Buying guide
The Best Online Course Platforms in 2026, Compared From Their Own Pricing Pages
By Uyi Abraham, Founder and CEO, VonzaLast reviewed Vendor pages read on
The best online course platform depends on how you sell. Kajabi suits established creators who want an all-in-one brand and can pay its Basic price. Teachable and Podia start a first course on a low monthly price if their entry-plan fees are acceptable, and Thinkific gives unlimited courses with communities. Systeme.io has a free plan that never expires, Skool and Mighty Networks lead with community, and Udemy and Gumroad sell without a site. Vonza suits creators who want courses, community, email, SMS, scheduling, invoicing and a store in one plan, with AI course creation and Paystack built in.
An online course platform hosts your lessons, takes payment and gives students a place to learn. Twelve are compared here: eleven competitors and Vonza, which publishes this guide. The table lists each platform’s lowest monthly price, its transaction fee and its trial exactly as its own pricing page stated them on the date shown, so you can check every number.
Prices change often. Each competitor’s row links to its pricing page, and the Vonza comparison page for each vendor goes deeper: a capability table, reasons to switch or stay, and how free migration works.
At a glance
Each competitor row is what its own pricing page stated on 21 October 2026. “Not stated” means the page did not mention it.
| Platform | Best for | Lowest price | Fee | Free plan or trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vonza | Creators who want courses, community, email, SMS, scheduling, invoicing and a store in one plan | $99/mo | In addition to Stripe's standard 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing fee, Vonza charges an additional platform fee per transaction — 20% during your free trial, 1% on any paid plan. | 14-day free trial on every plan |
| Kajabi | Established creators who want courses, email, funnels and a CRM under one brand | $179 a month (Basic); $143 on annual billing | No platform fee; Kajabi Payments 2.9% + $0.30, or 2% with a third-party processor on Basic | Free trial, length not stated; 30-day money-back guarantee |
| Teachable | A first course on a low monthly price, if the Starter plan’s fee is acceptable | $39 a month (Starter); $29 on annual billing | 7.5% transaction fee on Starter; 0% on Builder ($89) and above | 7-day free trial; 30-day guarantee; no free plan |
| Thinkific | Course-first businesses that want unlimited courses and communities with phone support | $109 a month (Start); $82 on annual billing | Not stated on Thinkific’s pricing page | 30-day free trial; no free plan |
| LearnWorlds | Interactive video, assessments and SCORM for creators and training teams | 29 a month (Starter); 24 on annual billing, shown without a currency symbol and read as US dollars | $5 per paid enrollment on Starter; no enrollment fees on Pro Trainer and above | 30-day free trial; no free plan |
| Podia | Simple selling of courses, downloads and coaching, with migration help on every plan | $49 a month (Mover); $42 on annual billing | 5% on Mover; no Podia fees on Shaker and Earthquaker | 14-day free trial, no card; no free plan |
| Udemy | Reaching a marketplace audience without a site of your own | Free to publish | Udemy keeps 3% on sales made through your own coupon or link (you receive 97%) and 63% on other Udemy sales (you receive 37%) | No subscription; free to publish |
| Skool | Community-first groups that attach courses to a paid group | $9 a month (Hobby); Pro $99 a month | 10% transaction fee on Hobby; 2.9% on Pro | “Try for free”, length not stated; no free plan |
| Mighty Networks | Communities and memberships with courses and events, and a branded app on Mighty Pro | $79 per month (Launch Plan) as displayed; the page shows one price set under a monthly or annual toggle | 2% on Launch; 1% on Scale ($179); 0.5% on Growth ($354) | Free trial on the Growth Plan, length not stated; no free plan |
| Systeme.io | Funnel-led selling on a budget, with a free plan that never expires | $0 (Free); Startup $17 a month, Webinar $47, Unlimited $97 | 0% on every plan | Free plan, no card, never expires |
| Gumroad | Selling a course file or digital product without a platform subscription | $0 a month | 10% + $0.50 per transaction on your own sales; 30% on sales through the Discover marketplace | Free, no monthly charge |
| Stan Store | A link-in-bio storefront for social sellers | $29 a month (Creator); $300 a year; Creator Pro $99 a month | 0% transaction fees | 14-day free trial; no free plan |
Vonza publishes this guide and sells one of the platforms in it. Every competitor figure is quoted from that vendor’s own page, read on the date shown and saved so it can be checked, and Vonza’s own price is its live price from the pricing page. There are no affiliate links.
