Online Marketing

28 Best Online Course Platforms in 2023 and Their Features

Are you leveraging the best online course platforms to sell your skills, experience, and knowledge?

You should.

The online learning market continues to grow as more people seek to access education on their terms. More online course platforms also keep cropping up with numerous competitive features that make it easy to earn from your expertise.

What’s more?

Some of the best online course platforms make it easy to get new students and collect data you can use to tailor learning experiences to your audience.

And guess what?

It’s a market that will keep growing.

Researchers expect the e-learning market to grow to USD 1 trillion by 2027 from $250 billion in 2020.


Image via Global Market Insights

However, the longer the list of the best online learning platforms, the harder it gets to choose one that suits your needs.

For this reason, we've listed some of the best online course platforms plus their key features, pricing, and pros and cons to make your job easier.

Ready to identify a platform that works for your specific needs?

Read on:

However, before we can get to the best online course platforms, we examine what you should consider before settling for one.

Disclaimer: This content contains some affiliate links for which we will earn a commission (at no additional cost to you). This is to ensure that we can keep creating free content for you.

Best Online Course Platforms: Considerations When Choosing the Right One

Even with choice overload when it comes to the best online course platforms, there will be one out there that will fit your needs.

So, what should you consider when choosing the best online course platforms? Let’s take a look.

Start With Why

Be very clear about why you need a platform and your goals for your online course business.

Secondly, outline the experience you want students who register for your courses to have and whether the platform can help you deliver on the outcomes you promise.

Consider Your Budget

Considering your budget helps you narrow down your search to the best online course platforms within your price range.

And if working on a low budget, choose from the list of the best online course platforms that offer multiple pricing to pay more as you grow. This way, you start with one of the low-priced options then upgrade as your online course business grows.

Choose Your Hosting

There are three ways to tackle hosting when identifying the best online course platforms:

Self-Host

Leverage software like WordPress to set up your own course website, then integrate plugins, set up payment, etc.

This option requires technical knowledge and the ability to quickly fix issues if your site breaks down.

Online Course Marketplace

On these sites, you upload your course, and the marketplace takes care of everything else. They host your course, help you promote, ensure students can access it, and collect payments.

However, even the best online course platforms control everything, take a percentage of your sales, and you have to work under certain restrictions.

Learning Management Systems

There are different options for this, but they give you control over how you handle your courses. They include:

Standalone Platforms

The best online course platforms in this category cater to small businesses looking for a simple way to brand their own website and have hosting catered for.

These kinds of platforms are ideal for people who want to build a turnkey branded online course without worrying about creating funnels or leveraging email marketing services.

WordPress Plugin Online platforms

These are tools you leverage to sell courses if you have an existing WordPress site.

However, you do need technical skills and knowledge on what plugins to leverage to get all the required features. These include form plugins, security plugins, redirect plugins, WordPress backup plugins, etc.

It's also important to buy these plugins only from the best online course platforms to avoid instances where your entire business shuts down.

All in One Online Course Platform

The best online course platforms in this category provide you with all you need – from tools for online course creation, hosting, email services, support, community building, etc.

They are great if you have no technical skills or want everything in one place.

Identify Crucial Features

The next step when choosing the best online course platforms involves identifying must-have features depending on your requirements.

But how do you identify features?

Start by knowing your ideal students' pain points and what features would help you solve them.

And most importantly?

Leverage the 14-day trial most of the best online course platforms offer to test the waters.

However, before you can do that, here are some of the crucial features to look for in the best online course platforms:

Built-in course builder: Makes it easy to create engaging online courses.

Ecommerce support: The best online course platforms should double as a marketplace that enables you to make money with your courses.

Cloud-based: A cloud-based online course creator ensures faster implementation since it doesn't require onsite installation.

Test and assessments: Most of the best online course platforms enable you to gather feedback and evaluate knowledge retention with quizzes and assessments.

Ease of use: An important attribute of the best online course platforms is that they should be simple to understand and use for course creation and sharing.

Learner experience: The best online course platforms offer tools that help you create a seamless learning experience. These features include self-paced learning, multi-lingual support, collaborations, discussions, etc.

Third-party integrations: The best online course platforms integrate with other solutions like marketing automation tools, email providers, funnel tools, list building tools, etc.

28 Best Online Course Platforms

Here is a list of the best online course platforms with features, pricing, and other details to help you make an informed decision.

1. Thinkific


Image via Thinkific

Thinkific ranks among the best online course platforms because it gives you the tools you need to create, market, deliver, and sell online courses to your audiences.

Its drag and drop feature enables you to either upload predesigned online courses or create them from scratch. As expected from the best online course platforms, Thinkific also offers multiple content types, including quizzes, video, text, surveys, etc., to help you make your course interactive and engaging.

Let’s see what other features it has to be regarded as one of the best online course platforms.

Features

  • Drag and drop course builder
  • Unlimited courses
  • Ability to create and sell online private courses
  • Numerous themes and customization options
  • Secure cloud hosting
  • Full e-commerce
  • Instant funds access

Pros

  • Free trial available
  • User-friendly interface
  • Unlimited students and high-quality courses
  • Numerous payment options

Cons

  • Although it’s one of the best online course platforms, the learning curve for course creation may be difficult for first-time creators.

Pricing

  • Free test-drive: $0
  • Basic plan: $39 per month
  • Pro: $79 per month
  • Premier: $399 per month

Pro Tip: Stay connected to current and prospective students from your dashboard by creating and saving customized user searches. You can then automate reminders to highly valuable prospects.

2. LearnWorlds


Image via LearnWorlds

LearnWorlds is an end-to-end online course creation software that takes care of your course creation process, marketing, maintenance, monetization, and analytic needs.

