sale — meaning a $100 course costs you $10.70 in combined fees before you see anything. Product and student limits are now capped per plan, with overage charges if you exceed them. And long-term users have reported steep price hikes over multiple years. 

Customer support is another pain point. Multiple reviewers on Trustpilot report AI-generated responses, multi-day wait times, and cancellation difficulties, including being charged after attempting to cancel.

Features worth highlighting

• Simple drag-and-drop course builder with coaching and digital downloads

• Payments in 130+ currencies with automatic tax handling (US sales tax, VAT, GST)

• Built-in email marketing tool and student communication

• Affiliate program (Builder plan and above)

• 7-day free trial with 30-day money-back guarantee

What's exclusive on Teachable

• Automatic US sales tax, global VAT, and GST handling on every plan (most competitors require third-party tax tools or manual setup)

• AI creation on each plan 

Limitations

• 7.5% transaction fee on Starter plan — gets expensive fast as revenue grows

• Product and student caps on every plan, with overage charges if exceeded

• Customer support relies heavily on AI responses 

• Cancellation issues widely reported (users describe being charged after multiple cancellation attempts)

• Pricing has increased significantly multiple times since 2023 (long-term cost predictability is a concern)

How much does Teachable cost?

The pricing as of April 2026 (monthly billing):

• Starter: $39/month (5 product, 100 students, 7.5% transaction fee)

• Builder: $89/month (10 products, 1,000 students, 0% transaction fee)

• Growth: $189/month (50 products, 5,00 students, 0% fee)

• Enterprise: Custom (contact sales)

Not sure if Teachable is the right fit? Explore Teachable alternatives.

8. LearnWorlds (Best for B2B training courses)

Best for: Educators and training companies who prioritize student engagement, interactive video, advanced assessments, and SCORM compliance.

Starting price: $29/month | 30-day free trial

Transaction fees: $5 per enrollment on Starter | 0% on Pro Trainer and above

LearnWorlds focuses on the student learning experience as a course platform. If student engagement matters more to you than marketing features, LearnWorlds deserves a close look.

One of the most standout features of LearnWorlds is interactive video. You can add quizzes, annotations, hotspots, buttons, and branching paths directly inside your course videos. Moreover, this platform especially supports training programs such as customer training and employee training. 

LearnWorlds also supports formal exams, graded and ungraded quizzes, assignments, question banks, and certificates that comply with professional training standards.

It incorporates full SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, and xAPI tracking. This makes it a genuine option for accredited training programs and corporate learning. The AI assistant (available on all plans) helps generate course outlines, quiz questions, and marketing copy to speed up setup.

However, the Starter plan has a catch most people miss: a $5 flat fee on every course enrollment, regardless of course price. Selling a $20 course? That $5 fee eats 25% of your revenue. At 14+ enrollments per month, Pro Trainer ($99/month) becomes cheaper than Starter. This is the detail that trips up most new LearnWorlds users.

The platform also lacks native email marketing. That means you will need a separate tool like Mailchimp, Kit, or ActiveCampaign ($25-$30+/month extra). And the branded mobile app is an add-on at $149/month on top of your subscription, not included in any plan like EzyCourse.

Features worth highlighting

• Interactive video with in-video quizzes, hotspots, annotations, and branching paths

• Advanced assessment engine with graded exams, question banks, and custom certificates

• Full SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, and xAPI compliance

• AI assistant for course outlines, quiz generation, and marketing copy (all plans)

• Built-in website builder with custom pages (Pro Trainer+)

• Gamification features, attendance tracking, and drip content scheduling

What's exclusive on LearnWorlds

• Interactive video editor is best-in-class

• Full SCORM and xAPI support with proper tracking for accredited corporate training

Limitations

• $5 per enrollment fee on Starter plan (gets expensive fast and is easy to miss before your first invoice)

• No native email marketing, requires paid third-party tools (Mailchimp, Kit, ActiveCampaign)

• Branded mobile app is an add-on at $149/month extra

• Free courses cannot be offered on Starter plan (limits lead magnet strategies)

• Key features like payment plans, subscriptions, and Zapier integration are locked behind Pro Trainer ($99/month)

• Website builder limited to 3 pages on Starter

How much does LearnWorlds cost?

• Starter: $29/month ($24/month annually) — $5 per enrollment fee

• Pro Trainer: $99/month ($79/month annually) — 0% transaction fees

• Learning Center: $299/month ($249/month annually) — white-label, interactive video, SSO

• High Volume & Corporate: Custom pricing

• Mobile app add-on: $149/month extra (all plans).

9. Podia (Course Platform with Free Email Marketing)

Best for: Solo creators who want a clean, simple platform for selling courses, coaching, digital downloads, and webinars with built-in email marketing.

Starting price: $39/month (monthly) | 30-day free trial

Transaction fees: 5% on Mover plan | 0% on Shaker

Podia is built for creators who want a simple way to sell courses and other digital products. The platform handles courses, digital downloads, coaching, memberships, webinars, and community.

The built-in email marketing tool is where Podia stands apart from competitors like LearnWorlds. You get broadcasts, automations, segmentation, and tagging without paying for a separate service like Mailchimp or Kit. It is included free for your first 100 subscribers on any plan.

Both plans include unlimited products and custom domain. The interface is clean and non-technical. So, you can go from signup to a live course page in under an hour.

However, Podia's course builder is basic. You get: no advanced quizzes, no assignments, no SCORM, and no gamification. Page design customization is limited, and your site can end up looking "blocky" without much ability to refine. There is no open API, and PayPal is only available on the Shaker plan. The Mover plan is Stripe-only.

The 5% transaction fee on Mover adds up quickly. At $3,000/month in revenue, you are paying $150/month in fees — over 4x the plan cost. So, you may have to choose the higher plan wisely.

Features worth highlighting

• Built-in email marketing with automations, segmentation, and tagging (free for first 100 subscribers)

• Unlimited products for all plans

• Custom website with your own domain

• 30-day free trial with no credit card required

• Free product migration

What's exclusive on Podia

• Built-in email marketing included in the base price — some competitors at this price point (Teachable, LearnWorlds) require a separate email tool

• 30 days trial with full feature access and no credit card required

Limitations

• Course builder is basic (no advanced quizzes, no assignments, no SCORM, no interactive video)

• Page design feels blocky and limited, not enough customization to match a professional brand

• No open API available

• PayPal only available on Shaker plan and Mover is Stripe-only

• Email marketing is functional but basic compared to dedicated tools like Kit or ActiveCampaign

• No native Zoom integration, requires manual link sharing with no scheduling or attendance tracking

How much does Podia cost?

