The online education industry has exploded in recent years, with millions of students worldwide turning to digital courses to enhance their skills, knowledge, and personal growth. As a result, many educators, professionals, and entrepreneurs are capitalizing on this trend by creating and selling online courses. Whether you’re an expert in business, technology, fitness, creative arts, or any other niche, online courses offer a scalable and profitable way to share your expertise while generating a steady stream of income.
However, to succeed in this competitive market, you need the right platform to host and sell your courses. There are numerous platforms available, each offering different features, pricing structures, and benefits. Choosing the right one can significantly impact your success, allowing you to reach a larger audience, provide a better learning experience, and maximize your profits.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the best platforms for selling online courses, breaking down their features, pros, cons, and what makes each one unique. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced course creator, this guide will help you find the platform that best suits your needs.
Why You Need a Platform to Sell Online Courses
Before diving into the best platforms, it’s essential to understand why you need a dedicated platform to sell online courses:
- User-Friendly Course Creation: The right platform will make it easy for you to upload, organize, and deliver your content. Most platforms offer drag-and-drop tools that allow you to create a professional-looking course without needing technical skills.
- Monetization and Payment Processing: Platforms provide built-in payment gateways, allowing you to sell your courses directly to students. They handle payment processing, refunds, and, in some cases, taxes, so you can focus on creating great content.
- Marketing Tools: Many platforms come with marketing features that help you promote your course, such as email marketing, sales funnels, and affiliate marketing integrations.
- Student Engagement: Good platforms also include tools that allow you to engage with your students, such as discussion boards, quizzes, live webinars, and assessments, enhancing the learning experience.
- Analytics and Insights: You can track how students are interacting with your content, see which lessons are most engaging, and gather data on student progress and completion rates to improve future courses.
Now, let’s take a look at some of the best platforms for selling courses.
1. Teachable
Teachable is one of the most popular and user-friendly platforms for course creators. It’s designed to be easy to use, even for beginners, and provides all the tools you need to create, sell, and manage your online courses. Teachable offers flexibility and customization, allowing creators to design their courses to fit their unique style and brand.
Key Features:
- Drag-and-Drop Course Builder: Easily create and organize courses with Teachable’s drag-and-drop interface.
- Customizable Sales Pages: Create beautiful sales pages with no coding required to promote your courses and convert visitors into students.
- Built-In Payment Processing: Accept payments via credit cards, PayPal, and even Apple Pay. Teachable handles payments and payouts, including taxes (US creators can use Teachable’s tax-handling services).
- Quizzes and Certificates: Engage your students with quizzes and offer certificates upon course completion.
- Affiliate Program: Teachable offers an affiliate program, allowing you to reward people who promote your course.
Pros:
- Very user-friendly and beginner-friendly.
- Wide range of customization options.
- No upfront costs (Teachable takes a percentage of sales depending on the plan).
- Integrated marketing tools, including email marketing and affiliate programs.
Cons:
- Transaction fees on lower-tier plans.
- Limited design flexibility compared to more advanced platforms.
Best For: Entrepreneurs, coaches, and educators looking for an easy-to-use platform with a strong focus on course creation and marketing tools.
2. Thinkific
Thinkific is another top contender for course creators, offering a robust platform with tons of customization options. Thinkific is known for giving creators full control over their branding, course structure, and pricing. It’s a versatile platform that caters to educators, entrepreneurs, and businesses looking to sell online courses without transaction fees.
Key Features:
- Full Customization: Thinkific allows you to fully customize your course website, sales pages, and checkout pages to match your brand.
- No Transaction Fees: Unlike some other platforms, Thinkific doesn’t take a cut of your sales, meaning you keep 100% of your course revenue.
- Course Builder: Use a simple drag-and-drop course builder to create multimedia courses, including video, audio, text, and downloadable resources.
- Membership Sites and Subscriptions: You can create membership sites where students pay a recurring fee to access exclusive content.
- Advanced Marketing Tools: Thinkific integrates with email marketing platforms like MailChimp and ConvertKit and offers tools for upsells and promotions.
Pros:
- No transaction fees on any plan.
- Great for building fully branded, customized course websites.
- Offers the ability to create memberships and subscriptions.
- Excellent customer support and educational resources for course creators.
Cons:
- Some advanced features are only available on higher-tier plans.
- Fewer integrated marketing features than competitors like Teachable or Kajabi.
Best For: Course creators who want full control over their branding, pricing, and the student experience without paying transaction fees.
3. Kajabi
Kajabi is a premium, all-in-one platform that offers everything you need to create, market, and sell online courses. It’s not just a course creation tool—it’s a full business platform with built-in marketing automation, email funnels, membership sites, and website hosting. Kajabi is perfect for entrepreneurs looking to grow their online business while selling courses, coaching, or memberships.
Key Features:
- All-in-One Solution: Kajabi provides course creation tools, marketing automation, email marketing, and website hosting, all in one platform.
- Website Builder: Create fully functional websites to host your courses, blog posts, and more using customizable templates.
- Advanced Marketing Automation: Kajabi includes email marketing, sales funnels, and automation tools to nurture leads and convert them into paying customers.
- Memberships and Coaching Programs: You can create recurring revenue streams by offering memberships or coaching programs alongside your courses.
