Top online learning platforms are digital spaces that provide educational content and resources for individuals to learn new skills and knowledge. With the advent of technology, online learning has become increasingly popular as it offers flexibility and convenience for individuals to learn at their own pace and time.
In the current scenario where physical distancing is the norm, top online learning platforms have become a vital resource for many people looking to upskill and reskill themselves.
The purpose of this blog post is to provide a comprehensive list of the top online learning platforms that are currently available, highlighting their features and pros and cons. This will help individuals make informed decisions on which platform best suits their learning needs.
18 Top Online Learning Platforms
Standalone Online Course Platforms
An online learning platform for business is a standalone, hosted solution that enables students to create, host, and sell online courses.
Unlike course marketplaces or other tools used for course creation, these platforms offer greater flexibility and freedom in managing learning resources, customizing the design and branding of the business website and course presentation, and promoting courses.
Additionally, standalone online teaching platforms provide ongoing support and the advantage of owning user data. Here are the best choices for standalone online courses:
Platform No. 1: LearnWorlds
LearnWorlds is an online course platform that offers an all-in-one solution for building and launching your own online academy.
The platform’s intuitive course builder allows you to quickly and easily create engaging e-learning content and includes course interactivity and a community-building tool for streamlined communication between users and instructors. With LearnWorlds, you can have your own online course platform up and running in minutes.
LearnWorlds Pricing
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Reporting and analytics are available.
- Setting up a school and creating courses is very straightforward.
- High-converting sales pages and customized checkouts are among its strong marketing features.
- The advanced affiliate management tool allows you to establish your own affiliate program.
Cons:
- There are no pre-made sales funnels.
- The options for gamification are limited (badges).
- TinCan is not supported.
- There may be some initial confusion due to the large number of options.
Platform No. 2: Thinkific
Known as one of the most popular course websites, it provides a user-friendly interface, tools, and rich multimedia options to help you build your online education business and create professional and engaging course content.
Thinkific is a standalone online education platform that empowers users to create, market, and sell online courses. With Thinkific, you have everything you need to launch and grow your own successful online education business.
Thinkific Pricing
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- A landing page builder is included.
- Built-in sales and marketing tools are available.
- There are various integrations available with popular software.
- It is a cloud-based platform that allows you to connect your domain.
Cons:
- The control over website design is limited.
- Building complex courses can be challenging.
- SCORM, TinCan, or AICC are not supported.
- Social features are not included.
Platform No. 3: Teachable
Teachable is an online teaching platform for teachers that makes it easy and simple to create, launch and sell online courses. The platform provides a user-friendly interface for uploading learning content, customizing your online school, and communicating effectively with your students.
Whether you’re an everyday instructor or a seasoned educator, Teachable offers a comprehensive solution for building your online teaching business.
Teachable Pricing
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- It has a straightforward and user-friendly course authoring tool with quiz functionality.
- It supports blogging and has a landing page editor.
- It has built-in eCommerce capabilities.
- It has an affiliate, marketing, and sales tools built in.
Cons:
- Its capacities for teaching, learning, and assessment are constrained.
- It doesn’t support TinCan or SCORM.
- There are a few options for branding and landing page customization.
- It lacks any social or fostering of community elements.
Platform No. 4: Kajabi
As an all-in-one online courses platform, Kajabi provides the tools and features necessary to create, market, and sell digital products including online courses. The platform specializes in building high-converting funnels, sales pages, landing pages, and webinar pages to help you grow your online business.
Additionally, Kajabi offers the ability to launch advertising campaigns, making it an all-in-one solution for creating, launching, and scaling an online course business.
Kajabi Pricing
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- It includes built-in marketing automation tools for email lists.
- It offers numerous software integrations with well-known programs.
- It offers the ability to build sales funnels and pipelines.
- It provides a variety of lovely themes.
Cons:
- Setting it up can be difficult.
- It offers pricey payment options.
- It gives little latitude for website design.
- It focuses more on small digital product sales and doesn’t provide many learning features.
Platform No. 5: EasyGenerator
EasyGenerator is a user-friendly online course platform for learning that offers a rich interface and easy-to-use interface. One of the things that make it stand out from other e-learning platforms is its simplicity in creating online courses.
This tool aims to make the course creation process accessible to everyone, regardless of technical expertise. With EasyGenerator, you can create professional and engaging online courses with ease.
