Online Course Hosting Platforms: Choosing the Right One

Choosing the right online course hosting platform is crucial for the success of your online course. Thinkific is a popular option, offering a free plan and a 30-day free trial.

With so many options available, it's essential to consider your needs and goals. Udemy, for example, has a large user base and is known for its high-quality courses.

Some platforms, like Teachable, offer a range of customization options to help you create a unique learning experience. This can be especially important if you're creating a course with a specific brand or tone.

Ultimately, the right platform for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences.

Before choosing an online course platform, it's essential to determine what you need. This includes answering questions like what you want to accomplish with your course, the functionality you require, and your budget.

Your goals are a crucial factor in selecting the right platform. Do you want to maximize income, build leads, or focus solely on online courses? This will help you decide on the type of platform that suits your needs. For instance, if you're looking to build leads, you may want a platform with robust marketing features.

Consider your target audience and the content you plan to create. Will it be all video, or will you mix in written lessons? Should your audience take your course on their phone, computer, or TV? This will help you choose a platform that meets your content and audience needs.

Here are some key factors to consider when choosing an online course platform:

Some platforms offer a range of content types, including text, video, audio, quizzes, and assignments. Others have user-friendly interfaces, optimized landing pages, and customizable branding options. Consider what features are essential for your course and choose a platform that meets those needs.

To choose the right online course platform, you need to determine what you need. Answer a few questions like: what are your goals, what kind of functionality do you require, what's your budget, who's your target audience, and what kind of content do you plan on creating?

Decide what you want to accomplish with your course. Do you want to maximize income, build leads, or make online courses one of many aspects of your business? The platform you choose should align with your goals.

Your budget is a crucial factor in choosing an online course platform. Can you afford to pay $20 per month or $119? Consider what features you need and what you're willing to pay for them.

Think about your target audience. Do you have an existing base of customers or do you want to build one? This will help you choose a platform that's suitable for your audience's needs and preferences.

You should also consider your preferred teaching style. Do you want to create video lessons, written lessons, or a mix of both? Choose a platform that allows you to create the type of content you want to deliver.

Here are some key factors to consider when evaluating online course platforms:

Some platforms offer a range of features, including text, video, audio, quizzes, assignments, and more. Others have a user-friendly interface, optimized landing pages, and easy customization options. Look for a platform that offers the features you need to create and sell your courses.

When evaluating platforms, consider the cost, features, ease of use, and growth potential. Make sure the platform can handle your needs now and in the future.

Choosing an online course platform can be overwhelming, especially with so many options available. Kajabi is a popular choice among course creators, but it has a higher price point, starting at $119/month. Thinkific, on the other hand, offers a free plan and no transaction fees.

Thinkific and Teachable are similar platforms, but Thinkific has a clean look and easy-to-use page builder. If you're on a budget, Thinkific is a great option. Udemy is a marketplace, which means you give up control over your prices and don't have contact details for your students.

Before choosing an online course platform, consider your target audience, tricks to reach them, expected revenue, and preferred teaching style. Thinkific offers a range of features, including customizable course templates, live lessons, and quizzes. However, it lacks community features and blogging tools.

Here are some key features to look for in an online course platform:

Thinkific offers a range of pricing plans, starting from $39/month. Kajabi, on the other hand, offers a more comprehensive platform with features like interactive course builder, pre-built landing pages, and native email marketing. LearnWorlds offers a one-stop-shop solution for creating, marketing, and selling courses, with features like course creation, website building, and email campaigns.

Here's a comparison of some popular online course platforms:

Ultimately, the best platform for you will depend on your specific needs and goals. Consider your target audience, teaching style, and expected revenue when making your decision.

There are different types of online course creation platforms available, including standalone hosted platforms and marketplace platforms. Thinkific and Teachable are examples of standalone-hosted course platforms that provide a custom-looking domain to host your courses.

Some popular marketplace platforms include Udemy and Coursera, which can be useful for reaching a broader audience. However, these platforms often come with limitations on control over student data.