And guess what?

This access to multiple tools for building interactive courses makes it one of the best online course platforms.

What's more?

As expected from the best online course platforms, LearnWorlds’ software enables you to build optimized landing pages, leverage a blogging tool, and create one-click course sales funnels.

Features

  • Unlimited courses
  • Video library access
  • Numerous interactive content features
  • Ready-made templates
  • Marketing tools, including landing pages, one-click sales funnel, blogging, etc
  • Marketing and management of your own affiliate program
  • Constant support
  • Flexible pricing options including subscription courses and membership sites

Pros

  • Advanced course creation
  • Interactive learning tools like tests, assignments, quizzes, etc
  • Interactive video feature
  • Marketing tools including landing pages, blogging tools, etc.

Cons

  • Complicated learning curve for beginners
  • Limited course payment options
  • Cluttered user interface

Pricing

  • Starter: $29 per month
  • Pro Trainer: $84.15 per month
  • Learning center; $254.15/month
  • High volume and corporate: Contact support for pricing

Pro Tip: Leveraging the feature “see what you are changing” can help you see how changes you make look like on your site before you leave the editor. Using it ensures that your final published version looks professional.

3. Kajabi


Image via Kajabi

Kajabi offers numerous features you can use not only to build online courses, but also to create marketing emails, landing pages, checkout pages, and so much more.

But what makes Kajabi one of the best online course platforms?

It's an all-in-one online course platform that enables you to start a website and build complex marketing campaigns.

Best of all?

As one of the best online course platforms, Kajabi offers design and promotion options that make it easy to promote and sell online.

Let’s see what other features Kajabi has to be regarded as one of the best online course platforms out there.

Features

  • Beautifully designed themes that require no coding
  • Intuitive interface
  • Numerous integrations options including email, Google Analytics, accounting software, etc.
  • Landing page builder
  • Drag and drop marketing funnel builder
  • Marketing automation tools
  • Custom domain and numerous customization options
  • In-depth data and reports

Pros

  • Numerous course sales and marketing features under one roof
  • Built-in capability to build a search engine friendly course website
  • Numerous engagement tools, including assessments, Community, etc
  • Clean and intuitive interface

Cons

  • High starting price
  • Steep learning curve
  • Need a third party integration for certificates

Pricing

Kajabi offers a 14-day trial for each of these paid plans:

  • Basic plan: $149 per month
  • Growth: $199 per month
  • Pro: $399 per month

Pro Tip: Do not leave out the “SEO and Sharing” settings page blank for Kajabi to revert to defaults. Instead, fill in all details to increase your chances of getting on the first page of Google.

4. Teachable


Image via Teachable

Teachable ranks among the best online course platforms because it caters adequately to non-tech savvy course creators. It's also an affordable platform with an easy learning curve.

It enables you to create a course website reflecting your brand and upload course content with ease.

What's more?

It’s one of the best online course platforms with a clean, easy-to-use interface containing only crucial customization features you need to create courses and sell them.

Features

  • Unlimited students and members-only Community
  • Unlimited video bandwidth and hosting
  • Third-party integrations
  • Advanced reports
  • Integrated payment processing
  • Sales pages creation feature
  • Course certificates
  • Flexible student pricing options

Pros

  • Ease of use. Your course can be up in few minutes
  • Allows you to create simple funnels
  • Numerous integration options
  • Affiliate marketing tools

Cons

  • Unlike most others in the category of the best online course platforms, Teachable offers just a few course customization options
  • 5% transaction fee for their Basic plan

Pricing

  • Basic plan: $39 per month
  • Pro: $119 per month
  • Business: $299 per month

Pro Tip: Leverage Teachable's bundle to group courses or products into one unit and offer them to your students at a discounted or single price.

5. Podia


Image via Podia

Podia sets itself apart as one of the best online course platforms since it allows you to sell courses, webinars, memberships, and digital downloads.

What's more?

It has numerous customization options that give you control of your branding and an easy drag and drop builder. Your digital products can also live on the platform, making it easy for customers to download, access, and buy them.

Read on to know if Podia belongs to the list of the best online course platforms.

Features

  • Customizable branding
  • Live previews
  • Pre-launch, pre-sell, and upsell marketing features
  • Unlimited students, courses, earnings, bandwidth, and emails
  • Integrated email marketing
  • Ease of use and great support
  • Live-chat widget
  • Products bundle feature

Pros

  • Ease of use and simple interface
  • Numerous customization options
  • Good student experience
  • Built-in online chat option

Cons

  • Limited automation options
  • Limited reporting
  • Limited design options, especially if you need total control

Pricing

Like most others in the list of the best online course platforms, Podia offers a 14-day free trial.

  • Mover: $39 per month
  • Shaker: $79 per month
  • Earthquaker: $179 per month

Pro Tip: Leverage their resources page to learn everything you need to make your online teaching business successful. As one of the best online course platforms, Podia has a great database with information on creating an affiliate program, building courses, marketing your own private membership site, etc.

6. LearnDash


Image via LearnDash

As a popular LMS plugin for WordPress, LearnDash is one of the best online course platforms for solo course creators, academic institutions, training organizations, and everyone else.

With LearnDash, you can visualize your courses as you build them with their drag and drop editor. You can also include quizzes, lessons, assignments, etc., right from the course builder.

What's more?

The plugin enables you to automate some functions as a student completes tasks. For example, when they upload an assignment, finish a lesson, fail a quiz, etc. Read on to know why we have included LearnDash in the list of the best online course platforms.

