The best online course platforms for creators in 2026
The best platforms to sell an online course, ranked for solo creators: price, fees, cohorts, and completion tools for 10 platforms, checked September 2026.
The best online course platform for most solo creators is one that is cheap to start, low on fees, and helps students actually finish. Eden leads for creators who sell from social media: a course with an AI tutor inside it, plus cohorts and coaching, for $29 a month plus 5%. Thinkific is the best traditional course platform, Kajabi is the all-in-one for big businesses, Maven is best for live cohorts, and Skool is best when the community is the product.
Full disclosure: we make Eden, which is first on this list. We explain who should pick something else. Every price was checked on each company's own site in September 2026. Payment processing (usually 2.9% + 30¢ per US card) applies everywhere.
Why completion matters more than features
Most online courses go unfinished. In the largest study of the subject, researchers tracking 5.6 million learners in MIT and Harvard's free edX courses found that only about 3% completed them in 2017-18 (Reich and Ruipérez-Valiente, Science, 2019). Learners who paid did far better, at 46%.
Paid courses from creators do better than free ones, but the lesson holds: students who don't finish don't get results, don't leave reviews, and don't buy your next thing. So when you compare platforms, look past the video player. Look for what gets people through: live sessions, deadlines, a way to ask questions, and a way for you to see who's stuck.
The short version
| Platform | Best for | Price from | Platform fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eden | Courses with an AI tutor, cohorts, coaching | $29/mo | 5% |
| Thinkific | A classic course platform, unlimited courses | $54/mo ($40 yearly) | 0% on Thinkific Payments |
| Kajabi | Everything in one suite | $179/mo | 0% |
| Teachable | A low start price | $39/mo ($29 yearly) | 7.5% on Starter |
| Maven | Live cohort courses with a marketplace | $0 | 10% |
| Skool | Community-first courses | $9/mo | 10% on Hobby |
| LearnWorlds | Interactive video, quizzes, certificates | $29/mo ($24 yearly) | $5 per sale on Starter |
| Podia | Simple all-in-one | $49/mo ($42 yearly) | 5% on Mover |
| Circle | A polished course community | $89/mo (yearly) | 2% |
| Udemy | A marketplace with built-in buyers | $0 | 63% of organic sales |
1. Eden: best for courses people finish
Eden lets you write lessons as documents, add video, and sell the course from your link-in-bio page. What makes it different is the AI. A course can come with an AI tutor that knows your material and which lesson the student has open. Stuck students ask it instead of quitting. It can explain, give examples from their own situation, run the exercise, and check their work.
Also included: cohorts with dated runs, seats, live sessions, lessons that open week by week, question threads before each call, and reminder emails. Coaching with applications and calendar booking. A notebook for each student, lesson checkmarks, and a Customers view that shows each buyer's progress. Discount codes, order bumps, and memberships are on the entry selling plan. Upsells and affiliates need Pro at $79 a month.
Skip it if: you need quizzes and certificates, built-in email marketing, a community space, or a custom domain.
Price: $29/mo (Starter), 5% per sale.
2. Thinkific: best classic course platform
Thinkific has unlimited courses on every plan, a 30-day trial, and a Basic plan that includes a community, digital products, and a custom domain.
Skip it if: you need cohorts, certificates, graded quizzes, or memberships on the cheapest plan. Those start on Start at $109 a month.
Price: Basic $54/mo ($40 yearly), Start $109/mo, Grow $219/mo.
3. Kajabi: best all-in-one suite
Kajabi does everything: website, funnels, unlimited email, courses, cohorts, community, and a branded app.
Skip it if: you're starting out. Basic is $179 a month with 5 products and 2,500 contacts. See Kajabi alternatives.
Price: Basic $179/mo, Growth $249/mo, Pro $499/mo. 0% platform fee.
4. Teachable: best low start price
Teachable's Starter plan includes coupons, order bumps, upsells, memberships, quizzes, and student apps for $39 a month.
Skip it if: you want affiliates, email marketing, or a custom domain without paying $89 for Builder, or you dislike a 7.5% fee. See Teachable alternatives.
Price: Starter $39/mo, Builder $89/mo, Growth $189/mo.
5. Maven: best for live cohorts
Maven is built for live cohort courses and short workshops, with a marketplace of learners. Maven says it has over 500,000 learners.
Skip it if: you want self-paced courses, your own brand front and center, or to keep more than 90% of each sale.
Price: no monthly fee, 10% per sale plus Stripe.
6. Skool: best when community is the product
Skool puts a course, a community feed, a calendar, and a leaderboard in one place, and it has made paid communities popular.
Skip it if: you want a website, sales pages, or email tools. Skool has none.
Price: Hobby $9/mo (10% fee), Pro $99/mo (2.9% fee).
7. LearnWorlds: best for interactive lessons
LearnWorlds has interactive video, quizzes, assessments, and certificates.
Skip it if: you sell cheap courses. Starter charges $5 per paid enrollment.
Price: Starter $29/mo, Pro Trainer $99/mo (no enrollment fee). 30-day trial.
8. Podia: best simple all-in-one
Podia puts courses, downloads, coaching, community, and webinars on every plan.
Skip it if: your email list is over 1,000 people. Podia's email caps are low.
Price: Mover $49/mo (5%), Shaker $99/mo, Earthquaker $179/mo.
9. Circle: best course community
Circle combines courses (self-paced, dripped, or on fixed dates) with a polished community and events.
Skip it if: you don't need a community. Every plan charges a fee on top of the monthly price.
Price: Professional $89/mo (2%), Business $199/mo (1%), billed yearly.
10. Udemy: best for finding buyers with no audience
Udemy has the audience, and it's free to publish.
Skip it if: you want to earn well per sale. Udemy keeps 63% of sales it brings you, and you keep 97% only when the buyer uses your own coupon or link. Udemy sets frequent discounts, and you don't get your buyers' emails.
Price: free to publish. You keep 37% of Udemy's sales, 97% of your own.
How to choose
- You have an audience on social media: a platform with a link-in-bio page and low fees, like Eden.
- You have no audience yet: a marketplace like Udemy or Maven, to find your first students.
- Your course is a live program: Maven, Eden cohorts, or Kajabi.
- Your course is a community: Skool or Circle.
- You need certificates and tests: LearnWorlds or Thinkific.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best platform to sell online courses for beginners?
If you have an audience, a low-cost platform with a link-in-bio page, like Eden or Teachable Starter. If you don't, Udemy or Maven, which bring buyers to you.
Which course platform has no transaction fees?
Kajabi, Thinkific (on Thinkific Payments), Teachable Builder and up, Podia Shaker and up, and LearnWorlds Pro Trainer. Payment processing applies everywhere.
Can I sell a course without a website?
Yes. Every platform here gives you a sales page and a checkout. Put the link in your social profiles.
What's the difference between a self-paced course and a cohort?
A self-paced course is available any time, and students go at their own speed. A cohort starts on a set date, with a group, live sessions, and deadlines. Cohorts cost more to run and usually get more people to finish. See how to run a cohort-based course.
Want students to finish your course? Start Eden free and build it with an AI tutor inside.