Online Course Platform Comparison Guide

Picking the right online course platform is a huge decision. It really comes down to what you're trying to build. Kajabi is an all-in-one marketing engine for serious entrepreneurs, while Teachable and Thinkific are pure, powerful course-building tools. If you’re just looking for a simple way to sell digital products, Podia is a great option.

Finding Your Ideal Online Course Platform

Choosing a home for your course can feel like a maze, but this guide is here to clear things up. It's easy to get bogged down in endless feature lists. Instead of looking for the single "best" platform, the real goal is to find the one that fits your specific plan—your monetization goals, your tech skills, and your vision for the future.

This matters now more than ever. The online education market is massive and still growing, expected to hit $185.20 billion in 2025. That's an 8.56% annual growth rate. Even the big players are in on it, with over 90% of Fortune 500 companies using eLearning. All this to say: there's a huge, hungry audience out there waiting for what you have to teach.

Defining Your Core Needs

Before you even start comparing platforms, take a moment to look inward. What do you actually need? Are you a beginner who just wants to get your first course out the door with zero fuss? Or are you a seasoned pro trying to scale a business with complex marketing funnels?

• For the All-in-One Entrepreneur: If you want a single dashboard to run your entire operation—course, website, email marketing, and sales funnels—then a platform like Kajabi was built for you.

• For the Dedicated Course Creator: If your main focus is on creating a top-tier learning experience with tons of customization and powerful teaching tools, Thinkific is a fantastic choice.

• For the Community Builder: Platforms like Podia are brilliant at weaving memberships and community features right into your courses, which is perfect for keeping students engaged.

• For the Flexible Innovator: A lot of us already use Notion to outline and organize course content. A cool, modern approach is to embed Notion pages into your website. This lets you integrate dynamic materials directly into your course pages. You can use a tool like https://www.embednotionpages.com/ to make it happen.

The best platform is the one that gets out of your way and lets you do your thing. But remember, a great platform is only half the battle. You still need to get the word out. It’s smart to research effective strategies for marketing your online course to make sure people actually find and enroll in your course. This guide will help you build on the right foundation.

Comparing Core Platform Features

Choosing the right platform is more than just ticking boxes on a feature list. It's about how those features actually work for you and your business.

The best platform isn't the one with the most bells and whistles. It's the one that matches your content, your technical comfort level, and your specific business goals. We're going to look at the real-world differences between all-in-one machines and more focused course builders.

The question isn't just if a platform has a course builder, but how good it is. Can you drag-and-drop lessons easily? Or are you fighting the software just to get your curriculum organized? That's the difference between a smooth launch and a frustrating mess.

The Course Creation Experience

This is where it all starts. The course builder is the heart of any platform, and the differences here are huge.

Teachable and Thinkific are famous for their straightforward, drag-and-drop builders. They make it simple to assemble your lessons using video, text, and quizzes. Their main goal is to help you create a great learning experience for your students.

Kajabi, on the other hand, puts its course builder inside a much bigger marketing machine. It’s powerful, but everything is tied to its "Product" and "Pipeline" system. This can feel a bit clunky if all you want to do is build your course.

Podia keeps it simple. Its builder is clean and no-frills, perfect for creators who want to quickly package a course and sell it alongside other digital products without getting overwhelmed.

Key Insight: Your choice is between a dedicated, best-in-class course tool (like Thinkific) and an integrated system where the course is just one piece of the puzzle (like Kajabi). It really depends on whether you're building a school or running an entire online business from a single dashboard.

Of course, there's another way. Many creators now build their entire curriculum in Notion because it’s so flexible and powerful for organizing content.

With a tool like Embed Notion Pages, you can embed those rich, interactive Notion pages right into your website. Your course content updates automatically whenever you edit the Notion doc. This completely bypasses the limits of any platform's native builder.

Sales And Marketing Tools

How you sell your course is just as important as what's inside. This is a major fork in the road when picking a platform.

• All-in-One Powerhouses: Kajabi is the undisputed leader here. It’s built to replace your email provider, landing page builder, and affiliate software with its own native tools. This deep integration is its main selling point.

