online education platforms

We compared 13 popular online learning platforms for all ages, budgets, and interests – our favorites include Coursera for certificate courses and MasterClass for creative arts classes

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• The rise of online learning is democratizing education by improving access to top-notch courses.
• We compared some of the platforms we cover the most to help you find the best ones for you.
• We looked at popular platforms like Coursera , edX , MasterClass , Skillshare , Duolingo , and more.

As online learning continues to grow in popularity, so do the options available to you. Whether you want to take a popular free Ivy League class for fun , pursue part of an online master's degree , boost your career with some additional certifications , or just learn a new language at your own pace , there are many options out there for you .

To help you decide which ones might work best with your schedule, budget, and goals, we compared 13 of the platforms we cover the most : edX , Coursera , FutureLearn , MasterClass , Skillshare , LinkedIn Learning , Udemy , Udacity , CreativeLive , Codecademy , Duolingo , Babbel , and Rosetta Stone .

The best online learning platforms for accredited university courses and degrees

• The best online learning platforms for career skills certifications

The best online learning platforms for creative skills and hobbies

• The best online learning platforms for learning a new language

Coursera , edX , and FutureLearn are three popular online learning platforms that offer courses, certificate programs, and even master's degrees from top universities as well as well-known companies and non-profit organizations.

All three have courses you can audit for free, as well as options to pay for a certificate of completion. They also have multi-course programs you can exchange for real college credits from select schools, or apply to their full master's programs.

The topics covered on each platform are incredibly diverse, covering everything from computer programming and finance to positive psychology and art history . They can be taken to advance your career or expand your knowledge in a subject for fun.

Keep reading below to learn the differences between edX , Coursera , and FutureLearn :

Cost: Individual courses are usually free to audit for a limited amount of time; certificates and longer programs vary in price.

Pros: You can most courses for free, including ones in longer programs (great for testing out a longer certificate program before committing to it); financial assistance is available

Cons: Some courses are archived, meaning you can still access them but can't earn a certificate; Charges one lump sum for courses instead of a subscription fee

You can browse all edX courses here .

Cost: Individual courses are usually free to audit; certificates and longer programs vary in price. You can also sign up for an annual Coursera Plus subscription ($399) and get access to 90% of Coursera's offerings.

Pros: Many programs charge a monthly fee, so the faster you finish, the more money you save; financial assistance available; offers some free certification courses

Cons: No financial assistance for Coursera MasterTracks; you can only audit one-off courses (you will have to pay for ones that are part of a Specialization)

You can browse all Coursera courses here.

FutureLearn

Cost: Individual courses are usually free to audit; certificates and longer programs vary in price. You can also subscribe to FutureLearn Unlimited for $189.99 annually to get unlimited access to courses.

Pros: UK-based, offers more international options; offers some free certification courses

Cons: Not as many course options as edX and Coursera; you can only audit one-off courses (you will have to pay for ones that are part of an ExpertTrack)

You can browse all FutureLearn courses here.

The best online learning platforms for career skill certifications

What all of them have in common

LinkedIn Learning , Codecademy , Udemy , and Udacity all offer online courses, programs, and bootcamps that can advance your career, including in in-demand subjects like omputer programming that boast high job satisfaction .

Unlike in-person or intensive bootcamp programs, these courses are self-paced and flexible, letting you practice and earn a certificate on your own time. They can be great for quickly picking up a new skill to boost your resume , testing out a potential job path before committing to a longer program, or gaining the qualifications you need to transition careers or move up in your role.

Keep reading below to learn the differences between LinkedIn Learning , Codecademy , Udemy , and Udacity :

LinkedIn Learning

Cost: A LinkedIn Learning subscription is $19.99/month (annually) or $29.99/month (month-to-month).

Pros: Short video classes broken down into digestible segments; certifications go right on your LinkedIn profile; LinkedIn occasionally makes popular career courses free for a limited time

Cons: Less interactive; no way to submit homework assignments or reinforce what you've learned

You can browse all LinkedIn Learning courses here.

Cost: Codecademy Pro is $39.99/month (month-to-month) and $19.99/month annually. Pro Student offers 35% off to eligible current students. (Note: Codecademy is currently offering 40% off Pro and Pro Student memberships through October 22 .

Pros: Some free beginner options ; a huge range of programming courses; Fun, hands-on projects

Cons: Less interactive than traditional coding bootcamps

You can browse all Codecademy courses here.

Cost: You can pay a one-time fee per course or subscribe to a Udemy Personal Plan for $29.99/month for unlimited access to all Udemy courses

Pros: Easy to use on mobile; offers a huge range of course offerings; popular bootcamps are updated frequently so you're working with the latest information; frequent sales on courses

Cons: Less interactive; harder to reinforce or test what you've learned; not all courses come with certificates

You can browse all Udemy courses here.

Cost: Nanodegrees can be paid for as you go, starting at $399/month or $1,017 total

Pros: Offers some free courses ; provides additional career resources and support to help you find a job after a Nanodegree

Cons: Nanodegrees can get pricey and involve a bigger time commitment if you want to finish faster to save money

You can browse all Udacity courses here.

While platforms like edX and Coursera are great for taking university-accredited courses for fun , MasterClass , Skillshare , and CreativeLive all offer subscriptions to unlimited online courses and are particularly great for growing creative skills like writing, photography, art, design, and acting — though they all offer courses in other subjects like personal development.

All three platforms offer courses from celebrities and experts at the top of their fields, from famous chefs and bestselling authors to well-known Stanford faculty members . They also offer courses in more niche creative subjects, from hand-lettering to bird photography .

While they don't offer the same direct feedback on your work as in-person instruction, they can be a fun way to unwind and learn a new skill at your own pace.

Keep reading below to learn the differences between MasterClass , Skillshare , and CreativeLive :

MasterClass

Cost: A MasterClass subscription is $180 annually (broken down to $15/month)

Pros: Beautiful and engaging video quality; celebrity instructors; offers a broad range of topics; digestible format; online forum provides a sense of community

Cons: No certifications; have to hold yourself more accountable to learn

You can browse all MasterClass courses here .

CreativeLive

Cost: You can pay a one-time fee per course or subscribe to a CreativeLive membership for $13/month.

Pros: Lots of in-depth bootcamps; great selection of in-depth courses to expand your skillsets

Cons: Less interactive; no direct feedback

You can browse all CreativeLive courses here.

Cost: A Skillshare Premium subscription is $32/month (month-to-month) or $15/month (annually)

Pros: Nice video quality; some celebrity and expert instructors; great for very niche topics

Cons: No certifications; mostly focused on art and design

You can browse all Skillshare courses here.

The best online learning platforms for learning new languages

Duolingo , Babbel , and Rosetta Stone are three language-learning platforms we cover a lot, and each has different strengths depending on which language you want to learn, your level of experience, and your time commitment. 

What they all have in common is flexibility — they can be great for brushing up on your high school Spanish or learning a few Japanese phrases before a trip .

Keep reading to learn more about the differences between Duolingo, Babbel, and Rosetta Stone:

Cost: Free; Duolingo Plus is $6.99/month for features like ad-free experience and unlimited tries

Pros: Great for learning new vocabulary; Fun, gamified experience; Easy to use on mobile; Lots of language options (including Yiddish )

Cons: Not as much practice directly speaking with someone in conversation

You can browse all of Duolingo's language options here.

Cost: $13.95 for 1 month; $9.95/month (3 months); $8.45/month (6 months); $6.95/month (1 year)

Pros: Focused on teaching you realistic conversation topics, such as travel or career-focused phrases; Uses native speakers to demonstrate lessons; frequent sales offered

Cons: Some language programs are not as strong as others ; Not as many language options as other services

You can browse all of Babbel's language options here.

Rosetta Stone

Cost: $11.99/month (3 months); $7.99/month (1 year); $179 lifetime (unlimited languages)

Pros: Fully immersive, mimicking real-life experience; Huge selection of languages to choose from

Cons: More expensive, requires more of a time commitment 

You can browse all of Rosetta Stone's language options here.

• Main content

30 Best Online Learning Platforms for 2024

Table of Contents

Some of the best online learning platforms include LearnWorlds, Coursera, Skillshare, Udemy, Docebo, Edx, Moodle, Teachable, and Thinkific.

Those are leading a fast-growing elearning industry . An unbreakable piece of evidence is the increasing number of people becoming interested in online learning for both learning and teaching purposes–either to learn a new skill or to teach online .

Luckily there are many online learning and course platforms that offer the opportunity to learn or create, and sell online courses .

For online instructors, trainers, and aspiring edupreneurs this is great news. But the struggle of choosing the best online learning platform out of the many options out there is real.

To help make this process easier, we came up with a list of the top online learning platforms analyzed by type and category that you can use to offer high-quality learning experiences.

And, to make it easier for you to choose the right platform for your needs, we broke them down into distinct categories.

Table of contents

Our choice of the top course platform: learnworlds, best online learning platforms, best online course platforms, best traditional learning management systems (lmss), best wordpress lms plugins, best authoring tools, your professional looking academy in a few clicks.

Before we go on, it’s important to distinguish the difference between the two terms ‘online learning platforms’ and ‘online course platforms,’ which often gets blurred.

What is an Online Learning Platform?

An online learning platform is an information system that provides a safe learning environment where students can take online courses.

Such online learning platforms are often called ‘online course marketplaces’ because they give learners the opportunity to search for and pay for online courses directly.

While some of these course marketplaces are used to feature online courses, the majority are more educational-based and strictly offer university-level education.

What is an Online Course Platform in Relation to a Learning Management System?

An online course platform is a type of learning management system (LMS) that online instructors can use to create, host, deliver and sell online courses.

An LMS is the higher category usually used by enterprises for employee training , customer education , and onboarding or by academic institutions to support teaching. However, the whole category can sometimes include course platforms or even WordPress plugins being used by SMEs to create and sell online courses.

Unlike online learning platforms, online course platforms are cloud-hosted software that allows instructors to create online classes or individual lessons by uploading educational material that they have created using text, images, video, PDF files, and audio.

In essence, individuals or SMEs can use a course platform to create their own course marketplace instead of offering their courses in a popular courses marketplace like Udemy, Edx, MagnetBrains , or Skillshare. This way, they can keep all the revenue and user data that they otherwise would have no control over.

Online Learning Platforms VS Online Course Platforms

An online learning platform emphasizes and presents the learner’s perspective whereas an online course platform takes the perspective of the online instructor/ teacher.

The two titles are often used interchangeably, and the real differences come from the person using the definition and the context of the conversation. From a student’s perspective, a learning platform is a place to find educational content , search and buy courses or whole educational programs. Whereas, from an educator’s perspective, it is the place to deliver knowledge .

Online learning platforms are often used to identify marketplaces for courses or education, like Coursera, Udemy, and LinkedIn Learning–formerly known as Lynda, while course platforms usually refer to the software used to create a learning environment, such as LearnWorlds, Thinkific, Kajabi, or Teachable .

Using an online learning platform takes off a lot of the hard work of building an audience, marketing, and sales, but you may not have control over pricing, user data, and branding.

With an online course platform, you have greater flexibility and freedom in managing your learning resources and course materials. Also, you get to have a say in the design and look of the entire website that hosts your online courses and in regards to the course itself – how it is being presented and promoted.

Which platform you are going to choose essentially comes down to your business’s needs.

If you choose to go with a standalone course platform, you will need to look into more specific requirements that are found in a learning management system. This is because there are many types of LMSs, and each one specializes in a certain category or serves a specific purpose better than others.

For entrepreneurs, course creators, training organizations, and SMEs, a course platform offers an all-in-one solution that fits your requirements .

LearnWorlds comes with a powerful set of eCommerce features , course authoring , user analytics , and website-building capabilities right out of the box. And it’s the platform our team has been developing and nurturing for the past 9 years, with thousands of customers in 80+ countries around the world trusting it to deliver online learning!

Whether you are looking for an internal training solution or simply to create , market , and sell your online courses or train your employees and customers , we offer the best possible solution you need at an affordable price.

Start your 30-day free trial with LearnWorlds today!

📝 Disclaimer : Positions below are arbitrary and do not indicate any preference. Numbering is used to show the number of platforms and further differentiate one from the other. We do think that every platform comes with its own advantages and disadvantages depending on the use case they are intended for.

As we go over each learning platform, we look into its advantages and disadvantages to help you decide whether it fits your needs or not.

As we mentioned before, learning platforms are more suitable for learners looking for a subject to study . They have a massive library of courses and learning paths.

Some of them accept individual instructors to teach with varied conditions to approve the content. If you don’t want to launch a course under your own website, this is the second-best way to do it. Each has its own requirements for instructors to upload their course materials and how they monetize the content.

We have, however included pros, cons, and information for both students and instructors looking into these platforms.

Platform #1: LinkedIn Learning (formerly known as Lynda)

LinkedIn Learning which was formerly Lynda.com is an educational platform that offers professional courses in business, digital marketing, web development, and more creative fields like design amongst other subjects, in the video lesson format.

The platform comes as a premium service for LinkedIn users and offers over 16,000 courses in 11 languages and focuses on helping individuals invest in their professional development. LinkedIn Learning also partners with top companies to provide its learners with the most in-demand professional certificates.

• Highly recognizable and valued for skills training
• Comes with a one-month free trial
• Provides personalized course recommendations for users
• Offers certification upon course completion
• Allows you to assess your progress using quizzes
• Has offline learning access to learn on the go
• Grants you access to other premium career features
• The quality of the courses it offers is ambiguous and you need to conduct some research into them before enrolling
• Joining as an instructor may be challenging

Who is it for?

• Learners: It is mostly suited for professionals and businesses looking to train their employees.
• Instructors: Apart from individual learners, business teams, universities, and government organizations can use the platform for educational and training purposes.

As a course creator, you can also apply to become a LinkedIn Learning instructor here .

LinkedIn Learning comes with two subscription plans for learners:

• Monthly: 1-month free trial, then $39,99/month
• Annually: 1-month free trial, then $19,99 /month

*Pricing information retrieved from LinkedIn Learning on October 26, 2023.

Platform #2: Udemy

Udemy is one of the most popular online course marketplaces on the web, featuring more than 213,000 online video courses. This educational platform has over 60 million students, 65 thousand instructors, and subject matter experts creating online courses.

Udemy makes course creation possible for everyone with the possibility of acquiring new skills. In doing so, it offers a range of online learning materials including PDF documents, PowerPoint, text, and video content, among many others.

Instructors can join Udemy and start teaching online, but it takes a huge piece of the pie from the revenue and has control over pricing and discounting the course.

• No setup cost (for instructors)
• Geared towards self-paced learning and video courses
• No need for highly technical knowledge
• A Udemy app available for iOS and Android

Cons (for instructors):

• Limited interaction with students
• High competition between instructors
• No personal branding option
• Minimal control over prices
• No data ownership or control over branding – it keeps emails and user data and does not share this information with instructors
• Visibility depends on your own marketing, the platform only promotes courses that are already popular
• Students: Udemy has a course for almost every discipline, but potential students always need to read the reviews before buying one. Quality is not consistent.
• Instructors: It’s great for teachers, instructors, educators, and freelancers who are just starting out.

Pricing / Revenue (for instructors):

To start charging students a fee for courses on Udemy, you will need to become a premium instructor. In such a case, the following conditions apply:

• No starting fee but very high commissions on sales of up to 75%.
• 37% when students come through their paid user acquisition channel.
• 97% on course sales when you sell through your own links. Udemy keeps a 3% administration fee.

*Pricing adjusted on a global price tier matrix developed by Udemy.

*Pricing information retrieved from Udemy Support on October 26, 2023.

Platform #3: Coursera

Coursera is an online education platform with over 100 million users that is dedicated to offering high-quality online training courses worldwide. While partnering with top universities and businesses, it provides students the opportunity to receive certifications from renowned institutions upon joining their paid courses.

Coursera offers individual courses, specializations, certifications, and degree programs (for bachelor’s and master’s degrees) that support on-demand video lectures, homework exercises, peer-reviewed assignments, and community discussion forums.

With Coursera Plus, students can get unlimited access to 90 percent of the learning programs in the Coursera catalog via a yearly or monthly subscription option.

• Offers a variety of learning options and activities
• Awards students with different types of accreditation (through degrees and certificates)
• Provides high-quality educational tools and instructor interactions
• Courses are free if you are not looking for a certification
• Limited to educators in partner institutions
• Less flexible course creation options compared to other platforms
• Does not offer instructor feedback, only peer reviewed assignments as a feedback mechanism
• Students: Anyone who wants to learn from prestigious institutions, whether they are looking for a one-off course, certification, or an online degree.
• Instructors: It is aimed at professors who are based at a HE partner institution or business .

Coursera offers free courses, subscriptions, and one-off payments depending on the course or program.

Platform #4: Skillshare

Skillshare is another popular course marketplace that has more than 13 million users and up to 35,000 lessons in various creative fields. Course lessons last from 20 to 60 minutes and are made from a series of small videos, class projects, and a student community that encourages interaction through discussion forums.

Classes on Skillshare are taught by industry leaders, everyday creatives, and professionals and are divided into 4 categories:

Creative arts : from graphic design to fine art, cooking, and music production. Technology : including data science, web design, and e-commerce. Business : finance, accounting, and project management. Lifestyle : teaching, languages, gaming, and wellness.

• Offers easily digestible and bite-sized learning
• Comes with a supportive discussion forum where students exchange feedback
• Provides the ability to take many courses for the same price
• Class content limited to only four categories
• Course material can be low quality
• Skillshare reviews from users are low across multiple review platforms
• No certificate of completion or any other formal recognition
• Students: It is suitable for students interested in the creative arts, technology, business, and lifestyle classes.
• Instructors: It’s great for instructors who are in the creative fields and want to make a side income. Instructors can make money through Skillshare’s royalty system and referral program .

Students: After a 7-day free trial, the pricing is $32 per month or $168 per year for access to all the courses (different regions may have different pricing).

Instructors: Free to join, but it comes with specific class quality guidelines and teaching policies you need to follow.

Skillshare pays instructors based on minutes watched from their course by students, teacher engagement, and premium referrals.

*Pricing information retrieved from Business Insider on October 26, 2023.

Platform #5: edX & Open edX

EdX.org (course marketplace) and Open-edX are two sides of the same coin. EdX is the learning platform where students find online courses from various universities, and Open-edX is an open-source content management system.

Both were created by a team of scientists from Harvard University and MIT with the goal of providing online university-level education across the globe.

EdX.org offers over 4,000 online courses from 250 prestigious businesses and universities offering higher education in many disciplines. These mainly specialize in the sciences–engineering, computer science, data science, math, humanities, business, and management.

• Free and open-source. (for instructors)
• Provides in-depth knowledge and added value (for students)
• Comes with a mobile app on iOS and Android
• Interactive online classes – allowing students to chip in
• Discussion forums seem to be outdated and difficult to navigate
• Requires technical knowledge or hiring a developer/web designer to implement (for instructors)
• Comes with the additional costs of a self-hosted server and its maintenance (for instructors)

Students (EdX): it has a very diverse library of courses suitable for most ages looking to learn a subject or new skills.

Instructors (Open-edX): It’s great for businesses who can afford a team or outsource the development and maintenance of the platform on their own servers.

Pricing for Instructors:

Free to join, but there may be additional costs of procuring a server and system support and getting expert help from Open-edX’s service providers or freelancers whose pricing varies according to your project’s requirements and budget.

For more information on Open-edX course creation expenses, check out this guide .

Platform #6: Udacity

Udacity is a learning platform that teaches learners the skills and knowledge they need, preparing them for a successful career in the technology industry.

