Choosing the Best Online Course Platform for Your Business
This blog post provides a detailed comparison of popular course creation platforms including Kajabi, Teachable, Thinkific, Podia, and Thrivecart. It is designed to help you choose the platform that best suits your financial constraints, technical comfort, and business needs.
Table of Contents:
1. Kajabi
2. Teachable
3. Thinkific
4. Podia
5. Thrivecart
6. Summary and Recommendations
1. Kajabi
Overview:
Top Recommendation for established business owners with consistent income and no financial constraints.
Pros:
- Exceptional chat support and customer service.
- Comprehensive help center.
- All-in-one software, includes all necessary features.
- Visually appealing landing pages.
- Numerous testimonials from successful businesses.
- Beneficial affiliate program that requires active subscription.
Cons:
- Higher cost makes it less suitable for beginners.
- Complexity due to robust customization options may challenge those uncomfortable with technology.
- Despite having native community features, the creator community is hosted on Facebook.
2. Teachable
Pros:
- Highly popular among course creators, well-established reputation.
- Unified Teachable login allows access to multiple courses easily.
- Extensive integration options due to its popularity.
Cons:
- Significant price increase effective January 2023, frustrating many existing users.
- Payouts delayed by 30 days on the free plan.
- Reserves 10% of transactions for the first 45 days to cover potential chargebacks and refunds.
- Higher plans required to avoid added transaction fees, yet priced similarly to Kajabi without comparable features.
3. Thinkific
Pros:
- Specialized focus on course selling.
- Well-known within the course creation industry.
- Integration with Shopify and various other platforms.
Cons:
- Account creation required prior to checkout, potentially reducing conversion rates.
- Frequent prompts to upgrade.
- Interface and course design are considered less attractive.
4. Podia
Overview:
Top Recommendation for beginners on a budget.
Pros:
- User-friendly for beginners.
- All-in-one software capability, though email marketing comes at an additional cost.
- Includes comprehensive website and blogging functionality.
- Active creator community not based on Facebook.
Cons:
- Limited feature depth and customization.
- Difficult to scale.
- Transaction fees on basic plans; higher plans required to avoid these fees.
5. Thrivecart
Pros:
- Lifetime access through a one-time payment.
- No transaction fees aside from standard credit card processing.
- Attractive affiliate program offering 50% commissions.
Cons:
- No free trial available.
- Limited customer support options; lacks live chat.
- Sustainability concerns due to the one-time fee model.
- Occasional technical glitches
-Absence of an "undo" button in checkout processes.
Summary
If you’re an established business owner with consistent revenue and want to streamline your online business, go with Kajabi.
If you’re a new business owner or just delving into the creating your first online course, go with Podia.
If you already have an email marketing provider and website builder, and just need a platform to sell and deliver your courses, then go with Thrivecart.
*This blog post includes affiliate links. See the full affiliate disclosure here.
