Best Online Course Platforms in 2026
Updated
Choosing a platform to teach or take courses means weighing how material is delivered and what learners can access. Compared on course formats, course certificates, student limits and payment options, these platforms also differ in business plans, custom domains and email marketing. edX, FreshLearn and Alison are among the options to examine. Consider whether a mobile app, offline access or a free plan fits your learners and course setup; paid-from pricing can help clarify costs. The listed features provide a basis for comparing ways to present courses, manage enrollment and handle payments.
281ranked
17free plans on this page
$5/molowest paid tier
12 Oct 2026last checked
Online course platforms, ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going.25 of 25 products with recorded free access can be tried for free.
- 1 edXPaid from $12.50/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 2 FreshLearnPaid from $16.58/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 3 AlisonPaid from $5/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 4 TrainerCentralFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 5 Great LearningPaid from ₹999/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 6 PluralsightPaid from $24.92/mo
- Free to practise on: no
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 7 LoopwiseFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: no
- 8 RuzukuPaid from $83.08/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 9 Thinkific
- Free to practise on: no
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 10 LearnWorldsPaid from $24/mo
- Free to practise on: no
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 11 LifterLMSFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: no
- 12 Coursera
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: no
- 13 Open edXFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 14 StepikFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 15 DataCampFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 16 FutureLearnPaid from $29.17/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 17 Moodle LMS
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: no
- 18 OpenClassroomsPaid from €300/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: no
- 19 Euron SystemsFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 20 ProlaudPaid from ₹124,915/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: no
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 21 Chamilo LMSFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: no
- 22 Knorish
- Free to practise on: no
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 23 OpenLearningPaid from $514.17/mo
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 24 eKnowledgeFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 25 LinkedIn LearningPaid from $31.66/mo
- Free to practise on: no
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Student limit | Transaction fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | edX | 9.5 | Free plan | $12.50/mo | ||||
| 2 | FreshLearn | 9.4 | Free plan | $16.58/mo | Yes | $35/mo | 0% | |
| 3 | Alison | 9.4 | Free plan | $5/mo | ||||
| 4 | TrainerCentral | 9.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | 0% | ||
| 5 | Great Learning | 9.0 | Free plan | ₹999/mo | ||||
| 6 | Pluralsight | 8.8 | No | $24.92/mo | ||||
| 7 | Loopwise | 8.8 | Free plan | Yes | $29/mo | |||
| 8 | Ruzuku | 8.7 | Free plan | $83.08/mo | Yes | $99/mo | 5 students | 0% |
| 9 | Thinkific | 8.6 | No | No | 10,000 students | 0% | ||
| 10 | LearnWorlds | 8.6 | No | $24/mo | No | Free | 1,000 students | 5% |
| 11 | LifterLMS | 8.6 | Free plan | Yes | ||||
| 12 | Coursera | 8.5 | ||||||
| 13 | Open edX | 8.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | |||
| 14 | Stepik | 8.5 | Free plan | Free | ||||
| 15 | DataCamp | 8.4 | Free plan | Free | ||||
| 16 | FutureLearn | 8.4 | Free plan | $29.17/mo | ||||
| 17 | Moodle LMS | 8.4 | No | Yes | $230/mo | |||
| 18 | OpenClassrooms | 8.4 | Free plan | €300/mo | ||||
| 19 | Euron Systems | 8.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | |||
| 20 | Prolaud | 8.4 | Free plan | ₹124,915/mo | Yes | $1,249/mo | 1,000 students | 0% |
| 21 | Chamilo LMS | 8.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | |||
| 22 | Knorish | 8.3 | No | No | 0% | |||
| 23 | OpenLearning | 8.3 | $514.17/mo | |||||
| 24 | eKnowledge | 8.3 | Free plan | |||||
| 25 | LinkedIn Learning | 8.2 | No | $31.66/mo |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.