Launching your online course can feel like navigating a maze, especially when it comes to choosing the right platform. Do you pick a robust Learning Management System (LMS) or a simpler plugin? How do you ensure it scales with your business, offers seamless student experiences, and doesn't eat into your profits with hidden fees?
We’ve been there. When ShareWordpress launched its free WordPress video course website, finding the perfect platform that offered full content control, strong branding, and effortless student access was a significant challenge. We explored everything from basic WordPress plugins to comprehensive LMS solutions, gaining invaluable insights along the way. Our journey led us to MemberPress, and we haven't looked back.
The truth is, selecting the wrong platform can be a costly misstep, leading to frustrating feature limitations, hefty transaction fees, or a clunky interface that alienates both you and your students.
In this comprehensive guide, we'll leverage our hands-on experience to compare the top online course platforms, dissecting their pros and cons. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur, a small business owner, or a passionate blogger, our goal is to empower you to choose the ideal solution to create, manage, and sell your online courses like a true professional. 🧑💻
Top Online Course Platforms: A Quick Comparison
In a hurry? Here's a concise overview of the best online course platforms, so you can quickly compare their core strengths and pricing:
Pro starts at $149.50 per year
Seeking online learning platforms for students instead? You may want to jump straight to our bonus section on the best online course platforms for students.
Our Rigorous Review Process: How We Vetted Each Platform
Choosing the perfect online course platform demands a deeper dive beyond marketing claims. It requires a meticulous evaluation of factors like ease of use, pricing transparency, feature sets, and integration capabilities, all tailored to your specific needs.
Here’s an inside look at how we thoroughly evaluated each platform:
Unpacking Course-Building Capabilities
For every learning management system (LMS) on our list, we rigorously tested every facet of the course creation process. This included uploading diverse content types, designing quizzes, and setting up practical assignments to assess real-world functionality.
Scrutinizing Payment Systems & Fees
Platforms with high transaction fees can severely impact your profitability. We meticulously evaluated payment gateways by conducting test transactions and analyzing fee structures. Our focus was on solutions offering multiple payment options, reasonable transaction costs, and flexible pricing models (one-time purchases, subscriptions, or payment plans).
Assessing Integration Capabilities
We personally connected each platform with essential tools, testing integrations with popular email marketing services and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software. We also examined social media integration and analytics tracking to ensure a cohesive digital ecosystem.
Evaluating User Experience & Support
Our priority was to identify course builders that are intuitive for both beginner course creators and students. We assessed user-friendly interfaces, the availability of customizable templates, and the quality of customer support to ensure a smooth journey for all users.
Examining Platform Control & Flexibility
During our testing, we encountered platforms with restrictive policies. Therefore, we carefully reviewed each platform's terms of service and content ownership rights. We also explored customization options and data export capabilities, ensuring you retain full control over your valuable educational content.
Why You Can Trust Our Expertise at ShareWordpress
At ShareWordpress, our recommendations aren't just theoretical; they stem from practical, hands-on experience running our own video courses. We offer insights born from:
✅ Direct experience setting up and managing courses across various platforms.
✅ Valuable feedback gathered from our vibrant community of course creators.
✅ Continuous monitoring of platform updates and feature enhancements.
For more details, please refer to our complete editorial guidelines and review process.
In-Depth Analysis: Best Online Course Platforms for Creators & Entrepreneurs
This guide is thoughtfully divided into two main sections. The first nine platforms are powerful solutions designed for content creators aiming to build and effectively sell their online courses.
If your primary interest lies in the best online learning platforms for students, you can click the link to jump directly to that dedicated bonus section.
With that distinction in mind, let's explore the top online course platforms for content creators and teachers:
1. MemberPress: The Ultimate All-in-One WordPress Solution
MemberPress stands out as the premier WordPress LMS plugin, tailor-made for instructors seeking an all-in-one membership and course solution. It streamlines the process of building and selling online courses directly from your WordPress site, enhanced by robust access controls and integrated payment options.
MemberPress is the engine behind ShareWordpress's renowned video courses, enabling us to offer free courses in exchange for email addresses. Dive into our detailed MemberPress review for an exhaustive look at its features!
Through personal use, we've found MemberPress’s course builder remarkably straightforward, simplifying course creation, management, and sales. Its intuitive drag-and-drop editor makes it ideal for beginners, allowing you to seamlessly integrate high-quality video content and additional downloadable resources.
