10 Best Online Course Platforms of 2026

This ranking is for coaches, educators and creators who want to sell courses from their own site rather than a marketplace. We compared documented features and published prices for ten platforms, with every price copied from the vendor's own pricing page or plan documentation in US dollars on November 4, 2026. Platform fees are only half of the cost: check the transaction fee on each plan, because a cheap plan with a 5% to 10% cut can cost more than a pricier plan once you sell regularly.

1. 01Top value

   

   Systeme.io

   8.8/10

   An all-in-one marketing platform that bundles courses, sales funnels, email marketing and a website builder.

   Price

   $17per month

   Free plan; Startup $17 per month, Webinar $47, Unlimited $97

   “Startup ($17/month): 5,000 contacts, 10 sales funnels, 5 courses.” Quoted from the pricing page, November 4, 2026.

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   9.6

   Features (35%)

   8.4

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.2

   Best forNew creators who want to sell a first course and build an email list without paying anything up front.

   Systeme.io is the cheapest serious way to sell a course. The free plan supports 2,000 contacts, three sales funnels, one course, one blog, one affiliate program and a custom domain, with unlimited email sends, and it never expires or asks for a card. Limits are low in places, such as one automation rule and 500 students, but they are enough to launch and validate a first course. Startup costs $17 a month and raises the ceiling to 5,000 contacts, ten funnels and five courses, Webinar at $47 adds evergreen webinars and 20 courses, and Unlimited at $97 removes the caps. Every plan has 0% transaction fees and unlimited sub-accounts. The trade-off is depth: the course area is functional rather than polished, and serious course businesses may miss the student apps and assessment tools that Teachable or Thinkific offer. As a starting point that bundles email and funnels, nothing here beats it on price.

   • ✓Free plan never expires and needs no credit card
   • ✓No transaction fees at any tier
   • ✓Replaces separate funnel and email tools

   • ✕Free plan allows 1 course and 500 students
   • ✕Course player is simpler than course-first platforms
   • ✕Contact limits drive upgrades as your list grows

   Free plan:

   Yes, 2,000 contacts, 3 funnels, 1 course

   Startup:

   $17 per month, 5,000 contacts, 5 courses

   Webinar:

   $47 per month, 20 courses

   Unlimited:

   $97 per month

   Transaction fees:

   0% on all plans

   Bottom line: The best value in this ranking, with a usable free plan and no transaction fees. Course-first platforms offer a more polished student experience.

   Visit systeme.io ↗

2. 02

   

   Teachable

   8.6/10

   A course-first platform for selling courses, coaching and digital downloads with student mobile apps.

   Price

   $29per month

   Starter $29 per month billed annually ($39 monthly); Builder $69 annually removes transaction fees

   “Starter Basic tools for getting your business started $39 $29 /mo Billed annually Save $120” Quoted from the pricing page, November 4, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Free trial

   7 days

   Value (40%)

   8.2

   Features (35%)

   8.8

   Ease of use (25%)

   9.0

   Best forCreators whose main product is courses and who want student apps, upsells and global tax handling.

   Teachable is the best pure course platform in this ranking for most sellers. Starter costs $29 a month billed annually or $39 monthly and covers five products, AI course creation tools, iOS and Android student apps, global payments and tax handling, upsells and cart recovery. The catch on Starter is a 7.5% transaction fee, which on $1,000 of monthly sales costs $75, more than the plan itself. Builder at $69 a month annually removes the fee, lifts the limit to ten products and adds an affiliate program and real-time support, so most creators with regular sales should start there. Growth at $139 adds certificates, branding removal and 50 products. Bundles and unpublished drafts do not count toward product limits. There is no free plan, but there is a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. For a course business that values a polished student experience, it is worth the premium over Systeme.io.

