10 Best Online Learning Platforms Of 2024
Welcome to the age of virtual classrooms!
The world of online learning is your oyster. Besides helping individuals learn any topic from anywhere, online learning platforms greatly help course creators.
Whether you're an instructor trying to share your knowledge, a professional looking to turn your expertise into a side hustle, or simply passionate about sharing what you are good at, online learning platforms offer endless opportunities.
Having said that, you’ll be surprised to know that the experts expect the number of online learning users to increase to 57 million by 2027. That’s huge!
Well, buckle up as we reveal 10 of the best online learning platforms you can leverage to teach or learn a course online. We're going to dig into what makes each platform unique—the cool features, what it excels at, and why you might want to check it out.
Whether you want to create a full-length course or learn from a mini-course to test the waters, our Top 10 list has something for everyone.
What Is An Online Learning Platform?
An online learning platform is your virtual classroom. You can teach anything from data science to digital marketing, creative writing, or personal development. All you need is an internet connection, your course materials, and the right audience to begin teaching.
One of the best things about online learning platforms is that you can reach your students regardless of location. No matter your expertise—whether in academics, career development, or a unique skill—you'll find an audience eager to learn.
The learners find it beneficial as they get to set their own study schedule. There are no more rigid class times; they can learn at their own pace, whichever suits them.
But it's not just about creating videos and course content. Online learning platforms offer remote learning programs and make them interactive. Many platforms utilize learning management systems to let creators include multimedia content, discussion forums, and interactive quizzes that make learning fun.
In some online learning platforms, you can even use AI to create and personalize your course creation process, add content, and get student feedback to help improve your overall quality and your upcoming courses.
In a nutshell, online learning platforms are changing how you teach by making education more accessible, engaging, and tailored to your style.
How To Choose Online Learning Platforms
Whether you are an instructor or a learner, online learning can be both exciting and overwhelming because of the plethora of options available. The key is to find the right platform that serves your needs.
To guide you through this process, let's delve into key considerations that will help you to make an informed choice.
Understanding Your Needs and Goals
Understanding your objectives is necessary before creating courses or learning from an online learning platform.
- What skills, knowledge, or expertise are you aiming to create or acquire? Clarifying your goals will help you narrow down your options, whether it's a specific skill set, academic pursuit, or career development.
- Time commitment is another crucial factor. If you are a course creator, determine whether you can create a bite-sized course to check its requirements or create an extensive course.
- Instructors and learners should always consider budgets. When developing a course, consider the value you provide your students and check whether the cost you decide is worth paying against the quality of your content. At the same time, learners should check their course’s budget to align with their finances and the skills they plan to acquire.
- Budget is always a consideration. Some platforms may have subscription fees, while others provide free resources. Define your budget and explore platforms that align with your financial constraints.
Exploring Platform Features
Once you've defined your needs, the next step is to choose your online learning platform.
Though course selection is important, choosing the right platform to develop or learn your course is also necessary. Make sure that your online learning platform provides all you need.
- As a course creator, check the platform’s structure and unique features for better visibility. If you have to conduct an online course on web development, for example, you cannot cover the entire concept in a single course. You may have to create multiple online courses to teach all the relevant information, so check whether the online course platform supports that.
- If you are a student trying to learn a specific subject from online learning platforms, comparing the available courses in multiple learning platforms helps you choose the one that suits you in terms of pricing, timing, and course content. Check whether they offer free courses on the topic to have a preview and opt for the paid version later.
10 Best Online Learning Platforms
Our Top Picks
For Professional Development
1. Linkedin Learning
LinkedIn Learning will be a perfect choice if you are a professional looking for learning or teaching career-relevant skills. This online course platform offers various courses on online tech, business, and creativity. Through LinkedIn Learning, you can also add your professional certificates to your LinkedIn profile.
Pros:-
- Diverse course selection: With over 17,000+ courses covering skills required for professionals, LinkedIn Learning can help you learn courses from coding skills to professional development programs. This platform also offers bulk pricing for educational institutions and corporate training.