Design skills aren’t a prerequisite either. MemberPress includes a virtual classroom functionality that automatically handles styling, ensuring a professional appearance that integrates flawlessly with all WordPress themes.
Need more than just content delivery? MemberPress truly shines with its extensive suite of course-related add-ons.
First, MemberPress Quizzes empowers you to create engaging assessments. Choose from various question formats, including multiple-choice, true/false, or open-ended, to effectively test student knowledge.
Next, MemberPress Assignments allows you to easily assign practical tasks, set deadlines, and collect student submissions, perfect for hands-on, project-based learning. Students can submit via a link or by uploading a media file.
Simultaneously, the MemberPress Gradebook simplifies tracking student performance by automatically recording quiz scores and assignment progress, providing a clear overview for both you and your students.
What makes this even more compelling? All these powerful features are bundled together within MemberPress Courses. Once you’ve installed the MemberPress Courses add-on, you can activate these extra functionalities as needed, giving you modular control.
You can even run coaching sessions with this platform. MemberPress CoachKit allows you to create unlimited coaching programs, manage client groups, and track progress with milestones. It integrates seamlessly with MemberPress Courses for structured lessons.
For streamlined client bookings, MemberPress CoachKit integrates with Simply Schedule Appointments and Calendly.
When it comes to monetizing your courses, MemberPress’s robust content access controls are invaluable. They enable you to sell unlimited courses with diverse pricing models and subscription plans. We particularly appreciate its support for digital downloads with access control, ensuring only logged-in students can access materials.
In terms of integration, MemberPress checkout integrates smoothly with your email marketing service, automatically adding each student to your email list for future promotions or upsells.
Ultimately, MemberPress provides numerous avenues to expand your course platform. Want to build a thriving community? Create a private social network using BuddyBoss. Boost sales with a referral system via Easy Affiliate. For marketing, utilize SeedProd to craft custom sales and webinar pages.
Pros of MemberPress:
- Intuitive visual course builder requiring no coding.
- Enhanced learning experience with dedicated classroom mode.
- Supports drip course content, powerful access control for memberships, and group memberships.
- Flexible pricing and diverse payment options for your online school.
- Supports multiple payment gateways, including Stripe.
- No sales percentage taken.
- Extensive integration possibilities.
Cons of MemberPress:
- May have a slight learning curve for absolute WordPress beginners.
Why We Recommend MemberPress: In our experience, MemberPress reigns as the definitive all-in-one membership solution. Its integrated Courses add-on allows you to effortlessly create professional-grade online courses with no coding necessary. Beyond course creation, MemberPress offers unparalleled access controls, enabling you to sell courses, grant exclusive content access to members, and implement engaging drip campaigns with remarkable ease.
Pricing: Starts from $179.50 per year for a single site license (no monthly fee).
2. Thrive Apprentice: Craft Personalized Learning Experiences
Thrive Apprentice is the perfect fit for course creators dedicated to delivering personalized content. This feature-rich visual course builder also functions as a membership solution, offering in-depth reporting and advanced content customization tools.
After extensive testing, we're deeply impressed by Thrive Apprentice's user-friendly interface and robust course management capabilities. For a comprehensive overview, read our full Thrive Apprentice review!
During setup, Thrive Apprentice’s intuitive visual builder became immediately apparent. It offers over 55 customizable course templates, providing a rapid starting point. These include templates for course overviews, text, video, and audio lessons, and much more.
However, where Thrive Apprentice truly distinguishes itself is in its course content organization. When developing test courses, the platform elegantly allows you to group courses into chapters and chapters into modules. This logical structuring proved incredibly helpful in supporting a smooth, progressive learning experience for students.
Another significant advantage of Thrive Apprentice is its powerful content dripping functionality. This feature enables you to release lessons at consistent intervals for each student. For instance, you can automatically release a new lesson every Monday when a student enrolls in a new course.
You can even apply different drip schedules, with varying drip triggers, to the very same course. We particularly appreciate this flexibility, as it eliminates the need to duplicate courses for new student cohorts.
Thrive Apprentice also simplifies showing personalized content to different users. For example, you can display distinct page content for public visitors versus enrolled students, enhancing user experience and conversion rates.
Beyond its course-building prowess, Thrive Apprentice includes built-in membership functionalities. You can effortlessly combine and sell access to your online courses, blog posts, specific pages, or any other content on your website with just a few clicks.
