Hello there Sea Changers. Welcome back to my series of program lists to assist those of you looking to work with the online world with my 10 best online course development platforms to teach people some stuff with this year. And of course, as with anything to do with software, there are a lot of  platforms to choose from.

Hence, choosing which one is the best for your needs can be quite a daunting process. So to assist you here is a list of the 10 best online course development platforms that I have found. Let’s check them out.

Before we start however, let’s have a look at what I mean by the term ‘online course development platform’ and how it can assist you with your online endeavours.

What is an online course development platform?

An online course development platform is software that allows for the creation of web based training courses, coaching, videos, worksheets and so on. Many such platforms allow individuals and businesses to run simple online courses, effective marketing campaigns as well as sales and ongoing management of learners as well.

Most are designed with built-in security measures to keep data, presentations and users safe as well as handling a number of other important tasks that allow for effective marketing of products and services such as:

• Websites
• Email marketing
• Lead generation
• Sales Presentations
• Automated follow-ups
• Payment processing

What are the benefits?

In light of recent world events (you know, that pesky COVID thing), the use of online course creation software has exploded as many companies and individuals attempt to take their business processes online. What many have found however is that not only can they assist in getting their training out there, but also:

• Establish themselves as an authority in their field
• Help to reach a much larger audience than they might otherwise be able to
• Reach more customers at the one time rather than one on one in person
• Gives audiences the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback

Many online course creation platforms are highly customizable and allow marketers to stream video broadcasts live or create prerecorded videos for later playback. Content can also be edited for accuracy and timeliness. Some platforms also allow training files to be stored on a server so they can be accessed repeatedly.

10 best online course creation platforms

Ok, so keeping the above in mind, let’s now have a look at the 10 programs I have found and run through them by looking at:

• What they offer
• Features
• Pricing

And for those of you working within the affiliate marketing space I will highlight program details as well.

1. ClickFunnels

Clickfunnels is an extremely well-known digital product for those looking to incorporate sales funnels into their online courses. They have built their popularity on the back of Russel Brunson’s books and some solid funnel building software that offers full end to end functionality including:

• Fully interactive and functional funnel building software
• Customer recording and management
• Sales processing
• Analytics and sales
• Email lists and sequences

When it comes to online courses, ClickFunnels provides a ‘Membership’ section allowing for the creation of online courses. From here, users can:

• Create lessons and menus
• Add content ether directly onto the page or as a downloadable file
• Establish access credentials and requirements
• Manage payments and subscriptions

Pricing

Click Funnels offers a free trial option with ongoing pricing in two tiers is as follows:

Affiliate program

The Clickfunnels affiliate program pays 40% plus upsell commissions on all new products purchased (via their sticky cookies) with a number of entry options for new prospective members. Access is included with your Clickfunnels subscription.

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2. Kajabi

Kajabi is another program well known for the creation of online courses, coaching services and podcasts etc. with added ‘pipeline’ capabilities to manage sales and marketing as well. This includes the incorporation of:

• Online Courses
• Coaching
• Podcasts
• Memberships
• Communities

Within these functions, there is ability to create course and add content, videos and audio fiIes either embedded within the software or as a download. There is also the ability to manage progression and membership access as well. I use this program myself for my own training courses and have found the functionality extremely effective.

Pricing

After a free 14-day trial, Kajabi’s pricing options are as follows:

Affiliate program

“Kajabi Partners” are paid a 30% lifetime commission for each new member they refer. Application is via the website.

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3. Thinkific

With a mission to “revolutionize the way people learn and earn online by giving them the tools they need to turn their expertise into a sustainable business that impacts both them and their audience”, Thinkific offers a complete suite of online course creation options for users and developers of all levels including:

• Course builder
• Self paced and scheduled classes
• Live lessons
• Multimedia
• Phone apps
• Completion certifications

Additionally, they include functionality to allow users to manage the end to end processes of online course creation including:

• Website and landing page creators
• Sales and marketing
• Online interaction and engagement with learners

Pricing

Thinkific offers a free ‘test drive’ option with ongoing pricing as follows:

Affiliate program

The Thinkific affiliate program offers a 30% lifetime recurring commission on all monthly or annual paid

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4. teach:able

teach:able is an online platform allowing users to create and sell their own online courses and/or coaching services in whatever subject they choose. This includes:

• Domain linkage
• Course creator and editor
• Integration tools
• Sales and use tracking

As with most sites listed here, there are opportunities here across any number of niches as well as those assisting others to create their own courses.

Pricing

teach:able offers a limited function free version and then the following pricing options:

Affiliate program

The teach:able affiliate program pays a 30% commission per subscription signup. Application is via Commission Junction.

