7 Best Platforms for Selling Online Courses

Online courses have grown from a niche market to a thriving $350 billion industry. Course creation platforms allow anyone with expertise to build an online course business and reach students worldwide. These e-learning platforms provide everything from simple course websites to comprehensive learning management systems (LMS) that handle every aspect of selling online courses.

The right online course platform can dramatically impact your success as a course creator. Modern platforms offer intuitive tools for online course creation, marketing features, and community-building options like forums. Your choice of platform can determine how successful you are in making courses, connecting with students, and building your online teaching business.

This guide compares the top platforms for selling courses online, examining their features, pricing, and ideal users. We'll explore platforms perfect for beginners and robust solutions for established course creators. You'll discover which platforms excel at course creation, marketing, community building, and scalability. 

Whether you're launching your first course or expanding an existing e-learning business, we'll help you find the best online course platform for your needs.

Top 7 platforms for selling online courses 

Today's online course marketplace offers creators more options than ever for sharing their expertise. Each serves different needs, from simple content hosting to comprehensive business solutions. Learn about the top options below, including key features, pricing, and monetization structures.

Teachable 

Teachable stands out in the online course market with its balance of powerful features and user-friendly design. The platform caters to both individual creators starting their first course and established businesses scaling their educational offerings. They also offer a detailed guide on how to create and set up a course.

Features:

• Course builder offers drag-and-drop simplicity for course creation and content organization 
• Marketing tools, such as integrated email and sales page templates 
• Sales funnel features with multiple pricing tiers and upsells
• Student engagement tools to track progress and participation
• E-commerce functionality with secure checkout and payment processing

Pricing:

• Free plan: Basic features with 10% transaction fee plus $1 
• Basic plan: $39/month with 5% transaction fee 
• Pro plan: $119/month with no transaction fees 
• Pro+ plan: $199/month with expanded product limits 
• Enterprise plan: Custom pricing for large organizations
• Transaction fees range from 0-10% depending on plan 

Best for: Course creators seeking a reliable platform with strong tools for digital marketing and room to grow

Kajabi 

Kajabi offers an all-in-one platform that combines course hosting, marketing, and website creation tools. The platform serves entrepreneurs and businesses wanting to avoid juggling multiple platforms for their digital product sales. Their "Kajabi Tutorial for Beginners" guide walks users through setting up an account, customizing a site, and creating courses. 

Features:

• Custom website builder with professional landing pages and templates
• Marketing automation tools for building email lists and creating sales funnels
• Course content creation with multimedia support and customization options
• Built-in analytics for tracking student engagement and sales
• Complete automation suite for marketing and student communications

Pricing:

• Kickstarter plan: $27/month for first 6 months, then $55/month (billed annually)
• Basic plan: $59/month for first 6 months, then $119/month (billed annually)
• Growth plan: $79/month for first 6 months, then $159/month (billed annually)
• Pro plan: $159/month for first 6 months, then $319/month (billed annually)
• No transaction fees

Best for: Business owners wanting an integrated platform that handles everything from course creation to marketing automation.

Thinkific 

Thinkific delivers professional learning experiences through customizable course material and membership sites. The platform stands out for educators and businesses wanting complete control over their digital products and student experience. They offer a free course called "The Thinkific Fast Track," which guides creators through course creation and launch.

Features:

• Course builder with drag-and-drop tools and multimedia support
• Customizable quizzes and assessments for student engagement
• Membership site creation with multiple access levels
• Community spaces for student interaction and support
• Comprehensive course material organization tools

Pricing:

• Basic plan: $36/month with unlimited courses and students
• Start plan: $74/month with unlimited digital downloads
• Grow plan: $149/month with multiple communities and priority support

Best for: Course creators focused on delivering structured learning experiences and building engaging membership communities

Podia 

Podia's user-friendly course creation platform simplifies digital product sales. It focuses on ease of use, combining website building, digital downloads, and webinar hosting in one simple interface. They also offer a comprehensive guide on how to create, sell, and profit from an online course.