The twelve platforms, one by one
1. Vonza
PublisherBest for: Creators who want courses, community, email, SMS, scheduling, invoicing and a store in one plan
Vonza Courses builds a course from your videos or a brief with AI, ships five sales-page templates, a drag-and-drop certificate designer, quizzes and assignments with pass marks, seven pricing models including instalments and pay what you want, and a student portal on your own domain. Payments run through Stripe, PayPal and Paystack, so buyers in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and Kenya pay in local currency.
Vonza is the publisher of this guide. Course limits follow the plan: Starter includes 10 courses, Growth 20 and Business unlimited. Interactive video and SCORM import are not part of the product.
- Price
- $99/mo on the lowest plan, live from the pricing page
- Fee
- In addition to Stripe's standard 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing fee, Vonza charges an additional platform fee per transaction — 20% during your free trial, 1% on any paid plan.
- Free plan or trial
- 14-day free trial on every plan
Source:vonza.com/pricinglive price; feature facts from the Vonza product pages.
Start 14 Day Free Trial2. Kajabi
Best for: Established creators who want courses, email, funnels and a CRM under one brand
Kajabi’s pricing page lists courses, coaching, communities, a website, funnels, unlimited marketing emails and a contact CRM on every plan, with no revenue share.
Basic allows 5 products, 2,500 contacts, 1 website and 1 community; Growth ($249) lifts that to 50 products and 25,000 contacts. SMS, scheduling and invoicing are not on the pricing page.
- Price
- $179 a month (Basic); $143 on annual billing
- Fee
- No platform fee; Kajabi Payments 2.9% + $0.30, or 2% with a third-party processor on Basic
- Free plan or trial
- Free trial, length not stated; 30-day money-back guarantee
Source:kajabi.comread on 21 October 2026.Kajabi Alternatives
3. Teachable
Best for: A first course on a low monthly price, if the Starter plan’s fee is acceptable
Teachable’s page lists courses, coaching, digital downloads, memberships, built-in email marketing, a site builder and an integrated affiliate program, with unlimited students on every plan.
Starter allows 5 products and 1 admin-level user and takes 7.5% of each sale; Builder removes the fee at $89 a month with 10 products. Migration assistance is listed on the Custom plan only.
- Price
- $39 a month (Starter); $29 on annual billing
- Fee
- 7.5% transaction fee on Starter; 0% on Builder ($89) and above
- Free plan or trial
- 7-day free trial; 30-day guarantee; no free plan
Source:teachable.comread on 21 October 2026.Teachable Alternatives
4. Thinkific
Best for: Course-first businesses that want unlimited courses and communities with phone support
Thinkific’s Start plan lists unlimited courses, one community with 10 spaces, 2 administrators and 200 GB of video a month; Grow adds bulk email to students, B2B invoicing and phone support.
Grow is $219 a month and Expand $499, and a branded mobile app is a $199 a month add-on. SMS, funnels and a CRM are not on the page (CRM integrations appear on Plus only).
- Price
- $109 a month (Start); $82 on annual billing
- Fee
- Not stated on Thinkific’s pricing page
- Free plan or trial
- 30-day free trial; no free plan
Source:thinkific.comread on 21 October 2026.Thinkific Alternatives
5. LearnWorlds
Best for: Interactive video, assessments and SCORM for creators and training teams
LearnWorlds’ page lists interactive video, assessments, a built-in community and social network, memberships, a website builder with AI page funnels, mass email credits and affiliate programs.