Pros of Thrive Apprentice:
- Ready-made course templates coupled with a visual builder.
- Flexible drip content scheduling options.
- Ability to personalize content for different user segments.
- Customizable downloadable certificates with QR codes for authenticity verification.
- Detailed analytics and insightful reports.
- Integrated membership features for robust content protection.
- Extensive tool integrations via Uncanny Automator.
Cons of Thrive Apprentice:
- Built-in support primarily for Stripe only.
- Membership features are present but not as comprehensive as MemberPress.
Why We Recommend Thrive Apprentice: After extensive evaluation, we believe Thrive Apprentice represents a top-tier, user-friendly LMS plugin complemented by integrated membership capabilities. It offers over 55 course templates for expedited setup and a drag-and-drop builder for effortless customization. Its advanced tools, such as flexible content dripping and the ability to display personalized content, allow you to craft tailored learning experiences for diverse user segments.
Pricing: Starts at $149 per year for the standalone plugin. Alternatively, the full suite of Thrive plugins, including Thrive Quiz Builder and Thrive Architect, begins at $299 per year.
3. MemberMouse: Enterprise-Grade Membership for Serious Educators
MemberMouse is a powerful WordPress membership plugin especially suited for enterprise-level sites looking to integrate course creation and strategic upsells seamlessly. Its robust reporting suite and built-in LMS, Courses for MemberMouse, provide an exceptional framework for managing and monetizing online education.
We’ve dedicated significant time exploring MemberMouse, and its advanced features truly impress. For more detailed insights, consult our in-depth MemberMouse review.
During our testing, we discovered that MemberMouse simplifies the creation of comprehensive courses, complete with lessons, quizzes, and certificates, all within the familiar WordPress interface. The drag-and-drop blocks make it effortless to add videos, images, and downloadable materials.
You can maintain course organization and student engagement by incorporating progress-tracking bars and intuitive prompts for navigating between lessons.
We particularly value the 'Classroom Mode' template, which automatically provides your courses with a polished, professional presentation. You can further customize your Classroom Mode with your own logos, colors, and images to perfectly align with your brand identity!
Regarding membership management, MemberMouse simplifies setting robust access rules to protect your courses. For instance, we found it easy to restrict access to all lessons based on a specific membership, a bundle, or multiple sales packages.
Moreover, the cross-sell feature allows you to promote locked courses to members who haven't yet gained access, displaying a convenient one-click purchase link to boost sales conversions.
Need to track your performance? MemberMouse includes a built-in Reporting Suite directly within your WordPress dashboard.
In our assessment, this is an incredibly valuable feature for gaining crucial insights into your audience. With reports on retention, customer lifetime value, and engagement, you can quickly identify what’s working and leverage these insights to refine your membership site and marketing strategies for superior results.
Pros of MemberMouse:
- Effortless course creation powered by a drag-and-drop interface.
- Quizzes supporting diverse question types (true/false, multiple choice, short answer).
- Integrated student account page and customizable downloadable course certificates.
- Robust content protection controls and 1-click purchase functionality.
- Advanced drip content scheduler.
- Customizable classroom mode templates.
Cons of MemberMouse:
- Offers fewer third-party integrations compared to some other platforms.
Why We Recommend MemberMouse: With its robust capabilities, MemberMouse emerges as an exceptional choice for enterprise-level membership sites. Furthermore, the Courses for MemberMouse add-on transforms this plugin into one of the most powerful LMS solutions for seamlessly integrating online courses into your website. It truly excels with its sophisticated drip content controls, one-click upsells, and customizable, code-free course display options.
Pricing: Starts at $149.50 per year, including the course builder, Stripe payments, email marketing integrations, and more.
4. WishList Member: Gamify Your Courses for Ultimate Engagement
WishList Member is another comprehensive WordPress membership plugin. It features a full-fledged learning management system, CourseCure, specifically designed for creating online courses. Its standout attribute lies in its integrated gamification features, making learning more interactive and fun.
We’ve thoroughly stress-tested WishList Member, and it consistently exceeded our expectations. Discover more about this powerful tool in our detailed WishList Member review.
During our research, we created new courses using its remarkably fast and intuitive course builder—it took mere minutes to launch. The platform comes equipped with professionally designed course templates for single lessons, course library pages, course index pages, and single module pages. Critically, these templates are fully customizable and mobile-responsive.
