If you are choosing a online course platform, you probably want to get started without complications: an intuitive builder, integrated payments, videos that load smoothly, and maybe a small community to engage students. Below you'll find what the market really offers in 2025 and what online course platforms They are more immediate for those who want to get started right away.
Free e-learning platforms: what they really offer
In 2025 the free e-learning platforms They exist, but with compromises. If you need to sell courses under your own brand, "free forever" options are rare: for example, Payhip offers a free plan with full functionality but a commission on sales (which can then be eliminated by upgrading to a paid plan).
If you are looking for a free learning environment for learn online or provide training without selling (school, associations, personal projects), Canvas Free-for-Teacher It allows you to create and manage courses at no cost; it is designed for teachers/educators and does not include sales functions.
Solutions like MoodleCloud Today they offer a free trial and paid plans with user limits; here too, the goal is more academic than commercial.
Bottom line: free is fine for testing or educational use; if you want a website for online courses With checkout and marketing, you'll soon end up on a paid plan on an online training platform.
The 5 Easy Platforms to Get Started (Quick Overview)
Below you will find five popular and easy-to-use solutions. They are not "marketplaces" of online course sites, but tools to build your own website for online courses with your brand.
1) Teachable — “simple payments, quick setup”
It has a linear builder and an integrated payment system (Teachable:Pay(on Stripe) with the option to also use PayPal; you can set up collections and payout schedules without external plugins. It offers a free trial and paid plans. Ideal if you need the essentials to sell courses quickly.
2) Thinkific — “drag-and-drop and AI to go online today”
It stands out for its simple builder and AI-assisted tools to speed up structure and content. In 2025, it offers a free trial (30 days) but not a permanent free plan. A good choice if you want to start with a clean editor and an intuitive UX for you and your customers. students.
3) Podia — “minimal all-in-one: courses, website, and email”
Designed for “team of one” creators: site, course sales, community and email marketing in the same panel. The basic plan applies a commission on sales; no fee on the higher plan. It is among the online training platforms more “plug-and-play” if you want to keep everything simple.
4) Kajabi — “all-in-one with automations and funnels”
Complete platform: courses, websites, emails, automations, funnels, and analytics in a single environment. Available with a free trial in 2025, but not as a permanent free plan. Excellent if you're looking for an online training platform and want to scale without external services. It's one of the best platforms for creating online courses.
5) LearnWorlds — “interactive videos and engaging learning”
If yours is a video course project, here you find native tools to make videos interactive (quizzes, summaries, subtitles, navigation), plus integration with Google Meet for live lessons. It is the "didactic" choice among the easy ones, perfect as online video course platform.
Costs, fees, and limits: what to really consider
Besides the canon, look at three things:
- Sales commissionsSome entry-level plans charge a fee per transaction (e.g., Podia's basic plan). Higher plans waive this fee.
- Trial periods: Many platforms allow you to test all the features before paying (Teachable, Thinkific, Kajabi, LearnWorlds).
- “Hidden” limits: number of published products, contacts, advanced tools (certificates, automations, community). On the "Pricing" pages, you'll find updated tables to help you understand whether the basic level is enough for you or an intermediate plan is needed.
Now you have all the information you need to find the online course platform Perfect for your needs! Check out the best online course sites and make the right choice.
