4 Only Course Platforms You Need to Consider

[@GaryPopejr]

Wow a video from someone who actually uses the platforms and has an actual opinion on them without looking at just the price.... Its sad that this is rare, but fantastic video. You may have convinced me to fork over the extra money to Kajabi!

[@RuedRiisCom]

Thanks. If you want to honor the effort, then sign up or upgrade via one of the links below the video. That grants me a commission at no extra cost to you 🙏🏻

[@jeffreythemeditator]

Good job on the video. My experience was different. I spent thousands on Kajabi and then moved to a combo of Squarespace & Podia. Kajabi was the most frustrating investment I remember making. They are a childish company that loves to cheerlead about themselves and tell you how "awesome" everything is when you reach out for help. I felt like I was dealing with children who couldn't comprehend that their platform has problems. For example, a user interface that feels to me like something from 1997. Their tools produce very samey, very outdated products. To me, Kajabi stuff usually looks like something designed in Microsoft Word. There is nothing I could do with kajabi that I can't do better with a combination of Podia, Squarespace, and Flodesk. Every single component looks and operates better, has better support, and is cheaper. Their selling point, of having everything together in once place sounded great to me. Until I realized that it was like having every meal in an institutional cafeteria. Everything really lacks from a design perspective. I was embarassed, always, to direct clients to anything built on Kajabi.

[@RuedRiisCom]

That sounds sound odd - I can’t recognize those experiences at all. Is it a long time ago since you tested Kajabi? Cause their website builder, for example, is very modern in both UI and templates/blocks.

[@WeronikaSalach]

Sounds interesting! Could you possibly paste in your website(s) here so that I can check you out? I’m already on Squarespace and have Flodesk, and I’m considering Podia. I’d love to know how you utilized Squarespace for your needs! I’m thinking of launching some membership/gated content via Squarespace. I’m teaching vector and general digital illustration.

[@dr.juliemeehan5824]

I found this video really helpful Rued - thank you - I love the way you did pros and cons for each platform - so simple! Thanks again

[@RuedRiisCom]

thanks!

[@StrategyOnepager]

Great comparison video. It's actually useful as opposed to others where the presenter just reads the feature list from their website. Rued has actually used each platform. He did however convince me to go with Teachable - the EU VAT addition (& something else I can't remember now) swung me.

[@Jericho_C]

Thank you! This is extremely helpful.I have been reading up on reviews and comments as my friend is using Kajabi. I appreciate how you took time to explain in detail. I am planning on creating my own platform. I came accross VONZA and read their reviews. This will help me decide which platform to go.

[@astridmcguire05]

you are incredible, it sounds weird to say but this video is GENIUS

[@RuedRiisCom]

Haha thanks a lot - appreciate it more than you think :)

[@kikieleng9320]

You convinced me, going with Kajabi

[@RuedRiisCom]

Make sure to get the extended 30 day trial through my link :)

[@tkdsource]

Very good overview and review. The pros and cons section really helped as for each of the "Cons" there was an item that disqualified the other platforms and made the choice I was leaning towards, Kajabi, very obvious. I can build with peace of mind...

[@el_trades]

Great video. Podia now has Community though. And Kajabi seems to be quite pricey. Seems like your biggest gripe with Podia is the “minimal looking” course area, which can be somewhat subjective in my opinion. Probably the biggest issue for me with Podia is the lack of a mobile app. But anyway … thanks again for sharing.

[@cococoif404]

good to know there is a community now, thanks

[@RuedRiisCom]

Yes, these reviews are my subjective opinion. Everything I say comes from my personal experience, so takes this as one input. And yes, things change over time, so I'll be making a new video like this in 2023 :)

[@pickavana8056]

@@RuedRiisCom where is it?

[@fadocodecamp]

Thanks for the video. I actually will be choosing between Podia and Teachable. Not handling EU VAT is a deal breaker. And Kajabi seems to do everything, my experience tells me if you are doing everything, you do nothing really well.

[@RuedRiisCom]

You're right, my friend-it's been a hassle with the EU taxes, and I ended up just not charging taxes and "paying myself". Kajabi is suffering from what you say, but they do a really good job on most of the modules, and the ones that are lacking, such as the community, they are working on at a good pace.

