Online course platforms enable creators to monetize their expertise. We analyzed the terms of service from leading platforms to help educators understand content rights and revenue policies.
Online course platforms provide hosting, payment processing, and student management for digital education businesses. These services handle your course content, student data, and revenue. Their terms of service govern content ownership, platform fees, refund policies, and what happens to your courses and students if you leave the platform.
| Platform | Score | Grade | Content Rights | Transaction Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Podia Best in Category | 65 | B- | You retain rights | None (subscription) |
| Kajabi | 58 | C+ | You retain rights | None (subscription) |
| Thinkific | 52 | C | You retain rights | Varies by plan |
| Teachable Lowest in Category | 45 | C- | You retain rights | Varies by plan |
Creator-friendly platform with clear content ownership and no transaction fees. Good portability but some limitations on enterprise features.
Read Full Review →All-in-one platform with premium pricing. Complex terms, limited data portability, and significant feature restrictions on migration.
Read Full Review →Feature-rich platform with good content ownership terms. Complex pricing structure and some data usage provisions to consider.
Read Full Review →Popular platform with broad content license requirements. Transaction fees on lower tiers and complex payout terms.
Read Full Review →Our analysis evaluates terms of service based on content ownership, intellectual property rights, student data handling, payment processing terms, refund policies, and platform lock-in concerns. Course platforms receive particular scrutiny for what happens to your courses and student relationships if you leave.