38 Best Online Course Creation Platforms for Creators and Educators in 2026
Online course creation platforms range from all-in-one hosted solutions like Kajabi and Teachable to WordPress plugins like LearnDash and open marketplaces like Udemy, covering everything from solo educators selling their first course to enterprise training teams. This guide covers 38 platforms across hosted SaaS, checkout tools, cohort platforms, WordPress plugins, and marketplaces. All pricing and plan details are verified as of March 2026.
Teachable
Teachable is one of the most recognizable names in course hosting, used by over 100,000 creators to sell courses, coaching, and digital downloads from a hosted school. In early 2025, Teachable removed its free plan entirely and introduced hard limits on student counts and product numbers tied to each paid plan. The Starter plan at $39/mo (monthly) allows up to 100 students and 5 products with a 7.5% transaction fee, while the Builder plan at $89/mo drops the fee to 0% and expands to 1,000 students. A 7-day trial is available.
- • Course builder: structured lessons with video, PDFs, quizzes, and drip scheduling built into every paid plan.
- • Coaching products: sell 1:1 sessions with calendar scheduling and session packages directly through Teachable.
- • Integrated checkout: supports one-time, subscription, and payment plan pricing without a separate cart tool.
- • Affiliate marketing: available from Builder plan upward with unique affiliate links and commission tracking.
- • Student progress tracking and completion certificates available on all paid plans.
Teachable is a reliable, polished platform for solo creators and small teams who want a quick hosted school without technical overhead. The Builder plan at $69/mo (annual) is the sweet spot once you are generating consistent revenue. Avoid the Starter plan if you expect real volume - the 7.5% fee compounds quickly and the 100-student cap forces an upgrade almost immediately.
Thinkific
Thinkific is a hosted course platform serving over 50,000 creators, offering unlimited courses and 0% platform transaction fees on all paid plans. In 2025, Thinkific removed its free plan and now offers a 14-day trial instead. The Basic plan at $49/mo unlocks unlimited courses and students, but using your own Stripe account instead of TCommerce adds a 5% surcharge on Basic, 2% on Start, and 1% on Grow. Grow ($199/mo or $149/mo annual) is required for payment plans and bulk enrollments.
- • Unlimited courses and students on all paid plans with no caps at any tier.
- • Communities: built-in discussion spaces that live inside each course for peer interaction.
- • Thinkific Apps: marketplace of add-ons including Zoom, Typeform, Mailchimp, and ConvertKit.
- • TCommerce: Thinkific's own checkout that avoids the external-Stripe surcharge on lower tiers.
- • Live lessons and cohort delivery supported from the Start plan upward.
Thinkific is the strongest choice for creators who want unlimited courses and students without per-enrollment caps and prefer deep course builder tools over all-in-one marketing features. Use TCommerce to avoid the Stripe surcharge on lower plans. If you need payment plans before reaching the $149/mo Grow tier, look at Teachable or Ruzuku instead.
Kajabi
Kajabi is the premium all-in-one platform for online educators and coaches, used by some of the highest-grossing course creators in the world. It bundles course hosting, email marketing, sales funnels, communities, and landing pages under one login. In January 2026, Kajabi raised prices: Basic now starts at $143/mo (annual) or $179/mo monthly, with contact limits slashed to 2,500 on Basic and product limits capped at 5. On Basic, using your own Stripe instead of Kajabi Payments adds a 2% surcharge per transaction on top of Stripe fees.
- • Email broadcasts and automation sequences built in, replacing the need for Mailchimp or ConvertKit on most plans.
- • Landing page and funnel builder with conversion-tested templates included on all plans.
- • Communities: member discussion spaces attached to courses, limited to 1 on Basic and Growth, 3 on Pro.
- • Kajabi AI (AI Studio): workflow automation and AI-powered course and email content generation on Business plan.
- • Coaching product type: sell 1:1 and group coaching packages with session scheduling from Basic upward.
Kajabi earns its price for creators doing $10,000+/mo who need a polished all-in-one and want to avoid stitching together multiple tools. Below that revenue level, the $143/mo (annual) Basic entry point is difficult to justify. Serious creators who only need course hosting and a simple checkout should look at Thinkific or Teachable at a fraction of the cost.
Podia
Podia is an all-in-one platform for selling courses, digital downloads, webinars, and memberships, used by tens of thousands of creators. In October 2024, Podia removed its free plan and replaced it with a 30-day free trial. The Mover plan starts at $33/mo (annual) with a 5% transaction fee and does not include affiliate marketing, while the Shaker plan at $75/mo (annual) drops the fee to 0% and adds PayPal integration, embedded checkout, and affiliate tools. Podia also bundles a basic email marketing tool with both plans.
- • Course builder with drip scheduling, quizzes, and completion certificates included on both plans.
- • Built-in email marketing: broadcast and automation sequences included without a separate tool.
- • Digital downloads and memberships sold from the same storefront as courses with no per-product fees.
- • Embedded checkout: place a buy button on any external website (Shaker plan only).
- • Webinar hosting integrated with automatic recording delivery to attendees after the session ends.
Podia is the cleanest all-in-one option for creators who sell a mix of courses, digital downloads, and memberships and want an interface with minimal complexity. Start on Shaker ($75/mo annual) to avoid the 5% Mover fee - the math favors Shaker once you are making more than $1,200/mo in sales. For pure course hosting at lower volume, Teachable is more purpose-built.
LearnWorlds
LearnWorlds is a premium hosted LMS platform built around interactive video, custom course sites, and white-labeling, used by training companies, coaches, and corporate educators. The Starter plan at $29/mo charges a $5 fee per course sale, making it expensive at scale. Pro Trainer at $99/mo (or $79/mo annual) removes that fee, unlocks unlimited free and paid courses, and supports up to 5 admins. The Learning Center plan at $299/mo adds white-label branding, SCORM upload, and interactive video tools. A 30-day free trial is available.
- • Interactive video player: add questions, overlays, and chapter markers inside videos to increase engagement and completion.
- • SCORM and xAPI upload: import compliance training content built in other authoring tools (Learning Center and above).
- • White-label school: fully remove LearnWorlds branding and use your own domain and custom design (Learning Center plan).
- • Built-in course site builder with 50+ templates, including sales pages, certificates, and student portals.
- • Certificates of completion with custom design builder available from Pro Trainer upward.