Moreover, we confirmed its compatibility with popular page builders like Elementor and Divi.
Built-in progress tracking is another key feature, allowing students to easily monitor their advancement through the course.
Additionally, WishList Member offers powerful gamification add-ons, significantly boosting course engagement. You can reward students with badges and points for achieving milestones like course completion, quiz passes, or leaving comments.
WishList Member also supports over 20 popular payment providers, including Stripe and PayPal, simplifying the sales process for your courses.
Pros of Wishlist Member:
- Rapid course creation with no coding required.
- Customizable course templates compatible with popular drag-and-drop page builder plugins.
- Engaging quizzes featuring various actions for both passing and failing scenarios.
- Course previews to enhance enrollment rates.
- Robust access rules and support for unlimited membership levels.
- Advanced gamification with points and badges for student motivation.
Cons of Wishlist Member:
- Its extensive advanced features might initially feel overwhelming for complete beginners.
Why We Recommend WishList Member: WishList Member stands as a robust LMS and membership plugin with an exceptionally user-friendly builder. Its remarkable strength lies in its powerful gamification add-ons, including points and badges, which are designed to significantly boost student engagement and foster loyalty.
Pricing: Starts at $149.50 per year for a single site license.
5. AccessAlly: Empowering Coaches and Community Builders
AccessAlly is a distinguished WordPress membership and LMS plugin engineered for creating and selling courses, coaching programs, and memberships. Through extensive hands-on testing, we've identified AccessAlly as an outstanding choice for course creators eager to cultivate an active community around their niche.
It features an intuitive drag-and-drop builder, making the creation of interactive courses effortless. You can seamlessly upload diverse content types, including videos, audio files, and more, ensuring a truly dynamic learning experience.
A convenient course creation wizard further expedites the setup process. Simply select a pre-made template, specify whether your course is free or paid, and configure access using tags – the entire process is remarkably straightforward.
Based on your selections, the wizard intelligently auto-generates all necessary course pages, including landing pages, module and lesson pages, registration pages, and more.
In our opinion, one of AccessAlly's most compelling features is the CommunityAlly plugin. This powerful tool empowers you to establish and manage private online communities directly for your students.
During testing, we found that CommunityAlly excels at creating dedicated spaces for group discussions, allowing learners to ask questions, share ideas, and collaboratively support each other. Additionally, you can easily set up an affiliate program and create a searchable member directory.
Pros of AccessAlly:
- Accelerated course creation with a guiding setup wizard and intuitive drag-and-drop capabilities.
- Options for live, evergreen, and progress-based course delivery models.
- Smart progress tracking with multiple objectives.
- Course gamification featuring points, badges, and leaderboards.
- Seamless integration with popular email marketing CRMs, such as ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit, and Drip.
Cons of AccessAlly:
- Offers fewer customization options for granular course appearance tweaks.
Why We Recommend AccessAlly: For those specializing in group coaching, AccessAlly is an exceptional choice. Its powerful CommunityAlly plugin uniquely enables you to create and effectively manage vibrant student forums, fostering deep engagement and interaction.
Pricing: Starts at $99 per month for a single site license and unlimited courses. To access the complete learning management system, an upgrade to the Pro plan is necessary, costing $129 per month.
6. LearnDash: The Educator's Choice for Feature-Rich LMS
LearnDash is a highly popular WordPress LMS plugin and online course builder. It stands as an excellent choice for educators who require a robust, feature-rich LMS for organizing tests and facilitating active student forums.
LearnDash is remarkably user-friendly and packed with essential LMS tools. The platform boasts an intuitive drag-and-drop course builder for crafting any type of course, easily integrating video lessons, quizzes, and assignments. For a deeper dive, read our full LearnDash review!
During our LearnDash tests, we observed its comprehensive support for time limits, attempts limits, and even question randomization. Enabling these features significantly enhances security, making it more challenging for students to circumvent assessments, even without direct supervision.
Built-in progression rules are also available, allowing you to enforce sequential learning by requiring students to complete one lesson before advancing to the next.
Once your course is configured, you have the flexibility to grant students immediate full access or drip content over time. Both options were straightforward to set up and performed seamlessly during our tests.
