Best Online Course Creation Platforms - Educators Technology (2024)

Best Online Course Creation Platforms - Educators Technology (1)

In today’s post, I am sharing with you some of the best online course creation platforms out there. These are all platforms I have personally used or thoroughly reviewed in the past, and I am including them here because of their robust feature sets, ease of use, and flexibility in creating and delivering educational content. From engaging course builders and customizable landing pages to comprehensive payment processing options, each platform offers unique advantages to educators and creators alike. I’m aware there are several other course building platforms that did not make it to this list, but I’ve chosen to focus on those that I believe offer the most value and versatility for a wide range of needs.

When you are looking for a course builder, it’s crucial to pay attention to several key aspects. First, consider whether the platform is a course-only platform or if it offers additional tools and services that could enhance your educational offerings. The quality of the course builder itself is paramount—look for platforms that allow you to create engaging, interactive courses with ease.

Additionally, the ability to craft a compelling landing page can significantly impact your course’s success by attracting and converting potential students. Another important factor is whether the platform includes various payment processing options; this flexibility can broaden your reach to a global audience. Lastly, consider if the platform offers access to ongoing subscription fees, which can provide a steady revenue stream and build a committed learning community. Keep these considerations in mind as you explore each platform’s offerings to find the best fit for your digital education business.

Online Course Creation Platforms

Here are our favourite course creation platforms:

1. Thinkific

Thinkific is my preferred online course builder among the platforms discussed. Its focus is squarely on course creation, making it an excellent choice for educators and creators who prioritize ease of use and a comprehensive set of features. The platform is user-friendly, offering a clean and straightforward navigation experience that lowers the barrier for entry for those without technical expertise.

Thinkific offers a host of interactive features, such as advanced quizzes, a variety of question types, and surveys for collecting feedback. Other interesting features provided by Thinkific include web themes and domains that allow for full brand integration, mobile apps for course and community management, supports different content types (e.g., video, audio, images, PDFs, and presentations).

2. Teachable

Teachable is another powerful online course creation platform that deserves a closer look. Its hallmark is simplicity—requiring no prior coding knowledge to get started. You can build your course from the ground up with ease.Teachable also handles payment processing seamlessly and offers the flexibility of subscription-based access to courses. One of its most attractive features is that it only charges you when your course sells, which is great for those just starting out or testing the market. Teachable also enhances the learning experience by offering completion certificates and a suite of tools to monitor students’ progress.

Despite its many strengths, Teachable does have a few areas where it falls short. Notably, the platform is not available for Android users, which could limit accessibility for a portion of the potential user base. Another missing feature is native live streaming, which could affect the delivery of live, interactive content.

However, these weaknesses are balanced by Teachable’s robust sales features and student engagement tools. The platform makes it easy to create, upload, and personalize your courses, offering a level of customization that ensures your online courses reflect your brand and style. With built-in ecommerce tools for a hassle-free sales process and various content format support, Teachable empowers creators to scale their business confidently and efficiently.

3. Udemy

Udemy is known a an learning platform where users access a wide variety of comprehensive course offerings. Udemy also allows creators and educators to create and share their online courses and tutorials. Its in-built course builder supports various formats and media, including text, audio lectures, video, quizzes, and Q&As.

One interesting feature providy by Udemy is learners’s ability to easily download content for offline access, ensuring that education is not hindered by internet connectivity issues. This feature is particularly appealing for learners on the go, making it easier to fit learning into a busy schedule.

However, Udemy’s revenue sharing model presents potential challenges for course creators. The platform operates on a system where the revenue split is heavily dependent on how a student discovers your course. If a learner purchases your course through your own marketing link, you can retain up to 97% of the revenue. On the other hand, if a learner comes to your course via Udemy’s marketing or through organic discovery on the platform, the instructor’s share drops to 37%.

