Why Sell Online Courses?

The digital education market is booming, with more learners than ever turning to online courses for skill development, career advancement, and personal growth. If you’re an expert in your field, creating and selling online courses can be a lucrative way to monetize your knowledge. But with so many platforms available, how do you choose the best one to sell your courses effectively?

From marketplaces like Udemy to self-hosted solutions like WordPress with LMS plugins, each platform offers unique features tailored to different needs. Whether you’re looking for a hands-off approach or complete control over branding and pricing, there’s a perfect platform for you. Let’s dive into the top platforms and websites for selling online courses.

Udemy: The Largest Marketplace for Online Courses

Udemy is one of the most well-known online learning marketplaces, hosting over 183,000 courses and serving more than 52 million students worldwide. Its massive user base means your course has the potential to reach a broad audience without extensive marketing efforts.

One of Udemy’s biggest advantages is its built-in traffic. The platform handles marketing, payment processing, and customer support, allowing instructors to focus solely on content creation. However, Udemy takes a significant revenue cut—instructors earn between 3% to 75% of sales, depending on whether students come through organic searches or instructor promotions.

Udemy also offers promotional tools like discounts and coupons, but pricing control is limited. Courses often sell for much less than their listed price due to frequent sales. If you’re looking for passive income with minimal marketing effort, Udemy is a solid choice. However, if brand control and higher profit margins are priorities, you may want to explore other options.

Teachable: Build and Brand Your Own Course Platform

Teachable is a powerful platform that allows creators to build and customize their own online course websites. Unlike Udemy, Teachable gives you full control over branding, pricing, and student data. You can create a seamless learning experience under your own domain name, making it ideal for entrepreneurs and businesses.

Teachable offers a user-friendly course builder with multimedia support, quizzes, and certificates. It also includes marketing tools like email integrations, affiliate programs, and upsell options. Pricing starts with a free plan (with transaction fees) and scales up to premium plans with advanced features.

One standout feature is Teachable’s payment flexibility—you can offer one-time payments, subscriptions, or payment plans. The platform also supports multiple instructors, making it great for teams. While you’ll need to drive your own traffic, Teachable provides the tools to build a sustainable online education business.

Thinkific: All-in-One Course Creation Solution

Thinkific is another robust platform for creating and selling online courses with complete customization. It’s designed for professionals who want a polished, branded learning experience without needing technical expertise. Thinkific’s drag-and-drop builder makes course creation simple, while its advanced features cater to scaling businesses.

Key features include membership sites, drip content scheduling, and built-in quizzes. Thinkific also supports integrations with email marketing tools, payment gateways, and analytics platforms. Unlike Udemy, Thinkific doesn’t take a revenue cut—you keep 100% of your earnings (minus payment processing fees).

Thinkific’s pricing ranges from a free plan (with limitations) to premium tiers offering advanced customization and automation. If you’re serious about building a long-term course business with full control, Thinkific is an excellent choice.

Skillshare: Subscription-Based Learning Community

Skillshare operates on a subscription model, where students pay a monthly fee to access all courses on the platform. Instructors earn royalties based on watch time and engagement rather than direct sales. This model can be advantageous if your course attracts consistent viewers.

Skillshare focuses on creative and lifestyle topics, making it ideal for designers, writers, and artists. The platform provides a built-in audience, but instructors have less control over pricing and branding. Payments are made through a royalty pool system, meaning earnings fluctuate based on overall platform performance.

If you’re looking for exposure and passive income without managing sales, Skillshare is worth considering. However, if you prefer direct sales and higher revenue potential, other platforms may be more suitable.

Kajabi: Beyond Courses – A Complete Business Platform

Kajabi is more than just a course platform—it’s an all-in-one business solution for online entrepreneurs. Alongside course creation, Kajabi offers website building, email marketing, sales funnels, and membership sites. It’s designed for creators who want to manage their entire business from one platform.

Kajabi’s course builder supports multimedia content, assessments, and drip scheduling. Its marketing tools include automated email sequences, landing pages, and analytics. While Kajabi is pricier than other options, its comprehensive features justify the cost for serious business owners.

If you’re looking to scale beyond courses into coaching, memberships, or digital products, Kajabi provides the infrastructure to do so seamlessly.

Podia: Sell Courses, Memberships, and Digital Products

Podia is a versatile platform that lets you sell not just courses but also memberships, digital downloads, and coaching services. Its simplicity and affordability make it a favorite among solopreneurs and small businesses.

Podia’s standout feature is its zero-transaction-fee policy—you keep all revenue minus payment processor fees. The platform includes email marketing, live chat support, and community-building tools. While it lacks some advanced customization options, its ease of use and all-in-one approach are major advantages.

If you want a straightforward, budget-friendly solution to sell courses and other digital products, Podia is a strong contender.

LearnWorlds: Interactive and Engaging Course Experiences

LearnWorlds focuses on creating interactive and engaging learning experiences. It offers features like video interactivity (quizzes within videos), certificates, and a built-in social community for students. The platform also includes a customizable website builder and white-label options.

LearnWorlds is ideal for instructors who prioritize student engagement and professional branding. Its pricing is competitive, with plans scaling based on features and student volume. If you want to deliver a premium learning experience with advanced interactivity, LearnWorlds is an excellent choice.

Self-Hosted Solutions: WordPress and LMS Plugins

For those who want complete control, self-hosted solutions like WordPress with LMS (Learning Management System) plugins offer maximum flexibility. Plugins like LearnDash, LifterLMS, and Tutor LMS allow you to build a fully customized course platform on your own website.

Self-hosting requires more technical setup and maintenance, but it provides unlimited customization, no revenue sharing, and full ownership of data. You’ll need to handle hosting, security, and marketing independently, making this option better suited for tech-savvy creators or businesses with development resources.

Choosing the Right Platform for Your Needs

Selecting the best platform depends on your goals, budget, and technical expertise. If you want a hands-off approach with built-in traffic, marketplaces like Udemy or Skillshare are ideal. For branding and control, Teachable, Thinkific, or LearnWorlds offer great solutions. If you need an all-in-one business platform, Kajabi or Podia may be the best fit.

Consider factors like pricing, revenue share, customization, and marketing tools before making a decision. Many platforms offer free trials, so test a few to see which aligns best with your vision.

Conclusion

Selling online courses is a rewarding way to share your expertise and generate income. Whether you choose a marketplace, a hosted platform, or a self-hosted solution, each option has unique benefits tailored to different needs. By understanding the strengths of each platform, you can make an informed decision and build a successful online course business.

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