🎓 Use Case Stack

Create an Online Course

Package your knowledge and sell it. Course platform, video hosting, payments, and marketing - the stack to teach and earn.

Teachable logoTeachable
Loom logoLoom
ConvertKit logoConvertKit
Canva logoCanva
Gumroad logoGumroad
Notion logoNotion
Build a custom stack

Your course creator toolkit

Platform, video, email, design, and sales. Teach and earn.

Our Pick: Course Platform
Teachable
Free tier

The all-in-one course platform. Drag-and-drop curriculum builder, built-in checkout, student progress tracking, and completion certificates. Trusted by over 100,000 creators worldwide.

Drag-and-drop curriculum builderBuilt-in payments and checkoutStudent analytics and progress tracking
Also consider
Thinkific

More customisation

More control over your course site design and student experience. Better quiz and assignment features. Free plan available. Good for creators who want a branded school.

Podia

All-in-one digital storefront

Courses, digital downloads, community, and email marketing in one platform. Simpler than Teachable but less powerful. Great for creators selling multiple product types.

Sellfy
Sellfy

Paid — Sell digital products, subscriptions, and physical goods. Simple storefront, bui...

Sell digital products, subscriptions, and physical goods. Simple storefront, built-in marketing. For creators who just want to sell. Try Sellfy →

Whop
Whop

Free — Sell access to anything digital. Discord communities, courses, SaaS, files. The ...

Sell access to anything digital. Discord communities, courses, SaaS, files. The Gen-Z marketplace for digital products. Try Whop →

Stan Store
Stan Store

Paid — Link-in-bio meets storefront. Sell digital products, book calls, collect emails ...

Link-in-bio meets storefront. Sell digital products, book calls, collect emails — all from one link. Built for creators. Try Stan Store →

Our Pick: Video Recording
Loom
$15/mo Creator

Record your screen, camera, or both with one click. Auto-generated transcripts, instant sharing links, and easy editing. The fastest way to create course lessons without a production studio.

Screen + camera recording in one clickAuto transcripts for accessibilityInstant sharing and embedding
Also consider
OBS Studio

Free pro recording

Open-source, professional-grade recording and streaming software. Steeper learning curve but unlimited features. Best for creators who want full control over their recording setup.

Descript

Edit video like text

Transcribes your video and lets you edit by deleting text. Remove filler words automatically. Add captions, B-roll, and transitions. Great for polished course content.

OpusClip
OpusClip

Freemium - Long video goes in, viral clips come out. AI picks the best moments and reformat...

Long video goes in, viral clips come out. AI picks the best moments and reformats for TikTok/Reels/Shorts. Try OpusClip →

Captions
Captions

Freemium - Auto-captions, eye contact correction, background removal for video. One app rep...

Auto-captions, eye contact correction, background removal for video. One app replaces three. Mobile-first and slick. Try Captions →

Fliki
Fliki

Freemium - Turn text into video with AI voices and stock footage. Blog post to YouTube vide...

Turn text into video with AI voices and stock footage. Blog post to YouTube video in minutes. Not cinematic, but fast. Try Fliki →

Pictory
Pictory

Paid - Script-to-video generator for content creators. Paste your blog post, get a vide...

Script-to-video generator for content creators. Paste your blog post, get a video. Quality is decent, speed is the point. Try Pictory →

Colossyan
Colossyan

Paid - AI avatar videos for training and marketing. Your digital presenter never calls ...

AI avatar videos for training and marketing. Your digital presenter never calls in sick or asks for a raise. Try Colossyan →

Speechify
Speechify

Freemium - Text-to-speech that sounds human. PDFs, articles, emails - listen instead of rea...

Text-to-speech that sounds human. PDFs, articles, emails - listen instead of read. Productivity hack hiding in plain sight. Try Speechify →

Krisp
Krisp

Freemium - Noise cancellation for calls that actually works. Dog barking, construction, kid...

Noise cancellation for calls that actually works. Dog barking, construction, kids screaming - all gone. Remote worker essential. Try Krisp →

Podcastle
Podcastle

Freemium - Record, edit, enhance podcasts with AI. Browser-based, no DAW needed. Background...

Record, edit, enhance podcasts with AI. Browser-based, no DAW needed. Background noise removal is chef's kiss. Try Podcastle →

AIVA
AIVA

Freemium - AI music composer for soundtracks and background music. Royalty-free, customisab...

AI music composer for soundtracks and background music. Royalty-free, customisable, and surprisingly emotional. Try AIVA →

Resemble AI
Resemble AI

Paid - Clone any voice with AI. Custom voice agents, dubbing, speech synthesis. Powerfu...

Clone any voice with AI. Custom voice agents, dubbing, speech synthesis. Powerful and slightly terrifying. Try Resemble AI →

Our Pick: Email Marketing
ConvertKit
Free up to 10K

Built for creators who sell knowledge. Course launch sequences, tag-based segmentation, and landing pages that convert. Grow your audience and nurture them into students.

Course launch email sequencesTag-based automation and segmentationLanding pages included
Also consider
Beehiiv

Newsletter-first

If your course marketing is newsletter-driven, Beehiiv offers superior reading experience, referral programs, and monetisation. Growing fast in the creator space.