EasyGenerator Pricing
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- It has drag-and-drop capabilities.
- To use it, you don’t need to know how to code.
- You can view the results of the students without paying anything extra.
- The majority of existing LMS platforms are compatible with it.
Cons:
- On mobile devices, its drag-and-drop functionality occasionally fails.
Platform No. 6: Podia
Podia is an all-in-one online learning platform that allows entrepreneurs to create and sell online courses, memberships, and other digital products.
The platform offers a wide range of resources and tools to help you build your own online store, school, or website. With Podia, you can access a rich library of resources and free tools to help you start and grow your online learning business.
Podia Pricing
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- It offers a variety of course options.
- There are options for customizing the sales page.
- Within the platform, it provides options for affiliate marketing.
- You are able to have a personal membership subscription.
Cons:
- There is no community are available on the platform.
- It lacks instructional resources like grading, assessments, and certificates.
- Its capabilities are extremely constrained, making it suitable only for smaller video-based learning and downloads.
- White-label choices are not available.
Platform No. 7: WizIQ
WizIQ is one of the top education platforms that offers a cloud-based solution for real-time or self-paced training using your own custom-branded domain.
It delivers live and on-demand webinars and is a highly popular tool among online course creators who prefer live training, coaching, or a classroom-like setting. WizIQ is a top choice for educators and trainers who want to deliver engaging and interactive online learning experiences.
WizIQ’s Pricing
Pricing starts from a monthly fee of $25 when billed yearly.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- It allows for virtual teaching.
- Its mobile app, mLearning, can be downloaded on Apple and Android devices.
- It includes the ability to create courses and administer tests and assessments.
Cons:
- It lacks compatibility with SCORM or TinCan.
- There are no options for gamification.
- Online reviews indicate that customer support representatives are hard to contact after the initial setup.
Platform No. 8: Academy of Mine
Academy Of Mine is one of the leading platforms for professionals who want to create and sell their courses in professional training, continuing education, and certification. The all-in-one platform empowers users to customize existing features or build new ones via API and craft interactive content using PPT, PDF, video, and more.
With Academy Of Mine, professionals can easily create and launch their own professional training program and continue to grow and scale their businesses.
Academy of Mine’s Pricing
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- It backs SCORM.
- Its customer service staff responds quickly.
- It includes a versatile website builder.
Cons:
- The site needs a lot of work to be customized.
- There are only a few video tutorials available to teach you how to use the platform.
- It is very expensive.
WordPress Plugins for Online Courses
If you have a WordPress website and want to deliver online learning, you have a few options available. One option is to use a WordPress plugin for online courses. These plugins allow you to host courses on your website, but each plugin offers a different set of possibilities and is either a free or paid course.
With a WordPress plugin, you can easily start selling courses without needing much technical knowledge. However, It’s important to weigh the pros and cons of using a WordPress plugin compared to other online course platforms. Here are some of the best choices of WordPress plugins for online courses:
Platform No. 9: WP CourseWare
WP Courseware is a leading training online platform and one of the most promising LMS WordPress plugins on the market. It has been recognized by top universities worldwide, and many of its tools are used by enterprise training sites.
With WP Courseware, course creators can easily build professional online courses within minutes, thanks to its hassle-free solution. It is an ideal choice for anyone looking to create, market, and sell online courses, memberships, and other digital products.
WP CourseWare Pricing
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Books for both teachers and students are available.
- PayPal and Stripe are the two payment processors it provides.
- Based on their activity, it sends students automated emails.
Cons:
- It is incompatible with SCORM.
- It provides an on-site demo but has no free trial.
- Since it lacks a built-in payment gateway, you must integrate it with an eCommerce plugin to enable monetization.
Platform No. 10: LearnDash
LearnDash is a premium WordPress LMS plugin and one of the most popular in the market for virtual teaching. With LearnDash, educators can easily design, promote, and sell online courses with its user-friendly drag-and-drop course builder and other features.
Its speed and ease of use make it a great option for creating and delivering engaging virtual teaching experiences for your students. Whether you’re an educator or an entrepreneur, LearnDash offers an all-in-one solution for launching and scaling your online education business.
LearnDash Pricing
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- A free trial is available.
- Its mailing process is automated.
- It provides achievement badges and certificates for completing courses.
Cons:
- As you add more add-ons to it, the cost can rise.