• Mover: $39/month ($33/month annually) — 5% transaction fee

• Shaker: $89/month ($75/month annually) — 0% transaction fees, affiliate marketing, PayPal, Zapier integrations

• Email add-on pricing (beyond 100 free subscribers) scales with list size — a 5,000-subscriber list adds approximately $34/month.

Explore more options in our Podia alternatives guide.

10. FreshLearn (Free online course platform)

Best for: Solo creators and small academies who want a feature-rich course platform with 0% transaction fees and built-in email marketing.

Starting price: Free plan available | Paid from $49/month (monthly)

Transaction fees: 0% on all plans

We include FreshLearn in our list next. This is a course-first platform with community, live classes, email marketing, gamification, and an AI website builder.

The course builder supports on-demand courses, live cohorts, workshops, video playlists, digital downloads, and product bundles. On the No Brainer plan ($59/month), you can get community, live classes, certificates, assignments, assessments, question banks, gamification, video compliance, and a referral program.

FreshLearn includes a built-in email campaign builder with automation workflows — free for up to 3,000 emails/month on the Pro plan and 5,000 on No Brainer. There is also an AI website builder, blogging CMS, and checkout page builder included. For creators who hate juggling separate tools, this consolidation matters.

However, FreshLearn has limitations. The free plan is extremely restricted. You can create just 1 product, 25 manual enrollments, and 3 sales pages. The Pro plan at $41/month lacks community, live classes, certificates, assignments, and gamification. Those all require the No Brainer plan. There is no branded mobile app (only Android and iOS learner access on No Brainer+). And 1:1 coaching is listed as "Coming Soon" (on the highest plan), not yet available.

Features worth highlighting

• Courses, live cohorts, workshops, digital downloads, and product bundles

• Built-in email campaigns with automation workflows (3K-12K emails/month by plan)

• AI website builder and blogging CMS

• Community, gamification, certificates, assessments, and question banks (No Brainer+)

• Free plan available with no credit card required

What's exclusive on FreshLearn

• 0% transaction fees on every plan including the free plan

• Responsive human support

• Free migration support for annual subscribers

Limitations

• Free plan is very limited — 1 product, 25 enrollments, 3 sales pages only

• Pro plan ($41/month) lacks community, live classes, certificates, assignments, and gamification, all require No Brainer ($59/month)

• No branded mobile app

• 1:1 coaching feature is not yet available (listed as "Coming Soon" on the highest plan )

• Email credits are capped per plan (3K-12K/month)

• Pro plan shows FreshLearn branding, to remove branding, you need No Brainer plan ($59/month)

How much does FreshLearn cost?

• Free: $0 (1 product, 25 enrollments, 3 sales pages)

• Pro: $41/month annually ($49 monthly) — courses, downloads, email, AI website builder

• No Brainer: $59/month annually ($79 monthly) — community, live classes, gamification, certificates

• No Brainer+: $119/month annually ($149 monthly) — automations, API, custom fields, priority support

• Enterprise: Custom pricing — SCORM, SSO, dedicated account manager

11. Ruzuku (Best free online course platform to sell courses)

Best for: First-time course creators who want a genuinely free starting point with zero transaction fees, unlimited courses, and built-in live session tools.

Starting price: Free plan (5 students) | Paid from $99/month

Transaction fees: 0% on all plans

Ruzuku is one of the few platforms that still offers a permanent free plan. If you are looking for a free online course platform to validate your course idea before investing, Ruzuku can be a cool option. 

The free plan includes unlimited courses with zero transaction fees (but unfortunately, you can only take up to 5 students). That is enough to test your first course with real students and see if there is demand before committing money. 

Here’s what Ruzuku looks like when the author was trying to create a course:

On paid plans, Ruzuku keeps things straightforward. The Core plan at $99/month gives you unlimited students, built-in Zoom integration for live sessions, quizzes, polls, discussion forums tied to each lesson, drip content, payment plans, and completion certificates. The Pro plan at $199/month adds webinars, advanced customization, and additional instructor accounts.

What makes Ruzuku different from most platforms is its focus on the teaching experience rather than marketing. Discussion prompts are tied directly to lessons (not a separate community tab), live Zoom sessions are built in with scheduling and attendance tracking, and student tech support is included. 

However, Ruzuku is deliberately simple. There is no sales funnel builder, no landing page designer, no email marketing tool, no branded mobile app, and no community feature beyond lesson-level discussions. If you need marketing tools, you will need external services. The interface is clean but basic, so creators who want polished, modern design will find it limiting.

Features worth highlighting

• Free plan with unlimited courses, 5 students, and 0% transaction fees

• Built-in Zoom integration with scheduling and attendance tracking (Core+)

• Lesson-level discussion forums and Q&A prompts

• Quizzes, polls, and completion certificates (Core+)

• Drip content and payment plan support

• Unlimited video, audio, and file hosting on all plans

• 30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans

What's exclusive on Ruzuku

• The only course platform in this list that lets you run unlimited courses indefinitely at $0 with zero transaction fees

• Built-in student tech support. Ruzuku's team directly handles your students' technical issues

Limitations

• No sales funnel builder or landing page designer, you need external marketing tools

• No built-in email marketing; requires a separate service like Kit or Mailchimp

• No branded mobile app 

• No community feature beyond lesson-level discussions

• Paid plans start at $99/month — a significant jump from free with no mid-tier option

• No AI features for course creation 

How much does Ruzuku cost?

• Free: $0 (unlimited courses, 5 students, 0% transaction fees, no time limit)

• Core: $99/month — unlimited students, Zoom, quizzes, certificates, drip content, payment plans

• Pro: $199/month — webinars, advanced customization, multiple instructor accounts

• Nonprofit discount: 30% off annual plans plus a one-time lifetime license option.

#Community-first platforms

12. Mighty Networks (Top community platform with courses built in)

Best for: Creators, coaches, and educators who want to build a thriving community first and offer courses, events, and memberships inside that community.

