Creating and selling online courses has become a lucrative venture for many educators, entrepreneurs, and subject matter experts. The right platform can significantly impact your success. Below, we've compiled a list of the 10 best platforms to create and sell online courses, complete with features, pricing, and pros and cons to help you choose the ideal fit for your needs.
1. Teachable
Teachable is a popular platform known for its user-friendly interface and extensive customization options. It allows you to create multimedia courses and provides tools for marketing and sales.
- Features: Drip content, quizzes, certificates, and a built-in affiliate program.
- Pricing: Starts at $39/month.
- Pros: Easy to use, great customer support.
- Cons: Transaction fees on lower plans.
2. Thinkific
Thinkific offers a robust set of features for course creators. With its drag-and-drop builder, you can create professional courses without any coding knowledge.
- Features: Unlimited courses, quizzes, and surveys.
- Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $49/month.
- Pros: No transaction fees, excellent customer support.
- Cons: Limited marketing tools on the free plan.
3. Kajabi
Kajabi is an all-in-one platform that combines course creation with marketing automation, making it ideal for serious entrepreneurs.
- Features: Email marketing, landing pages, and membership sites.
- Pricing: Starts at $149/month.
- Pros: Comprehensive tools, great for scaling.
- Cons: Higher price point.
4. Podia
Podia is an intuitive platform that supports online courses, digital downloads, and memberships. It’s great for creators who want to sell multiple types of content.
- Features: Email marketing, webinars, and affiliate marketing.
- Pricing: Starts at $39/month.
- Pros: No transaction fees, user-friendly.
- Cons: Limited course customization.
5. Udemy
Udemy is one of the largest online learning platforms, giving creators access to a massive audience. However, it does have its limitations regarding pricing and control.
- Features: Course creation tools, quizzes, and a large marketplace.
- Pricing: Free to create, revenue split with Udemy.
- Pros: Massive audience reach, marketing assistance.
- Cons: Limited control over pricing, high competition.
6. LearnDash
LearnDash is a WordPress plugin that turns your website into a powerful learning management system (LMS). It’s ideal for those who want complete control over their courses.
- Features: Drip-feed content, quizzes, and advanced reporting.
- Pricing: Starts at $199/year.
- Pros: Great for WordPress users, highly customizable.
- Cons: Requires a WordPress site, steeper learning curve.
7. Skillshare
Skillshare focuses on creative skills and provides a platform for instructors to share their expertise. It's particularly popular among artists and designers.
- Features: Community engagement, project-based courses.
- Pricing: Free to create, revenue share with Skillshare.
- Pros: Built-in audience, community-driven.
- Cons: Lower earnings per student.
8. Ruzuku
Ruzuku is designed for course creators who want to get started quickly. It offers simple tools for building and selling courses.
- Features: Easy course creation, email marketing integration.
- Pricing: Starts at $74.75/month.
- Pros: Simple interface, great customer support.
- Cons: Limited customization options.
9. Gumroad
Gumroad is primarily a platform for selling digital products, including online courses. It's great for creators who want a straightforward sales process.
- Features: Simple product listings, payment processing.
- Pricing: Free to use, 10% transaction fee.
- Pros: Easy to set up, flexible pricing.
- Cons: Limited course features.
10. LearnWorlds
LearnWorlds is a feature-rich platform that allows you to create interactive courses. It’s ideal for those looking to provide an engaging learning experience.
- Features: Interactive videos, quizzes, and assessments.
- Pricing: Starts at $24/month.
- Pros: Highly interactive, great for engagement.
- Cons: Learning curve for new users.
Choosing the right platform to create and sell online courses depends on your specific needs, budget, and business goals. Each of these platforms has its strengths and weaknesses, so be sure to consider what features are most important to you. With the right tools at your disposal, you can successfully share your knowledge and turn it into a profitable venture.
