With the global e-learning market projected to reach $842.64 billion by 2030, there’s never been a better time to create your own online course. You can share your knowledge with thousands of people, but the cost of tools feels like a barrier.
Free online course creators remove that hurdle and give you the tools you need, like course builders, multimedia support, and marketing features. These tools help you design, host, and share your online courses without worrying about upfront expenses.
They create a fast, low-barrier entryway into the online course space.
If you’re keen to tap into the growing e-learning market, here are 11 free online course creators to help you get started.
What is an online course platform?
An online course platform is a digital service where you create, manage, and share educational content with others. Such platforms are designed to make the process of building online courses and delivering training easier. They also make learning accessible to anyone with an internet connection.
These platforms come with features like:
- Multimedia content hosting
- Editing features
- Quiz creation tools
- Analytics (for tracking progress)
- E-commerce features (like payment gateways)
- Course marketing features (like email integration and landing page design)
Many platforms also support mobile access and gamification features to help you connect with your audience more effectively.
Benefits of using a free online course creator platform
Here are four benefits of using a free online course creator platform:
1. User-friendly interface
Online course platforms have a user-friendly interface that removes barriers to course creation and learning. If you’re an educator, this means you don’t need to be a tech expert to design new courses that people can work through easily.
You can simply use tools like drag-and-drop editors to structure lessons and organize materials logically. There’s no need to spend hours figuring out complicated software.
2. Secure payment systems
Online course creation platforms come with secure payment systems to protect both educators and learners.
You can usually offer multiple payment options like credit cards and PayPal without worrying about fraud or security breaches.
3. Comprehensive customer support
With 32% of customers willing to switch brands after one bad experience, businesses must provide reliable support that builds trust. Online course platforms understand this and offer multiple channels for assistance, such as live chat, email, and detailed FAQs.
This means instant help when you run into technical glitches or get stuck somewhere while setting up your online course. Instead of losing time working out issues by yourself, you can focus on delivering value to your audience.
4. Scalability and flexibility
The best online course creation platforms grow with your needs. Scalability helps you add more modules to your course or increase enrollment without overcomplicating the process.
Many platforms also provide self-paced modules or live classes, so you can tailor the content to suit your audience.
Different types of online course platforms
There are four different types of online course platforms you need to be aware of. These include:
1. All-in-one platforms
All-in-one platforms provide everything you need to create, host, and sell your courses in one place. They help you design courses, manage student enrollment, process payments, and market your content without requiring additional tools. This means you have more time to focus on teaching instead of juggling multiple systems.
2. Enterprise-level learning management systems (LMS)
Enterprise-level LMS platforms are built to manage large-scale free courses and specialized training programs. They help you provide effective learning experiences to big groups without losing quality.
If you’re running an online course for a large audience, an enterprise LMS gives you the tools to organize and personalize learning paths. You can assign content based on roles, industries, or specific goals, making sure that every learner gets access to relevant material.
3. Online course marketplace
Online course marketplaces are websites where you can upload and sell your courses. These sites act as e-commerce hubs and enable visitors to browse and purchase courses from hundreds of creators. Udemy is a good example of this.
If you’re just starting out, marketplaces offer a quick and simple way to get your course in front of an audience. They handle much of the heavy lifting, including marketing and customer acquisition, so that you can focus more on your content. The downside is they take a significant cut from every sale.
4. WordPress LMS plugins
WordPress LMS plugins turn your WordPress website into a fully functional online course platform. They help you create, manage, and sell online courses directly on your site. This gives you complete control over the learning experience and branding.
If you already have a WordPress site, adding an LMS plugin means you won’t need a separate platform for your online courses. You can design your own course structure, add multimedia content, create quizzes, issue certificates, and even set up payment gateways—all within your existing website.
Best free course builders comparison
| Platform | Key features | Free plan | Paid plan |
| GetResponse | AI course builder, unlimited courses, 0% transaction fees, AI marketing tools, 24/7 support | 30-day free trial | $41.06/month |
| Teachable | AI outline builder, custom domains, drip content, analytics, multimedia support | Free plan (limited) | $468/year |
| Pathright | Interactive learning paths, cohort-specific content, Zapier integration, quizzes | Free paths available | $89/month |
| Podia | No transaction fees, email marketing, customizable storefronts, multimedia support | 30-day free trial | $33/month |
| Simplero | CRM integration, affiliate programs, 120+ payment gateways, email marketing | 14-day free trial | $59/month |
| Kajabi | AI course generator, 0% transaction fees, mobile app, customizable templates | 14-day free trial | $55/month |
| Thinkific | 30-day free plan, drag-and-drop builder, live Zoom integration, membership libraries | 30-day free trial | $49/month |
| Mighty Networks | Unlimited members, live streaming, mobile apps, Zapier APIs, cohort-based courses | 14-day free trial | $41/month |
| Ezycourse | Gamification features, drag-and-drop builder, 13 lesson types, built-in grading | Free trial available | $39/month |
| CreativeMindClass | Video-focused, creative skill support, multiple file types, assignments, VAT handling | Free plan available | €9/month |
| LearnWorlds | AI assistant, customizable builder, mobile app builder, unlimited courses | 30-day free trial | $24/month |
Top 11 free platforms for creating online courses
If you’re launching your first course, here’s a list of the 11 best free platforms to take advantage of:
1. GetResponse
GetResponse is a versatile marketing platform that offers course-building tools. This helps you combine marketing with course delivery. Our platform lets you build, promote, and sell online courses without needing coding or design skills.
