I made the worst mistake when building out my course I pick the wrong software and so today I'm going to help you avoid this mistake by dishing the inside scoop on the top course platforms of 2025 plot twist the perfect fit is different for everyone and so today I promise I'm going to help you find yours now I have found the three most important factors when you're picking a course software is does it have the features you use is it user friendly and can you afford it by the way I created a super helpful graph
that goes along with this video so be sure to check that out down below all right are we ready let's dive in what's up is Danny and I have turned my community into an over six fig business and I am here to help you do the same you can start off by grabbing my free profitable course starter kit that's going to help you know all of the things in setting up your first course be sure to grab that below let's start with my all-time favorite kajabi kajabi is an all-in-one course software meaning it has everything
you need to run your business you don't need any outside thirdparty Integrations like MailChimp or zapier which a lot of other course software platforms do require so if you were looking for an all-on-one solution kajabi is widely considered top dog for me personally I actually started out on teachable and when I realized it just didn't have all the features I needed to scale I painstakingly moved over to kajabi so there was a while where I was in teachable and kajabi all at the same time and so that that is why I am very passionate about
these videos because I know just what it can feel like to pick the wrong software initially so I know this video is going to be very helpful for you but anyway kajabi has the most features out of any of the softwares that I'm going to talk about today here's all that you get with kajabi course creation coaching Community membership digital downloads email marketing with Advanced automations webinars website Blog podcast newsletter invoicing which is new and it has a branded mobile app option one of kajabi features that I really feel like sets it apart from other
course softwares is its email marketing with their email marketing you can create landing pages for your Ops Advanced email automations you can ab test emails now there's loads of beautiful templates and there's AI to help you write emails so it's awesome also another one of my favorite features in kajabi is your ability to upsell and down sell on all of your offers which has greatly increased my profits let's talk now usability kajabi is super user friendly though it can sometimes be overwhelming for totally new course creators because there's just so much that you can do
in it when it comes to just straight course creation though I find it to be very user friendly simply add a title and a brief description and kajabi will automatically generate a course outline for you from there it's simple to add video lessons assessment downloads or anything else that your course needs if you want an in-depth look at building a course and kji be sure to check out this video here after my advice with kajabi is to try to not do all the things at first even though you can and just start building out your
course and for all of my kajabi Affiliates if you use my affiliate link I give you free access to my 0 to 10K course road map that teaches you how to make your first $10,000 in course sales as a support and thank you to you so be sure to grab that there's actually extended trials to all of the different softwares we talk about so you can find that Linked In the description below but specifically for kajabi you can get access to that bonus course next affordability kajabi is now more affordable than it has ever been
Thanks to its new Kickstarter plan the kickstarter plan begins at $69 a month or $55 a month if you buy it annually and here's how kabi's pricing breaks down you can see with the kickstarter plan you get one product their basic plan you get three products and their growth plan you get 15 now I'm on the growth plan and I've been on it for a couple years now and I'm still only at like seven products so just know that that I found that to work really well for me and with unlimited landing pages on the
basic plan I find that most solar preneurs will probably end up there with like a coaching program a membership and maybe a community now my overall rating for kajabi is a 9 and 1 12 out of 10 it just it has everything you need to scale your business I have been so happy with it Since switching over from teachable I use it for all of the things I love it so much that I actually went to kajabi Hero live this year and so if you end up using kajabi that is a conference that you can
go to you learn so much it's really fun you meet other course creators but I digress I'm a firm believer that kajabi is a great fit for multi-passionate entrepreneurs who want a course software that can really scale with them and just a bonus with kajabi they're almost always pushing new features so it feels like every other month I'm hearing about a new feature they're pushing out like just recently they came out with invoice scene and another drag and drop feature so I'm a big fan next up is Po podia now podia is specifically for solo