Starter is limited to 1,000 monthly active learners, 1 admin and 300 AI credits a month, and adds the per-enrollment fee; Pro Trainer removes the fee at 99 a month. SMS, scheduling and invoicing for your own clients are not on the page.
- Price
- 29 a month (Starter); 24 on annual billing, shown without a currency symbol and read as US dollars
- Fee
- $5 per paid enrollment on Starter; no enrollment fees on Pro Trainer and above
- Free plan or trial
- 30-day free trial; no free plan
Source:learnworlds.comread on 21 October 2026.LearnWorlds Alternatives
6. Podia
Best for: Simple selling of courses, downloads and coaching, with migration help on every plan
Podia’s page lists courses, digital downloads, coaching, memberships, communities, a website and blog builder and Podia Email, with unlimited customers and migration help for everyone.
Mover caps email at 100 subscribers, 50 products and 500 videos and takes 5% of sales; Shaker ($99) removes the fee. SMS, funnels, invoicing and a CRM are not on the page.
- Price
- $49 a month (Mover); $42 on annual billing
- Fee
- 5% on Mover; no Podia fees on Shaker and Earthquaker
- Free plan or trial
- 14-day free trial, no card; no free plan
Source:podia.comread on 21 October 2026.Podia Alternatives
7. Udemy
Best for: Reaching a marketplace audience without a site of your own
Udemy brings its own buyers, so a new instructor can sell without a website, an email list or a payment account.
On a sale Udemy makes for you, you keep 37%, and Udemy sets the discounting. You do not own the student relationship, and community, email, memberships and a site are not part of the offer.
- Price
- Free to publish
- Fee
- Udemy keeps 3% on sales made through your own coupon or link (you receive 97%) and 63% on other Udemy sales (you receive 37%)
- Free plan or trial
- No subscription; free to publish
Source:udemy.comread on 21 October 2026.Udemy Alternatives
8. Skool
Best for: Community-first groups that attach courses to a paid group
Skool’s page lists unlimited members, courses, videos and live calls on both plans, with a custom URL and affiliates on Pro.
Hobby takes 10% of every sale. Email marketing, a website builder, scheduling, invoicing and a CRM are not on the pricing page.
- Price
- $9 a month (Hobby); Pro $99 a month
- Fee
- 10% transaction fee on Hobby; 2.9% on Pro
- Free plan or trial
- “Try for free”, length not stated; no free plan
Source:skool.comread on 21 October 2026.Skool Alternatives
9. Mighty Networks
Best for: Communities and memberships with courses and events, and a branded app on Mighty Pro
Mighty Networks’ page lists community, courses, paid memberships, online and in-person events and customizable landing pages, with migration services on Growth and custom branded apps on Mighty Pro.
Every plan takes a share of sales, and email marketing, scheduling, invoicing, a CRM and a store are not on the page; affiliates appear as integrations.
- Price
- $79 per month (Launch Plan) as displayed; the page shows one price set under a monthly or annual toggle
- Fee
- 2% on Launch; 1% on Scale ($179); 0.5% on Growth ($354)
- Free plan or trial
- Free trial on the Growth Plan, length not stated; no free plan
Source:mightynetworks.comread on 21 October 2026.Mighty Networks Alternatives
10. Systeme.io
Best for: Funnel-led selling on a budget, with a free plan that never expires
Systeme.io’s free plan lists 2,000 contacts, 3 funnels, 1 course with 500 students, 1 community and 1 website with unlimited emails; paid plans add funnels, courses, evergreen webinars, SMS, a booking calendar, CRM pipelines, physical products and your own affiliate program, with free migration.
The free and Startup plans cap courses at 1 and 5; Unlimited removes the caps at $97 a month. Invoicing is not on the page.
- Price
- $0 (Free); Startup $17 a month, Webinar $47, Unlimited $97
- Fee
- 0% on every plan
- Free plan or trial
- Free plan, no card, never expires
Source:systeme.ioread on 21 October 2026.Systeme.io Alternatives
11. Gumroad
Best for: Selling a course file or digital product without a platform subscription
Gumroad’s page lists digital products, e-books, courses, tutorials and memberships with no monthly fee, so the first sale costs nothing up front.
