3 Best Online Learning Platforms | Coursera, Skillshare, Udemy, Codecademy, Edx, Pluralsight, Future Learn, and Moodle are some of the greatest online learning systems.
We have online course platforms such as LearnWorlds, Teachable, Thinkific, Kajabi, and Podia in addition to online learning platforms.
Those are in the forefront of a rapidly expanding elearning market, particularly following Covid-19. The growing number of individuals interested in online learning for both studying and teaching purposes–either to learn a new skill or to teach online–is unmistakable proof.
Fortunately, there are a plethora of online learning and course platforms that allow you to learn, develop, and sell online courses.
This is fantastic news for online educators, trainers, and aspiring edupreneurs. However, the challenge of selecting the finest online learning platform from the numerous possibilities available is true.
To make things easier for you, we’ve compiled a list of the best online learning platforms, broken down by kind and category, that you can utilise to provide high-quality learning experiences.
We divided them into separate categories to make it easier for you to find the proper platform for your needs.
Before we continue, it’s vital to clarify between the words “online learning platforms” and “online course platforms,” which are frequently confused.
What is an Online Learning Platform?
An online learning platform is a computer system that allows students to attend online courses in a secure setting.
Because they allow learners to search for and pay for online courses directly, these online learning platforms are commonly referred to as “online course markets.”
While some of these course marketplaces are intended to promote your own online courses, the bulk are educational in nature and only provide university-level instruction.
Online Learning Platforms VS Online Course Platforms
An online learning platform focuses and displays the viewpoint of the student, whereas an online course platform emphasises and presents the viewpoint of the online instructor/teacher.
The fundamental distinctions between the two titles come from the individual who uses the term and the context of the discourse. A learning platform, from the perspective of students, is a location where they can locate instructional information, search for and purchase courses, or whole educational programmes. From the standpoint of an educator, it is the location where information is delivered.
Course platforms relate to the software used to construct a learning environment, such as LearnWorlds, Thinkific, or Teachable, while online learning platforms refer to markets for courses or education, such as Coursera, Udemy, and LinkedIn Learning — formerly known as Lynda.While using an online learning platform relieves a lot of the burden of audience development, marketing, and sales, you may lose control over price, user data, and branding.
You have more flexibility and freedom in organising your learning resources when you use an online course platform. You also get a voice in the overall style and appearance of the website that contains your online courses, as well as how the course is presented and advertised.
Our Choice of the Top Course Platform
LearnWorlds
If you opt with a standalone course platform, you’ll have to look at the additional particular needs that come with a learning management system. This is due to the fact that there are many different types of LMSs, each of which specialises in a different area or serves a different function better than the others.
A course platform provides an all-in-one solution that meets the needs of entrepreneurs, course producers, training organisations, and SMEs.
LearnWorlds includes eCommerce, course authoring, and website creation options straight out of the box. And it’s the platform our team has been creating and cultivating for the past 8 years, with thousands of clients trusting it to offer online learning in 80+ countries across the world!
We offer the finest possible solution at an accessible price, whether you require an internal training solution or just want to produce, advertise, and sell your online courses or teach your clients.
Start your free 30-day trial with LearnWorlds right now!
Disclaimer: The following positions are purely random and do not reflect any preference. The numbering system is used to represent the number of platforms available and to distinguish one from the other.
3 Best Online Learning Platforms
As we go through each learning platform, we’ll look at its benefits and drawbacks to help you determine whether it’s right for you.
As previously said, learning platforms are more suited for students seeking for a subject to study. They have a large collection of courses and learning pathways to choose from.
Some of them allow individual teachers to teach under different requirements for content approval. This is the second-best option if you don’t want to establish a course on your own website. Each has its own set of rules for instructors in terms of uploading their content and monetizing it.
However, we’ve included benefits, drawbacks, and information for students and instructors researching these platforms.
Platform #1: LinkedIn Learning (Lynda)
LinkedIn Learning, previously Lynda.com, is an educational website that provides video lectures for professional courses in business, technology, and creative professions. The platform, which is only available to LinkedIn members as a subscription service, offers over 16,000 courses in seven languages and focuses on assisting individuals in investing in their professional growth.
