Searching for the top online course platform to match your needs can be a challenging task. Did you know that there are dozens of e-learning platforms available? Our article will provide an in-depth comparison of the nine best online course platforms of 2023, saving you time and energy.
Let’s dive in and discover which one is right for you!
Key Takeaways
- Udemy, Skillshare, and Teachable are top online course platforms with many courses for people to learn new skills.
- You can make your own lessons on these sites with tools they provide.
- Payments and marketing are easy on these platforms thanks to special features.
- Good user support helps teachers make the best courses.
What are Online Course Platforms?
Online course platforms are digital infrastructures that offer a comprehensive suite of tools for creating, selling, and managing online coursework. These platforms provide educators with the means to design and customize courses, engage students virtually, record progress, integrate marketing functionality and handle payments seamlessly – all in one place.
They have become integral to distance education by providing access to knowledge regardless of geographical barriers, thereby expanding the outreach of learning and development opportunities globally.
Definition
Online course platforms are tools on the web. Course makers use them to sell and teach their courses in digital form. Thinkific is one famous platform people love. These sites have useful things like software for making courses and ready solutions.
Some even give true proof of learning, like certificates and grading points. They make distance learning easy as all you need is internet access!
Importance
Online course platforms are a big deal. They help you share your knowledge with the world. You can create, sell and promote your courses all in one place! It’s like setting up a school online but way easier.
Plus, they have tools to make your courses fun and easy to learn from. This means more people will want to join them! In 2023, sites like Udemy, Skillshare and Teachable stand out as the best of these platforms for bloggers.
Thinkific is another good pick if you’re looking for top-notch tools to create and sell your courses online.
In-depth Review of the Best Online Course Platforms for 2023
In this section, we delve into an in-depth review of the best online course platforms for 2023, providing a comprehensive analysis of each platform’s standout features, ease of use, and unique offerings to help you make an informed decision.
Udemy
Udemy is a huge name in online learning. It’s the top spot for many people looking to boost their skills or learn something new. With over 210,000 courses on offer, Udemy has a lot to give.
From business and tech to art and health, there’s likely a course for it.
The low price of most classes makes Udemy an easy choice. Anyone can start learning right away without draining their wallet. The site is also user-friendly which makes finding the right class simple.
People love that about Udemy! This platform keeps growing with more users each day as online education becomes hotter than ever before.
Skillshare
Skillshare is a top pick for online learning. It opens up a world of more than 35,000 courses. You can learn things like graphic design and creative writing. More than 5 million people use Skillshare to build their skills.
The platform asks you to pay a yearly fee that’s easy on the wallet. This elearning platform is loved for its ease of use, low cost, and wide course selection. You’ll find it’s great for growing your talents in many areas!
Teachable
Teachable is a great tool for making online classes. It has many users and works well for both new teachers and those who have been teaching for a while. Teachable helps you make your class and keep things running smoothly with its easy-to-use web setup.
You can change the look of your course page to match what you like or need. Teachable also gives you ways to get students more involved in your classes. Many see it as one of the best tools out there for making online courses on its own, not part of another system.
LearnWorlds
LearnWorlds stands out among online course platforms. Born in the UK in 2014, it caters to all needs for digital learning. It boasts a wide range of features tailored for elearning, from building a custom-branded mobile app to offering a safe space for students.
Besides, LearnWorlds is famous among users. People love its best tools for online teaching and training courses. On this platform, you can run an effective online school with ease.
Explore LearnWorlds today to boost your blogging efforts!
Kajabi
Kajabi is a great tool for bloggers. It combines everything you need into one place. This platform helps people like you make an online course or membership site. You can build, market, and sell your courses with Kajabi’s elearning tools.
This platform has lots of things that will help you out. For example, it has many marketing tools and membership site features that are easy to use. You get to take home all the money you make and there are no extra fees!
EasyGenerator
EasyGenerator is perfect for bloggers. You don’t need a background in e-Learning to use it. With this tool, you can make courses and quizzes fast. It gets good reviews and has won awards too! Many people say EasyGenerator is one of the best e-learning authoring tools out there.
This makes it a top pick among many users looking to dive into online learning or content creation using advanced educational tools.
Podia
Podia is on the rise in 2023! Ranked as the second-best online course platform, it stands out. It’s an all-in-one ecommerce place that grows fast. Podia is easy to use and has lots of cool features.