[@RuedRiisCom]

2024-UPDATE I reviewed a very promising SIMPLE course platform, called Esmerise: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4vVn4Wgqteco5Y I launched a community on Skool, and love it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHnHf4mErtWJj7M 👀What platforms are you looking into in 2024?

[@MarcelKorver]

hi rued, how are you doing the payments if it does not support EU VAT and other payment systems and iDeal??

[@EfrenBuzzo]

Amazing! hey where/how do you create the green background graphics with? Thank you!

[@RuedRiisCom]

I'm an animator, and this site will take down the rabbit hole :) www.ruedriis.com/vyond

[@maikensby379]

Kan man lave en “Payment form” hvor man får nok information til at lave en fuld faktura?

[@RuedRiisCom]

Ja, med lidt workarounds kan man godt. De forskellige platforme gør det forskelligt, og med nogen af dem skal man bruge et ekstra værktøj for f.eks. at udregne udenlandsk moms.

[@jjditch]

Really helpful video, thanks. Any comment on which platforms have solutions to prevent password sharing, or ways to limit the number of devices per password? There doesn't seem to be a lot of info on this out there

[@MichaelDooney]

Great video and super helpful information about each platform, I've been struggling to decide between the four major services the past few days, starting to lean more and more towards Kajabi....

[@RuedRiisCom]

Awesome. Remember so support this channel by using this sign-up page, if you decide to try one of them 🤗 ruedriis.mykajabi.com/course-platform-trials

[@MichaelDooney]

@@RuedRiisCom Will do!

[@modern_mind_coach]

Laughing and shaking my head YES! everytime you talk about your integration exhaustion. I am so %$!# tired of Wordpress. haha Not wasting my time is also my #1 goal. Thanks for this awesome video.

[@RuedRiisCom]

I feel you. Pay a little extra to save time, is the mantra I go for :)

[@padrescout]

Good review. Thank you for breaking this down.

[@elizakus7280]

Thank you so much for your knowledge! I could just give you a freiendly feedback regarding gesticulation, you move a lot and there is a lot of hand gestures, which looks like a bit chaotic and its distractive. Also, you are moving closer and further from camera constantly loosing focus. Otherwise, very easy to follow video, love your passion and I can see you truly care to provide practical knowledge and no fluff. Thank you! Best of luck in your endavours!

[@RuedRiisCom]

You live and you learn - this is a very old video but thanks for the feedback :)

[@candicemurray6392]

This is a GREAT video - thank you!!!

[@ohulhcanada]

One thing you omitted was pricing for each platform. Please update.

[@RuedRiisCom]

Just visit their websites to see latest pricing info.

[@atrasdeltema1707]

Thank you my friend!!

[@RuedRiisCom]

You're welcome, Atras del Tema! :)

[@ChrisBrooksGuitar]

Noob question maybe, but if i'm not in the UK or Europe, why do i need to worry about whether or not a host does VAT collection?

[@RuedRiisCom]

Oh no you don’t :)

[@ChrisBrooksGuitar]

@@RuedRiisCom thanks for the fast reply!

[@yuliya104]

Wow thank you. Lifesaver. Now I know what I need!

[@RuedRiisCom]

Awesome! Make sure to use the links provided below the video- so I get a little kickback from those platforms 🤗

[@gideontladi]

Very helpful. Thanks.

[@knowledgetodaybykarlmifsud6949]

What about Learn Worlds and Lightspeed VT?

[@RuedRiisCom]

Those are also contesters for sure, but not platforms I believe rank as the top 4 (yet) :)

[@CedricRachmad]

Just starting to look into this.....what about Kartra?

[@RuedRiisCom]

I'm going to dive into Kartra in a future video, I promise!

[@levypfeiffer]

Great video! It helped me a lot!

[@RuedRiisCom]

VERY happy to hear that Levy :)

[@mrjongutierrez]

Good job, I love simplicity too!