   • ✓Course-focused tools and a clean student experience
   • ✓Student apps included from the Starter plan
   • ✓7-day free trial and 30-day guarantee

   • ✕Starter charges a 7.5% transaction fee
   • ✕Starter allows only 5 products
   • ✕No free plan

   Starter:

   $29 per month annually, $39 monthly, 5 products

   Starter transaction fee:

   7.5%

   Builder:

   $69 per month annually, 10 products, 0% fee

   Growth:

   $139 per month annually, 50 products

   Free trial:

   7 days

   Bottom line: The strongest course-first platform for the price. Move to Builder once sales make the 7.5% fee on Starter expensive.

   Visit teachable.com ↗

3. 03

   

   Heights Platform

   8.3/10

   A course and community platform with zero platform transaction fees and an AI assistant on every plan.

   Price

   $19per month

   Challenge plan from $19 per month billed annually ($29 monthly); Basic from $39 annually

   “Challenge Get started and grow by creating challenges for your audience $ 29 19 /month” Quoted from the pricing page, November 4, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Free trial

   30 days

   Value (40%)

   8.6

   Features (35%)

   8.0

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.2

   Best forSmall creators who want a low-cost course site with no platform fees on sales.

   Heights Platform is a lesser-known course and community builder that competes on price and fees. Its cheapest plan, Challenge, costs $19 a month on annual billing or $29 monthly, but it is built for a single challenge course with up to 100 active students and email to 1,000 contacts. Most course sellers will want Basic at $39 a month annually, which unlocks unlimited courses and challenges, unlimited community channels and up to 5,000 active students. All plans collect payments with zero platform fees, include unlimited video hosting, gamification badges, completion certificates, learner analytics, live lessons and the Heights AI assistant. Heights says it does not set hard student limits, so a busy month will not force an immediate upgrade. There is a 30-day free trial without a card, and Pro annual buyers get free content migration. The ecosystem is smaller than Teachable's or Kajabi's, so check integrations first.

   • ✓No platform transaction fees on any plan
   • ✓30-day free trial without a credit card
   • ✓No hard student limits that force a mid-month upgrade

   • ✕Challenge plan is limited to 1 challenge course
   • ✕Full course catalog needs Basic at $39 a month annually
   • ✕Smaller ecosystem of integrations than market leaders

   Challenge:

   $19 per month annually, $29 monthly, 1 challenge course

   Basic:

   $39 per month annually, unlimited courses, 5,000 active students

   Transaction fees:

   0 platform fees

   Free trial:

   30 days, no credit card

   Bottom line: Low prices and no platform fees make it a strong budget course host. Plan on Basic rather than Challenge if you sell more than one course.

   Visit heightsplatform.com ↗

4. 04

   

   Skool

   8.3/10

   A community platform that combines a discussion feed, courses, live calls and gamification in one simple group.

   Price

   $9per month

   Hobby $9 per month with a 10% transaction fee; Pro $99 per month with 2.9%

   “Hobby $9/month Unlimited members Unlimited courses Unlimited videos Unlimited live calls 10% transaction fee” Quoted from the pricing page, November 4, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Value (40%)

   8.4

   Features (35%)

   7.6

   Ease of use (25%)

   9.3

   Best forCreators who sell membership communities with courses inside, and want the lowest monthly fee.

   Skool has the simplest price sheet here: Hobby at $9 a month and Pro at $99, with two months free on yearly billing. Both plans include unlimited members, courses, videos and live calls, a custom URL and an affiliate program. The difference is the transaction fee, 10% on Hobby and 2.9% on Pro. That makes Hobby the cheapest way to start a paid community with courses, but the fee grows with your success: at $900 a month in sales the 10% cut equals the price of Pro, so switch then. Skool is built around a single community feed with a classroom tab, which keeps things easy for members but gives you little control over layout or branding compared with Kajabi or Teachable. It is a community tool that does courses well enough, not a course platform with a community bolted on.

   • ✓$9 a month is the cheapest paid plan here
   • ✓No caps on members, courses or videos
   • ✓Very simple setup

   • ✕Hobby takes a 10% transaction fee
   • ✕Limited design control over the course area
   • ✕Pro jumps to $99 a month

   Hobby:

   $9 per month, 10% transaction fee

   Pro:

   $99 per month, 2.9% transaction fee

   Limits:

   Unlimited members, courses, videos and live calls

   Annual billing:

   2 months free

   Bottom line: The cheapest entry point for a paid community with courses. Move to Pro before the 10% fee overtakes $99 a month.