Here's a comparison of some popular online course platforms:

Standalone Hosted Online Course Platforms are a great entry-level solution for brand-new course creators. You'll get access to beginner-friendly tools to create top-notch courses, but it's not too overwhelming or soul-crushingly intimidating.

These platforms provide you with a custom-looking domain to host your courses. Thinkific, for example, offers a user-friendly course builder that makes it simple to create professional online courses by uploading videos, text, PDFs, and other materials.

With standalone-hosted course platforms, you won't be able to add these courses to your website, but you will get a free subdomain (or custom domain name) to host your course. Thinkific also allows you to engage students with quizzes, assignments, community spaces, and mobile app access.

Standalone-hosted course platforms were born from a frustration with marketplace platforms that control information and access to students. They offer complete control over the pricing, payment structure, and student data, which is a big deal.

Here are some of the key features of standalone-hosted course platforms:

Thinkific is a great example of a standalone-hosted course platform, offering a range of features to help you create and sell online courses.

WizIQ is a cloud-based education platform designed for real-time or self-paced training, offering webinars both live and on-demand. It's favored by online course creators who need a live training or classroom-like experience.

WizIQ is ideal for enterprise employees, individual teachers, trainers, colleges, universities, tutoring, and Test-Prep companies. It also offers a knowledge base with articles, user guides, and FAQs for support.

WizIQ's features include a virtual classroom with HD video conferencing, online whiteboard, and real-time messaging, as well as mobile learning with course content available on Android and iOS devices. Its easy course builder and diverse course options with multimedia support in 9 formats make it a versatile platform.

Some of the pros of using WizIQ include delivering high-definition live learning, interactive virtual classroom, eLearning reporting and analytics, and mobile app availability on iOS and Android. It also offers course authoring with test and assessment capabilities, as well as eCommerce features and white-label online course software.

However, WizIQ has some limitations, including no support for SCORM or TinCan, and no gamification options. Additionally, customer support may be an issue for some users.

Here are some of the key features of WizIQ:

WizIQ's pricing plans are not explicitly stated in the article sections, but it's mentioned that customer support may be an issue, which could be a factor in choosing a platform.

Graphy is a popular online course platform that offers a range of features to help creators build and sell their courses. It provides a branded mobile app, unlimited courses, memberships, and paid communities.

One of the standout features of Graphy is its multi-language support, making it accessible to a global audience. It also offers SCORM lessons, which allow for seamless integration with other learning management systems.

Graphy's pricing plans include Graphy Launch, which costs $499/year with a 10% per sale commission, and Graphy Rise, which costs $1499/year with a 5% per sale commission. These plans may seem steep for some creators, but they offer a range of benefits, including straightforward revenue collection and dynamic pricing.

Here are some of the key features of Graphy, including its pros and cons:

Uscreen is a great option for creators who want to deliver a high-quality video experience and build a Netflix-like video library for their audience. It's an excellent choice for those prioritizing video content creation and engagement.

Uscreen offers two main pricing plans: Growth and Pro. Both plans have an additional fee per paid member, with $1.99 for Growth and $0.99 for Pro.

The Growth plan focuses on delivering a high-quality video experience, similar to Netflix or Masterclass. It also builds custom mobile apps for iPhones, Android devices, and even TVs.

The Pro plan has similar features to the Growth plan, but with a different focus. It's worth noting that the Pro plan can be more expensive than some other course platforms.

One thing to consider with Uscreen is that it may not offer the same level of course development and delivery features as dedicated online course platforms. It also lacks built-in email marketing or sales funnel tools, which may require additional third-party integrations.

Here's a comparison of the two plans:

Overall, Uscreen is a great choice for creators who want to focus on delivering high-quality video content and engaging with their audience.

WordPress LMS plugins are a great way to host your online courses directly on your WordPress site. You can seamlessly integrate with your WordPress site to create and manage courses without migration. Some popular WordPress LMS options include Tutor LMS, LearnDash, and LifterLMS.

