The online course platform for courses, cohorts and academies

What is an online course platform?

Platforms differ far more than their feature lists suggest. The biggest differences are who owns the learner, how much of each sale you keep, and whether the platform can handle anything beyond recorded video.

Marketplace or your own course platform?

A marketplace can be a good place to test an idea. Once you have an audience, your own platform is where the business compounds. We compare the models in white-label LMS vs course marketplace.

How to compare online course platforms

1. Transaction fees on top of the subscription

Some platforms charge a monthly fee and a percentage of every sale, especially on cheaper plans. Work out what you would pay at the revenue you expect next year, not this month. AcadifyLab charges a flat plan price and takes no share of your sales.

2. Live teaching, not just video

Many course platforms are built for self-paced video. If you teach live cohorts, run doubt-clearing sessions or group coaching, check for scheduled live classes, attendance and recordings in the same place. See live vs recorded vs blended learning.

3. Assessments and certificates

Quizzes, tests and assignments help learners finish and give you proof of progress. Certificates that issue automatically add perceived value to a paid course.

4. The learner app

Most learners study on their phones. A branded app with offline lessons and notifications keeps them engaged far better than a mobile website. Check whether the app carries your brand or the platform's. See what a true white-label app includes.

5. Payments your learners can use

Check the payment methods, instalments and invoicing your market expects. AcadifyLab takes payments through Razorpay (UPI, cards and net banking) or Stripe (cards), with instalments available from the second plan up.

6. Room to grow

If one course becomes a catalogue, a cohort becomes an academy, or you hire co-instructors, you will need batches, roles and reporting. Changing platform later means moving every learner, so choose for where you are heading. Our migration checklist shows what that move involves.

Who AcadifyLab suits

• Independent trainers and creators turning expertise into a branded academy. See AcadifyLab for trainers, which covers selling courses in detail.
• Coaching institutes selling recorded courses, live batches and test series. See for coaching institutes.
• Training companies selling programmes to individuals and companies. See for training enterprises.
• Kajabi alternatives
• Teachable alternatives
• Thinkific vs Teachable
• Payments and ecommerce
• LMS for coaches

Launching your first course

1. Outline the course and the result a learner will reach. Our guide on how to structure an online course helps here.
2. Record or upload the first module and set one lesson as a free preview.
3. Add a quiz at the end of each module.
4. Set the price and payment options. Read course monetisation models for pricing ideas.
5. Open the course on a phone as a learner would, then invite your first students.

Every AcadifyLab plan starts with a free trial and no setup fee.