Do you want to skip the read and get right to my top picks? The top online course creation software are;
Introduction to Online Course Creation Software:
While eLearning or online learning have been around for several years already, the need to reduce physical contact and exposure have made these a necessity rather than an option. Practically all educational institutions from preschool to higher learning as well as corporate human resource departments that are tasked with upskilling members of their companies’ staff.
In which case, online course creation software and online training platforms for businesses have become an educator’s best friend: a viable channel through which academic syllabi and skills training may be deployed remotely to a wider audience than traditional classroom lectures or seminar-workshops.
But what exactly are online course creation software? What types of online course platforms UK are available, and which are the best that academics and HR professionals can use for their organisations?
Read through our vetted list of the top online course platforms UK and online course platforms comparisons to find out more.
What are Online Course Creation Softwares?
Simply put, online course platforms UK are webspaces or portals where individual learners may access pre-recorded or live lectures as well as a variety of educational materials that may include ebooks, worksheets, and even multimedia presentations. There are online course platforms for the classroom and online training platforms for businesses.
While some of these platforms require membership or enrollment with a reputable educational institution, a number offer courses that anyone can access even without registration.
For this online course platforms comparisons, there are three specific types of online course platforms UK available:
Dedicated Online Course Creation Software
Also known as online course creation software, this category includes software that enables institutions or organisations to create and launch an online academic hub, as well as the ability to offer paid courses online. Dedicated course platforms offer tools that these groups can use to establish their academic or training brands, create specialised learning programmes, as well as landing pages to give learners easier access to materials and presentations. They can also be online training platforms for businesses to standardise organisational learning.
Take note, however, that in terms of online course platforms comparisons, few of these are offered for free. Potential users need to sign up for paid packages to use these platforms.
All-in-One Course Platforms
These are the sort of platforms you need to consider if you are an existing school that is considering expansion. These multifunctional learning portals aren't just a way by which to sell and deploy online courses, but may also be used as a strategic marketing tool, particularly in terms of lead generation and conversion. All-in-one course platforms allow users to create and launch webinars, email newsletters or modules, broadcasts, as well as automated processes.
Online Course Marketplaces
Known more commonly as massive open online courses (MOOCs), these offer the broadest range of courses at a most affordable cost (and some are even accessible for free). As a result, they open the pathway to learning to an even wider audience. Such online course platforms UK/online training platforms for businesses enable course content creators to manage their content and landing pages more conveniently and publish their content for free.
Consequently, they can even improve their earning power through a share of the sales. In particular, some of these MOOCs are affiliated with websites or social media networks that are related to workplace improvement and employee growth like LinkedIn.
Our Top Online Course Platforms UK
In this online course platforms comparisons, we have chosen the top four online course platforms UK per category. We selected platforms based on the features they offer, how easily these may be used by both course creators and learners, reliability, as well as value for money.
Dedicated Online Course Creation Software
- Thinkific – Editors Choice! – best for creating and selling online courses with advanced marketing and customization tools
- Learnworlds– best for creating visually stunning and interactive online courses with gamification features
- Teachable– best for creating and selling online courses with a user-friendly interface and a range of integrations
- Teachery– best for creating and selling straightforward online courses with a simple and streamlined interface.
All-in-One Course Platforms
- Podia – Editors Choice! – best for creators who want to sell digital products and online courses with a user-friendly interface
- Systeme.io– best for entrepreneurs who want an affordable all-in-one platform for selling digital products, courses, and memberships
- Kartra– best for businesses that want an all-in-one marketing platform with advanced automation and funnel-building tools
- Kajabi– best for online course creators who want a powerful platform with advanced marketing, customization, and community features.
Online Course Marketplaces
- Udacity – Editors Choice! – best for high-quality and industry-relevant tech courses with project-based learning and career services
- Skillshare– best for creative professionals who want to learn and teach creative skills with a community-driven approach
- Udemy– best for a wide range of affordable online courses taught by experts in various fields
- Coursera– best for high-quality and accredited courses from top universities and organizations with a focus on career advancement
- LinkedIn Learning– best for professionals who want to improve their skills and advance their careers with personalized learning paths and industry insights.
How We Rated the Top Online Course Creation Software:
We know that every online course creation software has their specific selling points. However, for the purposes of coming up with this online course platforms comparisons of the crème de la crème, here is the criteria we used:
- Ease of use – Is the online course platforms UK/online training platforms for businesses accessible and usable to a wide audience, or does it cater only to the well-versed and coding savvy?