Starting price: $95/month (Launch) | 14-day free trial

Transaction fees: 0.5% on Mighty Pro, 1% on Scale, 2% on Launch plan (on top of Stripe processing fees)

Mighty Networks is primarily a community platform with courses built in. If your business model is centered on gathering people around a shared goal and courses are one of several ways you engage them, Mighty Networks is a strong contender.

The community tools are excellent. 

You get: unlimited members, unlimited spaces, group and direct messaging, events, live streaming, polls, questions, chat spaces, leaderboards, and referral programs. ]

Members interact through a Facebook-like feed inside customizable "Spaces" that you can structure however you want. Your Mighty Network lives on web, iOS, and Android — members get a native app experience without you paying for a custom build. 

However, if you want a fully branded apps via Mighty Pro, you may have to cost a huge amount (contact sales for info).

The Launch plan includes on-demand, cohort-based, and live courses with quizzes, tests, resource libraries, native video upload, drip content, and AI-powered instant course outlines. You can bundle courses with events, community access, and memberships.

Mighty Co-Host, their AI assistant powered by Community Design methodology, helps you plan your community structure, generate content, and spark conversations. There are also optional AI features like the "Make it Better" writing assistant and AI conversation starters built into the feed.

However, key integrations and automation features are locked behind the Scale plan ($215/month). Zapier, Kit integration, the ability to charge for events, intermediate automations, and API access all require Scale. Branded mobile apps (Mighty Pro) are custom-priced and not included in any standard plan. And platform transaction fees apply on every plan (2% on Launch plan)...on top of Stripe's standard processing.

Course creation tools are also less sophisticated than dedicated course platforms. There are no advanced assessments beyond basic quizzes, no assignment submissions, and SCORM content can only be embedded. If structured learning with formal evaluations is your priority, dedicated platforms like EzyCourse or LearnWorlds offer more depth.

Features worth highlighting

• Unlimited members and unlimited spaces on all plans

• On-demand, cohort-based, and live courses with quizzes, tests, and drip content

• Live streaming with up to 20-50 hours/month depending on plan

• Gamification with points, badges, streaks, leaderboards, and certifications

• AI Co-Host for community design, instant course outlines, and conversation starters

• Events (online and in-person), chat spaces with threads, and private groups

What's exclusive on Mighty Networks

• Community-first architecture with unlimited Spaces 

• Build distinct community areas (discussion groups, course cohorts, event spaces, coaching circles) 

• Mighty Co-Host AI powered by Community Design methodology to help you structure a community that drives engagement and retention

Limitations

• Platform transaction fees on every plan 

• Zapier, Kit integration, and API access are locked behind Scale ($215/month)

• Branded mobile app (Mighty Pro) is custom-priced (expect high prices)

• Course builder is basic compared to dedicated platforms (no advanced assessments, no assignment submissions)

• Only 1 customizable landing page on Launch and Scale plans

• Customer support is primarily US-hours focused (users outside the US report slower responses)

• Storage starts at 200GB on Launch, and video-heavy courses can hit limits quickly

How much does Mighty Networks cost?

• Launch: $95/month ($79/month annually) — courses, events, community, gamification, basic automations, 20 streaming hours

• Scale: $215/month ($179/month annually) — adds Kit integration, Zapier, charge for events, intermediate automations, limited API, 30 streaming hours

• Mighty Pro: Custom pricing — branded apps, strategy services, migration support, launch support, priority support

Read our full breakdown: Mighty Networks pricing explained.

13. Skool (Simple community + course)

Best for: Creators and coaches who want the simplest possible platform combining community discussion with courses, gamification, and live calls.

Starting price: $9/month (Hobby) 

Transaction fees: 10% on Hobby | 2.9% on Pro

Skool is a very popular online community platform, being used by over 170,000 communities worldwide at present. 

It keeps things simple. You get a community feed, a course area (called Classroom), a calendar for events, live calls, and a gamification system with leaderboards, points, and levels. That is it. And for many creators, that is exactly enough.

The platform was founded by Sam Ovens in 2019 and has attracted a passionate community of course creators, largely thanks to the gamification. Points, level hierarchies, and leaderboards create a competitive dynamic that drives member engagement in ways traditional forums cannot match. Members see their progress, earn status, and stay active, which directly impacts retention and community health.

Setup is fast. You can launch a community with courses, events, and paid access in under an hour. The interface is clean and distraction-free. 

Skool recently introduced a Hobby plan at $9/month, making it significantly more accessible than the previous $99-only pricing. However, the Hobby plan carries a 10% transaction fee on every sale. It is the highest in the industry. At $1,000/month in revenue, you are paying $100 in platform fees on a $9 plan. The Pro plan at $99/month drops the fee to 2.9% and adds a custom URL and affiliate program.

The trade-off for simplicity is clear: Skool deliberately omits features that most course platforms consider essential. There are no quizzes, no assessments, no certificates, no drip content, no assignments, no SCORM support, no email marketing, no landing page builder, no membership tiers, no website builder, no white-label domain, no branded mobile app, and no options to sell digital or physical products beyond community access. 

If your course requires any of these, Skool cannot provide them at any price.

Features worth highlighting

• Community feed with posts, comments, likes, and member interactions

• Classroom for hosting course modules with videos and resources

• Gamification with points, levels, leaderboards, and activity tracking

• Calendar for event scheduling and live calls

• Unlimited members, courses, videos, and live calls on both plans

• iOS and Android mobile app (Skool-branded, not white-label)

• Auto-affiliate feature on Pro plan

• One-click email broadcast to all members

• Discover page for organic member acquisition

What's exclusive on Skool

• Gamification engine with leaderboards, points, and level hierarchies is genuinely best-in-class — no other community platform drives member engagement through competitive mechanics this effectively

• Fastest setup-to-launch time of any platform in this list — you can go from zero to a live, paid community in under an hour with no technical skills

Limitations

• 10% transaction fee on Hobby plan

• No quizzes, assessments, certificates, or drip content — if your course needs structured evaluation, Skool cannot do it

• No white-label branding 

• No custom domain on Hobby plan 

• No website builder, landing page designer, or sales funnels

• No email marketing beyond basic one-click broadcasts

• No membership tiers or advanced monetization options

• No option to sell digital or physical products outside community access

• Mobile app is Skool-branded, not a white-label branded app under your name

• No advanced analytics or member segmentation

How much does Skool cost?