LearnWorlds is the right pick for training companies, online schools, and corporate educators who need interactive video, SCORM compliance, and a fully branded school under one platform. For independent course creators who do not need those features, the Pro Trainer at $79/mo (annual) competes well on price, but Thinkific or Teachable offer a simpler experience.
Kartra
Kartra is an all-in-one platform combining course hosting, email automation, CRM, landing pages, checkout, helpdesk, and video hosting under one account, popular with digital marketers and coaches. The Essentials plan at $59/mo charges a 5% transaction fee and limits users to 500 contacts and 1 product, making it largely unsuitable for active selling. Starter at $89/mo (or $83/mo with promotional annual pricing as of March 2026) removes the fee and opens unlimited products, webinars, and affiliate management. A 30-day free trial is available.
- • Multi-step email sequences with behavioral triggers, including purchase, page visit, and video watch events.
- • Kartra Agency: manage multiple client accounts from one master dashboard (Growth and above).
- • Built-in helpdesk with live chat and ticketing included on all plans, unusual for a course platform.
- • Video hosting: host and gate your course videos natively without Vimeo or Wistia.
- • Funnel and page builder with split-testing and multi-page checkout flows on all paid plans.
Kartra delivers the most complete marketing toolkit of any course-adjacent platform, making it a strong match for digital marketers, coaches, and agencies that want funnels, email, CRM, helpdesk, and course hosting without cobbling tools together. Pure course creators who need simpler delivery will find Teachable or Thinkific less overwhelming at lower cost.
Systeme.io
Systeme.io is a French-built all-in-one platform offering course hosting, email marketing, sales funnels, affiliate management, and a website builder. It stands out for having a genuinely usable free plan with 0% transaction fees, allowing up to 2,000 contacts, 3 sales funnels, and 1 published course without paying anything. Paid plans start at $27/mo ($19/mo annual) and scale to the Unlimited plan at $97/mo ($69/mo annual), which removes every cap. Systeme.io has grown to over 700,000 users and is one of the fastest-growing platforms in this category.
- • Free plan includes 0% transaction fees, unlimited email sends, and 1 published course - genuinely functional, not just a trial.
- • Built-in email automation with visual workflow builder available on all plans including free.
- • Affiliate management: built into all paid plans with a dedicated affiliate dashboard and multi-tier commission support.
- • Funnel builder with upsells, order bumps, and A/B testing on all plans.
- • Evergreen webinars and live webinars available from the Webinar plan ($33/mo annual) upward.
Systeme.io is the undisputed winner on value: a genuine all-in-one platform with a working free tier and unlimited paid plans under $100/mo. It is the smartest starting point for budget-conscious creators who need funnels and email automation alongside courses. The course delivery experience is not best-in-class, but at these prices it is hard to argue against.
Circle
Circle is a community platform that also supports course hosting, popular with newsletter writers, podcasters, and coaching groups who want Slack-like discussion spaces attached to their content. Circle offers two self-serve plans: Professional at $89/mo (annual) with a 2% transaction fee and 200GB storage, and Business at $199/mo (annual) with workflows, API access, branding removal, and a 1% fee. The Email Hub add-on costs $99/mo for 10,000 contacts. Circle Plus is custom-priced for enterprises. A 14-day free trial is available with no credit card.
- • Spaces: Slack-style channels for text, video, and live streams that keep community discussions organized by topic.
- • Courses with paywall: gate any space or course behind a payment, with one-time or subscription pricing.
- • Live streams and events: host live video directly in the platform without Zoom, available on all plans.
- • Workflows: automate member actions like welcome sequences and content unlocking (Business plan and above).
- • Email Hub add-on: send broadcasts and campaigns to your member list from inside Circle for $99/mo extra.
Circle is the premium choice for community-first businesses where member discussion and engagement are the core product, and courses play a supporting role. The Professional plan at $89/mo works well as a community hub, but add the Email Hub ($99/mo) and account for the 2% fee and actual costs climb fast. For course-first creators, a dedicated LMS with a community add-on will serve better.
Mighty Networks
Mighty Networks is a community and course platform with native iOS and Android apps for every school, making it one of the few platforms where members get a fully branded mobile experience without a separate app add-on. Pricing tiers as of early 2026 include a Launch plan at approximately $66/mo (annual) with a 2% transaction fee, Scale at approximately $149/mo (annual) with a 1% fee and automation tools, and Growth at approximately $354/mo (monthly only, no annual discount at that tier) with advanced automations and 0.5% fee. Mighty Pro offers fully branded apps at custom pricing.
- • Native iOS and Android apps for every Mighty Networks school, included on all plans without a separate app tier.
- • Learning paths: structure courses into sequential journeys that members progress through over time.
- • Live streaming: native live video without Zoom embedded in the community feed on all plans.
- • AI brand detection: automatically suggests colors, fonts, and layouts to match your brand.
- • Events and challenges: structured engagement programs with scheduled content and group accountability.
Mighty Networks is the best choice for creators who want a thriving mobile community with structured learning, where the app experience is central to member retention. The native iOS/Android apps included at every tier are a genuine competitive advantage. If you do not need mobile-native delivery and prefer a more structured LMS, Thinkific or Teachable will serve better at lower cost.
Skool
Skool is a minimalist community and course platform that has grown rapidly through endorsements from prominent online business creators. It introduced a Hobby plan at $9/mo in 2025 alongside the existing Pro plan at $99/mo. The Hobby plan charges a 10% transaction fee on all sales, and Pro at $99/mo charges 2.9%. Each community is priced separately - owning 3 communities costs $297/mo on Pro. Skool deliberately offers no quizzes, graded assessments, custom domains, certificates, or drip content at any price tier.
- • Gamification leaderboards: members earn points for posting, commenting, and completing lessons, driving organic community activity.
- • Course hosting: upload videos, PDFs, and text lessons organized in a module structure on all plans.
- • Events and calendar: schedule group calls and live sessions visible to all community members.
- • Affiliate program: members can refer others with trackable links on the Pro plan.
- • Members-only feed: a private social feed where members post updates, questions, and wins.
Skool works best for charismatic creators with large existing audiences who want a high-engagement community space rather than a structured learning program. The gamification engine is genuinely effective. But the total absence of quizzes, certificates, and drip content, plus the per-community pricing, means it is the wrong choice for anyone building a serious online school.
