- Bottom Line Up Front - Our Top Five
- What Is FreshLearn?
- Why You'll Want to Look for an Alternative to FreshLearn?
- How I Chose These Alternatives
- My Favorite FreshLearn Alternatives
- Best Overall: Teachable
- Best for Powerful Features: Thinkific
- Best for Serious Instructors: LearnWorlds
- Best for User-Friendliness: TalentLMS
- Best for WordPress Users: LearnDash
- Best to Quickly Attract Students: Udemy
- Best for Different Course Types: Kajabi
- Best for Creating a Community: Mighty Networks
- Best for Collaborative Learning: 360Learning
- FAQs
- Top Freshlearn Alternatives: Bottom Line
Last Updated on November 17, 2023 by Ewen Finser
As an instructor, many platforms offer all the tools you need to grow your course and engage with your students. One of them is FreshLearn. FreshLearn combines a powerful course editor with different features to manage the learning experience and grow your course. Not only that, but FreshLearn also offers a free plan.
Still, there may be times when FreshLearns isn’t right for you. Some course instructors want to leverage the student experience more, while others need more specific types of LMS software. Or maybe you’re using FreshLearn and want a similar alternative.
I’m making my first course, and I am learning that just because FreshLearn is high-quality doesn’t mean it’s right for me. That’s why I decided to do some digging and try similar platforms.
While FreshLearn is high-quality, there are better LMS platforms out there. Read my top FreshLearn alternatives guide to discover more.
Bottom Line Up Front – Our Top Five
Name | Best For | Pros | Cons |
Best Overall |
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Best for Powerful Features |
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Best for Serious Instructors |
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TalentLMS | Best for User-Friendliness |
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Best for WordPress Users |
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What Is FreshLearn?
FreshLearn is an LMS that combines knowledge with serious selling features, offering more ways for course creators to make a business from their teaching. Instructors will not only be able to build a quality course but can access different tools to market and sell their course.
Even on the free plan, instructors can use custom branding, so you can make your course your own. Some of my favorite FreshLearn features include the different courses you can make, custom branding, bulk member enrollment, and gamification.
With FreshLearn, you can create more than simple courses. It is also optimized for digital downloads, master classes, coaching, and communities.
FreshLearn is a robust platform with many capabilities and an impressive suite of features. That means it comes with a learning curve for some. Fortunately, FreshLearn offers support through a knowledge base, academy, and blog.
Pros
- Offers different types of courses and teaching products
- Great support
- Custom branding
- Free plan
- Easy to create and upload courses
- Different compliance features
- Marketing capabilities
Cons
- Lack of integrations
- The free plan is limiting
Pricing
FreshLearn is popular for its free plan, but it’s pretty limiting. There are times when you realize you’ll need to upgrade. Here are the prices of the paid plans:
- Pro: $29/month annually ($39/month monthly)
- No Brainer: $49/month annually ($69/month monthly)
I also find the No Brainer plan pretty limiting — compared to many of these competitors, that offer more advanced features and even business or corporate plans.
Why You’ll Want to Look for an Alternative to FreshLearn?
While FreshLearn offers many benefits, its platform comes with different disadvantages. For example, while FreshLearn has a free plan, its paid plans can get pricey. I also find other alternatives to be easier to use and offer more tools and integrations to give you more value for your money. Plus, FreshLearn doesn’t have the best customer support, which is really important for me as a new course instructor.
How I Chose These Alternatives
There are many LMS platforms out there, and I tried several before choosing the best alternative to FreshLearn. While I looked for platforms that were similar to FreshLearn, I also researched ones that had similar features and benefits while offering more.
- Similarity to FreshLearn: Overall, I focused more on platforms that were similar to FreshLearn. FreshLearn does offer many benefits to all types of instructors, so I wanted to compare software where these instructors can get the same course creation tools and features.
- Types of courses: One of the many reasons why FreshLearn stood out to me was all the different course types you could create. From traditional e-learning environments to digital downloads and masterclasses, FreshLearn offers something for all types of creators. That’s why I prioritized platforms that offered this same versatility.
- Features and integrations: FreshLearn is powerful because it offers many built-in features to sell and market your course. I still looked for additional perks, such as integrations, when choosing a better alternative.