• Hobby: $9/month — unlimited members, courses, videos, live calls | 10% transaction fee 

• Pro: $99/month — 2.9% transaction fee | Custom URL, affiliate program included

Looking for more features? Explore the top Skool alternatives.

14. Circle (Best for cohort-based learning communities)

Best for: Creators and organizations who want to build a modern, beautifully designed community with integrated courses, events, live streams, and workflows. Especially for cohort-based programs and paid memberships.

Starting price: $89/month (Professional) 

Transaction fees: 2% on Professional | 1% on Business | 0.5% on Circle Plus

Circle has become the go-to community platform for creators who want something that looks and feels more polished than Mighty Networks or Skool. The interface is modern, clean, and highly customizable.

The Professional plan ($89/month) includes unlimited members, courses, discussions, events, live streams, live rooms, a website builder, gamification, paid memberships, custom branding, custom domain, reporting and analytics, a searchable member directory, and rich member profiles. For a community-first platform, that is a strong feature set at the entry level.

Courses in Circle are organized as structured content within spaces; videos, text, and resources that support cohort-based or self-paced programs. The experience is more community-driven than a traditional LMS, which works brilliantly for group coaching programs, masterminds, and ongoing learning communities where discussion matters as much as content delivery.

Circle recently launched Email Hub. It's an add-on that brings email broadcasts, marketing workflows, contact capture forms, segmentation, and campaign analytics directly into the platform. This means you can potentially replace a separate email marketing tool, though it comes at an additional cost (starting at $99/month for 10,000 contacts on top of your plan).

They have also introduced AI features on higher plans. AI content writer, automated transcriptions, AI agents, AI moderation, knowledge engine, AI inbox, and AI workflows. However, these are only available on Circle Plus (custom pricing).

However, Circle charges transaction fees on every plan. 2% on Professional, 1% on Business, 0.5% on Circle Plus — on top of standard payment processor fees. 

Key features are also gated aggressively. Workflows, API access, branded email notifications, activity scores, and Circle branding removal all require the Business plan at $199/month. Branded mobile apps, SSO, and AI agents need Circle Plus at custom (enterprise-level) pricing. 

The course builder, while functional, remains basic compared to dedicated platforms. There are no advanced quizzes, no SCORM support, no assignments, no certificates, and no drip content sequencing. If structured course delivery with formal assessments is your priority, Circle will not match what EzyCourse or Thinkific offer.

Features worth highlighting

• Unlimited members on all plans with courses, discussions, events, and live streams

• Modern, highly customizable interface with custom branding

• Live streams (up to 100-200 attendees) and live rooms (15-20 participants)

• Workflows and automations on Business plan for scaling operations

• Email Hub add-on for broadcasts, segmentation, and marketing workflows

• AI content writer, transcriptions, agents, and moderation (Circle Plus)

• Branded iOS, Android apps

What's exclusive on Circle

• Most polished and customizable community interface of any platform in this list 

• Email Hub unifies community management and email marketing in one pla

Limitations

• Transaction fees on every plan (2% Professional, 1% Business, 0.5% Plus) 

• Workflows, API access, branding removal, and activity scores locked behind Business ($199/month)

• Branded mobile apps only available on Circle Plus (custom pricing)

• Live streaming limited to 10-15 hours/month with 100-200 attendees — overages cost $50/month per 10 hours 

• Course features are basic ( no advanced quizzes, no SCORM, no assignments, no certificates, no drip content)

• Email Hub is an add-on cost starting at $99/month for 10K contacts 

• AI features (agents, workflows, moderation) only on Circle Plus; not accessible on Professional or Business

How much does Circle.so cost?

• Professional: $89/month — unlimited members, courses, events, live streams, gamification, 20 spaces, 200GB storage, 2% transaction fee

• Business: $199/month — everything in Professional + workflows, API, branding removal, activity scores, 30 spaces, 500GB storage, 1% transaction fee

• Circle Plus: Custom pricing — everything in Business + AI agents, SSO, advanced analytics, 1TB storage, 0.5% fee, optional branded apps, dedicated success manager

• Add-ons: Email Hub: from $99/month (10K contacts)

Explore more options: Circle community alternatives

#Online course marketplaces

Please keep it in mind that now we will share the top three course marketplaces you can look out. These platforms are not like the course platforms as we've shared so far. You can list your courses on the makretplaces as an instructor and you can earn by a revenue share model.

15. Udemy (Largest online course marketplace)

Best for: New course creators who want to validate a course topic with zero upfront investment by tapping into Udemy's massive marketplace of 70+ million learners.

Starting price: Free to publish

Revenue model: 97% on self-promoted sales | 37% on organic marketplace sales | 15% from Udemy Business subscriptions (as of April 2026)

Udemy is the largest course marketplace in the world with over 80 million learners and 290,000+ courses. For a first-time creator, listing a course on Udemy gives you instant access to a massive built-in audience. 

Publishing courses is free. There are no subscription fees, no setup costs, and no technical barriers. Udemy provides a course creation tool, Marketplace Insights for topic validation (showing demand, competition, and revenue potential per niche), and promotional tools like custom coupons. If your course sells, you know there is real demand… before investing in your own platform.

However, the economics have gotten significantly worse for instructors. On organic marketplace sales (where Udemy drives the traffic), you keep only 37% of the revenue. On Udemy Business subscriptions, the instructor share has dropped from 25% in 2023 to just 15% as of January 2026. So, a 40% reduction in three years. 

Udemy also runs frequent site-wide promotions that discount courses to $9.99-$14.99 regardless of your set price. If you price your course at $199 and Udemy runs a sale, your revenue on an organic sale is 37% of $9.99; that is $3.70.

The bigger cost is strategic. You do not own your student email list. You cannot control pricing. Students associate the experience with Udemy, not your brand. And Udemy's CFO has publicly stated the company is "intentionally reducing" single-course sales to push subscriptions  where they keep 85%.

For these reasons, experienced creators increasingly use Udemy as a lead generation channel alongside their own platform, not as their primary business. And many online teachers search for Udemy alternatives that allows them to create and sell courses with their own rules. 