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5. Udemy

Udemy is an online training marketplace – meaning that freelance training developers can create and publish content for users to purchase and use. There are over 100,000 online courses containing multiple video lectures, online Q&A and some downloadable written content. Each course is purchased separately and is available permanently i.e. no need to repurchase after a certain time frame. Categories of courses available include (with some examples – there are plenty of others):

• Development – software, websites, apps.
• Business – strategy, finance, management
• IT and Software – hardware, software platforms
• Office Productivity – software
• Personal Development – productivity, self-esteem, leadership
• Design – web design, graphic design, clothing design
• Marketing – social media, strategic marketing, affiliate marketing
• Lifestyle – pets, sport, travel, arts and crafts
• Photography – types of photography, digital, film
• Health and Fitness – nutrition, general sports, yoga
• Music – promotion, software, techniques
• Teaching and Academic – maths, science, language

Pricing

Udemy is free to join with payments made on the courses that are viewed by the learner. For course developers, you simply kpoin the platform and follow the steps to upload your training.

Affiliate Program

The Udemy affiliate program is managed by Rakuten with commissions varying based on courses purchased by referees.

6. Podia

For those looking for everything in the one spot, Podia provides a full suite of products for the creation of online training content including a free website. In terms of other products, they offer the following features:

• Online courses
• Digital downloads
• Webinars & workshops
• Coaching & consultations
• Affiliate marketing
• Email marketing
• Embeds
• Integrations

This platform is a great one for those starting out and want to get everything set up without having to integrate from other areas as well.

Pricing

Podia offers a free version that gives limited access to basic features (with fees added to transactions). As things grow, the following pricing then applies:

Affiliate Program

The Podia affiliate program pays 30% recurring commission on sales generated – Application is via Impact.

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7. Learn Worlds

Aimed predominately at education and schools, Learn Worlds is another all encompassing online course and website builder. Its functionality is certainly impressive and able to meet the needs of education and corporate training development at all levels. This includes:

• Course creation tools incl. templates
• School and educational website creations
• Course marketing and sales
• Analytics and reporting
• Customisable user roles

This list really doesn’t do the site justice however there is certainly enough here for every online training need. There is also the ability to create and integrate a cell phone app as well.

Pricing

Learn Worlds does not offer a free trial however all subscription options do come with a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. Pricing options are as follows:

Affiliate Program

The Learn Worlds affiliate program offers a minimum 30% commission on all referral sales. Application is via the website.

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8. Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks is another feature rich online course creation site that “unlocks a new era of independent communities creating and mastering something interesting or important together”. Based on building something that everyone can gain from, it offers functionality that includes:

• Native Livestreaming & Video
• Chat & Messaging
• Events & Zoom Integration
• Paid Memberships
• Online Courses
• Live Cohort Course Creation
• Analytics & Member Data
• Zapier APIs & Workflows

And with and upgrade to their Mighty Pro feature, you can also get access to:

• Your Own App with Listings in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store
• Branded App Notifications
• Account Management and Strategy Support

This software would also work well in areas such as webinar creation and workplace communication as well.

Pricing

After a free trial option, Mighty Networks offers the following pricing:

Affiliate Program

Mighty Networks offers a 40% recurring commission on all sales. Application is via the website.

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9. LearnDash

LearnDash is a WordPress based course creation application available as a website and plugin. Promoting itself as “taking cutting edge elearning methodology and infusing it into WordPress” it is feature rich allowing for integration of online learning and courses directly into your website . Their features includes:

• Branded learning portals
• Advanced quizzing
• Drag and drop course builder
• Ability to manage content delivery processes
• Management of prerequisite requirements
• Notifications
• Discussion forums
• Point assignment and leaderboards
• Certificates etc.
• Sales and marketing
• Subscriptions
• Email, payment, CRM and project management integrations

To be honest, there really is everything needed here for online courses of all types and to suit all needs.

Pricing

As above, LearnDash is available via both website access and a plugin with pricing as follows:

Affiliate Program

LearnDash offers a 25% on all initial purchases – Application is via their Impact Radius.

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10. Xperiencify

And finally we finish up a site aiming to fix a major problem when it comes to online courses – completion. Xperiencify has identified that “only about 3% of people who purchase online courses ever complete them” and developed a trick to rectify this – games.

In short, with this platform, you are able to create online courses with added games and rewards included to entice learners to complete. This includes:

• Page builders
• Gamification options
  • Trigger points
  • Variable rewards
  • Urgency and FOMO
  • Social proof
  • Community
  • Celebrations
  • Personalisation
• Experience engines

Each course can be set up with gamification options relevant to the course and learner type to increase chances of completion.

Pricing

Xperiencify is offered free of charge as you set up your course, once it is ready to publish, pricing is as follows:

Affiliate Program

From what I can see, Xperiencify does not offer an affiliate program.

FAQ

Conclusion

So… There are 10 best online course development platforms to teach some stuff with this year. I hope it has been helpful for you and as usual, please do not hesitate to comment below if you have any questions, need some advice or have any experiences to share. Oh, and especially comment if you have any experience with these, or any other platforms as well.

Until next time

Have fun

Paul

Note: If you make a purchase from this page, there is a very good chance that I make a commission from it – these commissions do not increase your sale price. This may include sales made via wealthy affiliate or any of the online course development programs listed above.

Do you want further assistance with any of the above or need help to build your own online marketing website?

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