Pros
- In the B2B community, it’s well-known and respected. It also comes with a one-month free trial.
- Users can get customised course recommendations.
- Allows you to measure your progress through quizzes and provides certification upon course completion.
- Has access to offline learning for on-the-go learning
- Provides you with access to additional premium career features.
Cons
- The quality of the courses it offers is debatable, and you should do your homework before enrolling.
- Joining as a teacher might be difficult.
Who is it intended for?
Students: Professionals and corporations wishing to teach their employees: It is primarily designed for students.
Instructors: In addition to individual learners, the platform may be used for educational and training purposes by corporate teams, institutions, and government agencies.
You may apply to be a LinkedIn Learning instructor as a course designer here.
Pricing:
For students, LinkedIn Learning offers two membership plans:
- Monthly: €39.33/month after a one-month free trial
- Annually: 1-month free trial, then €29,49/month
*Pricing data obtained from LinkedIn Learning on January 17, 2022.
Platform #2: Udemy
Udemy is one of the most well-known online course markets. Over 40 million students use this educational platform, and over 50,000 professors and subject matter experts create online courses.Udemy allows anybody to create a course while also allowing them to learn new skills. It does so by providing a variety of online learning materials, such as PDF papers, PowerPoint presentations, text, and video content, among others.
Instructors may join Udemy and start teaching online, but the company gets a large cut of the revenue and has complete control over course pricing and discounts.
Pros:
- There are no startup fees (for instructors)
- Self-paced learning and video courses are the focus.
- There’s no need for a lot of technical knowledge.
- For iOS and Android, there is an Udemy app.
Cons:
- There is very little engagement with the students (both for students and instructors)
- A lot of rivalry among course designers (for instructors)
- There is no possibility for personal branding (for instructors)
- Controls pricing and frequently sells courses at rock-bottom costs (for instructors)
- No data ownership or branding control. It saves emails and user information and does not share it with their teachers (for instructors)
- The site only promotes courses that are already popular, so visibility is dependent on your own promotion (for instructors)
Who is it intended for?
Students: Udemy provides a course for practically any field, but before purchasing one, always check the reviews. The standard of quality is inconsistent.
Teachers, instructors, educators, and freelancers: It’s ideal for new teachers, instructors, educators, and freelancers.
Pricing / Revenue (for instructors):
- There is no initial charge, but commissions on sales can be as high as 75%.
- When students find you through organic search on Udemy or search engines, you’ll get a 50% discount on your course.
- Whenever students arrive through their paid user acquisition channel, they get 75% off.
- When you sell using your own links, you get a whopping 97 percent commission. Udemy maintains a 3% administrative charge.
*Pricing is based on an Udemy-developed worldwide price tier structure.
*On the 17th of January 2022, pricing information was obtained from Udemy Support.
Platform #3: Coursera
Coursera is a 23 million-strong online education network devoted to providing high-quality online training courses to people all over the world. It offers students the ability to acquire certificates from recognised institutions after enrolling in paid courses by working with world-class colleges and corporations.
Coursera provides on-demand video lectures, homework activities, peer-reviewed assignments, and community discussion forums for individual courses, specialty courses, and degree programmes.
Pros:
- Provides a wide range of learning opportunities and activities.
- Students are given a variety of certifications and degrees.
- Provides high-quality educational materials and interactions with educators (for instructors)
Cons:
- Only educators from partner universities are eligible. (Intended for teachers
- In comparison to other platforms, there are less possibilities for creating courses (for instructors)
Who is it intended for?
Students: Anyone interested in learning from reputable universities, whether for a one-time course, certification, or an online degree.
Instructors: It is designed for professors who work at a HE partner institution or company.
Depending on the course or programme, Coursera provides free courses, subscriptions, and one-time purchases.
So these were our recommendations for 3 Best Online Learning Platforms. Let us know if you have used any of this and also, let us know your views on this as well. we have linked all the platform links so if you want you can check out the same.