The Best Platforms for Selling Online Courses: Pros and Cons

In recent years, online courses have surged in popularity, allowing educators and experts to share their knowledge with a global audience. However, choosing the right platform to host and sell your online courses can significantly impact your success. In this article, we’ll explore some of the best platforms for selling online courses, highlighting their pros and cons to help you make an informed decision.

1. Teachable

Pros:

• User-Friendly Interface: Teachable offers an intuitive platform that’s easy to navigate, making it simple to create and launch your courses.
• Customization: You can customize your course site to match your brand, allowing for a more professional appearance.
• Sales and Marketing Tools: Teachable provides built-in marketing features such as coupon codes and affiliate programs, helping you promote your courses effectively.

Cons:

• Transaction Fees: Teachable charges transaction fees on the basic plan, which can eat into your profits if you’re just starting.
• Limited Design Options: While customization is available, some users find the design options somewhat limited compared to other platforms.

2. Udemy

Pros:

• Established Audience: Udemy has a massive user base, providing instant exposure to your courses.
• No Upfront Costs: You can create and publish courses for free, only paying a share of revenue when you make sales.
• Variety of Courses: Udemy hosts a wide range of courses, making it easy for learners to discover your content.

Cons:

• Revenue Sharing: Udemy takes a significant cut of your course revenue, especially if students are acquired through their promotions.
• Limited Control: You have less control over branding and marketing compared to hosting your course on your own website.

3. Thinkific

Pros:

• No Transaction Fees: Thinkific doesn’t charge transaction fees, allowing you to keep all of your earnings.
• Flexible Pricing Options: You can offer one-time payments, subscriptions, or payment plans, catering to different customer preferences.
• Robust Features: Thinkific provides a variety of features, including quizzes, surveys, and certificates, enhancing the learning experience.

Cons:

• Learning Curve: While powerful, some users may find the platform’s features complex at first.
• Limited Free Plan: The free plan has limited features, which may not be sufficient for those looking to create comprehensive courses.

4. Kajabi

Pros:

• All-in-One Solution: Kajabi combines course creation with marketing tools, email marketing, and website hosting, streamlining your business operations.
• High Customization: You have extensive customization options, allowing you to create a unique course experience.
• Community Building: Kajabi supports creating community features, enabling interaction among students.

Cons:

• Higher Pricing: Kajabi is one of the more expensive platforms, which may not be ideal for beginners.
• Complexity: The breadth of features can be overwhelming, especially for those new to online course creation.

5. Podia

Pros:

• User-Friendly: Podia is known for its easy-to-use interface, making course creation a breeze.
• All-in-One Platform: Besides courses, Podia allows you to sell digital downloads and memberships, providing diverse income streams.
• No Transaction Fees: You keep 100% of your earnings, regardless of the pricing plan you choose.

Cons:

• Limited Course Features: Compared to other platforms, Podia may lack some advanced course features like quizzes or certificates.
• Less Established: Podia is growing but does not have the same level of recognition as some competitors.

6. LearnDash

Pros:

• WordPress Integration: LearnDash is a plugin for WordPress, allowing you to integrate courses into your existing website seamlessly.
• Powerful Features: The platform offers advanced features like drip-feed content, quizzes, and progress tracking.
• Flexibility: With LearnDash, you can have full control over your course content and pricing.

Cons:

• Requires WordPress Knowledge: Setting up LearnDash requires familiarity with WordPress, which might be challenging for beginners.
• Hosting Costs: While the plugin itself is relatively affordable, you’ll need to account for web hosting and other WordPress-related costs.

Conclusion

Choosing the right platform to sell your online courses is crucial for your success as an educator. Each platform offers unique advantages and drawbacks, so consider your needs, budget, and the type of courses you want to create. Whether you prefer the simplicity of Teachable, the audience of Udemy, or the comprehensive features of Kajabi, there’s a solution for you.

Take the time to explore these options, and you’ll be well on your way to sharing your knowledge and earning income from your passion. Good luck on your course creation journey!