FreshLearn
FreshLearn is an all-in-one course platform founded in India and used by creators in over 90 countries, offering a free plan that allows 1 product and 25 students with 0% transaction fees. Paid plans start at $41/mo (annual) on Pro, which unlocks unlimited courses, 0% fees, and 1 admin. The No Brainer plan at $59/mo (annual) adds community, live classes, gamification, and certificates. The No Brainer+ plan at $119/mo (annual) adds unlimited automations, API access, and 7 admin accounts. An Enterprise plan starts at $249/mo plus $0.50 per learner.
- • Free plan with 0% transaction fees: sell 1 product to 25 students before paying anything, unusual in the category.
- • AI course builder: generate course outlines, quiz questions, and lesson summaries using built-in AI tools.
- • Live classes: host live sessions directly in the platform without Zoom (No Brainer plan and above).
- • Gamification: points, badges, and leaderboards to improve course completion rates (No Brainer plan).
- • Affiliate program: invite affiliates and track commissions through a built-in dashboard (No Brainer plan).
FreshLearn is the strongest free-to-paid pathway for new creators who need a 0% transaction fee platform from day one without paying until they have validated their idea. Once you exceed 25 students or need a second course, the $41/mo Pro plan is reasonable. Established creators with larger audiences will find Teachable or Thinkific offer more polished delivery.
Xperiencify
Xperiencify is a niche course platform built specifically around gamification and student experience, developed by course creation educators Marisa Murgatroyd and Murray Gray. Every plan includes the full gamification engine with points, celebrations, progress visualization, and behavioral triggers designed to boost course completion rates. A free sandbox is available but does not allow publishing; the Growth plan at $99/mo covers 10 published courses and 1,000 students with no transaction fees. Pro at $199/mo extends to 20 courses and 5,000 students with affiliate tools.
- • Celebration engine: trigger confetti, animations, sound effects, and congratulatory messages when students hit milestones.
- • Points and progress system: students earn points for every action, displayed on a personal progress dashboard.
- • Behavioral triggers: automatically send emails or unlock content when students reach specific points or complete lessons.
- • Micro-commitment sequences: structured prompts that guide students toward taking the next step in the course.
- • Video analytics: see which parts of videos students watch, rewatch, or skip to identify engagement drop-off points.
Xperiencify is the right choice for course creators who have already proven their content works and want to specifically invest in improving student engagement and completion rates through gamification. At $99/mo with no transaction fees, it is reasonably priced for what it delivers. Creators who have not yet validated their course idea should start with a simpler and cheaper platform first.
Zenler
Zenler (formerly New Zenler) is an all-in-one platform still technically in beta that combines course hosting, email marketing, funnels, live webinars, and community under one login. It has built a loyal base of creators who value its breadth of features at a price significantly lower than Kajabi. New customers as of 2026 pay $1,164/year for the Pro plan ($97/mo effective); early adopters who locked in before the September 2025 price increase pay $647/year. The Premium plan is $1,447/year ($120/mo effective) and adds a higher webinar attendee limit and more sites. A 30-day free trial is available; a limited free Beta plan with a 10% transaction fee is also available by invitation.
- • Native webinar and live class hosting for up to 300 attendees (Pro) or 500 (Premium) without Zoom required.
- • Full email marketing with broadcasts, automation sequences, and list segmentation built into every paid plan.
- • Drag-and-drop funnel and page builder with templates for course sales pages, opt-ins, and checkout flows.
- • Blog feature with SEO tools to build organic traffic alongside your course business.
- • SCORM support and multiple content types including video, audio, PPT, quizzes, and surveys.
Zenler is a compelling option for creators who want Kajabi-level functionality at a lower annual cost and are comfortable with a platform still in active beta development. The native webinar hosting and built-in email marketing are genuine differentiators. New customers paying $1,164/year should compare that carefully against Kajabi at $1,716/year before committing - the gap has narrowed considerably.
Ruzuku
Ruzuku is a focused course platform built around ease of use and educator support, used by thousands of independent teachers, yoga instructors, health coaches, and wellness educators. It offers a permanent free tier for up to 5 students with 0% transaction fees and no time limit. The Core plan at $99/mo includes unlimited courses and students with 0% fees and built-in Zoom integration. Pro at $199/mo adds white-labeling and advanced reporting. Ruzuku is notable for offering student tech support, where their team helps your students with platform issues so you do not have to.
- • Student tech support: Ruzuku's team handles support requests from your students, freeing you to focus on teaching.
- • Built-in Zoom integration: schedule and run live sessions from inside the platform without external links.
- • Discussion boards: each lesson and course has its own discussion thread for student questions and peer interaction.
- • Cohort-based delivery: run multiple simultaneous cohorts from one course with separate student groups and schedules.
- • Payment plans: offer installment pricing for any course on Core and Pro plans without upgrading to a higher tier.
Ruzuku is the best choice for educators - particularly yoga teachers, coaches, and wellness professionals - who want a simple, reliable course platform backed by human support for themselves and their students. The free tier is genuinely functional for testing. If budget is a priority, Thinkific Basic at $36/mo (annual) delivers more features at lower cost but without the student support advantage.
MemberVault
MemberVault is a product delivery platform where creators host courses, digital downloads, memberships, and coaching in a unified hub with detailed engagement tracking for each member. It has a 7-day full-access trial followed by a free tier, and charges 0% transaction fees on all plans. The 5 Product Plan starts at $29/mo ($290/year) with unlimited members; the 15 Product Plan is $49/mo ($490/year); and the Unlimited Plan at $109/mo ($1,090/year) adds priority support and visibility opportunities. A one-time lifetime license is also available for $2,750.
- • Hot Leads dashboard: see which specific members are most engaged with your content and most likely to buy next.
- • Binge-and-buy: structure free content previews so members sample your course before being prompted to purchase.
- • One-click access links: send an email with a link that logs members directly into their specific product without a password.
- • Gamification rewards: award points and badges when members complete lessons, watch videos, or take specific actions.
- • All features on every plan: MemberVault does not gate features by tier - all plans include the same feature set.
MemberVault is the right choice for relationship-focused educators and coaches who want to deeply understand how individual members engage with their content and create a personalized buying journey. The all-features-on-every-plan approach is genuinely refreshing. Creators who need a polished public-facing storefront, built-in email marketing, or advanced checkout features will need to supplement it.
