The links in the post below may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure.
Starting out, you don’t want to get a lot of expenses before you’re making anything! So one of the Catch-22’s of this is that there are several services essential to growing your online business that require monthly payments.
Two of these things are Email Service Providers and Course Management Platforms. Here, I’ll dive into the entry-level info for several plans. It may make sense to start with one company and transition once you hit a certain milestone.
Platform | Entry/Lower Plans Cost | Features | Trial Period | Advanced Features for Higher Level Plans | Training and Documentation | Demo |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Teachable | Free limited plan, $29/month plan plus 5% transaction fees | Unlimited students 5% transaction fees Instant payouts 2 admin users, product support Course creator training Custom domain support Coupon codes Drip course content Integrated affiliate & email marketing Third-party integrations | Can start on the free plan 30-day trial Can sometimes find specials offering 60-day trials, etc. | No Transaction Fees More Admin Users Quizzes Advanced Theme Customization Reports Branded Website Course Completion Certificates Course Compliance Custom User Roles | https://teachable.com/blog/resources https://discover.teachable.com (PAID) | |
Thinkific | Free limited plan, $39/month plus 5% transaction fees | Instant payout Drag-and-drop course builder Entire website build out Multiple instructor profiles SSL Student notifications Upsell offers Discussion forums Site language options Email & phone support | Can start on the free plan | No Transaction Fees Unlimited Courses & Students More Admin Accounts More Course Admins/Authors Private & Hidden Courses Memberships and Bundles Certificates Advanced Customization Priority Support Assignments Communities | https://support.thinkific.com/hc/en-us https://training.thinkific.com/ (Some PAID) | |
Kajabi | $119/month | No transaction fees! 3 Products 2 Pipelines 10,000 Contacts 1,000 Active Members 1 Website, 1 Admin User Kajabi University Webinars & Events Ready to Use Templates Assessments (Quizzes & Surveys) Chat Support Automation | 14-day trial | More Products More Pipelines More Contacts More Active Members More Websites More Admin Users Advanced Automations Ability to Brand as Own Affiliate Program Support Experts Academy Access | https://learn.kajabi.com/ https://university.mykajabi.com/ | https://kajabi.com/demo/ |
Accessally | $82/month | 1 Website Unlimited Courses & Members Mobile-friendly order forms with Stripe & Paypal 1-click upsells Unlimited protected files and tags Searchable Member Directories Customer field credit system for gamification & points Affiliate tracking with ledgers and custom links Bulk course licenses with team & group management Monthly tune-up training calls | - | Built-in Learning Management System Progress Tracking Checklists Video Bookmarks with Tagging Automation on Completion Quizzes Certificates of Completion Private Notes Ability to Upload Homework Built-in Social Sharing & Rewards Course Statistics & Individual Student Activity Dashboard Existing Site Migration Site Branding & Design Marketing Automation Set Up in CRM | https://kb.accessally.com/ | https://accessally.com/free-demo/ |
Podia | $32.50/month | No transaction fees Your own storefront Online courses Digital downloads Email marketing Messaging Unlimited everything 7-day support Easy migrations | 14-day trial | Membership Blog Embedded Checkout Affiliate Marketing Support Third-Party code | https://www.podia.com/resources | https://www.podia.com/demo |
LearnDash | Coming Soon | |||||
LifterLMS | Coming Soon | |||||
Memberium | Coming Soon | |||||
Mighty Networks | Coming Soon | |||||
WooCommerce | Coming Soon | |||||
Udemy | Coming Soon | |||||
Lynda | Coming Soon | |||||
SkillShare | Coming Soon |