Best Online Course Platforms in 2026
For founders and operators who want to build, sell, and run courses without stitching five tools together. Five platforms compared honestly.
LearnWorlds is the best overall online course platform for most people who care about the learning experience, with interactive video, assessments, and a real branded academy site. Thinkific is the simpler pick if you want to launch your first course fast without a learning curve. Choose Kartra if you want courses plus a full email and funnel stack in one tool, and Circle if community and engagement matter more than polished course delivery.
Key facts5 tools compared: LearnWorlds, Thinkific, Kartra, ProProfs Training Maker, Circle
- 5 tools compared: LearnWorlds, Thinkific, Kartra, ProProfs Training Maker, Circle
- Thinkific (best for: Launching your first course fast): From €53/mo billed monthly or €39/mo annually (Basic); 30-day free trial, no free plan
- Kartra (best for: Marketers who want courses plus email and checkout in one tool): From $59/mo billed monthly (Essentials); priced by contacts (500 to 25,000)
- ProProfs Training Maker (best for: HR and learning teams that want an easy-to-use platform with AI course creation): From $1.99/active learner/mo (Essentials); free plan available
Every creator hits the same fork: host your course on a general site builder and duct-tape payments on top, or use a platform built to sell and deliver learning. The five tools here all do the second, but they are not interchangeable.
Two are course-first (LearnWorlds, Thinkific), one is a corporate L&D LMS with AI course creation (ProProfs Training Maker), one is a marketing suite that happens to teach (Kartra), and one is a community platform that added courses (Circle).
The right call depends on whether your product is the course itself, the audience around it, or the funnel that sells it.
Top Picks
Based on features, real-world fit, and value for money.
The most complete dedicated course platform of the five, with interactive video, assessments, and a real academy website.
From $29/mo (Starter, monthly billing); $5 per paid enrollment
Creators serious about the course experience
The easiest course platform to get running, with a clean builder and the gentlest learning curve on this list.
From €53/mo billed monthly or €39/mo annually (Basic); 30-day free trial, no free plan
Launching your first course fast
An all-in-one marketing suite with email, funnels, and checkout where courses are one module, not the main event.
From $59/mo billed monthly (Essentials); priced by contacts (500 to 25,000)
Marketers who want courses plus email and checkout in one tool
| Tool | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| LearnWorlds | From $29/mo (Starter, monthly billing); $5 per paid enrollment | Creators serious about the course experience |
| Thinkific | From €53/mo billed monthly or €39/mo annually (Basic); 30-day free trial, no free plan | Launching your first course fast |
| Kartra | From $59/mo billed monthly (Essentials); priced by contacts (500 to 25,000) | Marketers who want courses plus email and checkout in one tool |
| ProProfs Training Maker | From $1.99/active learner/mo (Essentials); free plan available | HR and learning teams that want an easy-to-use platform with AI course creation |
| Circle | From $89/mo billed annually (Professional, 2% fee) | Community-led courses and group programs |
Pricing read from each vendor's own pricing page, checked Oct 2026. Every vendor here publishes a price.
LearnWorlds
The most complete dedicated course platform of the five, with interactive video, assessments, and a real academy website.
- Pricing
- From $29/mo (Starter, monthly billing); $5 per paid enrollment
Best for: Creators serious about the course experience
Pros
- Best learning experience here: interactive video, SCORM, quizzes, and certificates
- Highly customizable course site and checkout without needing a developer
- Entry plan starts at $29/mo ($24/mo billed annually)
Cons
- Starter plan charges $5 per paid enrollment, so you jump to $99/mo to remove it
- More features means a steeper learning curve than Thinkific
Thinkific
The easiest course platform to get running, with a clean builder and the gentlest learning curve on this list.
- Pricing
- From €53/mo billed monthly or €39/mo annually (Basic); 30-day free trial, no free plan
Best for: Launching your first course fast
Pros
- Fastest, simplest setup of any tool here
- Clean student experience and reliable course delivery
- Full-feature 30-day trial to test your idea before paying
Cons
- No permanent free plan anymore, only a trial
- Start, the plan Thinkific marks as most popular, is €107/mo billed monthly, more than double Basic
Kartra
An all-in-one marketing suite with email, funnels, and checkout where courses are one module, not the main event.
- Pricing
- From $59/mo billed monthly (Essentials); priced by contacts (500 to 25,000)
Best for: Marketers who want courses plus email and checkout in one tool
Pros
- Replaces email, funnels, checkout, and membership tools in one subscription
- Strong automation, affiliate management, and page builder
- No transaction fees from the Starter tier up
Cons
- The course and LMS module is basic next to LearnWorlds or Thinkific
- Contact-based pricing climbs as your email list grows
ProProfs Training Maker
An easy-to-use corporate learning platform with AI course creation, 500+ ready-made workplace courses, and built-in assessments and reporting for HR and learning teams.
- Pricing
- From $1.99/active learner/mo (Essentials); free plan available
Best for: HR and learning teams that want an easy-to-use platform with AI course creation
Pros
- Builds complete training courses from a single AI prompt, so teams launch much faster
- 500+ ready-made workplace courses, plus built-in assessments, certifications, learner tracking, and reporting
- Supports SCORM, HRIS, SSO, APIs, and multilingual learning for growing organizations
Cons
- No downloadable or on-premise setup
- No dark mode for low-light use
Circle
A community-first platform with courses attached, best when engagement and discussion are the actual product.