Its training programs are known as ‘nanodegrees’ and are being offered as part of the platform’s collaboration with major tech companies like Google and Microsoft. Udacity’s mission is to transform talent at scale.

Udacity boasts a community of more than 17 million learners and 700 instructors.

• Has a simple and intuitive user interface
• Offers top-notch course content quality
• Provides additional career services (for students)
• Comes with more than 200 free courses
• Awards certificates (not accredited)
• Supports live tutoring (for instructors)
• Not much variety of course topics
• Course material is mainly in the English language
• No mobile app available
• It is a pricey option compared to other platforms

Students : It is ideal for individuals interested in updating their existing knowledge in the technology field, enterprises , and governmental organizations.

Instructors : It mainly targets industry leaders and professionals from Fortune 500 and Global 2000 companies, who have shown leadership and expertise in the tech fields.

For students : Udacity offers both free and paid courses, and prices may vary depending on the course/program itself (depending on its subject and duration). Udacity’s subscription costs $249 for a monthly plan or $2,390 with an annual payment.

For Instructors : Instructors are contracted and get paid differently depending on the contract terms. With Udacity, there are different types of instructor work, including:

• Instructor – developing a full course
• Advisor – offering advice on an Udacity school or nanodegrees
• Course proposals – proposing a new course
• Other course support – building projects, lessons, assessments, etc.

An instructor gets selected to teach on Udacity after showing a demonstrated record of professional experience and expertise in a digital subject area related to Udacity schools and after passing the instructor evaluation process.

*Pricing information retrieved from Udacity on October 26, 2023.

Online course platforms are the backbone of the eLearning economy, used by entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes to create their own educational academies, marketplaces, and training grounds.

If you are looking to start an online academy of your own, have full control over branding, pricing, and user data, then an online course platform is what you are looking for.

Platform #1: LearnWorlds

LearnWorlds is our very own cloud-based LMS platform that comes as an all-in-one eLearning management solution offering the ability to build your online academy while creating, marketing, and selling unique, interactive, and learning experiences .

Our platform brings everything you need in one place, making the process of creating online courses easy, quick, and affordable.

LearnWorlds is designed by experts in eLearning as a modern LMS platform and includes build-in authoring tools and ecommerce capabilities. LearnWorlds also comes with a state-of-the-art mobile app , community, marketing, and educational features.

• Very easy to set up and create course content
• Does not require any technical skills to use
• Comes with built-in course authoring capabilities
• Offers a state-of-the-art no-code Website Builder
• Offers a fully customizable, coding-free Mobile App Builder for iOS and Android
• Has built-in reporting, e-commerce, marketing, and affiliate features
• Comes with a built-in online community and discussion boards
• Supports SCORM and HTML5 files , including Graded SCORMs
• AI Assistant to build courses with artificial intelligence
• Offers responsive 24/7 customer support
• No pre-built sales funnels
• Limited gamification options (badges only)
• Does not support TinCan

LearnWorlds comes with the most powerful website builder for elearning sites, with website, page, and zone templates. The platform is a 100% white-label platform with fully customizable branding. It enables you to manage who sees which zones/pages and control the navigation experience of the users.

Watch the video below for a quick preview and try it out yourself from here .

It’s ideal for entrepreneurs, individual instructors, educators, small/medium businesses, professional trainers, and companies that want to train their employees or educate their customers .

It offers a 30-day free trial and then 4 subscription pricing plans:

• Starter plan: $29/month (plus $5 per course sale)
• Pro trainer plan: $99/month
• Learning center: $299/month
• High Volume and custom corporate pricing are available

*Pricing Information retrieved from LearnWorlds on October 26, 2023.

💁 Find out more about LearnWorlds’ alternatives .

Platform #2: Thinkific

Thinkific is a standalone course platform that helps you build and sell online courses. Thinkific provides everything you need to create your online education business, including an easy-to-use interface to build online courses and rich multimedia to add right into your course content.

• Includes a landing page builder
• Offers built-in sales and marketing tools
• Has various integrations with popular software
• It helps you build your online learning community
• Is a cloud-hosted platform you can connect your domain with
• Has a white-label option
• Has 24/7 support
• Offers limited control over website design
• Can be difficult to build complex courses
• Does not support SCORM, TinCan, or AICC
• Doesn’t include social features
• Focuses more on sales features rather than learning

It’s ideal for solopreneurs, small/medium businesses – SMEs, and coaches who want to generate more income.

Free to join with limited functionality. It offers a 30-day free trial on the Pro plan.

Subscription plans include:

• Free Plan – $0
• Basic – $49/month
• Start – $99/month
• Grow – $199/month
• Thinkific Plus – Customized pricing

*Pricing information retrieved from Thinkific October 26, 2023.

💁 Compare Thinkific to LearnWorlds.

💁 Compare Thinkific Pricing to Teachable & LearnWorlds.

Platform #3: Teachable

Teachable is an online teaching platform that serves the everyday instructor, helping them transform their knowledge into a business. Teachable provides an easy and simple solution for uploading your learning content, customizing your online school, and communicating effectively with your students.

• Simple and easy-to-use course authoring with quiz capabilities
• Has a landing page editor and blogging capabilities
• Comes with built-in eCommerce features
• Includes built-in affiliate, marketing, and sales tools
• Comes with a built-in email marketing tool
• Offers an app that is common to all schools (only Apple – App Store)
• Offers email support and a knowledge base
• Limited learning/teaching and assessment capabilities
• Does not support SCORM or TinCan
• Offers limited customization options on landing pages and branding
• No social or community building features
• Not very responsive customer support
• Limited white-labeling options (e.g. sign-ins and emails cannot be white-labeled)

It’s a great option for new course creators, solopreneurs, coaches, and creative professionals.

Teachable has the following pricing options:

• Free plan: $0/month (limited functionality and $1 + 10% per transaction)
• Basic plan: $59/month (plus 5% transaction fee)
• Pro plan: $159/month
• Pro+ plan: $249/month
• Business plan: Customized pricing

*Pricing information retrieved from Teachable on October 26, 2023.

💁 Compare Teachable with LearnWorlds

💁 Are you looking for a SCORM-compliant LMS ?

Platform #4: Kajabi

Kajabi is an all-in-one online platform that offers the tools to sell digital products , including online courses, coaching programs, and podcasts . Kajabi specializes in building high-converting sales pages, landing pages, and webinar pages for your online business and launching your advertising campaigns.

• Comes with built-in email and marketing tools
• Offers various integrations with popular software
• Provides sales pipelines/funnels building capabilities
• Features an online community
• Offers a collection of beautiful themes
• Allows the creation of landing pages
• Can be difficult to set up
• Has the most expensive pricing options
• Offers limited control and customization over website design
• Doesn’t offer as many course creation or learning features
• Focuses more on small digital product sales

It is for non-techy online course creators, digital entrepreneurs, small businesses, freelancers, creators, and individual instructors selling simple format courses and downloadables.

Offers a 14-day trial with a credit card. Then it goes to a monthly payment of the subscription plan, which includes:

• Basic Plan: $149/month
• Growth Plan: $199/month
• Pro Plan: $399/month

*Pricing Information retrieved from Kajabi on October 26, 2023.

💁 Compare Kajabi with LearnWorlds

Platform #5: Podia

Podia is an online learning platform that makes creating and selling online courses, memberships, and other digital products an easy task. Podia offers a rich resources library and free tools for entrepreneurs who want to build their online store, school, community, or website.

• Very easy and simple to use
• Has sales page customization options
• Comes with a website builder
• Offers email and affiliate marketing options within the platform
• Allows you to have your own membership subscription
• Doesn’t offer a community area on the platform
• Lacks learning tools like grading, assessment/assignments, and certificates
• Very limited in its capabilities – suiting smaller video-based learning, coaching, and downloadables only
• No white-label option

It’s great for content creators and artists who want to monetize their content and knowledge with simple learning activities and gated videos.

Subscription pricing plans include:

• Mover: $39/month
• Shaker: $89/month

Pricing information retrieved from Podia on October 26, 2023.

💁 Compare Podia with LearnWorlds

💁 Find out more Podia Alternatives

Platform #6: WizIQ

WizIQ is a cloud-based education platform for real-time or self-paced training that allows educators to use their own custom-branded domains. It delivers live and on-demand webinars, and it’s a very popular tool amongst online course creators who prefer live training, coaching , or a classroom-like environment.

• Offers elearning reporting and analytics
• Provides the opportunity to teach in a virtual classroom
• Has a mobile app (mLearning) that is available on Apple and Android
• Comes with course authoring with test and assessment capabilities
• Has eCommerce features and multiple integrations
• Offers a white label option
• Has no gamification options
• Its customer support representatives are difficult to reach after setup (based on online reviews)

It’s ideal for enterprise employees, individual teachers, trainers, colleges, universities, tutoring, and Test-Prep companies.

It offers a free 14-day trial and its pricing starts from $18 /month (when billed annually). Then the price varies depending on rooms and attendees, and the number of registered users for their:

• Live Classroom (Professional & Enterprise, or Pay-Per-Use plans), and
• LMS (Elite and Infinite Plans)

For more information, contact WizIQ directly.

*Pricing information retrieved from WizIQ on October 26, 2023.

Platform #7: Academy of Mine

Academy Of Mine is an all-in-one platform that empowers you to create and sell your courses in professional training, continuing education, certifications, and B2B training. With this platform, you can customize existing features or build new features via API. On top of that, you can craft interactive content with PPT, PDF, video, and many more.

• Supports SCORM content
• Offers reporting on learners’ progress
• Provides branding and white-label options
• Integrates with popular tools and uses API
• Comes with a flexible website builder
• Very responsive support team
• Needs a lot of work to customize the site
• Only offers a few video guides to help you learn how to work with the platform
• Very high price to get started or scale a project/business

It’s ideal for academics, large enterprises , public administrations, and small/medium businesses interested in offering training and certifications.

Academy Of Mine comes with a free trial but has no free version. These are the pricing plans it offers:

• Professional: $999/month
• Enterprise: custom pricing

*Pricing information retrieved from Academy Of Mine on October 26, 2023.

💁 P.S.: We also have a dedicated article on the top online course platforms .

A Learning Management System is a software application that is used to plan, manage, and deliver eLearning content. It is used widely in the eLearning industry and acts as a distribution vehicle for course content or training resources for different learning and development programs.

These are the best learning management systems in the market:

Platform #1: Docebo

Docebo comes with a top cloud-based LMS solution that ticks off the majority of every organization’s training needs and requirements. The platform is learner-centric and comes with L&D capabilities using learning-specific Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms that help to personalize the learning experience. Docebo is trusted by notable companies, including Bloomberg and Sharp.

• Compatible with SCORM 1.2 and 2004 editions, AICC, and Tin Can API
• Has engaging gamification and social learning capabilities
• Provides analytics on the effectiveness of learning programs
• Offers instructor-led training (ILT) features
• Supports more than 40 languages
• Allows third-party integrations with 400+ tools
• Allows offering certificates and selling online courses (eCommerce)
• Doesn’t offer customizable or advanced reporting capabilities
• Has limited functionality on certain objects of the LMS that require richer API
• Doesn’t come with enough features on its standard package that would better suit small and medium-sized businesses

It’s aimed for use by human resource professionals, HR departments, or enterprises.

Pricing is based on the number of active users. Docebo’s subscription plans include:

• Growth: suitable for organizations that have up to 300 users.
• Enterprise: suitable for organizations that have over 300 users and are looking for a more advanced elearning solution.

The business doesn’t provide detailed pricing information. To find out about prices, you need to contact Docebo directly.

*Pricing information retrieved from Docebo & FinancesOnline on October 26, 2023.

💁‍♀️ Best Docebo Alternatives

Platform #2: LearnUpon

LearnUpon is another great cloud-based option intended for educational purposes, corporate training, customer education, and partner training. This platform is well-known for its functionalities, user-friendly interface, and multilingual support it offers. Its ability to segment different teams and create unique learning paths is one of the advantages it offers, helping you support learning across every audience.

• Features great gamification options
• Comes with eCommerce functionality
• Compatible with SCORM and xAPI/Tin Can API
• Offers third-party integrations with key business tools
• Offers the ability to support multiple audiences in one system using multiple portals
• Supports blended learning methods – ILT, webinars, PowerPoint presentations, etc.
• Has high-pricing plans
• There is no option for HTML5 courses

It’s ideal for educational institutions and businesses of all types and sizes.

It offers a free trial and demo. Pricing is not publicly available and is based on the number of active users available on each plan. There are 3 subscription plans:

• Essential: for 150 to 300 users
• Premium: for 300 to 1000 users
• Enterprise: for 1000+ users

To get detailed information on pricing, contact LearnUpon directly.

*Pricing information retrieved from LearnUpon on October 26, 2023.

Platform #3: Litmos

Litmos (formerly known as SAP Litmos) is a popular platform that offers a variety of eLearning solutions for businesses, including corporate, customer, partner, services, support training, and compliance training. Amongst its bigger strengths is the ability to create customized learning paths for the needs and the style of every company and its employees.

• Has an intuitive course builder and built-in authoring
• Compatible with SCORM, AICC, xAPI/Tin Can API
• Offers built-in reporting, dashboards, and social communication functionality
• Comes with eCommerce and third-party integrations
• Allows the creation of customized learning paths
• Provides ILT, video assessments, and virtual classroom capabilities
• Has a content library with 2,000+ ready-made training video-based courses
• Has limited customization options
• Its interface isn’t as appealing as others
• It might be an expensive option depending on your business requirements
• Its assessment and feedback delivery process are slower than usual
• Lacks a dedicated payment gateway connection

It’s great for businesses of all types and sizes, focusing mostly on corporate training.

It offers a 14-day free trial. Pricing is not publicly available on the site, but it is based on the number of active users after contacting their sales team. Various online sources mention a price range between $2-$5 per user depending on the plan and number of users.

Access to the LMS, specific courses, and add-on features comes with a quote-based plan, after making a pricing request to Litmos directly.

*Pricing information retrieved from Litmos on October 26, 2023.

Platform #4: iSpring Learn

As another great LMS option, iSpring Learn can be integrated with the corporate training program of any business. Due to the large variety of pricing plans and standalone tools it offers, an organization can choose what fits with their learning needs and budget the most.

iSpring is the cheapest option for smaller businesses but is not as feature-rich as the other LMS in this category.

• Has unlimited file storage
• Features an intuitive learner interface
• Comes with a course template library
• Presents rich gamification features
• Provides analytical and real-time reporting
• Compatible with SCORM, AICC, and xAPI/Tin Can API
• Offers an integrated authoring tool with blended learning capabilities
• Allows mobile and offline access for a more convenient learning experience
• Uses an automated course management tool that makes administrative tasks easier
• Doesn’t offer multilingual support
• No direct learner-to-learner messaging inside discussion forums
• Has limited design customization, branding, and API options
• Has limited eCommerce capabilities and integration options

It’s suitable for organizations of all types and sizes.

It offers a 30-day free trial and a live demo. Pricing is based on the number of active users and starts at $2,99 per user/month for organizations with 50 users or fewer.

• It comes with three subscription plans – Basic, Advanced, and Pro for each set number of users (50, 100, 300, 500 and 1000 users). For more details on pricing information, check the platform’s pricing here .

*Pricing information retrieved from iSpring Learn on October 26, 2023.

Platform #5: Blackboard

Blackboard is an LMS solution that offers an adaptable learning environment suitable for both academic and business development purposes. As a learning platform, it provides a range of social and blended learning features that can make any type of training engaging throughout its course.

• Comes with a mobile app for learners and instructors (iOS and Android)
• Compatible with SCORM, AICC, IMS LTI, and xAPI/Tin Can API
• Features reporting, tracking program outcomes & accreditation standards
• Offers the ability to categorize users by different metrics (e.g. skills and department)
• Integrates with social media channels and video conferencing tools
• Limited reporting capabilities
• Limited gamification options
• Doesn’t have any security-enhancing features

It fits well with the requirements of educational institutes, public administrations, educators, trainers, instructional designers, as well as SMEs and enterprises.

It offers a 30-day trial on selected products. To learn about pricing options and get your custom plan, you need to contact Blackboard directly and arrange for a demo with an expert.

*Pricing information retrieved from Anthology on October 26, 2023.

Platform #6: Moodle

Unlike the majority of LMSs, Moodle is a free, open-source learning management platform. Moodle was designed by a group of developers and offers a range of drag-and-drop tools and useful resources that can help the everyday user. The platform is translated into over 95 languages and powers learning environments worldwide.

• Has a desktop and mobile app (iOS and Android)
• Offers a variety of customization options and integrations to plugins and add-ons
• Gives you access to a community of developers, users, and certified partners that share best practices on the use of the platform
• Doesn’t offer an email or 24/7 support
• Primitive and not as user-friendly interface
• Comes with limited gamification options
• Can be expensive if you are hosting the solution but don’t have an in-house IT team
• Its setup can be tricky and time-consuming without the help of a certified Moodle partner
• Its consultation services may come with an additional fee

It’s suitable for educators, freelancers, businesses, and public administrations.

Moodle comes in two variations. The first one is the original open-source Moodle which is free to use and runs most self-hosted eLearning websites. The other one is MoodleCloud, which offers a cloud-based solution, and its pricing is based on the number of users and file storage.

For off-the-shelf hosting:

• Starter : €120/year (50 users, 250MB)
• Mini : €200/year (100 users, 500MB)
• Small : €370/year (200 users, 1GB)
• Medium : €860/year (500 users, 2.5GB)
• Large : €1,630/year (1,000 users, 5GB)

For premium hosting: Customized pricing

*Pricing information retrieved from MoodleCloud on October 26, 2023.

Platform #6: Talent LMS

TalentLMS is another popular and cloud-based LMS option and already serves 70,000+ teams worldwide. It offers online course creators and businesses the opportunity to build training programs and share them with remote teams.

The platform comes with a range of options from building to organizing and delivering course content, as well as customizing website design and scaling your business.

• Offers a clean and user-friendly interface
• Easy to create courses in different categories
• Comes with a mobile app (for iOS and Android)
• Supports SCORM, CMI5 & xAPI content
• Comes with TalentLibrary – a collection of ready-made courses
• Provides an assessment building engine (with different testing options)
• Offers gamification and e-commerce options
• Has reporting, integrations, mass actions, and account branching capabilities
• Not as responsive customer support service
• Has limited course setup and content variety options
• Offers limited functionality inside discussion forums

It is for businesses and organizations of all sizes – from SMEs to enterprises that want to train their customers, employees, and partners.

Subscription plans include standard plans and active plans.

Standard plans (on the yearly plan) include:

• Starter : $89/month
• Basic : $189/month
• Plus : $369/month
• Premium : $569/month

Active plans (on the yearly plan) include:

• Starter Active : $179/month
• Basic Active : $339/month
• Plus Active : $489/month
• Premium Active : $649/month

Pricing changes on each plan when TalentLibrary is added to the package. See additional prices on TalentLMS .

*Pricing information retrieved from TalentLMS on October 26, 2023.

If you are using a WordPress-powered website, and you want to start creating and selling courses, a WordPress LMS plugin is what you need.

With an add-on tool like a plugin, you get to increase the functionality of your site and allow yourself more control over the administration and management aspects of your online course business.

WordPress LMS plugins are usually the cheapest option for hosting a cloud LMS , but offer much less functionality and come with high maintenance costs. They usually require some experience with WordPress or a developer to customize to your exact specifications.

They are ideal if you want to combine them with other plugins to offer a unique experience and add features to your membership site, however, there is a dangerous downside to using them. Combining many WordPress plugins without a dev team to support them may come with many bugs and incompatibilities.