- Features – For online course platforms comparisons, does it provide features relevant for learning, such as exams, quizzes, interaction, community, certifications, and others?
- Quality and type of content – Here, we look at the type of content format that the online course creation software/online training platforms for businesses supports. Does it include images, audio, PDFs and others? Having comprehensive support for diverse content formats is desirable.
- Customisation features – To create great courses that resonate with users, creators need to have access to excellent editing features and customisation tools.
- Marketing and payment features – For this online course platforms comparisons, do they offer eCommerce features or those that allow monetisation of courses?
- Pricing and value for money – We ask whether the online course creation software/online course platforms for businesses is realistic in their price offerings and subscription terms, particular for small and medium businesses.
The Top Online Course Creation Software In Detail:
Here is the best online course creation software/online training platforms for businesses up close. Be sure to take note of the online course platforms comparisons in terms of features and pricing so you can make a wiser choice.
The Best Dedicated Course Platforms
1. Thinkific (Editors Choice!)
This platform is best described as an online learning hub whose primary USP is scalability. As it says on its website, one of its key brand promises is growing users’ audience bases, enabling them to go from a target of ten learners to up to 10 million. Thinkific allows users to distribute flexible content through the platform, giving learners access to a wide variety of educational tools like both live and recorded lessons, unlimited videos, gauged assessments, and community participation through forums and chat groups.
Key Features:
- Live lessons and cohorts;
- Periodic assessments and certificate generation;
- Progress tracking; and
- Online community building
Pricing:
- Free plan with basic features and limited courses
- Paid subscriptions range between $39 and $399 monthly
If you're considering Thinkific, do read their service terms page.
>> Click for the lowest Thinkific pricing today <<
2. Learnworlds
This platform allows users to sell and deploy courses through their own websites. Considered an education amplifier, Learnworld’s unique structure helps schools or organisations create interactive high-conversion websites that can be created, deployed, and even monetised in less time than most course providers.
The beauty of Leanworlds lies in two things: its intuitive drag-and-drop course creator and the fact that one’s academic hub or school site is SEO-ready. Learnworlds is also one of the few online course platforms UK/online training platforms for businesses we have seen thus far that offers a more extensive range of aesthetic templates, thus allowing users to create learning sites that are as eye-catching as they are engaging.
Key Features:
- Integrated learning experience featuring augmented videos with transcripts, learning hotspots, and interactive content;
- Customisable course player;
- Advanced testing engine; and
- Third-party app integration.
Pricing:
- No free plan or trial available;
- Paid plans range between $24 and $465.80
If you're considering LearnWorlds, do read their service terms page.
> Click for the lowest Learnworlds pricing today <<
3. Teachable
If you’re in the knowledge business, then Teachable may be the platform for you. Originally called Fedora, this platform makes course building easy even for those with tabula rasa knowledge of course creation – and you can create content in a virtually unlimited range of topics. It providers users with one of the easiest – and most scalable – frameworks with which to create their own online learning hubs.
Key Features:
- Easy linkage between user website and the Teachable platform;
- Comprehensive analytics;
- Ecommerce component;
- Collaboration tools; and
- Third-party integration with utility apps like Calendly, Zapier, and Zendesk
Pricing:
- Free plan includes core features;
- Paid plans range between $29 and $249
If you're considering Teachable, do read their service terms page.
>> Click for the lowest Teachable pricing today <<
4. Teachery
Teachery is the sort of platform that takes all the guesswork out of course and content creation by making sure that users don’t have to freak out over the technical aspects of creating their online learning hub. While it is somewhat basic to look at and work with, it is a platform we recommend for beginners as building your learning hub actually serves as a walkthrough for more advanced programmes, giving you a solid background in case you plan to expand your hub in the future.
Key Features:
- Basic live course editor;
- Embedding feature for multimedia and slide-based presentations;
- Payment gateways;
- Membership bundles; and
- Customisable login and email capture pages.
Pricing:
Offers a two-week free trial, then charges $49 monthly thereafter
If you're considering Teachery, do read their service terms page.
>> Click for the lowest Teachery pricing today <<
The Best All-in-One Course Platforms
Now, let's go to the top all-in-one course platforms and online training platforms for businesses that allow you both to deliver and sell courses. Be sure to follow the online course platforms comparisons to help you decide.
1. Podia (Editors Choice!)
Podia touts itself as an all-in-one learning storefront and is a unified course platform that incorporates ecommerce, social media connectivity, and online community building with its intuitive course builder. Specifically pandering more to creators, the platform offers users a site builder that they can use out of the box to create highly engaging online classes that feature interactive components, rich media streaming, and a reliable quizzing and assessment engine.