   Visit skool.com ↗

5. 05

   

   Podia

   8.2/10

   A creator storefront for courses, digital downloads, coaching, community and email in one plan.

   Price

   $42per month

   Mover $42 per month billed annually ($504 per year); Shaker $84 removes transaction fees

   “Mover Just getting started $42 /mo $504 billed annually” Quoted from the pricing page, November 4, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Free trial

   14 days

   Value (40%)

   7.6

   Features (35%)

   8.2

   Ease of use (25%)

   9.0

   Best forCreators selling a mix of courses, downloads and coaching who want one simple storefront.

   Podia is the easiest way here to sell several kinds of digital product from one storefront. Every plan includes courses, digital downloads, coaching, community, live and in-person events, a website and blog, custom domain, landing pages, AI tools, sales tax handling for 230 countries and more than 20 currencies. Mover costs $42 a month billed annually, or $504 a year, with 50 products, 500 videos, 25 community spaces and email for up to 100 subscribers, plus a 5% transaction fee. Shaker at $84 a month removes the fee and raises limits to 150 products and 500 subscribers, and adds affiliate marketing, upsells, PayPal and Zapier. The 14-day trial needs no card. Value is the weak point: Mover's 100-subscriber email cap and 5% fee make it more expensive than it looks, and refunds are only available within 72 hours of a payment.

   • ✓Very easy to set up a storefront
   • ✓Sells many product types beyond courses
   • ✓14-day free trial without a card

   • ✕Mover takes a 5% transaction fee
   • ✕Mover email is capped at 100 subscribers
   • ✕No free plan

   Mover:

   $42 per month annually, 5% fees, 50 products

   Shaker:

   $84 per month annually, no fees, 150 products

   Earthquaker:

   $150 per month annually, unlimited products

   Free trial:

   14 days

   Creators:

   15,000+, per the vendor

   Bottom line: A simple, well-rounded storefront for mixed digital products. Shaker is the real starting plan once you have regular sales.

   Visit podia.com ↗

6. 06

   

   Thinkific

   8.2/10

   A course-first platform with live cohorts, assessments, memberships and an optional branded mobile app.

   Price

   $82per month

   Start $82 per month billed annually ($978 a year) or $109 monthly; 30-day free trial

   “Start $888 USD/yr ($74 USD/mo) $978 USD/yr ($82 USD/mo)” Quoted from the pricing page, November 4, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Free trial

   30 days

   Value (40%)

   7.4

   Features (35%)

   8.9

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.4

   Best forEducators and training businesses that need assessments, cohorts and certificates in a dedicated course platform.

   Thinkific is Teachable's closest rival as a dedicated course platform, with a stronger lean toward structured learning. The Start plan includes unlimited courses, video lessons and student discussions, live cohorts with unlimited Zoom sessions and bookable calendars, quizzes, graded assignments and branded certificates, bundles, upsells and payment plans, memberships and a custom domain. Thinkific raised prices by about 10% from August 13, 2026, and its plan pricing article now lists Start at $978 a year, about $82 a month, or $109 on monthly billing. Grow costs $164 a month billed annually and adds branding removal, bulk enrollment, B2B invoicing, API access and phone support. A branded mobile app costs $199 a month unless it is included in a Plus plan. There is no free plan, but the 30-day free trial covers the whole platform, including the AI tools. Its value score reflects an entry price close to three times Teachable Starter.

   • ✓Strong assessment and certificate tools
   • ✓30-day free trial of the full platform
   • ✓Unlimited courses on the entry plan

   • ✕No free plan
   • ✕Branded mobile app costs $199 a month outside Plus plans
   • ✕Prices rose about 10% in August 2026

   Start:

   $82 per month billed annually ($978 a year), $109 monthly

   Grow:

   $164 per month billed annually, $219 monthly

   Free plan:

   No

   Free trial:

   30 days

   Branded mobile app:

   $199 per month add-on

   Bottom line: A strong choice for structured courses with assessments and cohorts. At $82 a month billed annually it costs far more to start than Teachable or Systeme.io.

