4 Best Udemy Alternatives For Instructors in 2024

According to Global Market Insights, the value of e-learning is expected to reach 1 trillion dollars by 2032. So learning new skills has never been easier, thanks to platforms like Udemy, Coursera and many more.

While Udemy offers a wide range of courses, it may not be the perfect fit for every instructor. Let’s take a closer look at Udemy, its pros and cons, pricing for course creators and explore some Udemy alternatives.

Overview of Udemy

Udemy is a popular website where anyone can learn skills online. It’s a platform where anyone can share their knowledge and sell their courses; not limited to universities or companies like Coursera and EdX.

Course creators can make videos, quizzes, and other materials to share with students. Udemy also helps instructors reach lots of students around the world. Yet, Udemy takes a commission of sales made as a fee.

Instructors can answer questions and give feedback on the Udemy platform. But, compared to other Udemy alternatives, instructors may have less control over students.

Pros and Cons of Udemy for Instructors

Pros of Udemy:

• Easy to start. Signing up and getting started on Udemy is simple. The platform gives helpful resources for planning and creating your course.
• Rich course library. Udemy has a huge library with over 210,000 courses. This means there’s a large audience of potential students for your course.
• Global community. You can join a community of instructors. This community offers support and advice for creating successful courses.

Cons of Udemy:

• Competitive platform. With so many courses on Udemy, it can be hard to get noticed and sell your courses. Standing out requires a strong brand, effective marketing and high-quality content.
• Less control. Instructors can’t manage the students’ data fully: they’re on Udemy. This makes it harder to grow your business independently.
• A lot of requirements. Udemy has strict quality standards for courses. These standards can be challenging to be met.
• High fees. Udemy takes up most of your earnings from course sales; you keep less of the money you make.

Next, there’ll be a quick outlook on how revenue sharing works in Udemy for instructors.

Revenue Sharing for Instructors in Udemy

It’s free to create and host courses on Udemy. Instructors can publish unlimited courses as they wish. But Udemy takes the revenue from course sales. There are two types of commissions based on the type of sale:

Sales from instructor promotions. If a student uses an instructor’s coupon or referral link and buys a course, the instructor gets 97% of the revenue.

Sales from Udemy promotion. If users find the course through Udemy’s ads or browse the marketplace Udemy gets 63% of the revenue.

The revenue share is from the actual amount students pay – net revenue, minus any taxes or fees like those from Apple or Google.

While Udemy lets instructors make money, the cons of Udemy make course creators look for alternatives. Let’s check out some best Udemy alternatives below.

Best Udemy Alternatives

Best Udemy Alternative – Self-Hosted LMS with MasterStudy

If you want more control over your courses, a self-hosted Learning Management System (LMS) is a great alternative for Udemy. All you need to have is your own website with SSL set up on CMS like WordPress; you can build an LMS with plugins with no coding skills.

One of the most popular plugins is the MasterStudy LMS plugin. It lets you build your own LMS with no technical skills prior needed. You can create courses on any topic with video, text and live lessons on the easy-to-use Course Builder. The courses can have different quizzes and assignments to engage more with students.

Your students can sign up and enroll in courses they want with intuitive Course Player. Your LMS built with the MasterStudy plugin can have different pricing options: one-time purchase or subscription. The MasterStudy plugin integrates with PayPal, Stripe, WooCommerce and Paid Membership Pro.

Also, other instructors can sign up to create their courses or co-own your courses. You can make your marketplace of courses with many instructors like Udemy if you want. So self-hosted LMS with MasterStudy is the best Udemy alternative for those who want to manage their courses fully and create their own platform for e-learning.

If you want to try it on your website, there is a completely free plan of MasterStudy LMS plugin on WordPress.org. Or you can visit their demo to explore both frontend and backend features.

Pros:

1. Total сontrol. You can customize everything, like the design and features, to fit your style.
2. Flexibility. The MasterStudy plugin has lots of features to make courses engaging.
3. Monetization. You can set your own prices and choose how students pay.

