The 5 Best Online Course Platforms for Beginners to Start Selling Today

You're scrolling on social media and seeing everyone turning their interests and knowledge into an online course, making profitable passive income streams even while they sleep. And now you want to do that too. But when you search online for platforms, you feel overwhelmed with so many options.

I was exactly the same at the beginning. I switched from one platform to another multiple times since I started. I wished I had one simple guide to tell me which way to go to serve my needs.

So here I am, after many trials and errors. I’ll share my experience on the best online course platforms for beginners to start selling today. Another good news is—you don’t need to be tech-savvy or have a huge following to get started.

Here are my five best beginner-friendly platforms to help you start selling your online course today.

1. Teachable: Simple and Beginner-Friendly

If you’re just starting and you want to focus mainly on online courses—not other digital products or subscriptions—Teachable is a great starting point for you. It offers simple and easy setups, a user-friendly interface, and you can quickly upload your course content, set the pricing, and start selling.

However, sometimes I get questions from students struggling to access the course. Yes, you might have to email them and explain how to do it, but this kind of issue happens on almost every platform.

How to get started:

• Sign up for the free plan to explore the platform’s features.
• Create your course outline and upload videos or PDFs.
• Use Teachable’s built-in marketing tools like coupons and email campaigns to attract more students.
  
  Pricing: Free plan available (with transaction fees), paid plans start at $39/month.

2. Thinkific: Customize Without the Complexity

Thinkific is a great choice for those who want more control over their course’s design, and you don’t have to deal with complicated coding—which is the reason why I love Thinkific. You can decide how your course page looks, control how you want your brand to appear, and deliver the message you want.

It’s not like most platforms where you have to fit into their decisions for all creators. Thinkific offers customizable course pages and easy integrations with other tools like email marketing platforms and Zoom, which is perfect if you offer coaching services or live classes.

How to get started:

• Use the free plan to set up your first course.
• Customize your course pages to align with your brand.
• Add quizzes and interactive features to boost student engagement.
  
  Pricing: Free plan available, paid plans start at $49/month.

3. Podia: All-in-One Solution for Selling

If you have different types of offers like memberships and digital products for downloads, Podia is one of the best options to fit your needs. It also has built-in email marketing to nurture potential students. However, the pricing for email marketing depends on the size of your list. The starting monthly price for the platform is affordable, similar to Teachable.

So, it’s great if you have different types of offers and want to keep everything in one place instead of using multiple platforms. The best part? No transaction fees, making it an ideal choice if you’re just starting out and want to maximize your earnings.

How to get started:

• Set up your storefront with Podia’s drag-and-drop builder.
• Offer a freebie to build your email list.
• Use Podia’s built-in email marketing to nurture potential students.
  
  Pricing: Starts at $39/month with unlimited hosting.

4. Stan Store: Ideal for Social Media Creators

Stan Store is one of my favorites among all the online course platforms. It’s super simple and easy to set up, especially if you already have an audience on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or X. Stan Store is an excellent choice because it’s designed for creators who want to sell online courses, digital products, memberships, consultations, and more.

It also has a new feature that just came out—Auto DM. It works similarly to ManyChat, allowing you to handle automated DMs from your Instagram account. I personally love this feature. Additionally, it offers an email flow feature that lets you set sequences for your email marketing. This platform is perfect if you drive your sales mainly from social media.

How to get started:

• Start your Stan Store 14-day trial
• Add your Stan Store link to your social media bio.
• Offer a limited-time course launch promotion.
• Utilize the platform’s analytics to track sales and optimize your offerings.
  
  Pricing: Starts at $29/month with unlimited products. Creator Pro plan is $99/month.

5. Gumroad: Sell Without Monthly Fees

If you want to sell courses with minimal upfront investment, then Gumroad is a great starting option. It’s super simple to use, and you don’t have to pay a monthly fee. However, you will be charged about a 10% + 3% fee from each sale.

At the beginning of my journey, I used Gumroad for a while, and I loved it. It allowed me to sell courses, digital downloads, and offer my lead magnets. It also has an email flow feature to help manage email sequences, build stronger connections with customers, and increase revenue.

How to get started:

• Set up your course and pricing options.
• Use Gumroad’s “pay-what-you-want” pricing strategy to attract more buyers.
• Promote your course through email and social media to increase sales.
  
  Pricing: No monthly fees; Gumroad takes a small percentage of each sale.

Final Thoughts

Starting your online course journey might sound complicated, but it’s usually easier than you think. You just have to think about what knowledge you can share, what type of products you have, and how you’re going to reach your audience. If you already have an audience, great—if not, focus on how to attract more. Once you have clarity on these things, the next step is choosing the right platform that aligns with your goals.

For example, when I started, I mainly used Gumroad because I was selling digital products, Notion templates, and online courses, and I had no audience. Plus, I didn’t need to pay a monthly fee. But as I started building an audience on social media and getting more sales, the commission fees became too high, so I moved to Stan Store. At the same time, I loved all the features Stan Store offered, especially the online course builder. However, I still keep my Gumroad account because it continues to bring in sales through Gumroad Discover.

So, choose the platform that suits your needs. The setup process for all of them is simple, and you can get everything ready in just a few hours to start selling immediately.

Once you have clarity on what knowledge you want to sell and how you’re going to market it, choosing the right platform that aligns with your goals becomes much easier.

Each of the platforms we discussed offers something unique—whether it's the ease of use with Teachable, the customization options with Thinkific, the all-in-one approach of Podia, the social-friendly design of Stan Store, or the no-monthly-fee model of Gumroad. The key is to pick the one that fits your needs, start small, and grow over time.

Remember, your first course doesn’t have to be your last. You’ll learn, refine, and grow with every step you take. So, pick a platform that feels right, get your content out there, and start selling.