[@tomastumalovicius]

So helpfulllll!!! Thanks you so much! Exactly what I was looking for ;)

[@RuedRiisCom]

Very happy to hear that - thanks a lot, and make sure to give the video a like, so other can find it as well 🤗

[@TorbsTraining]

Great review! Great to see that you landed on Kajabi. Just did the same after trying Teachable and Thinkific for some months after making the switch. Can definately relate to your example of the goats on the bridge 😂

[@RuedRiisCom]

Haha, thanks - glad that little story made sense to at least one other person 🐐👍🏻

[@TorbsTraining]

@@RuedRiisCom Hehe yes. It is usually better to just make a choice and stick to it. But when you do make a choice, it is usually better to choose Kajabi 😁👍

[@RuedRiisCom]

@@TorbsTraining Agree.

[@chrisbenn]

Super fed video! Tak! :) Jeg prøver at selje mine guidet meditationer som lydfiler online. Kan jeg bruge Kajabi eller nogle af de andre til det eller er der bedre platforme til det?

[@RuedRiisCom]

Det kan du sagtens - lyd er en af de formater, Kajabi understøtter i lektioner. Du kan få en ekstra lang prøveperiode på Kajabi ved at bruge mit link her: app.kajabi.com/r/xsyWuSZx/t/5bnc3cbc

[@chrisbenn]

@@RuedRiisCom Tak for svaret! :) Så lige hvad det koster og ville Podia også være god til guidet meditationer? Kommer der folk på den platform der leder efter sådan noget? Og hvad er det endlig de her platforms gør? Hjælper de en med at få trafik på mit site eller hvorfor skulle man bruge en af de her platforms og ikke lave sit eget website for det man gerne vil selje så som Wordpress? :)

[@markbc]

Hi Rue, How about tutoring platform?

[@EmilAyoub1]

Very nice video :) Is it still up to date for 2023?

[@joyfulscents]

Great explanation, profesional, knowledge and easy. Thank you for share your experience, that help me save time and avoid wrong decisions. Thanks

[@Bogdanbmm]

Great, could you recommend a cost effective course creator (website builder also if possible) for a simple course without videos: it is just multiple choice quizzes and mock exams (with explanations for right/wrong) ? Kajabi is pricey now given idk if I will have some success. Thank you

[@OliviaSmithR]

Really helpful video. Can you also share your thoughts on Vonza?

[@garrettramos]

Helpful video, I like your style.

[@marilyn8178]

Awesome video! Great presentation and well explained. Thankyou very much.

[@RuedRiisCom]

You’re most welcome 🙏🏻⚡️

[@pickavana8056]

Xperiencify vs Kajabi for client/student retention?

[@RuedRiisCom]

Hard to say. Depends on a lot of factors around the actual content :)

[@Startyourownbusinessacademy]

Hi Rued, Great video. So how do you promote your products? How do you get affiliates to promote your courses? Are these affiliates on Kajabi?

[@RuedRiisCom]

Yea there’s an affiliate module as well.

[@vegnewb]

Which one has language options for non-English speakers?

[@matteo_signori_mengo]

Hi Rued, what do you think about CLIXLO courses' platform? Thanks

[@cococoif404]

great info, thank you Rued!

[@RuedRiisCom]

You’re welcome :)

[@slovakfriendslanguageschoo4361]

Hi! Are you able to recommend any platform with costumer administration for a language school? Something like Demiks or Learncube or others? Thank you a lot

[@MafutaGames]

I am launching my first course on Udemy and Skillshare this week. It is so much work to prepare but almost done.so are you saying that Esmerise replaces Kajabi?

[@RuedRiisCom]

No not really, its about finding the platform that fits your needs. There's room for all of them.

[@billbuckleytutorials]

I cant find anyone that can answer this question. If you come over from teachable and have like 10 courses. Can you upload 10 separate courses on kajabi and sell them as different courses. Everyone seems to talk like they only have 1 course they do. What does it mean 3 products on Kajabi. ( does that mean a max of 3 separate courses ) ....confused Thanks

[@RuedRiisCom]

Yes, 3 products means 3 courses. Upgrade to Growth to sell more - I have 6 courses on my Kajabi site. Check out how it works on ruedriis.com if you want.

[@billbuckleytutorials]

@@RuedRiisCom Thanks

[@FakeCrisRealTyranny]

Thanks for this. Very helpful for me, at just the right time.