Features worth highlighting

• Access to 80+ million learners with zero upfront cost

• Marketplace Insights tool for validating course topics before building

• Custom coupon tool (keep 97% on self-promoted sales)

• Simple course builder with video, quizzes, assignments, and coding exercises

• Udemy Business program for corporate training exposure

• Connect 1:1 coaching feature (80% instructor share)

• 24/7 support and teaching resources

What's exclusive on Udemy

• Largest built-in audience of any course platform 

• Marketplace Insights tool shows real demand data (search volume, competition, revenue potential) before you build

Limitations

• Only 37% revenue on organic sales — Udemy keeps 63%

• Subscription payout dropped to 15% as of January 2026 — down from 25% in 2023

• No control over course pricing 

• You do not own student email addresses or contact data

• High competition  (290,000+ courses on the platform)

• No branding 

• Udemy is intentionally shifting away from single-course sales toward subscriptions (worse for instructors)

• Cannot build a standalone business on Udemy alone

Udemy revenue model

• Self-promoted sales (your coupon/referral link): You keep 97%

• Organic marketplace sales (Udemy drives the sale): You keep 37%

• Udemy Business subscriptions: You keep 15% (as of January 2026)

• Connect 1:1 coaching: You keep 80%

• iOS/Android sales incur an additional 30% platform fee from Apple/Google

• Free to publish. No subscription fees.

16. Skillshare (Best for teaching project-based creative classes)

Best for: Creative professionals (designers, illustrators, photographers, writers, filmmakers) who want to teach short, project-based classes and earn royalties from a subscription-based audience.

Starting price: Free to publish

Revenue model: Royalty-based, approximately 20% of Skillshare's subscription revenue pooled monthly and distributed to teachers based on minutes watched. 

Skillshare is a subscription-based course marketplace focused on creative skills. Members pay a monthly or annual fee for unlimited access to the entire catalog, and teachers earn royalties based on how many minutes students spend watching their classes relative to all other classes on the platform.

The model rewards volume and engagement. If your classes receive 5% of all minutes watched across Skillshare in a given month, you receive 5% of that month's teacher royalty pool. Top-earning teachers make $100,000+/year, but the average is around $3,000/year, and it varies wildly based on your niche, volume of classes published, and audience promotion.

Skillshare has expanded beyond just classes. Teachers can now sell digital products, offer 1-on-1 sessions (with a 10% Skillshare fee), and earn referral bonuses ($10 per new member referred). Top Teacher and Rising Teacher program members can earn additional engagement rewards ($250 and $100 monthly, respectively) for meaningful student interaction.

However, Skillshare tightened its earning criteria in 2026. Starting January 1, 2026, teachers must have at least 50 followers on Skillshare to qualify for any royalty payout. This is a new requirement that did not exist before. On top of that, you still need a minimum of 75 total minutes watched by paid subscribers across all your classes in a given month. If you do not meet both thresholds, you earn zero that month regardless of content quality. 

For new teachers without an existing audience, this creates a chicken-and-egg problem: you need followers to earn, but earning visibility helps attract followers.

You also do not own your students, cannot set your own prices, and have zero control over how Skillshare markets or positions your classes. All these limitations lead creators to search for better Skillshare alternatives. 

Features worth highlighting

• Access to millions of creative learners with no upfront cost

• Project-based class format that drives hands-on student engagement

• Royalty pool from 20% of total Skillshare subscription revenue

• Referral program ($10 per new member you refer)

• 1-on-1 sessions and digital product sales (new in 2025-2026)

• Top Teacher and Rising Teacher reward programs ($100-$250/month bonuses)

What's exclusive on Skillshare

• Project-based learning format is unique among marketplaces. 

• Built-in creative community 

• Your classes reach students who are specifically looking for design, art, writing, and creative business skills

Limitations

• Royalty-based pay is unpredictable, earnings fluctuate monthly based on platform-wide watch time

• 50 follower minimum required to earn any royalties (as of January 2026)

• Minimum 75 minutes watched per month by paid subscribers to qualify for payout

• No control over pricing 

• Per-minute payout has dropped significantly since 2022 (now ~$0.03-$0.06/minute)

• No ownership of student relationships or email addresses

• 10% Skillshare fee on 1-on-1 session sales

Skillshare revenue model

• Free to publish. 

• tion fees.Royalties: approximately 20% of Skillshare's subscription revenue pooled monthly, split by teacher's share of total minutes watched

• Referrals: $10 per new member who signs up through your link

• 1-on-1 sessions: You keep 90% (10% Skillshare fee)

• Digital products: Revenue share applies

• Engagement rewards: $250/month (Top Teachers) or $100/month (Rising Teachers) for receiving positive reviews
  

17. Coursera (Best for offering academic credentials and university-backed courses)

Best for: University professors, institutional educators, and industry professionals at major companies who want to offer accredited courses, professional certificates, and online degrees through university partnerships.

Starting price: Free to audit courses | Revenue share model for instructors

Revenue model: Revenue share negotiated through institutional partnerships (not open to individual creators)

Coursera partners with 350+ universities and leading companies (Stanford, Yale, Google, IBM, Meta) to offer courses that carry genuine academic weight. If credentialing and university-backed education matter to your audience, Coursera is unmatched.

This is not a typical course creator platform. You generally need institutional affiliation to teach on Coursera. Independent creators cannot simply sign up and publish like on Udemy or Skillshare. Instead, Coursera works with universities and organizations to develop structured programs: individual courses, multi-course Specializations with capstone projects, Professional Certificates (Google, Meta, IBM), and full online degree programs.

For educators who do get accepted, Coursera provides a dedicated teaching portal with content creation assistance, training resources, and progress tracking tools. Courses can include video lectures, in-app quizzes, peer-reviewed assignments, and expert-assisted learning. The platform offers completion certificates (paid) and a free audit option for most courses. This means students can access your content for free but pay for the credential.

Coursera's revenue model is negotiated at the institutional level, not publicly listed per-instructor. Revenue is typically shared between Coursera and the partnering institution, with the institution then compensating instructors based on their own agreements. For the most popular course instructors, Coursera has offered additional rewards and recognition.

The biggest strength is credibility. A certificate from "Google Professional Certificate on Coursera" or "Stanford Online on Coursera" carries weight that no self-hosted course platform can match. Students come for the credential, and completion rates on structured Specializations are higher than typical self-paced courses.

The limitation for most readers of this guide is access. If you are an independent creator, coach, or solopreneur, Coursera is not built for you. It is built for institutions, and the barriers to entry are high. See top Coursera alternatives instead.

