Over 50% of students worldwide take some form of online class, and the online learning industry is expected to be worth $370 billion by 2026.
In the digital age, online course platforms are important tools for educators, entrepreneurs, and businesses to share their expertise, monetize their knowledge, or train employees.
This makes choosing the best online course platform crucial. This article explores the 10 best online course platforms in 2024, their features, pricing, and what makes them stand out to help you find the best one.
Why Do You Need Online Course Platforms?
Before I get into the details of the platforms, here are some reasons why an educator needs an online course platform.
Online course platforms offer a range of benefits over traditional teaching, like
- Accessibility: Learners can access your content anytime, anywhere.
- Scalability: You can quickly scale your teaching efforts to reach a more extensive global audience.
- Engagement: You can use multimedia tools to create engaging and interactive courses.
- Monetization: Online course platforms can help you generate income by selling courses, memberships, and digital products to those who need them through proper marketing strategies.
- Efficiency: With user-friendly tools and automation, the course creation and delivery process becomes efficient, allowing you to concentrate on your content more than other aspects of the business.
How to Choose the Best Online Course Platform?
However, certain things must be considered when choosing the right platform. Multiple options are available in the market, with flagship features and different pricing options, and you can choose which platform will be best for you based on your needs.
In general, when selecting an online course platform, you must consider the following factors:
- Ease of Use: A user-friendly interface is essential for creators and learners. Before working with the tool, one must master its interface.
- Essential Features: Look for the tools for course creation, marketing, sales, and community engagement and see if you have every detail you need.
- Pricing: Another thing to look for is flexible pricing plans that fit your budget and growth plan.
- Customer Support: Reliable customer support and resources are essential when subscribing to any tool.
- Customization: The ability to brand and customize your course site according to your preferences is another must when it comes to having an online business.
Here is a quick introduction to the best online course platforms I will discuss in this article and why you should choose them.
- Teachable: Best overall platform with comprehensive features.
- Podia: The best alternative with a free plan and simplicity.
- Thinkific: Highly flexible and scalable for growing businesses.
- Kajabi: Premium option with advanced marketing tools.
- Udemy: Free platform with access to a massive audience.
- Skillshare: Ideal for creative professionals and hobbyists.
- LearnDash: Best for WordPress users seeking a robust LMS.
- Teachery: User-friendly and great for beginners.
- Terrain: Highly customizable with a focus on interactive learning.
- Coursera: Best for offering accredited courses and professional certifications.
Top 10 Best Online Course Platforms (Detailed Review)
Teachable (Best Overall Platform)
Teachable is known for its comprehensive set of features and ease of use. It is suitable for all creators, from solo entrepreneurs to large organizations.
Features Included:
- Easy-to-use course builder with support for video, audio, and text content.
- Integrated payment processing.
- Custom domains and advanced customization
- Upsells and order bumps
- Marketing tools, including affiliate programs and email marketing.
- Community building with discussion forums and comments.
- Drip content and course completion certificates.
Use the latest Teachable coupons to claim an additional 20% off on the paid plans.
Pricing:
- Free Plan: Basic features with a $1 + 10% transaction fee.
- Basic Plan: $39/month or $29/month billed annually.
- Pro Plan: $119/month or $149/month billed annually.
- Pro+ Plan: $299/month or $249/month billed annually.
- Business Plan: $499/month
Podia
Podia provides a comprehensive solution for creators to market online courses, digital downloads, and memberships. It is recognized for its user-friendly interface and straightforward operation.
Features Included:
- Course creation tools with video, audio, and text content support are designed for ease of use.
- Make membership sites offering exclusive content.
- Market and sell digital products such as eBooks and PDFs.
- Utilize built-in email marketing features to interact with your audience.
- Implement checkout and purchase buttons.
- Host both live and pre-recorded webinars.
Pricing:
- Free Plan: No charge; a 10% transaction fee applies.
- Starter Plan: $9/month or $4/month with annual payment (8% transaction fee).
- Mover Plan: $39/month or $33/month with annual payment (5% transaction fee).
- Shaker Plan: $89/month or $75/month with annual payment.
Thinkific
Thinkific is recognized as a flexible and scalable platform for creating courses. It provides a wide range of tools for developing and marketing online courses.
Features Included:
- You have full authority over the design and layout of your course site.
- You can create websites and sales pages.
- You can add multimedia elements such as videos, quizzes, surveys, and downloadable content.
- You can integrate exams into the platform.
- You can include PowerPoint presentations with voiceovers.
Pricing:
- Free Plan: This Plan offers basic features to help you get started.
- Basic Plan: This Plan is $49 per month.
- Start Plan: It is $99 per month.
- Grow Plan: At $199 per month, this Plan provides advanced features for businesses looking to expand and scale thePlanperations.