Pathwright
Pathwright is a design-forward LMS platform built around structured learning paths rather than traditional course catalogs, used by independent teachers, nonprofits, healthcare organizations, and faith communities. All plans include the first 1,000 members at no extra cost. The Starter plan at $99/mo (or $89/mo annual) supports 1 admin and 1 cohort per course; Essentials at $199/mo (annual $179) adds 5 staff and 3 cohorts; Complete at $499/mo (annual $449) supports 20 staff and unlimited cohorts; Enterprise starts at $1,499/mo. Pathwright charges 0% transaction fees with Stripe standard rates applying.
- • Learning paths: build step-by-step sequences using content blocks that guide learners through prerequisites before unlocking next steps.
- • Cohort management: run multiple simultaneous cohorts of the same course with separate groups and schedules on Essentials and above.
- • Content blocks: mix video, text, assignments, discussions, and quizzes in flexible blocks rather than rigid lesson types.
- • Mentor groups: small-group mentorship spaces within courses for guided peer learning on all plans.
- • Free to build: create and configure your entire school before paying - only activate a plan when you are ready to teach.
Pathwright is the ideal platform for educators who design structured, step-by-step learning experiences rather than video dump courses - healthcare trainers, religious educators, skill certification programs, and nonprofits consistently get outstanding results here. The free-to-build model removes all risk. For creators who just want a simple course website, the cost-to-feature ratio is harder to justify versus Thinkific.
SchoolMaker
SchoolMaker is a French-built course platform differentiated by its Steps and Milestones system, which structures courses around sequential accomplishment rather than passive video watching, and an automated testimonial collection feature that prompts students for reviews at key completion moments. All plans include all features with differences only in member count, course limits, and team accounts. Pricing as of March 2026: Lite at $29/mo (annual) for 100 members and 1 course (new customers only); Starter at $99/mo (annual, $119/mo monthly) for 500 members and 15 courses; Pro at $165/mo (annual) for 2,500 members and 30 courses; Business at $249/mo (annual) for 5,000 members with unlimited courses. 0% transaction fees. 14-day free trial.
- • Steps and Milestones: course content is structured around achievable milestones that students must complete in sequence, driving higher completion rates.
- • Automated testimonial collection: prompts students at completion milestones to record video or text testimonials, delivered to the creator automatically.
- • Automated video Q&As: students can submit video questions during courses that instructors answer asynchronously.
- • Built-in community with course discussion spaces on all plans without a separate community tool.
- • AI Coach: built-in AI powered by course content to answer student questions between live sessions.
SchoolMaker is the right platform for creators who have already proven their course works and want to systematically build social proof and drive student completion. The automated testimonial engine and milestone-based progression are meaningful differentiators. For creators still testing content or working with very small audiences, the 500-member Starter cap and $99/mo price point make Thinkific or Ruzuku better starting options.
EzyCourse
EzyCourse is a feature-dense all-in-one platform built in Bangladesh and used by creators across 150+ countries, offering course hosting, community, group chat, membership sites, digital products, coaching, SCORM compliance, a no-code website builder, and optional white-label mobile apps under one subscription. Annual pricing (promotional as of March 2026): Essential at $55/mo (down from $97), Pro at $129/mo (down from $199), Unlimited at $189/mo (down from $399), Elite at $279/mo (down from $699). 0% transaction fees on all plans. 1-month free trial available. Enterprise starts at $499/mo (annual).
- • Free white-label mobile apps: iOS and Android branded apps included on the Unlimited plan ($189/mo) without a separate app add-on fee.
- • SCORM compliance: upload SCORM files and automatically track learner progress and completion (all plans).
- • Multi-revenue streams: sell courses, coaching, digital products, memberships, group chat access, and physical products from one platform.
- • DRM content protection: Digital Rights Management to prevent screen recording and unauthorized downloading (Unlimited and above).
- • Built-in email marketing with up to 500,000 sends/mo on Elite, replacing a separate email tool.
EzyCourse punches well above its promotional price with white-label apps, SCORM, DRM, and 20+ revenue streams in one platform. The Unlimited plan at $189/mo (promotional annual) is arguably the best value for feature breadth in the entire category. Be aware that promotional pricing may not hold at renewal, and budget-sensitive creators should confirm current rates before committing annually.
SamCart
SamCart is a dedicated checkout and course delivery platform used by digital product creators and online educators who prioritize maximizing revenue per transaction. It is not a full LMS - it is a checkout-first platform with course hosting built in. All plans charge 0% platform transaction fees. The Launch plan starts at $59/mo (annual) or $79/mo monthly; Grow at $119/mo (annual); Scale at $239/mo (annual). A 7-day free trial is available. SamCart does not offer a free plan and extended its trial to 14 days in 2025 for some promotions.
- • One-click upsells: post-purchase upsell pages that let customers add products to their order without re-entering payment details.
- • Order bumps: add a checkbox offer to the checkout page that customers can add with one click before completing purchase.
- • Cart abandonment recovery: capture emails before checkout is complete and send automated recovery sequences (Scale plan).
- • Embedded checkout: place a SamCart checkout form on any page of your website without redirecting to a SamCart-hosted page.
- • SamCart Courses: basic course delivery with video hosting, quizzes, and drip content built in to reduce the need for a separate LMS.
SamCart is the best choice for established course creators who are already generating consistent revenue and want to maximize average order value through order bumps, one-click upsells, and a polished checkout experience. It is not the right starting point for new creators - the $59/mo minimum is hard to justify before you have validated your offer and are generating meaningful revenue.
ThriveCart
ThriveCart is a shopping cart and checkout platform for digital creators that offers a lifetime license rather than a monthly subscription, making it a popular choice for those with subscription fatigue. The base Standard plan costs $495 as a one-time payment, covering checkout pages, upsells, order bumps, and basic automations. The Pro upgrade costs $295/year (recurring annually) and adds affiliate management, advanced features, and dunning. ThriveCart Learn, a course hosting add-on, is available as a separate cost. The lifetime model is marketed as limited-time but has been available continuously since the platform launched.
- • Checkout page builder: drag-and-drop templates for single-step and multi-step checkout flows with proven conversion layouts.