For integrations, LearnDash supports popular payment services and integrates with top WordPress eCommerce plugins. It also works exceptionally well in conjunction with MemberPress, allowing MemberPress to manage subscriptions while LearnDash focuses on course management.
Utilizing the SeedProd landing page builder, you can effortlessly create effective sales funnels for your courses. We also tested its gamification capabilities by integrating various WordPress gamification plugins, thereby adding an interactive layer to the learning experience.
If your requirements include SCORM or TinCan support, the UncannyOwl Toolkit (with the all-access pass) provides powerful advanced features for LearnDash.
Pros of LearnDash:
- Comprehensive WordPress LMS plugin.
- Visual course builder for highly interactive courses.
- Extensive integrations for third-party tools.
- No percentage taken from course sales.
Cons of LearnDash:
- Content access controls are less robust compared to MemberPress.
- Offers less granular control over multiple subscription access.
Why We Recommend LearnDash: As a versatile LMS plugin for WordPress, LearnDash integrates seamlessly with third-party tools, including leading eCommerce plugins. It's the ideal platform for online schools, training organizations, and entrepreneurs seeking to effortlessly create and sell courses. Furthermore, its built-in features for quizzes and forums make it an exceptional choice for educators prioritizing interactive learning experiences.
Pricing: Starting from $199 for a single site license.
Note: Curious about how LearnDash stacks up against our top recommendation? Explore our in-depth comparison: MemberPress Courses vs LearnDash.
7. Teachable: Simplest Hosted Solution for Online Courses
Teachable is the ideal choice for users who prefer to build and sell courses on a standalone platform without managing a WordPress site. As a fully hosted solution, it eliminates concerns about software management or updates.
During our testing, we found Teachable offers significant flexibility – you can leverage it with your own custom domain name or as a subdomain on an existing website.
We were profoundly impressed by Teachable's ease of use. The intuitive drag-and-drop builder simplified course creation, content uploads, and rapid publishing of all materials.
It even automatically generates a sales page for each course. You also have the flexibility to customize it to align with your brand, which we consider a thoughtful touch.
Furthermore, the integrated marketing and analytics tools proved highly beneficial, streamlining performance tracking and allowing us to fine-tune our course promotions effectively.
Payment processing is equally streamlined, as Teachable manages transactions on your behalf and offers customers multiple payment options.
Pros of Teachable:
- Remarkably easy to use interface.
- No software management responsibilities.
- Eliminates resource scaling concerns.
- Powerful integrations for effective marketing.
Cons of Teachable:
- Generally more expensive than WordPress-based solutions like MemberPress or LearnDash.
- Imposes a 5% transaction fee on basic plan transactions.
Why We Recommend Teachable: As a standalone hosted solution (not a WordPress plugin), Teachable offers unparalleled convenience. It expertly handles updates and backups, significantly reducing administrative overhead so you can fully focus on growing your training business.
Pricing: Starting from $39 per month for the basic plan, which includes a 5% transaction fee. The Pro plan, which eliminates transaction fees, costs $119 per month.
Note: For a closer analysis of how Teachable compares to our top-tier platforms, refer to our article: Teachable vs Skillshare vs MemberPress.
8. LifterLMS: Flexible Multimedia Support for Niche Hobbyists
LifterLMS is an excellent choice for hobbyists seeking a WordPress-based platform with strong multimedia support. It's a highly flexible LMS plugin that empowers you to effortlessly create and sell online courses.
After thorough testing, we understand the core strengths that make LifterLMS such a powerful platform. It comes equipped with all the essential tools for seamless online course creation. Learn more in our complete LifterLMS review!
During our hands-on experience, we found LifterLMS sufficiently flexible to support a wide range of educational ventures, from a modest online coaching website to a comprehensive degree program.
We effortlessly created multi-tier courses, embedding training modules, lessons, categories, and more to effectively structure content.
We also explored its advanced features, including drip content, course progression requirements, and group memberships. These tools provided granular control over how students access materials, facilitating a guided and structured learning journey.
Pros of LifterLMS:
- Powerful capabilities for fostering online learning communities.
- User-friendly course builder.
- Robust integrations for various third-party services.
Cons of LifterLMS:
- Overall costs can increase significantly with the purchase of individual add-ons.
Why We Recommend Lifter LMS: Fitness coaches, musicians, leadership trainers, and education entrepreneurs can confidently utilize Lifter LMS as their go-to online course platform. With superior multimedia support and an intuitive setup wizard that generates crucial pages, including a course catalog, it significantly simplifies the process of launching a successful online training site.
