The market for online education has grown massively in recent years. Millions of creators now earn money by sharing their expertise through digital courses. Whether you’re a seasoned professional looking to monetize your knowledge or a first-time creator just starting out, choosing the right platform to host and sell your courses is a major decision. The platform you select affects your profit margins, branding flexibility, how easily students can access your content, and how much control you have over pricing.
This guide breaks down the leading platforms available, examining what each one does well, who it’s best suited for, and the key factors you should weigh before committing. I won’t declare a single “best” platform—that would be misleading since the right choice depends entirely on your specific needs, technical comfort level, and business goals. Instead, I’ll give you a framework for evaluating your options.
Before diving into individual platforms, it’s worth clarifying what these services provide and why most creators don’t build their own infrastructure from scratch.
Course platforms handle the technical heavy lifting that would otherwise require significant development expertise. They manage video hosting, payment processing, student dashboards, email marketing integrations, and certificate generation. Most platforms charge either a monthly fee, a percentage of your revenue, or both. Some offer free plans with limited features, while others provide enterprise-level solutions with premium pricing.
The key trade-off is control versus convenience. All-in-one platforms like Kajabi package course hosting with website building, email marketing, and CRM tools—everything you need to run an online business in one place. Simpler alternatives like Podia or Gumroad focus primarily on course delivery and let you handle marketing through third-party tools you already prefer.
| Platform Type | Starting Cost | Best For | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-in-one platforms | $149-199/month | Creators who want built-in marketing | Higher cost, less flexibility |
| Course-focused platforms | $0-49/month | Budget-conscious beginners | Basic features, may need integrations |
| Marketplace platforms | Free to 50% revenue share | Reach and visibility | Less control, competitive environment |
| Customizable platforms | $99+/month | Advanced creators | Steeper learning curve |
Teachable is one of the most recognizable names in online courses. The platform built its reputation on removing technical barriers, letting creators focus on content rather than troubleshooting software.
What makes Teachable appealing for newcomers is its intuitive admin dashboard. You can upload video lessons, set up pricing tiers, create coupon codes, and launch your first course within a single afternoon. The platform handles checkout, tax calculations for international sales, and student progress tracking without requiring complex configuration.
Teachable offers a free plan that lets you host one course with up to ten students—a legitimate testing ground for creators who want to validate their idea before committing financially. Paid plans start around $29 per month for the Basic tier, which removes student limits and adds features like branded certificates and affiliate marketing tools. The Pro plan at $119 monthly adds course bundles and advanced integrations, while the Business tier ($299/month) suits teams and organizations with multiple instructors.
The main limitation is design customization. You can adjust colors, fonts, and logos to match your brand, but the underlying template structure remains fairly rigid. If having complete creative control over your sales page design matters significantly, you may find Teachable’s restrictions frustrating.
Thinkific occupies a similar market position as Teachable but differentiates itself through greater emphasis on creator control and a genuinely free tier that doesn’t limit student enrollment. This combination has made it popular among independent educators, consultants, and small business owners who want professional results without hiring web developers.
The platform’s course builder offers more granular customization options than many competitors. You can arrange modules and lessons in flexible structures, insert quizzes and surveys throughout your content, and require lesson completion before students can progress—useful for credentialing programs where completion matters. Thinkific also supports multiple instructors under a single account, making it practical for organizations running collaborative programs.
Pricing represents Thinkific’s strongest competitive advantage. The free plan allows unlimited courses and students, though it displays Thinkific’s branding on your site and restricts some advanced features. The Start plan at $49 monthly removes branding and adds bulk student imports, while the Pro plan at $99 includes course completion certificates and integrations with tools like Zapier. Grow and Thinkific Plus tiers at $199 and $499 respectively add advanced analytics, white-labeling options, and priority support.
Where Thinkific falls slightly behind Teachable is in built-in marketing tools. While you can connect external email services and payment processors, Teachable’s native email sequences and affiliate management feel more polished out of the box. Thinkific’s approach assumes you’ll bring your own marketing stack, which works well for experienced creators but adds steps for those still learning.