Like Kajabi, it offers a lot for bloggers making courses. The tools help with creating and selling your work. With Podia, you have everything you need in one spot!
Thinkific
Thinkific is a top choice in 2023 for online course platforms. Many people love it because it works well. It gives you tools to make and sell your courses. You can make custom learning products with Thinkific, not just a list of classes.
This platform has easy things to use which people like about it. The reviews are good because Thinkific helps its users a lot. People say they like the help and features that come with Thinkific.
This is why it made the Best Online Course Platforms list for 2023.
Key Features of the Top Platforms
The top platforms offer their unique course creation tools, varied customization options, powerful marketing and sales tools, easy-to-use payment processing systems, along with exceptional user support services.
Course creation tools
Course creation tools are a big part of online platforms in 2023. They help bloggers build and host their courses.
- Udemy offers tools for video, audio, and document uploads. It also has quiz – making software.
- Skillshare allows for course outlines and class project creation.
- Teachable provides course builder tools that make it easy to drag and drop course items.
- LearnWorlds gives you options to add tests, assignments, and interactive videos to your course.
- Kajabi comes with a highly flexible course builder tool that lets you design your whole program.
- EasyGenerator presents an easy-to-use tool that gives you the ability to create engaging online courses quickly.
- Podia features a simple yet powerful tool set for course creation with unlimited bandwidth for videos.
- Thinkific has an advanced course builder with multiple content forms like quizzes, discussions, and surveys.
Customization options
Course customization is a key feature of online learning platforms. These options help you shape your course to fit your style and needs.
- Udemy lets you pick and choose the tools you need.
- Skillshare has special branding options.
- Teachable only offers a few ways to make your course personal.
- LearnWorlds lets you change almost everything about your course.
- Kajabi gives many options for course design.
- EasyGenerator lives up to its name with simple, flexible design ideas.
- Podia makes it easy to create an enjoyable user experience.
- Thinkific is great for users who want full control over their course.
Marketing and sales tools
Marketing and sales tools are a vital part of online course platforms. They help you reach more people and boost sales. Here are some top tools these platforms offer:
- Email Marketing Campaigns: These tools let you send emails to your students. You can share news, course updates, or special offers.
- Affiliate Marketing Programs: With this, other people can promote your course. When they make a sale, they get a share of the profit.
- Sales Funnel Software: This tool helps guide students from just looking at your course to buying it.
- Webinar Hosting Platforms: Host live online classes or events here. It’s a good way to connect with students and sell courses.
- Membership Site Builders: Make a space for your students online. Here they can access all your courses and any bonus content.
- Ecommerce Solutions: This is where you sell your courses. You can set prices, run sales, and track how well courses are selling.
- Elearning Management Systems: Keep track of your students’ progress here.
Payment processing
Payment processing is a key feature for top online course platforms. Here’s a look at what they offer:
- Ecommerce payment processing systems: This helps the platforms get money from students who buy courses.
- Online transaction processing: This makes sure that when someone pays for a course, the money goes through with no problems.
- Secure payment gateways: These keep everybody’s money and information safe when buying or selling courses.
- Payment processing fees: Some platforms take a part of your sale to pay for their services.
- Payment methods and options: The best platforms let students pay in many ways, like cards or online wallets.
- Payment processing integrations: This lets the platform work with other business tools you might use.
- Automated payment processing: The best platforms can handle sales on their own, without you needing to do anything.
- Mobile payment processing: With this, people can buy your course using their phones or tablets easily, even if they’re not home.
- Realtime payment processing: As soon as someone buys a course, you see it in your account.
User support
User support is a big part of online course platforms. It can make or break your experience as a course creator. Here are some key pieces of user support you should look for:
- Customer service: A fast, friendly team that can help with issues.
- Assistance: Tools or staff that help you design and build your course.
- Help Desk: A place to get answers to common problems.
- Technical Support: Experts who can fix bugs or other tech issues.
- Troubleshooting: Guides that show how to solve common issues on your own.
- Collaboration Tools: Features that let users work together on coursework.
- Discussion Forums: Places where users can chat about course topics.
- In-app messaging: An easy way for users to contact you or each other.
- Third-party tools: Ability to add extra features from outside companies.
- User Roles and Permissions: Controls for what different users can do in your course.
Comparison of Pricing Plans
This section will delve into the different pricing plans offered by each platform, examining monthly or annual subscription fees, transaction charges, and any additional costs for extra features.
