Where should you build and sell your course?
Course platform pricing changed significantly across the board in 2025–2026 — several platforms dropped free tiers and raised prices. The comparisons below reflect current plans as of this writing; always confirm pricing before you commit.
Answer these before comparing platforms
- Do you already have an audience, or are you starting from zero?
- Is this a first course to test an idea, or a full curriculum you're building a business around?
- Do you want built-in marketing (email, funnels), or do you already have those tools and just need to host the course?
- How much revenue can you allocate to platform cost — a flat monthly fee, or a percentage of sales via transaction fees?
Our recommendations
Thinkific
The strongest features-per-dollar of the major platforms, with no per-sale fee eating into revenue as you scale. Requires connecting your own email tool (Zapier integrations available).
Kajabi
The highest cost of the three, but it earns that back if you're currently paying for separate email marketing, landing page, and course tools — Kajabi consolidates them into one subscription.
Podia
The least complex setup of the three, at the lowest starting cost. Fewer advanced marketing features than Kajabi, but you can be live with a course this week.
Skip all three if you already have a large, engaged audience on a marketplace like Udemy — the built-in student base may matter more than platform features, though you'll give up control over pricing and the student relationship.