entrepreneurs who are a one-man show and want something that is simple straightforward and affordable so while podia offers a lot less features than kajabi for some people that's the appeal because it has less features it can be a little bit less overwhelming and a lot more straightforward what it lacks for in features it makes up for in affordability and simplicity here's what podia offers course creation Co in community membership digital downloads webinars via Integrations like Zoom website blog newsletter and email marketing but please don't you have to pay for that after 500 Subs usability podia
is extremely user friendly because they are geared to solo entrepreneurs they know that it's just you doing things they want it to be simple and so they've invested a lot in their templates which makes it really easy to create beautiful landing pages and course es course creation podia is very straightforward easily add sections or modules to your course and then you can add lessons within them you can add embedded content quizzes coaching and downloadable files pod's interface is very clean and minimal and so if that's more your Vibe this could be a great option for
you affordability podia is a great affordable option pod's lowest mover plan is $39 a month or it's $33 a month if you buy annually though that doesn't include a five % transaction fee so you'll want to move up to the Shaker plan at $89 a month eventually once you really start selling but remember like I said their email marketing is only free up to 500 subscribers and so once you hit over 500 that becomes $7 a month and it increases from there so like 10,000 email Subs would be an extra $50 a month so just
a heads up that that could add up fast if you're really planning to scale the email marketing overall I give podia an $8 half out of 10 I think it is an awesome option for my non- Tey friends that want something very simple and straightforward though I do think that that added cost of email marketing could rack up and so you really want to weigh your options if you know your email list is going to grow pretty big now before I dive into think iic just a reminder to not forget to grab my free profitable
course starter kit that's going to be so helpful in helping you set up your first profitable course I have it linked down below and in the cards up above it is totally free and it is very helpful think ific didn't even make my list from 2024 but it is back up on the list in 2025 because they have made some massive upgrades when it comes to their Ai and I am a big fan thinkific is an all-in-one course software that makes creating and selling courses simple and fast because of their new AI I can attest
I've literally never made a landing page faster than when I tried it out with think giic I was blown away I made a video where I compared kajabi and think ific that you should definitely check out if those are the two you're trying to weigh your options between you can check it out here but anyway when I was diving into it I was so impressed in 2024 think iic also added email marketing to their software and I think that really also added into its value though I will say their email marketing is definitely not as
robust as something like kajabi and if you need more advanced email funnels you may need to end up investing and integrating a third-party software which they even talk about on their sales page think ific offers course creation coaching Community membership digital downloads email marketing webinars with a third-party software website and it has a branded app option usability with thinkific I think now more than ever it is very beginner friendly because of their AI fill out a quick prompt and you'll have a professionall looking course structure and a fully built landing page in minutes while I
think kabi's AI is impressive think iFix takes it next level it's still not enough where I would switch over but it's good really good let's talk affordability think ific definitely has very competitive pricing that's comparable to kajabi their lowest plan is $49 a month or $33 if you buy annually that plan includes only five digital downloads and only five coaching and webinar sessions a month so you'd probably eventually find yourself on the starter plan that's $99 a month or $7 $9 a month annually which adds more downloads sessions and advanced tools while this can be
a great value for you just keep in mind like I said if you need more advanced email software that may be something that you also have to pay for as a thirdparty integration but for a lot of people think AIX email marketing may just be enough for you my overall rating for think iic is an 8 and 1 half out of 10 I think it is a great option for people who love the ease of AI and you don't need loads of customization in your course also if you really value just like getting things out
and done quickly thinkific is for you just be sure that you're okay if you need Advanced email marketing to have a third- party integration and know you'll also need a third-party video integration like Zoom if you're going to be doing live coaching calls next on my list of top courses in 2025 is cartra now I added cartra to the list I get because I got so many questions last year about cartra and so I knew this year I had to add it onto the list cartra is an all-in-one platform that really sh shines when it