[@RuedRiisCom]

Great to hear - hope you'll support the channel by trying out the platforms using this link: ruedriis.mykajabi.com/course-platform-trials

[@lalineaa]

@@RuedRiisCom hey Rued, super comprehensive overview! I was thinking of going with Podia, but ultimately the seamless integrations are more important for me, too :) quick question, is Kajabi good for encouraging peer learning? I used it as a student and perhaps my instructor didn’t use that feature, but what are your thoughts?

[@notonlybarcelona]

Fantastico, grazie mille ❤

[@sha3698]

Amazing review, thanks a lot!

[@l.r1972]

BEST course comparison video ever~

[@crayonjambe7515]

price wise in 2023, which would you say is the best?

[@RuedRiisCom]

I still think Kajabi is worth the premium price, and I don’t even think it’s much higher than the others but it’s hard to compare because the features differ slightly.

[@dina1234]

Kajabi lacks one really important thing... Affiliates, meaning other people can promote your courses and you can pay them a percentage. It is my understanding that only Kartra and Thinkific offer an Affiliate program... is that what you understand as well?

[@jyomamma]

Purchased Kajabi because of this video lol

[@RuedRiisCom]

Great!! Hope you used my link so we get to keep a bit of that Kajabi money 🤗

[@inkofthedragon]

Hello, I am a dog trainer. Each of my clients will receive new exercises per week. I need an easy way to add exercises to my clients profile. It would be ideal if I could finish up their in person class, then go to my car, load up an app and simply select the specific exercises from a database then add to their profile right there. So it's not so much courses I'm looking to build but rather have a huge database of exercises that I can select from to add to specific client's profiles. Is there an app or service that fits these needs? I've been searching all over but all I can find is services that offer course building. As in a select group of students can enroll in the same course. In my case, each client will have their own unique set of exercises that can be updated each week. Sorry for the redundancy in explanation but it's difficult to explain :) Hopefully you can help steer me in the right direction, thanks!

[@webdev8284]

I can help you on this.

[@inkofthedragon]

@@webdev8284 what are some solutions? Thanks

[@OhDearBabajan]

Are you still using Kajabi?

[@RuedRiisCom]

Yup - see how it looks at ruedriis.com

[@OhDearBabajan]

@@RuedRiisCom very nice…could you have done this with podia or thinkific? Looks pretty straightforward

[@iamcoreymcclain]

You should update this video in light of Podia's development. Good video.

[@bethsanchezyoga55]

Any reason you are not into Skillshare?

[@RuedRiisCom]

Yes, and I made a whole video about it 🤗 Start (don’t stay) with Skillshare kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpibd32jjNmKmtU

[@medamissles1]

Great review Very helpful ! Question if i had to start on a more affordable plan ... then switch to kajabi how big of a hassle would that be?

[@RuedRiisCom]

Depends on how much content you have and the features you use. I use pretty much ALL Kajabi has to offer, so I wouldn’t start somewhere else then move. If you know this is something you want to do then start with the best.

[@medamissles1]

For sure man ! That’s crystal . Why even start the potential hassle when I could start where I want. thanks brother!

[@VaughnGeorge]

Great video brother and great presentation !! Thank you !! VG :-)

[@RuedRiisCom]

Thanks man ! 🎉

[@jamess.4996]

What would you say is the most kid-friendly platform for young students using iPads, phones or tablets.

[@RuedRiisCom]

Vyond, Animaker or Toonly.

[@SavoirLife]

Really useful video Rued and probably persuading me to go with Kajabi. How would you compare it to Lifter!MS, which is much cheaper? Do you have a similar Pros v Cons analysis?

[@RuedRiisCom]

I haven't tried that one - only tested the major ones, without knowing how bug Lifter is. Let me know how it performs, if you try it out :)

[@SavoirLife]

@@RuedRiisCom I may go with your recommendation as very little known about LifterLMS

[@RuedRiisCom]

@@SavoirLife Great then use my link below for a 14-day free trial (and a bit of support of this channel - thanks!)

[@nickoxborrow]

Hi Rued - love your work! Quick question - did you run into Learn Worlds? Was curious if you have any thoughts on that?

[@RuedRiisCom]

Yes, I'd say LearnWorlds is a 2nd-tier platform, so not in the league of the 4 mentioned in this review. Again, I'm sure LearnWorlds is fine and can make it work for their creators, but since you can only pick one (and it's such a hassle to switch), I recommend looking in the direction of Podia, Thinkific, Teachable, or ultimately, Kajabi.