Features worth highlighting

• Partnership with 350+ universities and companies (Stanford, Yale, Google, IBM, Meta)

• Professional Certificates, Specializations, and full online degree programs

• Dedicated teaching portal with content creation tools and training resources

• Free audit option for students (paid certificates for credentials)

• Video lectures, quizzes, peer-reviewed assignments, and capstone projects

• Student progress tracking and completion analytics

What's exclusive on Coursera

• University-backed credentials that carry real professional weight 

• Higher completion rates than typical self-paced courses on other marketplaces

Limitations

• Not open to independent creators (requires institutional or corporate partnership)

• Revenue model is institutional, not transparent per-instructor

• Highly competitive 

• Less flexibility in course design 

• Limited direct student-teacher interaction compared to community-based platforms

• Complex pricing structure for learners (free audit vs. paid certificate vs. subscription vs. degree)

• You do not own student data or relationships

Coursera revnue model 

• Revenue share for instructors is negotiated through institutional agreements.

#Funnel-focused platforms

We are listing three popular funnel builder platforms now. These are basically funnel-focused platforms that offer course-selling features. 

18. Kartra (Marketing platform for selling courses through funnels)

Best for: Marketers and course creators who sell primarily through sales funnels, email sequences, and automated campaigns.

Starting price: $59/month (Essentials) | 14-day free trial 

Transaction fees: 5% on Essentials | 0% on Starter and above

Kartra is a marketing platform first, course platform second. If your business model relies heavily on sales funnels, upsells, downsells, and automated email sequences, Kartra gives you the most sophisticated marketing toolset with course hosting built in, so you do not need a separate LMS.

The funnel builder is where Kartra earns its reputation. You get multi-step sales funnels, a funnel mapper for visual planning, A/B testing, order bumps, one-click upsells, and a funnel simulation tool (Growth plan) that lets you model performance before launch. The email marketing engine supports unlimited emails and SMS on Starter and above, with automation sequences, segmentation, and behavioral triggers.

Course hosting is functional but secondary. You can create memberships and courses with drip content, video hosting, and resource libraries.

However, quizzes and surveys are only available on the Growth plan ($229/month), and there are no certificates, no SCORM support, no advanced assessments, and no community features. If your primary product is a structured learning experience, dedicated course platforms offer significantly more depth.

Kartra recently restructured its pricing with four plans. The Essentials plan at $59/month is the entry point, but it is heavily limited. 

You get only 1 product, 500 contacts, 5 pages, 10,000 emails/month, and a 5% transaction fee on every sale. 

The Starter plan is the sweet spot for most creators at $99 for the first 3 months, which then gives you 2,500 contacts, unlimited pages, unlimited products, unlimited memberships, video hosting, and 0% transaction fees. (Check their pricing page for any changes in info, it's a limited time plan)

Kartra also includes a built-in helpdesk, calendar scheduling, form builder, advanced analytics, and the Kartra Marketplace where you can buy and sell pre-built funnels, templates, and campaigns from other users.

However, the platform has a steep learning curve. The interface is complex, and non-marketers can feel overwhelmed. Page loading speed has been criticized in user reviews. And the jump from Starter to Growth ($229/month) is steep. 

Features worth highlighting

• Multi-step sales funnel builder with visual funnel mapper

• Email marketing with unlimited emails and SMS (Starter+)

• Course and membership hosting with drip content and video hosting

• A/B testing, order bumps, and one-click upsells

• Kartra AI assistant (30-100 uses depending on plan)

• Kartra Marketplace for pre-built funnels and templates

What's exclusive on Kartra

• Funnel simulation tool (Growth plan) lets you model funnel performance before spending money on ads 

• Kartra Marketplace is a unique ecosystem where you can purchase proven, pre-built funnels and campaigns from other creators

Limitations

• 5% transaction fee on Essentials plan 

• Essentials plan is severely limited — 1 product, 500 contacts, 5 pages

• Quizzes, surveys, and affiliates locked behind Growth plan ($229/month)

• Course builder is basic…no certificates, no SCORM, no advanced assessments, no community

• No branded mobile app for students

• Page loading speed has received negative feedback in user reviews

• Video hosting only available on Starter and above 

How much does Kartra cost?

• Essentials: $59/month — 1 product, 500 contacts, 5 pages, 5% transaction fee, Kartra AI (30 uses)

• Starter: $99 for first 3 months (then regular pricing) — unlimited pages, unlimited products, 2,500 contacts, 0% fees, video hosting, Kartra AI (100 uses), 5 team members

• Growth: $229/month — 12,500 contacts, automations, affiliates, funnel simulation, webinars (1K guests), surveys, quizzes, helpdesk, 3 custom domains, 10 team members

19. ClickFunnels (Best funnel builder with course hosting built in)

Best for: Course creators whose primary sales strategy is driving traffic through conversion-optimized funnels.

Starting price: $97/month (Launch)

Transaction fees: 0% platform fee when using Payments AI (their built-in payment) | 1% gateway fee if using your own Stripe

ClickFunnels is a funnel builder first, course platform second. 

The core experience is building landing pages, order forms, checkout pages, upsell sequences, and automated email campaigns. Courses were added so creators would not need a separate LMS. And they are functional enough that many funnel-focused creators never look elsewhere.

The course builder includes modules, lessons, drip content, lesson locking, native video hosting (3GB limit), and certificates (added March 2026). You get proven course templates to launch quickly, and courses live directly inside your sales funnels.

So you can sell courses standalone, bundle them with other products, use free courses as lead magnets, or offer premium courses as upsells. That funnel-to-course integration is seamless and is the main reason creators choose ClickFunnels over a dedicated course platform.

Beyond courses, ClickFunnels packs in a full marketing suite: unlimited funnels (limited time offer), a drag-and-drop page editor, smart checkout, A/B testing, email marketing with automation, community features, a store, appointment scheduling, survey workflows, countdown funnels, analytics, discounts, an affiliate center, and AI tools for copy generation (1M-10M words depending on plan).

However, course limits are hard-capped per plan: 3 on Launch, 6 on Scale, 10 on Optimize, 20 on Dominate. Most dedicated course platforms offer unlimited courses on all plans. If you plan to build a large course catalog, this becomes a real constraint. There is also no in-course quiz builder, no graded assessments, no SCORM support, and no branded mobile app. The learning experience is basic compared to what EzyCourse, LearnWorlds, or Thinkific delivers.