You only need to sign up and create a creator’s profile (which takes two to five minutes) to get started. After that, enter the name of your course, and the platform’s AI course creator will generate several modules for you.
Here’s what the results will look like:
You can add text, video, audio, PDFs, and webinars to your course. If you don’t want to use AI, you can also add modules manually.
The GetResponse course builder also gives creators and educators unlimited access to marketing features like landing pages, email marketing builders, and autoresponders. This helps you extensively promote your course to build a profitable online course business. Plus, we have tutorials for each tool to ensure you get the most out of them.
Key features
- AI course builder
- Unlimited courses
- Mobile app for students
- AI landing page, email campaign, and newsletter builders
- One-click PayPal and Stripe integrations
- Video tutorials for every feature
- 0% transaction fees
- 24/7 live support
Pricing
GetResponse comes with a 30-day free trial of all premium features—no credit card required. With the early bird pricing offer, the Content Monetization plan comes to $41.06/month for the first year. It has no transaction fees.
2. Teachable
Teachable is one of the best online course platforms for creating, hosting, and selling online courses and coaching services. It’s known for its user-friendly interface and tools that help educators, creatives, and entrepreneurs focus on their course content without needing advanced technical skills.
Getting started is straightforward. After signing up and creating an account, you can begin uploading your course content and organizing it into modules, or you can use the AI outline builder to create one for you.
Teachable also lets you use design templates to structure your courses and add a professional touch. You can even link your course page to your own website with a custom domain to ensure consistent branding.
However, while Teachable is a beginner-friendly platform, it does come with some limitations. Features like advanced marketing tools and affiliate management are locked behind higher-tier plans, and its email marketing functionality is underdeveloped.
Key features
- AI outline builder
- Drag-and-drop course builder
- Support for multimedia content (video, audio, PDFs)
- Drip content scheduling for progressive learning
- Custom domain integration
- Analytics to track performance
- Payment processing through Stripe and PayPal
Pricing
Teachable offers a free account with basic features, but this includes transaction fees and Teachable branding.
Paid plans start at $39/month for the Basic plan, which includes limited marketing tools, five free published courses, and a 5% transaction fee.
Here’s a breakdown of all the plans available on Teachable:
| Free | Basic | Pro | Pro+ | |
| Pricing | $0 | $468 | $1,428 | $2,388 |
| Published courses | 1 | 5 | 50 | 200 |
| Published digital products | 1 | 5 | 50 | 200 |
| Students | 10 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Published videos | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
The Professional plan at $119/month removes transaction fees, offers affiliate marketing tools, and adds advanced analytics. But the $1,428 price tag makes it one of the most expensive options for scaling your online course business.
3. Pathwright
Pathwright is another platform for designing, teaching, and managing online courses. Its standout feature is the ability to create interactive learning paths that walk students step-by-step through a structured learning experience.
Unlike the other options discussed so far, Pathwright does not offer AI-powered course outline builders. This means you’ll need to design your online course structure and content manually.
After signing up, the platform’s clean interface makes it easy to organize content into “paths” (courses) that can include video lessons, quizzes, and assignments. Each lesson is broken down into steps, which gives learners a clear and logical roadmap to follow.
Pathwright also comes with built-in social tools that help learners participate in mentor-led groups and share their progress. And while its marketing tools are basic, you can integrate it with Zapier to get more functionality.
Key features
- Learning paths that provide step-by-step guidance
- Customizable lessons with multimedia, quizzes, and live sessions
- Support for cohort-specific content customization
- Drip scheduling for progressive content release
- Zapier integration for increased functionality
- Custom branding included in the starter plan
Pricing
Pathwright lets you create paths for free for as long as you like, but it doesn’t contain premium features like cohorts, has a member limit, and doesn’t come with unlimited paths. Here’s what the other plans offer:
- Starter plan—$89/month annually
- Essentials plan—$179/month annually
- Complete plan—$449/month annually
4. Podia
Podia helps creators build a storefront for their courses, manage customers, and deliver content, from coaching and webinars to digital downloads and subscription-based memberships.
