#5 best platforms to sell online courses

Are you an edupreneur, coach, influencer, or other niche expert looking for a way to monetize your knowledge? Building and selling courses online is a great option, but how do you find the right course-building software? Don't worry - we've got you covered. In this article, we'll show you the best platforms to sell courses online so you can start making money from your expertise.

1. Udemy

Udemy is an online learning platform that offers top-notch support to its instructors, providing them with the tools necessary to create and sell courses. With an impressive instructor base of over 35,000, Udemy has become a premier destination for anyone looking to expand their knowledge.

The platform also provides a TeachHub to help those who are looking to start their own course. If you’re not sure whether your video tutorials are up to par, you can submit them for review. This way, Udemy can provide guidance and help you overcome any obstacles in the beginning.

Udemy is free for instructors – the company makes its money by taking 50% of the sales. If you make the sale, you’ll receive 97% (Udemy takes a 3% transaction fee). However, be aware that you must price your courses in $5 increments between $20 and $200. Despite this restriction, ThinkTraffic reports that some instructors have had great success with Udemy.

2. Skillshare

Are you an entrepreneur, designer, writer, photographer, or blogger looking to share your craft online? Skillshare is one of the best platforms to do so! It has an abundance of courses ranging from popular topics such as marketing and photography to more niche ones like hand painting and wall hanging.

For students, a membership plan is available which grants them access to the 35,000+ premium courses. If you're a creator, it's free to sign up and publish your course. However, if you want to make money with your class it must be part of Skillshare's premium catalog.

Skillshare classes consist of three main parts: video lessons, a project, and community discussion. Video lessons range from 20-60 minutes and are broken down into short 2-5 minute segments. The practical project is designed to give students hands-on experience with the material. For instance, a social media class might require students to promote their Instagram account or a writing class may ask them to draft a pitch. The community portion of the course allows students to post their work and receive feedback from their peers.

Rather than focusing on final outcomes, Skillshare encourages students to share their progress and make improvements based on the feedback they receive - ideal for teaching creative topics!

Skillshare Price: Free for creating a premium class. As for instructors, Skillshare pays $10 for premium membership referrals and royalties for minutes watched in a premium class each month.

3. Teachable

Teachable is an excellent platform to create and sell courses online, much like Thinkific though with some key differences. It offers a range of content types, the ability to drip course content, create certifications and uphold compliance. Plus, the course player is well-designed for a great student experience.

Where Teachable really excels is its sales & marketing features - coupons, 1-step checkout, 1-click upsells & EU VAT handling. It also takes care of accounting & taxes so you don't have to.

Pricing plans don't include a free option, but a 14-day trial of their Professional plan is available with unlimited courses and no transaction fee.

4. Kajabi

Kajabi markets itself as the all-in-one platform to market, sell and deliver digital products like courses, memberships, training portals, and file downloads. For those with a website and marketing tools already in place, this may be excessive. But for those who don't have those things, the platform could be just the solution they need. Kajabi has implemented a lot of new features in recent years, like a full e-mail marketing system and the ability to schedule coaching sessions. The web page builder was drastically improved two years ago, allowing users to create impressive websites and courses. Most recently, Kajabi released Kajabi Email with a powerful visual editor for creating beautiful emails quickly. Both of these features come with every plan. A thirty-day free trial is available, then plans start at $149/month ($119 if paid annually).

5. Podia

Podia helps you get your digital content on the web. It comes with a pre-set template for your store, which includes an overview, a "What's included" section, a content section, FAQs, and creator bios. Each course, membership, and download has its own page.

You can launch a course now or collect emails first. If you have supplementary resources like cheat sheets, eBooks, videos, audio, text, or checklists, you can either offer them as downloads or bundle them with your course.

Rather than relying on social media to build your community, Podia is a great way to create your own private membership site. You can set different plans, rewards, and content for members. Plus, you can show updates and promote new products to keep your business moving forward.

- Final thoughts: When shopping for online course software, "try before you buy" is essential. Experimentation is the only way to identify your perfect fit. Over time, you'll learn which features and curriculum elements are essential and which can be discarded.

It's not always necessary to invest in the most popular option with the best Capterra rating. Consider the downsides, such as difficulty getting help from a real person. However, it pays off in the long run to try out new software - your goal is to find one you'll use for years.