Payment processing has a nuance worth noting. If you use ClickFunnels' native Payments AI, there is no additional platform fee. But if you connect your own Stripe account, ClickFunnels adds a 1% gateway fee on top of Stripe's standard rates. And recurring subscription payments must use Payments AI. You cannot use your own Stripe for subscriptions.

Features worth highlighting

• Unlimited funnels with drag-and-drop editor and A/B testing (limited time on all plans)

• Course hosting with modules, lessons, drip content, certificates, and native video

• Smart checkout with order bumps and one-click upsells

• Email marketing with automation sequences (50K-1.2M emails/month by plan)

• Community feature, store, and affiliate center

• AI tools for copywriting (1M-10M words by plan)

What's exclusive on ClickFunnels

• Courses live natively inside your sales funnels 

• Decades of proven, high-converting funnel templates from the platform
  
  

Limitations

• Course limits are hard-capped: 3 (Launch), 6 (Scale), 10 (Optimize), 20 (Dominate) 

• No in-course quiz builder or graded assessments — need external tools like Typeform

• No SCORM support

• No branded mobile app for students

• 1% gateway fee if using your own Stripe instead of Payments AI

• Native video hosting limited to 3GB

• Steep learning curve for non-marketers

• Expensive for what you get on the course side — $97/month for 3 courses

• Contacts capped per plan (10K-400K)
  
  

How much does ClickFunnels cost?

• Launch: $97/month — 3 courses, 10K contacts, 50K emails, 5 domains, AI (1M words)

• Scale: $197/month — 6 courses, 75K contacts, 300K emails, unlimited domains, API access, priority support

• Optimize: $297/month — 10 courses, 150K contacts, 750K emails, AI (5M words)

• Dominate: $5,997/year (annual only) — 20 courses, 400K contacts, 1.2M emails, VIP support, 3-hour private onboarding

  Prices are stated in monthly billing. 

20. SamCart (Best checkout platform with course hosting built in)

Best for: Course creators focused on maximizing revenue per customer through high-converting checkout pages, one-click upsells, and order bumps.

Starting price: $79/month (when you have $0 revenue) 

Transaction fees: 0% platform fee on all tiers 

SamCart is a checkout optimization platform with course hosting built in. 

If you sell courses primarily through checkout pages rather than course marketplaces, SamCart's conversion tools can genuinely increase your revenue per student.

The core strength is the checkout experience. SamCart's CheckoutOS offers high-converting templates, one-click upsells, order bumps, payment plans, digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay), stored credit cards, cart abandonment recovery, subscription saver, and Checkout Anywhere. Basically, it lets you embed your checkout on any page, social bio, or email. 

The platform claims the average course creator increases sales by 43% simply by switching to SamCart and turning on these revenue-boosting features.

The Course App is included on every pricing tier at no extra cost. You get unlimited courses and unlimited students with lessons, content tiers, worksheets, quizzes, drip content, and video hosting via Wistia. 

Moreover, Course Cross-Sells let you promote other courses inside purchased courses, where students can buy in one click using their saved payment method.

However, SamCart is fundamentally a checkout and sales tool. Not a dedicated course platform. There are no community features, no coaching tools, no advanced assessments, no certificates, no SCORM, no branded mobile app, and no built-in email marketing. The course builder delivers content effectively, but the student learning experience is basic compared to dedicated platforms.

And the revenue-based pricing means your subscription gets significantly more expensive as you scale. For instance, you may have to pay $129/month at $5K revenue, $319/month at $20K revenue.

Features worth highlighting

• Unlimited courses and unlimited students

• CheckoutOS with one-click upsells, order bumps, digital wallets, and cart abandonment recovery

• Auto-Enroll: students go directly from purchase to course content with zero login friction

• Course Cross-Sells to promote other courses within purchased courses 

• Video hosting via Wistia partnership 

• 7-day free trial 

What's exclusive on SamCart

• Auto-Enroll eliminates the biggest course delivery friction 

• Revenue-based pricing with every feature unlocked from day on

Limitations

• Course builder is basic — no community, no coaching, no advanced assessments, no certificates, no SCORM

• No branded mobile app for students

• No built-in email marketing 

• No community or discussion features

• Revenue-based pricing gets expensive as you scale 

• Course migration is manual 

How much does SamCart cost?

SamCart's pricing model is unique. Instead of traditional tiered plans, they offer one plan with every feature included from day one. Your monthly price scales based on your revenue through SamCart. You start at $79/month when you are at $0 revenue, and increasing as your business grows. 

Your price scales based on your monthly revenue through the platform. Estimate it from their pricing page:

• $0 revenue: $79/month

• $5,000 revenue: $129/month

• $20,000 revenue: $319/month

• $1M+ revenue: Custom pricing

Related: SamCart alternatives

#WordPress LMS for course creators

We have only listed one WordPress plugin in our list. According to our research, creators looking to start a course business do not prefer WordPress. Given the fact that you love WordPress or you're already in the ecosystem, you can consider LMS plugins for WordPress. 

21. LearnDash (Top WordPress LMS)

Best for: WordPress users who want full control over their course website, student data, and design.

Starting price: $199/year (plugin)

Transaction fees: 0% on all plans

LearnDash is the most popular WordPress LMS plugin. This is used by universities, Fortune 500 companies, and solo course creators who want maximum control over their online learning business. 

If you already run a WordPress site, LearnDash turns it into a fully featured course platform.

The course builder uses a multi-tier structure. Courses contain Lessons, which contain Topics, which can include Quizzes. This hierarchy lets you build anything from a simple 5-lesson course to a complex multi-module certification program. 

Where LearnDash genuinely stands out is in assessment features. The quiz supports 8 question types (multiple choice, single answer, free text, essay, fill-in-the-blank, sorting, matching, and assessment).

For creators building professional training or certification programs, this level of assessment control is really cool.

However, WordPress comes with real overhead. You need hosting ($5-50/month), theme and design setup, plugin management, security updates, and troubleshooting when plugins conflict.

The realistic total cost for a production-ready LearnDash site is closer to $300-$600/year once you add hosting, themes, and essential add-ons. 