Pricing: A free version is available for download from the WordPress plugin repository. To accept payments, the Pro version is required, priced at $149.50 per year for a single site. Additional features are available via separate add-on purchases.
9. WooCommerce: Integrate Courses with Your eCommerce Store
WooCommerce is the perfect choice for course creators who also plan to sell physical products or other digital downloads from the same online store. As the world’s leading eCommerce platform, it provides unparalleled control over seamlessly selling both courses and diverse product types.
During our testing of WooCommerce for course sales and management, we utilized the Sensei LMS extension. We found it to be a remarkably simple yet effective LMS add-on.
The tool facilitated easy course creation, allowing users to organize content with modules, lessons, and quizzes without unnecessary complexity.
Moreover, setting up a course website was swift and straightforward, particularly when paired with the WooCommerce Storefront theme.
Pros of WooCommerce:
- Simple and highly straightforward LMS integration.
- Built on WooCommerce, enabling sales of diverse products.
- Highly extendable with essential WordPress plugins.
Cons of WooCommerce:
- Requires paid add-ons for paid courses and subscription models.
- Lacks some advanced LMS features found in dedicated solutions.
- Necessitates managing a full WooCommerce store.
Why We Recommend WooCommerce: With the powerful Sensei LMS extension, WooCommerce makes it entirely feasible to seamlessly integrate course sales into your existing online store.
Pricing: Sensei LMS itself is free. However, to create paid courses, you'll need a WooCommerce paid subscriptions add-on, which costs $179 per year.
Choosing Your Champion: Our Expert Picks for Online Course Platforms
After extensively testing the top online course platforms for creators, here are our refined recommendations based on their ease of use, inherent flexibility, and robust selling features:
- MemberPress is your ideal choice if you desire an all-encompassing solution to efficiently create, protect, and sell your courses directly on WordPress. It comes bundled with a powerful course builder, integrated coaching features, and sophisticated membership controls.
- Thrive Apprentice shines for beginner course creators seeking an intuitive visual course builder, personalized content delivery capabilities, detailed analytics, and a highly streamlined user experience.
- Teachable is a robust option if you prefer a fully hosted platform that handles all technical setup on your behalf. It remains incredibly straightforward to use and does not necessitate a WordPress site.
- AccessAlly is perfectly suited for coaches and entrepreneurs who require advanced automation, dedicated client portals, and integrated community-building tools all within a single platform.
Ultimately, each tool possesses distinct strengths, ensuring that the best fit for you will depend on your specific business goals, budget constraints, and preferred technical setup.
Bonus Section: Top Online Learning Platforms for Students (Skill Acquisition)
Whether you're a student or an ambitious professional, continuously acquiring new skills and refining existing ones is paramount in today's dynamic economy. Numerous online learning platforms cater specifically to students, offering accessible pathways to master new skills or pursue passions.
LinkedIn Learning: Professional Upskilling from Industry Experts
LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com) is a prominent platform for developing digital, creative, and professional skills. It offers an extensive array of subjects and courses, accommodating learners at all proficiency levels.
In our experience, LinkedIn Learning differentiates itself through courses instructed by genuine industry professionals, boasting real-world expertise and recognized qualifications.
We tested the platform across various devices, confirming that self-paced learning was seamless on both its website and dedicated iOS/Android apps.
A significant highlight is the ability to earn certificates upon course completion. These appeared as verified badges when we added them to our LinkedIn profile, streamlining the process of showcasing newly acquired skills to prospective employers and industry connections.
Pros:
- High-quality courses taught by credentialed professionals with relevant backgrounds.
- Awarded badges and certificates that can be prominently displayed on your LinkedIn profile.
- Includes access to LinkedIn Premium features like salary and job insights, unlimited profile viewing, and InMail credits.
Cons:
- Generally more expensive than other online learning and skill-sharing platforms.
- LinkedIn does not offer refunds, necessitating full utilization of their free trial before committing to a purchase.
Pricing: Free trial available; pricing starts at $39.99 per month.
Skillshare: Unleash Creativity with Community-Driven Learning
Skillshare is one of the largest online course platforms geared towards students, providing hundreds of courses across a vast spectrum of subjects and categories.