The following LMS plugins are recommended if you have the team and time to implement and effectively maintain them:

Plugin #1: LearnDash

LearnDash is the most popular premium WordPress LMS plugin in the market. With it, you can design, promote, and sell online courses. Currently, it is being used by Fortune 500 companies and prestigious universities. Out of the best features it offers, its speed and its drag-and-drop course builder make the process of course creation both easy and enjoyable.

LearnDash Themes : There are many themes you can choose when using Learndash. WP Mayor has collected the 12 best themes that will elevate the quality of your online courses and your school’s. Astra, Social Learner, eLumine, and Unidash are some of the most notable ones.

• Offers membership, subscription, and one-time pricing options
• Features test and management tools, e.g., grade books and student metrics.
• Works with any WordPress theme and multi-sites
• Supports many types of media, including video, audio, images, Adobe Captivate files, and Google Docs
• Compatible with PayPal and Stripe payment gateways
• Provides the ability to market courses through monetization tools (shopping cart, memberships, subscriptions, course bundles, and course licenses)
• Provides automated email notifications and detailed reporting
• Integrates with popular tools (like Zapier, Slack, & ConvertKit)
• Offers drip-feed content, flexible prerequisites, badges, and certificates
• Allows you to install extra extensions and premium add-ons (such as the frontend course creation add-on) for advanced functionality
• No free trial, but you can cancel within 15 days (if you don’t like the product)
• Doesn’t have any video conferencing tools
• Has to be integrated with a third-party plugin like WooCommerce or Easy Digital Downloads to offer comprehensive payment options

It can be used by individuals, authors, companies, universities, training organizations, and entrepreneurs worldwide to help them create and sell their courses.

There are two ways to use LearnDash – either getting the plugin or launching a fully-hosted course website.

LearnDash plugin’s pricing is based on the number of site licenses:

• 1 site license: $199/year
• 10 site licenses: $399/year
• Unlimited: $799/year

LearnDash Cloud (full-site) comes in a monthly and yearly subscriptions in 3 plans:

• Starter: $29/month
• Yearly: $299/year

Information retrieved from LearnDash on October 26, 2023.

💁 Compare LearnWorlds vs LearnDash

💁 Compare LearnWorlds vs WooCommerce

Plugin #2: LifterLMS

LifterLMS is the leading free open-source WordPress LMS solution. It comes with content management tools that can help you offer individual courses, training-based membership websites, and MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). LifterLMS allows you to build an LMS that can be enriched with add-ons and meet the unique needs of individuals, small groups, and niche markets.

LifterLMS Themes : There is a large variety of themes you can choose from with LifterLMS. Find them on the platform’s website and pick the one that works the best with your subject, industry, or business (e.g. consultancy, entrepreneurial, and more).

• Comes with a 30-day demo for $1
• Has an automated mailing system and video lesson support
• Offers course completion certificates and achievement badges
• Supports flexible payment options (bundles, coupons, upsells, and more)
• Comes with built-in membership features, quizzes, and gradebooks
• Has a drag-and-drop builder that makes it easy to set up and create courses
• Integrates with key marketing tools, including MailChimp, WooCommerce, and WPForms
• It can get expensive if you need multiple add-ons (e.g. payment gateways)
• Not SCORM-compliant

It is suited for businesses, teachers, and WordPress users – developers, designers, and IT professionals who build LMS websites and training portals. It is also fit for do-it-yourself innovators who are interested in creating online courses, coaching or training-based membership websites, and hosted LMS platform switchers.

LifterLMS has three subscription packages.

• Earth Bundle : $199/year
• Universe Bundle : $360/year
• Infinity Bundle : $1200/year

*Information retrieved from LifterLMS on October 26, 2023.

Plugin #3: LearnPress

LearnPress is another popular choice amongst WordPress LMS plugins. It offers a free version which means that all the essential features are free, and you can get add-ons at a cost depending on how advanced you want your school website to be. It is rather easy to use, and it has a friendly interface.

LearnPress Themes : You will most likely need to pay around $50 (one-time) to get a theme. Choose your theme from the LearnPress theme collection wisely because the add-ons you get can only be used for the specific theme you choose.

• Has a free plan and mobile app (iOS & Android)
• Offers theme demos that allow you to preview your website design
• Frequently updated to address bugs and improve security
• It is a great option for beginners
• Allows integration with BuddyPress and BBPress forums
• Its free add-ons include Wishlist, course reviews, and prerequisite courses
• Has an in-built automatic email system that allows you to send quiz results to participants
• Supports a collection of payment gateways such as PayPal, 2Checkout, Authorize.net, and Stripe
• Has management tools for tracking students, grades, and course content
• Might be expensive to get all the features and add-ons at once
• Its best available plan only offers up to 3 site licenses
• Needs premium add-ons to offer the drip-feed and certificates capability
• Doesn’t come with a setup wizard like most WordPress plugins
• Lacks a variety of communication tools

It is best suited to individuals who already have or want to build an eLearning website or online school, entrepreneurs, web development agencies, and educational institutions.

• LearnPress Free : $0
• LearnPress Theme Bundle : starting $49 – $69 (one-time payment – 1 site license)
• LearnPress Pro Bundle : $249.99 with access to all add-ons (one-time payment – 3 site licenses)

*Information retrieved from ThimPress on October 26, 2023.

Plugin #4: MemberPress

With MemberPress as the ‘all-in-one’ membership plugin, you can create powerful WordPress membership sites . MemberPress offers a solution that allows you to protect your course by offering gated content that you can share with specific members or a closed community.

While it is not really a learning management system, many entrepreneurs use MemberPress alone or in a combination with other plugins to offer online courses.

LearnPress Themes : If you are struggling to choose a theme for your membership site, MemberPress has prepared a dedicated list of membership themes that they recommend for use.

• Restricts and manages access to your learning materials and courses
• Hosts unlimited members and memberships
• Has automatic upgrade and downgrade prorations
• Provides full subscription and transaction management
• Offers content access drip, access expiration, and premium community forums
• Includes comprehensive reporting, custom registration, account fields, and built-in integrations
• Doesn’t have a free trial or free version
• Doesn’t offer certificates
• Doesn’t have a drag-and-drop builder
• Might be more complicated or need a longer time for setup
• Doesn’t offer live online learning or webinars; only documentation
• Works best for online courses when combined with a WordPress LMS plugin like LearnDash

It is ideal for creators, podcasters, hobbyists, entrepreneurs of any industry (fitness, beauty, arts, etc.), tutors, teachers, writers, coaches, nutritionists, consultants, designers, religious organizations, communities, and online stores.

MemberPress has three subscription packages:

• Basic : $179.50 per year
• Plus : $299.50 per year
• Pro : $399.50 per year

*Information retrieved from MemberPress on October 26, 2023.

Plugin #5: WPLMS

WPLMS is one of the best social learning management systems for WordPress on the market. This tool makes it easy to create and sell online courses, work with other instructors within a community and earn commissions. Some of the notable features it offers are activity tracking, course directories, course management, and a front-end course creator.

WPLMS Themes : Its biggest asset is the collection of education-specific WordPress themes it comes with that makes it easy to adjust to your school site requirements. You can get an idea of what it offers through WPLMS’s theme demos .

• Has a mobile app (for iOS and Android)
• Is one of the most affordable and feature-rich WordPress LMSs
• Extends and integrates with third-party services and popular WordPress plugins including WooCommerce for monetization and BBPress for discussion forums
• Supports video conferencing through integration and gamification of courses
• Offers microlearning, gamification, certificates, and badges
• Supports activity tracking, student management, question banks, and custom reports
• Provides the ability to offer course bundles, membership and corporate plans
• It doesn’t come with a free version or a free trial
• Its course creation interface is lacking in some areas
• It doesn’t come with a full drag-and-drop interface
• Lacks some customization options compared to other LMSs

It is suitable for training centers, businesses interested in offering corporate training, course tutors, colleges, schools or academies, universities, and MOOC platforms.

WPLMS has two types of licenses:

• Regular license: $75 (one-time payment)
• Extended license: $3,000 (one-time payment)

*Information retrieved from Themeforest on October 26, 2023.

On top of online learning platforms, standalone course platforms, and WordPress Plugins, there is also the option to use individual software to create different types of learning content. These are called authoring tools .

You can use an authoring tool to design and redesign the content and arrange it into an interactive format that makes sense and serves a learning purpose. The usual format these tools come in is SCORM, HTML5, xAPI, or TIN CAN files, and the results of an authoring tool can be exported and uploaded for hosting in an LMS that can support these formats.

Below are some of the best options to choose from:

Tool #1: Articulate Storyline 360

Articulate Storyline 360 is a popular course authoring tool amongst many demanding course creators and instructional designers. Many individuals and businesses are choosing it as their favorite tool because it has award-winning course creator assets, features, and useful resources and does what it promises to do.

• Has a comprehensive set of features and course-authoring apps
• Allows you to create courses manually from existing templates
• Offers live and on-demand online training (live webinar by experts)
• Has a variety of quizzes and course templates
• Allows you to add various interactions with the content
• Comes with a large library of templates, course assets, photos, videos, icons, and illustrations
• Features a review app to help you gather feedback from stakeholders easily
• Has a downloadable program only
• Has one price tier and feature set only
• It is an expensive solution compared to others
• It relies heavily on the PowerPoint experience
• Difficult to use and might need a technical expert to help you out

It is more suitable for newer designers because of its ease of use. Also, it is an ideal choice for freelancers, academics, and businesses of any size or industry.

Articulate 360 has different pricing for companies, freelancers, and academic professionals:

• For companies : $1,399/yearly (per user)
• For freelancers : personal plan – $1,099/yearly (one user) and teams plan – $1,399/yearly (per user)
• For academic : personal plan – $549/yearly (one user) and teams plan – $699/yearly (per user)

*Information retrieved from Articulate on October 26, 2023.

Tool #2: Elucidat

Elucidat comes with a beautiful user-friendly interface, modern and easy navigation, which makes it one of the easiest-to-use course creation tools on this list. While it doesn’t offer the flexibility to create your own course template, its 25,000 different ones are enough to compensate for that. As an authoring tool, Elucidat is designed for enterprises and L&D teams.

• Offers enhanced collaboration options (for L&D teams)
• Provides data protection (GDPR, data encryption)
• Comes with user permissions and access controls
• Features localization workflows
• Supports HTML5, video SCROM (1.2, 2004), xAPI (TinCan) on all browsers
• Comes with a rich course template library
• Has a range of support resources
• It lacks integrations
• You need to contact sales to get a pricing quote

It is ideal for large enterprises, academics, and non-profit organizations .

Elucidat offers a 14-day free trial and has four pricing options: Basic, Team, Enterprise, and Scale. For all plans, you need to contact Elucidat and request a price for each, depending on your requirements and the number of users.

*Information retrieved from Elucidat on October 26, 2023.

Tool #3: Adobe Captivate

Adobe Captivate is a popular choice for an authoring tool, and it’s one of the top premium ones in the market. Depending on what you need it for, you can use it to create immersive learning scenarios and high-quality online courses. Adobe Captivate promises to help you create stunning courses in minutes, and as one of the top rated and most recognized brands, it regularly updates its tool.

• Has a clean and easy-to-navigate user interface
• Allows you to create interactive training courses or videos
• Includes a green screen feature where you can insert your background
• Offers the possibility to create storyboards and offer VR immersive learning Supports smart video recording helping you create studio-quality HD videos
• Frequently updated with new services and features
• Available on MAC and Windows
• Supports a variety of mobile forms
• Has a PowerPoint integration
• Offers overlay and ready-to-go slides
• Can be difficult to use or overwhelming for new users
• Not an intuitive and user-friendly interface
• Expensive to purchase compared to other tools

It is aimed for use by freelancers, small/medium companies, large enterprises, and non-profit organizations.

Adobe Captivate offers a free trial and its price starts at $33.99/month.

*Information retrieved from Adobe on October 26, 2023.

Tool #4: Lectora

Lectora – powered by ELB Learning, checks off the majority of the feature points that come with any course authoring tool. Packed up with a responsive design, automated versioning, interactivity, branching, quizzing features, and course template options, this tool will prove itself handy for creating eLearning content.

• Comes with a built-in asset library (icons, eLearning templates, stock images, audio, video, PowerPoint templates)
• Supports SCORM, xAPI, HTML5, AICC, and cmi5
• Integrates well with every LMS platform
• Easy to use and easy to understand
• Comes with a wide range of editing features
• Offers knowledge tests, quizzes, built-in navigations, and interactions
• Has some new features that can be quirky with different browsers
• Offers limited options in interactions
• Comes with limited abilities in advanced animations

It is ideal for freelancers, small/medium companies, large enterprises, and non-profit organizations.

Lectora has three pricing plans:

• Silver Suite : $999/year (for individual use)
• Gold Suite : $1,399/yearly (for teams, per author pricing)
• Platinum : $1,999/year (for teams, per author pricing)

*Information retrieved from ELB Learning on October 26, 2023.

Tool #5: EasyGenerator

Just like its name suggests, EasyGenerator is an authoring tool that is super easy to use. It has rich interface options, and it is great for use by individuals who are just starting out and have no previous experience in creating online courses. This tool aims to simplify the course creation process to make it accessible to everyone.

• Offers the ability to do PowerPoint imports
• Provides course auto-translation with one click (from/to 75 languages)
• Has a drag-and-drop functionality
• Supports SCORM (1.2, 2004) and xAPI
• Allows you to access learner insights (performance & engagement)
• Comes with a stock-image library
• It is compatible with most LMS platforms out there
• Its drag-and-drop feature doesn’t always work on mobiles
• It can be difficult to use in the beginning

It is ideal for individuals who have no eLearning background. It is up for use by freelancers, small/medium companies, large enterprises, and non-profit organizations.

Easy Generator has three pricing plans:

• Pro : $108/month (1 author, 10 courses, 100 learners)
• Team : $541/month (5 authors, unlimited courses, unlimited learners)
• Enterprise : you need to contact EasyGenerator for custom pricing (unlimited authors, unlimited courses, and unlimited learners)

*Information retrieved from EasyGenerator on October 26, 2023.

Choosing an Online Learning Platform

As you can see, there are many options available when it comes to offering online learning, and each one carries its own strengths and weaknesses. While you may find it time-consuming to go through every small bit of detail that describes each platform and tool, conducting some research on those you are most interested in is highly recommended before finalizing your decision.

Don’t forget, most platforms allow you to have a test drive before you buy their products, so make sure you give it a try and see how it works with other edtech tools!

In the end, the best option for you is to choose the one that best accommodates your needs and works well with your budget.

Want to try out LearnWorlds? It is our very own all-in-one online course platform and what we believe to be the best for creating, selling, and delivering online courses. Get your 30-day free trial today!

Further reading you might find interesting:

• How to Teach Online
• The 7 Best Kajabi Alternatives Reviewed
• The 10 Best eLearning Authoring Tools: Review & Comparison
• Customer Education: The What, Why & How Behind It [Guide]
• 6 Top Thinkific Alternatives Reviewed
• The 5 Best Teachable Alternatives Reviewed
• The 9 Best Mighty Networks Alternatives Reviewed
• Best Online Coaching Platforms

Kyriaki Raouna

Kyriaki is a Content Creator for the LearnWorlds team writing about marketing and e-learning, helping course creators on their journey to create, market, and sell their online courses. Equipped with a degree in Career Guidance, she has a strong background in education management and career success. In her free time, she gets crafty and musical.

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Best Online Learning Platforms

Coursera is the best online learning platform, with a variety of topics of study

Whether you’re aiming to learn some new marketable skills or just want to explore a topic, online learning platforms are a great solution for you and your family members to learn on your own schedules. Busy parents can also complete courses quickly and save money choosing virtual classes over in-person ones. In fact, individuals learn 40% faster on digital platforms compared to in-person learning.  

Some online learning platforms provide certifications, while others are designed to simply grow your skills in your personal and professional life. Here are our recommendations for the best online learning platforms you can sign up for today.

Best Online Learning Platforms of 2024

• Best Overall: Coursera
• Best for Niche Topics: Udemy
• Best for Creative Fields: Skillshare
• Best for Celebrity Lessons: MasterClass
• Best for STEM: EdX
• Best for Career Building: Udacity
• Best for Data Learning: Pluralsight
• Our Top Picks

MasterClass

• Pluralsight
• See More (4)

Final Verdict

• Compare Providers
• How to Choose

Methodology

Best overall : coursera.

• Courses: 5,800+
• Price: Guided projects start at $10 per course, professional certificate courses start at $39 a month, and higher university-issued certificates begin at $2,000 per course
• Certificate: Yes 
• Accredited Institution: Coursera is not accredited, but partners with accredited institutions

Coursera has partnered with over 300 leading universities and companies to create courses to supplement your education and set you ahead in your career.

Accredited certificates recognized by employers

In-depth courses built by universities and organizations

Offers over 2,500 free courses

Classes available in multiple languages

User-friendly website

Some courses have strict timelines

Degree programs require additional applications

No certification with free courses

Coursera isn’t just a place to take classes that are like college courses—it actually offers real academic courses from real professors and universities at a fraction of the cost of getting an online degree.

The platform partners with over 300 universities and companies to provide real learning experiences that can connect to real-world benefits. In some cases, you can even earn certifications or degrees entirely through Coursera, which can then potentially lead to professional benefits like raises, promotions, and more. Even if you’re not looking for professional development, Coursera offers challenging and interesting classes on plenty of topics, so you can explore all kinds of interests.

The platform allows for multimedia courses, so professors can construct classes, upload videos, assign and grade quizzes and homework assignments, and other elements that would be present in a “real” online college class.

Each course is individually priced (the cheapest start around $30 to $40 and increase from there), although there are some instances where you can purchase a bundle of courses at once (and sometimes at a discount) as a “track” or certification/degree program. You can also get unlimited access to over 7,000 courses with Coursera Plus for $399 a year. It’s pretty much the closest you’ll get to the online college experience without enrolling in college.

Best for Niche Topics : Udemy

• Courses: 210,000+
• Price: $15 to $200 or more per course
• Certificate: For some courses
• Accredited Institution: No

Udemy has by far the most courses available compared to other online learning platforms: Over 210,000 classes. With over 70,000 instructors, you'll find an expert teaching a course in every niche.

210,000+ courses for professional skills and hobbies

Multimedia lectures that incorporate readings and quizzes

30-day refund guarantee

Courses available in 75 languages

No deadlines—work at your own pace

Not an accredited institution

Courses can be published by instructors without Udemy reviewing materials

Instructors not as engaging in Q&A section

If you want to learn something, you probably can on Udemy . The site is less of a unified platform and more of a portal or repository where students can access well over 213,000 courses on every topic imaginable.

Language, arts, music, and fitness courses can be found alongside lessons on programming and IT, business skills, teaching, productivity, and much more. There are even categories for personal development and lifestyle, which cover life skills and other topics that you wouldn't necessarily get in an academic setting.

There’s not one standard format for a Udemy course—the platform allows instructors to design multimedia lectures with audio, video, and text elements, plus readings, quizzes, and other activities. Udemy allows students to preview classes they’re interested in and does offer a 30-day refund if you’re dissatisfied.

Because each class is created and taught individually, they’re also priced separately: Lifetime access to a single course can range from inexpensive ($15) to pricey (roughly $200 or more).

Best for Creative Fields : Skillshare

• Courses: 35,000+
• Price: $14 per month ($159 per year)
• Certificate: Yes

Skillshare is a subscription-based online learning platform that offers classes in 13 different creative topics, including creative writing, graphic design, and photography. 

Wide range of course topics

Mostly skilled instructors, including celebrities

Covers nearly every creative field

Free seven-day trial for subscriptions

Limited free courses

Ad-free only on a premium subscription

While many online platforms basically provide college-style classes, Skillshare is less formal and aimed more at improving creative skills.