Key Features
- Intuitive site / course builder;
- Wistia for unlimited multimedia hosting / streaming;
- Built-in course player;
- Membership tools; and
- Ecommerce tool suite
Pricing:
- Offers two-week free trial;
- Rates are among the most reasonable in the industry, ranging between $39 and $199 monthly
>> Click for the lowest Podia pricing today <<
2. Kartra
The thing about Kartra is that many people are more familiar with it as an online marketing tool rather than an online course creation software. But it’s actually one of the leading course creation solutions/online training platforms for businesses currently available. This is mostly because it’s one of the easiest to use, offering a drag-and-drop site / course builder so you can create courses in minutes.
What needs to be said in this online course platforms comparisons is the fact that it’s also a marketing tool. This means it also makes selling courses online and developing highly interactive learning communities a great deal easier. Best of all, you don’t have to download it; this online course platform is ready to use from the cloud.
Key Features:
- Drag-and-drop course builder / editor;
- Kartra Leads sub-platform for CRM;
- Landing page creator; and
- Marketing tool suite
Pricing:
One of the more expensive options currently available: price range runs from $99 to $499 monthly
>> Click for the lowest Kartra pricing today <<
3. Systeme
An online course platform that assures you that you can build, deploy, and sell courses in minutes may sound too good to be true, but such is the case with Systeme. Touted as one of the easiest ways to create and sell course content, the platform allows users to integrate the courses they create into existing websites but also host their courses and materials in a single centralised learning hub.
Key Features:
- Easy to use intuitive course editor;
- Ecommerce integration with payment portals and sales funnels;
- Allows for content dripping or timed access to course content;
- Enables users to create unified learning hubs; and
- Email marketing
Pricing:
- Free plan limited to 2,000 contacts;
- Paid plans range between $27 to $97 monthly
>> Click for the lowest System.io pricing today <<
4. Kajabi
Considered the leading online course platform by insiders in the knowledge business scene, Kajabi is an all-in-one course platform that gives users all the tools that they need to create compelling, engaging, and lucrative online academies or learning hubs. The choice of over 50,000 learning professionals covering a diverse range of subjects, the platform enables users to work at their own pace to create courses with maximum impact.
Key Features:
- Intuitive editor for site and / or course creation;
- Automated marketing tools;
- Proprietary mobile app for learning access on the go;
- Integrated email creation; and
- Payment gateway integration.
Pricing:
- 45-day free trial;
- Paid plans range between $199 and $399
>> Click for the lowest Kajabi pricing today <<
Online Course Marketplaces
1. Udacity (Editors Choice!)
Udacity is an online learning platform that offers high-quality, industry-relevant courses and nanodegree programs in technology and business. Its courses are developed in collaboration with leading tech companies and are designed to provide learners with practical skills and hands-on experience. Udacity's personalized learning approach, mentorship, and career services make it a popular choice for professionals looking to advance their careers or switch to a tech-related field.
Key Features
- High-quality, industry-relevant tech courses with a focus on practical skills and project-based learning.
- Courses and programs developed in collaboration with leading tech companies such as Google, IBM, and Amazon.
- Personalized learning experience with mentorship, coaching, and feedback from industry professionals.
- Flexible learning options with self-paced and term-based courses, as well as nanodegree programs.
- Career services including resume reviews, interview preparation, and job placement support.
- Course certificates and nanodegree credentials recognized by industry leaders and employers.
- Active student community with peer support, project reviews, and networking opportunities.
- Mobile app for on-the-go learning and offline access to course materials.
- Free access to course content, with paid options for graded assignments, project reviews, and certificates.
Pricing
- Udacity offers a range of pricing options for learners, depending on their needs and goals. Some courses and content are available for free, while others require a paid enrollment.
- For paid courses, learners can choose between a self-paced or term-based option, with prices varying based on the duration and level of support.
- Udacity also offers nanodegree programs, which are more comprehensive and include mentorship, coaching, and career services. These programs are priced as a monthly subscription, with prices ranging from around $399 to $699 per month.
- Udacity also offers a 7-day free trial for most of its paid content.
>> Click for the lowest Udacity pricing today <<
2. Skillshare
The thing about Skillshare is that the second syllable of its name alludes to the way learning is facilitated through the platform: more by interaction through collaborative project-making as opposed to more conventional lectures and workshops. Its option for teams is considered a great way to merge both team-building and upskilling through a single course or class, but it is also a way to help individual learners express themselves through a variety of creative outlets readily available on the platform.