   Visit thinkific.com ↗

7. 07

   

   Kajabi

   8.0/10

   An all-in-one creator business platform with courses, website, email marketing, funnels, community and payments.

   Price

   $143per month

   Basic $143 per month billed annually ($179 monthly)

   “$143 $179 /mo * Billed annually ($179/mo)” Quoted from the pricing page, November 4, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Free trial

   14 days

   Value (40%)

   6.4

   Features (35%)

   9.4

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.4

   Best forEstablished creators with steady revenue who want one system for courses, marketing and payments.

   Kajabi is the most complete creator business suite here, and the most expensive to start. Basic costs $143 a month billed annually or $179 monthly, and covers five products, 2,500 contacts, one website, one community and two admin users, with unlimited marketing emails, landing pages and funnels. Kajabi says it takes no revenue share, and its own Kajabi Payments charges US card rates of 2.9% plus $0.30 on Basic, falling to 2.7% on Pro. Using a third-party payment provider adds a Kajabi fee of 2% on Basic, 1% on Growth and 0.5% on Pro. Growth at $199 a month annually raises the limits to 50 products and 25,000 contacts, and Pro at $399 removes the product cap. Every plan has a 14-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. For a creator earning thousands a month, replacing separate email, funnel and course tools with one bill can make sense. For anyone starting out, the price is hard to justify against Systeme.io or Teachable.

   • ✓Most complete business toolkit in this ranking
   • ✓No revenue sharing on any plan
   • ✓14-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee

   • ✕$143 a month is the highest entry price here
   • ✕Basic allows 5 products and 2,500 contacts
   • ✕Third-party payment providers carry an extra 0.5% to 2% fee

   Basic:

   $143 per month annually, $179 monthly

   Basic limits:

   5 products, 2,500 contacts, 1 website, 2 admins

   Growth:

   $199 per month annually, 50 products, 25,000 contacts

   Pro:

   $399 per month annually, unlimited products

   Refund window:

   30 days

   Bottom line: The most capable all-in-one platform in this ranking. Its $143 entry price makes it a tool for creators who already sell well.

   Visit kajabi.com ↗

8. 08

   

   Circle

   7.9/10

   A community platform for creators and brands with courses, live events, payments and mobile apps.

   Price

   $89per month

   Professional $89 per month billed annually; Business $199

   “Professional $89 /mo* The essentials to launch and run your digital business.” Quoted from the pricing page, November 4, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Free trial

   14 days

   Value (40%)

   6.9

   Features (35%)

   8.9

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.2

   Best forCreators and brands running a paid community with courses who want native apps and a professional feel.

   Circle is the most polished community platform in this ranking, and its courses are good enough that many creators run their whole business on it. Professional costs $89 a month billed annually and includes unlimited members, community spaces, courses, live events, a website, member directory, rich profiles, reporting, payments, gamification, a custom domain and iOS, Android and desktop apps, plus 2,500 Circle AI credits a month. Sales carry a 2% transaction fee on Professional. Business at $199 a month adds workflows, custom profile fields, APIs and MCP, activity scores, branded email notifications and removes Circle branding, and drops the fee to 1%. The 14-day free trial needs no card. Circle earns its features score, but for a value-first buyer it is expensive next to Skool or Systeme.io, and the prices shown are annual rates, so monthly billing costs more.

   • ✓Unlimited members on every plan
   • ✓Mobile and desktop apps included
   • ✓14-day free trial without a card

   • ✕2% transaction fee on Professional
   • ✕Workflows and branding removal need the $199 Business plan
   • ✕Headline prices assume annual billing

   Professional:

   $89 per month billed annually

   Business:

   $199 per month billed annually

   Scale:

   $419 per month billed annually

   Transaction fee:

   2% on Professional, 1% on Business and Scale

   Free trial:

   14 days

   Bottom line: A premium community platform with apps and solid courses. Strong features, but the price is hard to justify for a small first course.

