Best Platforms to Sell Online Courses in 2026 (Top 9)
I have spent the last few years building and selling online courses, and I run a paid cohort program on top of a full coaching practice. The single question I get asked most by people who want to do the same is not “what should I teach,” it is “where should I host and sell it.” That choice matters more than most beginners think, because the platform you pick shapes your fees, your email list, your checkout, and how much of the revenue you actually keep.
The good news is that in 2026 there are excellent options at every price point, from free tools that let you launch this weekend to full business platforms that replace five other subscriptions. The bad news is that the marketing pages all sound identical, so it is genuinely hard to tell them apart. Below I break down the nine platforms I would actually recommend, who each one is for, what it costs, and where it quietly falls short.
A quick note before we start: there is no single best platform, only the best platform for your situation. A first-time creator testing an idea has very different needs from someone doing six figures a year. I have flagged the right fit for each so you can skip straight to yours.
Quick Comparison: Best Platforms to Sell Online Courses
| # | Platform | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Teachable | Best for Beginners |
| 2 | Thinkific | Best Value (No Transaction Fees) |
| 3 | Kajabi | Best All-in-One Business Platform |
| 4 | Podia | Best Budget All-in-One |
| 5 | LearnWorlds | Best for Interactive Learning |
| 6 | Systeme.io | Best Free Plan |
| 7 | Gumroad | Best for Simple Digital Sales |
| 8 | Udemy | Best for Built-in Audience |
| 9 | Skillshare | Best for Creative Subscription Income |
1. Teachable (Best for Beginners)
Model: Hosted course platform | Free plan: Yes | Paid from: Around 39 to 89 dollars per month | Transaction fees: On lower tiers, removed on higher tiers
Teachable is where I send most first-time creators, because it gets you from idea to a live, paid course faster than almost anything else. The course builder is genuinely simple, checkout works out of the box, and you can start on a free plan to validate demand before you spend a cent. In 2026 Teachable reorganized its plans into Starter, Builder, Growth, and Advanced tiers, with the Builder plan removing transaction fees and adding email and a custom domain.
The trade-off is that the entry tiers take a cut of each sale, so as your revenue grows you will want to move up a plan to protect your margins. The marketing and automation tools are also lighter than an all-in-one like Kajabi. But for someone launching their first course who wants the shortest path to a sale, Teachable is the easiest place to start.
- Best for: First-time creators who want the fastest, simplest path to a live paid course.
2. Thinkific (Best Value, No Transaction Fees)
Model: Hosted course platform | Free plan: Yes | Paid from: Around 49 dollars per month | Transaction fees: Zero on all paid plans
Thinkific is my pick for best overall value, and the reason is simple: every paid plan charges zero transaction fees. When you are selling a 200 dollar course, the difference between keeping all of it and losing a percentage on every sale adds up fast. The Basic plan gives you unlimited courses, a custom domain, and the core tools you need to run a real business, without nickel-and-diming you on each transaction.
It is a little more utilitarian than the flashier platforms, and the built-in marketing features are not as deep as Kajabi. Most serious creators pair it with a dedicated email tool. But if you want a rock-solid course platform that lets you keep the maximum share of every sale, Thinkific is hard to beat and scales comfortably as you grow.
- Best for: Creators who want to keep every dollar of revenue with no per-sale fees.
3. Kajabi (Best All-in-One Business Platform)
Model: All-in-one platform | Free plan: No (free trial) | Paid from: Around 149 to 179 dollars per month | Transaction fees: Zero with Kajabi Payments
Kajabi is the platform I recommend once someone is treating this as a real business rather than a side experiment. It bundles courses, email marketing, sales funnels, landing pages, and a website into one system, which means it can replace three or four separate subscriptions. For a full-time creator, that consolidation is worth a lot, both in money and in the headache of not stitching tools together.