There are business and marketing classes on the platform, but the majority are courses in creative fields, taught by practicing experts in those fields: photography, film, animation, visual arts, writing, interior design, and more. The focus is on teaching practical skills that students can then use to create their own projects. Most courses involve a series of video lessons, combined with assignments for students to practice their skills.

Skillshare has a subscription model, rather than a per-course payment plan, so students who sign up can take as many or as few courses as they want while they’re subscribed. The current pricing is $159 per year (which works out to around $14 per month).

That being said, the platform does offer a set of free classes as well, from short, 20-minute videos to longer tutorials of an hour or more. They’re not as in-depth, but they’re a good way to try out potentially interesting topics.

Best for Celebrity Lessons : MasterClass

• Courses: 180+ 
• Price: $15 to $23 per month 
• Certificate: No

MasterClass courses tap into celebrities' expertise and experience, like Gordon Ramsay’s cooking talents and Anna Wintour’s leadership skills, to provide in-depth courses on a wide variety of topics.

World-class instructors

Memberships give unlimited access to all classes

High-quality video production

Courses have comprehensive curriculum

30-day satisfaction guarantee

Courses feature consistent level of quality

No free trial or free courses

No certifications

Fewer courses than competitors

Annual subscription only

Although MasterClass offers more than just creative courses, its marquee offerings put A-list actors, writers, artists, musicians, and more in the teacher’s seat.

And, these aren’t just one-off lecture-style classes: Most courses have around 20 lessons, so you get to really dive deep into your topic of choice. If you want to learn about these often-opaque professions, there’s no better way than to hear about it straight from the people who have been successful in them already.

These courses are video-based, with practical advice and demonstrations mixed in with straightforward lectures, workbooks, and class discussions. You can get TV writing advice from Shonda Rhimes, learn to cook from Gordon Ramsay, take a film class from Martin Scorsese, or explore creative leadership with Anna Wintour.

Since MasterClass is a subscription-based platform, you can take as many sessions as you want while your subscription is active. The price is about $15 per month for unlimited access, but you must commit to a year-long subscription.

Best for STEM : EdX

• Courses: 3,500+
• Price: Begins at $50 to receive a verified official certificate 
• Accredited Institution: Yes

With partners like Harvard, MIT, and UC Berkeley, this online learning platform has over 15,000 instructors who teach education-oriented courses across several different categories. Plus it offers programs and degrees to advance your career from home.

Can audit classes for free

Has bachelor’s and master’s degree programs

Provides financial assistance

14-day money-back guarantee

Known for its STEM-focused courses

Limited course availability in creative and humanities fields

Not all courses are eligible for financial assistance

EdX has a high-end pedigree—it was founded by Harvard and MIT—but an accessible system.

Real college courses, created and taught by real college instructors, are available in a huge array of fields and topics. They do lean slightly toward STEM fields, but there are plenty of languages, humanities, and arts topics, too. In partnership with several universities, EdX offers professional degree certificates, plus “micro” degree programs at the bachelor’s and master’s levels, largely as a tool for professional development .

Through a partnership with Arizona State University, EdX also offers a “Global Freshman Academy” where you can earn transferrable undergrad credits for select courses. Classes are similar to real online courses: Lectures, reading material, assignments, discussions, and quizzes are just some of the elements you may encounter.

The big selling point for EdX is that the majority of its courses are free—but there’s a catch. If you’re just taking the class for your own learning experience, the free version will probably work. But if you want to have formal verification for professional reasons, the “verified certificate” option costs about $49 per class.

Each course does have an official start date, cycling over and over again, but once the session begins, students can proceed at their own pace.

Best for Career Building : Udacity

• Courses: 200+
• Price: Starts at $399 a month

Udacity offers courses that the company calls “nanodegrees” which take, on average, four months to complete. Enrollment in these programs gives you full access to real advisors who work with you on building out your resume and work samples.

Features intensive programs with multiple lessons

Offers resume support and portfolio review

Provides personalized feedback on projects

Multiple scholarship programs available

Seven-day refund policy

Most expensive option

Project deadlines

Longer time commitment

Tech skills are among the most marketable classes you can take online, and Udacity has courses in all of the most in-demand fields.

The platform is a variation of the “coding bootcamp” style of learning, with programs focused on web development, programming, cloud computing, and data science. Whether you’re a total newbie trying to develop a new skillset or you’re looking to expand your knowledge of a certain topic, there’s probably a course at the right level for you.

Each program includes hands-on practice, real-world applications and examples, individual code reviews, and real instructors and career coaches who can address your individual needs.

Udacity’s platform is a little different than some of the others on the market. Rather than focusing on individual classes, its primary offering is a “nanodegree”—an intensive program which includes multiple lessons, projects, personalized reviews, class discussions, and one-on-one technical mentoring by experts. Most programs require one to five months of part-time study, depending on the subject.

All these features do come with a price tag, though: It's about $399 monthly, or = $1017 for students who buy three month access.

Best for Data Learning : Pluralsight

PluralSight

• Courses: 7,000+
• Price: $229 to $500 per year

Pluralsight is designed for working professionals looking to expand their data knowledge. The company offers mini degree programs for both individuals and teams.

Organized into three levels for easy course selection

Unlimited access to classes with subscriptions

Affordable price for intensive courses

Better for intermediate and advanced users

Designed with working professionals in mind, Pluralsight offers courses in subjects like software development, data science, information and cybersecurity, and more.

Students can take individual courses, but Pluralsight strongly encourages you to follow one of its “paths.” These programs are like mini-degrees: a series of connected courses in a specific area of expertise, such as individual programming languages, security certifications, creative skills in particular software, and so on. These preset paths take the guesswork out of learning—plus, you can do a quick pretest to set your skill level, which adds more customization.

The course library includes more than 7,000 individual classes across hundreds of paths, and if you’re not ready to tackle a full-length path, you can dip your toe in with individual courses that are only a couple hours long.

Regardless of how few or how many classes (or paths) you want to pursue, the price is the same: About $29 per month for a personal plan (or roughly $299 for a complete year at a slight discount). There’s a premium option, too, for around $500 per year. It includes all the regular features and courses, plus additional interactive courses and industry-standard practice exams for several professional certifications.

Regardless of what stage of life you are in, online learning platforms provide a convenient way for you to grow in your career or start something new entirely. 

Overall, Coursera is our top choice for an online learning platform because of its variety of courses and official accreditation. Its partnership with leading universities and corporations ensures that courses are academically comprehensive and meet industry standards for career growth. 

Compare the Best Online Learning Platforms

Guide to choosing the best online learning platforms, what is an online learning platform.

An online learning platform is a website and/or app that allows students to study some topics of interest wholly online and remotely. They’re typically geared at adult professionals who have already finished their traditional schooling, and while some will offer full certificate or even degree programs, most focus on teaching individual courses. They can be a great option for parents looking to fit in studies around parenting and work responsibilities.

What to Look for in an Online Learning Platform

Like any other type of class, every online learning platform will structure its courses a little differently. The key is finding a platform whose style works for you in terms of how independent of a student you tend to be and what you’re hoping to get out of a given class.

Most classes on these platforms are self-paced, either in part or in full, so there won’t be as much simultaneous work with other students as you’d have in a typical class, and you probably won’t have to tune in to live lectures or meetings—although a few platforms do offer one-on-one tutoring or coaching for some courses.

For classes teaching hands-on topics, such as creative courses or computer science, the top platforms will usually have a built-in way for students to practice their new skills and get instructor feedback.

You'll also want to consider your family budget for courses, whether or not the duration or the courses work with your schedule, and whether or not earning a certificate is important.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do online learning platforms cost.

Online learning platforms come with a pretty big range of prices, but in general, the one thing they all have in common is that they’re usually cheaper than similar courses at traditional colleges and universities.

There are two main types of platforms: per-course platforms, where you pay by the class or course package, or subscription platforms, where you pay a flat rate (usually monthly or annually) to access an unlimited number of individual courses within the given time.

What Kind of Features Do Online Learning Platforms Have?

Online platforms are usually video-based in some way, with audio and video lectures forming the backbone of the classes. Other features you might find are discussion boards, supplemental readings, quizzes or exams, and hands-on projects.

What Certifications Will Get Me a Job?

Certifications won't ensure that you'll get a job, but they may be required in order to be considered for some positions, or to help your resume stand out when applying in a relevant field. Taking courses can also help you feel more confident in your skills during the interview process.

There are more online learning platforms than ever before, so it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of options. We’ve selected the categories that we think will be the most useful to adult, professional learners, as opposed to children or teenagers (college students may find these selections useful, but they may already have access to similar resources through their schools).

This means that the platforms here are particularly aimed at adults looking to either explore a personal interest or gain measurable skills for professional advancement—that’s why we’ve focused on creative and tech platforms as the specialties featured here among the platforms with broader offerings.

Since learning online is typically a very personal experience, we’ve featured several platforms that allow for self-paced learning, interactivity, and/or learning tailored to a particular skill level. We’ve mixed in some informal options along with more traditional academic-style courses, but all of the platforms recommended here have top-notch instructors who are experts in their fields, regardless of the structure of the courses themselves.

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Brandon-Hall. Stunning statistics that prove the power of eLearning .

Best online learning platform of 2024

Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Virtual Learning Environments (VLE)

Best open source

Best for projects, best for pricing, best for integrations, best for google, best for entrepreneurs, best for streamlining, best for tools, best for social media, best for enterprises, best for training.

• How we test

The best online learning platforms make it simple and easy for educators and trainers to manage online courses.

1. Best open source 2. Best for projects 3. Best for pricing 4. Best for integrations 5. Best for Google 6. Best for entrepreneurs 7. Best for streamlining 8. Best for tools 9. Best for social media 10. Best for enterprises 11. Best for training 12. FAQs 13. How we test

Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Virtual Learning Environments (VLE) have become increasingly common, especially due to sweeping changes that became necessary due to the pandemic. 

While face-to-face learning has a place, increasingly learning and courses are being conducted through digital channels. This can be both cheaper and easier to manage for businesses, and for educators it means the ability to reach people from a distance. 

In a remote situation is where online learning platforms really come to the fore, as platforms for education make the most of modern technology. That’s not to say traditional means of education are about to be extinct, but academic institutions and businesses have identified that we can achieve plenty more through tech, such as smartphones and other internet-connected devices which can facilitate learning from any location.

Online learning also has its advantages for people who might not easily be able to access face-to-face learning. This can be especially relevant in remote areas, but also for people with disabilities whose mobility issues might prevent attending college or similar.

When comparing the different online learning platforms, we looked at what operating systems they were available on (Android and iOS), the app interface, integration with third-party software, and the overall quality. We also assessed the pricing plans and what kind of users each learning platform would be best suited for, among other things.  

Below we list what we think are the best online learning platforms currently available.

We've also featured the best online class sites .

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The best online learning platforms of 2024 in full:

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1. Moodle LMS

Our expert review:

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid.

While commercial software has its place, sometimes it is truly impressive what an open source project can achieve, such as in the case of Moodle LMS. This open source learning platform can be downloaded and used for free. While direct support is lacking (although an organization can engage one of 80 Certified Service Providers to remedy that deficit), there is still plenty here, including documentation such as guides on how to use this platform. 

Learners and teachers are sure to like the expansive feature set, such as interaction with multiple choice questions in the content, an integrated text editor , and support for 3rd party cloud storage providers, such as DropBox to submit assignments. It is also multi-language capable, and supports open standards such as SCORM. 

We also like that teachers can make comments on assignments, and the integrated all-in-one calendar . With so many features, it may be open source, but it hardly will feel like it, which explains why it has over 200 million users.

Read our full Moodle LMS review.

• ^ Back to the top

2. Adobe Captivate

Adobe Captivate is a professional platform for creating learning content. This can be incorporated from a variety of sources, including images that this software can edit, screen captures that can be done automatically, and by importing PowerPoint presentations. 

We are impressed with the support for VR projects, and users are sure to like the choice of acquisition options along with its use of templates to streamline project production, and provide consistency. Users do have issues with the stability of the app, the limited options for direct support and the cancellation fee for the monthly plan will undoubtedly irk some out there. 

Quibbles aside, Adobe Captivate is a mature piece of software that has endured with good reason, and is well worth a closer look via the 30-day trial that is longer than most of its competitors.

If you want to go ahead and buy the software, the price of subscription is around $34 / £30 / AU$50 per month.

Read our full Adobe Captivate review.

3. Acorn LMS

For those that are looking for some upfront pricing, Acorn LMS- unlike some of its competition- answers that need. Rather than keeping potential users in the dark, Acorn LMS is upfront offering both a tier without content and another with content The company also offers a flat fee for the first 100 users and an additional student fee for each user thereafter. 

Beyond that, this platform has a number of strengths that impress us, such as the ability to make individualized student pathways via LinkedIn Learning content, the white label approach to foster customization of the site for consistent branding at an organization, and support for multiple tendencies allowing an administrator to easily manage multiple acorn LMS accounts via a single set of sign on credentials. 

While nothing is perfect, and we should point out the lack of an Android app in the Google Play Store, the dearth of user reviews, and that there are no advanced support options such as a forum or a FAQ, overall it is an attractive package worth the 60-day free trial.

If you want an LMS that does the fundamentals of an LMS really well, you can opt for the Core LMS option with a flat rate of $400 / £250 / AU$400.

Read our full Acorn LMS review .

4. Canvas LMS

The Canvas LMS is used by top institutions worldwide, and it can boast it has over 6 million users with an over 90% satisfaction rate. Users are sure to be impressed that it integrates well with popular apps that students use, such as those from Adobe, Google Workspace and Microsoft Teams . 

We also like the robust community forum, with thorough answers for common user issues, and the multiple communication options covering the spectrum from messaging (individually and as a group), to audio, and video. Some areas we would like to see improved would be support for gamification, and some transparency in the pricing. Teachers will also be pleased to see the support for automated grading via integration with SpeedGrader.  While the opaque pricing is frustrating, we appreciate both the free 30 day trial, and also the lowest ‘Teacher Tier’ plan that is free long term for both teachers and students to allow for education of all.

Read our full Canvas LMS review .

5. Google Classroom

Google Classroom offers a cloud based learning environment to enable remote education for learners from pre-K through the university level. We appreciate that it pulls together a number of Google tools, such as Google Meet , Google Drive and Google Docs all in one place to enable learning. 

Teachers can put in assignments as all types of documents, including .doc and .pdfs, students get the notification, complete the assignment and submit it. Teachers then grade the assignment, keep a virtual gradebook and can give classroom style lectures via the Google Meet function. 

Google offers this via several tiers of features, but we can appreciate that the free tier is plenty powerful for budget conscious school districts. The platform is also cross platform to allow learners to function with it with whatever their device of choice is, including laptops, Chromebooks , and both smartphone platforms- although the Android one garners complaints from the users.

Read our full Google Classroom review .

6. Thinkific LMS

Thinkific is an online platform that has enjoyed meteoritic success as a relative newcomer to this space. It has useful functions, such as the ability for educators to build a website , and templates are provided to facilitate this for newcomers. 

We also like that this platform can be used to issue certificates of completion. It is used worldwide, and can accept payments from learners signing up for courses from over 100 countries. 

Some omissions, such as the lack of a direct phone number or email for support, and no smartphone apps for either Android or iOS show the immaturity of the platform. We also wanted to see more user reviews than what we found online. However, with a choice of tiers starting with a free one, and a track record that has already earned its experts over $650 million dollars, it is seriously hard to dispute.

Read our full Thinkific LMS review .

7. 360Learning

360Learning meets the challenge head on of streamlining the task of project creation. Users are sure to benefit from the integrated tools such as the video editing software , the included templates that are branded as ‘Cheat Sheets,’ and the option to include ten different types of questions to test learners. 

We also appreciate the free 30-day trial without credit card info, and the choice of tiered plans. However, we were less impressed that there are few options for direct contact, with some features reserved for the top plan (like support for course attachments), and that the Android app has a significantly lower rating than the iOS version. We also like the ‘Collaborative Authoring’ approach that lets even inexperienced users create a course in minutes, rather than months.

Read our full 360Learning review . 

8. Blackboard Learn

Blackboard Learn is a learning platform that is used for learners of all levels from pre-K to university and beyond such as in government and industry. It has some shortcomings such as the opaque pricing, the limited direct support options and the multiple bugs that users report in the apps, especially the Android version. 

Balance that against the integrated tools that some competing solutions charge for, such as a plagiarism checker to check student assignments against. Also factor in the accessibility tool to be ADA compliant, and the other items to foster communication between students and professors, and the tracker to keep students on track with submitting their assignments. Additionally, the 30-day trial is longer than most others, and the iOS app is highly rated, so organizations that need a full fledged solution will see quickly why this learning platform enjoys its popularity.

Read our full Blackboard Learn review.

9. Absorb LMS

The Absorb LMS is a learning platform that focuses on business. It is also especially adept at social aspects, as it can easily integrate with corporate social media accounts. 

We also like the social focus that continues on to allow learners to create social accounts on the platform. This then allows them to virtually interact with the other learners, and also display the awards and certificates that they accumulate for completed content. We also appreciate that certificates can be custom created, to be either downloaded or printed. However, some aspects frustrated us, such as the learning community that is not running yet, the opaque and ultimately high pricing, and the buggy smartphone apps on both the iOS and Android platforms that have users commenting they would be better off accessing content on a computer.

Read our full Absorb LMS review .

Targeting the enterprise market, Docebo takes an AI approach to a learning platform with an impressive list of Fortune 500 companies that use its service. Incorporated under the Docebo Suite are multiple products to create content, deliver it, and also to measure the metrics of its impact. This style of product is well suited to onboarding, and retaining new employees. 

There are some issues with the lack of support options as we would have liked to have seen some more direct choices, such as a direct phone number or a chat option. Also of concern is the completely opaque pricing as we could not even figure out the available tiers or options without direct company contact. However, users are sure to make good use of the robust interactions fostered by this service via the ‘Docebo Community,’ although this gets negated by the clunky, and low rated smartphone apps on both the Android and iOS platforms.

Read our full Docebo review .

11. iSpring Learn

iSpring Learn is one of the most popular learning management systems (LMS) and is mostly used by corporations to train their employees. It makes it easy to prepare and deliver educational content for corporate trainees. You can start with the content you already have, e.g., upload your PowerPoint presentations, PDFs, audio tracks, and video tutorials to the platform. This platform doesn’t impose limits on the size or number of files you can host.

One of the best things about this platform is its interactivity. You can use it to put together engaging educational content complete with illustrations, quotes, videos, etc. For example, you can divide your long articles into chapters so that users can explore the material step-by-step. If you wish, you can restrict navigation such that the user can not proceed to the next material without completing the initial one. You can also add self-test questions throughout the content to help users understand and retain information as they proceed through the course. 

This platform has a customizable design, so you can design your courses with the colors and fonts that are part of your corporate brand. There’s also direct integration with iSpring Suite , a tool that works within PowerPoint and lets you quickly develop quizzes, interactions, and simulations.

iSpring Learn doesn’t just let you build courses. It also gives you analytics to track how trainees are interacting with your courses and their progress. This platform is ideal for companies looking for a solution to deliver corporate training to their employees.

Read our full iSpring Learn review .

If you're interested in studying more online, we've also featured the best courses in:

• HTML , 
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Online learning platform FAQs

What is an online learning platform.

It is simply a platform that is designed to offer students or trainees everything they need for their education in one place. It allows them to access course materials and interact with other students. It also makes it easy for tutors to monitor student progress.