comes to marketing more than course creation cartra is really a Powerhouse marketing tool cartra includes course creation coaching Community membership downloads email marketing which is very Advanced webinars website and it has a branded app option like I said cartra has advanced marketing tools they have a lead magnet system that allows for you to have highly Advanced marketing strategies that you can customize based on your customer interactions with your content cartra also has this really cool funnel map that allows you to simulate Advanced self-driving sales funnels within minutes if you are a data person you should
be looking at cartra usability you guessed it because cartra has such Advanced marketing options it has a steeper learning curve I found with cartra either you like really love it or you absolutely hate it for me I'm like it's not my favorite it overwhelms me I feel like I'm pretty techy and it still overwhelms me but I know there are some YouTubers like Louise Henry who absolutely loves it she's like got a whole course on it if cartra is something that you are interested in definitely check out her Channel cuz she's got loads of info
on it and cartra you create campaigns and campaigns are a ready-made Marketing System that include everything you need so emails Pages funnels and it all works together to sell your course to grow your audience you'll edit your course in the membership section and then you can add content in the content section and user drag and drop Builder and that is really something to note with cartra is that their courses are a lot more like membership Community style and so you need to make sure that that's something that you like the look and feel of before
you go ahead and buy it affordability cartridge pricing is a little bit more on the higher end just because it has such Advanced features cartu starter plan starts at $79 a month or $119 a month if bought annually its growth plan is $229 or $99 a month annually which you will have to switch over to once you have more than 2500 contacts but with over 2500 contacts we're thinking you're making that money where it feels like a good investment My overall rating of cartra is an 8 and 1 12 out of 10 if you are
data driven and you are deep into Tech it may be the perfect fit for you if you really prioritize the marketing side of your business over the look and feel of it then I think it could be a great option but if not I think that there are easier softwares out there that still have the analytics side it just may not be quite as in- depth as cartra the next top course software of 2025 is learn worlds learn worlds was on my list last year and people were loving it I've had great feedback and so
it may be a great option for you learn worlds is a specialized course software which means that it doesn't do all of the things it mainly focuses on course creation and then it allows for thirdparty Integrations like email softare software that you can connect with it but what it lacks in marketing materials learn world makes up for in its awesome Ai and course customization out of all of the course softwares I mentioned today learn worlds can definitely boast of the top AI learn world's features include course creation coaching Community membership digital downloads and a website
in terms of usability I would say learn worlds has more of a moderate learning curve I think their AI makes course creation very simple but you still have to use third party Integrations and I think that that can always require a bit more Tech when you're connecting two different softwares course creation though is really where learn World shines with their AI assistant you can be as specific or as general as you want with their AI prompt for example you can pick the instructional approach you want the course to be in or the tone of voice
and from there it will generate an amazing course outline that you can continue to tweak with AI for me personally I love how learn world's course creation is set up and I think it's really easy to add in new sections and there's so many options for you to choose from course customization is a dream also check this out when you're adding in a quiz you can even use AI to help you come up with questions so cool AI is crazy affordability I think learn worlds is extremely affordable their starter plan is just $29 a month
or $24 a month if you buy it annually though there's a $5 fee per student enrollment so you're probably going to want to quickly move up to their Pro Trainer plan at $99 a month or $79 a month annually overall I would give learn worlds a 9 out of 10 learn worlds definitely pique my interest last year with their Ai and I just feel like they're continuing to improve if you are really wanting to have an interactive course experience that you can highly customize and you love AI then learn rules may be the perfect fit
for you I'm definitely a fan the next top course software of 2025 is I believe highly underrated and that is stand store stand store is like your Lincoln bio on steroids and so if you are a course creator and you know that a lot of your audience buys from you by clicking your link in BIO this may be an amazing option for you stand store easily lets you sell digital products from a highly optimized Iz online Linkin bio store I have personally bought a course from a content creator that used Dan store and I thought
it was awesome I had a great course experience and while it's a bit basic it definitely gets the job done Stan includes course creation coaching community and digital downloads in terms of usability Stan stor is extremely beginner friendly if you were looking for a simple and social way to sell your digital downloads or online course it is a great option like I said stand store isn't super customizable but it's going to have all of the basic course things that you need like video and downloads simply add your course title and then add modules and lessons