Cons:

1. More marketing needed. You have to work harder to get students without Udemy’s built-in audience.
2. Building community. You have to create your own community instead of relying on Udemy.

Best Udemy Alternative – Moodle Course Management System

For those who want an alternative to Udemy, you can consider Moodle Course Management System (CMS) as another option. Used widely in education since 2008, Moodle is known for its versatility.

Pros:

1. No extra hosting fee. Moodle can be hosted on existing servers, so you save on extra hosting fees.
2. Secure testing. Integrates with Safe Exam Browser for secure assessments.
3. Open-source. It is open-source nature and allows flexible customization for extra fees to fit specific needs.

Cons:

1. Complex course management. Managing courses and cleaning up unused ones can be time-consuming.
2. Space limitations. Hosting constraints may limit content and resources.
3. Update challenges. Updates can be complicated, requiring technical expertise and causing disruptions.

Best Udemy Alternative – SkillShare as a Subscription-Based Marketplace

Skillshare is like Amazon Prime or Netflix but for learning, where people share their skills and knowledge. Unlike Udemy, Skillshare has more focus on creative courses and pros. Here’s what’s good and not so good about it:

Pros:

1. Free to start. You can join Skillshare for free and start teaching without approval.
2. Promotion. Skillshare helps you promote your courses; it is easier to find students.
3. Subscription model. Students pay a fee for unlimited access, which means potential recurring income for you.
4. Referral program. You can earn extra money by referring students through your links.

Cons:

1. Narrow audience. Skillshare mainly attracts creative types, so it might not suit all subjects.
2. Pay based on watched minutes. You get paid based on how much students watch, which can vary.
3. Course approval. Your courses need approval before students can see them, which can take time.

Best Udemy Alternative – Teachable an Online Course Platform

Teachable is a Udemy alternative for course creators with its easy-to-use interface and focus on sales and marketing features. While it has a free plan to get started and allows for recurring income through upselling, there are some drawbacks to consider.

Pros:

1. Simple online school. Teachable provides a straightforward setup with basic modern features.
2. Easy communication. You can easily send updates and announcements to students.
3. Recurring income. Course creators can earn ongoing revenue by upselling to students.
4. International payments. Teachable accepts payments in over 100 currencies, with instant payment options.

Cons:

1. Limited support. Instant support is not available for instructors on the Free and Basic plans.
2. Transaction fees. Teachable charges transaction fees of 5-10% for the first two plans, affecting earnings.

How to Choose the Best Udemy Alternative That Works Best for You

Consider these things to choose the best Udemy alternative for your online courses.

1. Your goals. Decide what you want to achieve with your courses. Do you want to make more, have total control over your courses, or reach a specific audience?
2. Your resources. Consider your time, budget, and technical skills. Some platforms may need more investment or technical expertise than others.
3. Desired features. Look into the features each platform offers. Pay attention to course creation tools, monetization options, customization, and support.
4. Your audience. Consider who your students are and what they’re interested in. Choose a Udemy alternative that meets their needs and is for their preferences.
5. Monetization. Review how you’ll make money on each platform. Check pricing, revenue sharing, payment methods, and recurring income possibilities.
6. User-friendliness. Make sure the Udemy alternative is easy to use for both you and your students. Good interfaces, helpful tools and responsiveness are key.
7. Extra features. See what else the Udemy alternative offers, like analytics, reporting, community and integrations with other tools.
8. Try before buying. Test out platforms with free plans or demos. Experiment to see which one fits best with your goals and skills.

If you want total control over your courses and branding, think about creating your own LMS platform with the MasterStudy plugin. It lets you customize everything to your liking. Plus, you can enjoy the benefits of other platforms, like flexible pricing and easy course management. You can have all the pros of other Udemy alternatives with your own LMS.

By following these steps, you can find the best Udemy alternative that will work best for you and your needs.