Key Features:
- Course builder for collaborative learning;
- Personalised programmes tailored for individual learners;
- Dedicated Customer Success Manager per account;
- Comprehensive biennial reporting and analytics; and
- Customisable live experience component
Pricing:
Skillshare for Individual Learning
- Free classes are available;
- For long-term learning, the first month is free, but you will be billed $32 monthly thereafter
Skillshare for Teams
- Starter Plan pegged at $159 per user annually;
- Enterprise and Revive programmes are subject to custom pricing based on the individual company’s learning and development requirements
>> Click for the lowest Skillshare pricing today <<
3. Udemy
With over 180,000 online courses spanning numerous categories of knowledge, Udemy has become one of the world’s leading online learning sites. The homepage displays certificate courses for tech specialisations (Python, web development, MS Excel, JavaScript, data science, and AWS certification). Yet it also offers courses in the arts, personal development, business and entrepreneurship, and languages.
However, as our Udemy review suggests, if you’re learning as an individual, this may not be an ideal platform as you have to pay for courses individually and the rates differ based on the complexity of the course content.
Key Features:
- Lifetime course access;
- Cross-platform support;
- Auto-generated captions for video classes; and
- Automated note-taking for easier reference
Pricing:
Individual Learning
- Prices dependent on individual courses
Team Learning
- Standard Team subscription offers a 14-day trial, then costs $360 per learner annually;
- Enterprise-level subscriptions are subject to company requirements
>> Click for the lowest Udemy pricing today <<
4. Coursera
Created by faculty members from Stanford University, Coursera is considered the gold standard when it comes to online academics, offering an extensive range of baccalaureate and post-graduate courses from some of the world’s leading colleges and universities, on top of their expertly-curated courses spanning a broad range of topics.
Unlike many online course platforms, this one allows users to audit courses – essentially the virtual equivalent of sitting in a class without necessarily enrolling in it. It’s a feature that allows potential learners to see whether or not the course suits them before committing to enrollment.
Key Features
- Specialised courses in a variety of disciplines;
- Degree courses managed and implemented by reputable institutions; and
- Course auditing so you can get a feel of a subject before committing.
Pricing
- Individual courses are within the $50 price range;
- Degree courses may cost up to thousands, but cover the full duration of the course;
- Monthly subscriptions range between $40 and $90
>> Click for the lowest Coursera pricing today <<
5. LinkedIn Learning
The learning and development platform for the online professional networking site LinkedIn offers a diverse range of technical and business-oriented courses for those who want to get ahead in their chosen careers. Topics are categorised into three key groups: Business, Creative, and Technology and classes can range from practical applications to improving one’s personal demeanour in the workplace.
Key Features
- Extensive course catalogues;
- Automated certification that gets reflected in real time on one’s LinkedIn profile;
- Option to have audio-only courses so you can learn on the go; and
- Expert-created testing and assessment
Pricing
- Individual learning plans cost $29.99 monthly
- Corporate learning plans are subject to specific company requirements and the number of users
>> Click for the lowest LinkedIn pricing today <<
Conclusion and Recommendations to Online Course Creation Software:
Wrapping up our list of the top online course creation software and online course platforms comparisons;
- Thinkific for dedicated online course creation software platform,
- Podia for all-in-one course platforms, and
- Udacity for online course marketplaces.
We've enumerated some of the best online course creation software, online training platforms for small businesses and online course platforms UK that deserves your consideration. Whatever your purpose is – for teaching, growing your online audience, or selling courses for income, all these platforms is a step towards the right direction.
Yes, we've made some recommendations in this online course platforms comparisons, but you can always look around for other alternatives. Make sure to always consider your resources, time, earning objectives, and audience when choosing the right online course creation software.
FAQ:
What content formats can I use in an online course creation software?
It depends on the platform. However, for those online course platforms UK and online training platforms for businesses that we featured here, you can insert audio, images, PDFs, videos, and even presentations to spice up your course. You can also add interactive features to improve the learning environment, such as quizzes and assignments.
Does the free plan offered by online course platforms UK and online training platforms UK merely a trial version?
No, it's not. Online course platforms free plans are not only trials. They do not expire and you can use it to your advantage for as long as the platform is still operational.
This is my first time to use apps for online training platforms for businesses or online course creation software. How do they work?
Installing apps or interfacing such with your online course creation software enhances the way you create, deliver, and sell your online course.
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