- • Subscription billing portability: if you leave ThriveCart, recurring customer subscriptions continue because billing lives in your own Stripe or PayPal account.
- • Bump offers and upsells: one-click add-ons and post-purchase offers are included in the base $495 license.
- • Zapier and webhook integration: connect to 5,000+ apps and custom systems for automated enrollment, tagging, and fulfillment.
- • ThriveCart Learn: a basic course hosting environment with video lessons, modules, and student management available as an add-on.
ThriveCart delivers excellent long-term value for course creators and digital product sellers who are already generating consistent revenue and want to stop paying monthly platform fees. The $495 base works out cheaper than SamCart within a year. Just factor in the $295/year Pro upgrade if you need affiliates, and budget for a separate LMS like Thinkific if you want a polished course experience.
Payhip
Payhip is a UK-based e-commerce platform used by over 130,000 creators to sell digital downloads, online courses, coaching, physical products, and memberships from a customizable storefront. Payhip acts as a merchant of record (handling VAT and sales tax on your behalf) on all plans. The Free plan charges 5% per transaction; the Plus plan at $29/mo drops the fee to 2%; and the Pro plan at $99/mo eliminates transaction fees entirely. All features - including courses, coaching, memberships, and affiliate management - are available on every plan regardless of tier.
- • Merchant of record: Payhip handles global VAT, GST, and sales tax collection and remittance on your behalf on all plans.
- • All features on all plans: courses, memberships, coaching, digital downloads, and affiliate management are not gated by plan tier.
- • Course builder: create video courses with quizzes, assignments, drip content, and completion certificates.
- • Coaching: sell 1:1 and group coaching packages with scheduling via Zoom, Calendly, or Google Calendar integrations.
- • Storefront builder: create a multi-product store page with custom domain support on all tiers.
Payhip is one of the best zero-cost starting points for creators who want to sell digital products and courses without technical setup, upfront cost, or the compliance complexity of handling VAT globally. Upgrade to Plus ($29/mo) once your monthly sales exceed $1,450 and to Pro ($99/mo) above $3,600/mo. The course tools are adequate but not best-in-class for serious LMS needs.
Gumroad
Gumroad is one of the oldest and simplest digital product selling platforms, founded in 2011 and known for its frictionless setup and marketplace discovery through the Gumroad Discover feed. Gumroad became a merchant of record in January 2025, now handling global tax and VAT automatically on every sale. The fee structure is straightforward: 10% + $0.50 per transaction for direct sales, and 30% for sales through the Gumroad Discover marketplace. There are no monthly plan fees - you only pay when you sell. Gumroad supports digital downloads, courses, memberships, and physical products.
- • Gumroad Discover: an internal marketplace that can drive organic traffic to your products - useful for initial audience building before you have followers.
- • Merchant of record (since January 2025): Gumroad automatically handles global VAT, GST, and sales tax in every jurisdiction.
- • License key generation: automatically generate and deliver software license keys upon purchase, popular with indie developers.
- • Weekly payouts: receive earnings every Friday via PayPal or bank transfer, one of the fastest payment schedules in the category.
- • Memberships: offer recurring subscription access to content libraries, podcast feeds, or community spaces.
Gumroad is the right starting point for artists, writers, indie developers, and creators who want to test a digital product with zero upfront cost and some organic marketplace exposure. Once you are consistently generating over $1,000/mo in sales, the 10% fee becomes costly compared to a $29/mo platform with 0% fees. Migrate to Payhip or Lemon Squeezy once you have validated your offer.
Lemon Squeezy
Lemon Squeezy is a merchant-of-record payment platform originally built for indie SaaS developers and digital product sellers, acquired by Stripe in July 2024. As of early 2026, the Stripe team is actively building Stripe Managed Payments, incorporating Lemon Squeezy's ease of use into Stripe's global infrastructure. Lemon Squeezy charges 5% + $0.50 per transaction with no monthly fees, handling all global VAT, GST, and digital services taxes as the merchant of record. It is a checkout and delivery platform, not a course platform - it lacks quizzes, certificates, or student progress tracking.
- • Merchant of record: Lemon Squeezy handles all global tax compliance including EU VAT, US sales tax, GST, and digital services taxes.
- • Checkout overlays: embed a polished checkout modal on any website or landing page without redirecting to a separate Lemon Squeezy page.
- • Built-in affiliate portal: invite and manage affiliates with commission tracking included without a third-party tool.
- • Subscription management: offer monthly and annual billing with automatic renewals and a customer self-service portal.
- • License key delivery: generate and deliver software license keys with activation limits and expiry controls, ideal for SaaS.
Lemon Squeezy is the best merchant-of-record checkout for digital product sellers and indie SaaS developers who need global tax compliance, a polished checkout experience, and affiliate management at lower fees than Gumroad. It is not a course platform. Creators who need LMS features should pair it with Thinkific or use Payhip, which combines checkout and course delivery in one.
Stan Store
Stan Store is a mobile-first storefront and course platform designed specifically for social media creators - particularly those on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube - who want to convert followers into buyers through a link-in-bio shop. The Creator plan at $29/mo includes all core features with 0% platform fees and direct Stripe/PayPal payouts. Creator Pro at $99/mo adds advanced email automation, extended analytics, and additional customization. Stan Store has grown rapidly with a strong presence among fitness, wellness, and lifestyle creators. No free plan is available.
- • Link-in-bio storefront: a single mobile-optimized page that houses all products, booking links, and lead magnets for social sharing.
- • Built-in upsells: offer related products or upgrades at checkout without a separate funnel tool.
- • Booking integration: sell 1:1 sessions and group programs with scheduling built into the storefront.
- • Email capture and sequences: collect emails from free lead magnets and deliver automated follow-up sequences.
- • Course delivery: upload and organize video-based courses with structured modules accessible from the same storefront.
Stan Store is the best choice for social media creators - especially fitness coaches, wellness influencers, and lifestyle educators - who want a frictionless link-in-bio shop that converts followers into buyers for courses, bookings, and digital products. It is not the right platform for educators who need structured learning paths, assessments, or certification. The $29/mo Creator plan is a compelling entry point.