My Favorite FreshLearn Alternatives
Out of all the LMS platforms I could find, these are the best alternatives to FreshLearn. They offer many similarities to FreshLearn but come packed with more features and at a better price. Look through these LMS platforms and choose the best one that fits your needs.
Best Overall: Teachable
Teachable is the best alternative to FreshLearn for many reasons. Like FreshLearn, it’s extremely flexible. You can offer online courses on Teachable but also coaching and digital downloads.
The system is extremely user-friendly. To design your course, you can choose a template and further edit it with the drag-and-drop editor. Creating course content is also simple, and you can choose between several text and media options. If you want more control over the look and feel of your course, you can also use HTML to edit the backend.
Like FreshLearn, Teachable offers a free plan. Although it’s limiting, it’s a good place for new course instructors to start. Teachable’s paid plans are more expensive than FreshLearn’s, but they offer more features. There are other downsides to Teachable. For example, their support is pretty lacking.
Pros
- Powerful course creation software
- Easy to use
- Different website templates to choose from
- Drag-and-drop website editor
- Marketing and sales features
- Can create different types of courses
- Upload different types of media
- Free plan
Cons
- Paid plan is more expensive than FreshLearn
- The free plan is lacking
- Doesn’t have as many integrations as other competitors
- Not the best customer service
Read More: 5 Best Teachable Alternatives: Top Teachable Competitors
Best for Powerful Features: Thinkific
If you want to make a business out of your course, I suggest Thinkific. Thinkific offers impressive features to expand the functionality of your course so you can add more selling capabilities. Even with this advanced functionality, Thinkific is still easy to use.
You can easily create your course contents and make assessments, such as quizzes and exams, so you can create a robust course in one place. Thinkific offers a drag-and-drop course builder, so their platform is very user-friendly. And with numerous website themes, you can have an attractive online course with ease.
Thinkific powers their software on community. The learning experience is collaborative, so your students can help each other out while navigating your course. Thinkific also offers a branded app as an add-on, which is really unique. No technical or coding skills are required — Thinkific will build the app for you!
Thinkific stands out for me because of its awesome customer service. It offers a Thinkific Academy, a detailed blog, an FAQ, a Help Center, and support via live chat and phone.
Thinkific also offers more integrations than FreshLearns. You can power your course with several learning experiences, email marketing, selling/conversion, operations, web design, social media, live session, automation, and e-commerce apps.
Like FreshLearn, Thinkific offers a free course. Still, there are limitations. For example, you need to upgrade to access any branding. The paid plans are also more expensive than FreshLearn.
Pros
- Free plan
- Have the option to downgrade to the free account
- Scalable paid plans
- Easy to use
- Community features
- Unlimited courses when you upgrade to a paid plan
- Website design themes
- Drag-and-drop course builder
- Impressive integrations
- Can get an app as an add-on
- Great customer support
Cons
- Can’t access any branding unless you upgrade
- Paid plans are more expensive than FreshLearn
Best for Serious Instructors: LearnWorlds
While I think LearnWorlds is a better option for experienced course creators, this is one of the most powerful LMS systems I’ve used. You can create different types of courses with various media options.
Instructors can also gamify their courses, which is perfect for young learners. LearnWorlds also has a massive collection of integrations to power your course in any way that suits you.
Its system is complex, and it does come with a bit of a learning curve. Fortunately, LearnWorlds has great support in the form of a LearnWorlds Academy, Help Center, and daily webinar.
You can also find numerous tutorials online. I do wish LearnWorlds offered the option to add text-only as many competitors do. The only text option you have is to upload a PDF file — no other file type is offered.
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Pros
- Powerful LMS for serious course instructors
- Numerous tools and features
- Many integrations are available to make your course more like a business
- Excellent support
- Can add different types of media
Cons
- Not the easiest to learn
- Wish I could add text directly in the course builder, or upload more files than just PDFs
Best for User-Friendliness: TalentLMS
If an easy LMS is all you’re looking for, I suggest TalentLMS. They offer a drag-and-drop course builder where you can drag any type of media you wish to use.
