Top 4 Platforms to Create and Sell Online Coaching Courses in 2021

Let me guess…

You’re looking to start or scale your coaching business, but you’re completely overwhelmed with how many platforms there are to create, host, market, and sell your online courses.

I feel you because I’ve been there: Scouring the internet for hours (sometimes days), posting in FB groups for recommendations, and signing up for endless amounts of free trials. It’s exhausting. 

But I’m going to let you in on a little secret: The e-learning and online course market is expected to reach $325 billion by 2025 (yes, billion with a B). 

This means there’s never been a better time to turn your expertise into a course filled with golden nuggets of genius your community will come running to. 

And choosing which platform to use is a huge piece of the course creation puzzle. But I don’t want you wasting precious hours searching for which one you should invest your hard-earned money in, while you could spend your time and energy on developing your lesson plans. 

So, today I’m breaking down the top four online course platforms so you can quickly (and easily) determine which one best fits your needs. 

Put your checklist of must-haves together because we’re diving into the good, bad and ugly! 

1. Thinkific

Cost: Free – $499/month 

With 50,000 course creators and $650 million in revenue earned, Thinkific prides itself on revolutionizing how people transform their expertise into a sustainable business. 

As an all-in-one platform built to create and host your course, Thinkific has a set of user-friendly features even the most novice of entrepreneurs can navigate (I see you!). So if you’re new to course creation or don’t have time to tinker with the technical side of some platforms, then this could be a game-changing option for you. 

Some of their best features include drag and drop capabilities, membership site integration, 24/7 customer support, and endless customization options. The site also offers advanced pricing options, landing pages, certificates, and marketing tools. And the best part? You can easily integrate Thinkific with over 1,500 apps by using Zapier. That’s a huge win! 

Pros: 

• No coding experience required—you can easily customize colors, fonts, and design to match your brand 
• Thinkific’s student interface is easy to navigate 
• It has flexible student pricing options with paid memberships 

Cons: 

• The affiliate link functionality isn’t very robust or easy to use 
• They don’t offer customer support via live chat–you have to email them
• It can be costly for beginners if you don’t use their free option 

2. Kartra

Cost: $99 – $499/month

Say goodbye to your need for a membership platform, domain hosting provider, sales analytic integration, email host provider, email marketing platform, and checkout platform. WHEW—that was a lot! 

While Kartra is one of the newest course creation platforms on the block, it considers itself a full-service ecosystem that eliminates errors caused by plugging multiple platforms together. It allows you to turn on an array of automations based on your recipients’ behaviors, such as watching a video or opening an email. The platform will then automatically send follow-up messages, assign tags, subscribe and unsubscribe to lists, add to marketing sequences, and much more.

Since Kartra has many advanced marketing and automation features, it is best for someone experienced in using tech-focused software programs. 

Pros: 

• All-in-one solution to run your business—no need for other integrations
• Low-cost membership if you transition all of your current platforms to the site
• Easy to target your audience’s interests and give each student a customized experience

Cons: 

• Limited templates compared to other sites 
• While they offer 24/7 support, it can take days to get a response
• Kartra’s website builder doesn’t have as many customizable features

3. Teachable

Cost: $29 – $249/month

If you’re a brand new course creator, Teachable may be the perfect platform for you! They focus on easy-to-use features allowing you to customize your course without worrying about the backend headaches. You’re able to effortlessly upload unlimited content, edit your course style, and engage students without the need for additional web hosting. 

Teachable also prides itself on creating more money solutions (who doesn’t like the sound of that) than any other course platform. It offers coupons and advanced pricing options, including subscriptions, memberships, one-time payments, and bundles. And with a robust affiliate marketing program, you can quickly spread the word about your business. 

Pros: 

• You can upload and launch your course within hours due to its easy navigation and workflows
• Teachable allows you not just to sell courses, but workshops, e-books, and even conference tickets
• The platform provides users with unlimited video bandwidth, courses, coaching services, and student on paid plans

Cons: 

• Sales pages and upsells can be tedious to create due to limited capabilities 
• You can’t automate or personalize emails to your students, so you’d have to use a different software 
• Teachable doesn’t have a central communication feature for students to talk to each other during the course

4. Kajabi 

Cost: $119 – $319/month

With gorgeous course site themes, email marketing automations, upsells and digital products, and a customizable checkout, Kajabi (disclaimer: this is an affiliate link, and I truly appreciate anyone who uses it) can be an entrepreneur’s dream platform. It’s perfect if you don’t have a website or an email marketing provider OR if you prefer to let what you do have go in favor of an all-in-one platform.  

Compared to other course platforms, Kajabi is one of the most powerful tools for creators because it allows you to create a website, host your course, promote the content and collect membership payments, send professionally-branded emails, and much more. After testing numerous course creation platforms, Kajabi has become my personal favorite and what I use to host all my courses and more. 

Pros: 

• Kajabi is truly an all-in-one platform—you don’t need any other services to upload your course content, market, and sell it 
• It has limitless customization options that are easy to navigate 
• The platform can host a range of content, including audios, videos, and text 

Cons: 

• Its basic plan is one of the most expensive compared to other platforms 
• Kajabi does not integrate live video conferencing into its lessons 
• Their automation tools aren’t as intuitive or advanced as other marketing platforms

There you have it—instead of searching the internet for hours on end or signing up for 10+ free trials (that flood your inbox), you can take a deeper dive into these four popular and proven course platforms.

When it comes to picking a platform, here’s my best advice: Instead of focusing on all the bells and whistles you don’t necessarily need, base your choice on the functions that will best serve you and your students. You can always upgrade your plan as you generate more revenue and turn your coaching business into a money-making empire.

Once you’ve picked the platform best suited for your needs, it’s time to create your course! If you’re not sure where to start, I have you covered. Download my FREE How To Create a Profitable Passive Product guide, where I’ll show you how to create an evergreen course that sells on autopilot.