Online learning platforms are mostly used by schools, colleges, and other educational institutions. However, it is also used by other types of customers, such as corporations that want to deliver training materials to their staff. You can use such platforms to create lectures, assignments, quizzes, etc., and issue certificates to people that complete the course.

Which online learning platforms are best for you?

The first thing to consider when you want to choose an online learning platform is your technical competency. If you have not used an LMS system before, it's better to start with a basic platform before migrating to a complex one such as Moodle. This gives you more chances to understand the platform you are using and maximize its features. Advanced LMS systems offer more features but are of no use if you can find it difficult to use them. A more basic tool will get you acquainted with the intricacies of a learning management system before switching to a complex one.

The size of your trainees or students also matters. If you’re tutoring just a few dozen people, it’s better to choose a basic platform that is easier to manage. On the other hand, if you have hundreds to thousands of students, a more advanced platform such as Moodle is better. 

Online learning platforms vs Learning Management Systems

There are three main categories of online learning platforms; open-source, free, and paid. Open-source refers to platforms where the source code is freely available for modification. Thus, anyone with sufficient programming skills can tweak the software to get just exactly what they want out of it. Moodle is currently the most popular open-source learning platform and is used by many colleges, schools, and companies. 

An open-source learning system is free to use and can be customized extensively. For example, you can use your organization's logo and its unique colors to make the platform feel familiar to users. Open-source systems are also very scalable, so you can start small and expand the platform as you add more students.    

There is a large community of developers behind popular open-source learning platforms like Moodle, and they are constantly building features that you can take advantage of. The drawback of using open-source software is that they are more complex to handle compared to regular free or paid software. You may need a dedicated technical staff to help you. 

The second main category is the free online learning platform. They come at no cost, but the source code behind them is not freely available and customizable like with open-source software. You can use these free platforms to host your educational content and deliver them to the intended users without paying. However, there may be some costs associated with hosting your content on an internal server or for additional features. The drawback of free platforms is that they don’t offer as much features as paid and open-source ones.

The third category is the paid online learning platform, which refers to most on this list. Here, you will need to pay upfront to host your educational content and distribute them to your students or trainees. Expect to pay a fixed fee for each user either monthly or annually, and it can add up to a considerable amount if you have a lot of students. The paid platforms are usually easy to use and navigate because customers expect user-friendliness for a platform they’re paying for. You can also access on-demand support if you run into any issues, unlike with free and open-source software. 

With a paid platform, you don’t need to spend money running your own server and setting up and managing the software. The provider does that for you, while you just pay and access it whenever you want. It is an ideal type to choose, but the disadvantage is that it can be expensive. 

Online learning platform vs online course websites

There are plenty of ways to receive education online these days. This can include anything from casual content, such as an educational YouTube Video, to more structured online education such as a series of videos, and in some cases supplemental content in the form of text or a downloadable PDF . While there are many websites to educate and impart content, they are not all online learning platforms.

An online learning platform goes beyond what an online course website offers, with additional content to support the education. While it will incorporate the elements of an online course website, it will include additional tools, which will all be combined into a single platform. These tools can be communication methods such as live video or messaging, the opportunity to have assignments, and a record of certificates of completed courses. Overall, an online learning platform provides content that will be more in depth, and organized in a more formal environment to promote greater learning.

Open source vs free vs paid online learning platforms

Learning platforms can be divided into three different categories based on the pricing model.

The first is free, which has the benefit of no cost. There are both services that offer this at no cost, or ones that have a free tier, with reduced features, that then hope to upsell the service to a paid tier, and use the free offering as a gateway to getting a paying customer. A downside of these free offerings is that the support tends to be minimal to nonexistent, such as only via an online community board.

Open source is another nice option for a learning management system. In this model the software is distributed for no cost. This can allow an organization to then run this off of its own server. However, there are still costs to doing this, and then this must be supported internally. Another downside is that then the software may not be as updated as frequently, exposing it to security vulnerabilities.

The final option is a paid offering. While this does have an upfront cost, and in most cases for each additional learner, it does have plenty of advantages. This includes that the provider can host the software as a cloud service, requiring no in house personnel to provide support. Also, there may be options for phone support, and also more features.

Is Zoom an online learning platform?

Made popular by the pandemic with remote meetings becoming commonplace, Zoom is a video communications platform. Other popular choices in this category are GoToMeeting , and Google Meet . Zoom and other video communication apps are used for online audio and video meetings for business, casual and educational use. Each also supports additional content to support the virtual meeting, such as sharing screens, or chat within the app.

However, Zoom is not specifically an online learning platform. While it can certainly be used to support education, it has no way to give assignments, grade them, or do quizzes for example. As an online learning platform it falls pretty short, with plenty of better options out there. Also, many of the better online learning platforms offer video chatting within the platform so Zoom as a standalone is not needed as the functionality is already incorporated in.

What are the pros and cons of an online learning platform?

There are plenty of pros for an online platform. This includes the instant availability of the education, and that learners are not limited by geography and can attend class anywhere- even from the comfort of home. The learning is also self-paced, as it can accommodate a variety of learning styles and learner needs as it is more flexible. There is also the benefit that learners don’t need to commute to the school reducing the cost and burden of education, which can also be a time saving benefit as well.

While there are certainly benefits, there are some downsides as well. Some students may prefer face to face learning with a teacher directly in front of them, that an online learning platform lacks. Also with no physical school to attend, there is less of a structured learning environment, which some learners may do better with. Furthermore, there is less or even no camaraderie between learners than at a physical school, which can all be part of the total educational experience, and is a missing component with an online learning platform.

What are the essential features of an online learning platform?

When choosing an online learning platform for your organization, be sure the choice is a good one. Here are some essential features to look for:

• Scalability: Nobody wants to outgrow their platform too soon, and have to transition to another one. Therefore, look for scalability that can grow as you need it to.
• Mobile presence: Today’s learners want to be able to learn when on the move. Therefore, look for an online learning platform that has well rated apps for both the iOS and Android platforms, that are highly rated.
• Tools for authoring: A flexible platform allows for content creation that is easy to use. This can include tools for text editing, and also video capture and editing from within the platform to streamline production.
• Easy to use interface: Nobody likes to use a clunky interface, so look for an easy one to use, that is well presented, and won’t distract or overwhelm users.
• Robust support: When the inevitable issues of a platform come up, users are going to need some help. Look for a platform that offers a variety of support choices, including options for direct support such as a direct email and phone number.

Read how to host your own learning management software with Moodle LMS .

How we tested the best online learning platforms

There are plenty of choices in the online learning management software area, so there is sure to be one well suited for each organization.

A major differentiator is price. Some LMS’ are available for free, or have a low cost entry tier. Others offer more features, but at a higher price point. Pricing models are also different with some providers charging only by each student, while others having the price based on the plan, and then a lower additional cost for each additional learner. 

Another feature to look for are the mobile apps. Especially younger learners value these apps so that a learner can engage in education from anywhere, at any time. Be sure that the apps are available for both of the mobile platforms- Android and iOS . Also, check the ratings of the apps in their respective stores, as just because an app is available it may not be a great one with some low rated, glitchy ones out there.

Read how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar .  

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Brian has over 30 years publishing experience as a writer and editor across a range of computing, technology, and marketing titles. He has been interviewed multiple times for the BBC and been a speaker at international conferences. His specialty on techradar is Software as a Service (SaaS) applications, covering everything from office suites to IT service tools. He is also a science fiction and fantasy author, published as Brian G Turner.

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30+ Virtual Learning Platforms and Tools for Teachers and Kids

Keep your online classroom running smoothly.

Teaching virtually? Virtual learning platforms are key for streamlining student login, hosting digital and interactive lesson plans, allowing for communication, launching video chats, and more! But there are so many out there, it’s hard to know to start. After a year of virtual teaching, we’ve learned a lot about the tech tools that really work, and the ones that don’t.

Of course, you’ll want virtual learning tools that sync with your district, have privacy policies that work with children, and contain the best fit for your needs. We’ve gathered the top ones here:

3P Learning

Create learning experiences that stick with blended learning tools for mathematics and literacy. Delivered from you to your learner, wherever they are.

With Bloomz, teachers and schools save time by having all the tools they need to communicate with today’s parents and students in one easy-to-use (and free) app.

This online learning resources platform gives teachers the ability to create online lessons, boards for students to share their thoughts and work, and collaborative learning spaces. It provides teachers the ability to easily communicate with kids and parents, too.

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The ClassDojo platform has a communication tool that makes it easy to stay in touch and track student progress too.

This platform helps teachers create and share online lessons using their easy tools. The ability to offer differentiated paths within the same lesson is a nice feature. (Note: Requires teachers and students to have Google or Microsoft accounts.)

Build a connected campus! Hundreds of education providers have started using Dialpad for not only video conferencing but also as a phone system to keep campuses, students, and staff connected. Keep students engaged while using enterprise-level security to ensure privacy protection and security standards.

Send messages, share class materials, and make learning accessible anywhere. Save yourself time by bringing all your classroom tools together. EdModo also offers resources for helping you understand how to make distance learning work for your students.

Create interactive online lessons using a video clip of your choice. This tool provides accountability and tracking for student progress, too.

Edulastic is an online K-12 tool that allows teachers to make their own assessments and assignments or choose from over 35,000 pre-made assessments.

Teachers can access a collection of learning paths from some of the most well-known thought leaders in education. Topics cover Understanding by Design Habits of Mind, Social Emotional Learning, Cultural and Linguistic Diversity, Personalized Learning, and Growth Mindset.

Explain Everything Whiteboard

Create interactive lessons and collaborative spaces for your virtual classroom with these real-time tools.

Students and teachers can record short videos to document and share their learning. Consider it social media for learning, and a great way to stay in touch!

Genially offers interactive visual communication tools to create presentations, interactive images, infographics, and more. Many of their premium templates and resources are now available for free, for everyone.

Google Classroom

Many teachers already use this as one of the top virtual learning platforms for their classrooms. There is a lot to explore here, but most of it is easy to use, so don’t be afraid to dive in! Once you’ve started, make sure to check out resources for Google Meet , Google Slides , and check out these Google Slides Templates .

Teachers can control student screens during remote instruction while keeping students focused, accountable, and motivated at home. Habyts allows parents 24/7 visibility of screen time and school-assigned tasks, targets, goals, and rewards.

Get the most out of Google Classroom and other Google tools with this platform. They offer webinars and other resources to help teachers create and manage the best virtual classrooms.

Engage students with their distance learning features, play in class, and dive into game reports to assess learning. Create your own Kahoots! or choose from 40+ million existing games. Check out our favorite ways for teachers to use Kahoot!

A collaborative online image and video editor with a cloud storage workspace. Teachers can make video lessons to send to students for remote learning. Students can work together on a group project. Classrooms can share multimedia projects with each other.

ManagedMethods

ManagedMethods is an easy, affordable platform developed for school district IT teams to manage data security risks and detect student safety signals in the cloud.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft has a wealth of products, but Teams is great for education! Build collaborative classrooms, connect in professional learning communities, and connect with colleagues. Conduct individual and group chats, store files, and even make calls through the platform. Plus your virtual classroom stays secure.

It’s hard to hold class discussions with no class, right? That’s where this site comes in. Create your own topic, or ask their team to create a custom discussion prompt just for your class.

A communications hub that connects people via chat and video.

Create a learning loop between students, teachers, and families. Students show their learning, teachers gain insights, and families stay engaged. You’ll also find intuitive tools like draw+record, collage, video, and more.

With all of your resources and communication in one place, Slack can keep students engaged and connected when everyone’s remote.

Enables teachers to create an easy start hub for their classroom. This start hub makes it easy for students to access all their educational resources and tools.

A grading and student feedback system that extends Google Classroom functionality, with the ability to link assignments to custom or standardized educational objectives from the US.

A collaborative presentation tool used for all grade levels that works perfectly for the remote classroom.

Companies across the world use Webex to keep their teams in contact remotely. They offer lots of tools that are ideal for taking your classes online.

A free tool to help maintain interactivity and effective pedagogy. Their goal is to capture the attention of students to improve their learning whether they’re in the classroom or at home taking an online course.

Digital exit tickets made easy!

Project your lessons in group settings with zoom. You can even record the sessions for students who need to review later. This video and audio conferencing tool has a chat functionality where students can ask questions as you teach. Plus check out our Zoom tips for teachers .

Feeling overwhelmed? Wondering what virtual learning platforms are best for you? Join fellow educators in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group  to get support from others just like you.

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Create Your Course

The top 10 online learning platforms for 2024, share this article.

There are a lot of online learning platforms out there, so how do you choose? Start by exploring these top picks!

Online learning platforms are great for helping you set up or teach a course. Often, you can also leverage them to monetize your own content, too!  Creators everywhere are learning how to build an online learning platform so that they can generate new revenue streams. 

But, there are a lot of online learning platforms out there, so how do you choose? Start by exploring these top picks!

Skip ahead:

• The value of online learning platforms

How to choose the best online learning platform

• The difference between online learning platforms and learning management systems

LinkedIn Learning

Openlearning, masterclass, khan academy.

• Tips to monetize your courses

What value do online learning platforms bring?

In a paper titled Online Learning Platforms: Reconstructing Modern Higher Education , Zi-Yu Liu, Natalya Lomovtseva and Elena Korobeynikova argue that online learning platforms can change the way higher education works in the future. They said the greatest benefits to this type of tool includes, “ greater freedom of access, lower education prices, the possibility of dividing the content of the e-course into modules, flexibility of education, the ability to keep up with modern pace of life, and the ability to define criteria for assessing knowledge.”

In general, you should look at structure, course content, community and price when evaluating which online learning platform is best suited for you. This will apply regardless if you’re using it to learn or to monetize your content! 

Choosing the right online learning platform will generally mean balancing these four aspects in a way that works best for you.

Structure of the platform

Course structure is important because it leads to a better learning experience and more effective delivery of professional development programs . As an example , you can probably piece together knowledge on almost any topic through YouTube, but it would lack a structured and progressive environment. This would make it hard for students to learn independently. 

Available course content

Looking at the course content is key to whatever you’re planning to learn or teach . All online degree programs and course materials are somewhat unique in how they approach any given subject. Take web development or programming, for example. There are so many principles, languages and frameworks that you can learn that it can’t simply be covered by individual courses. Some specialization is necessary.

If you’re planning to deliver a course through an online learning platform, it will help to look for ones that offer similar topics already. You can also look for platforms that offer similar set-ups. Free or mini courses attract a much different audience than Bachelor’s degree programs! 

Community support

Community makes the learning process much more fun and effective. When you’re stuck and can ask your peers for help, it reinforces what you’ve just learned with another perspective. Plus, doing something with a cohort of students is much more motivating than going alone.

From the teaching perspective, you can leverage learning communities to empower brainstorming, independent problem-solving, and passion-building for the course topic.

Price is another key factor in selecting course materials that work for you. There are many free courses available but paid ones tend to be more engaging and of higher quality. Some courses offer free trials while others offer refunds if you don’t like it. Some courses give you lifetime unlimited access while others rely on a subscription model or only work for a limited time.

Whether you’re monetizing or purchasing a course, you need to consider the value that the course provides to the student. Is the topic of interest, and does it provide enough content to be worth the pricing model offered?

When you’re selling through an online learning tool, you’ll also want to consider if there are any added costs. Sometimes the cost is accrued per sale, and sometimes it is a monthly fee. 

What’s the difference between online learning platforms and learning management systems?

When you’re researching which online learning platform is right for you , it’s important to know how it differs from other similar solutions such as learning management systems (LMS) and online course websites .

An online learning platform is a user-facing environment where students can learn new skills. In comparison, a learning management system is a back-end solution that provides all the necessary tools to the online learning platform so it can function smoothly. This would provide features like uploading videos, creating quizzes, grading assignments and much more.

Online learning platforms are similar to online course websites. In practice, the difference is that the online learning platforms tend to offer more flexibility than course websites . Online course websites are used for course creation, whereas online learning platforms can encompass all kinds of learning experiences, from short videos to online degrees.

10 Best online learning platforms

Now that you know what online learning platforms offer, and have a general idea of what you’re planning to study or teach , you can see which one of these 10 top-notch learning platforms suits you best. 

Skip ahead here:

Start by looking into the most flexible online learning platform of all — Thinkific.

Thinkific is not a gallery of courses, rather it’s one of the best platforms to create learning products and organize a custom learning experience for your team. The flexibility of the platform makes it work great for educating students, training employees, and building product education programs, or anything else you can dream up!

Not sure where to start? Thinkific Academy will teach you how to build with an online learning platform, as well as how to price and market your courses effectively.

G2 Score: 4.7/5

Thinkific Pricing

Thinkific has a free plan that allows you to start building courses right away. Paid plans provide you with access to more engagement, tracking, and monetization features, and start at $149 per month.

For learners, Thinkific’s courses are all priced independently by the course creators using the platform. Take some time to research a topic that you love and you’ll likely find a bunch of free courses, too! 

Being one of the largest online learning platforms in the world, Coursera has millions of students and partners with over 200 top universities and companies to produce the best courses across a wide variety of subjects. The platform also offers specific course playlists to help you develop the necessary skills for the job of your dreams! 

There are individual courses, certificate courses, and university-level courses available. Some are free and others are paid. You can buy each course separately or enroll in a Coursera Plus plan, which gives you access to all courses for a yearly subscription fee. Note that enrolling in a free Coursera program won’t provide you with a certificate at the completion point.

G2 Score: 4.5/5

Coursera Pricing

Lots of courses are available for free. Paid courses start at $9.99, with certificate-level courses beginning at $39, and university courses at $2,000. You can also choose to pay $59 a month or a $399 annual fee to unlock all the courses on Coursera. However, the monthly or yearly subscriptions do not include university degrees or MasterTrack certificates. 

Started as Lynda.com back in 1995, LinkedIn Learning features over 17,000 courses on topics across business, technology and creativity. Experts in their respective fields use LinkedIn Learning as a platform to share their knowledge to others who want to step into the industry.

LinkedIn Learning is great at teaching you how to do complex things, simply . It does this by breaking big, technical topics down into bitesize components. For example , you can learn the ins and outs of Adobe apps like Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator as well as rendering in Blender, SketchUp and Maya, and much more.

You can buy courses individually or get a recurring subscription. Any certificates can be automatically displayed on your LinkedIn profile. 

G2 Score: 4.4/5 

LinkedIn Learning Pricing

Individual courses vary between $20 and $50. LinkedIn Learning costs $39.99 for a monthly subscription, and $239.88 for an annual plan ( which is a 50% savings! ) These plans also give you access to LinkedIn Premium, with advanced networking and career-building tools. 

Bulk pricing is also available for companies or educational institutions who want to offer the platform to their organization.

Anyone who’s into creative arts or acquiring new creative skills would appreciate Skillshare. While it is less formal than many other online learning platforms, Skillshare focuses on practical skills rather than degrees or certificates.

Courses on Skillshare are often led by creatives who are well known in their field. The courses rarely go beyond two hours in length and are broken down further into 3 to 5 minute episodes so they’re easier to digest . This makes learning on Skillshare accessible even for people who don’t have a lot of free time at once.

There are some free introductory courses but to get access to the full catalog, you need to purchase a subscription.

G2 Score: 3.4/5

SkillShare Pricing

The pricing seems to depend on the country where you reside. However, on average, you can expect to pay $168 per year, or $14 per month . 

Related: Skillshare vs Thinkific – A detailed comparison

If you’re looking for a more formal learning environment, edX is one of the best options available online. This platform partners with top universities, from Harvard to MIT to Berkeley, to offer real university courses online. This is especially great for learners in remote locations or anyone who doesn’t want to commute to an in-person class for their degree. 