4. Skillshare

Skillshare offers a vibrant platform for creators to share their knowledge, especially through video-based courses. It’s particularly well-suited for creative arts, design, and entrepreneurship, providing an engaging learning environment that encourages practical learning. Skillshare’s platform facilitates easy sharing of courses and fosters a community of learners eager to develop new skills. The emphasis on video content allows instructors to create dynamic and visually engaging courses, making complex subjects easier to understand and more enjoyable for students.

Despite its strengths, Skillshare introduces a notable barrier for course creators concerning monetization. To qualify for payment, a course must attract a minimum of 25 students, which can be a challenging threshold for new creators or those in niche subjects. This requirement means that creators might earn only a small portion of the revenue generated from hours watched until this minimum is met.

Best Online Course Creation Platforms - Educators Technology (2)

5. Kajabi

Kajabi presents itself as a comprehensive, all-in-one platform tailored for creators and entrepreneurs looking to streamline their digital business under one roof. It eliminates the complexity often associated with managing various tools by offering everything from course creation to marketing, all without taking a cut of your revenue. This feature alone sets Kajabi apart, as it allows creators to retain more of their earnings.

Additionally, Kajabi provides an array of AI-powered tools that simplify the course creation process, from structuring your course outline to generating lesson content and crafting compelling landing page copy. The platform also boasts Kajabi University, a treasure trove of resources aimed at helping users maximize the platform’s potential for their digital businesses.

6. Payhip

Payhip is an intuitive platform that caters to a wide range of digital sales needs, from courses and coaching to digital downloads and memberships. Its simplicity and versatility make it an attractive option for creators looking to sell various types of content online without navigating the complexities of multiple platforms. Payhip supports a diverse array of digital products, including ebooks, music, videos, and templates.

The platform also offers features for online course creation, complete with videos, quizzes, and assignments, as well as tools for selling coaching services and managing membership groups. Furthermore, Payhip accommodates the sale of physical products, providing an all-encompassing solution for creators looking to manage and scale their business from one central location.

7. Podia

Podia is a digital platform that provides tools for creating online courses, hosting webinars, selling digital downloads, and more. The platform is designed to simplify the process of managing digital content by integrating website building, email marketing, and product sales into one system. With Podia, users can set up a website without needing to code or have design skills, making it accessible to a wide range of creators. The platform allows users to sell directly from their websites and personalize their online presence to match their brand.

As for the marketing part, Podia offers features for email marketing, including premade templates for sending emails, the ability to automate email campaigns, and tools to track the financial performance of each email sent. Podia handles product hosting, payment processing, and delivery to customers. The platform has a tiered transaction fee model, charging fees ranging from 10% on the free plan to no fees on the Shaker plan, depending on the plan chosen by the user.

Related: 9 Good Video Conferencing Tools for Teachers

Final thoughts

There you have it, a quick overview of some of the leading online course creation platforms available to educators and creators today. From the intuitiveness of Thinkific and Teachable to the vast audience reach of Udemy and Skillshare, and the all-encompassing solutions offered by Kajabi and Payhip, each platform has its unique strengths and potential drawbacks. In making your decision, consider not only the features each platform offers but also how those features align with your goals for course creation and distribution. Whether you prioritize a user-friendly course builder, extensive monetization options, or robust marketing tools, there’s a platform out there that can meet your needs.

Best Online Course Creation Platforms - Educators Technology (2024)

FAQs

What is the best website to create an online course? ›

The best online course platforms at a glance
Best for
UdemyLaunching your first course
SkillshareTeaching creative skills
TeachableCreating an online school with marketing
PodiaSelling digital products and memberships
4 more rows
Dec 19, 2023

Which online course platform is the best? ›

8 Best Online Course Platforms: A Comparison Guide for 2024
  • Platform #1: LearnWorlds.
  • Platform #2: Thinkific.
  • Platform #3: Teachable.
  • Platform #4: Kajabi.
  • Platform #5: LearnDash.
  • Platform #6: LifterLMS.
  • Platform #7: Udemy.
  • Platform #8: Coursera.
6 days ago

What is the best platform for online learning? ›

The 13 Best Online Learning Platforms in 2024
  • Khan Academy.
  • FutureLearn.
  • Coursera.
  • 360Training.
  • MasterClass.
  • edX.
  • Mindvalley.
  • (Bonus) CareerFoundry.
Jan 25, 2024

Is kajabi better than thinkific? ›

Kajabi and Thinkific are both excellent for building courses, but Kajabi provides a better learning experience for students. Course creation and content delivery are the primary focus of Thinkific and Kajabi. So it makes sense that they give creators efficient ways to package and monetize their knowledge.

