The Best Course Platform for You
The online learning industry is slated to hit 250 billion dollars by 2025, which is really exciting news for those of us with an idea of creating a course.
But there are so many software solutions out there to choose from. Which is the best?
I’ll cut to the chase. It’s the one you’re able to navigate and use the easiest and most consistently.
Here’s a round-up of the platforms we’ve used and why we recommend them as top contenders to our clients. (In no particular order)
PAID PLATFORMS
Mighty Networks
This is where we host our programs/community for our Impact Incubator. We like this platform because we have a one-stop shop for everything we need in our community– yes, hosting content, but also a really user-friendly “events” section so you can schedule live events for your community and sync it with your calendar. The thing that is really nice about this platform, as well is that it’s 100% community and network focused WITHOUT it being on social media– so there are no distractions. Cost: Starts at $99/month
Kajabi
You can build out your entire website on Kajabi! There are tons of beautiful templates if design is important to you. You can create landing pages and opt-ins directly in Kajabi, and it functions as your all-in-one email platform, as well. You can create checkout pages here and use it as a CRM. It’s a pretty robust one-stop-shop for most of your tech needs. The one drawback, we found, though they are working on a solution, is the lack of community integration– so if you need an asynchronous community in your learning experience, it has to be hosted on another platform (a free FB group or Circle are popular options) Cost: Starts at $119/month
MemberVault
Like Kajabi, this platform can host your course content, be customized to look beautiful, and is working on including a community aspect native to the platform. What makes MV stand out among competitors is its EXTREMELY high-touch customer service by owners who are accessible, adaptable, and listen to their clients. Their top-tier, unlimited everything plan is $99, making it a really cost-effective solution, as well.
Others we’ve used and liked for their own reasons, but are fairly comparable
Teachable
Thinkific
Podia
BUT LET’S ALSO HEAR IT FOR FREE/LIMITED COST SOLUTIONS
These solutions allow you to combine a few platforms for free, or very little cost.
Via your email client (which might also have a payment processor and/or landing page function embedded!)
Voxer
Google Drive
Zoom
Facebook Group
A password-protected page on your website
Paypal/Stripe/Square/Thrivecart Checkout
If choosing your course platform is the place you’re stuck, start by choosing something that fits with your budget and your needs. (It’s perfectly fine to aspire to a more robust solution for “wants” once you can budget for it.)
Some helpful questions to ask yourself:
Do I need it to host just PDFs or slides?
Do I need it to have it’s own payment processing?
Do I need it to also host my community?
Do I need it to host videos?
Do I need it to host assessments
Do I need it to track participant progress?
Do I need it to be all-in-one software that lets me build my list, website, email all in one spot, or do I already have those things in place elsewhere?
Do you NEED it to look a certain way, design-wise?
Are you comparing your NEEDS to what other, more experienced course creators you’ve seen are doing?
How many people need to enroll in your program to re-coup the cost of the subscription each month?
If no one enrolls in your first launch, will your investment in software feel terrible?
The truth is, no platform is perfect, and every platform has the potential to work and work well.
No platform is the key determining factor in whether or not your program/course will be successful.
The one that will help you be successful is the one that actually allows you to deliver the expertise you want to share with the world.
So if you’ve not chosen yet how you will usher your participants through your materials, decide today.
What is the solution that feels simplest, most fun, most manageable?
As you grow, as your needs grow, you can always migrate to another platform. Nothing is set in stone and this one decision will not make or break your biz. Do not let it be the thing that keeps you spinning.
Happy creating!