The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Online Course Platform in 2025

🔊Listing the blog post as a podcast.

We've spent $1000 dollars and years of testing different systems, and we nailed the best option for a very reasonable price, and we want to share this with you. Stockton from Course Creator Pro / Course Creators 360 where we are in the mentor program. They tested every major course platform on the market—not just with free trials, but by actually selling six and seven figures using them.

In this guide, we break down the best and worst platforms so you don’t waste months picking the wrong one. We categorize them into three groups:

1. Hard No’s – Platforms you should never use.

2. Runner-Ups – Decent but not worth long-term investment.

3. The Top 3 – The best platforms to build, market, and sell courses successfully.

Let’s dive in.

Key Takeaways

• Avoid Udemy, Skillshare, and Coursera. They take huge commissions and don’t help market your course.

• Beware of "Software Stacking." Many platforms require additional tools for marketing, automation, and email, making costs skyrocket.

• Kajabi, Skool, and Course Creator 360 are the top choices. Each has pros and cons, but only one eliminates software stacking.

• Choose a platform that supports your business goals. Whether you’re starting out or scaling past $100K/month, different tools will suit your needs.

Hard No’s – Platforms You Should Avoid

These are not software solutions. They are course marketplaces that control your audience and limit your earnings.

1. Udemy, Skillshare, and Coursera

🚫 Why You Should Avoid Them:

• They take up to 50% of your earnings.

• They don’t market your course. You’re stuck hoping people find you among thousands of competitors.

• Max earnings cap. We've never seen anyone make more than $30,000 total on these platforms.

If you’re serious about selling courses and want to make more than a few thousand dollars, these platforms will never get you there.

Runner-Ups – Decent, But Not Ideal

These platforms can work but come with major drawbacks. They lead to "software stacking", meaning you’ll need to buy multiple tools just to fill in the gaps.

2. Thinkific & Teachable

🔸 Pros:
✅ Great for course hosting.
✅ We made over $13.6 million using Teachable.

❌ Cons:

• Not an all-in-one platform. You’ll need extra tools for automation, CRM, email, and funnels.

• Heavy software stacking required. You’ll likely need 3-5 additional tools to run your business properly.

3. Podia, LearnWorlds, Kartra, and SamCart

🔸 Pros:
✅ Good usability (Podia).
✅ Gamification & interactive features (LearnWorlds).
✅ Strong sales funnels (SamCart).

❌ Cons:

• Limited features. Each software specializes in one thing but lacks comprehensive business tools.

• Scalability issues. You’ll outgrow them fast.

4. ClickFunnels & Systeme.io

🔸 Pros:
✅ Solid funnel-building capabilities.
✅ Well-known brands.

❌ Cons:

• ClickFunnels is buggy. Their 2.0 version was a disaster.

• Systeme.io lacks advanced features.

ClickFunnels isn't built for course creators—it's for sales funnels. If you’re looking for an all-in-one course platform, this isn’t it.

The Best Platforms for Online Courses

After testing over 30 platforms and selling multiple eight figures, these are the only three we recommend:

1. Skool ($99/month)

🔸 Pros:
✅ Affordable price.
✅ Simple, user-friendly platform.
✅ Strong community-building features.

❌ Cons:

• Very limited features. You’ll need other tools for marketing, email, and automation.

• Software stacking is required. Expect to pay $300–$500/month on extra tools.

• Designed primarily for communities. Not ideal for all course business models.

Best for: Beginners making under $10K/month who want a simple, community-driven platform.

2. Kajabi ($199–$399/month)

🔸 Pros:
✅ All-in-one course, website, and funnel builder.
✅ Decent email marketing & automation tools.
✅ Strong brand recognition.

❌ Cons:

• Price increases fast. Higher-tier plans go up to $665/month.

• Limited features. You still need Zapier, Calendly, and an external CRM.

• Lack of customization. You’re stuck with basic checkout pages and minimal automation.

Best for: Course creators making $5K–$20K/month who want a "good enough" all-in-one solution.

3. Course Creator 360 ($ 79/month) – The Winner

This is the only software we’ve found that truly replaces all other tools.

🔸 Pros:
✅ No software stacking. Includes everything: funnels, email marketing, CRM, text messaging, automation, video hosting, and appointment booking.
✅ No feature limitations. Unlimited courses, funnels, and contacts.
✅ Best-in-class support. 50-second response times, free course migration, and bi-weekly coaching calls.
✅ Pre-built templates & automations. Just plug & play.

❌ Cons:

• Newer platform. Doesn’t have the brand recognition of Kajabi yet.

Best for: Course creators who want an all-in-one solution without paying for extra software.

Check out there platform: https://geni.us/CC360

Pricing Comparison – Hidden Costs Matter

Platform Base Cost Real Cost (with required extra tools) Skool $99/month $300–$500/month (due to software stacking) Kajabi $199–$399/month $400–$700/month (with required tools) Course Creator 360 $ 79 per months for yearly to multiple accounts for just $147/month (no extra tools needed!)

If you want one tool that does everything, Course Creator 360 is the best choice.

Final Verdict – Which Software Should You Choose?

• If you're a beginner (<$10K/month): Start with Skool for its simplicity.

• If you're intermediate ($10K–$50K/month): Use Kajabi but expect extra costs.

• If you’re scaling fast ($50K+/month): Use Course Creator 360—it’s the only software built for long-term success.

🔥 Want to try Course Creator 360? Get 30 days free (twice as long as most trials) → Click Here to Start

FAQs

1. Can I still make money on Udemy or Skillshare?

Yes, but the earning potential is extremely limited. You won’t build a scalable business there.

2. Why is software stacking bad?

It increases costs, complexity, and tech overwhelm. Instead of focusing on selling courses, you’ll spend time fixing integrations.

3. What makes Course Creator 360 different?

It’s the only platform that eliminates the need for extra tools. You get funnels, email, automation, CRM, and everything else in one place.

Final Thoughts

Don’t spend months choosing software—just pick one and start building. The faster you launch, the faster you’ll make sales.

Want our exact setup? Try Course Creator 360 free for 30 days and see why it’s the #1 platform for serious course creators. 🚀

👉 Start Here – No credit card required.

If you want to read more about Course Creator 360 I wrote a whole Blog post about the software and how we are using it. Blog: Course Creator 360: The All-in-One Marketing Platform for Course Creator and Entrepreneurs.

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My Equipment I use: 🛒 GEAR LIST: ► https://kit.co/MaikKleinert

ALL-IN-ONE Platform:
Course hosting, Marketing & DM Automation:

Course Creator 360 (CC360): ►Course hosting, marketing & automation.
Course Creator Pro: ► How to create an Online Course.

YouTube tools:

🤖 VidIQ – AI‑Powered YouTube Growth 🚀
🔴 Tubebuddy: YouTube Research tool

Video Editing Tools for Creators:

🎨 DeHancer - 10% OFF code "MAIK" Film emulation,Filmlook,Grain,Halation,Bloom
🖥 MotionVFX Motion graphic plugin for Davinci Resolve, Premiere…
🎶 ARTLIST Music & SFX licensing

📚 | BEST ONLINE COURSES I CAN RECOMMEND TO YOU 🎬

📹 | KOLDER CREATIVE Sam Kolder's Online Course - Cinematic Film & advanced video editing

Productivity & Learning tools:

Speechify ► helps ADHD individuals read as an audio a book, websites, blogs, and emails."

More down below 👇