Whop
Whop is a fast-growing commerce platform for digital creators that reached a $1.8 billion GMV run rate in 2026, built around selling any kind of digital access - communities, courses, software licenses, trading signals, Discord groups, and coaching - through a unified shop. Whop is free to start with no monthly fee; the platform charges 2.7% + $0.30 per domestic card transaction, with international cards incurring an additional 1.5% and currency conversion costing another 1%. Discover marketplace sales (where Whop drives the customer) cost 30% commission. Whop does not automatically handle VAT or global tax.
- • Discord integration: purchases automatically trigger Discord role assignments or channel access, making it the leading platform for Discord-based memberships.
- • Whop Discover marketplace: built-in marketplace exposing your products to millions of buyers, with a 30% commission on marketplace-driven sales.
- • Telegram integration: gate Telegram groups or channels behind a payment that auto-manages access based on subscription status.
- • Flexible product types: sell one-time, recurring, or lifetime access to any combination of course content, community access, and software.
- • Affiliate program: enable affiliates to promote your products with trackable links and customizable commission rates.
Whop is the dominant platform for Discord-based memberships, trading communities, and software access with a free-to-start model that rewards creators who drive their own traffic. The 2.7% domestic fee is genuinely competitive. International creators and those relying on Discover traffic should calculate the effective fee carefully before committing, and must handle VAT compliance independently.
Maven
Maven is a cohort-based course platform designed for expert practitioners - executives, operators, designers, and engineers - who teach live programs to professional audiences. Maven charges 0% upfront and takes a 10% commission on every enrollment. The average Maven course is priced around $500, with top courses from creators like Ali Abdaal (Part-Time YouTuber Accelerator at $4,995) generating over $1.5 million across multiple cohorts. Maven does not support self-paced courses; all programs must have live components and run on a scheduled cohort basis.
- • Cohort scheduling: run multiple cohorts of the same course with separate start dates, student groups, and live session schedules.
- • Maven marketplace: course landing pages are discoverable by Maven's audience; listing does not guarantee visibility until you have paying cohorts.
- • Reflections: structured check-in prompts that gather student goals and challenges at the start, mid-point, and end of each cohort.
- • Async content: add pre-recorded lessons, PDFs, and resources alongside live sessions within each cohort space.
- • Community spaces: discussion channels within each cohort for peer interaction between live sessions.
Maven is the right platform for professionals who want to run high-ticket live cohort courses (priced $500+) and leverage a marketplace of serious learners without building their own audience from scratch. The 10% commission is fair for single cohorts but compounds significantly as you scale - instructors running 10+ cohorts per year should evaluate moving to a platform with a flat monthly fee.
Outschool
Outschool is a live online learning marketplace connecting independent teachers with K-12 students aged 3-18 across subjects from core academics to hobbies, gaming, and art. Teachers set their own prices and schedules; Outschool deducts a 30% platform fee from all paid enrollments and pays out via PayPal 7-13 days after the class is scheduled to start. The platform hosts over 140,000 classes taught by more than 10,000 teachers, with over 1 million learners in 183 countries. Teaching is currently open to residents of the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, and the UK.
- • Built-in marketplace: no marketing budget required - students discover classes through Outschool's search, categories, and promotional emails.
- • Flexible scheduling: teachers set their own class times with no minimum or maximum hours per week.
- • Group and 1: 1 formats: offer small-group live classes, large group sessions, private tutoring, or self-paced asynchronous courses.
- • Background check requirement: Outschool conducts criminal background checks on all teachers before approval, building learner trust.
- • Zoom-based delivery: all live sessions run through Zoom with automatic recording options.
Outschool is the best marketplace for teachers who want to reach K-12 learners with live classes on any subject, without marketing overhead. The 30% fee is steep, but the platform's built-in demand and 1M+ learner base can generate consistent income for teachers in popular subjects. It is the wrong platform for anyone teaching adult learners, professional development, or self-paced content.
LearnDash
LearnDash is the most widely used premium LMS plugin for WordPress, powering online schools for brands like Yoast, University of Michigan, and WP Elevate. It requires an existing WordPress installation and separate hosting. Plugin licensing starts at $199/year for 1 site, $399/year for 10 sites, and $799/year for unlimited sites. A hosted WordPress option called StellarSites (formerly LearnDash Cloud) starts at $24-29/mo. LearnDash charges 0% transaction fees; Stripe and PayPal are connected directly to your own account. Add-ons like ProPanel (advanced reporting) are included with all current plugin licenses.
- • Advanced quiz engine: 8 question types including essay, fill-in-blank, and sorting, with randomized question banks, timers, and retry limits.
- • Course builder: drag-and-drop lesson, topic, and quiz organization with content protection, drip scheduling, and prerequisites.
- • Groups: organize students into cohorts with group leaders who can track member progress and activity.
- • Notifications and automations: trigger emails and enrollment actions based on quiz scores, lesson completion, or course progress.
- • Integrations: deep native compatibility with WooCommerce, MemberPress, BuddyBoss, Stripe, and 100+ WordPress plugins.
LearnDash is the best WordPress LMS plugin for organizations with an existing WordPress site who need advanced quizzes, certifications, and the flexibility to customize every aspect of the learning experience. The StellarSites hosted option works well for non-technical creators who want LearnDash without managing WordPress manually. Creators without an existing WordPress presence should seriously evaluate a hosted platform first.
LifterLMS
LifterLMS is a freemium WordPress LMS plugin with a genuinely functional free core and paid bundles that add memberships, payment plans, email automation, and advanced quizzes. The free plugin supports creating and delivering courses with basic quizzes, while paid bundles add essential ecommerce and engagement features. Universe Bundle costs $299/year for up to 5 sites; Infinity Bundle at $999/year covers unlimited sites with all add-ons. A lifetime Infinity Bundle is available. LifterLMS charges 0% transaction fees with Stripe and PayPal connected directly to your account.
- • Built-in email automation (LaunchPad add-on): automated drip sequences triggered by course progress, quiz completion, and membership events without a separate email platform.
- • Recurring payment plans: accept monthly and annual memberships with automatic renewals through Stripe or PayPal natively.
- • Engagement triggers: automatically award certificates, send emails, or change access levels when students hit specific milestones.
- • Sky Pilot theme: LifterLMS's own WordPress theme designed specifically for LMS sites, included in paid bundles.
- • Multi-instructor support: assign different instructors to different courses with separate logins and earnings reporting.
