How to launch an online course: Systeme.io vs Thinkific vs Teachable

If people already ask you how you do something — design a logo, prepare for an exam, cook for a crowd, use a spreadsheet properly — you have the raw material for an online course. The hard part isn't the technology; it's turning what you know into a clear, finished course and getting it in front of the right people. This guide takes you from idea to launch in seven steps, and helps you choose between three popular platforms — Systeme.io, Thinkific and Teachable — using their own published plans, limits and fees.

Is launching a course right for you?

A course is a good fit if you:

• have a skill or process people already ask you about, and can explain it step by step;
• can set aside a few hours a week for several weeks to plan, record and polish;
• have, or are willing to build, a way to reach people — an email list, social media following, community or clients;
• prefer to teach many people at once instead of trading every hour for one-to-one sessions.

It may not be the right move yet if you:

• expect sales to arrive on their own. A course needs promotion; no platform can promise income, and none of these three does;
• haven't tested whether anyone wants the topic — a short free session or mini-course is a cheaper first step;
• plan to teach something that requires a licence or professional qualification where you live. Check those rules first.

The free way to start: Systeme.io's Free plan costs nothing, needs no credit card and doesn't expire. You can publish one course, build up to three sales funnels and email up to 2,000 contacts (as of October 2026). That's enough to run a small pilot before you pay for anything.

The three platforms at a glance

Systeme.io: the all-in-one starter

Systeme.io bundles the pieces a new course creator usually pays for separately: course hosting, sales funnels and landing pages, email marketing, a blog and an affiliate program you can run for your own course. According to its pricing page, every plan includes unlimited email sends, unlimited file storage and 0% transaction fees, and you can accept payments through Stripe or PayPal at no extra cost from Systeme.io (the payment providers still charge their own processing fees).

Pros: a real free plan, low paid prices, marketing tools included, no Systeme.io cut of your sales. Cons: course features are simpler than Thinkific's; the free plan allows one course and three funnels, so growing creators will need a paid plan.

Thinkific: a course-first school

Thinkific is built around learning. Its features page lists a drag-and-drop course builder with AI-assisted course generation, SCORM, video and slide import, quizzes, assignments and certificates, self-paced, live-cohort and blended formats, and a community that lives inside the learner area. At checkout you can sell one-time, subscription or payment-plan pricing, with coupons, bundles and multi-currency checkout. Every plan includes unlimited published courses and a custom domain.

On fees, Thinkific's pricing FAQ says Thinkific Payments charges 2.9%, in line with processors such as Stripe and PayPal, and that customers using Thinkific Payments don't pay a third-party gateway fee. If you connect Stripe or PayPal directly instead, a gateway fee applies that varies by plan.

Pros: strongest teaching and community toolset of the three, unlimited courses, a 30-day free trial. Cons: no free plan, the highest starting price, and Thinkific branding stays on until the Grow plan.

Teachable: guided setup, flexible pricing

Teachable walks you through a course creation wizard and can draft your outline for you: choose Generate with AI and it creates sections, lessons and sample content from your course description. You can sell each course with four kinds of pricing plan — Free, One-time purchase, Payment plan and Subscription — and give one course several plans, each with its own checkout link. Teachable has no free plan; its pricing page offers a free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Pros: a beginner-friendly wizard, AI outline, flexible pricing plans, low entry price. Cons: the 7.5% transaction fee on Starter adds up quickly, and each plan caps how many products you can publish (5, 10 or 50).

Step 1 — Choose one clear promise (2–5 days)

1. Write one sentence: "After this course, you will be able to ___." Make it specific — "build a monthly budget in a spreadsheet" beats "master Excel."
2. Describe the student: their starting level, what they've tried, and why they're stuck.
3. Validate before you build. Ask your audience, run a free live session, or offer a short free lesson and count sign-ups. If nobody responds to a free version, adjust the promise before recording anything.

Step 2 — Outline modules and lessons (2–4 hours)

1. List every step a student must take to reach the promise, in order.
2. Group the steps into 3–6 modules, each ending with a visible result.
3. Split each module into short lessons, one idea per lesson.
4. Add one action per module: a worksheet, checklist, quiz or small assignment.

Step 3 — Record your content (1–3 weeks)

1. Gear: start with what you have. A recent phone or webcam, a clip-on or USB microphone, and a window in front of you are enough. Clear audio matters more than perfect video.
2. Format: screen recordings work for software and spreadsheet topics; talking-head or over-the-shoulder video works for crafts, cooking and coaching.
3. Batch it: record a whole module in one sitting, then edit lightly — trim mistakes and long pauses, nothing more.
4. Extras: export worksheets and checklists as PDFs.