- Broader audience: As a content creator, you can leverage LinkedIn Learning to reach a large, professional audience. You can build credibility by associating with LinkedIn’s trust brand, monetizing your expertise, and benefitting from the platform’s built-in tools.
Cons:-
- Limited Free Content: While some courses are available at no cost, the most valuable content typically requires subscription plans. You will also need to register a LinkedIn profile to access their courses.
- Lack of Formal Accreditation: Completion certificates do not have accreditation, like degree programs, potentially reducing their value for academic goals.
Pricing Plans
2. Coursera
Coursera partners with Stanford and Yale to provide university courses covering data science, software skills, and business. Students can access free and paid content; however, free courses do not offer certificates upon completion.
But is it the right fit for you? Let's dissect its strengths and weaknesses:
Pros
- Esteemed credentials: Backed by prestigious universities and industry leaders, Coursera offers high-quality university-level courses for students and options for accredited certificates.
- Diverse offerings: Course creators can tailor their offerings and reach a large, global audience while utilizing the platform’s robust creation and management tools.
Cons
- Limited Interaction: Despite incorporating discussion forums and peer interaction in some courses, Coursera predominantly relies on pre-recorded lectures. This can hinder real-time engagement and personalized feedback, detracting from the interactive learning experience.
Pricing
For a Wide Range Of Courses & Specializations
3. Freshlearn
FreshLearn is the ultimate platform for creators to monetize their expertise. With features like courses, cohorts, live workshops, and digital downloads, it offers flexibility to cater to various audiences. Plus, creators keep 100% of their earnings with 0% commission on sales. With 24x7 support, over 15,000 creators worldwide have earned $20M+.
Pros
- User-friendly interface: Many users praise the platform's intuitive design and ease of use, which makes it accessible even to those with no prior experience in course creation.
- Affordable pricing: Freshlearn's pricing plans are generally considered competitive compared to other LMS platforms. A free plan and paid options start at $29 per month.
- Comprehensive features: The platform offers various features, including course creation tools, drip content scheduling, gamification elements, live classes, assessments, and community-building tools.
- Excellent customer support: Users consistently commend Freshlearn's customer support team for its promptness, helpfulness, and willingness to go the extra mile.
- Constant updates and improvements: The team actively develops the platform, adding frequent updates and new features based on user feedback to enhance the learning experience.
- White-labeling: You can remove Freshlearn branding and customize the platform to match your own brand identity.
- Mobile app: Learners can access courses on the go with the Freshlearn mobile app.
Cons
Freshlearn, being a no-code platform, may not necessarily appeal to those with a strong technical background.
Pricing:
4. Thinkific
Thinkific is another popular online learning platform that makes it simple for educators and business owners to develop, promote, and sell their own online courses. Thinkific offers comprehensive capabilities and an intuitive interface for creating customized courses.
This empowers creators to create compelling learning experiences that are specifically catered to the demands of their target audience.
Pros
- Easy to use: Thinkific prides itself on being user-friendly, even for beginners without technical knowledge. The interface is intuitive, and creating and managing courses is relatively straightforward.
- Customization: You can customize your course landing pages and branding to match your style and brand, enhancing your professional image.Ownership of your content: Unlike some platforms that hold onto your data, you are on Thinkific and fully own your content.
Cons
- Lack of flexibility in page design restricts branding opportunities and limits user experience possibilities.
- Sole reliance on email support can be time-consuming and less efficient for resolving urgent issues.
Pricing
5. Teachable
Teachable is an inclusive online platform that allows creators to build, sell, and manage their educational resources effectively. With customizable templates and user-friendly tools, anyone can launch courses, coaching programs, or digital downloads.
Standout features include flexible branding options, robust marketing tools, and seamless app integrations
Pros
- Easy to use: The platform is well-designed and intuitive, making it easy for beginners to create and manage their courses.
- Free plan: You can start with a free plan to test the platform and see if it's right for you.
- Customization: You can customize your course branding and design to match your style.
- Mobile app: Students can access their online courses from the Teachable iOS app.
Cons
- Limited customization: While you can customize your course branding and design, the options are not as extensive as some other platforms.