Features

  • Powerful course builder
  • Advanced quiz builder
  • Several payment options
  • Automated email triggers
  • Student forums: private & public
  • Course bundles
  • Dynamic content delivery
  • Free and priced add ons

Pros

  • Their focus mode allows your courses to look professional
  • Drag and drop builder
  • Numerous monetization options including group, one-off, subscription offers, recurring purchases, etc.
  • Third-party add ons

Cons

  • Unlike many other best online course platforms, there are no free trials offered by LearnDash. They do offer a 30-day refund.
  • Poor onboarding process
  • Steep learning curve for non-tech savvy users

Pricing

  • Pro Package: $369 per year
  • Basic Plan: $229 per year
  • Plus Package: $199 per year

Pro Tip: To keep students coming back to your courses or have them learn over a period of time, leverage the built-in drip content feature. Then, make content available after a certain duration or several days after they sign up.

7. MemberPress

Image via MemberPress

Looking for the best online course platforms that integrate with WordPress? You can definitely give MemberPress a try.

The WordPress LMS plugin offers an easy way to build your online courses. Its online course platform allows you to build, create, upsell, promote, and cross-sell online courses.

That’s not all. It requires no coding skills and you can simply drag-and-drop elements to quickly and easily create courses.

Before investing in the best online course platforms such as MemberPress, it’s important to check out the features, pros, and cons.

So, let’s get started.

Features

  • Visual course builder
  • Interactive course content
  • Drip course content
  • Set custom course prices,
  • Multiple payment gateways
  • Integration with email marketing tools
  • Customization options

Pros

  • Discussion forums
  • Ability to add downloadable resources and high quality video
  • Zapier and email marketing integrations
  • Add referral programs
  • Easy to use

Cons

  • While MemberPress is one of the best online course platforms, there is a bit of a learning curve involved for those new to WordPress.

Pricing

  • Basic: $179 per year
  • Plus: $299 per year
  • Pro: $399 per year

Pro Tip: Create custom coupons to attract prospective customers and retain existing ones.

8. Lifter LMS

Image via Lifter LMS

While on the topic of the best online course platforms that integrate with WordPress, we can’t ignore Lifter LMS.

As one of the popular online course platforms designed for WordPress, Lifter LMS offers powerful tools that make creating online courses a seamless experience.

What’s more, it optimizes the online learning experience for course participants, helping you strengthen your online course business.

The flexible course builder tool enables multi-instructor training and is a comprehensive learning management system.

Here are the features that make it one of the best online course platforms.

Features

  • Supports multi-tier courses
  • Create a full-fledged degree course
  • Advanced features including group memberships and drip content
  • Gamification options

Pros

  • Live onboarding support
  • Business tool integrations
  • Intuitive interface
  • Customizable reports

Cons

  • Unlike most others in this list of the best online course platforms, using Lifter LMS will entail managing a WordPress site.

Pricing

  • Individual add ons: Starting from $120 per year
  • Universe Bundle: $$360 per year
  • Infinity Bundle: $1200 per year

Pro Tip: Leverage the ‘Advanced Quizzes’ add on to create graded exams with graded essays, question types, quizzes, and much more.

9. Ruzuku

Image via Ruzuku

One of the attributes of the best online course platforms tis that they are easy to use. Ruzuku claims that it makes it ‘ridiculously easy’ to build online courses.

With this platform, you can create a online course in minutes using text, PDFs, Word, PPTs, and video.

That’s not all. You can build course outlines, copy previous content, launch the course, and generate sales in quick time.

Take a look at the features to see if Ruzuku belongs to the list of the best online course platforms.

Features

  • Video and audio streaming
  • Supports file types including PowerPoint, PDFs, and Word
  • Create open-access and free courses
  • Schedule courses with a calendar feature
  • Mailchimp integration for email marketing
  • Course Health displays students’ activity completion rate
  • Host teleconferences and video broadcasts

Pros

  • Multiple payment options
  • Streamlined user interface
  • Course analytics
  • Access to multiple support channels
  • Smart functionalities for students

Cons

  • Limited integrations
  • Compared to most others in the category of the best online course platforms, Ruzuku is expensive

Pricing

Like most others in the list of the best online course platforms, Ruzuku offers a 14-day free trial.

  • Bootstrapper: $74.75 per month
  • Up-and-Comer: $83.08 per month
  • University: $125 per month

Pro Tip: Go to the “Manage Courses” section to create branded course content by adjusting fonts, logo, color schemes, and layout.

10. Searchie

Image via Searchie

This is an online course platform designed by content creators to help other creators monetize their content. It aims to help creators manage all their online content from one place and monetize it.

It allows you to import all types of content from various sources and create a content hub for which you can charge a membership fee. Searchie also makes it easy to create and sell online courses by automating many tedious tasks like video transcripts and captions.

Check out its key features, pros, and cons to decide if it’s the right choice for you.

Features

  • Easy to import content from various sources
  • Simple and intuitive course design with templates
  • Lots of customization options
  • Options to repurpose content into course modules
  • Search engine for audio and video content
  • Automated video transcriptions and captions
  • Native Canva integration
  • Useful integrations and payment options
  • Visitor or student analytics and insights

Pros

  • Offers a 7-day free trial
  • Goes beyond online courses and offers a content hub and membership platform
  • One of the best platforms for hosting audio and video content

Cons

  • Too many features may overwhelm new users, but there are tons of resources to get you started.

Pricing

  • Basic: $29 per month
  • Pro: $99 per month
  • Business: $199 per month

Pro Tip: If you buy a subscription, utilize all the features and not just course creation and distribution. Create a content hub and sell memberships to earn a steady stream of income.