• Focused Platforms with Strong Integrations: Thinkific and Teachable provide solid basics like coupons, payment plans, and affiliate programs. Their approach is to nail the course delivery and then connect smoothly with specialized marketing tools like Mailchimp or ConvertKit for anything more advanced.

• Simple and Direct: Podia includes email and affiliate marketing, but keeps it incredibly simple. It’s made for creators who want effective tools without the steep learning curve of a complex marketing system.

When you're looking at platforms, always check their official websites for the most current features. For example, looking at the Dalm website is the best way to see what makes it unique.

Choosing between an all-in-one's convenience and a focused platform's flexibility is a critical decision.

Core Feature Comparison Across Leading Platforms

To see how these philosophies play out, let's put the core features side-by-side. This table breaks down what you get right out of the box with each platform for creating, marketing, and selling your course.

This comparison shows the trade-offs clearly. Kajabi gives you everything but with its own flavor, while platforms like Teachable and Thinkific give you powerful core tools and expect you to integrate for more advanced marketing. Podia strips it all down to the essentials.

Assessments And Student Engagement

Keeping students engaged is key. Good quizzes and assessments are a big part of that, but not all platforms treat them equally.

Most platforms, including Teachable and Podia, have basic multiple-choice quizzes. It gets the job done.

But Thinkific and LearnWorlds take it a step further. They offer assignments, formal exams, and detailed surveys, making the learning process much more interactive and evaluative.

Kajabi also has strong assessment tools that tie into its automation engine. You can do cool things like send a specific email or unlock the next module based on a student’s quiz score. This is what turns a simple content library into a truly active learning environment.

Understanding True Costs and Pricing Models

When you compare online course platforms, the sticker price is just the start.

The real cost often hides in the fine print—transaction fees, payment charges, and key features locked behind pricey upgrades. Choosing the right platform means digging into these details so your business can grow without being punished for its own success.

A platform that looks cheap upfront can get expensive fast as you scale. Let's break down the pricing models to see the whole financial picture.

Deconstructing Platform Fees

The biggest "hidden" costs usually come from two places: transaction fees and payment processing fees. They're not the same, and you need to know the difference.

• Transaction Fees: This is the cut the course platform itself takes from every sale. Some platforms, like Teachable on its basic plans, charge a fee (like 5%) on top of your monthly subscription.

• Payment Processing Fees: This fee goes to the payment gateway like Stripe or PayPal that handles the credit card payment. This is a standard cost of doing business online, usually around 2.9% + $0.30 per sale, and you’ll pay it almost everywhere.

The catch is when a platform charges its own fee on top of the standard processing fee. This double-dipping can seriously eat into your revenue, especially as your sales grow.

Comparing Pricing Philosophies

Different platforms have different pricing philosophies. Your job is to find the one that matches your business model.

A platform like Thinkific is a great choice for established creators. While you pay a monthly fee, its higher-tier plans have zero transaction fees. This means your platform costs stay fixed and predictable, letting you keep more money as you sell more courses.

On the other hand, a free plan from a platform like Teachable looks tempting for beginners. But it comes with a steep $1 + 10% fee on every transaction. This is fine to get started, but it becomes a major problem for a growing business.

Key Insight: A platform with zero transaction fees is a game-changer for high-volume course sellers. It turns your platform from a variable cost that grows with your sales into a fixed operational expense, making financial forecasting much easier.

The All-In-One Value Proposition

Then you have the all-in-one platforms, with Kajabi being the best example. Its subscription price looks high at first, but you have to look at what it replaces.

Kajabi’s pricing is built on consolidation. It includes email marketing, landing page builders, and sales funnels, so you don't need separate tools like ConvertKit or Leadpages.

Here’s how it breaks down:

• Scenario A (Separate Tools): Thinkific ($79/month) + ConvertKit ($49/month) + Leadpages ($49/month) = $177/month.

• Scenario B (All-in-One): Kajabi's Growth Plan at $199/month.

For just $22 more a month, you get one system where everything works together perfectly. It’s not just about the money; it’s about having a simpler workflow. If you value having everything under one roof, the higher price of an all-in-one platform is often worth it.

Evaluating The Creator And Student Experience

A platform’s success really boils down to two things: how easy it is for you to run your course, and how enjoyable it is for your students to learn. You can't have one without the other.