Most courses tend to skew into the STEM fields, such as data analysis, engineering, or math. But there are plenty of others too (out of 4,000+ total courses on the platform ). You can take the majority of classes for free if you don’t need the certificate. 

edX Pricing

Free classes do not offer certificates. Courses that come with certificates cost between $50 and $300. Full degree programs combine multiple courses and are usually $1,000 or higher . 

OpenLearning, an Australian platform, partners with leading institutions and offers more than 4,000 courses on a variety of subjects. What sets OpenLearning apart is an engaging and supportive community of more than 3 million learners. Students interact with each other constantly through comments, submissions and publicly tracking their progress.

You can find short individual courses on the platform as well as OpenCreds, which you can use to get actual credits in Australia’s universities. They call these microcredentials and they fit into specific frameworks for bigger programs you might want to take in the future. 

As a bonus, OpenLearning leverages AI technology to continually provide new information and better flow of the online learning experience! 

G2 Score: 4.6/5

OpenLearning Pricing

Lots of courses on the OpenLearning platform are free. Although the ones to get university credentials usually cost anywhere between $150 and $500. It costs between $900 and $3,450 per year to create courses on OpenLearning. 

With more than 213,000 courses, 60,000 instructors, and 62 million students , Udemy is the largest online learning platform out there, covering every niche you can think of.

There’s no unifying theme on Udemy — you can really learn anything, from graphic design to personal development. Most classes also use multimedia technologies, mixing video, images, text, quizzes, etc. 

Udemy Pricing

Each course on Udemy is sold separately, from as little as $10 and up to $200. Udemy subscriptions are not available to all students. Hence, you may have to shell out on individual courses if you are looking for premium learning. Note that only a selection of 10,500 courses from the full catalog are provided to subscribers on the Personal Plan. 

• Udemy vs Thinkific – A detailed comparison
• Top alternatives to Udemy

Web development or programming are hot topics to learn about! And the best online learning platform to do that is Treehouse.

Treehouse specializes in teaching people how to code in an interactive environment. While all courses can be taken individually, most are grouped into tracks to give you well-rounded knowledge of topics like frontend development, cybersecurity, or mobile app development.

Besides videos, Treehouse courses also contain a working text editor you’ll use to complete quizzes and test projects.

G2 Score: 4.3/5

Treehouse Pricing

Treehouse charges $25 per month for regular memberships, or $250 for the annual plan (which essentially gives you two free months ). If you want a certificate, however, there are even more structured Techdegree programs starting at $49 per month.

MasterClass is a platform that lets anyone learn from the world’s best practitioners, be it Gordon Ramsey for cooking, or Martin Scorsese for film directing.

There are over 180 courses currently available. All beautifully shot, produced and broken down into 15 to 20 bite-sized lessons. The advice is often practical and there are workbooks with extra information available. However, the platform works best for those who want to expose themselves to an overview of lots of different crafts. Or, for those who want to learn from their favourite celebrities! 

For content creators, unfortunately, you won’t be able to create and launch a course with MasterClass unless you are pre-approved by them. 

MasterClass Pricing

Billed annually, MasterClass costs $10 per month on an Individual plan, $20 for Duo ( which allows access on 2 devices) and $23 for Family ( up to 6 devices).

Another one of the top online learning platforms is Khan Academy. Started by Sal Khan as a way to help his cousins study math, today, Khan Academy features over 10,000 video lessons on various topics. 

Most of the platform revolves around foundational topics that you would learn in school such as sciences, math, accounting, physics, and economics. It’s a great resource center for parents that want to help their child access an informative, engaging, and affordable version of online tutoring. 

Over 999 million lessons have been delivered on the platform, helping people of all ages and levels of study with their homework ! There are streaks and other gamification features built-in to motivate students to learn more, and there are clear progressions for most tracks, sometimes enough for years of study. 

Khan Academy Pricing

Absolutely free! Khan Academy is a non-profit.

How to monetize your own content on online learning platforms

There are so many online learning platforms and so much to learn on almost any subject imaginable. The best thing is that once you acquire enough knowledge, you can start monetizing it as well through your own courses in your own unique way. All you need is the platform to do it!  

For example, Ellie Diop, owner of Ellie Talks Money , launched her course based on personal financial challenges she’s experienced. When looking for some way to generate a new revenue stream, she said her first thoughts were to, “[write] down all the things I knew how to do, all my experience. What I learned working a nine-to-five, and everything I knew about business finance. I looked at how I could give those skills directly to the marketplace, as a coach. ” This led her to eventually create 6 courses, which have generated over 3,000 students and over $1,000,000 in revenue within her first year! 

As you build your course, a few tips to keep in mind are:

• Reflect on the skills you currently have
• Consider what other people want to learn
• Figure out the best structure for your course
• Determine how to price your course
• Consider how you’ll market your course
• Get feedback from your students about what they like or don’t like
• Continually optimize and refresh your content over time 

Start building an online learning platform with Thinkific

Thinkific is an intuitive and easy-to-use course-creation solution that enables you to build and sell courses of any complexity. No coding skills required — just use a professionally designed template and customize it to your liking using a drag-and-drop editor. As a result, you can create a course in an hour and monetize it for years to come.

This blog was originally published in January 2023, it has since been updated in February 2024 to include top learning platforms for 2024.

Colin is a Content Marketer at Thinkific, writing about everything from online entrepreneurship & course creation to digital marketing strategy.

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25 Best Online Learning Platforms for Students & Teachers to Try in 2022

Written by Melanie Arden

Did you know?

Students at one school district mastered 68% more math skills on average when they used Prodigy.

• Teacher Resources

Student and teacher communication platforms

Game-based learning platforms, classroom management platforms, online-only virtual learning platforms, what about elearning platforms for adults, is there a best virtual classroom platform.

Since early 2020, teachers like you worked tirelessly to ensure students continue their studies without disruption. Despite the challenges everyone faced, your hard work made sure online learning platforms provided a way to keep kids engaged and excited to study! 

As students continue to learn online, virtual learning platforms are a good way to help them:

• Have an effective remote learning experience
• Progress with their studies and receive feedback from teachers
• Learn in a safe environment in line with the school’s privacy policies
• Get more time back for homework and activities instead of traveling to school

We've compiled a variety of online learning platforms to suit the needs of parents and teachers. Keep reading to find out which one is right for you!

Types of virtual learning platforms & examples of each

Communication is key when it comes to ensuring students receive the education they deserve. Interactive video lectures help teachers and students communicate effectively in real time.

Education platforms encourage students to:

• Collaborate 
• Communicate
• Share videos, photos and homework assignments 

To help students learn, you can set up classes, distribute and collect homework assignments.

Plus, virtual platforms give parents the opportunity to take part and supervise their child's progress from home. 

1. FlipGrid

FlipGrid is a conversation-starter enabling students and teachers to share videos about a relevant subject. Starting guides and webinars are available to teach you and your students how to use this unique platform. Best of all, it's free! 

Zoom became the #1 choice for meetings and webinars for its ease and functionality. Why not use this video conferencing tool for online classes, too?

Zoom requires the use of a passcode to take part in real-time video lectures. Not only does this provide a secure learning environment for kids, but it also allows for safe interactions between students and teachers.

Slack is an instant messaging tool that helps you and your students communicate instantly. 

Teachers can set up channels geared toward separate topics, and Slack ensures data is secure so only teachers and students access lessons. Once you create a start hub, students can easily access everything they need for their studies.

Bloomz is a wonderful app that opens communication between parents and teachers. Easily line up parent-teacher conversations, receive class updates and track behavior with this user-friendly platform. Translation is available in over 100 languages to make learning accessible for everyone.

5. ClassDojo

Parents can join their kids in class through any device with this platform. ClassDojo gives students a way to receive praise for their skills, and parents have the option to share happy moments captured in classrooms.

6. Microsoft Teams

Classrooms are a true team environment when teachers and students can swap thoughts and ideas. Microsoft Teams makes it easy for you and your students to work together as you exchange videos, homework assignments and engage in chat conversations.

Game-based learning combines the fun of gaming with learning . Quizzes, badges and points systems coupled with classroom participation make for a joyful way for students to develop problem solving and critical thinking skills

We found four rewarding and helpful platforms to enhance your child's love for learning through games.

1. Prodigy Math Game

Prodigy's adaptive, game-based learning platform can help students fall in love with learning! Prodigy Math Game challenges students to complete questions, earn rewards and battle friends, all while answering curriculum-aligned questions. 

Plus, your free teacher account gives you access to all of Prodigy’s teacher tools. Use them to:

• Align Prodigy with your classroom lessons
• Differentiate math instruction for every student
• Track student progress and deliver in-game assessments

Whether students are learning in the classroom or at home, Prodigy is a great way to keep them engaged as they build math skills.

Nothing gets kids more excited than a good classroom quiz (and a little healthy competition). Kahoot! was created to work with live video conferencing tools such as Zoom, Skype and Google Meet and blends educational games with fun questions to promote learning.

Kahoot! also encourages kids to create their own games and share with other students.

3. Gimkit         

Gimkit Live unleashes clever educational content where students answer questions at their own pace. Each time they answer a question correctly, they receive in-game cash they can re-invest to buy upgrades and power-ups. 

4. Quizlet        

Quizlet uses flashcards and games to make learning more enjoyable. Study modes and sets are suited to each student's learning style, which makes small accomplishments feel like victories.

Quizlet helps kids to learn a variety of subjects, including:

Classroom management platforms are timesaving tools that make learning run smoothly . These ingenious platforms help you time tasks, manage and improve students' behavior and create a respectful and supportive environment.

You can also use these platforms to communicate with parents and enhance educational experiences at school or at home.

1. Google Classroom    

Google Classroom requires the use of a Gmail account to access Classrooms. This platform is fantastic for easy communication, teamwork and sharing homework files. Plus, you can even use Classroom to make a class website and store important resources or information for students. 

2. Buncee     

Buncee is a fun and simple tool that helps students and teachers create course materials, presentations and stories. The platform has over 2,000 templates that allow users to build charts and visual art creations.

Buncee is a multi-purpose, web-based tool for educational, business and personal applications.

As a global learning management system (LMS), EdModo is a collaborative platform that connects teachers, students and parents.

Teachers like you can:

• Support students 
• Distribute quizzes
• Share assignments
• Create posts and messages

Students have a greater chance of reaching their full potential thanks to EdModo's organized class folders and built-in planner. 

Parents may wish to create their own account so they can supervise their child's progress.

4. Edulastic

As a valuable online education tool, Edulastic's high standards help you administer assessments, help students and track their progress. Google Classroom synchronization is available free to use in combination with Edulastic. Students receive the best of both worlds: effective academic resources that are easy to use!  

5. Eduplanet21      

Eduplanet21 recently began allowing teachers and groups to receive a free subscription to use their platform. Developers also released a software module called "Lesson Planner," which helps you to produce and alter lesson plans for remote learning.

The website has great resources for "10 Minute Tuesdays," quick conversations with educators from around the world. Their webinars also offer valuable tips to help educators and students.

6. ClassMax

ClassMax's online education tool shows teachers exactly how to set up the system, so no guessing required. You can create seating charts, monitor behavior and track student progress. It also eliminates the need to use paper, which is an environmental bonus!

When the pandemic forced educators to change the way they deliver lessons, virtual learning platforms became the solution for administering tutorials and sending out learning materials.

There are countless platforms to make studies enjoyable while kids learn from the comfort and safety of their homes, and we found five excellent options for teachers and parents to choose from.

1. Skillshare

Skillshare's vast library of over 20,000 classes earns top honors as one of the best online learning platforms. Courses consist of presentations lasting 20 minutes or less along with a class project.

Skillshare membership levels include:

• A two-month free trial.
• Free membership allowing access to 2,000 classes.
• Premium membership for $15 per month or $99 for a year. You receive access to 20,000+ classes.

Students learn new skills through online courses about productivity, business and creativity. 

2. 3P Learning

3P is a blended software designed for mathematics and literacy. Incorporated gaming elements make learning more fun for students, and 3P's Mathletics program provides activities that help students practice and advance their understanding of mathematics.

Math and literacy subjects are geared toward students ages 3 - 16.

3. Dialpad  

Dialpad, a cloud-based phone system, allows educators to create an online campus and bring all their students together under one 'roof'. Teachers can set up a virtual classroom in seconds, students easily stay connected from any device and all communications are secure thanks to encryption. 

4. Docebo  

Docebo is an amazing collaborative learning platform perfectly suited for student interaction. Kids can take part in active discussions as they would in a physical classroom with a flexible and easy-to-use system.

Course content distribution and management has never been so easy!

Habyts' platform lets teachers and parents take control over students' screens to help kids stay motivated to complete their schoolwork.

Parents can have round-the-clock access to goals and rewards that help their kids remain focused. Use Habyts with your students’ parents to promote healthy learning even when they’re not in the classroom!

There are countless free and low-cost options available to adults who want to learn online. If you would like to upgrade your skills or sign up for professional development training programs, we've got you covered.

Below, you'll find four of our top picks to help you achieve your educational goals.  

1. Coursera  

Coursera has several certificates, degree programs and general courses to give you the tools for success. Learn from top educational institutions and companies like Duke University, Stanford or Google.

Coursera's affordable options include:

• Free courses
• Degree programs such as computer science and MBAs
• Professional certificates in social media or digital marketing 

The impressive list of training programs is available to anyone seeking career advancement.

MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Courses. An extension of EDx, you'll find free and affordable online courses to transform your career in engineering, data science, computer science, business, management and humanities.

Udemy is a fantastic, low-cost option where you can learn design, web development, marketing, music and countless other subjects. With over 155,000 online courses to choose from, you'll spend hours honing new skills for work or play.

EDx boasts affordable degree programs taught by respected educational institutions like Harvard, Berkeley University and MIT. MicroBachelor and MicroMasters studies enable adults to fast track their career advancement and start less expensive Bachelor and Masters programs.

Adult eLearning platforms are a boon for those wishing to expand their education from the comfort of their home. During the pandemic, these platforms provide extraordinary value without a huge expense.

Well... choosing the best virtual platform depends on several factors :

• What age group are you teaching? 
• How many students do you have in your class? 
• Do you need to set up tutoring spaces for kids who need extra help? 

There are several things to consider before choosing a platform that is right for your students

One of the best ways to determine the right platform for you is to create a list of must-haves . Compare the list against each virtual platform's features and benefits. From there, you'll be able to settle on the best platform for your students.  

Our digital world opens up a staggering number of virtual classrooms to choose from. Each platform has their own unique advantages. Like everything else, there are limitations to consider.

But what happens when virtual classrooms do not meet all student needs? It is important to point out several caveats associated with virtual classrooms:

• Teacher compensation and workload require restructuring
• Students may lose interest in completing homework assignments
• Educators should be mindful of how student data is collected and stored
• Students miss their friends and the social interaction they received at school
• Technological limitations may exist especially for kids from low-income families
• It is not always easy to prevent unwanted visitors from entering a virtual classroom
• Unstable enrollment as restrictions lift and students attend traditional classrooms vs. virtual learning
• Problems with internet access could prevent students from logging into classes and missing important lessons
• Other limitations include length of each session and the number of participants allowed to enter the virtual classroom (this isn't an issue for paid versions of some platforms)

Before choosing a virtual classroom, consider the pros and cons of each platform and how they may influence your students' learning experience. 

There are several wonderful learning options available to educational institutions and teachers. A little research will help you arrive at the best decision for your students!

Virtual learning is changing education

For every state and school district, there are different opinions on the future of virtual learning. Some say it's here to stay while others insist a physical classroom is the best way for kids to learn.

Here are a few key points to consider about the future of virtual classrooms:

• Online courses offer flexibility and accessibility for everyone with internet access
• Several platforms offer an extensive selection of programs and courses catered to different interests
•  Most online learning resources are less expensive than traditional in-person classrooms and lecture halls, making virtual education more affordable

Although it’s hard to predict what online education will look like ten years from now, many online learning resources will be available in the near future. Online studies have become a great way to supplement traditional classroom learning.

Prodigy Math Game blends the adventure of an online game with curriculum-aligned math practice. As students explore the world of Prodigy through their wizard avatars, they’ll encounter skill-building math questions that help them earn rewards and level up.

With your free teacher account, you can align the questions students answer to your lesson plans, differentiate content and track student progress, even while students learn online. Get started today!

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13 Educational Platforms

March 6, 2022

Guest Author Marta Rudnicka

The continuous development in the field of education has made the move to online platforms by major university and school programs inevitable. So, we’ve provided some of the top educational platforms below to help you, your business, or your institution maximize the power of elearning.

EdApp is a highly regarded, award-winning educational platform used by both large and small, private and corporate institutions globally. Freely accessible to all users, it gives easy-to-use design solutions and templates to make elearning content creation as easy and effective as possible. 

If you're looking to spruce up your curriculum, EdApp makes it easy to incorporate ready-to-learn courses that were built by top-notch experts from around the globe. Another cool thing about the platform is that it focuses on microlearning, so its courses are designed to be mobile-friendly, making it super easy for anyone to study anytime, anywhere. And guess what? This educational platform even has games and quizzes in between courses to make learning more effective and interesting for learners. How awesome is that?

On top of offering a wide variety of courses , EdApp also offers a data-powered Creator Tool that you can use to create your own online learning courses. The best part is, you don't need to be a design whiz to make your courses visually appealing. EdApp has partnered with Canva, which is known for its powerful design tools, allowing you to customize your lessons to your heart's content. Say goodbye to complicated authoring methods and hello to endless customization options instead.

Additionally, if you don’t have the time to build your own courses from scratch, you can opt to take advantage of EdApp’s Course Creation Services . Through this feature, their team of expert instructional designers can design and launch your courses for you along with additional onboarding and account support.

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2. Google Classroom

The educational tool proposed by the software giant is more than a decent solution for schools, which suddenly had to switch to online learning. Although not entirely free, it offers a fully functional free tier, which allows for conducting distant teaching and giving assignments. Google Classroom uses well-known G Suite tools, such as Google Docs, calculations’ sheets, online presentation tools, and video call tools (Google Hangouts). Its simple and well-known design, basic functionalities available for free, and high accessibility rates, all make Google Classroom a straightforward choice for school and university courses and examples of educational programs, where there’s no need for high-end supplementary options and tools.

3. Udemy School

Udemy is one of the most well-known educational platforms offering a number of peer-reviewed courses taught by instructors from around the world. Udemy offers many standard designing tools for course creators: videos, calculation sheets, documents, and presentations. Unfortunately, on the downside, this k-12 online education platform doesn’t allow for a seamless exchange between the teacher and the students. Additionally, there’s almost no quality control for the courses which are being published in Udemy. Therefore, a good peer-review rating is a crucial element when choosing a class at Udemy. As it is geared towards personalized learning and self-paced learning mode, there’s no big community support and neither is the possibility of feedback from the teacher.

While it’s dedicated to traditional classroom learning rather than professional training and development, this k-12 online learning platforms for adults allows teachers to create their own unique, instructor-led training online courses. WizIQ is an award-winning educational platform, which delivers interactive learning experiences. Online courses created with WizIQ can also be offered for sale and with the possibility to turn them into MOOCs (massive open online courses), they can easily be made into a source of revenue. WizIQ also offers digital tutoring software for those interested in giving personal instruction on a chosen subject. WizIQ doesn’t have a very transparent pricing policy – for every potential client is given an individual quota after contacting the sales team.