Features worth highlighting

• Multi-tier course builder: Courses → Lessons → Topics → Quizzes with drag-and-drop

• 8 quiz question types with question banks, randomization, time limits, and grading

• Certificates, badges, and course points for gamification

• AI course outline tool for faster setup

• Supports subscriptions, memberships, bundles, and one-time purchases

What's exclusive on LearnDash

• Strong quiz and assessment feature 

• Full WordPress ecosystem access 

Limitations

• WordPress management is required (plugin version) — hosting, security, updates, and plugin conflicts are your responsibility

• Advanced features require paid add-ons: ProPanel reporting ($139/year), Groups Management ($99/year), Gradebook, Notes

• No built-in email marketing, community features, or sales funnel builder

• LearnDash App starts at $1,199/year

• Plugin conflicts are common in the WordPress ecosystem 

• Realistic total cost is $300-$600+/year (plugin + hosting + themes + add-ons)

• StellarSites Cloud is newer and less proven than the established plugin

How much does LearnDash cost?

LearnDash LMS Plugin (self-hosted on your WordPress site):

• 1 site: $199/year

• 10 sites: $399/year

• Unlimited sites: $799/year

LearnDash LMS Plugin + Hosting (fully managed WordPress — no setup needed):

• Essential: $29/month annually ($39 monthly)

• Plus: $55/month annually ($69 monthly)

• Ultimate: $79/month annually ($99 monthly)

Hosting plans include website hosting, domains, daily backups, AI writing tools, starter templates, enhanced login security, and email/chat support.

LearnDash App (native mobile app with offline learning):

• From $1,199/year

• Optional done-for-you setup: custom branding, app store submission, dedicated publishing expert

Other WordPress LMS options worth considering include LifterLMS ($149.5/year) and TutorLMS, but LearnDash remains the strongest in this category.

👉 Create your online course now

How to choose the right online course platform

With 21 options on the table, here is a framework to narrow it down based on where you are right now:

If you are just starting out and want to test for free: Start with Systeme.io (free plan with courses, funnels, and email) or Ruzuku (free plan with unlimited courses and 5 students). Validate your idea before spending money.

If you want everything in one place: EzyCourse gives you the widest feature set — courses, community, coaching, memberships, live streaming, email marketing, and a branded app from $55/month plan. Kajabi does offer an all-in-one solution. But the prices are too high ($499/month for Pro), which might be too costly for many creators.

If courses are your only product: Thinkific or LearnWorlds could be one of the best dedicated course builders. However, both lack built-in email marketing. That means you will need a separate tool like Mailchimp or Kit ($25-$80/month extra). If you want courses plus email, community, and coaching without adding external tools, an all-in-one platform is the better fit.

If community is your core: Mighty Networks or Circle if community comes first and courses are secondary. Skool if you want dead-simple community + courses with gamification.

If you sell through funnels: Kartra or ClickFunnels give you the best funnel-building tools with course hosting included. SamCart if checkout optimization is your priority.

If you want to test an idea with a built-in audience: Udemy or Skillshare let you validate with zero upfront investment. But you should plan to migrate to your own platform once you prove demand.

If you use WordPress: LearnDash is the strongest LMS plugin, but be prepared for the technical overhead of hosting, plugins, and maintenance.

Final few words 

The best online course platform in 2026 is the one that matches your current stage, budget, and business model. There is no universal "best". Actually, there is only what is best for you right now.

For most creators reading this, we recommend starting with EzyCourse if you want a true all-in-one platform that grows with you, or Thinkific if you want a focused, polished course creation experience. Both offer free trials, so you can test before committing.

The revenue in the online education market is projected to exceed $221 billion by 2026. The opportunity is real. The only wrong move is spending six months choosing a platform instead of building and launching your course.

Pick a platform. Launch your course. Optimize from there.

👉Start your teaching journey with EzyCourse — 14-day free 👈

Frequently Asked Questions

What are online course platforms? 

Online course platforms are digital tools that let creators and businesses create, host, sell, and manage online courses from a single system. They typically include course builders, video hosting, payment processing, student management, and analytics.

What is the best online course platform in 2026? 

The best online course platform in 2026 depends on your business model. Creators who sell courses, memberships, coaching, and communities usually benefit most from all-in-one platforms like EzyCourse, Kajabi, Thinkific, and others.

How do I choose the right online course platform? 

You should choose an online course platform based on how you plan to sell and deliver your content. Factors like supported course formats, ease of use, pricing structure, marketing features, and scalability matter more than brand popularity when making the right choice.

Are online course platforms worth paying for? 

Online course platforms are worth paying for if you want to launch faster, avoid technical complexity, and focus on growing revenue. Paid platforms provide better performance, automation, security, and support compared to free or self-built solutions.

Can beginners use online course platforms? 

Yes, most online course platforms are designed for beginners and require no coding skills. They offer drag-and-drop builders, ready-made templates, and guided setup so first-time creators can publish and sell courses without technical experience.

What features should a good online course platform include? 

A good online course platform should support course creation, secure content hosting, payments, student progress tracking, and basic marketing tools. Advanced platforms also include live classes, communities, memberships, coaching, certificates, and automation for scaling an education business.

Do online course platforms charge transaction fees? 

Some platforms charge transaction fees per sale, while others offer zero-transaction-fee plans. Always check pricing structures carefully, especially as your revenue grows. Platforms like EzyCourse, Thinkific, and Systeme.io charge 0% on all plans. Others like Teachable (7.5% on Starter) and Skool (10% on Hobby) take a percentage of every sale.

Can I migrate my courses from another platform? 

Most online course platforms allow you to migrate content, students, and data from other platforms. Some platforms like EzyCourse and FreshLearn offer free migration support to make the switch easier.

Are there free online course platforms? 

Yes. Ruzuku offers a permanent free plan with unlimited courses and up to 5 students. Systeme.io offers a free plan with 1 course, 2,000 contacts, and 3 funnels. FreshLearn has a limited free plan as well. Most other platforms offer free trials ranging from 7 days to 30 days.

What is the difference between a course platform and an LMS? 

A course platform (like EzyCourse, Thinkific, or Teachable) is designed for creating and selling courses to external customers. An LMS (like TalentLMS or iSpring) is typically built for internal corporate training, employee onboarding, and compliance. Some platforms like EzyCourse and LearnWorlds serve both use cases for B2B training.

Which platform is best for selling courses and building a community? 

EzyCourse offers the most integrated course + community experience with its native Facebook-like social community built directly into the platform. Mighty Networks and Circle are strong alternatives if community is your primary focus and courses are secondary.