These plugins offer a range of features, including content scheduling, course selling, learner rewards, and automated triggers. For example, LearnDash has features like multi-tier course creation, content drip feeding, and built-in dynamic forums.

LearnDash is one of the most popular WordPress LMS plugins, with fast performance, rich features, and impressive course designs. It's mobile-friendly for learning on the go and offers customer support from experts using a ticketing system.

LifterLMS is another widely used WordPress LMS plugin, which allows you to effortlessly develop online courses, offer a rich learning environment for your audience, and enhance community engagement on your website. It supports multi-tier courses, drip content, course progression tracking, and group memberships.

Here are some key features of LifterLMS:

Thinkific is a powerful educational platform that allows entrepreneurs to turn their expertise into an online education business, selling courses, memberships, and building communities.

Thinkific offers a user-friendly course builder that makes it simple to create professional online courses by uploading videos, text, PDFs, and other materials.

The platform comes with customizable course templates to let you design your courses, and features like live lessons, quizzes, assignments, and easy content import make it easy to engage students.

Thinkific also offers a branded mobile app, allowing you to offer your courses on mobile under your brand.

Here are some top LMS mobile apps for course creators:

Thinkific's Thinkific App Store offers various third-party tools to enhance your online courses.

The platform also has a community building feature, allowing you to create spaces for students to interact with each other.

Thinkific's tools for drip-feeding course content, offering bundled products, coupons, and more, make it easy to monetize your online courses.

E-learning platforms are designed to help you create, sell, and deliver online courses to your students. Thinkific is a popular e-learning platform that offers a range of features, including customizable course templates, live lessons, quizzes, and assignments. It's also user-friendly, making it easy to create and sell online courses without needing extensive technical knowledge.

Thinkific offers a free plan, as well as several paid plans, starting at $39/month. The platform is known for its clean design and easy-to-use page builder. However, it may not have as many marketing features as other platforms, such as Teachable.

Kajabi is another e-learning platform that offers a range of features, including interactive course builders, pre-built landing pages, and native email marketing. It's designed for entrepreneurs and experts who want to create and sell online courses, memberships, and communities. Kajabi's pricing plans start at $119/month.

Ruzuku is an e-learning platform that offers a range of features, including diverse payment options, enhanced student engagement, and versatile document hosting. It's designed for experienced infopreneurs who want to create, market, and sell online courses. Ruzuku's pricing plans start at $99/month.

Here are some key features to consider when choosing an e-learning platform:

Ultimately, the best e-learning platform for you will depend on your specific needs and goals. Be sure to research and compare different platforms before making a decision.

Kajabi is a very popular platform in the community of course creators, especially among those who follow Amy Porterfield. It markets itself as an all-in-one platform, allowing you to build your website, host webinars, and use it as your email marketing provider.

The Basic plan is $119/month (billed annually) and comes with only 3 products and 1 admin user. The Growth Plan is $159/month and offers up to 15 products, more admins, and affiliate programs.

LearnWorlds is another all-in-one business suite that allows you to create, market, and sell your courses without relying on multiple tools. It provides powerful marketing tools to help you attract and convert customers.

Ruzuku is an online course creation program designed for seasoned infopreneurs, offering an all-in-one solution to create, market, and sell your courses. It saves you time and effort by eliminating the need for multiple tools.

Here's a brief comparison of these popular online course platforms:

These platforms offer a range of features to help you create and sell online courses, but it's essential to choose the one that best fits your needs and goals.

If you're looking for a platform that offers a full suite of features, EzyCourse is a great option. It's an all-in-one online course platform that covers courses, communities, memberships, and more.

EzyCourse offers 16+ revenue streams, including digital or physical products, chats, live events, appointments, and many more. It also has a feature-rich platform that simplifies the course creation process.