Monthly or annual subscription
You can pick a plan for these platforms each month or every year. Some may like to pay every month. Others may choose to pay once at the start of the year. For example, Kajabi begins at $119 per month if you pay for a full year up front.
Skillshare gives access to all courses for one monthly fee. Each platform has different costs and offers other services in their plans too.
Transaction fees
Each online course platform has its own cost for things you sell. This is the transaction fee. For example, Thinkific’s Start plan asks for $5 each time you sell a course. But, not all plans ask for this money.
The Mover and Pro Trainer plans from Thinkific don’t charge any fee per sale. If you choose the Shaker plan on Thinkific, it will cost $75 every month but no extra charge will be there when selling courses.
So, check these fees too while picking your platform because it may affect how much money you keep in the end.
Additional features
Extra tools are also part of some course platforms. Each platform offers different added perks. You can find advanced options that let you do more than just make a course. These bonuses can help your blog become better and capture the interest of more people.
But not all platforms give you these extra options. Compare what each one offers before making your choice.
A Comprehensive Comparison of the Best Online Course Platforms
Online course platforms have proven to be indispensable tools for bloggers looking to share their knowledge and generate income. Here, we provide a comprehensive comparison of the best platforms available in 2023.
Cons
| Platform | Pros | |
|---|---|---|
| Udemy | Wide user base, easy to use, great for beginners | High competition, Udemy takes a significant portion of profits |
| Skillshare | Allows for creative course creation, offers a strong community | Limited in terms of course categories |
| Teachable | Great customization options, robust marketing and sales tools | Transaction fees on the basic plan, requires some technical knowledge |
| LearnWorlds | Interactive course features, strong user support | Pricing can be high for startups |
| Kajabi | All-in-one platform, excellent for online entrepreneurs | Premium pricing, has a learning curve |
| EasyGenerator | User-friendly, good for non-technical users | Limited customization, less advanced features |
| Podia | Unlimited courses and students, no transaction fees | Lacks some course creation tools |
| Thinkific | Great option for most users, good balance of features and cost | Customization might require some coding knowledge |
This comparison should assist in evaluating the best platform for your unique course goals and audience.
Which Platform is Right for You?
To choose the perfect online course platform, it’s critical to identify your goals and target audience, assess your budget and requirement for specific features. Dive deeper into user reviews or take a free trial run – find out which suits you the best!
Consider your course goals and target audience
Choosing the right online course platform depends on your goals and audience. Here’s a breakdown:
- Think about your course aims first. Are you looking to share skills or to make money? The answer affects which platform is best for you.
- Know who will take your classes. College students, busy adults, or lifelong learners all have different needs.
- Using platforms like Udemy can help if you want to reach a broad audience.
- For more detailed lessons, pick LearnWorlds. It appeals to serious creators aiming for deep learning.
- Thinkific helps big – time creators earn good money from their lessons.
- Each platform has its own pricing plans – some charge monthly, others yearly.
- Check out transaction fees too before picking one!
- If you want full control over sales, choose a platform that lets you sell from your website.
- Always read reviews and compare demos before deciding.
Evaluate your budget and desired features
Picking the right online course platform depends on your budget and what you want. Here are some steps to take:
- Look at your money plan. Know how much you can spend each month or year.
- Compare all the prices of different platforms. Some cost more each month but have fewer extra fees.
- Think about what you need for your course. This can help narrow down your choices.
- Don’t just look at price, also think about features you want like sales tools or good user support.
- Take a close look at the top platforms like Udemy, Teachable, and Thinkific.
- Read the reviews for these platforms to see what people like and don’t like about them.
- Watch demo videos to get a feel for how each platform works.
Read reviews and compare demos
Choosing the best online course platform is a big step. To make the right choice, read reviews and compare demos of each platform. Here are some tips to guide you:
- Start by looking at reviews online for each platform. This gives you a sense of what real users think.
- Check out the star rating for each platform. Pay attention to platforms with high ratings.
- Look at both good and bad reviews to get a balanced view.
- Give importance to recent reviews as they paint a picture of the current state of the platform.
- Watch demo videos if available on their websites. These give you a feel of how the platform works.
- Try out free trials if offered by these platforms for firsthand experience.
- Look into specific features that matter most in your situation while comparing demos.
Conclusion
Choosing an online course platform in 2023 may seem hard. This choice becomes easy when you know what to look for. Think about your needs, wants and goals. Then select the best platform that fits these things.