- Customer service: Some users have reported slow customer service response times.
- Pricing: Teachable can be expensive compared to other platforms, especially if you need access to advanced features and charge transaction fees on all paid courses.
Pricing
6. Kajabi
Through their user-friendly platform, Kajabi lets course creators quickly turn their knowledge into a successful digital business. It offers seamless video lessons, interactive communities, and membership management for recurring revenue.
With features like customizable landing pages, email marketing, and analytics, Kajabi streamlines sales and marketing efforts. It empowers you to package your knowledge, build a loyal audience, and monetize your passion effortlessly.
Pros
- Professional design: Kajabi offers beautiful templates and customization options to create polished and professional-looking courses.
- Powerful marketing tools: Built-in email marketing, landing page builder, and sales funnels help you attract and convert students.Community and support: Kajabi offers a supportive community forum and helpful customer service, making it easier to get assistance.
Cons
- Cost: Kajabi is more expensive than some competitors, with a monthly subscription starting at $149.
- Limited customization: While offering templates, customization options are limited compared to some platforms.
- Code requirement: Minor design tweaks might require code changes, which can be inconvenient for non-technical users.
Pricing
For Creative Skills
7. SkillShare
Skillshare enhances creativity by offering over 25,000 classes, allowing individuals to refine and explore their talents in graphic design, culinary arts, filmmaking, and more.
Skillshare is the go-to platform for releasing creativity and meeting like-minded people since it does more than just video lectures. Through project-based learning and interaction with peers and instructors, it creates a supportive community.
Pros
- Affordable: Compared to many online learning platforms, Skillshare offers a flat fee for unlimited access to their entire course library. This makes it attractive for learners who want to explore multiple courses without worrying about individual course costs.
- Wide variety of creative courses: Skillshare excels in offering a vast selection of courses primarily focused on creative fields like design, animation, photography, writing, and more. This allows users to explore various interests and discover new skills.
- Project-based learning: Many courses in this platform emphasize practical application through projects. This hands-on approach can be effective for learners who prefer learning by doing.
Cons
- Limited course depth: While Skillshare offers many online courses, they tend to be shorter and more introductory than Coursera and Udemy courses. This might not be ideal for learners seeking in-depth knowledge and mastery of a specific skill.
- No certificates: Skillshare does not offer certificates or recognized credentials upon course completion., which can be a drawback for individuals trying to add qualifications to their resumes or portfolios
8. MasterClass
MasterClass is your gateway to over 200 expert-led courses, covering everything from cooking with Gordon Ramsay to writing with Margaret Atwood and tennis with Serena Williams. Classes are typically 10-20 minutes long, perfect for busy schedules.
Pros
- Renowned instructors: MasterClass features celebrity instructors like Neil Gaiman, Gordon Ramsay, and David Lynch, offering insights directly from the top of their fields.
- Wide variety of topics: Explore hundreds of classes across diverse categories like filmmaking, music, writing, science, and business.
- Self-paced learning: Learn at your own speed and revisit lessons as needed.
- Downloadable educational resources: This platform offers workbooks and downloadable materials for deeper learning.Annual membership: Access all classes for a year, encouraging exploration outside initial interests.
Cons
- Limited interaction: This platform does not offer direct interaction with instructors or other learners, hindering community building and personalized feedback.
- Cost: The annual membership fee can be expensive compared to other learning platforms.
- No certification: MasterClass primarily focuses on personal enrichment, not academic credit or professional certification.
Pricing
For Language Learning
9. Duolingo
Duolingo gamifies language learning with its fun, mobile-friendly approach. Offering over 40 languages, including Klingon, the app's short videos and gamified challenges keep millions engaged.
While great for basic vocabulary and grammar, fluency often requires additional resources. Still, Duolingo's playful interface makes it a popular choice for language enthusiasts worldwide.
Pros
- Accessibility: Free, user-friendly app available on multiple platforms, making language learning convenient and portable.
- Fun and engaging: A gamified approach with points, streaks, and rewards keeps you motivated and returning for more.
- Variety of languages: This platform offers a broad selection that caters to diverse interests, from popular choices like Spanish and French to lesser-known ones like Hawaiian and Klingon.