11. WizIQ

Image via WizIQ

WizIQ belongs to the category of the best online course platforms on the basis of its affordability and flexibility. According to WizIQ’s website, more than 400,000 instructors used WizIQ to impart online courses across 200 countries.

As you can expect from the best online course platforms, WizIQ gives you the tools you need for live training including video streaming, discussion boards, analytics, and assignments.

Time to look at what other features it has to qualify as one of the best online course platforms.

Let’s get started.

Features

  • Easy course builder allows you to upload any type of file
  • Create interactive eLearning courses
  • HD video conferencing
  • Virtual Whiteboard
  • Multimedia assessments and tests
  • Tablet and mobile apps compatible with iOS and Android devices
  • Measure performance with course completion reports
  • Engagement tools such as breakout rooms, polling, live chat, and YouTube streaming

Pros

  • Integrated ecommerce functionality
  • High-resolution live transmission
  • Progress reports
  • Supports on-the-go learning
  • Robust integrations

Cons

  • No scheduling feature
  • Limitation on content file size

Pricing

Unlike others in this list of the best online course platforms, WizIQ has not given pricing details other than stating it starts at $25 per month. There is also a flexible pay-per-use plan.

  • Professional: Contact the company for pricing details
  • Enterprise: Contact the company for pricing details
  • Pay-per-use: Per minute pricing

Pro Tip: Integrate your existing website or learning management system with WizIQ’s Virtual Classroom Plugin for live class functionality.

12. Academy of Mine

Image via Academy of Mine

Next up in the list of the best online course platforms is Academy of Mine, which is built on the philosophy of creating a unique learning experience for every individual.

What makes it one of the best online course platforms? It takes a streamlined approach to help businesses, professionals, and educators create and deliver top-quality educational content.

And, you can use the platform for not only online professional training, but also for continuing education, employee onboarding, and certifications.

Let’s see what else makes it one of the best online course platforms.

Features

  • Multiple content formats including PDF, video, PowerPoint, HTML, SCORM, etc.
  • Drip course content
  • Host live webinars
  • On-board corporate for group learning
  • In-depth course analytics including grades, progress, statistics, and activity
  • Option to train multiple organizations simultaneously
  • Robust ecommerce tools
  • Course marketing tools

Pros

  • Fully customizable
  • E-commerce and marketing tools
  • Seamless third-party integrations
  • 24×7 access to course content
  • Easy to export performance reports

Cons

  • Unlike most others in this round-up of the best online course platforms, Academy of Mine can be difficult to use at first
  • Limited course creation templates

Pricing

As expected of the best online course platforms, you can explore the features with a free trial of these subscription plans:

  • Essentials: $599 per month
  • Professional: $899 per month
  • Enterprise: Custom pricing

Pro Tip: Make improvements to your courses by using online surveys.

13. Zoho ShowTime

Image via ShowTime

ShowTime is a robust learning platform from Zoho that makes it easy for you to run and manage your online training business.

It has all the features that are common to the best online course platforms. These include virtual classrooms, collaborative learning, screen sharing, Q&A, and much more.

One of the key factors that make ShowTime one of the best online course platforms is that it offers top-notch engagement features to boost the learning experience.

Check out its features, pros, and cons to make an informed decision.

Features

  • Live classes and self-paced courses
  • Collaborative learning with polls, Q&As, whiteboard, and screen sharing
  • Intuitive graph help analyze trainer performance and learner engagement
  • One-click invite feature to add participants.
  • Add multiple trainers
  • Recording feature to capture the entire session

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Customization and branding
  • Zoho CRM integration for seamless lead management
  • Strong security features

Cons

  • Limited features in the basic plan
  • Problems when uploading PPTs with animations

Pricing

  • Unlike most others in this list of the best online course platforms, ShowTime has not given pricing information on its website.

Pro Tip: Access all your content files and session recordings in ShowTime’s Account Library or create and save polls there for future sessions.

14. TalentLMS

Image via TalentLMS

If you are looking for the best online course platforms that are easy to use, feature-rich, and affordable, you can shortlist TalentLMS.

It offers advanced course-building features such as gamification and white-labeled interfaces to keep your audience engaged.

What’s more, its free version comes with no time limit, which means you have plenty of time to test out its features.

And, you get access to expert-designed, ready-made courses. How cool is that!

Read on to know what else makes us include TalentLMS in the list of the best online course platforms.

Features

  • Access over 550 ready-made courses in TalentLibrary
  • Drag-and-drop course builder
  • Centralized database for training content
  • Easy to analyze survey responses.
  • Customizable certification
  • Zapier integrations with over 200 apps and services
  • Reports and analytics
  • Printable infographics

Pros

  • Simple interface
  • E-commerce capabilities
  • Gamification
  • Automated task management
  • Customizable user roles

Cons

  • Certificate management needs improvement
  • Quiz maker supports limited question types

Pricing

TalentLMS is among the best online course platforms to offer a free forever plan.

  • Free: For up to 5 users and 10 courses per month
  • Starter: $69 per month
  • Basic: $149 per month
  • Plus: $279 per month
  • Premium: $459 per month

Pro Tip: Use TalentLMS’s localization feature to match the time zone and language of each of your users.

15. Graphy

Image via Graphy

Graphy has all that you want from the best online course platforms. As an all-inclusive platform, Graphy makes course-building appear seamless.

And, you can market your courses and build your tutorial business by leveraging Graphy’s    marketing tools.

Like most others in this list of the best online course platforms, there are no coding or web development skills required to create courses on Graphy.

Let’s now discuss the interesting features that make Graphy one of the best online course platforms.