Unlike some other platforms, Podia focuses heavily on helping creators sell their content easily.
In addition, its to-the-point course builder lets you upload videos, PDFs, and audio files while also using quizzes and drip content for structured learning.
Podia doesn’t rely on AI tools to help with course creation, so you’ll need to design your course manually. However, it compensates with tools for marketing and sales, including customizable storefronts, email campaigns, and no transaction fees.
Key features
- Custom domain
- Sell digital downloads, coaching sessions, webinars, and memberships
- No transaction fees
- Built-in affiliate program
- Email marketing features
- 7-days-a-week support
Pricing
Podia offers a 30-day free trial that includes every premium feature, so you can walk through the entire platform and understand whether it will work for you before committing to a paid plan. Paid plans include:
- Mover plan—$33/month annually
- Shaker plan—$75/month annually
5. Simplero
Simplero is an all-in-one platform for online course creators that helps you create and manage courses, memberships, and digital products while also handling email marketing and automation.
Unlike many competitors, Simplero integrates CRM capabilities, such as lead scoring, ticketing systems, and tax handling, with course creation. This makes it a great tool if you want to manage your customer relationships and marketing in one place.
The platform also offers multi-tier affiliate programs, integrated payment options beyond Stripe and PayPal, and features for both digital and offline products.
Key features
- Course hosting with multimedia support (videos, quizzes, downloadable content)
- Email and text marketing with advanced automation
- Course landing page builder with customizable templates and optional code access
- Support for over 120 payment gateways through Spreedly
- 24/7 support
Pricing
Simplero offers a 14-day free trial, giving you access to its highest-tier plan so you can go through its full range of features. The trial enables you to create and sell unlimited courses, memberships, and other digital products.
While Simplero does require a credit card to start the trial, there are no transaction fees on your sales during this period. When you’re ready to subscribe, Simplero has three main plans:
- Starter plan—$59/month annually
- Scale plan—$149/month annually
- Skyrocket plan—$249/month annually
6. Kajabi
Kajabi is one of the best all-in-one platforms designed to help creators build, market, and sell digital products, including courses, memberships, coaching programs, and more.
Unlike many platforms that require multiple integrations, Kajabi combines course hosting, marketing tools, and payment solutions into a single, seamless system. This means you get the infrastructure to build, deliver, and scale your online learning products in one place
Kajabi caters to two types of courses:
- Evergreen, self-paced programs
- Cohort-based courses that follow a scheduled format
After signing up, you can start building a course in minutes using the AI Content Assistant. Here’s what that would look like:
The platform also supports multimedia content like videos, quizzes, downloadable resources, and live sessions to create an online course tailored to your audience’s needs.
Key features
- AI-powered course outline generator
- Built-in website and course landing page builder with customizable templates
- Email marketing tools
- 0% transaction fee
- Integration with Stripe, PayPal, and Kajabi Payments
- Mobile app
- 24/7 live support
Pricing
Kajabi doesn’t offer a free plan, but you can take any of their paid plans on a 14-day free trial after entering your credit card data.
There are four pricing tiers:
- Kickstarter—$55/month billed annually
- Basic plan—$119/month billed annually
- Growth plan—$159/month billed annually
- Pro plan—$319/month billed annually
7. Thinkific
77,000+ creators use Thinkific to design and sell online courses. It offers an intuitive drag-and-drop course builder, which helps you easily upload videos, PDFs, and audio and even host live Zoom lessons.
The platform comes with many pre-designed templates, which makes it easy to structure flagship courses, mini-courses, or webinars.
After signing up, the course builder is intuitive and easy to work through. You can organize all your content into chapters and lessons, as well as use features like quizzes, assignments, and surveys.
But what sets Thinkific apart is its 30-day free plan, which lets you create online courses and enroll unlimited students without paying transaction fees. You’ll also gain access to Thinkific Academy, a collection of free training resources to help you build and sell your course quickly.
However, while Thinkific comes with unlimited student spots, its marketing and sales tools require third-party integrations to work with complex setups, which can be a bummer.