Kajabi occupies a distinct category as a platform designed for creators who want to build entire businesses without piecing together multiple tools. Rather than simply hosting courses, Kajabi markets itself as a solution for launching knowledge businesses, bundling course delivery with website building, email marketing, landing page creation, analytics, and customer relationship management.
This comprehensive approach appeals to creators who find integrating separate tools—Teachable for courses, Mailchimp for email, WordPress for websites, Stripe for payments—overwhelming or inefficient. With Kajabi, your entire operation lives in one interface. You can build a sales funnel, capture leads, deliver course content, process payments, and send automated follow-up sequences without leaving the platform.
The tradeoff is cost. Kajabi’s plans start at $149 per month for the Basic tier, with Pro and Growth options at $199 and $399 monthly. For many beginning creators, this represents a significant investment before they’ve generated any revenue. However, users who fully leverage Kajabi’s capabilities often find the consolidated expense comparable to what they’d pay for separate tools—and considerably less hassle to manage.
Kajabi works best for creators who plan to scale significantly and want sophisticated marketing automation built into their infrastructure from day one. It’s less ideal for hobbyists testing the waters or creators with straightforward needs who prefer minimal monthly expenses.
Podia has carved out a loyal following among creators who value simplicity above all else. The platform explicitly markets itself as lacking complicated features that sound impressive but that you never actually use, which resonates with instructors who just want to sell courses without navigating complexity.
The platform’s pricing structure stands out for its straightforwardness. There are no transaction fees on any plan, and the free tier includes unlimited courses, unlimited students, and access to basic email marketing features. Paid plans at $39 and $89 monthly add white-labeling, affiliate management, and advanced email automation. Notably, Podia doesn’t charge based on revenue volume, making it particularly attractive for high-earning creators who would pay substantial percentages elsewhere.
Podia’s course builder covers standard needs adequately—video hosting, downloadable resources, quizzes, and membership site functionality if you want to offer recurring content. Where the platform intentionally keeps things simple is in customization. You can’t add custom code, and design options are more limited than competitors. This constraint is by design: Podia bets that most creators don’t actually need the flexibility they’re paying for.
For first-time course creators uncertain about long-term commitment, Podia’s free tier offers the lowest-risk entry point while still providing the core functionality needed to launch and start earning.
Beyond standalone platforms, marketplace options like Udemy and Skillshare offer fundamentally different value propositions. These platforms host your courses alongside thousands of others, exposing your content to their existing user base rather than requiring you to drive your own traffic.
Udemy operates as both a marketplace and a platform. Instructors can list courses directly and set their own prices, but Udemy frequently runs deep discounts that can reduce your effective earnings to as little as $10 per sale regardless of your list price. Alternatively, Udemy’s Enterprise team may feature your course to corporate clients at higher rates. The platform takes up to 50% in revenue sharing for courses sold through their marketing, though instructor-led promotions can reduce or eliminate this share.
Skillshare uses a subscription model where students pay monthly access fees, and instructors earn based on watch time across their content. This creates a different revenue dynamic—successful instructors on Skillshare typically earn through volume rather than premium pricing, and income is shared among all creators whose content students watch during the billing period.
The marketplace approach makes sense for creators primarily seeking visibility and audience reach. The trade-off is significant: you surrender control over pricing, branding, and student communication to the platform. Your course competes directly with similar content from thousands of other instructors, and the platform can promote or deprioritize your offerings based on their own algorithmic considerations.
Most professional creators treat marketplaces as supplementary distribution channels rather than primary platforms, using them to attract students who might then be directed to purchase directly through their own standalone sites.
With numerous viable options available, the “best” platform ultimately depends on where you are in your creator journey and what specifically you need to accomplish. Consider evaluating potential platforms against several key dimensions.