With EzyCourse, you can create a Facebook-like community inside the platform to boost student engagement. The Site Builder is highly customizable, and you'll get a branded mobile app for offering courses on the go.

EzyCourse has tons of course features, including live lessons, gamification, quizzes and assignments, drip content, bundling, coupons, cross-selling and upselling, etc. You can also see detailed analytics directly from your dashboard.

EzyCourse is a low-cost course creation platform, starting at just $31/month. It's a great option for those looking for a feature-rich platform without breaking the bank.

Thinkific is another platform that offers a range of features, including customizable course templates, live lessons, quizzes, assignments, and easy content import. It also offers options like bundles, coupons, and cross-selling to enhance monetization opportunities.

Thinkific has a branded mobile app, allowing you to offer your courses on mobile under your brand. However, it's worth noting that Thinkific doesn't offer funnel features or native email marketing, and it lacks community features and blogging tools.

Teachable is a beginner-friendly platform that offers a range of features, including AI integration, flexible payment options, and several sales & marketing tools. It also simplifies content uploads with Dropbox and Google Drive integration.

Teachable has flexible pricing plans, allowing creators to offer single or bundle courses for one-time fees or subscriptions. It also has a native email marketing tool to manage communication with students easily.

Marketplace online course platforms are the most popular and easy-to-use option, providing standardized templates and marketing tools to build your courses.

You won't have much control over the branding, but you can get a quality course published in no time.

Most marketplace platforms already have an audience with thousands of members, and most will market your course for you.

However, they don't share that audience with you, making it challenging to remarket to your students in the future with email marketing campaigns, additional courses, or products.

Online course marketplaces offer free listings, but they typically charge a percentage of your course revenue.

Platforms like Udemy, Coursera, Skillshare, edX, and Khan Academy are examples of online course marketplaces.

Mighty Networks is a specialized online community platform that also offers course hosting, allowing you to customize your space with various features and content types.

You can bundle your courses with additional options like live events, discussion forums, or group coaching sessions, making monetization easier with sales and marketing tools.

The platform seamlessly integrates with Mighty Network's top-rated community management software and has a built-in ConvertKit integration for email list connection.

Paying for hosting or paying subscriptions can be a significant cost for online course creators. Self-hosting a course on platforms like Teachable and Kajabi implies a subscription that's often on the pricey side, with prices starting at $119/month for Kajabi's Basic plan.

Kajabi's pricing plans can be steep, with the Basic plan limited to 3 products and 1 admin user. The Growth Plan is $40 more per month and offers more features, but still may not be suitable for all creators.

Some platforms, like Skillshare, offer a different pricing model, where creators earn a commission per viewer, but this can focus on quantity over quality, limiting what you can do.

Paying for hosting or using a learning network can affect your pricing strategy.

Using a platform like Skillshare for your course means you get paid for every minute a student watches, which focuses on quantity over quality.

You don't have to pay to post your course on a learning network, but this comes with limitations.

Self-hosting a course on platforms like Teachable and Kajabi requires a pricey subscription, whether or not you have students.

The extra freedom of hosting your own course may be worth it for established businesses, but it can be challenging for newer ones.

If you're on a budget, you're in luck - there are many affordable online learning platforms out there.

Some of the best wallet-friendly options include Coursera, which offers courses from top universities at an affordable price, and edX, which provides a wide range of courses and certifications for a low cost.

You can learn a new skill or hobby without breaking the bank with platforms like Udemy and Skillshare, which offer courses on everything from photography to coding.

For those looking for a more structured learning experience, platforms like FutureLearn and Alison offer affordable degree programs and certifications.

You can even learn a new language with platforms like Duolingo, which is free to use and offers a comprehensive language learning program.

Some platforms, like Coursera, offer financial aid and scholarships to help make their courses more affordable.

The cost of online learning can vary greatly depending on the platform and the course, but with a little research, you can find affordable options that fit your budget.

Platforms like Udemy and Skillshare often have sales and discounts, making their courses even more affordable.