7 Best Online Course and Community Platforms in 2025

With learners craving more connection, structured learning, and interactive experiences, choosing the right platform has become more important than ever.

The best platforms today aren’t just course builders, they’re all-in-one ecosystems. They help you design lessons, build thriving communities, host live sessions, automate your business, and deliver a polished student experience that keeps people engaged.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the best online course and community platforms in 2025, highlighting what makes each unique, what they’re best used for, and how to pick the right one for your business.

Why Choosing the Right Course Platform Matters?

Before exploring the top platforms, it’s helpful to understand why your platform choice matters so much this year. The landscape is changing, and so are student expectations.

Rising Competition

Course creation tools have become more accessible, meaning more creators are launching courses every day. A strong platform helps you stand out.

Learning + Community Are Now Connected

Students want more than just videos,they want accountability, shared goals, discussions, and support. Platforms that integrate community features have the edge.

Hybrid Learning Is the New Normal

Creators increasingly mix self-paced content with live teaching, coaching, and community engagement. Platforms must support all of these well.

The Business Side Matters

Automation, analytics, marketing tools, and integrations help you scale without stress. The right platform lets you focus on teaching, not tech stress.

Students Expect a Clean, Professional Learning Experience

People have zero patience for clunky dashboards, confusing navigation, or outdated interfaces. With that in mind, here are the top seven platforms that deliver in 2025.

1. SchoolMaker

SchoolMaker is the top choice in 2025 especially among creators who want to offer hybrid courses, coaching, and community-driven programs. What sets SchoolMaker apart is how it blends online courses, community spaces, and support features into one seamless system.

Why SchoolMaker Stands Out

SchoolMaker doesn’t just help you sell courses, it helps you deliver an engaging, structured learning experience that increases completion rates and student satisfaction.

Creators love it because:

• It combines self-paced lessons with an integrated community.
• It includes an innovative step-based learning system.
• You can offer hybrid courses that mix videos, community, and support.
• You can add consultations to your programs.
• It’s built specifically for transformation-focused creators.

Best Features

• Cohort and hybrid-friendly structure
• Built-in community platform
• Coaching and consultation tools
• Progress tracking and accountability
• Clean, modern student dashboard
• Zapier and automation-friendly integrations

Best For

• Course creators offering high-value transformation programs
• Coaches and consultants
• Businesses running hybrid courses with support
• Community-driven learning models

SchoolMaker is ideal if you want one platform that manages everything, courses, community, coaching, and student accountability.

2. Kajabi

Kajabi is one of the most established all-in-one platforms and remains a powerhouse in 2025. It combines courses, communities, websites, landing pages, payments, and email marketing in one place.

Why Kajabi Stays Competitive

Kajabi is loved for its polished, professional look and its reliability. It is a great choice for creators who want an all-in-one business tool.

Best Features

• Website builder + blog
• Email marketing and automation
• Sales funnels
• Course hosting
• Coaching tools
• Analytics dashboard

Best For

• Entrepreneurs building a full digital business
• Creators who want built-in email tools
• Coaches offering memberships or programs

Kajabi can be pricey, but for many creators, the all-in-one setup saves time and reduces the need for multiple subscriptions.

3. Circle

Circle started as a community platform, but in recent years, it has evolved into a powerful community + course combo tool. In 2025, it’s one of the top choices for creators leading community-centric programs.

Why Circle Is a Favorite

Circle’s community experience is arguably the smoothest in the industry. Discussions feel natural, intuitive, and engaging, much more so than old-school Facebook groups.

Best Features

• Beautiful community interface
• Course hosting built into the platform
• Live rooms and events
• Member directories
• Multi-level community spaces
• Mobile app

Best For

• Community-first businesses
• Memberships and group coaching
• Creators who prioritize interaction over structure

Circle is a strong pick if your audience thrives on connection and discussion.

4. Teachable

Teachable remains one of the easiest course builders for beginners. It shines when you want to quickly create a self-paced course without dealing with technical complexity.

Why Teachable Works Well

Its interface is simple, clean, and intuitive. Even complete beginners can create a full course in a few hours.

Best Features

• Drag-and-drop course builder
• Integrated payment processing
• Basic coaching features
• Upsells and sales pages
• Certificates of completion

Best For

• Beginners who want to launch quickly
• Creators selling traditional self-paced courses
• Simple, standalone video courses

Teachable is not as strong on community features, but it’s still perfect for straightforward courses.

5. Thinkific

Thinkific is another long-time leader in online course software. It's known for being flexible, customizable, and reliable for traditional online courses.