   Visit circle.so ↗

9. 09

   

   Mighty Networks

   7.8/10

   A community platform with courses, events and an AI Cohost, with branded apps on its top tier.

   Price

   $79per month

   Launch $79 per month billed monthly, or $950 per year

   “Launch Plan $79 per month Launch a thriving community for impact, cost savings, or ~$500/month in earnings.” Quoted from the pricing page, November 4, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Value (40%)

   7.0

   Features (35%)

   8.6

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.0

   Best forCreators building a paid community where courses and events are part of the membership.

   Mighty Networks is a community platform first, with courses and events woven into the member experience. Launch costs $79 a month on monthly billing, or $950 a year with two months free, and includes the community, courses, AI Cohost and basic automations. Mighty pitches Launch at communities earning around $500 a month. Scale at $179 adds more automations, APIs and MCP access and third-party integrations, and Growth at $354 adds advanced automations, growth expert sessions, priority support and migration services. Fully branded apps sit on Mighty Pro with custom pricing. The appeal is a polished, all-in-one member space where courses sit next to discussions and events. The drawback for a value-focused buyer is the entry price: Skool offers unlimited members and courses for $9, and Circle's Professional plan with apps and payments starts at $89 billed annually. Launch also takes a 2% transaction fee, falling to 1% on Scale, and integrations such as Zapier are locked to Scale.

   • ✓Courses and community share one member experience
   • ✓AI Cohost helps plan and run the community
   • ✓Free trial available

   • ✕$79 a month is high for a first community
   • ✕Launch takes a 2% transaction fee
   • ✕Integrations and APIs require the $179 Scale plan

   Launch:

   $79 per month, or $950 per year

   Scale:

   $179 per month

   Growth:

   $354 per month

   Annual billing:

   2 months free

   Transaction fees:

   2% on Launch, 1% on Scale, 0.5% on Growth

   Bottom line: A polished community-plus-courses platform with useful AI tools. The $79 entry price and gated integrations hurt its value score.

   Visit mightynetworks.com ↗

10. 10

    

    Ruzuku

    7.8/10

    A straightforward course platform with a free plan for small cohorts and zero transaction fees.

    Price

    $83per month

    Free for up to 5 students; Core $99 per month or $997 per year (about $83 a month)

    “$ 99 /mo Or $ 997 /year, about $ 83 a month” Quoted from the pricing page, November 4, 2026.

    Free plan

    Yes

    Value (40%)

    7.6

    Features (35%)

    7.4

    Ease of use (25%)

    8.8

    Best forTeachers running small live or cohort courses who want simple tools and no platform fees.

    Ruzuku keeps course hosting simple and charges no transaction fees. The free plan allows up to five student enrollments at a time with unlimited courses, unlimited video hosting up to 2 GB per file, live meetings, a discussion community, sales pages and payments, which is enough to run a small pilot cohort. Core removes the student cap for $99 a month or $997 a year, about $83 a month, and adds unlimited course invitations. Pro at $199 a month adds white-label branding, a custom domain, multiple instructors, certificates, a storefront, digital product sales and AI transcription. For small live cohorts the built-in meetings and discussions are handy. The problem is price: Core costs nearly three times Teachable Starter and more than Podia Mover, and you still need Pro for your own domain. Ruzuku makes the most sense for teachers who value simplicity and can fill a cohort at a good price.

    • ✓Free plan for up to 5 students at a time
    • ✓Zero transaction fees
    • ✓Built-in live meetings for cohort courses

    • ✕Core is expensive at $99 a month
    • ✕Custom domain and branding need the $199 Pro plan
    • ✕Fewer marketing tools than all-in-one rivals

    Free plan:

    Yes, up to 5 student enrollments at a time

    Core:

    $99 per month or $997 per year

    Pro:

    $199 per month or $1,997 per year

    Transaction fees:

    Zero

    Bottom line: A free plan for small pilots and no transaction fees. The paid plans are pricey for what they include.

    Visit ruzuku.com ↗

Questions or corrections: editorial@rankozo.comSee our disclosure. Prices change; confirm on the vendor page before buying.