- It is incompatible with SCORM.
- It lacks video conferencing equipment.
Platform No. 11: LifterLMS
LifterLMS is one of the top online learning platforms and a free open-source plugin that offers helpful content management tools for creating and managing individual courses, training-based membership websites, and MOOCs.
The plugin allows you to build a flexible LMS that can be customized to meet the unique needs of individuals, small groups, and niche markets by adding various add-ons. LifterLMS offers a comprehensive solution for creating and managing online learning experiences.
LifterLMS Pricing
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Its mailing process is automated.
- It provides achievement badges and certificates for completing courses.
- It supports WooCommerce, PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.net.
Cons:
- As you add more add-ons to it, the cost can rise.
- It is incompatible with SCORM.
- It lacks video conferencing equipment.
Traditional LMS
A Learning Management System (LMS) is one of the top online learning platforms and a software application that allows organizations, educational institutes, and course providers to plan, manage, and deliver e-learning content.
It is used throughout the industry to offer training or development programs. Unlike course platforms or marketplaces, LMSs are more robust and often SCORM-compliant and may include built-in authoring tools for creating and developing learning content.
Many organizations consider LMS as one of the key online e-learning platforms for their training and development programs. Here are some of the different types of LMS:
Platform No. 12: Moodle
Moodle is an open-source virtual education platform and MOOCs provider widely considered one of the best for virtual and blended learning courses. Developed by a group of passionate developers, the platform is translated into over 95 languages and powers learning environments worldwide.
It is a popular choice among educators and institutions for delivering online and blended learning experiences. Moodle is considered a top virtual education platform for creating, managing and delivering online courses.
Moodle Pricing
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- There are desktop and mobile apps for it (iOS and Android).
- It is compatible with xAPI/Tin Can API, SCORM, AICC, and IMS LTI.
- It has resources and drag-and-drop tools that are helpful to regular users.
Cons:
- It doesn’t provide email or round-the-clock support.
- It only offers a few gamification options.
- If you are hosting the solution but lack an internal IT department, it may be expensive.
Platform No. 13: iSpring Suite
iSpring Suite is a leading eLearning platform that offers a quick and easy solution for authoring eLearning training. The ease of use and speed at which it allows you to create online courses is unparalleled.
The newest version, iSpring Suite 9, is specifically designed to facilitate content for onboarding, product training, and assessment. With iSpring Suite, you can easily create professional and engaging online courses and it is considered one of the best e-learning platforms in the market.
iSpring Pricing
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Particularly if you are familiar with PowerPoint, it is simple to use.
- It has 15 methods for testing knowledge and 24 different training formats.
- You can quickly create online courses thanks to it.
Cons:
- Compared to other tools, it is deficient in a few capabilities.
- It can only be installed locally.
Platform No. 14: TalentLMS
TalentLMS is recognized as one of the most affordable/cheap online learning platforms in the market. Its goal is to make the lives of course creators easier by offering a user-friendly platform that is easy and simple to navigate.
With TalentLMS, you can create training courses in just a few steps, making it a great option for businesses and individuals on a budget who want to create and deliver professional and engaging online learning experiences.
TalentLMS Pricing
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- It is compatible with xAPI/Tin Can API, Section 508, and SCORM 1.2.
- Mobile devices can access the learning system thanks to its responsive design.
- Advanced analytics, customization, and white-label options are included.
Cons:
- There is no accompanying grade book.
- It only has a few user-to-user interaction options.
- There aren’t many options available in terms of eCommerce.
Course Marketplaces
Course marketplaces are one of the top online learning platforms, similar to supermarkets for courses, where course creators can offer a diverse range of courses from different providers.
On the one hand, marketplaces take much of the work out of creating a website and hosting the courses yourself. However, on the other hand, you lose control of student data and a significant portion of the income.
It is a common misconception that course marketplaces will sell the courses for you, but in reality, there is a lot of competition, and you will need to invest in your own marketing efforts to be successful. Here are some of the most popular course marketplaces:
Platform No. 15: Skillshare
Skillshare is a popular free online course platform and marketplace that offers a wide range of courses on four specific subject categories, which consist of short lessons lasting from 20 to 60 minutes.
The courses are made up of a series of small videos, class projects, and a student community that encourages interaction through discussion forums. Skillshare is a convenient platform for individuals looking to learn new skills and acquire knowledge from a diverse range of courses in a flexible and interactive way, all for free.
