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.
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.