- In-Depth Analytics: Kajabi’s analytics tools help you track student engagement, course completion rates, and sales performance.
Pros:
- Comprehensive all-in-one platform with everything you need to run an online business.
- Advanced marketing and sales automation tools.
- No need for third-party tools like website hosting, email marketing, or sales funnel software.
- Highly customizable and scalable.
Cons:
- Higher price point compared to other platforms.
- Overkill for creators who just want to sell courses without complex marketing needs.
Best For: Entrepreneurs and businesses that need an all-in-one platform for course creation, website hosting, marketing automation, and sales funnels.
4. Udemy
Udemy is one of the largest and most well-known online learning platforms, with millions of students enrolled in thousands of courses. As a marketplace-style platform, Udemy allows you to upload and sell courses to a built-in audience. However, because of its marketplace model, Udemy controls pricing and often offers discounts on courses, which can affect your earnings.
Key Features:
- Marketplace Exposure: Udemy has a large, global audience, giving you instant access to potential students.
- Course Creation Tools: Simple course creation tools allow you to upload videos, quizzes, and assignments without needing technical skills.
- Student Engagement: You can engage with students through Q&A sections, quizzes, and discussion boards.
- Certificate of Completion: Students receive a certificate when they complete your course, which adds value to your offering.
Pros:
- Access to a large, global audience with minimal marketing effort.
- Easy-to-use interface for both course creators and students.
- No upfront costs—you only pay when students purchase your course.
Cons:
- Udemy controls course pricing and often discounts courses heavily, which can reduce your earnings.
- High competition within the platform, making it harder to stand out.
- Limited branding and customization options for your course page.
Best For: New course creators looking to reach a large audience without having to invest in their own marketing efforts.
5. Podia
Podia is an all-in-one platform designed for creators who want to sell online courses, digital products, and memberships. Podia offers a user-friendly interface that allows creators to build and sell courses without needing technical skills. It’s ideal for entrepreneurs who want to sell multiple types of digital products alongside their courses.
Key Features:
- Sell Multiple Products: In addition to online courses, you can sell digital downloads, webinars, memberships, and coaching services on Podia.
- Memberships: Create membership programs where students pay a recurring fee for exclusive content and community access.
- No Transaction Fees: Podia doesn’t charge transaction fees, so you keep all the revenue from your sales.
- Built-In Email Marketing: Podia includes basic email marketing features, allowing you to send newsletters, drip campaigns, and promotional emails directly from the platform.
- Live Chat Support: Podia offers 24/7 live chat support to help you with any issues you encounter while building your courses.
Pros:
- User-friendly platform that’s easy for beginners.
- Ability to sell multiple types of products (courses, memberships, downloads, and webinars).
- No transaction fees on any plan.
- Built-in email marketing tools to engage your audience.
Cons:
- Fewer customization options compared to platforms like Thinkific or Kajabi.
- Limited advanced marketing features.
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Best For: Creators who want to sell courses, memberships, and digital products without transaction fees in an easy-to-use platform.
6. Skillshare
Skillshare is a subscription-based platform that offers students access to thousands of courses for a monthly fee. Unlike platforms like Teachable or Thinkific, where you set your own pricing, Skillshare operates on a royalty-based system where creators are paid based on the number of minutes their courses are watched. Skillshare is best for creators in creative fields like design, photography, writing, and entrepreneurship.
Key Features:
- Creative Focus: Skillshare is known for its focus on creative skills, making it ideal for creators in art, design, writing, and similar fields.
- Subscription Model: Students pay for access to all courses on the platform, and you earn royalties based on how many minutes your content is watched.
- No Upfront Costs: There are no costs to create and upload your course, making it a low-risk option for new creators.
- Community Engagement: Skillshare has a strong community aspect, with students able to leave reviews, share projects, and interact with instructors.
Pros:
- Access to a large, engaged community of learners.
- Great for creators in creative industries like design, photography, and writing.
- No upfront costs or fees to get started.
Cons:
- Earnings depend on how many minutes students watch, which can fluctuate.
- You don’t control course pricing or monetization options.
- Limited customization and branding options.
Best For: Creators in creative fields looking to reach a large audience through a subscription-based model.
Conclusion: Choosing the Best Platform for Selling Courses
Choosing the right platform to sell your courses depends on your specific needs, goals, and budget. Here’s a quick summary of the best platforms:
- Teachable: Ideal for beginners and entrepreneurs who want an easy-to-use platform with built-in marketing tools.
- Thinkific: Best for course creators who want full control over branding, pricing, and the student experience without transaction fees.
- Kajabi: Perfect for entrepreneurs looking for an all-in-one solution for creating, marketing, and selling courses, memberships, and coaching programs.
- Udemy: Best for new creators who want access to a large, built-in audience without having to invest in their own marketing.
- Podia: Great for creators who want to sell multiple digital products, including courses, memberships, and webinars, without transaction fees.
- Skillshare: Ideal for creators in creative fields looking for a low-risk option with no upfront costs.
Ultimately, the best platform for selling your courses will depend on your goals, the type of content you create, and how much control you want over pricing, branding, and marketing. By selecting the right platform, you can provide a seamless learning experience for your students while maximizing your revenue potential.
Take your time to explore these platforms, sign up for free trials, and test out their features to find the one that aligns best with your vision for your online course business.