TalentLMS also partners with many impressive third-party apps, so you can add media directly from YouTube, Prezi, Vimeo, Flickr, Slideshare, and more. Your students can also stay engaged by leaving feedback, joining video conferences, and sending messages to each other.
If you ever have any issues, TalentLMS has great customer support. They offer resources such as webinars, a blog, eBook, podcast, help center to help you learn the ins and outs of the platform.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Drag-and-drop course builder
- Can connect to various third-party apps
- Excellent support
- Student engagement features
- Great solution for knowledge courses and employee training
Cons
- Expensive
- No free plan
- No mobile-friendly option
Best for WordPress Users: LearnDash
When I started building my course, I thought LearnDash was my best option. It offers every tool and feature that instructors need to build high-quality courses. I was especially fond of the integration with WordPress since I already have a website on this CMS. They have other flexible plan options, such as LearnDash Cloud and MemberDash plugin.
The system is not only user-friendly but intuitive, making it easy for even new course creators. They have excellent support; in addition to the LearnDash Academy, they offer support in the form of videos, a detailed blog, and webinars.
If you want to make a business out of your course, you can access many e-commerce features and numerous integrations to enhance its functionality.
So, why didn’t I choose LearnDash? While I loved it, I didn’t need all the advanced features. Plus, it’s expensive — and they required a credit card to sign up for a trial.
Pros
- Ton of features
- Offers a plugin for WordPress
- Can also use the Cloud
- User-friendly
- Built-in e-commerce features
- Numerous integrations
- Can make different types of courses
- Will let you upload various media types
- Great support
Cons
- Expensive
- Requires a credit card for a free trial
Best to Quickly Attract Students: Udemy
When I first created courses, I used Udemy. I took my course off because I wasn’t as satisfied with Udemy as I expected, but this platform offers pros and cons.
First, Udemy’s powerful search engine makes it easy for users to find your courses. Even one week after uploading my course, I generated a decent user base and feedback! Users go to Udemy specifically to find new courses.
One look at Udemy, and I see courses for various subjects — everything from web development to language learning. No matter what you’re looking for, Udemy has a course for everyone; their courses vary from beginner to advanced training and even continuing education.
This also makes Udemy convenient for instructors. You can make a course about virtually anything and target the right audience. Udemy offers great marketing tools, though I suggest knowing the basics of SEO to dominate the SERPs.
That said, there are some specific facts to know about Udemy. While instructors can create text-based and lecture lessons, I noticed that video lessons perform the best. My course targeted beginners, but I quickly realized that Udemy favors longer and more detailed courses.
Udemy is also not the most user-friendly platform out there. I made a video course, and it took me way longer than expected to upload the videos.
Pros
- Can make a course on nearly any subject and difficulty level
- Udemy is popular among students
- Can make your course free or paid
- Available to upload different course types and in various files
Cons
- Students demand longer and more detailed courses
- Not user friendly
Best for Different Course Types: Kajabi
I tried Kajabi and realized quickly that it wasn’t for me. However, I know many course creators will love several of its features. First, I like Kajabi because you can create different types of content for students. In addition to courses, Kajabi lets you host coaching, memberships, podcasts, and create an overall community for your followers.
Starting with the basic tier, you get one website and unlimited landing pages, so you can host your entire business in one place. Designing your website is simple with Kajabi; you can access numerous website templates, and their website builder is super simple to use.
Instructors can also access decent marketing functions on Kajabi. For example, the basic tier includes 10,000 contacts and unlimited marketing emails. Your users can also check out on the platform. Kajabi comes with no transaction fees, so you earn every dollar you generate.
What makes Kajabi stand out is its array of community features. With Kajabi, you can host live streams, forums, real-time chat, and more.
The major downside of Kajabi is the price. They’re hosting a sale where you can access the basic tier for $119/month, but the price is usually $149/month.
Pros
- Various course types
- Everything is integrated in one place
- Various web design templates
- Easy-to-use website builder
- Includes various marketing and payment features
- Available as an app
- Many community features
Cons
- Expensive
- Bad customer service
- Limited customization and branding options
Best for Creating a Community: Mighty Networks
If you love the community-building aspect of a course platform, I suggest Mighty Networks as an alternative to Kajabi. In addition to creating courses, Mighty Networks is the best place to host events, coaching, training, and memberships. Mighty Networks not only gives you the tools to expand your audience but also engages them.
