Business & Side Income · Topic page
Best Online Course Platforms
Every company here was researched from its own pricing pages and terms. No paid rankings.
We check it out so you don’t have to.
How we researched this page: we read each company’s own pricing pages and terms, independent tests, and customer reviews. We did not use these products ourselves. Prices change often, so each one shows the date we checked it.
The short version
If you mainly sell courses and want them to look professional, start with Thinkific or Teachable. If community matters as much as the course, look at Mighty Networks, Circle or Skool. If you want course, email, website and funnels in one bill and can afford it, Kajabi. If you’re starting small and want low monthly costs, Podia.
Quick comparison
| Company | Best for | Starting price | Trial / refund |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thinkific | Course-first businesses | $82/mo billed yearly (Start), checked October 25, 2026 | Free trial |
| Teachable | Solo creators selling a few courses | $29/mo yearly or $39 monthly (Starter), checked October 25, 2026 | 7-day trial, 30-day money-back |
| Kajabi | All-in-one: courses, email, site, funnels | $143/mo yearly or $179 monthly, checked October 25, 2026 | Free trial, 30-day money-back |
| Podia | Low-cost start, digital downloads | $42/mo billed yearly (Mover), checked October 25, 2026 | 14-day trial |
| LearnWorlds | Interactive courses, corporate training | See the official site | 30-day trial |
| Mighty Networks | Paid communities with courses and events | $79/mo (Launch), checked October 25, 2026 | 14-day trial |
| Circle | Community-first memberships | $89/mo billed yearly (Professional), checked October 25, 2026 | 14-day trial, money-back offered |
| Skool | Simple community plus courses | $9/mo (Hobby, 10% fee) or $99/mo (Pro), checked October 25, 2026 | 14-day trial |
Thinkific
Who it fits: People whose business is the course itself and who want a polished student experience without stitching tools together.
What it costs (checked October 25, 2026): Start $82/mo billed yearly ($109 monthly, October 23, 2026). Grow $164/mo yearly ($219 monthly). Expand $374/mo yearly ($499 monthly). A branded mobile app is a $199/mo add-on.
Honest downsides: No free plan any more, so it costs real money from day one. Email marketing is basic, so most people still need a separate email tool.
Visit Thinkific’s official site
Compare: Thinkific vs Teachable · Thinkific vs Kajabi
Teachable
Who it fits: Solo creators selling a handful of courses or coaching who want the lowest entry price of the big course platforms.
What it costs (checked October 25, 2026): Starter $29/mo yearly or $39 monthly. Builder $69/mo yearly or $89 monthly. Growth $139/mo yearly or $189 monthly. 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Honest downsides: The cheapest plan has transaction fees and limits, so many creators end up on Builder. Site design options are narrower than Kajabi’s.
Visit Teachable’s official site
Compare: Read our full Teachable review · Thinkific vs Teachable
Kajabi
Who it fits: Established creators who want courses, email, website, funnels and community under one login, and are happy to pay for that.
What it costs (checked October 25, 2026): $143/mo billed yearly ($179 monthly), $199 yearly ($249 monthly), or $399 yearly ($499 monthly) by tier. Kajabi Payments fees run 2.7–2.9% + 30¢. Every plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Honest downsides: The most expensive starting price on this page. You pay for tools you may already have elsewhere.
Compare: Read our full Kajabi review · Thinkific vs Kajabi
Podia
Who it fits: Beginners selling a course, downloads or a small membership who want low monthly costs and built-in email.
What it costs (checked October 25, 2026): $42/mo billed yearly ($504/yr), $84/mo yearly ($1,008/yr) or $150/mo yearly ($1,800/yr). 14-day free trial.
Honest downsides: Fewer advanced course features (quizzes, certificates, learning paths) than LearnWorlds or Thinkific. Email is free only up to a subscriber cap on each plan.
Compare: Read our full Podia review
LearnWorlds
Who it fits: Creators and training teams who want interactive video, quizzes, certificates and SCORM uploads.
What it costs (October 25, 2026): the plan names (Starter, Pro Trainer, Learning Center, Corporate) loaded but the prices didn’t, so check the official page for current prices. Starter charges $5 per enrollment; higher plans don’t. 30-day free trial.
Honest downsides: More settings to learn than simpler platforms. The per-enrollment fee on Starter adds up quickly.
Visit LearnWorlds’s official site
Compare: Read our full LearnWorlds review
Mighty Networks
Who it fits: Hosts who want members, courses, events and paid memberships in one community app.
What it costs (checked October 25, 2026): Launch $79/mo (about $950/yr billed yearly). Scale $179/mo. Growth $354/mo. Mighty also takes a transaction fee on sales: 2% on Launch, 1% on Scale, 0.5% on Growth and Pro (October 23, 2026).
Honest downsides: Transaction fees on top of the plan. Course tools are lighter than a course-first platform.
Visit Mighty Networks’s official site
Circle
Who it fits: Creators and brands where the community is the product, with courses and paywalls added on.
What it costs (checked October 25, 2026): $89/mo, $199/mo or $419/mo, billed yearly. 14-day free trial. Circle says it offers a money-back guarantee.
Honest downsides: Pricier than Skool for a simple group.
Compare: Read our full Circle review
Skool
Who it fits: People who want a simple, fast community with courses and a built-in discovery page, and little setup.
What it costs (checked October 25, 2026): Hobby $9/mo with a 10% transaction fee. Pro $99/mo with a 2.9% transaction fee. 14-day free trial.
Honest downsides: Very little design control. The Hobby plan’s 10% fee is steep once you’re selling.
Compare: Read our full Skool review
Also worth knowing
- Free options like Google Classroom aren’t built for selling, so we mention them only in passing.
Side-by-side pages
The match-ups people search for most in this topic:
Sources
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