Key features
- 30-day free plan
- Drag-and-drop course builder
- Pre-designed course templates
- Bulk content uploader
- Customizable course player (fonts, colors, logos)
- Membership libraries for subscriber-only content
- Live Zoom integration for webinars and lessons
Pricing
Thinkific offers a 30-day free plan for beginners to get started with basic features. But it requires a card to activate. Paid plans include:
- Basic plan—$49/month annually and includes unlimited students, custom domains, and email integrations
- Start plan—$99/month annually and comes with features like certificates, assignments, and advanced analytics
- Grow plan—$199/month annually and has API access and white-labeling
8. Mighty Networks
Mighty Networks combines online community-building with course creation and membership site capabilities. Unlike many other course platforms, its sole focus is on building an interactive community.
Once you sign up, you can create a branded “network” where members can access your courses, participate in discussions, join groups, and attend live events.
The platform supports multimedia content, live streaming, and webinars, which gives creators multiple ways to connect with their audience. Its course creation tools are easy to use and help you organize lessons into structured modules with videos, text, and quizzes.
As a course platform, Mighty Networks helps creators design and sell both evergreen and cohort-based courses. You can drip content, customize learning paths, and restrict access by membership tiers.
Key features
- Unlimited members on all plans
- Mobile apps for iOS and Android
- Events and Zoom integration
- White-labeled emails
- Zapier APIs and workflows
- Unlimited custom profile fields
- Stripe integration for payments
Pricing
Mighty Networks offers a 14-day free trial that comes with unlimited members, spaces, and hosts. Paid plans include:
- Community plan—$41/month annually
- Courses plan—$99/month annually
- Business plan—$179/month annually
- Path-to-Pro plan—$360/month annually
- Mighty Pro—Custom pricing
9. EzyCourse
With a drag-and-drop course builder, user-friendly interface, and 13 lesson types, EzyCourse makes it easy to create interactive learning experiences.
Customization is a key strength of EzyCourse. You can build branded courses with personalized themes, fonts, and colors to ensure a consistent and professional look across your offerings.
You can also use gamification features like badges, points, and motivational popups to make learning fun and encourage student participation.
Key features
- 13 lesson types
- Gamification elements
- Six pricing structures
- Built-in certificate and grading system
- Native Android and iOS apps
Pricing
EzyCourse offers a free trial, but you need a card to activate it and test out the platform’s features. Once you’ve decided to move on to a premium plan, here are your options:
- Basic plan—$39/month annually
- Pro Plan—$149/month annually
- Unlimited—$399/month annually
- Elite—$699/month annually
10. CreativeMindClass
CreativeMindClass is a platform designed specifically for video-based online courses. This makes it great for creative skills courses like design, photography, videography, fashion, and lifestyle.
After signing up, you can build courses using video, audio, PDFs, and even PSD/AI files. The platform also lets teachers create assignments and track student progress through an intuitive dashboard.
Key features
- Multiple file type support
- Built-in engagement features
- Drag-and-drop uploads
- Global payments
- Automatic VAT calculation
Pricing
CreativeMindClass offers a free plan you can use to try out its features. Its premium plans are also pretty affordable and designed to grow with you. Here’s a breakdown:
- Basic plan—€9/month
- Pro plan—€39/month
- Empire plan—€139/month
11. LearnWorlds
LearnWorlds is a learning management system that helps creators, educators, and businesses build “online schools”.
Once you sign up, you can use the platform’s AI Assistant to create your own course outline, upload your existing content, or build from scratch.
You can also customize the type of learning activities to be used in your course, as well as the number of topics, course level, audience, and more. The platform also allows you to easily upload, embed, and even edit your videos to add text, buttons, and graphics.
The free online course maker also supports course imports from platforms like SoundCloud and YouTube. Plus, it integrates with Zapier to help you create courses that deliver an excellent student experience.
Key features
- AI course outline assistant
- Unlimited courses
- Customizable course builder with templates
- Mobile app builder for branded apps
- iOS and Android native app
- Integration with tools like Zapier
Pricing
LearnWorlds offers a 30-day free trial that lets you go through its features without commitment and see if it aligns with your needs. Once you’re ready to upgrade, here are your options:
- Starter plan—$24/month annually
- Pro Trainer plan—$79/month annually
- Learning Center plan—$249/month annually
- High Volume and Corporate plan—Custom pricing
Begin your online course creation journey with GetResponse today
Most free online course creator platforms are great at helping you build and host content but often fall short when it comes to marketing and reaching your audience. For instance, platforms like Thinkific and LearnWorlds require third-party integrations to improve tracking and marketing.
This is where GetResponse stands out.
GetResponse is an intuitive course builder combining course creation tools with advanced marketing features like email campaigns, landing page builders, and AI-driven strategies. It offers an all-in-one solution that ensures your courses don’t just sit idle but reach the right audience at the right time.
If your goal is not just to teach but also to build a brand and increase your reach, GetResponse is the best tool on the market right now. Create a free account today to begin your online course creation journey!