Online Course4 platforms compared

Best CMS for Online Course Platforms in 2026

Compare the best platforms for building online course sites with lesson management, progress tracking, and student dashboards.

Teach on your own platform. No marketplace fees, no algorithm changes, just you and your students.

TL;DR — Our Top Pick

Next.js + Payload + Mux is our top recommendation for online course sites.

Payload for course content management, Mux for video hosting, Stripe for payments. Complete ownership of the student experience.

What a Online Course CMS Needs

Educators and course creators who want to sell courses on their own platform instead of marketplaces like Udemy.

Lesson and module organization with ordering

Video hosting and streaming

Student progress tracking

Quiz and assignment functionality

Payment processing and enrollment management

Top 4 Platforms Ranked

Next.js + Payload + Mux

React framework for production with SSR, SSG, and API routes

TOP PICK

Payload for course content management, Mux for video hosting, Stripe for payments. Complete ownership of the student experience.

Open SourceJavaScript/TypeScript (React)Free (open-source)

Strengths

Hybrid rendering — SSG, SSR, ISR, and client-side in one app
Most popular React framework with massive community
Built-in image optimization, API routes, and middleware

Trade-offs

React learning curve for non-JavaScript developers
App Router introduced complexity with Server Components

Payload CMS + Next.js

TypeScript-first headless CMS that lives in your Next.js app

Custom content types for courses, lessons, and quizzes. Built-in access control for enrollment-gated content. Admin panel for managing students.

Open SourceTypeScript / Node.jsFree (self-hosted) / Cloud plans available

Strengths

Lives inside your Next.js codebase — zero API latency
Config-as-code with full TypeScript type safety
Built-in auth, access control, and file uploads

Trade-offs

Tightly coupled to Next.js ecosystem
Newer platform with a smaller community and fewer plugins

Sanity + Next.js

Real-time collaborative headless CMS with customizable Studio

Flexible content modeling for complex course structures. Portable text for rich lesson content. Real-time collaborative editing for multi-instructor courses.

Open SourceJavaScript/TypeScript (React-based Studio)Free / $15+/month per user

Strengths

GROQ query language is more powerful and flexible than GraphQL
Real-time collaborative editing (like Google Docs)
Fully customizable React-based Studio admin panel

Trade-offs

GROQ is a custom query language with its own learning curve
Studio customization requires React development knowledge

Astro + LMS API

Content-focused framework that ships zero JavaScript by default

Fast static marketing pages for course sales. Pair with a headless LMS API for the student dashboard. Good for single-course creators.

Open SourceJavaScript/TypeScript (framework-agnostic)Free (open-source)

Strengths

Ships zero JS to the client by default (Islands Architecture)
Use React, Vue, Svelte, or any framework in the same project
Content collections with type-safe Markdown/MDX

Trade-offs

Not ideal for highly interactive apps (designed for content sites)
Smaller ecosystem than Next.js — fewer integrations available

How to Decide

For a single course, keep it simple — markdown lessons with video embeds in Next.js

For a course platform with multiple instructors, invest in Payload for the admin experience

Video hosting: use Mux or Cloudflare Stream instead of self-hosting — they handle encoding and global delivery

Progress tracking requires a database — plan your data model early

Ready to migrate from WordPress?

WordPress → Next.js WordPress → Payload CMS WordPress → Sanity

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I use Teachable/Thinkific or build my own?

Platforms like Teachable are faster to launch but take 5-10% of revenue and limit customization. Building your own costs more upfront but gives complete control and keeps 100% of revenue.

How do I handle video content?

Use Mux or Cloudflare Stream for video hosting. They handle transcoding, adaptive bitrate, and global CDN delivery. Embed their player in your course pages.

Can I drip-release lessons?

Yes. Use scheduled publishing in your CMS (Payload and Sanity both support this) combined with access rules that unlock content based on enrollment date.