Features:

• Simple website builder with professional templates
• Digital downloads management and delivery system
• Live webinar hosting and replay functionality
• Built-in email marketing tools
• Real-time chat support for customer engagement
• Unlimited products
• 7-day-per-week support

Pricing:

• Mover plan: $39/month ($33/month annually) with 5% transaction fee
• Shaker plan: $89/month ($75/month annually) with no transaction fees
• 30-day free trial available 

Best for: Digital creators looking for a straightforward platform to sell courses, downloads, and webinars without technical complexity

Udemy 

Udemy is a global online course marketplace where instructors create courses and learners can choose from thousands of options. The platform reaches millions of learners worldwide, offering courses in a variety of formats across a multitude of disciplines. Their website provides a detailed overview of the steps to become an instructor and create a course.

Features:

• Extensive course library with 250,000+ courses in 75 languages
• Multiple content formats, including video lectures and interactive quizzes
• Built-in course creation tools for instructors
• Student progress tracking and engagement analytics
• Mobile learning support for on-the-go access
• Instructors paid via revenue share

Pricing:

• No teacher fees

Best for: Course creators wanting to reach a large, established audience and learners looking for affordable courses in specific skills

Skillshare 

Skillshare specializes in creative skills education through high-quality video courses. The platform uses a subscription model, and teachers can reach students through engaging video-based lessons. Its Help Center has a "Get Started With Teaching" guide.

Features:

• Interactive community features for student feedback
• Offline viewing through the mobile app
• Casting and mobile capabilities for flexible learning
• Teachers paid based on student engagement

Pricing:

• Minimum 75 monthly minutes watched required for payment
• No fees to create or publish courses

Best for: Creative professionals teaching practical skills and wanting to earn through watch time rather than individual course sales

LearnWorlds 

LearnWorlds offers advanced, interactive course creation tools with highly customizable features. The platform helps teachers create engaging learning experiences backed by comprehensive marketing strategy support. Their "Getting Started with LearnWorlds" guide offers a step-by-step tutorial for setting up your account, customizing your school site, creating courses, and integrating payment gateways.

Features:

• Interactive video tools with auto-transcripts and subtitles
• Customizable course player and branded learning environment
• Built-in marketing tools for promotional campaigns
• Student testimonials and engagement tracking
• Complete website builder with course landing pages

Pricing:

• Starter plan: $24/month with unlimited courses and basic website tools; $5 fee per course sale
• Pro Trainer plan: $79/month with expanded features and no transaction fees
• Learning Center plan: $249/month with advanced assessment tools and reporting
• High Volume & Corporate plan: Custom pricing with premium support

Best for: Educational institutions and businesses needing a highly customizable platform with advanced interactive features

Start teaching today with Upwork

Each online learning platform offers unique features and pricing models to suit different teaching styles and business goals. From Teachable's marketing-focused tools to Kajabi's all-in-one solution, and from Thinkific's structured learning approach to Skillshare's creative community, there are options for every teaching scenario. Some platforms excel at simplicity and quick setup, while others provide more advanced features for course creators.

Your choice depends on factors like your technical comfort level, budget, and specific course needs. Opt for a platform that matches your current requirements but can grow with your business. Keep in mind that many platforms offer free trials or basic plans to help you test their features before committing.

To enhance your course offerings, you might consider collaborating with professionals specializing in online course development. You can hire e-learning specialists on Upwork to help you create engaging and effective content.

If you're a freelancer with expertise in course creation and looking for opportunities, explore e-learning jobs on Upwork to find projects that match your skills.

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Upwork is not affiliated with and does not sponsor or endorse any of the tools or services discussed in this article. These tools and services are provided only as potential options, and each reader and company should take the time needed to adequately analyze and determine the tools or services that would best fit their specific needs and situation.

Prices are current at the time of writing and may change over time based on each service’s offerings