LifterLMS is the best WordPress LMS plugin for creators who want email automation and membership management built in and are comfortable investing in the Universe Bundle ($299/year) or Infinity Bundle ($999/year). The built-in email automation alone can save $29-79/mo in external tool costs, making it economically competitive with LearnDash plus a separate email platform.
TutorLMS
TutorLMS is a WordPress LMS plugin developed by Themeum, known for its modern interface, a generous free version, and a feature-dense Pro plan at $199/year for a single site. The free version supports unlimited courses with video, audio, text lessons, and basic quizzes. TutorLMS Pro unlocks drip content, advanced quizzes, content protection, certificates, subscriptions, gamification, Zoom integration, gradebook, and more - all included in the Pro price without separate add-ons. Lifetime pricing is available: $499 (1 site), $999 (10 sites), $1,999 (unlimited, up to 50 sites). 0% transaction fees, 30-day refund policy.
- • Native eCommerce: built-in payment processing with support for PayPal, Stripe, Razorpay, Paddle, Klarna, and 7 more gateways without WooCommerce dependency.
- • AI Studio: generate course outlines, feature images, and lesson summaries using OpenAI integration (requires own API key).
- • Built-in subscription billing: offer monthly and annual course subscriptions natively without a separate membership plugin.
- • Gradebook: track student performance across all quizzes and assignments in a single teacher dashboard.
- • Frontend calendar: display all course events, live classes, and deadlines in a student-facing events calendar.
TutorLMS is the best all-in-one WordPress LMS plugin for educators who want a modern student experience, native payment processing without WooCommerce, and a complete feature set at $199/year. It competes directly with LearnDash and wins on UI polish and all-in-one value. Educators who need enterprise quiz banks or deep WooCommerce integration should compare carefully with LearnDash.
Sensei LMS
Sensei LMS is a WordPress course plugin developed and maintained by Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, WooCommerce, and Jetpack. It is one of the most stable LMS plugins available due to its enterprise backing. The free Sensei LMS plugin supports unlimited course creation and delivery. Sensei Pro at $179/year (1 site) or $360/year (Agency) adds WooCommerce integration for selling, content drip, certificates, cohorts, interactive video blocks, and AI tools. Selling courses requires WooCommerce, which adds setup complexity but provides access to all WooCommerce payment gateways and extensions.
- • WooCommerce integration: sell courses as standard WooCommerce products, compatible with all WooCommerce payment gateways, subscriptions, and memberships.
- • Interactive Blocks: embed quizzes, flashcards, image hotspots, and video interactions directly inside lesson content.
- • Cohorts: group students into scheduled programs and track progress as a cohort rather than individual enrollments.
- • Tutor AI: an AI-powered chatbot embedded in lessons that answers student questions based on course content.
- • Course Layouts with Full Site Editing: use WordPress block themes to fully customize the look of student-facing course pages.
Sensei LMS is the right WordPress LMS plugin for teams that already run a WooCommerce store and want to add course selling through the same platform without a separate checkout system. For new WordPress users without WooCommerce, TutorLMS or LifterLMS offer a more complete out-of-the-box experience with fewer dependencies.
AccessAlly
AccessAlly is a WordPress LMS and membership plugin known for its deep two-way integration with marketing automation systems like ActiveCampaign, Ontraport, Keap (Infusionsoft), and ConvertKit. Originally founded in 2012 by Robin Li and Nathalie Lussier, it was acquired by the Caseproof group (MemberPress/WishList Member) in 2024 and continues operating independently with over 2.5 million end users. AccessAlly enables CRM-driven content unlock, course enrollment triggered by tags, and personalized learning paths based on customer behavior. Pricing requires contacting AccessAlly for current plans following the 2024 acquisition.
- • Two-way CRM integration: bidirectional sync with ActiveCampaign, Keap, Ontraport, and ConvertKit - course completions update CRM tags and CRM events unlock course content.
- • Dynamic content delivery: show different course content to different students based on their CRM profile, purchase history, or tag status.
- • Video bookmarks: students can bookmark specific moments in course videos for later review, unusual in WordPress LMS plugins.
- • Private note areas: instructors can leave personalized feedback on specific lessons visible only to the individual student.
- • Team and corporate licenses: sell bulk course access to organizations with team admin dashboards.
AccessAlly is the best WordPress LMS plugin for established businesses running ActiveCampaign, Ontraport, or Keap who need CRM-driven course enrollment, personalized content unlock, and corporate license management. The acquisition by Caseproof improves its long-term stability. Creators who do not already use a supported CRM or who want transparent pricing will get more value from LearnDash or TutorLMS.
MemberPress
MemberPress is the most popular WordPress membership plugin, used on hundreds of thousands of sites to gate content, sell subscriptions, and deliver courses. In 2025, MemberPress rebranded its plans to Launch, Growth, and Scale with a restructured pricing approach. The Launch plan at $399/year (introductory $199.50 for first year) includes a 4.9% transaction fee but supports unlimited members, unlimited courses, and all basic features. Growth at $699/year (introductory $349.50) removes the fee and adds community features. Scale at $999/year (introductory $499.50) unlocks all features. A 14-day money-back guarantee applies.
- • Content protection rules: restrict access to any WordPress post, page, category, tag, or custom post type based on membership level.
- • MemberPress Courses: drag-and-drop curriculum builder with quizzes and progress tracking included on all plans.
- • CoachKit: 1:1 and group coaching program management with session scheduling (Growth and Scale plans).
- • ClubSuite: community discussion boards, member directories, and profiles integrated into WordPress (Growth and Scale).
- • ReadyLaunch: automatically generate a complete membership website including login, account, and pricing pages in minutes.
MemberPress is the most comprehensive and easiest-to-configure WordPress membership plugin, ideal for site owners who want content protection, courses, coaching, and community from one plugin without a steep technical learning curve. Factor in the introductory-to-renewal price jump and the Launch plan's 4.9% fee when calculating total year-one and year-two costs.
WishList Member
WishList Member is one of the oldest and most widely deployed WordPress membership plugins, launched in 2008 and now used on over 120,000 sites. It integrates with more payment gateways than any competitor, including Infusionsoft/Keap, ClickBank, Recurly, JVZoo, ThriveCart, SamCart, Stripe, PayPal, and 15+ more. The Basic plan starts at $149.50/year (introductory, renewing at $299/year) for 1 site; Plus at $249.50/year (renewing at $499/year) adds gamification and 2-site use; Pro at $349.50/year (renewing at $699/year) adds Zapier, WooCommerce, team accounts, and 5-site use. 0% transaction fees. All plans include the CourseCure LMS for course delivery.