Features

  • Customizable white-labeled mobile applications and websites
  • Pre-designed templates
  • Multi-layer, 360-degree security with secure video streaming and content-encryption
  • Multimedia course builder supports various file types including SCORM, PDFs, audio, images, and video
  • Integrated payment gateways for international and local payments
  • Advanced marketing tools to drive website traffic and boost course enrollment
  • Course-wise forums to build an engaged community
  • Dynamic watermarking for piracy prevention
  • Downloadable reports and custom certificates

Pros

  • Unlimited videos, courses, and storage
  • Robust security protocols
  • Content scheduling
  • Zoom integration

Cons

  • Lack of student attendance feature
  • No video hosting

Pricing

Like most others in the list of the best online course platforms, Ruzuku offers a 14-day free trial.

  • Basic: $54 per month
  • Pro: $102 per month
  • Business: $182 per month
  • Advanced: $320 per month

Pro Tip: Encourage your audience to promote your course by incentivizing them with a cashback reward system.

16. Pathwright

Image via Pathwright

Pathwright is one of the best online course platforms for quickly deploying learning content organization-wide.

Regarded as an excellent LMS, Pathwright helps create straightforward, user-friendly, learner-centered learning experiences with a range of tools.

Some of the features that make Pathwright one of the best online course platforms include its uncluttered user interface and the flexibility offered by “Blocks” in creating interactive learning content.

Analytics and cohorts serve to sweeten the deal. Take a look at the features, pros, and cons to make the right decision.

Features

  • ‘Blocks’ help fast-track the creation of interactive content
  • Analytics including average score, completion rate, and performance of content
  • Create multiple cohorts and customize the schedule and path for learners.
  • Build audio, video, written tutorials, graded tests, and quiz
  • Easy to create branded contet catalog, themes, URL, and titles
  • Radar helps you get a real-time view of your students
  • Robust e-commerce integration including storefront, payment gateway, and pitch pages

Pros

  • Clean interface
  • Simplified content creation
  • Diverse capabilities
  • Responsive customer support
  • SSL encryption

Cons

  • Text editing tools need improvement
  • Can be expensive for beginners

Pricing

  • Starter: $89 per month
  • Essentials: $179 per month
  • Complete: $449 per month

Pro Tip: Add times, dates, and automatic reminders for each cohort to stay focused on imparting training.

17. Simplero

Image via Simplero

As the name suggests, creating an online course with Simplero is quick and easy. In addition, built-in marketing tools help you promote and upsell your courses. These are the key reasons to include this platform in the list of the best online course platforms.

With just a few clicks, you'll be able to build out your curriculum and add your learning content. With its many customization options, Simplero is a great choice for anyone looking for a capable online course builder.

Simplero qualifies as one of the best online course platforms thanks to the integrated website builder, automation, and segmentation tools.

Here are the features that make it one of the best online course platforms.

Features

  • Create compelling courses with membership sites
  • Flexible course delivery
  • Drip course content by course, page, module, or lesson
  • Robust segmentation and marketing automation tools
  • Supports multiple formats including ebooks, videos, offline events, virtual events, and audio files
  • Powerful automation to create simple to advanced learner journeys
  • Intuitive website builder
  • Track learner engagement with ease
  • Multiple interaction modes with forums, worksheets, communities, blog, and comments

Pros

  • A flexible, feature-rich platform
  • Structured course building
  • Excellent customization
  • Good customer support

Cons

  • Limited course design features
  • Can involve a bit of a learning curve for beginners

Pricing

Many of the best online course platforms offer a free trial and Simplero is no exception. You can explore its features with a 14-day free trial while the paid plans are in these categories:

  • Starter: $59 per month
  • Scale: $149 per month
  • Skyrocket: $249 per month

Pro Tip: Grant free access to your course content for a limited time to entice learners to sign up.

18. Xperiencify

Image via Xperiencify

Games are fun. Learning can be boring. But what if you can make learning fun with games?

Even when using the best online course platforms, course creators face the challenge of learners abandoning courses before completion. Xperiencify aims to improve this by making courses more engaging and fun.

It does this by gamfiying the learning experience that helps boost completion rates. The fact that you can easily add game elements to your courses, is why Xperiencify is one of the best online course platforms.

In addition to video content, Xperiencify also supports adding various resources including MP3 files, slides, and PDFs.

Take a look at the features that make Xperiencify one of the best online course platforms.

Features

  • Experience Engine keeps learners engaged with automated triggered actions such as SMS messages, emails, badges, celebrations, and tags
  • Add and customize points for every activity and training
  • Upload your own or choose from pre-integrated sound effects
  • Custom countdowns and disappearing course content to create a sense of urgency
  • Automatic creation of a powerful community to engage learners
  • Pre-written motivation, encouragement and praise messages
  • Robust e-commerce integration including storefront, payment gateway, and pitch pages

Pros

  • Powerful gamification tools
  • Automated actions for learner engagement
  • Customizable membership page
  • Flexible and streamlined interface

Cons

  • Limited marketing features
  • May not be suitable for traditional courses

Pricing

  • Launch: $42 per month
  • Growth: $117 per month
  • Enterprise: $500 per month

Pro Tip: Keep learners motivated with customized celebrations at strategic points during the course.

19. Mighty Networks

Image via Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks is one of the best online course platforms you need to build a vibrant community for your online courses.

As a user, you have the option to sell individual courses, membership, or a combination of these.  Unlike most others in the list of the best online course platforms, Mighty Networks is built not just around the content, but an engaged community.

That means students have a place to find support and encouragement, challenge each other and share their progress. In other words, learning doesn’t end when the course ends.

Like others in this list of the best online course platforms, Mighty Networks offers members the option to share various content formats including links, images, and text.

