Online learning has become increasingly popular in recent years, and coaches looking to host their courses online now have a plethora of options to choose from. With so many platforms available, it can be challenging to know which one is right for you. As a tech expert in the field of online education, I have tested and reviewed some of the best platforms available, and in this blog, I’ll provide a breakdown of each platform, their features, and what you need to know.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to switch to a new platform, this guide will help you find the right fit for your coaching business. We’ll explore platforms such as Kartra, Teachable, Thinkific, LearnDash, Udemy, Kajabi, and Podia, as well as ThriveCart, which is specifically designed for coaches looking to sell digital products alongside their courses. So, let’s dive in and explore the best online course hosting platforms available today!
Kartra
An all-in-one marketing platform that offers customizable templates, email marketing, and affiliate management features. Coaches and small business owners love it for its user-friendly interface and robust features. Kartra also provides a membership site feature to help you monetize your content.
- Kartra. (n.d.). Kartra Membership. Retrieved March 30, 2023
Pricing: Starts at $99/month. The pricing includes unlimited courses, bandwidth, pages, and emails. Kartra also offers a 14-day trial for just $1.
Tip: If you want to create an all-in-one platform for your business, Kartra is a great option. It has everything you need to market and sell your courses, and you can even use it to manage your affiliates.
Features: Membership site, affiliate management, email marketing, landing pages, and funnel building.
Pros:
- All-in-one marketing platform with customizable templates, email marketing, and affiliate management features
- User-friendly interface with robust features
- Provides a membership site feature to help monetize content
- Pricing starts at $99/month for all these features!
- Offers a 14-day trial for just $1
Cons:
- Blogging features are not great. It’s better you host your blog on WordPress rather than Kartra.
- Some users report issues with customer support
Teachable
A well-established platform that offers a user-friendly interface, course creation, marketing tools, and student management capabilities. It’s a great choice for coaches who want to create and customize their courses with ease.
- Teachable. (n.d.). Teachable Membership. Retrieved March 30, 2023
Pricing: Starts at $29/month. The basic plan includes unlimited courses and students, course creation tools, quizzes, and integrations with email marketing platforms. Teachable also offers a free plan with limited features.
Tip: If you’re on a budget but still want a reliable course hosting platform, Teachable free plan is a great place to start. You can upgrade to a paid plan later as your business grows.
Features: Course creation, quizzes, certificates, and integrations with email marketing platforms.
Pros:
- Well-established platform with a user-friendly interface and course creation, marketing, and student management capabilities
- Great choice for coaches who want to create and customize courses with ease
- Offers a free plan with limited features
Cons:
- Pricing starts at $29/month, which may be too expensive for some coaches
- Limited features on the free plan
- Some users report issues with customer support
Thinkific
A comprehensive platform that offers course creation, hosting, marketing, and student management features, as well as a variety of customization options. It’s highly rated in the industry and is known for its excellent customer support.
- Thinkific. (n.d.). Thinkific Membership. Retrieved March 30, 2023
Pricing: Starts at $49/month. The basic plan includes unlimited courses and students, course creation tools, custom branding, and integrations with email marketing platforms. Thinkific also offers a free plan with limited features.
Tip: If you want a platform that provides excellent customer support, Thinkific is a great choice. Their support team is highly responsive and knowledgeable.
Features: Course creation, custom branding, student management, and integrations with email marketing platforms.
Pros:
- Comprehensive platform with course creation, hosting, marketing, and student management features, as well as a variety of customization options
- Highly rated in the industry with excellent customer support
- Offers a free plan with limited features
Cons:
- Pricing starts at $49/month, which may be too expensive for some coaches
- Some users report issues with course completion rates
LearnDash
A WordPress plugin that allows coaches to create and sell their courses on their own website. It offers a range of features, including course creation, quizzes, and certificates. LearnDash is highly customizable, making it an ideal choice for coaches who want to create and manage their courses directly on their website.
- Learndash. (n.d.). Learndash For Creators. Retrieved March 30, 2023
Pricing: Starts at $199/year. The basic plan includes unlimited courses and users, course creation tools, quizzes, certificates, and integrations with WordPress. LearnDash also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Tip: If you already have a website and want to integrate your courses into it, LearnDash is a great option. It’s easy to install and provides a lot of flexibility in terms of customization.
Features: Course creation, quizzes, certificates, and integrations with WordPress.