Step 4 — Build the course on your platform (2–4 hours)

On Systeme.io, according to its help center:

1. Go to Assets → Courses and click Add a new course. Enter a name, choose a domain and URL path, pick a theme and save.
2. Click Add module, name it and save. Inside it, click Add lecture, set the lecture name, an optional delay after the previous lecture, and whether to Enable comments.
3. Activate each module and lecture when it's ready — new content starts inactive.
4. Choose an access type: Full access, Drip content, Partial access or Partial access with drip.

On Teachable, according to its help center:

1. Click New course (or Create new product) to open the wizard.
2. Add a course title, author, description and a 16:9 thumbnail (1024 × 576 px is recommended).
3. Outline the course with Generate with AI, Start from scratch, Bulk upload (one lesson per file) or Copy from another course.
4. Use the Setup Guide to check the curriculum preview, choose a sales page and thank-you page, then click Publish course.

On Thinkific, use the drag-and-drop course builder (or its AI-assisted course generation for a first draft) to lay out your lessons, upload or import your videos and slides, and add quizzes, assignments and a completion certificate where they help students prove progress. You can test everything during the 30-day free trial before you pay.

Step 5 — Set your price and checkout (1 hour)

1. Pick a pricing model. A one-time price is simplest for a first course. Teachable and Thinkific also support payment plans (fixed instalments) and subscriptions.
2. Systeme.io: in your sales funnel, open the order form, choose Digital product, create the product, add your course as a resource, choose the access type and add a price plan — the product won't save without one.
3. Teachable: prices start at $1, and a plan's price, currency and type can't be edited after you create it — you archive it and create a new one, so double-check before saving.
4. Connect payments and check which providers work in your country before launch.
5. Buy your own course with a coupon or a free plan to test the full student experience, including the access email.

If you sign up through our links we may earn a commission — it never changes what we recommend.

Step 6 — Build your sales page and email list (1–2 days)

1. Sales page: the promise, who it's for and not for, the module list, a short video or sample lesson, your background, the price and a clear refund policy.
2. Lead magnet: a free checklist, mini-lesson or recorded session in exchange for an email address. Systeme.io includes funnels and email on every plan; on Thinkific and Teachable you can use their built-in tools or connect an email service.
3. Email sequence: three to five emails that teach something useful, share a student story if you have one, and invite people to enrol.

Step 7 — Launch, then improve (first 30 days)

1. Open enrolment to your list with a clear start date or a short founding-student window.
2. Watch where students stop. Re-record or split lessons that lose people.
3. Ask every student for feedback and permission to quote them.
4. Update the course and sales page each month, then run your next launch.

Plans and pricing

Prices checked October 2026 on Systeme.io's, Thinkific's and Teachable's sites — promotions change, check the final price at checkout.

Mistakes to avoid

• Building for months before validating. Test demand with a free session or mini-course first.
• Recording everything before outlining. You'll re-record half of it.
• Ignoring fees on small plans. On Teachable Starter, a 7.5% transaction fee on every sale can cost more than upgrading.
• Skipping the student test. Buy your own course to check checkout, access emails and every lesson.
• Creating Teachable pricing in a hurry. Price, currency and plan type can't be edited later.
• Launching to nobody. Start your email list on day one, not launch day.
• Promising results you can't guarantee. Describe what students will learn and do, not what they'll earn.

FAQ

Can I launch a course for free?

Yes. Systeme.io's Free plan lets you publish one course with sales funnels and email at no cost and with no time limit (as of October 2026). Thinkific offers a 30-day free trial, and Teachable offers a free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee, but both need a paid plan to keep selling.

Which platform is best for beginners?

If budget is the priority, Systeme.io, because you can start free and it includes marketing tools. If you want a guided setup and an AI-drafted outline, Teachable. If you plan to build a larger school with quizzes, certificates and a community, Thinkific.

How long should my first course be?

Long enough to deliver the promise and no longer. Short lessons grouped into a few modules are easier for students to finish and easier for you to update.

Do I need my own website or domain?

No. All three host your course pages for you. If you want your own domain, Thinkific includes a custom domain on every plan, and Systeme.io's Free plan includes one custom domain.

Can I release lessons gradually?

Yes. Systeme.io offers Drip content and Partial access with drip, where each lecture unlocks after a delay you set. This works well for cohort-style courses and keeps students moving together.

Your next step

Write your one-sentence promise today and test it with a free session or mini-lesson this week. If people respond, pick the platform that matches your budget and ambitions — Systeme.io to start free, Thinkific for a full school, Teachable for a guided setup — and use the free plan or trial to build your first module.