It doesn’t end there. Mighty Networks has other capabilities that you would expect from the best online course platforms. Let’s see what they are.

Features

  • Native course builder helps you add a community, gate your content, and teach a cohort-based course
  • The built-in Activity Feed in every course encourages engagement and conversation among members
  • Website and landing pages builder
  • Create engaging content, questions, polls, and events
  • Mighty Insights™ analytics
  • Zoom integration to host live events

Pros

  • Activity Feed to engage learners
  • Granular events features
  • In-depth analytics
  • Easy to use

Cons

  • No quiz option
  • Zapier integration comes only with premium plans

Pricing

  • The Community Plan: $33 per month
  • The Business Plan: $99 per month
  • Mighty Pro: Custom pricing

Pro Tip: Bring communities across Slack, Discord, Facebook, and other platforms into Mighty Network’s unified dedicated space.

20. Kartra

Image via Kartra

There are many reasons why Kartra is one of the best online course platforms. Not only does it offer courses, but it also has a variety of email functions, checkouts, and the ability to create a membership site.

Additionally, Kartra can also host your own affiliate program. While it is one of the best online course platforms, its advanced marketing tools, and other capabilities are designed to help you build a successful business.

Features

  • Centralized dashboard to host videos
  • Automate video play and set timed CTAs (call-to-action)
  • Checkout platform removes the need for third-party tools
  • Full visibility of leads and course participants
  • Lead scoring and tagging
  • Kartra Pages allow you to build and launch landing pages that convert leads
  • Campaign and funnel builder makes it easy to control the path leads take
  • Build a membership site to launch multiple online courses
  • A Helpdesk feature to assist learners with queries
  • Robust integrations with other business tools

Pros

  • Granular analytics
  • All-in-one solution for course creation and marketing
  • Easy scalability
  • Marketing automation

Cons

  • Email marketing feature needs improvement
  • Can be expensive for beginners

Pricing

  • Starter: $99 per month
  • Silver: $199 per month
  • Gold: $299 per month
  • Platinum: $499 per month

Pro Tip: Upsell the most relevant courses to the right leads by segmenting and tagging them.

21. Systeme.io

Image via Systeme.io

Systeme.io is a comprehensive marketing software solution that provides trainers, professionals, and startups all they need to succeed with their online coaching business.

It is regarded as of the best online course platforms because it makes it easy to create your courses, design enrollment pages, and manage participants. While it makes paid courses particularly easy to set up, it also allows you to offer free resources.

Wait, there’s more. The platform’s dashboard provides easy access to a range of powerful marketing tools such as a funnel builder, marketing automation, and email marketing tools.

As expected from the best online course platforms, Systeme.io helps you get the most out of your marketing efforts and maximize your results.

Let’s get started with the platform’s features.

Features

  • Course editor to build multimedia courses by integrating video, PDF, images, audio, and text
  • Funnel builder makes it easy to build landing pages and sales funnels
  • Integrated email marketing tools to design and deploy email campaigns
  • Connect payment gateways to upsell courses
  • Capture leads with emails and integrated funnels
  • Pre-designed templates and drag-and-drop tools to build your course website

Pros

  • Automated onboarding process
  • Easy to use funnel and page builders
  • Evergreen webinar
  • Drip feature for timed access to courses

Cons

  • Lack of in-depth tutorials
  • Limited survey features

Pricing

  • Free: $0 per month
  • Startup: $27 per month
  • Webinar: $47 per month
  • Unlimited: $97 per month

Pro Tip: Migrate from any online course platforms and funnels to Systeme.io with ease.

22. Teachery

Image via Teachery

Teachery is one of the best online course platforms for beginners because it eliminates confusing functions and designs to give course creators what they need.

While most others named in this list of the best online course platforms may require a time investment to get started, Teachery offers a guided tutorial. This beginner-friendly approach helps novice course creators get their courses up and running in no time.

The best part? There are zero transaction fees, unlike many others in the list of the best online course platforms.

Features

  • Two simple templates and course outlines to build courses
  • Streamlined Course Editor to quickly modify aspects of the course
  • Embed slides, audio, and video content
  • Create membership site and input payment plans
  • Build new landing or sales pages to boost course sales
  • Drip lessons and automate emails to learners at different stages
  • Analytics and reports to monitor learners’ performance

Pros

  • Unlimited courses and learners
  • Beginner-friendly
  • Easy to use
  • Good customer service

Cons

  • No native hosting of videos and files
  • No quizzes

Pricing

  • Teachery has just one paid plan that costs $49 per month apart from a 14-day free trial.

Pro Tip: Leverage customer analytics to know the lifetime value of your learners, average course completion rate, and time spent on each course.

23. Yondo

Image via Yondo

Yondo makes it easy to create and sell courses from your branded store. In addition to courses, you can sell online videos, group classes, webinars, and live video consultations, all from a single interface.

It fits into the category of the best online course platforms based on its mobile-friendly design, customization options, and course-building tools.

Read on to know what else makes Yondo one of the best online course platforms for your coaching business.

Features

  • Course builder to create courses, live webinars, surveys, and quizzes
  • Conduct group classes, host live webinars, and do one-on-one video consultations
  • Auto-Return features takes learners to the last viewed point
  • File attachments allow the addition of downloadable worksheets, audio, and video files
  • CTAs across the course content to upsell and promote courses
  • Easy integration with business tools including Google Analytics, Dropbox, and Mailchimp
  • Marketing automation and A/B testing
  • Ecommerce integration to sell digital and physical products

Pros

  • Live webinar capabilities
  • Comprehensive analytics
  • Videos on demand
  • E-commerce and marketing integration

Cons

  • Expensive for beginners and small teams
  • Limited features

Pricing

Like most others in the list of the best online course platforms, Yondo offers a free trial of these paid plans:

  • Starter: $69 per month
  • Professional: $139 per month
  • Premium: $349 per month

Pro Tip: Get rich insights into your customers with detailed reports on purchase information, streaming usage, events stats and revenue.