The obvious downside is price. Kajabi is the most expensive option here and there is no free plan, only a trial, so it is overkill for a beginner still testing an idea. But if you are doing consistent revenue and want your entire funnel, from first email to final sale, living in one place, Kajabi earns its premium and its zero transaction fees soften the monthly cost.
- Best for: Established creators who want courses, email, and funnels in a single system.
4. Podia (Best Budget All-in-One)
Model: All-in-one platform | Free plan: Yes | Paid from: Around 33 to 39 dollars per month | Transaction fees: On the entry tier, removed higher up
Podia is what I point people to when they want most of what Kajabi offers at a fraction of the price. On one affordable plan you get unlimited products, a website builder, and built-in email marketing, which makes it a genuine all-in-one for creators who are past the free-tool stage but not ready for Kajabi money. It is clean, friendly, and quick to set up.
The catch is that its entry plan charges a small transaction fee, and its features, while broad, are not as deep as the premium platforms in any single area. Think of Podia as the sensible middle ground: more capable than a bare course host, cheaper and simpler than a full business suite. For solo creators watching their budget, it is an excellent value.
- Best for: Budget-conscious solo creators who still want email and a website bundled in.
5. LearnWorlds (Best for Interactive Learning)
Model: Hosted course platform | Free plan: No (free trial) | Paid from: Around 29 to 49 dollars per month | Transaction fees: Small fee on the entry tier, none higher up
LearnWorlds stands out for the quality of the actual learning experience. It offers interactive video, in-video quizzes, assessments, certificates, and a genuinely polished student interface. If your course lives or dies on engagement, or you are selling to businesses that expect a professional training environment, this is the platform that makes your content feel premium rather than like a folder of video files.
That power comes with a steeper learning curve and a higher entry price than the beginner tools, and the lowest tier carries a small transaction fee. It is more platform than a casual first-time creator needs. But for course builders who care deeply about pedagogy, or who sell into the corporate and coaching space, LearnWorlds is one of the strongest options available.
- Best for: Creators and businesses who want highly interactive, professional-grade course delivery.
6. Systeme.io (Best Free Plan)
Model: All-in-one funnel platform | Free plan: Yes (generous) | Paid from: Around 27 dollars per month | Transaction fees: None
Systeme.io has the most generous free plan of anything on this list, and that alone makes it worth a look. The free tier lets you build funnels, send emails, and sell a course without paying anything, which is close to unheard of. For someone with zero budget who wants to test whether people will actually buy, it removes every financial excuse to not start.
The interface is less refined than the premium platforms, and as your needs grow you may bump into limits that push you toward a more polished tool. But as a launchpad, Systeme.io is unmatched. I regularly suggest it to people who tell me they cannot afford to start, because with this platform, cost is simply not a valid reason to wait.
- Best for: Creators with no budget who want to launch and sell entirely for free.
7. Gumroad (Best for Simple Digital Sales)
Model: Digital storefront | Free plan: Yes | Paid from: No monthly fee | Transaction fees: A flat percentage per sale
Gumroad is the fastest way to sell a course or any digital product, full stop. There is no monthly fee: you create a product, get a link, and share it. It takes a flat cut of each sale instead, so you only pay when you earn. For a simple, self-paced course, an ebook, or a template pack, that pay-as-you-go model is beautifully low-risk and takes about ten minutes to set up.
What you give up is depth. Gumroad is a checkout and delivery tool, not a full course experience, so there are no drip schedules, quizzes, or student communities. Its per-sale fee is also higher than a subscription platform once you are selling in volume. But for creators who value simplicity above all, or who are bundling a course with other digital products, Gumroad is the frictionless choice.
- Best for: Creators who want the simplest possible way to sell a course or digital product.
8. Udemy (Best for a Built-in Audience)
Model: Course marketplace | Free plan: Free to publish | Paid from: No cost to list | Transaction fees: Revenue share, larger on platform-driven sales
Udemy is a fundamentally different model from everything above. Instead of building your own storefront and driving your own traffic, you publish into a marketplace with tens of millions of existing students. For a first-time instructor with no audience, that built-in discovery is the single biggest advantage in the business. People find your course through Udemy search without you spending a dollar on marketing.