Budget and revenue model matter enormously. If you’re just testing an idea, platforms with functional free tiers—Thinkific and Podia both offer this—let you validate demand without upfront costs. If you’re generating meaningful revenue and want to minimize per-sale expenses, transaction-fee-free platforms become more attractive as volume increases.
Technical comfort level should inform how much hand-holding you need. Teachable and Kajabi guide you through setup with more explicit assistance, while Thinkific and Podia assume you’ll figure things out as you go. Neither approach is inherently better—it depends on your preferences and time availability.
Marketing needs vary dramatically by business model. If you already have email marketing software, website infrastructure, and payment processing sorted, you may prefer platforms that don’t bundle these services and therefore cost less. If building those systems from scratch feels overwhelming, the integrated approach of Kajabi or Teachable could save significant time.
Scalability expectations should inform your choice before you outgrow your initial platform. If you anticipate launching dozens of courses, building a team, or creating sophisticated sales funnels, selecting a platform that grows with you prevents the headache of migrating later.
How much does it cost to start selling online courses?
Most platforms allow you to begin for free or under $50 monthly. You won’t pay anything upfront to create and upload your course content. Costs increase as you access advanced features, remove platform branding, or process more student transactions. The platform itself is typically your largest ongoing expense, though you’ll also need to consider payment processing fees if not included.
Do I need technical skills to use these platforms?
The major platforms are explicitly designed for non-technical users. You don’t need coding skills, web design experience, or IT background to launch a professional course. The primary requirement is the ability to record and edit video content, which most smartphones handle capably. If you can use email and navigate basic websites, you can manage these platforms.
Can I sell courses on my own website while using a platform?
Yes. Many creators use a standalone website for their brand while using a course platform to handle delivery. Teachable, Thinkific, and Podia all provide embed options that let you display course information and purchase buttons on external sites. Some creators even redirect students to the platform entirely after purchase, keeping their website focused on marketing rather than course delivery.
What’s the difference between a course platform and a membership site?
Course platforms typically deliver structured, finite content—a specific curriculum with defined lessons that students progress through. Membership sites often provide ongoing, continually updated content accessible to subscribers as long as they maintain their membership. Some platforms, including Kajabi and Teachable, support both models, while others lean more heavily toward one approach.
Choosing a platform to sell online courses isn’t a permanent commitment—most creators can migrate their content if needs change substantially. That said, selecting thoughtfully upfront saves considerable effort and prevents the disruption of moving students and content mid-stream.
Start with honest assessment of your current situation. If you have no audience, no prior course creation experience, and limited budget, prioritize platforms with functional free tiers and minimal complexity. If you have existing email lists and marketing infrastructure, the simpler platforms may serve you better by avoiding unnecessary features you’re already handling elsewhere.
The platform landscape continues evolving rapidly, with new competitors entering the market and established players regularly updating their offerings. What represents the best value today may shift within a year. Stay connected with creator communities, monitor platform announcements, and remain willing to reassess your choice as the market develops.
Your course content ultimately matters more than the platform hosting it. Don’t let analysis paralysis prevent you from launching. Choose a reasonable option, create excellent content, and refine your setup as you learn what your specific business requires.
The best platform to sell online courses is the one that matches your current needs, technical capabilities, and business goals without overcomplicating your operations or draining your budget prematurely. Teachable offers the most polished beginner experience with built-in marketing tools. Thinkific provides exceptional value with its generous free tier and customization options. Kajabi delivers comprehensive functionality for creators ready to invest in scaling their operations. Podia serves those who prioritize simplicity and straightforward economics.
Marketplaces like Udemy and Skillshare remain valuable for creators seeking exposure, though they demand significant trade-offs in exchange for reach. Evaluate each option against your specific priorities, take advantage of free trials and entry-level plans to test interfaces personally, and remember that your platform choice can evolve as your business grows.
The online education market continues expanding, with creator tools improving constantly. By focusing first on delivering genuine value through your content—and selecting a platform that supports rather than hinders that mission—you’ll be well-positioned to build sustainable revenue from your expertise.
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