24. Digital Course Hive

Image via Digital Course Hive

If your course content is not dependent on videos, one of the best online course platforms that you can leverage is Digital Course Hive. It offers a course builder with easy drag-and-drop features to create custom courses as well as membership sites.

This comprehensive platform enables you to construct courses, funnels, and memberships in one place.

What’s more, you can sell physical products, automate emails, and sync your calendar. After all, these are some of the features you would expect the best online course platforms to offer.

Take a look at the features in more detail.

Features

  • Drag-and-drop tool for building a membership site and course
  • Built-in calendar that you can customize with branding for ease of scheduling
  • Email automation and broadcast features.
  • Hundreds of templates to build courses, create webinar funnels, emails, and lead magnet forms
  • A/B test page design for optimization
  • Lead segmentation and tagging

Pros

  • Drag-and-drop course builder
  • Multiple payment processing options
  • Easy integration with popular business apps
  • CRM and e-commerce integration

Cons

  • Onboarding needs streamlining
  • Does not support videos

Pricing

Like most others in the list of the best online course platforms, Digital Course Hive offers a 14-day free trial.

  • Starter: $39 per month
  • Business: $79 per month
  • Growth: $159 per month

Pro Tip: Contact all your leads and existing customers with the email broadcasting feature.

25. iSpring Market

Image via iSpring Market

The best online course platforms come with powerful features that streamline course creation and management, and iSpring Market is no different.

With iSpring’s comprehensive set of tools, you can create an online course marketplace with a few clicks, upload content, and start selling courses.

One of the reasons to regard iSpring as one of the best online course platforms is that it supports multiple content formats, including SCORM courses.

That’s not all. iSpring Market offers a top-notch analytics engine to monitor learners’ progress and revenue data.

Here are its other interesting features.

Features

  • iSpring Learn offers full LMS functionality to create and manage courses
  • iSpring Suite offers diverse tools including a video editor, interactive library, and screen recordings
  • Ready-made templates for creating catalogs, glossaries, timelines, diagrams, and FAQs.
  • Set up a comprehensive curriculum by combining multiple courses
  • Learners get their own portal to monitor progress, view courses, and deadlines
  • Zoom integration to host live webinars
  • Interactive assignments, quizzes, enrollment coupons, and certificates
  • Gamification tools such as badges and points to motivate learners

Pros

  • Intuitive interface
  • Authoring toolkit
  • Interactive learning
  • Supports multiple content types including SCORM
  • Detailed analytics

Cons

  • Report templates need improvement
  • Screen recording is not optimal

Pricing

Unlike most others in the list of the best online course platforms, iSpring offers different pricing options for non-profits, academics, and businesses.

For businesses:

  • iSpring Suite: $770 per year
  • iSpring Suite Max: $970 per year

Non-profits and academic:

  • iSpring Suite: $470 per year
  • iSpring Suite Max: $670 per year

Pro Tip: Simulate real-life scenarios with pre-built templates, voice overs, characters, and locations to enrich the learning experience.

26. Pinlearn

Image via Pinlearn

Based on its versatility and powerful capabilities, Pinlearn qualifies as one of the best online course platforms. The platform makes it easy to sell live classes, self-paced courses, and group webinars.

Pinlearn also goes where most others in the list of the best online course platforms don’t. It allows you to invite other tutors on to the platform to sell their courses.

And, there are multiple tools you can use such as Zoom live streaming, payment gateway, and internal chat system to build the perfect e-learning platform that meets your needs.

Features

  • Build and market self-paced courses with built-in course-authoring and course-monetization tools
  • Design and deploy a custom course website
  • Live video conferencing to host group and private sessions
  • Schedule and manage live sessions with event manager and calendar integrations
  • Dedicated dashboard for course managers, tutors, admin, and learners to manage associated workflows, data, and profiles
  • In-depth course analytics and report generation on course performances, events, earnings, and transactions
  • Multiple marketing tools including promotions, advertisements, SEO, and notifications

Pros

  • Streamlined course website and course builder
  • Multimedia lesson formats
  • Source code access
  • Powerful integrations

Cons

  • Involves a learning curve
  • Lack of authoring tools

Pricing

Unlike others in this list of the best online course platforms, Pinlearn offers a one-time payment plan in these tiers:

  • Regular: $399
  • Premium: $999

Pro Tip: Communicate with learners using the two-way, integrated messaging portal within Pinlearn.

27. Zenler

Image via Zenler

As an edupreneur or course creator, you may feel stretched too thin, at times. Between researching your topic, developing online courses, to marketing them, course creators are required to don many hats.

If you are looking for the best online course platforms that can do the heavy lifting needed for all that, you can give Zenler a try.

As one of the best online course platforms, Zenler allows you to create courses and offers features for managing the marketing part of your online business. Right from the website and sales funnels to email campaigns, there’s a lot you can do with Zenler.

Let’s see what the platform’s features, pros, and cons are.