[@nickoxborrow]

@@RuedRiisCom Thanks so much :)

[@RuedRiisCom]

@@nickoxborrow You're welcome - hope you find what you are looking for, for the courses you teach!

[@LifeinGlow]

thank you for the review! which platform allows students to submit their homework privately and visible to other students?

[@SkipVue]

Good question. My courses are done in Power Point with integrated quizes. I need a platform that will support this or I'll have to build mine from scratch.

[@ralfgreiner9874]

How do you handle eu vat?

[@RuedRiisCom]

I don't. Just treat all payments as including VAT, although I don't charge customers anything extra.

[@CoinStation]

Thanks for your research!

[@RuedRiisCom]

Any time!

[@MoisBallin]

Does teachable or Kajabi accept payments accept payments globally or only people in the US?

[@RuedRiisCom]

Globally - they use Stripe and PayPal which are two major payment providers.

[@MoisBallin]

@@RuedRiisCom ok thank you !

[@martinstraka4179]

Hi Rued, how did you solve the problem of European VAT taxes in Kajabi? I am now choosing a new platform and so far I have LearnWorlds as a favorite. They support VAT taxes, national currencies, easy localization of texts and good support for GDPR.

[@RuedRiisCom]

Basically, I'm not 🤗 Charging a flat-fee and dealing with myself. One can use something called Quaderno so automatically calculate local taxes, but I just charge one price and that's it - then I pay the taxes off of that.

[@chris-terrell-liveactive]

Hi Rued, I'm new to this and still to make a final decision on which platform to use, based in UK so brexit will be a #@$%!-up Factor.. but guessing that a platform able to deal with European vat & taxes is probably the best choice. Could you say more on this aspect of an online training business?

[@WeronikaSalach]

@@RuedRiisCom Btw, I’m based in Germany - is the VAT tax for online courses 7% or 19%? 😬 Thanks so much for sharing, subscribed and really enjoy watching your videos 👍

[@locosporelgriego]

Thanks a lot for another amazing video! One question, is there a particular reason that Voomly was not included in your options? They seem to provide most of the features that you were seeking. Thanks again.

[@cook-music]

I ahve over 30 coruses and this looks like a very expensive option to get all of them hosted. I'll consider it, but you're right, it's expensive

[@keithdmello]

Very well explained thank you

[@RuedRiisCom]

You are very welcome 🤗

[@AliHaider-gy6xt]

Nice. Like your work

[@RuedRiisCom]

Thanks, appreciate it :)

[@engahmednofal]

thanks

[@maroon4cool]

Hi Rued, Kajabi doesn't let you download the content as a scorm file, does it?

[@RuedRiisCom]

No, Kajabi IS kind of the LMS, so you’d make the content somewhere else.

[@daytonwrites4031]

......... Duuuuuuuuude. So HELPFUL! And the landing page to the four trials is a slick move! Also, is there drip email automation (hopefully more advanced) in Kajabi or Teachable? Or do I still have to integrate with a different software for that?

[@RuedRiisCom]

Dayton, your comment just made my day! Thanks a lot. And yes, Kajabi does an amazing job at drip campings. Timed, easy to write up and with loads of automations on top. Go ahead and use the link on that sleek page if you choose to check Kajabi out ✌️ Rued

[@womenempowered7801]

yes great job , thank you!

[@abenigold6219]

Ty❤

[@paulineerickson]

Can you do another review and include: Groove Funnels, Systeme io and Sam Cart?

[@RuedRiisCom]

I already have a review of Systeme on my channel, but I’ll definitely check the other ones out :)

[@gedasjokabas9968]

The guitar light went out :D

[@RuedRiisCom]

Did it? :) gotta rewatch it to see!

[@RuedRiisCom]

Haha true! Don’t know what happened though ..

[@PolarTorsen]

Lacks the insides of the platforms.

[@Millennialmonitor]

Awkward intro minute if you don't know he's talking about choosing "Online Teaching/Course Platforms". Start at 1:18 at first for a moment and then go back to the beginning and then you are all set for an engaging video.