How do I make my own online course? ›

How to create an online course in 10 steps
  1. Choose the topic of your course.
  2. Conduct customer research.
  3. Select the format of your course.
  4. Test if your course has high market demand.
  5. Pre-sell your course.
  6. Outline your course content.
  7. Set course pricing and sales goals.
  8. Choose the right course platform.
Dec 4, 2023

Is Udemy or Coursera better? ›

Udemy vs Coursera: Comparing the Facts

Udemy has numerous courses for a lot of different interests and skill levels, and Coursera has a more academic approach with opportunities to get certificates and degrees.

What is the largest platform for online courses? ›

With more than 213,000 courses, 60,000 instructors, and 62 million students, Udemy is the largest online learning platform out there, covering every niche you can think of. There's no unifying theme on Udemy — you can really learn anything, from graphic design to personal development.

Which platform is best for online courses and free? ›

While Coursera, edX, Udemy, Google and Great Learning offers loads of free online courses with certificates, do have a look at Alison, NPTEL and others.

What is the largest online course marketplace? ›

Udemy. Udemy is the world's largest online course marketplace with over 70K instructors, 155K courses, and 480 million course enrollments. Individuals and businesses can create Udemy courses on any topic for free.

How to create and sell an online course? ›

11 Steps to Creating and Selling Online Courses
  1. Understand your Audience.
  2. Write Down Your Learning Objectives.
  3. Create a Storyboard.
  4. Decide Where You'll Host Your Online Course.
  5. Create Your Content.
  6. Select a Business Model.
  7. Create a Course Page that Converts.
  8. Build a Course Sales Funnel.
Apr 3, 2023

Why is Thinkific better than Teachable? ›

Why do some think Thinkific is better than Teachable? Thinkific is an online education platform with many features, and they have a customizable online course platform. Thinkific allows content creators to build more advanced platforms, which is one of the reasons why some prefer to choose it over Teachable.

What does Kajabi cost per month? ›

Here are the quick details about Kajabi pricing plans: There's the Basic plan at $149 per month, the Growth plan at $199 per month and the Pro plan at $399 per month. Those are the prices when you pay month to month.

How much is Kajabi per month? ›

Kajabi Pricing Plans

Kajabi offers three different pricing plans: Basic Plan: $149/month or $119/month when billed annually. Growth Plan: $199/month or $159/month when billed annually. Pro Plan: $399/month or $319/month when billed annually.

What is the free website builder for online courses? ›

The best free website builders at a glance
Best forStandout feature
Google SitesBasic sites (without SEO)Easy to use (like Google Docs)
YolaSimple, no-fuss websitesExtensive and relevant block library
GetResponseEmail-focused businessesLots of templates
WixAn all-around site builderEasy-to-use AI builder
4 more rows
Mar 21, 2024

How to create an online course for free? ›

Follow these steps for creating your online course:
  1. Create a free account in an easy-to-use online course platform.
  2. Get a custom domain, or set up a free URL.
  3. Choose the brand colors for your online course website.
  4. Setup your course website home page.
  5. Create your first online course using a course builder tool.
Nov 22, 2023

Which is the best platform for free online courses? ›

While Coursera, edX, Udemy, Google and Great Learning offers loads of free online courses with certificates, do have a look at Alison, NPTEL and others.

Is creating an online course profitable? ›

Can you make money selling online courses? There are are several monetization options for a course creator. Successful course creators make around $1k – $10k per month on average. The top course creators can make 6- to 7-figure incomes per year.

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