# Best CRM for Online Course Creators in 2026: 6 tools priced

> Best CRM for online course creators: five tools ranked on entry price, contact limits, cohorts, coaching, memberships and trial terms, plus Workspace369.

Canonical: https://workspace369.com/blog/best-crm-for-online-course-creators/
Last updated: 2026-10-27

Best CRM for online course creators: five tools ranked on entry price, contact limits, cohorts, coaching, memberships and trial terms, plus Workspace369.

We make Workspace369, which is on this list. Weigh our ranking with that in mind.

Published September 29, 2026 · Updated October 27, 2026 · 9 min read

![Simon Dziak](https://workspace369.com/images/authors/simon-dziak-2026-11-160.webp)

By [Simon Dziak](https://workspace369.com/about/#founder), Founder, Workspace369 · [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/szymondziak/)

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14 days free · no card needed · add a card to keep it, $29/mo until you cancel

The best CRM for online course creators is usually the course platform that also keeps your contacts, offers and payments in one place. Of the five tools ranked, Kajabi is the most complete, Thinkific suits cohort programs, Podia bundles courses, coaching, community and email on every plan and Systeme.io is the lowest-priced. Workspace369 is covered after them, beside the course platform that hosts lessons; its [CRM for online course creators](https://workspace369.com/solutions/crm-for-online-course-creators/) suits the 1:1 coaching and sponsorship side. To cost your current stack first, use the free [software stack cost calculator](https://workspace369.com/tools/software-stack-cost-calculator/).

**Disclosure and method:** Workspace369 publishes this guide and is one of the options. It is a documentation-based shortlist, not a hands-on benchmark. Official vendor pages were reviewed on October 27, 2026. Check current plans with each vendor before you buy.

## Key takeaways

- A course creator CRM has to hold the buyer, the offer, the payment and the course access together. A client-work CRM covers only the first three, so it complements a course platform and does not replace one.
- Kajabi Basic is $143 a month billed annually ($179 monthly) and is the only one of the six that names a 'Contact CRM' product; it caps at 2,500 contacts and 5 products.
- Systeme.io is the lowest-priced option here: a free plan (2,000 contacts, 1 course) and Startup at $17 a month, but its pricing page does not name cohorts or coaching.
- Thinkific's entry plan, Start ($82 a month billed annually, $109 monthly), which lists live cohorts, coaching and payment plans; it has no free plan and offers a 30-day free trial.
- Workspace369 Cadet at $29 a month ($23.25 billed yearly) fits the 1:1 and sponsorship side of a creator business: intake forms, proposals, invoices and a portal. Lesson hosting and cohorts stay on the course platform it sits beside.

**What's inside?**

[What a CRM for course creators is (and what it is not)](https://workspace369.com/blog/best-crm-for-online-course-creators/#what-a-crm-for-course-creators-is-and-what-it-is-not)[How we compared these tools](https://workspace369.com/blog/best-crm-for-online-course-creators/#how-we-compared-these-tools)[The best CRM for online course creators in 2026](https://workspace369.com/blog/best-crm-for-online-course-creators/#the-best-crm-for-online-course-creators-in-2026)[Also worth a look: Kit for email-led creators](https://workspace369.com/blog/best-crm-for-online-course-creators/#also-worth-a-look-kit-for-email-led-creators)[Side-by-side comparison](https://workspace369.com/blog/best-crm-for-online-course-creators/#side-by-side-comparison)[Which tool fits your course business?](https://workspace369.com/blog/best-crm-for-online-course-creators/#which-tool-fits-your-course-business)[Run a launch test during the trial](https://workspace369.com/blog/best-crm-for-online-course-creators/#run-a-launch-test-during-the-trial)[When to keep it simple](https://workspace369.com/blog/best-crm-for-online-course-creators/#when-to-keep-it-simple)

![Learner profile cards connect through an appointment planner and open doorway to a lesson book.](https://workspace369.com/images/blog/heroes/best-crm-for-online-course-creators.webp)

## What a CRM for course creators is (and what it is not)

For a course creator, a CRM is the record of who is interested, who applied, who bought, what they bought and what they still need from you. Most course platforms keep a contact list that does part of this. A [client-work CRM for course creators](https://workspace369.com/solutions/crm-for-online-course-creators/) goes further on discovery calls, quotes and invoices but knows nothing about lessons or learner progress. This guide is written for a solo creator or a team of two to five selling self-paced courses, cohorts, memberships and some coaching, and it treats course delivery as non-negotiable.