Why Thinkific Is Still Strong in 2025

Thinkific offers more customization than Teachable and is great for creators who want control over course structure, landing pages, and student experience.

Best Features

• Customizable course layouts
• Strong quiz, exam, and assignment tools
• Thinkific Communities (built-in community features)
• Website builder
• App store with integrations

Best For

• Creators who want more control over customization
• Companies offering professional training
• Creators who want more assessment tools

Thinkific feels more professional and academic-friendly compared to some alternatives.

6. Skool

Skool exploded in popularity thanks to its simple, addictive community design and gamification tools. It blends community, courses, and leaderboards in a fun way that keeps students engaged.

Why Creators Love Skool

Skool is designed to be frictionless and fun. It feels like a social platform but with structure, giving students motivation to keep returning.

Best Features

• Community-first layout
• Simple course hosting
• Gamification and levels
• Leaderboards
• Group-based learning

Best For

• Creators who want a fun community experience
• Group coaching programs
• Memberships with ongoing content

While Skool isn’t as feature-rich as some platforms, its engagement is unmatched.

7. Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks is another platform known for strong communities. It has evolved into a robust ecosystem where creators can build courses, memberships, and full community learning spaces.

Why Mighty Networks Works Well

It is flexible and built for deep engagement. You can structure your community into spaces, groups, events, and more.

Best Features

• Multi-layered community hubs
• Course hosting
• Live events and livestreaming
• Mobile app
• Subscriptions and memberships

Best For

• Niche communities
• Creators with multiple group segments
• Membership programs with ongoing engagement

If you want to create a “home base” for your whole audience, Mighty Networks is a strong contender.

How to Choose the Best Platform for Your Course in 2025

Each platform has strengths, so the best choice depends on your goals and teaching style. Here’s how to pick the right one.

1. If you want a hybrid course with coaching and community

Choose: SchoolMaker, Circle, or Skool

2. If you want an all-in-one business system

Choose: Kajabi

3. If you want something simple and beginner-friendly

Choose: SchoolMaker or Teachable

4. If you need strong assessments or customization

Choose: SchoolMaker or Thinkific

5. If your program is community-first

Choose: SchoolMaker, Circle, Skool, or Mighty Networks

6. If you're building a long-term interactive hub

Choose: Mighty Networks or Circle

7. If engagement and fun are your priority

Choose: Skool

8. If you want a system specifically optimized for transformational learning

Choose: SchoolMaker

Important Features to Look For in 2025

No matter what platform you choose, keep an eye on these must-have features:

Course Features

• Step-based learning
• Progress tracking
• Assessments or feedback tools
• Templates and downloads
• Certificate options (if relevant)

Community Features

• Discussion boards
• Private groups
• Live chat or messaging
• Member profiles
• Mobile app accessibility

Engagement Tools

• Leaderboards
• Gamification
• Streaks or badges
• Weekly missions or milestones

Business Tools

• Payment flexibility
• Subscriptions and payment plans
• Analytics dashboard
• Integrations (Zapier, email services, calendar tools)
• Affiliate management

Student Experience

• Intuitive dashboard
• Clean interface
• Fast loading speeds
• Mobile-friendly design

A platform that nails all these gives your students the smooth, motivating learning environment they deserve.

Trends Shaping Online Course Platforms in 2025

The platforms above are leading because they embrace modern learning trends. Here are the biggest ones influencing the industry this year:

Hybrid Learning

Courses are no longer just videos,they’re a mix of:

• Self-paced lessons
• Community engagement
• Live Q&A
• Coaching

Community-Centric Learning

People learn better when they feel supported, not alone.

Accountability Systems

Checklists, milestones, reminders, and progress tools are now essential.

Personalization

Creators are using:

• AI assistants
• Personalized learning paths
• Tailored feedback

Micro-Courses

Short, focused modules that teach a specific skill quickly.

Gamification

Levels, streaks, and badges keep learners engaged (Skool is a great example).

Multi-Format Content

Creators now mix:

• Videos
• Audio lessons
• PDFs
• Livestreams
• Community prompts

Platforms that integrate all these formats succeed.

Conclusion

The world of online learning has never been more exciting. With so many powerful platforms now combining community, content, and coaching, now is the perfect time to launch or scale your digital learning business.

Whether you want a hybrid course, a thriving community, a coaching program, or a membership-based business, there is a platform on this list that fits your vision perfectly.

Take your time to explore each option, define your learning model, and choose the platform that aligns with the transformation you want to create. The right tool helps you deliver a smoother experience for your students,and a stress-free one for you.