During our testing, we discovered that Skillshare offers a limited free trial. However, our premium membership experience unlocked access to thousands of high-quality online courses covering diverse topics.
Unlike some platforms, Skillshare does not produce its own courses. Instead, courses are developed by independent professionals and educators. Since instructors are compensated based on viewership, this fosters a strong incentive to create engaging, high-quality content—a characteristic we distinctly observed during our course evaluations.
Pros:
- Affordable pricing with flexible cancellation options.
- Access to thousands of classes spanning a wide range of skills and topics.
- User-friendly interface augmented by a built-in community element that enhances the learning experience.
Cons:
- The sheer volume of courses can make it challenging for new users to decide where to begin.
- Skillshare courses can be created by anyone, meaning there are fewer strict checks on quality or standardization compared to more academic platforms.
Pricing: Skillshare Premium starts from $14 per month (billed annually).
Note: To understand how Skillshare compares to other leading platforms, check out our comparison: Teachable vs Skillshare vs MemberPress.
Coursera: Academic Rigor Meets Industry Relevance
Coursera is an exceptional platform for both acquiring new skills and pursuing formal education. It offers a blend of free and paid courses, alongside comprehensive online degree programs.
While exploring the platform, we found a diverse range of courses, notably including those developed in partnership with leading tech giants like Google and IBM.
Many of these companies provide free courses to promote the adoption of their technologies, and we observed that a significant portion included hands-on projects designed to reinforce learning.
Coursera also collaborates with top universities to deliver accredited online degree programs. The courses we reviewed were meticulously structured and taught by highly qualified professionals, demonstrating deep expertise in their respective fields.
Pros:
- Many valuable technical courses are available for free enrollment.
- Easy-to-use platform with notably better quality control than similar collaborative platforms.
- Access to course materials directly from leading IT companies and prestigious colleges.
- Adopts a more academic and structured approach to online courses.
Cons:
- Frequent upselling of degree programs offered by participating colleges.
Pricing: Varies based on the specific courses or programs you choose to enroll in.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Online Course Platforms
Choosing the right online course platform can be daunting due to the sheer number of options available. Below, we address some common questions to help you navigate this critical decision.
Can I sell courses directly from my own website?
Yes, platforms like MemberPress and AccessAlly enable you to sell courses directly from your own WordPress website. These powerful platforms provide comprehensive tools for customization, secure payment processing, and streamlined student management.
Do I need technical skills to create an online course?
Not necessarily. Many modern platforms, including Thrive Apprentice, offer intuitive visual-based course builders with drag-and-drop features, eliminating the need for any coding knowledge.
Can I offer certificates to students who complete my course?
Yes, a significant number of platforms, including MemberPress, Thrive Apprentice, MemberMouse, and LinkedIn Learning, provide functionality to issue customizable certificates upon successful course completion.
Can I integrate third-party tools with my online course platform?
Absolutely. Most reputable platforms support extensive integrations with essential tools such as email marketing services, analytics suites, various payment gateways, and webinar software, significantly enhancing overall functionality.
How can I effectively market my online course?
Effective marketing strategies include targeted social media promotion, engaging email campaigns, strategic content marketing, and forging valuable partnerships.
Additionally, consider implementing affiliate programs for your students. This incentivizes them to authentically promote your courses in exchange for commissions. By leveraging genuine recommendations from your satisfied students, you can significantly expand your reach and boost enrollments without substantial upfront marketing costs.
Ready to Launch Your Online Course Empire?
Choosing the right online course platform is more than just a technical decision; it's a strategic investment in the future of your educational business. We hope this in-depth guide, forged from our own hands-on experience at ShareWordpress, has illuminated your path and provided the clarity needed to make an informed decision.
No matter your niche or ambition, the perfect platform is within reach. Start leveraging the power of online education to share your expertise, build a thriving community, and generate sustainable revenue.
Take the next step: Explore our recommended platforms and begin transforming your knowledge into impact.
For those eager to dive deeper into building their educational presence, discover our step-by-step tutorial on how to create an eLearning website, and learn how to foster interactive learning with our guide on how to create a WordPress group learning program.
⚠️ Disclaimer: To avoid choice paralysis and maintain focus, this comparison strictly features our top-recommended online course platforms. It does not include other robust eLearning platforms or course marketplaces such as Thinkific, Udemy, Kajabi, Podia, LearnWorlds, WizIQ, iSpring, or Academy of Mine.
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