Quick answer: Our top pick is Thinkific, followed by Teachable and LearnWorlds. Entry prices start near $29/mo. All 5 are compared below on price, strengths and the key trade-off of each, so you can match one to your needs.
Below are the options that actually earn their monthly fee. This guide rounds up the 5 tools we'd actually recommend for ms, with what each does best, what it costs, and who should pick it.
We weighted picks on output quality, value for money, learning curve and how well each tool fits the specific workflow in this guide. Pricing is summarised from public plans at the time of writing.
Free for instructors to publish; Udemy takes a large share of marketplace sales (instructor keeps ~37% on organic sales, more on instructor-driven coupon sales). Learners pay per course (often discounted to ~$10-20).
No free plan; Kickstarter from ~$89/mo, Basic from ~$149/mo, Growth and Pro tiers higher (annual billing discounts).
Established creators and coaches
The picks, ranked
1. Thinkific online course platform
Course creation platform with no transaction fees on paid plans, strong course-building tools and an app marketplace. Best suited to teams that care most about course-first creators.
Why it's on this list: Course-first platform with no platform transaction fees and unlimited courses from the cheapest paid tier. Made for course-focused creators who want to scale a catalog without per-sale platform cuts.
Standout features:
Certificates and assessments
Memberships and bundles
Standout strength: 0% platform transaction fees on every plan in primary markets like the US.
Worth knowing: The permanent free plan was discontinued; new users get a 30-day trial of Basic/Start/Grow.
Pricing: Free plan (1 course); Basic from ~$36/mo, Start/Grow tiers higher, Plus is custom enterprise pricing (billed annually for best rate).
Beginner-friendly course platform to create, host and sell courses, coaching and digital downloads with built-in checkout and student management. It stands out for beginners launching a first course without a heavy setup cost.
Why it's on this list: One of the easiest on-ramps for a first paid course, but the cheap tier's 7.5% cut punishes you until you upgrade. Aimed squarely at beginners and solo creators launching their first course, coaching offer or digital download.
Standout features:
Built-in affiliate program for your own courses
AI tools for course outlining
Standout strength: Very beginner-friendly setup.
Worth knowing: Starter plan keeps a 7.5% transaction fee; Builder/Growth/Custom are 0% when using teachable:pay or the monthly payment gateway.
Pricing: Free plan (high transaction fees); Basic from ~$39/mo, Pro from ~$89/mo, Pro+ and Business tiers higher (billed annually for best rate).
Interactive course platform with built-in assessments, certificates, interactive video and a white-label mobile app option, strong for course-selling businesses. A strong default when interactive and assessment-heavy courses is the priority.
Why it's on this list: The platform of choice when interactive video, assessments and a branded mobile app matter more than simplicity. Built for training businesses and academies running assessment-heavy or interactive-video courses.
Standout features:
SSO and API on higher plans
Interactive video (in-video quizzes, chapters, hotspots)
Standout strength: Best-in-class interactive video and assessment tooling.
Worth knowing: Starter plan adds a flat $5 fee on every course enrollment; break-even vs Pro Trainer is roughly 14 enrollments/month.
Pricing: No permanent free plan (trial); Starter from ~$29/mo (+ per-sale fee), Pro Trainer from ~$99/mo, Learning Center and high-volume tiers higher.
Massive open course marketplace with built-in audience and discovery, where instructors publish courses to a global learner base. A strong default when reaching a built-in audience is the priority.
Why it's on this list: Trades margin for reach: publish free to a global audience, but Udemy keeps the majority on organic sales. Aimed squarely at instructors prioritizing volume and a built-in audience over per-sale margin or brand control.
Standout features:
Free for instructors to publish
Udemy Business subscription catalog
Standout strength: Free to publish, no hosting needed.
Worth knowing: Coursera completed its ~$2.5B merger/acquisition of Udemy in 2026 (shareholders approved April 9); both platforms keep operating separately for now.
Pricing: Free for instructors to publish; Udemy takes a large share of marketplace sales (instructor keeps ~37% on organic sales, more on instructor-driven coupon sales). Learners pay per course (often discounted to ~$10-20).
Premium all-in-one platform combining courses, memberships, email marketing, funnels, website and payments in a single subscription. Best suited to teams that care most about established creators and coaches.
Why it's on this list: The premium all-in-one for creators who want courses, email, funnels and a site under one roof and will pay for it. Aimed squarely at established creators and coaches running a real business who want everything in one platform without plugins.
Standout features:
Built-in checkout (Kajabi Payments)
Affiliate program management
Standout strength: Genuine all-in-one, replaces several separate subscriptions.
Worth knowing: The $89/mo Kickstarter entry plan was removed in 2025; API integration requires the $499/mo Pro plan.
Pricing: No free plan; Kickstarter from ~$89/mo, Basic from ~$149/mo, Growth and Pro tiers higher (annual billing discounts).
Don't over-think the ranking: the gap between adjacent picks is small. Decide what you can't compromise on — price, a specific strength, or learning curve — and let that pick for you. Free tiers and trials mean a 30-minute hands-on test beats another hour of reading.
FAQ
What is the best option in this list?
For most people, Thinkific is the strongest all-round pick in this guide, but the right choice depends on your budget and exact workflow.
Are there free options?
Yes — Thinkific, Teachable, LearnWorlds, Udemy and Kajabi offer a free plan or tier, so you can validate fit before paying. Check each entry's pricing line above.
How were these tools chosen?
Each pick is judged on fit for the specific job in this guide — its real strengths, pricing and who it suits — using features and facts drawn from independent reviews and the vendors' own documentation, cited in Sources below.
How often is this guide updated?
We revisit pricing and rankings regularly as vendors change plans and ship features.
Sources
The features, strengths and facts cited for each pick above are drawn from these independent reviews and vendor pages: