Course platform reviews
Every review here answers the same questions: is there a free plan and is it enough, what it costs once you grow, what each platform takes from your sales, and who it fits. Every fact is cited from the company's own pages.
Tools we cover
6 of 6 reviewed so far. We never estimate a fact; tools we haven't reviewed say so.
Thinkific
Based on official pages- Free plan
- No free plan. A 30-day free trial instead.
- Paid plans from
- $109 a month (Start), or $82 a month billed yearly
- Best for
- Course businesses that want quizzes, certificates, cohorts and memberships on the first plan
Teachable
Based on official pages- Free plan
- No free plan. A 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Paid plans from
- $39 a month (Starter, 5 products, 7.5% fee), or $29 a month billed yearly
- Best for
- New course creators with a few products who want a low monthly price to start
Podia
Based on official pages- Free plan
- No free plan. A 14-day free trial with no credit card.
- Paid plans from
- $49 a month (Mover, 5% fee, 100 email subscribers), or $42 a month billed yearly
- Best for
- Small creators who want courses, downloads, a community, a website and email in one place
Kajabi
Based on official pages- Free plan
- No free plan listed. A 14-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Paid plans from
- $179 a month (Basic, 2,500 contacts, 5 products), or $143 a month billed yearly
- Best for
- Established creators who want courses, email, website, community and checkout in one tool
Systeme.io
Based on official pages- Free plan
- Free forever, no card. 2,000 contacts, 1 course, 3 funnels, unlimited emails, 0% fees.
- Paid plans from
- $17 a month (Startup, 5,000 contacts, 5 courses)
- Best for
- Beginners who want to sell a first course, with funnels and email included, at no monthly cost
Stan
Based on official pages- Free plan
- No free plan. A 14-day free trial on either plan.
- Paid plans from
- $29 a month (Creator), or $300 a year
- Best for
- Social media creators who sell courses, downloads, coaching and memberships from one storefront
Compare at a glance
The key facts from each review, side by side. Each one is cited on its review page.
| Fact | Thinkific | Teachable | Podia | Kajabi | Systeme.io | Stan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No free plan. A 30-day free trial instead. | No free plan. A 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. | No free plan. A 14-day free trial with no credit card. | No free plan listed. A 14-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. | Free forever, no card. 2,000 contacts, 1 course, 3 funnels, unlimited emails, 0% fees. | No free plan. A 14-day free trial on either plan. |
| Paid plans from | $109 a month (Start), or $82 a month billed yearly | $39 a month (Starter, 5 products, 7.5% fee), or $29 a month billed yearly | $49 a month (Mover, 5% fee, 100 email subscribers), or $42 a month billed yearly | $179 a month (Basic, 2,500 contacts, 5 products), or $143 a month billed yearly | $17 a month (Startup, 5,000 contacts, 5 courses) | $29 a month (Creator), or $300 a year |
| Best for | Course businesses that want quizzes, certificates, cohorts and memberships on the first plan | New course creators with a few products who want a low monthly price to start | Small creators who want courses, downloads, a community, a website and email in one place | Established creators who want courses, email, website, community and checkout in one tool | Beginners who want to sell a first course, with funnels and email included, at no monthly cost | Social media creators who sell courses, downloads, coaching and memberships from one storefront |
| Skip it if | You need a free plan, or you want Thinkific branding off for less than $219 a month | You'll sell more than about $670 a month on Starter, where the 7.5% fee outruns Builder's higher price | Your email list is already well past 1,000 subscribers, or you want a free plan | You haven't sold anything yet and want a low monthly cost, or you need more than 5 products for under $249 | You need several courses or automations for free, or you expect over $10,000 in lifetime sales on the free plan | You need email broadcasts, discount codes or payment plans on the $29 plan |
| Based on | Official pages | Official pages | Official pages | Official pages | Official pages | Official pages |
| Prices checked | 2026-10-21 | 2026-10-21 | 2026-10-21 | 2026-10-21 | 2026-10-21 | 2026-10-21 |
| Full review | Read the Thinkific review → | Read the Teachable review → | Read the Podia review → | Read the Kajabi review → | Read the Systeme.io review → | Read the Stan review → |
Reviews
Kajabi review
Kajabi has no free plan and starts at $179 a month, but takes no revenue share and includes unlimited emails. What each plan includes, the catches and who it fits.
Read the review →Official infoPodia review
Podia has no free plan. Mover is $49 a month with a 5% fee and 100 email subscribers; Shaker is $99 with no fee. The limits, the catches and who it fits.
Read the review →Official infoStan Store review
Stan has no free plan. Creator is $29 a month and Creator Pro $99, both with 0% Stan fees. What Creator leaves out (email broadcasts, discounts), and who it fits.
Read the review →Official infoSysteme.io review
Systeme.io is free for up to 2,000 contacts and 1 course, with 0% transaction fees. Paid plans start at $17. The free plan's limits, the catches and who it fits.
Read the review →Official infoTeachable review
Teachable has no free plan. Starter costs $39 a month but takes 7.5% of every sale; Builder is $89 with 0%. When each plan makes sense, and the catches.
Read the review →Official infoThinkific review
Thinkific has no free plan. Start costs $109 a month, and using Stripe or PayPal adds a 2% fee. What each plan adds, the catches, and who it fits.
Read the review →Comparisons
Kajabi vs Podia
Podia starts at $49 with 100 email subscribers and a 5% fee; Kajabi starts at $179 with 2,500 contacts and no revenue share. Costs by list size and who fits which.
Read the comparison →Official infoStan vs Podia
Stan Creator is $29 with 0% fees but no email sending; Podia Mover is $49 with a 5% fee and email for 100 subscribers. What each plan leaves out and who fits which.
Read the comparison →Official infoSysteme.io vs Kajabi
Systeme.io is free for 2,000 contacts and 1 course, then $17 to $97 a month; Kajabi starts at $179. Costs by list size, the catches, and who fits which.
Read the comparison →Official infoTeachable vs Kajabi
Teachable starts at $39 with a 7.5% Starter fee; Kajabi starts at $179 with no revenue share and email for 2,500 contacts. Plans, fees and who fits which.
Read the comparison →Official infoThinkific vs Teachable
Teachable starts at $39 but takes 7.5% on Starter; Thinkific starts at $109 with no platform fee on Thinkific Payments. Costs at each sales level and who fits which.
Read the comparison →Guides
No guides yet.
How we review course platforms tools
The same questions and the same kind of sources for every tool. See what we check.