I originally wrote this post in 2020. Since then, the online education market has undergone significant transformation. Post-pandemic normalization, the rise of the creator economy, and the proliferation of AI tools have fundamentally changed the industry dynamics.
In 2020, the question was: “Which platform should I publish my course on?” In 2026, the question is different: “Should I build my own platform, or should I support my existing sales channels with a professional delivery layer?”
In this guide, I’ll compare three different approaches: traditional course platforms, MOOCs, and creator economy tools.
LMS, Course Platform and Delivery Layer
Let’s clarify the terminology first:
LMS (Learning Management System): Enterprise-focused, full-fledged education management systems. Typically used by companies, universities, and large educational institutions. Offers comprehensive features like student tracking, assessment, certification, and reporting.
Course Platform: Solutions designed for individual educators and small teams, combining course creation and sales in a single platform. Teachable, Thinkific, Kajabi fall into this category.
Delivery Layer: Tools that provide professional presentation of course content without replacing your existing sales platforms (Gumroad, Shopier, etc.). Works independently of where you make sales.
| Approach | Best For | Advantage | Disadvantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| LMS | Enterprises, large teams | Full control, comprehensive features | Complex, expensive |
| Course Platform | Individual educators | All-in-one solution | Monthly cost, platform dependency |
| Delivery Layer | Individual creators, those with existing sales channels | Keeps existing system, pay-as-you-go | Sales management separate |
Course Platforms
These platforms bring both course creation and sales under one roof. Practical for getting started, but costs can increase as you scale.
Teachable
A major player in the industry since 2013. Combines course sales, coaching packages, and digital product sales in a single platform. Particularly suitable for those who want to offer coaching and one-on-one lessons.
Key features:
- One-on-one coaching support
- Flexible pricing options (one-time, subscription, payment plans)
- Customization with Liquid template support
- Custom domain usage
Teachable is suitable for educators who produce content regularly and treat it as a business model. For current prices and package comparison, visit the Teachable Pricing page.
Thinkific
A platform that stands out with its ease of use and flexible course structure. Offers advanced features like prerequisite courses, cohort-based learning, and timed content release.
Key features:
- Multiple instructor support
- Cohort-based learning
- Drip content (timed content release)
- Wide payment method support
Worth considering if you’re treating course production as a separate revenue stream. For details, check the Thinkific Features page. You can also read my post on Thinkific.
Kajabi
A marketing-focused platform that treats courses as “products.” You can create sales funnels with Pipelines and run email marketing campaigns.
Key features:
- Sales funnel creation (Pipelines)
- Email marketing integration
- Subscription and membership management
- Website and course management in one platform
Suitable for those who want to manage marketing processes in a single platform. However, pricing is higher compared to other alternatives.
Podia
A platform that stands out with its simplicity-focused approach. Combines courses, digital products, webinars, and community management in a single interface.
Key features:
- Clean and easy-to-use interface
- Digital download sales
- Webinar and live event support
- Community management
Ideal for educators who don’t want to deal with technical details and want to get started quickly. For details, visit the Podia website.
You can also read my post on Podia.
LearnWorlds
A platform that stands out with interactive video features and detailed analytics. Offers advanced training features like certificate design, question banks, and live classes.
Key features:
- Interactive video content
- Detailed student analytics
- Certificate design and management
- Live class integration
Suitable for those who want to produce professional training content and track students in detail. You can also read my post on LearnWorlds.
MOOC Platforms
Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platforms offer the opportunity to reach millions of students, but you need to meet certain criteria to become an educator. Revenue models on these platforms typically work on a revenue-share basis.
Udemy
One of the best-known online education platforms. Provides access to a wide audience, but a common topic raised by educators: revenue sharing rates can be low, especially on sales from Udemy’s promotions.
Educator perspective:
- Good starting point for building an audience
- Limited pricing control (during promotion periods)
- Dependency on Udemy’s discovery algorithm for organic reach
- Revenue share model: 97% on customers you bring, 37% on Udemy organic sales
If you want to publish your course for free, the total length of your video content must not exceed 2 hours.
Coursera
A platform founded by Stanford professors, partnering with universities and major companies. Certificates and degrees are recognized as valid in academic and corporate worlds.
Educator perspective:
- Course publishing through partner organizations (no individual applications)
- Academic accreditation and MasterTrack programs
- Corporate partnerships (Google, Meta, IBM, etc.)
Direct access is not possible for individual educators, but there may be opportunities to produce content through an institution or company.
edX
A non-profit platform founded by Harvard and MIT. Offers university-level courses, with the opportunity to earn academic credit through MicroMasters programs.
Educator perspective:
- Content publishing only through partner institutions
- Academically focused, research-backed
- Wide range of subjects
To publish courses on platforms like Coursera and edX, you need institutional connections. For individual educators, Udemy is more accessible, but the revenue model may create different expectations.
Creator Economy and New Approaches
With the rise of the creator economy, selling digital products and courses on platforms like Gumroad has become widespread. However, these platforms focus on the “sales” side and don’t offer a professional course experience.
Sales Platforms
Gumroad, Ko-fi, Patreon, Buy Me a Coffee and similar platforms are excellent for digital product sales:
- Low transaction fees
- Simple setup
- Wide payment method support
However, when you sell a “course,” your customer typically receives a ZIP file or PDF, or views videos and text files listed on a single page. They don’t offer features like student tracking or progress systems.
Delivery-Focused Solutions
If you’re selling courses through the Sales Platforms mentioned above, you’re probably experiencing this problem: your customer paid, but all you have is a file or a few videos. No student tracking, no progress system, no professional course experience.
Systems like Validough are emerging to fill this gap, working as a “delivery layer.” These systems offer a professional course experience without changing your existing sales platform, with a pay-per-sale credit model. You can find technical details and architectural decisions in the related post.
Advantages of this approach:
- No fixed monthly cost, pay-as-you-go
- Keep your existing sales platform
- Automatic student enrollment via webhook integration
- Student progress, video notes, drip content
Which Platform Is Right for You?
| Situation | Recommended Approach |
|---|---|
| Publishing my first course, want to start simple | Podia or Thinkific (free plan) |
| Will provide coaching and one-on-one lessons | Teachable |
| Want to build marketing funnels | Kajabi |
| Want to reach a wide audience, revenue is secondary | Udemy |
| Already have a sales channel, want professional course experience | Delivery layer solutions |
| Will provide corporate training | LMS (Academy of Mine, LearnDash, etc.) |
Decision Criteria
Budget: Can you afford fixed monthly costs? Or do you prefer paying per sale?
Technical level: Can you handle webhook integration, custom domain setup, etc.?
Existing channels: Do you already have a sales channel (Gumroad, Shopier, your own site)?
Scale: How many students do you expect? A small community or thousands of students?
The online education ecosystem has matured significantly since 2020. There’s no longer a single “right” platform—different combinations may make sense depending on your situation. What matters is choosing tools that fit your business model and target audience.
Don’t forget platforms focused on specific topics like Treehouse and DataCamp. Each has its strengths in its own domain.
For web analytics and tracking, you can check out my posts on LearnWorlds and Thinkific.
*[MOOC]: Massive Open Online Course *[LMS]: Learning Management System