If the backend is a clunky mess, you’ll lose the motivation to create. If the student-facing side is confusing, your completion rates will suffer. We’re looking for that sweet spot—an intuitive admin experience for you and a clean, engaging learning environment for them.

This screenshot of Teachable’s curriculum builder is a perfect example. It's clean and simple. You can just drag and drop lessons into place. This kind of thoughtful design means you spend less time fighting with the software and more time actually creating good content.

The Creator’s Cockpit

From your side, it’s all about efficiency. How many clicks does it take to update a lesson? Can you quickly check on a specific student’s progress? This is the daily reality of running an online school.

Platforms like Teachable and Podia are built for this. Their dashboards are straightforward because they know creators want to get in, do what they need to do, and get out. Everything—from student management to sales reports—is right where you’d expect it.

On the other hand, an all-in-one system like Kajabi has a much more involved dashboard. It’s incredibly powerful, but features like "Pipelines" and "Automations" come with a steeper learning curve. The trick is to match the platform’s complexity to your own needs and comfort level.

Key Takeaway: The best creator experience is the one that gets out of your way. If managing your school feels like a chore, you won’t want to engage with your students or build new courses. Pick a backend that feels natural to you.

For teams that already use Notion to organize their course content, this same sense of simplicity is key. Learning the best practices for Notion for teams can smooth out your entire workflow before you even upload the first video.

The Student’s Learning Environment

Now for the other side of the coin, which is arguably more important: the student experience. How your course looks and feels on their end—from the video player to mobile access—directly impacts their success.

Thinkific and LearnWorlds really shine here. They create a focused, premium learning environment. Their course players are clean, customizable, and put your content front and center, cutting out the distractions that can derail a student’s focus.

Mobile access is another huge deal. A lot of people learn on the go, so a platform’s mobile app or responsive design can be a make-or-break feature. Kajabi and Teachable have dedicated mobile apps that even let students download lessons for offline viewing, which is a massive plus.

Gauging Interaction and Community

A successful course isn't just about content delivery; it’s about connection. This is where community features and engagement analytics come in. You need to know how students are interacting with your material.

• Community Spaces: Mighty Networks is built entirely around community, with the course being just one piece of the puzzle. Podia and Kajabi also have solid, built-in community tools that keep the conversation on your own turf, not lost in a Facebook group.

• Engagement Tools: Platforms offer wildly different levels of data. Some just show you video view percentages. More advanced ones give you detailed analytics on quiz results and lesson completion, showing you exactly where students are getting stuck.

To really dial in your course, you need more than just enrollment numbers. Understanding how to effectively measure student engagement gives you a solid framework for making sense of the data your platform provides. Looking at both creator efficiency and student delight is how you pick a true partner for your business, not just another piece of software.

Choosing Between Marketplaces And Standalone Platforms

One of the first big decisions you'll make isn't between Teachable or Kajabi, but between two totally different ways of doing business: marketplaces vs. standalone platforms.

This choice changes everything—your branding, pricing, and how you connect with students. It's the classic trade-off: get a built-in audience or have total control.

Marketplaces like Udemy and Skillshare are like giant digital malls. They have millions of students already looking for courses, which means you can get seen right away without a massive marketing budget. For a new creator, this is a huge leg up.

But that convenience comes at a cost. You’re just renting a stall in their mall; you don't own the shop.

The Marketplace Model Explained

The main draw of a marketplace is its built-in student traffic. You upload your course, and the platform's marketing machine can bring people straight to you. It’s a great way to test an idea or just focus on teaching, not brand-building.

The flip side is you give up a ton of control. You have to play by their rules, which often means:

• Aggressive Discounting: Your course might get lumped into a site-wide sale and sold for as little as $10, no matter how much you think it's worth.

• Limited Branding: Your course page looks just like everyone else's. Building a unique brand is nearly impossible.

• No Direct Student Relationship: You almost never get your students' email addresses. This makes it hard to build a community or sell them future courses.

• Steep Revenue Sharing: In exchange for getting you in front of students, marketplaces take a huge piece of the pie—often over 50%.

It’s a high-volume, low-margin game. A good place to start, maybe, but tough for building a premium, lasting business where you own the relationship with your customers.

