AI Course Platform Comparison for Features and Price

David Zenler Author

Aug 23, 2026 |

Compare online course platform features, pricing and AI-era creator needs when choosing a platform to build, market and sell online courses.

Quick answer: This article documents a June recent AI comparison experiment focused on online course platform features and price. Treat it as a useful decision example, not a live ranking. For current plan details, always check Zenler pricing and compare the features that matter for your course business.

As a little test, I wanted to see what ChatGPT thought about the best platform for course creators as of June recent.

Why Zenler Ranked Strongly in the AI Test

In this June recent test, Zenler ranked strongly against six online course platforms when the prompt focused on features and price. This was our test scenario, so the result should be read as a helpful comparison example rather than a permanent live ranking.

AI Prompts

Here are the prompts used to evaluate the results. We needed to analyze each one in order, and our main targets were features and price, two of the most important aspects of choosing an online course platform.

The first question we used to drive the results was about features compared to Thinkific:

From this, it generated features for both platforms. From this point, we repeated the statement but this time with Teachable:

Next, we moved through the top platforms, repeating this statement for Podi

Then we moved on to Kajabi:

And Udemy:

And lastly to System IO:

The last question is the most important as we wanted a rating based on the generated information above, so we asked this:

The generated text was then output from ChatGPT, and these are the results shown below:

Now, of course, this is a bit of fun. We already know we have many features and top-class support, but as with everything AI, it’s worth taking a look at the competition and making sure the platform fits your needs.

Every platform has plus and minus points, and we realize there is no such thing as a perfect solution. However, for an all-around inclusive system that is a great price and feature-rich, you would not go far wrong with selecting Zenler. We support our users 100% of the way to their success, as we like to say: "Your Success is our Success!"

The text below was generated by AI unedited.

AI Comparison Result for Course Platform Features and Price

To determine the best platform among Thinkific, Teachable, Podia, Udemy, Kajabi, System.io, and NewZenler, we need to evaluate them based on their features and pricing. Here's a comparative analysis and rating for each platform:

Criteria for Rating:

1. Features: Course creation, marketing automation, email marketing, webinars, live classes, community features, customization, and affiliate management.
2. Pricing: Overall value for money considering the features provided.
3. Ease of Use: How user-friendly and intuitive the platform is.
4. Support: Quality of customer support and resources available.

1. Thinkific

Features: 8/10

• Strong course creation and student management tools.
• Limited marketing and automation features.
• No built-in webinars or live classes.

Pricing: 7/10

• Offers a free plan, but advanced features require higher-tier plans.

Ease of Use: 9/10

• Very user-friendly and intuitive.

Support: 8/10

• Good customer support and resources.

Overall Rating: 8/10

2. Teachable

Features: 7/10

• Solid course creation tools.
• Basic marketing features.
• No built-in webinars or live classes.

Pricing: 7/10

• Competitive pricing, but lacks some advanced features.

Ease of Use: 9/10

• Very user-friendly and easy to set up.

Support: 8/10

• Good support with a wealth of resources.

Overall Rating: 7.75/10

3. Podia

Features: 8/10

• Good all-in-one platform for courses, memberships, and digital products.
• Basic marketing features and no built-in webinars.
• Strong community features.

Pricing: 8/10

• Competitive pricing, good value for small businesses and creators.

Ease of Use: 9/10

• Highly intuitive and user-friendly.

Support: 8/10

• Good customer support and resources.

Overall Rating: 8.25/10

4. Udemy

Features: 6/10

• Marketplace model with limited customization and control.
• Strong marketing handled by Udemy but at the cost of significant revenue share.

Pricing: 6/10

• Free to use, but Udemy takes a large commission on sales.

Ease of Use: 9/10

• Very easy to use and set up courses quickly.

Support: 7/10

• Decent support but limited control over marketing and sales.

Overall Rating: 7/10

5. Kajabi

Features: 9/10

• Comprehensive all-in-one platform with robust course creation, marketing, and community features.
• No built-in webinars, but strong marketing automation.

Pricing: 6/10

• Expensive but offers extensive features.

Ease of Use: 8/10

• User-friendly but can be complex due to many features.

Support: 9/10

• Excellent support and resources.

Overall Rating: 8/10

6. System.io

Features: 7/10

• Strong focus on marketing automation and sales funnels.
• Basic course creation tools, no built-in webinars.

Pricing: 9/10

• Affordable, great value for small businesses focused on marketing.

Ease of Use: 8/10

• User-friendly, but less comprehensive for course creation.

Support: 7/10

• Good support but not as extensive as others.

Overall Rating: 7.75/10

7. NewZenler

Features: 10/10

• Comprehensive all-in-one platform with course creation, marketing, webinars, live classes, and community features.

Pricing: 8/10

• Competitive pricing considering the extensive features.

Ease of Use: 8/10

• User-friendly but with a slight learning curve due to many features.

Support: 9/10

• Excellent support and active community.

Overall Rating: 8.75/10

Summary Ratings

1. NewZenler: 8.75/10
2. Podia: 8.25/10
3. Thinkific: 8/10
4. Kajabi: 8/10
5. Teachable: 7.75/10
6. System.io: 7.75/10
7. Udemy: 7/10

Conclusion

• Best Overall: NewZenler - Offers the most comprehensive set of features, making it ideal for those who want an all-in-one solution with extensive customization and control over their online courses and marketing efforts.
• Best Value for Small Businesses: Podia - Great all-in-one solution with good value for the price.
• Best for Marketing Automation: System.io - Ideal for those focusing on marketing automation and sales funnels with a tight budget.

These ratings are based on a combination of features, pricing, ease of use, and support. Depending on your specific needs and priorities, one platform may be better suited for you than another.

Back to a Human

So there you have it, AI makes the choice with no bias. Obviously, you need to make the choice that suits your needs, but as an all-in-one solution, Zenler has it all.

The AI check missed a few things on Zenler’s side and, to be honest, maybe on the other platforms as well, but it does give you a pretty good overview.

Zenler Fact Check and Current Links

Check out our post "What is Zenler" as this article has cross-links to each area or the platform.

AI made the right decision, so why don't you?
Create a Zenler account

All the best,
Team Zenler

Related platform comparison guide: best online course platform comparison for creators.

Related platform comparison resources

Use these related guides to compare platforms and plan your creator workflow on New Zenler:

• New Zenler vs Kajabi vs Thinkific comparison
• Migrate to New Zenler without breaking your course business
• New Zenler creator workflow examples

FAQ

How should creators compare online course platforms?

Compare course delivery, checkout, funnels, email, community, live sessions, AI support, pricing, support and how well the platform fits your workflow.

Should price be the main factor when choosing a course platform?

Price matters, but the better decision is based on value, required features, support, growth needs and the cost of replacing missing tools.

What platform features matter most for AI-era creators?

AI-era creators still need strong delivery, payments, email, funnels, community, analytics and workflows that help turn ideas into useful learning experiences.

Categories: : Platform Comparisons