🎓 COURSE PLATFORMS

Best Course Platforms
Compared for 2026

Selling knowledge online is one of the best business models of the decade. These platforms make it easy to package your expertise into a course — with varying levels of control, fees, and flexibility.

Teachable
Thinkific
Payhip
Gumroad
Kajabi
🏆 Best Overall
Teachable is our top pick
The most balanced course platform — professional storefronts, strong analytics, and a free plan that lets you launch without upfront costs.
Try Teachable Free →
Side-by-Side Comparison

Full Feature Comparison

Every feature that matters, compared across all five tools — including commissions.

FeatureTeachableThinkificPayhipGumroadKajabi
Free Plan✅ (5% fee)✅ No fees✅ (8% fee)✅ (10% fee)
Memberships
Certificates
Referral Tools✅ Paid
Bundles
Live Coaching✅ Paid
Rating★★★★☆ 4.4★★★★½ 4.5★★★★☆ 4.4★★★★☆ 4.1★★★★★ 4.5
Free Trial✅ Free plan forever✅ Free plan forever✅ Free plan available✅ Free forever (% fee)✅ 14-day trial
Money-Back30-day money-back30-day money-back30-day money-back
PricingFree plan; paid from $59/moFree plan; paid from $49/moFree (8% fee); paid from $39/moFree (10% fee); no monthly plansFrom $89/mo
Try ItTry Teachable →Try Thinkific →Try Payhip →Try Gumroad →Try Kajabi Free →
In-Depth Reviews

Pros, Cons & Pricing

A detailed breakdown of each tool so you can make the right call.

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Teachable

🆓 FREE PLAN 🏆 Best for Beginners 🏆 TOP PICK 🕐 Updated April 2026
The creator-friendly course platform
Most Popular
★★★★☆4.4/5
Value
8/10
Ease of Use
9/10
Marketing Tools
8/10
Customization
8/10
Revenue Share
7/10

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Clean student experience
  • No transaction fees on paid plans
  • Good referral tools built in

Cons

  • 5% transaction fee on free plan
  • Limited customization vs Thinkific
  • Pricey for advanced features
💰 PricingFree plan; paid from $59/mo
🎯 Best ForCourse creators wanting simplicity
🆓 Free Trial✅ Free plan forever
Try Teachable Free →

Thinkific

🆓 FREE PLAN 🎨 Most Customisable 🕐 Updated April 2026
Maximum control over your course
Best Customization
★★★★½4.5/5
Value
8/10
Ease of Use
8/10
Marketing Tools
7/10
Customization
8/10
Revenue Share
9/10

Pros

  • Best customization of all four
  • No transaction fees ever
  • Community features
  • Good landing page builder

Cons

  • Free plan limits can frustrate
  • Less intuitive than Teachable
  • Email marketing is an add-on
💰 PricingFree plan; paid from $49/mo
🎯 Best ForCreators wanting full brand control
🆓 Free Trial✅ Free plan forever
Try Thinkific Free →

Payhip

🆓 FREE PLAN 🆓 Best Free Option 🕐 Updated April 2026
Sell digital products, courses & memberships free
Best All-in-One
★★★★☆4.4/5
Value
8/10
Ease of Use
9/10
Marketing Tools
8/10
Customization
7/10
Revenue Share
8/10

Pros

  • Sell courses, downloads & memberships
  • Email marketing included
  • No transaction fees on paid plans
  • Great customer support

Cons

  • 8% transaction fee on free plan
  • Less design flexibility
  • Webinar tool is basic
💰 PricingFree (8% fee); paid from $39/mo
🎯 Best ForCreators selling multiple product types
🆓 Free Trial✅ Free plan available
Try Payhip Free →

Gumroad

🆓 FREE PLAN ⚡ Simplest Setup 🕐 Updated April 2026
Sell anything digital in minutes
Simplest to Start
★★★★☆4.1/5
Value
9/10
Ease of Use
10/10
Marketing Tools
6/10
Customization
5/10
Revenue Share
6/10

Pros

  • Zero monthly fees
  • Sell in minutes
  • Built-in audience discovery
  • Good for low-priced products

Cons

  • 10% transaction fee is high
  • Very limited customization
  • Not suited for structured courses
  • Basic student experience
💰 PricingFree (10% fee); no monthly plans
🎯 Best ForCreators selling simple digital products
🆓 Free Trial✅ Free forever (% fee)
Try Gumroad Free →

Kajabi

💳 PAID ONLY 💎 Best All-in-One 🕐 Updated April 2026
All-in-one platform — courses, email, funnels, community
All-in-One
★★★★★4.5/5
Value
5/10
Ease of Use
8/10
Marketing Tools
10/10
Customization
9/10
Revenue Share
7/10

Pros

  • Replaces 4–6 separate tools
  • Zero transaction fees on all plans
  • Podcast hosting included
  • 30% recurring referral commission

Cons

  • Most expensive option ($89/mo min)
  • Product limits on Basic plan
  • Email marketing less powerful than ActiveCampaign
💰 PricingFrom $89/mo
🎯 Best ForEstablished creators with $5k+/mo revenue
🆓 Free Trial✅ 14-day free trial
Try Kajabi Free →

Podia

🆓 FREE PLAN 🕐 Updated June 2026
All-in-one platform for courses memberships downloads and coaching
Best All-in-One
★★★★☆4.5/5
Value
9/10
Ease of Use
9/10
Features
8/10
Support
9/10
Deliverability
7/10

