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Have you ever thought that your "useless" hobby could be a goldmine?
Whether it’s specialized Excel wizardry, knitting sweaters or baking the perfect sourdough, we live in a world where knowledge is currency. You don’t need a PhD or a fancy studio to turn your skills into income, you just need the right platform.
But with so many options out there, choosing one can feel overwhelming. To save you the headache, I’ve analyzed the top 10 platforms to create and sell online courses this year. Here is the "no-fluff" breakdown of the best picks to help you monetize your brain!
1. FreshLearn: The "No-Brainer" Choice
Best For: Creators who want a premium look without the tech headache.
If you want to set up a course in under an hour that looks like a Masterclass, this is it. It’s intuitive, clean, and modern.
The Win: 0% transaction fees even on paid plans (very rare!).
Cool Feature: "Gamification" (badges and rewards) to keep your students addicted to learning.
2. Systeme.io: The All-In-One Powerhouse
Best For: Beginners on a budget who need a full business suite.
This isn't just for courses; it builds your website, sales funnels, and email lists too. It’s a "business in a box."
The Win: An insane Forever Free Plan that includes a course, 2,000 email contacts, and sales funnels.
The Catch: It can feel a bit overwhelming because it does so much.
3. Teachable: The Reliable Veteran
Best For: Those who want a safe, tested platform that handles taxes.
The grandfather of course platforms. It’s robust, reliable, and everyone knows it.
The Win: They automatically handle EU VAT taxes for you (a huge time saver).
The Catch: High transaction fees on the free plan ($1 + 10% per sale).
4. Udemy: The Marketplace Giant
Best For: Instructors with zero audience who want organic traffic.
Udemy is the "Amazon" of courses. You upload it, and their millions of users can find it.
The Win: You don’t need to be a marketing genius; the students are already there.
The Catch: You don’t own the student data, and they take a massive cut (sometimes 63%) if they drive the sale.
5. Payhip: The Minimalist
Best For: Selling simple digital downloads and courses without fuss.
Think of this as the "lite" version of Shopify. It’s perfect for selling an ebook or a simple video course quickly.
The Win: Extremely easy setup and instant payouts to Stripe/PayPal.
The Catch: The design is very basic and clean, no fancy bells and whistles.
6. Sensei LMS: For WordPress Lovers
Best For: People who want total control and already use WordPress.
Built by the company behind WordPress.com, this plugin lets you host courses right on your own website.
The Win: You own 100% of your data and platform. No "renting" land on another site.
The Catch: You are responsible for the tech (updates, hosting, plugin management).
7. Podia: The Community Builder
Best For: Creators who want to build a loyal "tribe" or membership.
Podia is the friendliest platform on the list. It combines courses, digital downloads, and community discussions in one beautiful dashboard.
The Win: No transaction fees on paid plans and a built-in community feature (goodbye, Facebook Groups!).
The Catch: The email marketing tools are a bit basic compared to dedicated software.
8. Thinkific: The Professional Scaler
Best For: Serious creators who want a polished, corporate-grade site.
Structured, reliable, and scalable. If you plan to build a massive academy, Thinkific is a solid foundation.
The Win: A powerful Site Builder that lets you customize your course pages to look unique.
The Catch: It feels a bit more "corporate" than the fun vibe of FreshLearn or Podia.
9. Alison: The Passive Income Stream
Best For: A "set it and forget it" side hustle.
Alison is a free learning platform with millions of students. It focuses on ad revenue and certificate sales.
The Win: Massive global reach and they help you polish your content.
The Catch: You earn pennies per view/ad, so you need huge volume to make real money.
10. Thrivecart: The Profit Maximizer
Best For: Marketers who hate monthly subscriptions.
Technically a checkout cart, but with a hidden "Learn" LMS feature. It’s famous for its high-converting sales funnels.
The Win: One-time payment. You pay once (lifetime deal) and never pay a monthly fee again.
The Catch: It doesn't host your videos (you'll need to use YouTube/Vimeo) and the design is very "marketer-focused."
So, Which One Should You Pick?
Broke & Just Starting? Go with Systeme.io.
Want a Premium Brand? Choose FreshLearn or Thinkific.
Hate Monthly Fees? Grab Thrivecart.
Have No Audience? Upload to Udemy.
The most important step? Just start. Your knowledge is valuable, but it can’t help anyone if it stays stuck in your head. Pick a platform, upload your first video and hit publish!