Features

  • Course creator to add audio, PPTs, videos, PDF, downloads, surveys, and quizzes
  • Live classes and webinars
  • HD video, whiteboard, screen-sharing, virtual backgrounds, file sharing, and breakout rooms
  • Membership sites and funnels
  • Email templates and automation based on triggers such as course or lesson completion and enrollment
  • Create marketing funnels that convert with video series and lead magnets
  • Live chat room and community builder
  • Drag-and-drop tool to design branded course pages
  • Social media live streaming

Pros

  • All-in-one solution
  • Powerful automation features
  • Flexible course builder
  • Live webinars, and streaming

Cons

  • Aesthetic issues with the user interface
  • Initial set up takes time

Pricing

While there is no free trial, Zenler does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. Here are its paid plans:

  • Pro: $647 per year
  • Premium $$1447 per year

Pro Tip: Entice and engage learners with multiple popups based on triggers such as browsing, delay, or exit.

28. AccessAlly

Image via AccessAlly

There is no doubt that AccessAlly is one of the best online course platforms for educators looking for a WordPress plugin to create a membership site and sell online courses.

The platform makes full use of the flexibility and capabilities of WordPress while combining it with a learning management system(LMS) and membership features.

That’s not all. The platform is designed to enable learners to get private feedback on assignments and helps deliver a great learning experience.

What else makes AccessAlly one of the best online course platforms? Take a look.

Features

  • A straightforward course builder that takes a linear approach to course creation to help build a comprehensive course
  • Embed videos and live streams via Vimeo, YouTube, Amazon S3, and Wistia
  • Gamification tools to motivate learners
  • Drip content to learners based on progress
  • Auto-generated course completion certificates
  • Analytics including course completion, session time, and performance
  • Bulk course enrolment and recurring subscription
  • Course creation wizard helps structure video courses

Pros

  • Unlimited courses
  • User-friendly
  • Gamification
  • Customizable design
  • Good customer support

Cons

  • Can be difficult to use for those not familiar with WordPress
  • Lack of native video hosting feature

Pricing

Unlike most others in this list of the best online course platforms, AccessAlly does not offer a free trial.

  • AccessAlly Essentials: $82 per month
  • AccessAlly Pro: $108 per month
  • In-House Training: $208 per month

Pro Tip: Track progress on video content and reward learners with points they can redeem for real-world prizes.

FAQs

Q1. What is the best online course platform?

A. This list contains the best online course platforms:

  • Thinkific
  • LearnWorlds
  • Kajabi
  • Teachable
  • Podia
  • LearnDash
  • MemberPress
  • Lifter LMS
  • Kartra
  • Searchie
  • Mighty Networks
  • Xperiencify
  • Systeme.io
  • Yongo
  • …and others

Q2. What is the best free online learning platform?

A. The best online course platforms with free classes and subscription plans include:

  • Udemy
  • edX
  • LinkedIn Learning with Lynda
  • Alison
  • Khan Academy
  • MIT OpenCourseWare
  • TalentLMS
  • Systeme.io

Q3. How do you create an online course and sell it?

A. These steps can help you create and sell online courses:

  • Pick a course
  • Validate the course
  • Pre-launch your course
  • Pick from the list of the best online course platforms to create interactive content.
  • Choose between self-hosting, an online course marketplace, or learning management systems.
  • Price your course
  • Create course sales pages
  • Market your course
  • Analyze data and optimize

Q4. What is the best site to learn online courses?

A. Some of the best online learning platforms include:

  • LinkedIn Learning with Lynda
  • LearnWorlds
  • LearnDash
  • Thinkific
  • Kajabi
  • Teachable
  • Kartra
  • Ruzuku
  • Zenler
  • iSpring Market
  • Simplero
  • Systeme.io
  • Yondo
  • Pinlearn
  • ..and others

Q5. What are the benefits of using online platforms in education?

A. Some of the benefits you get from teaching through the best online course platforms include:

  • Enables you to tap into everyday technology to make interactive online courses.
  • Makes it easy to create online courses and track students progress
  • Enables for flexibility and cost-effectiveness

Q6. What is the best SEO online course?

A. Some of the best SEO online courses include:

  • Semrush Academy
  • Yoast Online SEO training
  • Moz SEO Essentials Certification
  • HubSpot SEO Certification Course

Q7. What should you look for in an online course platform?

A. Some of the crucial features to look for in the best online course platforms include:

  • Built-in course builder.
  • Cross-platform compatibility
  • White-labeling
  • Multi-media support
  • Interactive learning elements
  • Third-party integrations
  • Reasonable transaction fees

Q8. What are the benefits of online courses?

A. These are the benefits of enrolling in an online course:

  • Reduced costs
  • Easy access to course material
  • Networking opportunities
  • Increased time with instructors
  • Easy access to expert tutors

Q9. Why do students prefer online courses?

A. The following are reasons students go for online courses

  • Flexibility in creating individual schedules
  • Personalized learning approach
  • 24/7 access to course materials
  • Increased student interaction with tutors and course material
  • Access to expert tutors from across the globe

Sell Online Courses With Ease on These Platforms

When deciding between the best online course platforms, consider the ones that offer all the features you need without breaking your bank. They should also offer tools that make it easy to create brand awareness, market, and sell courses.

And most importantly?

The best online course platforms enable you to create engaging and interactive content for your students.

Do you need additional help comparing the best online course platforms and choosing the best for your needs? Comment below, and we can help you find something suitable for your courses.

Disclaimer: This content contains some affiliate links for which we will earn a commission (at no additional cost to you). This is to ensure that we can keep creating free content for you.

Gaurav Sharma

Gaurav Sharma is the Founder and CEO of Attrock, a results-driven digital marketing company. Grew an agency from 5-figure to 7-figure revenue in just two years | 10X leads | 2.8X conversions | 300K organic monthly traffic | 5K keywords on page 1. He also contributes to top publications like HuffPost, Adweek, Business2Community, TechCrunch, and more.

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