How we review
Every platform is scored the same way, with learning design weighted above business tools.
Most course-platform reviews compare price lists and marketing features. Ours start with a different question: how well does this platform help the people taking your course actually learn? Each criterion below maps to research in our library.
How we test
- We build a real course on each platform: modules, quizzes, an assignment and a certificate.
- We compare like with like: the cheapest plan that includes certificates.
- Screenshots come from our own test accounts.
- Prices are checked on the date shown in each review.
Learning design: 60% of the score
| Criterion | 5 means | 1 means |
|---|---|---|
| Retrieval | Quizzes with varied question types, question banks, randomisation and retake rules, and practice that's easy to place throughout a course. | Quizzes are absent, or only possible at the end of a course. |
| Assessment | Assignments, rubrics, instructor feedback and graded submissions. | Multiple choice only, with no feedback. |
| Credentials | Configurable certificates and completion rules, with verifiable or shareable credentials such as Open Badges. | No certificates, or one fixed template. |
| Learner analytics | Per-learner and per-question data, drop-off by lesson, and exports. | Enrolment counts only. |
Business tools: 40% of the score
| Criterion | 5 means | 1 means |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Clear plans, no transaction fees at the tested tier, and fair value for a small creator. | Opaque or fee-heavy. |
| Payments | Subscriptions, bundles, coupons, payment plans and tax handling. | One-off payments only. |
| Marketing | Landing pages, email, affiliates and upsells built in. | Needs third-party tools for the basics. |
The overall score
Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5. The overall score is the average of the learning design scores, weighted 60%, plus the average of the business scores, weighted 40%, rounded to one decimal place.
Scores change only when a platform changes or we test it again; each review shows when it was last updated. Affiliate commissions never affect a score. See our disclosure.