Mailchimp

Broadest integrations

Connects to everything. Landing pages, automations, and analytics included. Free for up to 500 contacts. Less creator-focused but more versatile for multi-channel marketing.

Postmark
Postmark

Paid - Transactional email that actually reaches the inbox. 99%+ deliverability. No mar...

Transactional email that actually reaches the inbox. 99%+ deliverability. No marketing fluff - just email that arrives. Try Postmark →

Brevo
Brevo

Freemium - Email marketing + CRM + SMS in one. Formerly Sendinblue. Generous free tier, sol...

Email marketing + CRM + SMS in one. Formerly Sendinblue. Generous free tier, solid automation. The budget-friendly Mailchimp. Try Brevo →

Amazon SES
Amazon SES

Paid - Email sending at scale for almost nothing. $0.10 per 1,000 emails. No UI to spea...

Email sending at scale for almost nothing. $0.10 per 1,000 emails. No UI to speak of, but the price can't be beat. Try Amazon SES →

Mailjet
Mailjet

Freemium - Email API + marketing platform. Collaborative template editor is the standout fe...

Email API + marketing platform. Collaborative template editor is the standout feature. Good middle ground between Resend and Mailchimp. Try Mailjet →

Mailtrap
Mailtrap

Freemium - Email testing sandbox. Catch all emails in dev before they reach real inboxes. T...

Email testing sandbox. Catch all emails in dev before they reach real inboxes. Then switch to production sending. Smart workflow. Try Mailtrap →

Our Pick: Design & Materials
Canva
Free tier

Create everything your course needs visually. Slide decks for lessons, worksheets for students, certificates for completion, and social graphics for promotion. No design skills required.

Slide deck templates for lessonsWorksheet and workbook creatorCertificate and social media designs
Also consider
Figma

Custom design

More powerful for custom course branding and unique materials. Steeper learning curve but unlimited creative control. Best for creators who want a premium, distinctive look.

Google Slides

Free and collaborative

Free, works in any browser, and easy to collaborate with co-instructors. Export to PDF for downloadable materials. Simple but gets the job done.

Stable Diffusion
Stable Diffusion

Free - Open-source image generation you can run locally. No subscription, no limits, fu...

Open-source image generation you can run locally. No subscription, no limits, full control. Power user's dream. Try Stable Diffusion →

Remove.bg
Remove.bg

Freemium - Remove image backgrounds in one click. Sounds simple because it is. Just works, ...

Remove image backgrounds in one click. Sounds simple because it is. Just works, every time. Try Remove.bg →

Photoroom
Photoroom

Freemium - Product photo editing on autopilot. Background removal, staging, mockups. E-comm...

Product photo editing on autopilot. Background removal, staging, mockups. E-commerce sellers, this is your tool. Try Photoroom →

Magnific AI
Magnific AI

Paid - AI image upscaler that adds real detail, not just blur. Turn a 512px image into ...

AI image upscaler that adds real detail, not just blur. Turn a 512px image into a 4K masterpiece. Genuinely magic. Try Magnific AI →

ClipDrop
ClipDrop

Freemium - Stability AI's consumer tool. Background removal, relighting, cleanup, upscaling...

Stability AI's consumer tool. Background removal, relighting, cleanup, upscaling - all in one. Swiss army knife for images. Try ClipDrop →

Our Pick: Digital Sales
Gumroad
Free + 10% fee

Sell course extras alongside your main offering. Worksheets, templates, ebooks, and bonus materials with pay-what-you-want pricing. Instant digital delivery and a built-in audience.

Sell digital products alongside your coursePay-what-you-want pricing optionInstant delivery and built-in audience
Also consider
Stripe

Direct payments

Lower fees (2.9% + 30¢) and full control over the payment flow. Requires more setup but keeps more of your revenue. Best when you've outgrown marketplace platforms.

Payhip

Lower fees

5% transaction fee on the free plan, or $29/mo for 0%. Sells courses, memberships, and digital downloads. Good middle ground between Gumroad simplicity and Stripe control.

📖 Step-by-step build guide

How to Create an Online Course

Record, package, and sell your knowledge as a structured online course

Beginner 2-3 hours · 5 steps
Gumroad Gumroad
Loom Loom
ConvertKit ConvertKit
Canva Canva
Notion Notion
1
Notion Outline course content & structure in Notion
Notion · ~30 min
2
Loom Record video lessons with Loom
Loom · ~60 min
3
Canva Design course materials & worksheets in Canva
Canva · ~30 min
4
Gumroad Set up Gumroad for course sales
Gumroad · ~20 min
5
ConvertKit Build email launch sequence in ConvertKit
ConvertKit · ~30 min
Follow the full guide
Launch Kit

Get the full launch checklist

Every tool pre-configured, setup order mapped out, integrations documented. Skip weeks of research.

Get the launch kit →Build my stack

Ready to teach?

Your knowledge has value. Start sharing it today.

Need help setting this up? I help creators launch their first course - platform, email, payments, all of it. Explore services →