Together with Coursera, edX is two holy grails among the LMS focused on delivering college-quality education. Created by Harvard and MIT graduates, edX is a higher-education-oriented platform hosting online courses from different universities. While it isn’t quite suited for professional training in the workplace, you can attend a Yale business program or Harvard physics class for free. EdX’s interest lies in improving the global accessibility to top-class resources and educators. However, the choice offered by edX is way smaller than on other computer platform types and limited to very specialized fields. EdX also doesn’t support microlearning and its policy still advocated traditional teaching methods , with listening to lectures and writing essays . Its focus is chiefly on natural sciences, leaving humanities and arts in the last position. It’s therefore clear, that not necessarily everyone will be satisfied with what they’ll find on this platform.

6. BlackboardLearn

BlackBoard learn is aimed at higher-education teachers and students, who need to be able to store and share the materials in the cloud or a course management system. Apart from teaching, it can be used for corporate and governmental training programs, although there are other LMS that offer more built-in features for less. It’s mobile-friendly, which caters to the younger users’ habits, as it enables then to attend classes anywhere. Blackboard delivers content without fuss but takes away some of the fun other LMS provide along with great functionality. Blackboard is not free, however, there’s no clear pricing on their website and one has to request a quote.

7. Coursera

Coursera is an educational platform, which like edX, aims at delivering college-level education and quality training globally. It offers online degrees, specialized courses, and one-off activities, delivered by renowned partner universities from all over the world. Most of the courses at Coursera require active participation, feedback, writing tasks, and attending lectures. The effort pays off, as after completing a course, one can apply for a certificate with a relevant stamp on it. Coursera is free for university students (except for degree courses) but requires an admission fee from everyone else.

8. Skillshare

Skillshare counts among well-known educational platforms focused on delivering practical skill-oriented courses for its dynamic range of students. It is primarily limited to an educational video platform, where teachers and educators explain the topic in a series of clips. Skillshare is a community-based platform, meaning everyone can potentially become a teacher and it’s easy to gain feedback and support at the community forum. Contrary to EdX or Coursera, Skillshare focuses on teaching pragmatic skills helping with building an online presence (useful in the era of social media marketing and email marketing ), supporting small businesses or simply for entertainment purposes. Skillshare offers free two-month trial and after the access is based on a monthly subscription.

9. Thinkific

As a well-designed LMS platform system that makes creating your training courses feasible and easy, Thinkific offers a variety of templates and graphics to facilitate the design of your course. It’s mostly aimed at entrepreneurs, online educators, coaches, and trainers, who wish to expand their reach and perhaps update their educational tools. Unfortunately, Thinkific is not free, and to access the full range of design and marketing tools, a monthly subscription plan is required.

10. LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning is an educational platform and SAAS that chiefly focuses on business and technology-related fields. The platform’s courses are delivered in video form in seven different languages which makes it adequately accessible, depending on your geographical location. LinkedIn Learning comes as a premium feature for LinkedIn users with upgraded profiles and aims at providing new, better qualifications for those searching for new opportunities in the job market. LinkedIn Learning is a good place to learn, more difficult to teach as becoming a coach there requires a lot of effort. The quality of the courses is not always easy to assess beforehand and requires some research.

11. GoToTraining

GoToTraining is a highly adaptable educational platform packed with reliable features that you can use to create learning materials and manage online training sessions. Through its unique, built-in tools, organizations can easily customize registration processes, manage training materials, as well as share and publish courses. Learners can also collaborate during live training sessions through small group activities, collaborations, discussions, and polls. 

As a trainer or L&D professional, you can opt to send your course catalogs directly to your learners to encourage self-paced learning and adaptive learning, or you can host an online conference to ensure direct communication with your team. Another great feature is that GoToTraining allows trainers to host a content library, where they can upload, store, organize, and reuse learning materials like courses, tests, and class recordings. These can then be accessed by workers at their best convenience. 

12. Trainual

Trainual is another educational platform that can help you onboard or train employees with a learning program. It allows you to customize elearning courses in just a few clicks. Simply choose from the platform’s 150+ free templates, embed your images or videos, add your training content, and deploy it to your learners. Your workers can then access their course materials through multiple online platforms such as iOS, Android, Chrome extension, and other web browsers. It’s important to highlight, however, that this platform doesn’t support SCORM files or other elearning formats. This can be a huge deal-breaker for those with existing content on other online learning software. Apart from this disadvantage, you’ll also have to spend 9 USD to access all of Trainual’s basic features.

Alternative option: If you don’t want to use a readymade learning management platform, you could create your own eLearning website. It’s a lot more work to set up and run, but it can be a fulfilling experience. Platforms like WordPress are completely free to use. There are lots of WordPress LMS themes , especially at Templatemonster , to make your website look the part, and plenty of plugins to help you create an engaging student experience. It is a lot more effort than EdApp, but could deliver a great learning resource!

13. FutureLearn

FutureLearn is another educational platform that can be used to gain new knowledge and skills. More than 2,000 distinct courses are available on this platform, covering a wide range of topics like business management, healthcare, creative arts, and much more. These courses, like those on Coursera and edX, are created by top universities and industry experts and distributed through videos, articles, discussions, quizzes, and other exercises.

One of its best features is that it provides distinctive microdentials and programs designed to offer in-depth courses in a specific field. Some of these even come with academic credit that may be applied toward a professional degree, and they are supported by independent certificate management software. Additionally, the courses here are 100% online and can be completed for up to 15 weeks.

Educational platform systems have become ubiquitous and continuously gain more customers: both teachers and students. From highly specialized university-degree platforms like Coursera to practical skill-oriented ones like Skillshare, each of them targets a special audience. Covid-19 pandemic has triggered a rise in the use of educational platform systems, which enable students to carry on their official education. Variety of tools, video-based teaching, peer-support system and user experience opinion ratings make elearning an attractive environment to further one’s knowledge and gain new skills easily. With platforms like EdApp, designing beautiful online courses has never been more accessible. With creative marketing tools and professional support system, gaining revenue from teaching becomes a dream job of future specialists.

Sources https://www.learnworlds.com/online-learning-platforms/ https://www.techradar.com/best/best-online-learning-platforms http://www.guide2research.com/research/online-education-statistics https://www.adamenfroy.com/best-online-course-platforms https://www.talentlms.com/blog/educational-platform-vs-lms-vs-training-software/ https://www.learnworlds.com/online-learning-platforms/

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Marta Rudnicka is a creative content writer with vast experience in writing, editing, translation, and data analysis. Aside from writing, their interests are centered on mental health, human rights, travel, and environmental concerns.

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Request a demo, frequently asked questions about canvas, is there a free version of canvas lms to try out.

Yes, Canvas LMS offers Free-for-Teacher , providing basic functionality to students and teachers to explore courses and learn basic Canvas LMS features. Educators can deliver courses, create content, and personalize learning with Mastery Paths, Outcomes, and standards-based gradebooks. Users can also utilize Canvas mobile app suite and integrate external applications to its free Canvas LMS version.

Can students use Canvas LMS for free?

Yes. Canvas LMS is 100% free for students. You can access your free Canvas LMS student account if your school uses Canvas or through a free (non-school-associated) Canvas LMS account. Students can log in to their learning management system account by clicking here .

How long has Canvas LMS been around?

Canvas LMS was launched in 2011 by Instructure. In 2012, Instructure began offering open, online courses for everyone, everywhere. It soon became the leading learning management system, unseating the most popular LMSs in the educational industry.

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8 Best Mobile LMS Platforms to Elevate eLearning Anytime, Anywhere

March 28, 2024

Emily Homrok   |  WorkRamp Contributor

Learning tips straight to your inbox.

In the age of smartphones and tablets, businesses must adapt their training programs to be compatible with mobile devices—and a mobile workforce. 

According to Forbes , more than 20 percent of the workforce works remotely part-time, while more than 30 percent work remotely on a full-time basis. 

A mobile learning management system (LMS) provides the ideal solution, enabling businesses of all sizes to create and deliver cost-effective educational content at scale. Whether your team members work from home or on the go while traveling, a mobile LMS ensures they have dependable, around-the-clock access to the resources and information they need. 

The challenge for businesses is finding a budget-friendly LMS that delivers the features and functions they want—without the costly extras they don’t. 

We’ll help you in your search by comparing nine of the best mobile-friendly learning management systems, including details about each platform’s pricing and key features. 

Let’s begin by breaking down some of the use cases for—and benefits of—a mobile learning management system.  

In this post:

What is a mobile LMS, and what is it used for?

An LMS is an online learning platform that enables businesses, schools, and other organizations to provide training and educational content to employees, customers, and/or students via smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. Like a regular LMS, a mobile LMS can act as a centralized platform for managing and delivering learning materials, tracking learner progress , and assessing the effectiveness of your training programs. 

The basic purpose of a mobile LMS is to make learning accessible for employees, partners, and customers, regardless of time zones or geographic barriers. With a mobile LMS, learners can access knowledge databases, client information, HR documents, training materials, reference guides, help forums, chat spaces, and more from their smartphones or tablets. 

By ensuring that training materials and other resources are available on the go, your business can reduce or eliminate the need for traditional classroom-based training, saving you time and money without sacrificing employee performance. Plus, since mobile learning allows employees to progress at their own pace and convenience, it’s a great way to boost learner engagement , knowledge retention, and employee satisfaction.

There are numerous ways that businesses can use mobile learning management systems to reach their goals faster. 

Here are some examples of use cases for a mobile LMS:

• Onboarding and orientation . A mobile LMS can streamline the onboarding process for new employees. It lets new team members access training materials, company policies, and procedures on their mobile devices, ensuring a smooth transition into their new roles. This reduces the time and resources required for in-person training and provides consistent  experiences for all new hires.
• Compliance training . Many industries, such as healthcare and finance, require employees to undergo regular compliance training. A mobile LMS enables your business to deliver compliance training modules on smartphones or other mobile devices, ensuring employees stay current with regulatory requirements. The ability to track completion and generate compliance reports also simplifies the auditing process, ensures adherence to industry standards, and helps protect you from liability. 
• Professional development . A mobile LMS can support employees’ professional growth and development. Organizations can provide access to industry-specific training courses, webinars, and other resources, allowing employees to expand their skills and knowledge. This benefits the individual employees, enhances the organization’s talent pool, and promotes a culture of continuous learning .

Read more: 6 Effective Ways to Support Employee Career Growth

Mobile LMS features to look for

Here are five key admin features to look for when choosing a mobile LMS for your business: 

• Features that make it easy to manage content in multiple formats
• Learning assessment features to test employees’ knowledge and skills 
• Robust tracking and reporting capabilities 
• The ability to customize training for different job roles, departments, or other employee segments and groups 
• Advanced privacy and security features to protect your data

1. Easy content management 

Learning management systems differ from content management systems, which we explored in our LMS vs. CMS comparison . 

Look for a mobile LMS with robust content management capabilities to easily create, organize, deliver, and update training materials. The platform you choose should also support various file formats, such as videos, text documents, audio files, slideshows, and multimedia presentations. 

Other than the ability to support numerous file formats and types of content, here are a few more examples of specific content management features to look for when selecting a mobile LMS: 

• Easy-to-use content editing, publishing, and scheduling tools 
• A user-friendly, drag-and-drop interface 
• Support for multiple languages  
• Native integrations with tools your team commonly uses

WorkRamp CMS

WorkRamp CMS is a unified LMS + CMS for revenue enablement and learning content. Learn more about WorkRamp CMS and how it can help your team boost sales.

2. Learning assessments 

Choose a mobile LMS platform that includes built-in learning assessments to ensure you can test and measure the efficacy of your employee training programs , such as your sales training or soft skills training programs. 

These assessments—which generally take the form of quizzes, tests, or surveys—allow you to gauge how well learners acquire, apply, and master skills and whether learners retain knowledge over time. 

Assessments also enable learners to receive immediate feedback, which research links to increased engagement and performance. According to Gallup —which notes that 80 percent of employees who say they have received meaningful feedback in the past week are fully engaged—the best way to provide workplace feedback is to do so quickly and frequently, an approach Gallup refers to as Fast Feedback.

There’s another benefit: by analyzing the results of employee learning assessments, admins can accurately track employee progress and identify areas where additional training may be required. By pinpointing the areas where training (or retraining) would be most beneficial, your business can close skill gaps strategically and cost-effectively and avoid wasting time or money on training programs that aren’t productive. 

WorkRamp’s Employee LMS

With the Learning Cloud from WorkRamp, you can create quizzes and self-assessments to measure and track learner progress and skill mastery. For example, you can require learners to take a quiz after completing a specific online course or module. 

3. Tracking and reporting

Reporting and analytics are crucial features for any LMS—mobile or otherwise—because they provide valuable, actionable insights into the efficacy of your training programs. 

For example, reporting features allow you to track learner progress, skill acquisition, and performance in targeted areas. They also provide detailed data on course completion rates, quiz scores, and total time spent on each module or course. 

You can use this information to identify learners who may be struggling and require additional support or intervention—and, on the flip side, recognize and reward the achievements of high-performing employees. 

With native reporting, trend analysis tools, performance analysis tools, out-of-the-box visualizations, and more, the Learning Cloud makes it easy to measure the impact of your L&D and training programs. 

Read more: 6 Proven Methods to Measure the Impact of Your Training Programs

4. Learning customization 

Employees have different learning styles and preferences. Moreover, some learners may need specific accommodations for accessibility, such as learners who are visually impaired.

Regardless of these differences, learner engagement increases when educational content is personalized and relevant. In addition to boosting engagement, custom learning paths promote a culture of continuous learning within your organization. That’s because providing employees with personalized learning journeys emphasizes the importance of ongoing skill development and professional growth. This approach to L&D benefits individual employees, enhances your organization’s talent pool, and prepares employees for future challenges and opportunities. 

For all of these reasons, it’s essential to choose a mobile LMS that offers the flexibility to design customized learning paths. WorkRamp’s mobile-friendly platform enables you to build custom learning paths and certifications for employees, partners, and customers. 

5. Security and data privacy 

Depending on factors like your industry and location, your business may be required to comply with information privacy laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). And no matter where you’re located, your customers, partners, and employees need to feel like their information is protected. 

Data leaks and security breaches can cause your organization to lose trust, business, and revenue—and potentially, even a lawsuit. Therefore, when choosing a mobile LMS, look for a platform that protects against cyber threats while complying with data privacy regulations. 

The Learning Cloud includes security features to protect your data from unauthorized access. 

Here are a few examples of the LMS security features built into WorkRamp’s mobile-friendly eLearning platform: 

• Advanced data encryption  
• Role-based access control 
• Identity verification tools 
• Single sign-on (SSO) 
• SOC 2 Type II compliance

Best mobile LMS platforms in 2024 

Now that we’ve reviewed some key features to look for in a mobile LMS —such as easy content management, customized learning paths, and robust tracking and reporting capabilities—let’s compare some popular mobile LMS platforms for businesses. 

To help you choose the right platform for your needs, we’ve rounded up 11 of the top mobile learning management systems in 2024.

Below, you’ll find overviews of each platform and information about their features and pricing. 

The Employee Learning Cloud from WorkRamp is a powerful, cloud-based LMS that allows small, midsize, or large organizations to create engaging mobile training programs that scale effortlessly as you grow. 

Build your own custom learning paths for specific roles and departments, or use our Prebuilt LMS Content for ready-to-go training. Learners can access the platform from any location or device, while admins can easily implement and manage the system for learners. In fact, WorkRamp was voted easiest to use and easiest to set up by G2 users.

In addition to training your employees, WorkRamp helps team members collaborate and provides actionable insights and analytics to help your team report on training results. 

No matter how you decide to use WorkRamp—from sales enablement to onboarding, compliance, professional development, and employee upskilling—the Learning Cloud is built to help your business propel growth. 

Key Features: 

• Easy-to-use course-authoring and content-creation tools  
• Customizable dashboards and learning paths 
• Prebuilt course library for ready-to-go content 
• Streamlined, intuitive interface
• Support for multiple languages and file formats
• Robust data security and user privacy features  
• Asynchronous and synchronous learning options
• Support for live events and instructor-led training 
• Social learning and collaboration tools 
• Learner assessments, quizzes, and tests  
• Integrations with third-party apps and software like Salesforce, Workday, BambooHR, and Google Analytics 

Check out WorkRamp’s pricing page for more details.

Source: Moodle

Moodle describes itself as a feature-rich learning platform designed to improve your teaching, training, and learner outcomes.

 Moodle offers various eLearning solutions, some geared toward K-12 schools and educators and others focused on vocational or workplace training.

Moodle’s LMS is open-source, but certain platform features, such as custom domain names or 24-hour customer support, are only available through premium plans. 

• Tracking and analytics to measure learner progress 
• Collaboration features to support social learning 
• Learner assessments and quizzes
• Notifications about deadlines and required courses 
• 24-hour customer support 

Pricing: Moodle offers two tiers of plans: a Standard tier, which covers five different types of plans, and a Premium tier. Premium tier pricing is available upon request. 

Standard tier pricing varies by plan as follows: Starter ($120/year), Mini ($210/year), Small ($390/year), Medium ($900/year), and Standard ($1,690/year). 

Anthology (formerly Blackboard) 

Source: Anthology

Anthology , previously known as Blackboard, is a versatile platform that offers a suite of L&D solutions for different types of organizations, including: 

• Blackboard Learn — An LMS for educators 
• Anthology for Government — An LMS designed for government agencies
• Anthology for Business — An LMS that allows businesses to provide flexible, professional development, training, and online learning solutions for employees 
• Course-building tools 
• Learner registration and management tools 
• Intuitive interface 
• Translations available for different languages 
• Integrations with HR software and other apps  

Pricing: Anthology for Business pricing is available upon request, including Bronze, Silver, and Gold partner tiers and additional strategic partnership tiers. According to Anthology’s FAQ page, partners can join the Community Tier for free, or if they integrate with Blackboard Learn, join the Developer’s Network Tier for $3,000/year.

Source: Canvas LMS

Canvas LMS is a learning management system with a mobile-friendly app targeted toward teachers and educational institutions. Canvas enables students and teachers to communicate instantly, share and grade assignments, participate in discussions, and more.

• Content creation tools 
• Learner assessments, tests, and quizzes 
• Personalized learning paths 
• Interactive analytics 
• Integrations with various third-party apps 

Pricing: According to the Canvas website, A Canvas Free-for-Teacher account has the essential features and functionality of Canvas LMS, even if your institution is not a Canvas customer. To access advanced features and support, you’ll need to upgrade to the paid version of Canvas, with pricing details available upon request.

Sakai LMS is an open-source learning management system geared toward schools and educators. The platform allows teachers to create online courses, tests, and assignments and includes features that enable students and learners to collaborate on projects, such as course calendars and text chat features. 

• API and integrations 
• Communication tools like discussion boards and messaging features
• Configurable user roles and permission levels 
• Custom course creation and management  
• Synchronous and asynchronous learning 

Pricing: Sakai LMS offers a free version that must be hosted and configured by your business or a cloud-hosted version that’s free to try. 

Source: Docebo

According to its website, Docebo is an employee and partner learning platform designed to engage your learners, simplify content management, and streamline your workflows and tech stack. 

Docebo’s mobile learning app can be used to facilitate employee onboarding, compliance training, and sales training. 

• Personalized learning paths
• User-friendly interface 
• Social, e-commerce, and video conferencing integrations
• Configurable dashboards
• Custom reporting 

Docebo’s pricing is available upon request. According to Docebo’s website, Docebo typically works best with companies who are training at least 300+ learners in their project.

TalentLMS is a cloud-based learning platform designed for small to large businesses. TalentLMS has various use cases, including employee training and sales training, and offers industry-specific solutions for healthcare, manufacturing, consulting, and other industries. 

