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An all-in-one platform for course creators covers the five tools a first course needs: hosting for the lessons, a checkout, an email list, a sales page and a site. On systeme.io’s free plan that is one course, 500 students, 2,000 contacts, 3 funnels and a website, for $0 and 0% of sales. The alternative most people price first, Teachable, is $39 a month plus 7.5% of every sale on its entry plan.
What tools do you need to sell an online course?
- Course hosting: modules, lessons, drip, a student login.
- A checkout: Stripe or PayPal, with a payment plan option.
- An email tool with automation: a waitlist, a launch sequence, an onboarding sequence.
- A sales page and an opt-in page: the funnel.
- A site on your own domain: so the course does not live on someone else’s brand.
Bought separately those are four subscriptions before the first sale. The question is whether one platform does all five well enough, and for a first course the answer is yes.
One platform that covers the list
systeme.io hosts the course (video embedded from YouTube, Vimeo or Wistia, files uploaded directly), sells it through an order form with one-off or installment pricing, runs the email list and the automations, and gives you a website with a blog and a custom domain. All of that is on the free plan with the limits above. The $17 Startup plan lifts it to 5 courses, unlimited students, 5,000 contacts and 10 funnels.
How to launch a course with a small audience
A small list does not need a big launch. The setup that works on the free plan: a waitlist page collecting emails, a five-email sequence over ten days that teaches one thing and then opens the cart, a sales page with a deadline, and an order form with a payment plan. One funnel, one automation rule to tag buyers, and the course itself. Pre-sell it before you finish recording; a launch to 300 people that sells 12 seats tells you more than a finished course nobody has bought.
Where systeme.io stops fitting
The course player is functional, not beautiful. There are no graded quizzes with certificates, no SCORM, no student mobile app, and video is not hosted. If the curriculum is video-heavy and assessment matters, Thinkific is the stronger course tool at $54 a month with no free plan. If polish is the product, Kajabi at $179. For a first course to a small audience, neither gap costs you a sale.
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Frequently asked questions
What tools do you need to sell an online course?
Course hosting, a checkout, an email tool with automation, a sales page, and a site on your own domain. systeme.io includes all five on its free plan.
What is the best all-in-one platform for course creators on a budget?
systeme.io: one course, 500 students, 2,000 contacts and a website for $0 with 0% transaction fees. Teachable Starter is $39 plus 7.5%.
Can I launch a course with a small audience?
Yes. A waitlist page, a five-email sequence, a sales page with a deadline and a payment plan is one funnel on the free plan. Pre-sell before recording everything.
Does systeme.io host course videos?
No. Videos are embedded from YouTube, Vimeo or Wistia. PDFs and audio upload directly with unlimited storage.
Related: systeme.io course builder, Teachable pricing, Thinkific alternatives.