Pros

  • All-in-one: courses memberships email
  • No transaction fees on paid plans
  • Simple clean interface
  • Built-in affiliate programme

Cons

  • Free plan has 8% transaction fee
  • Less customisable than Kajabi
  • Video hosting limits on lower plans
💰 PricingFree (8% fee); paid from $39/mo
🎯 Best ForCreators wanting simplicity
🆓 Free Trial✅ Free plan (8% transaction fee)
Try Podia Free →
Full Review → Pricing → Alternatives →

Kartra

💳 PAID ONLY 🕐 Updated June 2026
All-in-one business platform with courses funnels and email marketing
Best Affiliate Rate
★★★★☆4.4/5
Value
7/10
Ease of Use
7/10
Features
9/10
Support
8/10
Deliverability
8/10

Pros

  • 40% affiliate commission — highest in category
  • Full funnel builder included
  • Email marketing and automation built in
  • Video hosting included

Cons

  • Expensive starting price
  • No free plan
  • Interface feels dated
💰 PricingFrom $119/mo
🎯 Best ForOnline business owners
🆓 Free Trial❌ No free plan (30-day trial $1)
Try Kartra →
Full Review → Pricing → Alternatives →

LearnDash

💳 PAID ONLY 🕐 Updated June 2026
The most powerful WordPress LMS trusted by Fortune 500 companies
Best for WordPress
★★★★☆4.5/5
Value
9/10
Ease of Use
6/10
Features
9/10
Support
8/10
Deliverability
7/10

Pros

  • Most powerful WordPress LMS
  • Full data ownership on your server
  • Deep quiz and assessment engine
  • Huge WordPress plugin ecosystem

Cons

  • Requires WordPress knowledge
  • Hosting costs extra
  • No built-in email marketing
💰 PricingFrom $199/yr (annual licence)
🎯 Best ForWordPress site owners
🆓 Free Trial❌ No free plan (trial available)
Try LearnDash →
Full Review → Pricing → Alternatives →

Mighty Networks

💳 PAID ONLY 🕐 Updated June 2026
Community-first platform combining courses memberships and live events
Best Community
★★★★☆4.4/5
Value
7/10
Ease of Use
8/10
Features
8/10
Support
8/10
Deliverability
7/10

Pros

  • Community and courses and events in one
  • Branded mobile app on higher plans
  • Native live streaming
  • Strong engagement tools

Cons

  • No free plan
  • Expensive for courses-only
  • Limited email marketing built-in
💰 PricingFrom $41/mo
🎯 Best ForCreators building communities
🆓 Free Trial❌ No free plan (14-day trial)
Try Mighty Networks →
Full Review → Pricing → Alternatives →

ThriveCart

💳 PAID ONLY 🕐 Updated June 2026
High-converting checkout and course platform — one-time lifetime purchase
Lifetime Deal
★★★★☆4.7/5
Value
10/10
Ease of Use
8/10
Features
8/10
Support
8/10
Deliverability
7/10

Pros

  • Lifetime deal — no monthly fees ever
  • Best-in-class checkout conversion
  • Built-in affiliate management
  • Course platform ThriveCart Learn included

Cons

  • High upfront cost
  • Not a full course platform alone
  • No native email marketing
💰 Pricing$495 one-time (no monthly fees ever)
🎯 Best ForDigital product sellers
🆓 Free Trial❌ No free plan
Try ThriveCart →
Full Review → Pricing → Alternatives →
FROM OUR GUIDES

Learn Before You Buy

Free guides to help you make the right decision — no commercial bias.

How to Create & Sell an Online Course
Complete guide for 2026
Read guide →
Digital Product Business Guide 2026
Courses, templates & memberships
Read guide →
Content Creator SaaS Stack Guide
Every tool a creator needs in 2026
Read guide →
Head-to-Head Comparisons

Compare Tools Side by Side

Not sure which tool to pick? See our detailed head-to-head comparisons with feature tables, pros & cons, and a clear winner.

Teachable vs Thinkific
Full comparison →
Teachable vs Payhip
Full comparison →
Teachable vs Gumroad
Full comparison →
Thinkific vs Payhip
Full comparison →
Thinkific vs Gumroad
Full comparison →
Payhip vs Gumroad
Full comparison →
Teachable vs Kajabi
Full comparison →
Thinkific vs Kajabi
Full comparison →
Podia vs Kajabi
Full comparison →
Gumroad vs Kajabi
Full comparison →

Or read full reviews:

Kajabi
★★★★★ 4.5/5
Kajabi Review →
Teachable
Full Review →
Thinkific
Full Review →
Payhip
Full Review →
Gumroad
Full Review →
Podia
Full Review →
Kartra
Full Review →
LearnDash
Full Review →
Mighty Networks
Full Review →
ThriveCart
Full Review →
Explore More

More Comparisons

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⚠️ Pricing Disclaimer: While every care was taken regarding the prices of plans and features displayed on this website, prices are subject to change without notice. Pricing may vary by region, currency, promotional periods, or plan updates made by the respective companies. We strongly recommend visiting each tool's official pricing page before making any purchasing decision. Find Your SaaS is not responsible for any discrepancies.  |  💰 Affiliate Disclosure: This site contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you purchase — at no extra cost to you.

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