- Pricing
- From $89/mo billed annually (Professional, 2% fee)
Best for: Community-led courses and group programs
Pros
- Best community, events, and live features of the five
- Clean modern interface members actually enjoy using
- Courses, discussion, and paid memberships live in one space
Cons
- Course tools are functional but basic, no SCORM or advanced assessments
- Entry Professional plan charges a 2% transaction fee
What it is
An online course platform hosts your video lessons, quizzes, and downloads, gates them behind a login, takes payment, and tracks who finished what. The good ones also give you a branded site, drip scheduling, certificates, and email so students actually complete the course.
Think of it as a store, a video host, and a learning management system in one place, so you are not wiring Stripe, video hosting, and a membership plugin together yourself.
Why it matters
Your course platform owns your checkout, your student list, and your content. Migrating later means re-uploading lessons, rebuilding funnels, and asking paying customers to move, so the choice sticks for years. Pick a tool that is too basic and you cap revenue with weak upsells and no automation.
Pick one that is too heavy and you pay for a marketing suite you never learn. Matching the platform to how you actually sell is what protects both time and margin.
Key features to look for
Pricing
LearnWorlds, Thinkific, Kartra, ProProfs Training Maker, and Circle all publish starting prices, and only LearnWorlds Corporate, Thinkific Plus, and Circle Plus are quote-only. The cheapest published entry is ProProfs Essentials at $1.99 per active learner per month, and ProProfs also has a free plan for up to 10 learners.
Its Business ($3.99) and Business Complete Elite ($4.98) prices are shown with higher struck-through list prices of $5.99 and $8.99. LearnWorlds Starter is the cheapest flat monthly price listed in dollars, and that plan adds a $5 per paid enrollment fee the next tier removes.
Kartra runs from $59/mo to $549/mo on monthly billing and prices by contacts from 500 to 25,000. Circle starts at $89/mo billed annually with a 2% fee that falls to 1% on the Business and Scale plans and to 0.5% on Circle Plus.
Thinkific showed euro prices on the page we read: Basic is €53/mo billed monthly (€39 annually), Start €107 (€79) and Grow €213 (€159), with a 30-day trial and no permanent free plan.
Prices checked in October 2026 on the LearnWorlds, Thinkific, Kartra, ProProfs Training Maker and Circle pricing pages.
| Plan | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| LearnWorlds Starter | $29/mo billed monthly ($24 annually), $5 per paid enrollment | Entry plan, 1,000 active learners a month, 1 admin |
| LearnWorlds Pro Trainer | $99/mo billed monthly ($79 annually) | Removes the Starter enrollment fee |
| LearnWorlds Learning Center | $299/mo billed monthly ($249 annually) | Full white-label academy; Corporate is the custom-quote tier above |
| Thinkific Basic | €53/mo billed monthly (€39 annually) | 30-day trial, no permanent free plan |
| Thinkific Start | €107/mo billed monthly (€79 annually) | Marked most popular; paid tier above Basic |
| Thinkific Grow | €213/mo billed monthly (€159 annually) | Top self-serve tier; annual billing saves 25% |
| Thinkific Plus | Custom quote | Custom plan, no published price |
| Kartra Essentials | $59/mo billed monthly ($52 annually) | 500 contacts, one membership or course, 5% transaction fee |
| Kartra Starter | $119/mo billed monthly ($99 annually) | 2,500 contacts; no transaction fees from this tier up |
| Kartra Growth | $229/mo billed monthly ($189 annually) | 12,500 contacts, funnel analytics |
| Kartra Professional | $549/mo billed monthly ($429 annually) | 25,000 contacts, top published Kartra plan |
| ProProfs Training Maker Essentials | $1.99/active learner/mo | Paid entry above the free plan |
| ProProfs Training Maker Business | $3.99/active learner/mo | Mid tier per active learner |
| ProProfs Training Maker Business Complete Elite | $4.98/active learner/mo | Top tier per active learner |
| Circle Professional | $89/mo billed annually (2% fee) | Entry plan with a transaction fee |
| Circle Business | $199/mo billed annually (1% fee) | Lower fee than the Professional plan |
| Circle Scale | $419/mo billed annually (1% fee) | Higher limits, AI agents and unlimited workflows |
| Circle Plus | Custom quote | Custom plan with a 0.5% fee |
The bottom line
For most people building and selling courses, LearnWorlds is the pick: the richest learning experience, a proper academy site, and pricing that starts low if you can live with the Starter enrollment fee. If you would rather launch fast with zero learning curve, Thinkific is the safer first course.
Choose Kartra when the course is really a front end for a full email and funnel business, and choose Circle when the community and live sessions are what people are paying for. Match the tool to what you are actually selling, not the longest feature list.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best online course platform overall?
Is Thinkific or LearnWorlds better for beginners?
Do I need Kartra if I already have a course platform?
What about Teachable, Podia, or Kajabi?
Sources
Prices and plan details come from each vendor's own pricing page, re-checked by the Toolradar pricing tracker.
- LearnWorlds pricingchecked Sep 2026
- Thinkific pricingchecked Sep 2026
- Kartra pricingchecked Sep 2026
- ProProfs Training Maker pricing
- Circle pricingchecked Sep 2026
Some offers on this page may be paid placements or contain affiliate links.
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