Skillshare Pricing
Skillshare is free, but you have to follow specific class guidelines.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- It provides a welcoming discussion board where pupils can share feedback.
- It allows you to enroll in a lot of courses for one low price.
Cons:
- Only four categories make up the class content.
- There is no formal certification of completion or other acknowledgment.
Platform No. 16: Udemy
Udemy online learning site is well-known and one of the most popular online course marketplaces. The platform offers a unique learning experience and makes course creation possible for anyone.
It provides a wide range of online learning materials, including PDF documents, PowerPoint, text, and video content, among many others. Udemy is a convenient platform for individuals looking to learn new skills and acquire knowledge from a diverse range of courses in a flexible and interactive way.
Udemy Pricing
Udemy has no starting fee but has very high commissions on sales of up to 75%.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- It is designed for video courses and self-paced learning.
- No advanced technical knowledge is required.
- For iOS and Android, Udemy has a mobile app.
Cons:
- Very little interaction with students is present.
- The market for creating courses is extremely competitive.
- No chance of personal branding exists.
Platform No. 17: LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning, formerly Lynda.com, is a premium educational platform that offers professional courses on business, technology-related and creative fields in the format of video lessons.
The platform is available as a premium service for LinkedIn users and includes over 16,000 courses in 7 languages. It is a great option for professionals looking to enhance their skills and stay up-to-date in their field. LinkedIn Learning offers a diverse range of courses in multiple subject areas, making it a comprehensive educational platform.
LinkedIn Learning Pricing
LinkedIn Learning has subscription pricing options that are different for individuals and teams. An individual subscription is €40.98 per month, and subscription services for businesses and other organizations have a customized price.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- The B2B community highly values and recognizes it.
- A free trial of one month is included.
- It offers users individualized course recommendations.
Cons:
- If you don’t speak with the platform directly, it’s unclear how much teams and instructors will cost.
- Getting accepted as an instructor could be difficult.
Platform No. 18: Coursera
Coursera is one of the leading top online learning platforms, with over 23 million users worldwide, that is dedicated to offering high-quality online training courses.
The platform partners with world-class universities and businesses to provide students with the opportunity to receive certifications from renowned institutions upon completing their paid courses.
Coursera offers a wide range of courses in various subject areas and is considered one of the most popular and reputable online education platforms on the market.
Coursera Pricing
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- It is a cloud-based authoring tool with options for teamwork.
- It has a unique tool for gamification.
- It works with HTML 5 and SCORM.
Cons:
- Integrations are lacking.
- You must get in touch with Elucidat to find out the exact cost.
Why Enroll in Online Learning Platforms?
Efficiency
Online education provides teachers with an effective method of delivering lessons to students. With a range of tools such as videos, PDFs, and podcasts, teachers can enhance their lesson plans to include online resources, becoming more efficient educators in the process.
Accessibility Of Time And Place
One of the main benefits of online learning is its accessibility. Students can attend classes from any location and schools are not restricted by geographical boundaries. Furthermore, online lectures can be recorded, stored, and shared for future reference, allowing students to access learning materials at their own convenience.
Affordability
In addition, online education can be a cost-effective solution. It eliminates expenses such as student transportation and meals, as well as real estate costs. Additionally, all course materials are readily available online, promoting a more affordable and environmentally friendly paperless learning environment.
Improved Student Attendance
By being able to take classes from a convenient location, such as home, students are less likely to miss lessons.
Suits A Variety Of Learning Styles
The online learning system provides students with a personalized learning experience, catering to individual learning styles and needs. Whether students are visual learners, audio learners, or prefer the traditional classroom environment, online learning offers a range of options and resources to create an ideal learning environment for each student.
Learn From the Top Online Learning Platforms
To sum up, top online learning platforms have become an invaluable resource for individuals looking to upskill and reskill themselves in today’s fast-paced and constantly evolving world.
The digital age has opened up a plethora of opportunities for people to learn and grow, and online learning platforms have provided access to education and knowledge. Whether you’re looking to learn a new language, acquire a new professional skill or simply expand your knowledge, there is a platform out there that will suit your needs.
Embrace the power of technology, and tap into the vast resources provided by these top online learning platforms. The future is yours, and with the right tools, you can achieve anything you set your mind to.