and upload videos PDFs or other materials your students are going to need once it's ready just hit publish and it's going to automatically add the link to your bio and it will look something like this let's talk affordability stand store is just $29 a month or $25 a month if you buy it annually however if you do want to offer discount codes upsells and have email marketing then it does become $99 a month or $79 annually knowing you'll probably want to add discount codes UPS sales email marketing you'll eventually be on the $99 plan then
it's like wellow the pricing is somewhat comparable to something like think giic or kajabi so if you are not a content creator then this probably isn't the best option for you my overall rating for stand store is an 8 out of 10 just because it is so userfriendly and such a great option for Content creators it may be a bit basic but it definitely packs a punch to selling your digital downloads and your online courses the next top course software of 2025 is teachable teachable is an online course software that I've spent a decent amount
of time in as I used to sell a course on there and had coaching programs through there and I think teachable is a great all-in-one solid option for course creators especially because they have a free plan that allows you to take your time in building out a course without feeling a massive time crunch teachable includes course creation coaching Community digital downloads membership and a website like kajabi teachable allows your students to access your course through their app but unlike kajabi they do not yet have an option for you to build your own branded app teachables
AI has also gone through a lot of improvements in the last year but it still offers a lot less than something like kajabi and thinkific so something to keep in mind I actually left teachable because I felt like I outgrew it it didn't have all the features that I wanted but they definitely have been slowly adding in more features though they're still not quite as robust as something like kajabi in terms of affordability teachable is one of the most affordable course platforms because it has that free option but here's the catch on the free plan
there is a $110 % transaction fee for every sale you make so that can really add up once you're selling consistently you'll definitely want to move up to the basic plan that's $59 a month or it's $30 annually with a 5% transaction fee if you want a 0% transaction fee you'll have to move up to their Pro Plan and that is $159 or $119 a month for me personally I am very annoyed by additional transaction fees so just make sure you do the math if you go with teachables free plan and make sure it's worth
it because that 10% and 5% transaction fee can really add up now my overall rating for teachable is a 7 out of 10 compared to the other course softwares out there I just feel like it doesn't have its thing yet whereas kajabi is often like the most robust and Innovative has all the features learn worlds has AI teachable it doesn't have its thing yet maybe 2026 will be its year where it has its really like standout feature but for me right now teachable has the lowest rating of all the top seven platforms while teachable still
holds a special place at my heart as my first course software it's not my top recommendation but still a great option for new course creators who are on a budget and they're needing that free plan hold up hold up hold up a bonus course software in 2025 that we need to Dish about is school because I get asked all the time about school Danny what do you think about school and my honest thought is I do not get it when I look closer into school it felt really outdated to me if you feel like you
looked at school and you're like why does this feel super outdated like my space let me know in the comments because I felt like it was like just very outdated and limited in what it offered and school is $99 a month so if you're going to pay $99 a month I would highly recommend that if you're wanting a more community- based course like that you're way better off going with something like Mighty networks or even kajabi Community feature that's very robust as well then school I don't recommend if I were to give it a rating
I would give it a five out of 10 I just anyway but if you are a school fan let me know give me your best argument in the comments but I just I don't get it I don't recommend it if your goal is to really create a vibrant and engaged community and have a membership that people pay for monthly Mighty networks is like a way better option than school would be just saying now don't forget that I have extended trial links to all of the softwares that I talked about today and if this video is
helpful for you it's super helpful for me if you could support this channel by using one of those affiliate links and if not it is all good but it means so much to me if you do don't forget to grab my free profitable course starter kit or the graph that goes along with this video if you just need an easy breakdown of all the things that I talked about today all right happy course creating and if you need help in building out your course check out my channel I've got loads more videos on course creation
all right I'll see you next video bye