- • 30+ payment gateway integrations including Infusionsoft/Keap, ClickBank, Recurly, JVZoo, ThriveCart, and SamCart - the widest payment compatibility of any membership plugin.
- • CourseCure LMS: built-in course builder with badges, points, and quizzes (quizzes require Pro plan).
- • Content drip: schedule content release on a timeline from member registration date.
- • Social login: Facebook, Google, Twitter, and WordPress.com login options on all plans.
- • Pay Per Post: sell access to individual posts without a full membership subscription.
WishList Member is the best choice for WordPress membership site owners who need compatibility with a wide range of payment systems - particularly those using Infusionsoft/Keap, ClickBank, JVZoo, ThriveCart, or Recurly. The Basic plan at $149.50/year (intro) is competitively priced for basic course and membership delivery. Factor in the year-two renewal price when budgeting.
BuddyBoss
BuddyBoss is a WordPress social community and course platform, a fork of the popular BuddyPress plugin, used by over 50,000 creators to build private social networks, eLearning communities, and coaching platforms. The Web platform (Pro plan) is $299/year (promotional from $399); the Plus plan is $349/year (promotional from $599) and adds gamification and media offload. The BuddyBoss App for mobile is a separate product: App Lite at $79/mo (annual) for basic course app without community; App Full at $179/mo (annual) for the complete social learning app. BuddyBoss requires WordPress and typically pairs with LearnDash, TutorLMS, or LifterLMS for the full LMS experience.
- • Social activity feeds: member-facing feeds with posts, reactions, media sharing, and commenting - a Facebook-style community experience on your own domain.
- • Private groups: create unlimited public and private groups with their own feeds, forums, and course access controls.
- • Live messaging: real-time private and group messaging between members, available on all web plans.
- • Native iOS and Android app: a fully white-label app for your community (sold separately as the BuddyBoss App product).
- • LearnDash and TutorLMS integration: deep native integration for course progress, lesson completion events, and group-based access management.
BuddyBoss is the best choice for organizations that want a fully owned, self-hosted social community with deep WordPress and LMS integration and are willing to budget for the multi-component setup. The web platform alone at $299/year is exceptional value for community features. Budget carefully for the app tier ($948-2,148/year), LMS plugin, and hosting before committing - total costs add up quickly.
Udemy
Udemy is the world's largest online learning marketplace with over 75 million learners, 210,000+ courses, and 70,000+ instructors. Instructors publish for free; Udemy earns revenue through course sales and subscriptions. The revenue share structure has changed significantly: instructors keep 37% of organic marketplace sales and 97% of sales driven by their own coupon/referral links. For Udemy Business subscription enrollments, instructor share dropped to 15% in January 2026, down from 25% in 2023. Udemy regularly discounts courses to $9.99-$14.99 site-wide regardless of instructor-set pricing, which instructors cannot opt out of.
- • 75 million learner marketplace: organic discovery through Udemy's search, category pages, and promotional emails.
- • Udemy Business: enterprise subscription product where your courses can reach 15,000+ enterprise customers.
- • Course landing page tools: customizable course descriptions, preview videos, and pricing that affect marketplace ranking.
- • Q&A and messaging: built-in student communication tools for responding to course questions from within the instructor dashboard.
- • Certificate of completion: automatically generated for all students who complete a course.
Udemy works best as a discovery channel for instructors who are just starting out and have no audience - it provides immediate exposure to millions of learners at no cost. The declining instructor revenue share (now 15% for subscriptions) and inability to build a direct student relationship make it a poor long-term foundation for a course business. The strongest strategy is using Udemy for discovery while building an owned platform in parallel.
Skillshare
Skillshare is a subscription-based learning platform with over 30,000 classes primarily focused on creative skills including illustration, design, photography, video, and business. Students pay $168/year or $32/month for unlimited access to all courses. Instructors earn royalties based on the proportion of total platform minutes their classes represent - there is no per-enrollment fee structure. Instructors need a minimum threshold of watched minutes before earnings are generated. Competition for attention is high, and the majority of new instructors earn little without an existing following to drive enrollment.
- • Royalty pool: earn a share of Skillshare's monthly subscriber revenue proportional to the minutes students spend watching your classes.
- • Class projects: built-in project submission and peer review system that encourages student participation and completion.
- • Offline access: students can download classes for offline viewing through the Skillshare mobile app.
- • Live sessions: instructors can host live workshops and Q&As directly through the Skillshare platform.
- • Referral bonuses: earn a bonus for referring new subscribers who sign up for a paid Skillshare membership.
Skillshare works for creative educators with an existing social following who want to generate supplemental passive income from a dedicated creative learner community. It is not the right platform for building a course business from scratch or for educators outside the creative niche. Instructors who want pricing control and direct student relationships need to build on their own platform.
Coursera
Coursera is a university-affiliated online learning platform with over 100 million registered learners and partnerships with 300+ universities and companies including Google, IBM, Meta, and Duke University. Individual course instructors must be affiliated with an approved university, institution, or corporate partner - independent creators cannot publish on Coursera without an institutional affiliation. Revenue sharing is typically 50% of net revenue to the institution or instructor. Learners pay $49-79 per course or $59/month for Coursera Plus (all-access subscription). Coursera for Business and Coursera for Campus serve enterprise and higher education markets respectively.
- • Graded assessments and peer reviews: structured assessment systems including assignments, quizzes, and peer-graded projects at university standards.
- • Certificates and specializations: earn branded certificates from universities like Stanford, Yale, and MIT that carry real credential value.
- • Coursera Plus: $59/month subscription giving learners access to 7,000+ courses, useful for volume learning across partners.
- • Coursera for Business: enterprise learning platform serving 15,000+ companies with structured learning paths and workforce skills tracking.
- • Mobile app: full course access including offline downloads on iOS and Android for the 100M+ registered learner base.
Coursera is the right platform for universities, accredited institutions, and established corporate brands that want to reach over 100 million learners through a globally recognized credential delivery infrastructure. It is the wrong platform for independent course creators - the institutional requirement, 50% revenue share, and lack of pricing control make it unsuitable for individual educators building a course business.