- Expand Plan: This Plan, priced at $499 per month, includes comprehensive features designed for large enterprises and organizations.
Kajabi
Kajabi provides a comprehensive platform for expanding course-based businesses. It includes various functions, from creating courses to automating marketing efforts.
Features Included:
- Advanced tools that are comprehensive for creating and overseeing courses.
- Fees for transactions are not charged.
- Advanced Marketing tools included in higher plans
- Create videos and podcasts.
- Builder for landing pages.
- An included mobile app.
Pricing:
- Basic Plan for $149/month
- Growth Plan for $199/month
- Pro Plan for $399/month
Udemy
Udemy provides a FREE platform for instructors to develop and market courses to a worldwide audience. Its wide-ranging marketplace and complimentary course creation are well known, and you can take advantage of them.
Features Included:
- Over 40 million learners can access the platform.
- Users can create courses using simple tools that incorporate video, text, and quizzes.
- An alternative to Teachable that is free to use.
- Access to a wide range of resources and support from instructors.
- Includes site-wide deals and coupons.
Skillshare
Skillshare is a popular platform for creative professionals and hobbyists. It offers a subscription-based model, allowing learners to access all courses with a membership. However, it is completely free for educators.
Features Included:
- Community-driven platform with class projects and feedback.
- Focus on creative fields like design, photography, and writing.
- Easy course creation tools.
- Monetization through royalties based on watch time.
LearnDash
LearnDash WordPress plugin can turn your existing WordPress website into a robust learning management system (LMS). It offers extensive customization options and a wide range of features, making it a popular option among WordPress users.
Features Included:
- Course builder with multimedia support that allows drag-and-drop functionality.
- Compatibility with WordPress themes for seamless integration.
- Ability to design intricate quizzes featuring various question types.
- Use of badges and certificates as incentives for learners.
- All plans include the option for unlimited students and courses.
- Integration with a diverse array of WordPress plugins and third-party tools.
Pricing:
- Basic Plan is priced at $199/year.
- Plus Plan is priced at $229/year.
- Pro Plan is priced at $369/year.
Teachery
Teachery provides a straightforward pricing structure and does not charge transaction fees. It is a user-friendly platform created for creators seeking a simple method of developing and marketing online courses.
Features Included:
- There are two pre-designed templates available for the easy-to-use builder.
- There are no restrictions on the number of courses or students.
- There are no transaction fees.
- It includes basic email marketing tools and affiliate tools.
- It integrates with Mailchimp and ConvertKit.
- It supports product bundles and upsells.
Pricing:
- Monthly Plan is priced at $49/month.
- Annual Plan is priced at $470/year.
Terrain
Terrain is a recent platform designed for creators who want to develop engaging and interactive courses. Its main goal is to improve the learning experience by offering engaging advanced customization features.
Features Included:
- Advanced course builder to make dynamic and captivating course material using various customization options.
- Make a community with forums and chat features.
- Add points, badges, and leaderboards to inspire and incentivize learners.
- Access comprehensive analytics to gain an in-depth understanding of student participation and progress.
Pricing:
- Starter Plan priced at $59/month.
- Pro Plan is priced at $129/month.
- Enterprise Plan with custom pricing.
Coursera
Coursera is a unique platform that partners with universities and organizations to offer courses, specializations, and degrees. It’s ideal for learners seeking professional and accredited courses and for instructors who want to teach for free.
Features Included:
- Access to accredited course partners from top universities and organizations.
- Interactive course creation with video lectures, quizzes, and peer-reviewed assignments.
- Mobile app for learning on the go.
Conclusion (Best Online Course Platforms)
Choosing the best online course platform depends on your needs, budget, and technical expertise. Teachable and Podia stand out for their comprehensive features and ease of use, while platforms like Udemy and Skillshare give you a free platform to create and upload your courses and earn online.
You can also sign up for the Free Plan offered by Teachable or Podia to try out the tool before you decide which one is best for you.
I hope this helps.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the best online course platform for beginners?
Teachery is an excellent choice for beginners due to its user-friendly interface and straightforward pricing. But if you’re looking for an all-in-one solution, the Teachable Free Plan also makes it an attractive option.
Which platform is best for online learning?
Teachable provides all the tools needed to create, host, and sell courses and digital products online. You can also look for Podia or Thinkfic, which, like Teachable, are all in one platform with a free plan for you to try out.
Are there any free online course platforms?
Yes, platforms like Teachable and Podia offer free plans, although there may be transaction fees or limitations on features. But if you want a completely free platform, Skillshare, Coursera, and Udemy are the best.
Can I integrate an online course platform with my WordPress site?
Yes, LearnDash is specifically designed as a WordPress plugin, providing a robust LMS that integrates seamlessly with WordPress.