The Standalone Platform Advantage

Standalone platforms like Thinkific, Podia, and Kajabi are the exact opposite. They give you the tools to build your own branded school on your own website. You’re the owner, not a renter.

With a standalone platform, you get 100% control. You set your own prices. You design your site to look like your brand. And, most importantly, you own your audience.

Every single student is your customer. You can build an email list and nurture that relationship for years. This is how you build a real, profitable education business.

The core difference is ownership. On a marketplace, you are building the marketplace's brand. On a standalone platform, you are building your own.

The catch? You have to bring your own traffic. This means you need a real marketing plan—content, social media, maybe even paid ads. It's more work up front, but the payoff is a strong business that doesn't depend on someone else's rules.

Making The Right Strategic Choice

So, which one is for you? It really comes down to what you want to achieve long-term.

Choose a marketplace if:

• You're just starting and have no audience.

• You want to quickly test if a course idea has legs.

• You only want to create content and not worry about marketing.

Choose a standalone platform if:

• You want to build a premium brand people recognize.

• You want full control over your prices and sales.

• Your goal is to build a direct, lasting relationship with students.

Both models are growing because they serve different needs. The market for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and marketplaces is huge, valued at around $12.5 billion in 2024. At the same time, independent creators are thriving on their own terms. One 2024 survey found that 70% of eLearning pros making over $100,000 a year do it through their own courses.

You can dive deeper into these powerful eLearning trends and statistics to see how the market is shifting for creators of all kinds.

How To Make Your Final Decision

Choosing a platform feels like a huge commitment, but it’s really about what fits you today. We've looked at features, pricing, and how these tools feel to use. Now, let’s connect the dots and pick the right one for your specific goals.

There's no single "best" platform. The right choice is the one that matches your business model and lets you get back to creating great content.

Which Platform Fits Your Profile?

Let's break it down into simple recommendations based on where you are in your creator journey.

• For the New Creator: If you just want to get started fast with an all-in-one tool, Podia is your best bet. It puts courses, downloads, and memberships into one simple dashboard. No steep learning curve.

• For the Serious Entrepreneur: If your course is the center of a bigger business with sales funnels and email marketing, go with Kajabi. It’s the industry standard for a reason. The higher price covers a powerful, integrated toolkit that can run your entire business.

• For the Teacher: If your top priority is the learning experience itself and you want zero transaction fees on most plans, Thinkific is the clear winner. You get incredible control over your course design and how students interact with your content.

The best way to know for sure is to try it. Nearly every platform offers a free trial or a free plan. Build a quick sample lesson, click around the dashboard. That hands-on test is worth more than any review you'll read.

Trust Your Instincts and Start Building

This decision boils down to matching a platform’s strengths to your own work style. Think about the trade-offs—from transaction fees to marketing features—and see which one aligns with your plan.

Pick the one that feels right, sign up for a trial, and just start building. You can always move later, but making a smart choice now gives you a solid foundation for your course business.

Frequently Asked Questions

When you're comparing course platforms, a few questions always seem to pop up. Let's get them answered so you can pick the right tool and get back to creating.

Which Platform Is Best For Beginners?

If you're just starting out, you want a platform that gets out of your way.

That's where tools like Podia and Teachable shine. They're built for simplicity with intuitive interfaces and straightforward course builders. You can focus on your content, not on fighting with confusing software.

The goal isn't to become a tech wizard overnight. It's to get your course live and in front of students fast. An easy platform makes that happen.

How Difficult Is It To Switch Platforms Later?

Switching is doable, but it's a real headache.

You'll have to export your student list (usually a CSV file of names and emails) and then manually re-upload every single video, PDF, and lesson text to the new platform. It’s a ton of manual work, which is why it pays to choose carefully from the start.

Do I Still Need My Own Website?

Not always. All-in-one platforms like Kajabi are powerful enough to be your entire online home, with tools for your main website, blog, and sales pages. Platforms like Thinkific and Teachable also offer solid website features.

But many creators still keep a separate website (often on WordPress) and just integrate their course platform. This gives you total control over your brand. It’s a smart move, especially if you’re creating complex content, like we cover in our guide on how to use Notion for study planning.