Pros:
- WordPress plugin that allows coaches to create and sell courses on their own website
- Highly customizable with course creation, quizzes, and certificates
- Offers a 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons:
- Pricing starts at $199/year, which may be too expensive for some coaches
- Requires a website and WordPress knowledge
- Limited marketing features compared to other platforms
Udemy
A popular online course marketplace that allows coaches to create and sell their courses to a large audience. It offers a range of features, including course creation tools and marketing capabilities. Udemy has a large customer base, which can help you reach a wider audience.
- Udemy. (n.d.). Udemy For Creators. Retrieved March 30, 2023
Pricing: Udemy takes a percentage of course sales revenue, usually around 50%. However, you get access to Udemy’s large audience, which can help you generate more sales.
Tip: If you want to reach a wider audience and don’t mind sharing revenue with Udemy, it’s a great platform to consider. Just keep in mind that you won’t have as much control over your course content and pricing.
Features: Course creation, marketing tools, and a vast customer base.
Pros:
- Popular online course marketplace with a large customer base
- Offers course creation tools and marketing capabilities
- Can help coaches reach a wider audience
Cons:
- Takes a percentage of course sales revenue (usually around 50%)
- Coaches don’t have as much control over course content and pricing
- Some users report issues with low course completion rates
Kajabi
This all-in-one platform is a great choice for coaches who want to create professional-looking courses with ease. It provides customizable templates and email marketing and membership site management features to help you build and grow your business.
- Kajabi. (n.d.). Kajabi Online Courses. Retrieved March 30, 2023
Pricing: Starts at $149/month. The starting price includes course creation, website builder, email marketing, and membership site management.
Tip: If you’re just starting out, you may want to consider the Basic plan, which has most of the essential features for course creation and marketing.
Features: Course creation, website builder, email marketing, and membership site management.
Pros:
- All-in-one platform with customizable templates, email marketing, and membership site management features
- Great choice for coaches who want to create professional-looking courses with ease
- Provides a website builder feature
Cons:
- Pricing starts at $149/month, which may be too expensive for some coaches
- Basic plan may not include all essential features for course creation and marketing
Podia
With customizable templates and drip content features, Podia is an affordable platform that provides course creation, hosting, and marketing tools, as well as digital product and membership sales capabilities.
- Podia. (n.d.). Podia Online Courses. Retrieved March 30, 2023
Pricing: Starts at $39/month. The starting price includes course creation, digital product sales, email marketing, and integrations with payment processors.
Tip: Podia is a great option if you want to sell digital products alongside your courses, such as e-books, audio files, or templates.
Features: Course creation, digital product sales, email marketing, and integrations with payment processors.
Pros:
- Affordable platform with customizable templates and drip content features
- Provides course creation, hosting, and marketing tools, as well as digital product and membership sales capabilities
- Offers a 14-day free trial
Cons:
- Some users report issues with customer support
- May not offer as many features compared to other platforms
ThriveCart
This platform is designed for coaches who want to sell their courses and other digital products with ease. It provides customizable checkout pages, upsells and downsells, and affiliate management features.
- Thrivecart. (n.d.). Thrivecart Special Offer. Retrieved March 30, 2023
Pricing: Starts at $495 one-time payment. The starting price includes a shopping cart, customizable checkout pages, upsells and downsells, and affiliate management features.
Tip: ThriveCart is ideal for coaches who already have an audience and want to create a seamless buying experience for their customers. However, keep in mind that the one-time payment may be steep for some coaches.
Features: Shopping cart, checkout pages, upsells and downsells, and affiliate management.
Note: Keep in mind that prices and features may vary depending on the plan and any additional add-ons you choose for each platform. Be sure to compare and choose the plan that best fits your needs and budget.
Pros:
- Designed for coaches looking to sell digital products alongside their courses
- Provides a variety of features, including checkout pages, upsells, and affiliate management
- Offers a one-time purchase fee rather than a recurring subscription
Cons:
- Not designed specifically for course creation and hosting
- Limited marketing and student management features compared to other platforms
- Pricing starts at $495 for a lifetime license, which may be too expensive for some coaches
Another Tips for Choosing the Right Platform:
- Consider your budget and the pricing plans of each platform.
- Look for features that match your needs, such as course creation, marketing tools, and student management capabilities.
- Read reviews and compare the user interface and ease of use of each platform.
- Take advantage of free trials and demos to test the platform before committing to a subscription.
Ready to find the perfect platform to host your online course and take your coaching business to the next level? Start by considering your needs, budget, and the features offered by each platform, and don’t forget to take advantage of free trials and demos. And if you need personalized guidance, schedule a free 30-minute discovery call with us at Amorette Digital Solutions. Good luck on your online coaching journey!