Like many of these platforms, you get your own website with Mighty Networks. You can use their powerful yet simple web builder to make your platform your own. Mighty Networks also offers a blog so you can continue educating your audience.
The best part is you can access all these features in one place — there’s no reason for you to jump around on different platforms. You can access many community features, including Q&As, live streaming, DMs, and more. You can also sell directly on this platform. Mighty Networks also offers an app so your members can access your platform from anywhere.
Compared to similar platforms, Mighty Networks is pretty affordable. Prices start at $33/month when paying annually, which is cheaper than FreshLearn. This platform offers powerful features, but there’s a learning curve.
Pros
- Robust all-in-one course creator and community platform
- Can create courses, memberships, coaching, lessons, events, and more
- Convenient web builder
- Several community features
- Can have your own app
- Upload different types of content
- Affordable
Cons
- Not the easiest platform to use
Best for Collaborative Learning: 360Learning
If you want to host a collaborative learning platform that’s easy to use, I suggest trying 360Learning. 360Learning is one of the most powerful course creation platforms I ever used, but it’s still super easy to use. You can choose from various templates to create your courses and upload all content with ease.
Since 360Learning is so robust, it’s the perfect solution for various course types. 360Learning is a popular platform for businesses, specifically in regard to training, onboarding, and skill teaching.
But what makes 360Learning stand out is its collaborative learning function. This tactic allows leaders and staff to collaborate on training and skill learning, boosting engagement and productivity.
Collaborative learning upskills staff members from within the organization, ensuring talent keeps up with the times and remains competitive. Your in-house team will not only take your business to the next level but will truly drive growth from within, becoming industry experts.
On 360Learning, you can not only offer different course content types, but you can expedite the course creation process. 360Learning’s course creator is powered by AI, so you can automate content creation.
Engage your students with text, video, and screencast content, plus you can power your quizzes with different question types. I’m a big fan of the opinion questions, where your students can express their views of the curriculum.
360Learning has an impressive portfolio of integrations that vary between content and workflow capabilities. There are numerous recognizable apps, from Salesforce to Slack, to make a business out of your course.
That said, 360Learning is a better solution for businesses looking to train staff members rather than host courses for students.
Pros
- Collaborative learning platform
- Easy to use
- Can automate content creation
- Comes with a mobile app
- Excellent support
- Community features
- Many integrations
Cons
- Only a good solution for businesses
- Lacking compliance features
FAQs
Question: This Will be My First Time Teaching Courses Online. What are the Most Popular Course Topics?
Answer: Students will often take online courses for continuing education and to learn a new skill. Some popular course subjects include:
• Data analysis
• Computer science
• IT
• Digital marketing
• Machine learning
• Language
• Product management
Question: Should I Choose a Free or Paid LMS?
Answer: It depends on what you need from the LMS. If you only need a simple course creator, there are many free options or platforms with a free plan.
But if you need more advanced features, such as an online community, collaborative learning, a full website, different types of courses, digital downloads, and live streaming, you’ll want to pay for an LMS subscription.
There are also different types of paid courses. Many platforms don’t have upfront costs but will take a percentage of your pay. This is a more attractive option for new instructors since they don’t need to invest any money to create a high-quality course.
Question: Some LMS Platforms Offer an App. What’s the Benefit of This Feature?
Answer: With an app, your students can access your course from their mobile device. This is beneficial since more people are choosing to use a mobile device over a desktop computer or laptop.
Top Freshlearn Alternatives: Bottom Line
Out of all these alternatives, Teachable is the best platform to choose over FreshLearn. Teachable is easy to use but powerful, making it the perfect solution for new course creators. You can add different types of course content; I like how you can offer coaching and digital downloads in addition to courses.
Like FreshLearn, Teachable offers a free plan. However, their free plan is limiting — especially if you want to make a business out of your course. And Teachable’s paid plans are more expensive, which is why I suggest you consider all these alternatives before making your decision.