The fee is 10% plus 50 cents on every sale and 30% when Gumroad finds the buyer. Community, email marketing, a site, scheduling, invoicing and a CRM are not part of the offer.
- Price
- $0 a month
- Fee
- 10% + $0.50 per transaction on your own sales; 30% on sales through the Discover marketplace
- Free plan or trial
- Free, no monthly charge
Source:gumroad.comread on 21 October 2026.Gumroad Alternatives
12. Stan Store
Best for: A link-in-bio storefront for social sellers
Stan Store’s own pricing post lists an unlimited course builder, community, memberships, a calendar and booking tools and a storefront with landing pages, with email broadcasts, flows and affiliate management on Creator Pro.
Stan’s pricing page itself returned a 404 on the day we read it, so the figures come from the vendor’s own blog post. SMS, funnels, invoicing and a CRM are not listed.
- Price
- $29 a month (Creator); $300 a year; Creator Pro $99 a month
- Fee
- 0% transaction fees
- Free plan or trial
- 14-day free trial; no free plan
Source:stan.storeread on 21 October 2026.Stan Store Alternatives
How we chose
- Every figure comes from the vendor’s own pricing page, read on 2026-10-21 and saved as plain text; nothing comes from review sites, listicles or memory.
- Where a page did not state a figure the table says so. "Not stated" means the page did not mention it, not that the platform lacks it.
- Platforms were chosen because course sellers search for them beside Vonza: the ones Vonza already compares itself with on its comparison pages.
- Vonza is the publisher and appears first with its live price; its row is written from its own product pages, and no competitor row is scored or ranked.
Questions
Answered from the pages we read, with the date we read them.
The one whose entry plan fits how you sell. Kajabi suits established creators who want an all-in-one brand and can pay $179 a month; Teachable and Podia start a first course at $39 and $49 a month but take 7.5% and 5% of sales on those plans; Thinkific gives unlimited courses from $109; Systeme.io has a free plan that never expires; Skool and Mighty Networks lead with community; Udemy and Gumroad sell without a site for a share of each sale. Vonza suits creators who want courses, community, email, SMS, scheduling, invoicing and a store in one plan.
Gumroad, Udemy and Systeme.io cost nothing a month: Gumroad takes 10% + $0.50 per sale, Udemy keeps 3% to 63% depending on who made the sale, and Systeme.io’s free plan has 0% fees but caps you at 1 course and 2,000 contacts. Among subscriptions, Skool Hobby is $9 a month with a 10% fee and Teachable Starter $39 with a 7.5% fee. A low monthly price with a high fee costs more once you sell.
Systeme.io (0% on every plan) and Stan Store (0%) state no transaction fee at all. Kajabi charges no fee of its own with Kajabi Payments and adds 2% on Basic with a third-party processor, Thinkific’s page does not mention one, and Teachable, Podia, LearnWorlds, Skool, Mighty Networks and Gumroad charge a fee on at least their entry plan. Vonza’s platform fee is the one stated on its pricing page.
Systeme.io (free plan, no card, never expires), Gumroad (no monthly fee) and Udemy (free to publish) have one. Kajabi, Teachable, Thinkific, LearnWorlds, Podia, Skool, Mighty Networks and Stan Store offer trials instead, from 7 days at Teachable to 30 days at Thinkific and LearnWorlds. Vonza offers a 14-day free trial on every plan.
Kajabi, Teachable, Thinkific, LearnWorlds, Podia, Skool, Mighty Networks, Systeme.io and Stan Store list a community on their pricing pages, with plan limits such as Thinkific’s one community on Start and Kajabi’s one on Basic. Udemy and Gumroad do not. Vonza includes community spaces on every plan.
Yes. Podia lists migration help on every plan, Systeme.io lists free migration, Mighty Networks lists migration services on its Growth plan and Teachable on its Custom plan. Vonza moves your courses, communities and scheduling calendar for free on an annual Pro or Business plan; the details are on the free migration page.
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