• Blended learning 
• Course creation and management features 
• Learner tests and assessments 
• Custom learning paths 
• Communication tools 

Pricing: Talent LMS offers five pricing plans: Starter ($69/month), Basic ($149/month), Plus ($279/month), Premium ($459/month), and Enterprise (pricing available upon request). Talent LMS also offers an option to start with a forever-free plan and scale as you grow, although the number of users and features is limited compared to the paid plans (up to five for free vs. up to 40 for Starter). 

Source: Absorb LMS

Absorb LMS is a cloud-based learning management system geared toward enterprises and large organizations. The platform can be used to create and sell online courses, streamline new employee onboarding, and deliver various types of mobile training.

• SCORM compliance
• eCommerce portal  
• Reporting and analytics dashboards 
• Ready-to-use content libraries 
• Integrations with various apps and software 

Pricing: Absorb LMS offers a free demo. However, to continue using the platform and unlock advanced features, users will need to upgrade to a premium plan. Pricing is available upon request and varies depending on factors like the number of learners using the system (1 to 50 to more than 25,000).  

A mobile learning management system offers the ideal solution for businesses looking to develop secure, custom online training programs.

By using a mobile LMS, your business can make training more accessible and give your employees the flexibility they need to learn successfully. 

Boost your mobile LMS experience with WorkRamp

Empower employees to upskill and reskill on the go. Harness the power of a mobile learning management system for your business—and revolutionize your employee training programs.

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How Online Course Platforms Turn Education into a Thriving Industry

Nadeesh Kareemdathil , Apoorva Bajj

The education landscape has undergone a metamorphosis. Online course platforms have emerged as a dominant force, shattering geographical barriers and democratizing access to knowledge. But for these platforms, the question remains: how do they translate education into a sustainable business model? This article delves into the diverse revenue strategies employed by online course platforms, examining the delicate balance between affordability for learners and financial viability for the platforms themselves.

The Booming EdTech Industry: A Breeding Ground for Innovation

Transaction-based revenue: straightforward and user-friendly, subscription-based revenue: predictable growth and user retention, expanding the revenue stream: beyond course fees.

Building Value for Learners: The Core of Platform Success The Future of Online Course Platforms: Innovation, Personalization, and Microlearning A Mutually Beneficial Ecosystem

The global eLearning market is projected to reach a staggering $491. 35 billion by 2028, according to MarketsandMarkets. This exponential growth is fueled by several key factors:

• Demand for Flexibility:  Online courses cater to the modern learner's need for on-demand education. Busy professionals and lifelong learners can access high-quality content at their own pace and convenience.
• Technological Advancements:  The evolution of online learning platforms has fostered engaging and interactive learning experiences that rival traditional classroom settings. Gamification elements, collaborative tools, and multimedia content create a stimulating learning environment.
• Global Reach:  Online courses transcend geographical limitations, enabling learners worldwide to connect with renowned instructors and access specialized education that might not be readily available in their location.

This thriving EdTech industry thrives on a variety of revenue models , each catering to different learning goals and target audiences . Let's delve deeper into the most prominent strategies:

• One-Time Fee:  This straightforward model offers learners lifetime access to a course for a single, upfront payment. This provides learners with ownership of their educational investment and allows platforms to generate immediate revenue.

Our one-time fee model empowers learners to own their education journey, says Michael Lee, founder of a popular self-development platform . They can revisit the course material whenever they need a refresher, maximizing the value proposition.

• Pay-Per-Lecture:  This model offers learners more granular control over their spending. They can purchase individual lectures or modules within a course, allowing them to focus on specific topics of interest without committing to the entire curriculum. This caters to learners with limited budgets or those seeking a targeted learning experience.

• Monthly or Annual Subscriptions:  Platforms offer access to a vast library of courses for a fixed monthly or annual fee. This model encourages user retention, as learners have access to a diverse range of content, fostering ongoing engagement and generating a predictable revenue stream for the platform.

Our subscription model provides learners with a treasure trove of learning opportunities, explains Sarah Jones, CEO of a prominent skills-training platform . They can explore a wide range of courses, from coding to marketing, and discover new topics that spark their curiosity.

• Tiered Subscriptions:  Platforms cater to different budgets and learning needs by offering tiered subscriptions with varying features. Basic tiers might offer access to core content, while higher tiers could unlock exclusive features like personalized learning plans, downloadable resources, or access to private community forums.
• Corporate Training:  Platforms offer customized online training programs to businesses and organizations. This allows companies to upskill their workforce at scale, generating significant revenue for the platform through bulk course sales.
• Affiliate Marketing:  Platforms may partner with relevant businesses to promote complementary products or services. They can earn a commission on each sale generated through their platform, creating an additional revenue stream.
• Freemium Model:  Platforms offer a limited amount of course content for free, with premium features or additional courses available for purchase. This serves as a lead generation tool , attracting users and upselling them to paid subscriptions once they experience the value proposition.

Building Value for Learners: The Core of Platform Success

While revenue generation is crucial for platform sustainability, successful online course platforms understand the importance of providing value for learners. Here are some ways platforms can enhance the learning experience and encourage user engagement :

• High-Quality Content is King:  Engaging and informative content from credible instructors forms the cornerstone of any successful platform. Platforms curate their offerings by collaborating with well-respected educators or implementing rigorous quality control measures to ensure courses meet learner expectations.
• Interactive Features Foster Engagement:  Interactive elements like quizzes, discussions, collaborative assignments, and live Q&A sessions add a dynamic dimension to the learning experience. These elements not only test knowledge retention but also foster a sense of community and create a more interactive learning environment.
• Community Building Creates Connections:  Platforms can provide forums, discussion boards, or even live chat functionalities to allow learners to connect, share their progress, and learn from each other's experiences. Building a sense of community can enhance motivation and foster deeper engagement with the course material.
• Learner Support is Paramount:  Offering robust learner support demonstrates the platform's commitment to student success. This can include:

Dedicated Support Staff:  A team of knowledgeable representatives can answer learner questions, troubleshoot technical difficulties, and provide guidance throughout the learning journey.

Comprehensive FAQs and Knowledge Base:  A searchable database of frequently asked questions and clear documentation can empower learners to find answers independently, minimizing reliance on direct support channels.

Progress Tracking and Feedback:  Learning management systems should provide learners with insights into their progress, allowing them to track their performance and identify areas needing improvement. Personalized feedback from instructors or automated progress reports can further enhance the learning experience .

Spotlight On India's EdTech Industry, Opportunities & Challenges

The Future of Online Course Platforms: Innovation, Personalization, and Microlearning

The online course platform landscape continues to evolve. Here are some key trends to watch:

• Focus on Microlearning:  Bite-sized, focused learning modules cater to learners with limited time or attention spans. These microlearning modules allow for on-the-go learning and skill development in short bursts.
• Personalized Learning Paths:  Platforms are leveraging data analytics and artificial intelligence to personalize learning experiences. By understanding learner strengths and weaknesses, platforms can recommend relevant courses, create custom learning paths, and cater to individual learning styles.
• Gamification and Immersive Learning:  The use of game mechanics like points, badges, and leaderboards can increase engagement and motivation. Additionally, emerging technologies like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have the potential to revolutionize online learning by creating more immersive and interactive learning environments.

A Mutually Beneficial Ecosystem

The success of online course platforms hinges on striking a balance between generating revenue and offering learners exceptional value. By prioritizing high-quality content, fostering engaged communities, and providing robust support, platforms can establish themselves as trusted educational partners. As the EdTech industry continues its meteoric rise, innovative revenue models and learner-centric approaches will be key to securing the future of online course platforms. Ultimately, the success of this industry hinges on creating a mutually beneficial ecosystem where both learners and platforms thrive.

What is the expected market size of the EdTech industry in India for the year 2025?

The expected market size of EdTech industry in India in 2025 would be $10.4 billion U.S. dollars.

What are the revenue models followed by the major EdTech companies in India?

The revenue models followed by the major EdTech companies in India are Transaction-Based Revenue, Subscription-Based Revenue, and Expanding the Revenue Stream by doing affiliate marketing and offering a freemium model.

What is the freemium model in the EdTech companies?

In the freemium model, the platforms offer a limited amount of course content for free, with premium features or additional courses available for purchase. This serves as a lead generation tool, attracting users and upselling them to paid subscriptions once they experience the value proposition.

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Spotify tests video courses to teach everything from music production to Excel

Spotify has carved out a business for itself in music streaming, podcast entertainment and audiobooks. Now, in its ongoing efforts to get its 600 million+ users to spend more time and money on its platform, Spotify is spinning up a new line of content: e-learning.

Starting with a rollout in the U.K., Spotify is testing the waters for an online education offering of freemium video courses. Produced in partnership with third parties like the BBC and Skillshare, at least two lessons will be free, with the cost of a total course ranging from £20 to £80 on average. The prices will be the same, regardless of whether you are a basic or premium user, at least for now.

Mohit Jitani, the London-based product director for the education business, said in an interview that pricing choices were part of what it’s testing before considering how to roll out more widely. “With this launch, we’re trying to understand the demand first,” he said. “Then we optimize how we can make it more compelling and exciting.”

The content will live in both Spotify’s home and browse tabs (under “Courses”), and it’s accessible on the web as well as via the Spotify mobile app.

The courses are pitched somewhere between YouTube, Master Class and LinkedIn Learning: Videos in the current catalog cover a wide range of subjects, from music production through to learning how to use Excel, as well as lessons on — you guessed it — how to create online learning lessons to turn musicians and others into “education creators.”

Unsurprising for a market estimated to have been worth more than $315 billion in 2023 , there are plenty of online learning sites on the web these days, some of which have been innovators in interactive content and other media formats — you can even find a number of startups aspiring to be the “Spotify for education” if you Google that term — Spotify’s educational push is focused around one-directional, on-demand video.

Some courses appear to have supplementary material, although that will be more in the realm of extra documents rather than tests or other interactions. Jitani declined to comment on whether Spotify would launch any kind of interaction or gamification in the future — or, indeed, if games of any kind are on its roadmap right now.

The first partners for Courses are Skillshare (which will focus on creatives), PLAYvirtuoso (music industry courses), BBC Maestro (Master Class-esque) and Thinkific (for those inspired to build their skills into online learning classes of their own).

Spotify, Jitani said, would be looking to curate which courses it offers, and it will base curation on what people are already listening to and searching for on its platform. There appears to be no limit, though. If you look at the catalogs of these respective providers, you’ll see that the topics cover a pretty wide breadth — and bread .

“We’ll learn a lot about what people are actually interested in [and] we will start getting a lot of segments around that,” Jitani said. “And then we’ll go and find… the best content.”

Third-party publishers own the videos and license them to Spotify, but they will be hosted and purchased on Spotify itself. In terms of revenue share, the creator, publisher and Spotify will all get a share of the sales, with content partners overseeing payments to creators.

Spotify isn’t specifying what kind of cut will be going to whom, nor whether it will potentially offer any kind of discount or other benefit to users who are already premium subscribers on the platform.

Why education? Why the UK?

The move points to Spotify’s strategy to continue diversifying its business, while also aiming to build a path to more consistent profitability and stronger margins. It’s picked the U.K. for this, Jitani said, because it’s a huge market for the company and is already one of the most engaged in the world.

Financially, Spotify continues to see a lot of ups and downs in the current market. It went through three rounds of layoffs last year; and it has been unprofitable more than profitable over the years, most recently posting a net loss of $81 million   in its quarterly earnings in February .

Yes, the dry realms of online learning and professional development might sound like a reach for a company still best known for music streaming, but there are three areas where it makes some sense.

With its podcasting business continuing to grow, Spotify is picking up a lot of data on what people are doing on the platform, and it’s finding a close correlation between some of the most popular podcasts on Spotify and education content.

Around half of Spotify Premium subscribers have listened to education or self-help themed podcasts, Spotify says. Spotify can use the same kind of recommendation surfacing that it uses for music and podcasts to cross-promote. Think of a podcast with a “business guru” now recommending a paid course with that person. Spotify’s making a bet that one will help sell the other.

Alongside this, Spotify has long been working on tools for creators to help them manage and grow their earnings. Offering educational content aimed at running a business, or improving your music production, fits with that.

Third of all, there is the video element. Spotify’s been trying to get deeper into video for the better part of a decade.

That hasn’t translated to being a YouTube or Netflix rival yet. Video was mentioned a grand total of one time in the company’s last earning call, where CEO Daniel Ek vaguely described video podcasting as “growing in a healthy way.” But it launched music videos in select markets earlier this month, and now we have an earnest effort in educational videos. It may find its groove yet.

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Researchers warn of danger, call for pause in bringing AI to schools

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In K-12 schools across the country, a new gold rush of sorts is underway: Classrooms nationwide are racing to bring the latest artificial intelligence tools, such as platforms powered by the chat bot ChatGPT, into the classroom.

Alex Molnar, a director of the National Education Policy Center (NEPC) at CU Boulder, sees a danger in this hurry to introduce AI to schools. These platforms, he said, use opaque and usually proprietary algorithms—making their inner workings mysterious to educators, parents and students alike.

“What you have is a pocketful of promises that AI will deliver as promised,” said Molnar, a research professor in the School of Education . “The problem is there is currently no way to independently evaluate the claims being made.” 

In a new report, Molnar and his colleagues highlight the potential pitfalls of AI in education and call for an indefinite “pause” in integrating AI into K-12 learning. Co-authors included Ben Williamson of the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom and Faith Boninger, assistant research professor of education at CU Boulder.  

Molnar gives his take on why AI is a risky gamble for education—and what concerned parents and others can do to get involved.

Alex Molnar

Does new technology pose risks to K-12 education?

There have been all kinds of issues associated with the use of digital platforms in schools, even before the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence. 

Student data are often not properly protected. For example, there have been all kinds of leaks from third-party vendors, and there's no law or effective policy that holds them accountable. You also have an awful lot of beta testing going on in schools. Marketing claims sound good, but digital platforms often don't produce the promised results and are riddled with technical issues.

Digital technologies have made it difficult or impossible to answer fundamental questions, such as: Who's deciding the curriculum content that gets built into these platforms? Who's reviewing their work?

Could AI make those issues worse?

All of the issues related to digital technologies tend to be amplified by artificial intelligence.

So-called AI uses algorithms and massive amounts of computing power to produce results based on countless calculations of probabilities. For example, what is the probability that the next word in a sequence will be ‘juice’? These calculations do not produce ‘truth’ or even, necessarily, accuracy. They produce probabilistic output. 

Currently, the construction and operation of AI algorithms is largely outside of public view and without any public accountability. Nevertheless, school people are being pushed, both by marketers and government entities, to be seen to be in the forefront of this alleged digital revolution—turning more and more school processes over to technologists with little or no knowledge of pedagogy or school curriculum.

A lot of people call AI tools a ‘black box.’ What does that mean?

To use an old-world explanation, imagine if you said, ‘I’d like to see my child’s geography textbook.’ You might say, ‘I have some issues here.’ You could talk to somebody about it, somebody who could possibly explain those issues. But with AI, you can’t do that.

You can’t go in and say, for example, ‘How did the scoring on this work?’ The answer would be, ‘Well, we don’t know.’ ‘How do we know that this content is accurate?’ ‘Well, we don’t know that, either.’ 

Is the concern, then, that AI might make decisions in place of educators or parents? 

You can use AI to assist you in determining if a child cheated. You use it to determine whether or not a child should be in this program or that program. You can use AI to decide all kinds of things about a child, and the child is locked in with little or no recourse. Parents can complain all they want. They still can’t get the information about the basis for a decision made by AI because the principal doesn’t have it. The teacher doesn’t have it. The superintendent doesn’t have it. It’s hidden behind a proprietary curtain by a private vendor.

You advocate for a ‘pause’ in the use of AI in schools. What would that look like?

The solution would be for state legislatures to, by statute, say, in essence: Public schools in this state may not adopt artificial intelligence programs unless and until those programs are certified by this governmental entity—they’d have to create the entity. It has reviewed these programs. It has said they are safe for use, and it defines what the appropriate uses of the program are and for whom.

In other words, nothing goes in the schools until we have the statutory and regulatory framework and institutional  capacity in place to independently assess AI platforms that are proposed for school use.

What can parents, or anyone else, who are concerned about this issue do?

Demand that your representatives take these issues seriously—first of all, to legislate a pause in the adoption of AI in schools. Period. Then they can ask their representatives to create a state entity that is designed to regulate the use of AI in schools.

This is a political problem. This is not a technical problem.

We have a long history of tech companies failing to follow their own rules, which are themselves laughably inadequate. For anybody who's seriously trying to figure out how to responsibly use AI in education, if they're not talking political action, they're not really talking. The technologists won’t save us.

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CU Boulder Today regularly publishes Q&As with our faculty members weighing in on news topics through the lens of their scholarly expertise and research/creative work. The responses here reflect the knowledge and interpretations of the expert and should not be considered the university position on the issue. All publication content is subject to edits for clarity, brevity and  university style guidelines .

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs bill that bans children under 14 from having social media accounts

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Monday that will prohibit children younger than 14 from joining social media in the state. Those who are 14 or 15 will need a parent’s consent before they join a platform.

The bill, HB3, also directs social media companies to delete the existing accounts of those who are under 14. Companies that fail to do so could be sued on behalf of the child who creates an account on the platform. The minor could be awarded up to $10,000 in damages, according to the bill. Companies found to be in violation of the law would also be liable for up to $50,000 per violation, as well as attorney’s fees and court costs.

“Ultimately, [we’re] trying to help parents navigate this very difficult terrain that we have now with raising kids, and so I appreciate the work that’s been put in,” DeSantis said in remarks during the bill-signing ceremony.

DeSantis previously vetoed a more restrictive version of the bill that would have banned social media accounts for kids under 16. That bill also required Florida residents to submit an ID or other identifying materials in order to join social media.

HB3, which is slated to take effect in January 2025, comes as efforts to regulate social media continue to ramp up across the U.S. amid concerns from some parents that the platforms don’t do enough to keep their kids safe online.

In December,  more than 200 organizations sent a letter  urging Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to schedule a vote on the Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA, which seeks to create liability, or a “duty of care,” for apps and online platforms that recommend content to minors that can negatively affect their mental health.

In January, lawmakers grilled CEOs from TikTok, X and Meta about online child safety. The tech executives reaffirmed their commitment to child safety, and pointed to various tools they offer as examples of how they are proactive about preventing exploitation online.

Florida House Speaker Paul Renner and other advocates of the new law argue that social media use can harm children’s mental health and can lead to sexual predators communicating with minors.

"None of us can afford to be on the sidelines when it comes to social media," Renner said in remarks made at the bill signing.

Several states that have enacted similar laws to limit teen social media — including Ohio and Arkansas — have been challenged by NetChoice LLC , a coalition of social media platforms whose members include Meta, Google and X, among others.

Florida’s law is also expected to face legal challenges over claims that it violates the First Amendment.

“We’re disappointed to see Gov. DeSantis sign onto this route,” Carl Szabo, vice president and general counsel for NetChoice, said in an email statement, calling the law "unconstitutional." “There are better ways to keep Floridians, their families and their data safe and secure online without violating their freedoms.”

Both DeSantis and Renner alluded in their remarks to the potential legal hurdles ahead.

"You will not find a line in this bill that addresses good speech or bad speech because that would violate the First Amendment," Renner said. "We've not addressed that at all. What we have addressed is the addictive features that are at the heart of why children stay on these platforms for hours and hours on end."

He specifically called out NetChoice, saying, “We’re going to beat them, and we’re never ever going to stop.”

DeSantis argued the bill is constitutionally sound.

“Any time I see a bill, if I don’t think it’s constitutional, I veto it,” he said. He described the bill as "a fair application of the law and Constitution.”

Kalhan Rosenblatt is a reporter covering youth and internet culture for NBC News, based in New York.