The cost of that reach is control and margin. Udemy owns the customer relationship, sets aggressive discounts, and takes a significant share of sales it generates for you, so per-student earnings are low. It is best treated as a top-of-funnel channel: use it to reach people and build authority, then guide your most engaged students to your own higher-value offers. If you want to see it from the learner side first, our Udemy review covers how the platform works in depth.
- Best for: New instructors who want instant access to a massive existing audience.
9. Skillshare (Best for Creative Subscription Income)
Model: Subscription marketplace | Free plan: Free to publish | Paid from: No cost to list | Transaction fees: Royalty pool based on watch time
Skillshare works like a streaming service for classes. Members pay one subscription, and teachers earn from a royalty pool based on how many minutes students watch of their classes. That model rewards short, engaging, project-based content in creative fields like design, illustration, photography, and writing. If your subject fits that mold, Skillshare can become a source of recurring passive income without you ever running a checkout.
The flip side is that you do not set a price or own the customer, and earnings depend on watch time rather than direct sales, which can be unpredictable. It suits creative teachers building a following more than someone selling a single premium program. Used alongside your own platform, though, Skillshare is a smart way to earn while reaching an audience that prefers to subscribe. Our Skillshare review digs into the numbers.
- Best for: Creative teachers who want recurring royalty income from short, engaging classes.
How to Choose the Right Platform
Start with where you are today, not where you hope to be. If you have never sold a course and you are testing an idea, begin on a free or low-cost tool like Systeme.io, Gumroad, or Teachable. There is no sense paying 149 dollars a month for Kajabi before you have proven a single person will buy. Validate demand cheaply, then upgrade once revenue justifies it.
Next, decide whether you want to own your audience or borrow one. Hosted platforms like Thinkific, Kajabi, and Podia give you the email list, the customer relationship, and the higher margins, but you have to drive your own traffic. Marketplaces like Udemy and Skillshare hand you an audience but take control and most of the margin. Many successful creators use both: a marketplace for discovery and their own platform for the real business.
Finally, watch the fine print on fees. A low monthly price with a per-sale transaction fee can cost you far more than a slightly pricier plan with zero fees once you are selling regularly. Thinkific and Kajabi charging no transaction fees is a genuine long-term advantage. Map your expected volume against each pricing model before you commit, because switching platforms later is a real hassle.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best platform to sell online courses in 2026?
There is no single winner, only the best fit for your stage. Teachable is the easiest starting point, Thinkific offers the best value with no transaction fees, Kajabi is the strongest all-in-one for established creators, and Udemy is best if you have no audience yet. Match the platform to your budget and goals.
Can I sell online courses for free?
Yes. Systeme.io has a generous free plan that lets you build funnels, send emails, and sell a course at no cost, and Gumroad charges only a per-sale fee with no monthly cost. Teachable, Thinkific, and Podia also offer free tiers to help you validate an idea before paying.
Is it better to use Udemy or my own platform?
It depends on your priority. Udemy gives you a huge built-in audience but takes most of the margin and owns the customer. Your own platform on Thinkific or Kajabi means more work to find students, but you keep the revenue and the email list. Many creators use Udemy for discovery and their own site for higher-value offers.
How much does it cost to sell courses online?
You can start free with Systeme.io or Gumroad. Hosted platforms typically run from around 33 to 89 dollars per month at the entry level, while all-in-one business platforms like Kajabi start closer to 149 dollars per month. Factor in transaction fees, since a cheaper plan with per-sale fees can cost more overall.
Do I need my own audience to sell courses?
Not to start. Marketplaces like Udemy and Skillshare provide the audience for you, which is ideal for beginners. To build a sustainable business and keep more of your revenue, though, you will eventually want your own email list and platform so you are not dependent on a marketplace algorithm.