[@bethanysimms5314]

Hi! Thank you for the really helpful video, the content is great. Little bit of constructive criticism - you constantly lean backwards and forwards towards the camera as you're rushing through your words. Please slow down and centre your body. I'm now feeling rather seasick after watching. Really good video otherwise though, so thank you :)

[@RuedRiisCom]

Thanks for the feedback - constantly trying to get better 🤝

[@azpersonal]

Feeling seasick is such an exaggeration 😂

[@nilpo]

​@@azpersonalNo it isn't. It triggers sea sickness in many viewers.

[@azpersonal]

@@nilpo oh good to know that 🤍

[@CandessMCampbell]

Kajabi has good reviews because of the network marketing. There are major issues with email and support. I paid over $3500 to have the website build because the site is not user friendly and the videos do not match the site. After 20 minutes of trying to get one photo on the site and it continually messing up, I realized the lie. My WP site - thank God I kept it is much better! Getting out now!

[@RuedRiisCom]

Well, we disagree and that's fine - Kajabi is maybe not for everyone I guess. I am LOVING their website builder for its simplicity. So happy to not work in WordPress anymore. But it's all about finding the setup that works for you :)

[@Stoic__Virtue]

Hey bro. are you danish?

[@RuedRiisCom]

100%

[@Stoic__Virtue]

nice bro, i could hear it in your english accent xd@@RuedRiisCom

[@CMV314]

I use Learnworlds and I love it. I think it's much better than these platforms (with the exception of Kanjabi, which I haven't tried).

[@OhDearBabajan]

Doesn’t it have too much going on?

[@MamaGaea]

What did you think of Heights Platform? I haven't seen people talk about it yet. And the Founder is doing a lot of explainer videos recently, which I assume is to drive up business. p.s. he needs some tips on presenting. He has zero emotions in his eyes.

[@RuedRiisCom]

To be honest, I didn't like it. That's also why I switched.. It might have gotten better by now, but back then, it was very startup'y. I just wanted something I could trust 100%, and that was Kajabi. No regrets!

[@JonasStuart]

Really good clear, useful information. We're a way off setting up our first courses but it's good to get a head start on a lot of this stuff so thanks! I'll check out some of your other courses too °¬)

[@RuedRiisCom]

Thanks :)

[@coachcarlosjohnson]

Thank you for this great comparison. Do any of the four that you Reviewed allow you to add gameification to the quizzes such as adding points for test that can be traded in for awards?

[@RuedRiisCom]

Not really - but you can do this in other ways. I add quizzes to my Kajabi courses but there aren’t any point system. I used to use Heights, which had points. But I also don’t think it’s very important with points. More important that the content is great and the students get results 👌🏻

[@the_infinitelearning]

Great review, but kajabi is really expesive

[@henleyjohnson]

Did you consider Absorb Create and LMS in your search?

[@RuedRiisCom]

No, I didn’t.

[@md.naimulislam717]

Cool

[@psyhydeluo5833]

Good list, but KZbin is too powerful

[@RuedRiisCom]

Too powerful for other platforms to survive? Don't agree with that, and my entire livelihood is based on the fact that it's not true 🤗 KZbin is great for traffic, leads, attention, you know. But the monetisation has to happen elsewhere - still.

[@vivekvwarrier9452]

Owly was a good name...

[@RuedRiisCom]

Haha, yeah I liked it too, but Rued Riis is closer to my real name 😁

[@thebodymaster]

lol billy goats gruff

[@RuedRiisCom]

Good input 👏🏻

[@leanneferguson6522]

Are you single?

[@RuedRiisCom]

Nope. Soon married 🤗

[@vivekvwarrier9452]

🙋🙋🙋

[@PatrickDavid-m1g]

.

[@RuedRiisCom]

Period! 😊

[@esotericguard3808]

i used to worship God ;)

[@esotericguard3808]

thank you Riis!!!

[@kevinmalone8564]

are you scouse?

[@RuedRiisCom]

What does that mean? :)

[@alfredchannel290]

Very good video, Rued. Great comparison. Love all of these platforms. They are so amazing. We have something to make them better and would love to hear your feedback. Can I invite you to a 15-min Zoom chat, if so what email should I use?