Cons
- Limited speaking and listening practice: This platform primarily focuses on reading and writing, with limited opportunities for spoken conversational practice.
- Repetitive exercises can become monotonous, especially for advanced learners seeking deeper understanding.
- Not for fluency: While Duolingo is a starting point, fluency is unlikely to be achieved solely through Duolingo.
Pricing:
10. Babbel
Babbel is a popular online learning platform known for its interactive app and live group classes. With 14 languages to choose from and over 60,000 bite-sized lessons, Babbel caters to various learning styles and goals.
For those seeking more interactive practice, Babbel Live connects you with certified language teachers and small groups for dynamic conversation sessions.
Pros
- Engaging and user-friendly: The interface is clean and intuitive, making it easy to navigate and stay engaged.
- Focus on communication: You can design the courses to build practical conversation skills using relevant vocabulary and everyday situations.
- Adaptive learning: The platform customizes individual courses to match your learning pace and progress, ensuring it appropriately challenges you.
- Bite-sized lessons: Short, manageable lessons (10-15 minutes) fit easily into busy schedules.
- Money-back guarantee: You can try Babbel risk-free with a 20-day money-back guarantee.
Cons
- Limited language selection: Babbel only offers 14 languages, primarily focusing on European options.
- It lacks live interaction: There is no live interaction with native speakers or opportunities for conversations, which is important for fluency.
- Not gamified: Unlike some apps, Babbel doesn't use gamification elements like points or rewards, which might not appeal to some learners.
Pricing
Leverage FreshLearn as Your Online Learning Platform
Despite various options, FreshLearn stands out by providing an all-in-one solution for course creators. Let’s see those in detail:
AI course creator
FreshLearn facilitates AI course creation, which you can use to create your course outline and content quickly. You can upload any content type, including audio, videos, documents, assessments, and live sessions, to improve your course’s quality.
You can also send personalized emails to your students based on specific conditions, such as course completion, certificate delivery, successful payments, etc.
Live cohorts
With FreshLearn, you can create one—or multiple-day live sessions by including the live course's timing, dates, and timezone. We also let creators add a gamification element to their course, allowing them to give students points after a chapter or assignment completion.
Digital downloads
Course creators can upload their videos, PDFs, or other documents for digital downloads. You can either provide this feature for free to generate lead magnets or as a paid feature. You can also design and customize the invite page for your digital downloads per your requirements.
In addition to all these features, FreshLearn lets you create communities for instructors and students to discuss and improve together. You can also create a customizable landing page to check the course’s needs before developing the structure.
We also let creators build playlists, automate newsletters, create workshops, provide bulk coupons, add drips, view learners’ progress through reports, and everything you will look for while choosing the online learning platforms to kickstart your online education journey.
Wrapping Up
The rise of online learning has unlocked limitless avenues for personal and career development. With a plethora of platforms to explore, each providing distinct features to individual courses catering to various interests and expertise levels, individuals now have the freedom to pursue education on their own terms.
Amid this abundance, Freshlearn shines as a standout choice. Boasting an intuitive interface, a wide array of course selections, engaging learning resources, and a steadfast dedication to quality, Freshlearn sets the standard for online education.
Whether you seek to broaden your horizons, refine your abilities, or chart a new career trajectory, Freshlearn is a top-tier option to fuel your journey toward continuous learning and achievement. So, what are you waiting for? Sign up for your free trial now.
FAQs
1. What is the meaning of an online learning platform?
Students using an online learning platform can access and utilize instructional materials digitally, in groups, or individually, anywhere. Online learning might involve prerecorded audio or video tutorials for students to finish on their own schedule.
2. Which is the best online platform for learning?
The best platforms for online learning are:
- FreshLearn
- Thinkific
- Coursera
- LinkedIn Learning
- SkillShare
- Teachable
- Kajabi
- Masterclass
3. Which is the best online skill?
The top skills you can acquire through online training platforms are:
- Social media marketing
- Digital Marketing
- Website development
- Content writing
- Copywriting
- Affiliate marketing
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