## How we compared these tools

[Also readCRM for online course creators](https://workspace369.com/solutions/crm-for-online-course-creators/)

We compared each tool on the same five points, using only the vendor's own pricing and product pages:

1. **Entry price for one creator**, monthly and billed yearly, as listed on October 27, 2026.
2. **Contact, product and student limits** on the entry plan.
3. **Offer types on the plan:** courses, cohorts, coaching, memberships and communities.
4. **Plan structure:** which tier unlocks the products, admins and features you would need.
5. **Trial terms:** length, and whether the vendor says a card is needed.

We did not test lesson quality, video hosting, speed, support or mobile apps, and did not use third-party ratings. Order reflects documented fit for course, cohort and membership sellers who want contacts and sales in one place. Workspace369 is covered after the ranked tools for the client and billing side.

Try it with one real client

Set up one client, one project and one invoice in Workspace369, then check what your client sees in the portal.

[Compare plans](https://workspace369.com/pricing/)

14-day free trial, no card needed. Add a card to keep your plan after the trial: from $29/month, renewing automatically every month until you cancel. No card by the end of the trial: it just ends, and nothing is charged. Cancel anytime in Settings → Billing.

## The best CRM for online course creators in 2026

### \1. Kajabi, best for an all-in-one creator business

[Kajabi](https://kajabi.com/pricing) lists Contact CRM, email marketing, funnels and automations, courses, communities, coaching, memberships, newsletters and payments as products on one platform. Basic is $143 a month billed annually ($179 monthly) with 5 products, 2,500 contacts and 2 admin users; Growth is $199 billed annually ($249 monthly) with 50 products and 25,000 contacts. Its feature comparison lists cohort courses. Every plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee.

**Limitations:** it is the most expensive entry price of the six, and contacts above your plan come in blocks of 25,000 for $125 a month. The page offers a free trial but does not state its length or whether a card is needed. It lists no proposals or time-based invoicing.

**Best for:** creators who want courses, email, community and a contact list in one login and are already earning from the audience.

### \2. Thinkific, best for cohorts and paid programs

[Thinkific](https://www.thinkific.com/pricing/) Start is $82 a month billed annually ($109 monthly) and lists live cohorts and coaching, payment plans, 1 community and 2 administrators. Grow is $164 billed annually ($219 monthly) and adds API access and webhooks, 3 communities and 6 administrators. Expand is $374 billed annually ($499 monthly); Plus is custom-priced. The page states a 30-day free trial on Start, Grow and Expand and no free plan, and every priced plan lists 10,000 current students.

**Limitations:** Start is the entry plan, so there is no cheaper tier to try, and API and webhook access starts at Grow. Card terms for the trial are not stated, and the page lists no contact pipeline.

**Best for:** creators selling cohort programs or payment-plan offers who want a dedicated learning platform.

### \3. Podia, best for simple all-in-one selling

[Podia](https://www.podia.com/pricing) lists courses, digital downloads, coaching, community, events, a website and blog, email and a built-in checkout as its products. Mover is $49 a month billed monthly or $42 billed annually ($504 a year) and includes up to 100 email subscribers and 50 products; Shaker is $99 monthly or $84 billed annually, with 500 subscribers and 150 products. It offers a 14-day free trial and says no credit card is needed. A monthly price is not shown on the page.

**Limitations:** subscriber limits are low on Mover, and the page names no pipeline, quotes or invoicing.

**Best for:** solo creators who sell courses, downloads and a few coaching slots and want one simple tool with a no-card trial.

### \4. Systeme.io, best for the lowest price

[Systeme.io](https://systeme.io/pricing) lists a free plan with 2,000 contacts, 3 sales funnels, 1 course and up to 500 students, and says it needs no credit card and does not expire. Startup is $17 a month for 5,000 contacts, 10 funnels and 5 courses; Webinar is $47 a month; Unlimited is $97 a month. Its comparison table has a Contacts & CRM section with CRM pipelines, and paid plans list unlimited students (the free plan caps them at 500), with affiliate program features.

**Limitations:** the pricing page does not describe cohorts or coaching programs, so confirm those before you commit. Check the plan limits against your list size, because the plans step up by contact count.

**Best for:** price-sensitive creators who sell self-paced courses through funnels and want contacts, email and checkout in one place.

### \5. Teachable, best for a straightforward course business

[Teachable](https://teachable.com/pricing) Starter is $39 a month ($29 billed annually) with 5 products, 1 admin user and student apps. Builder is $89 ($69 billed annually) with 10 products. Growth is $189 ($139 billed annually) with 50 products and 5 admin users. The page lists coaching as a product type counting toward the product limit, with a 7-day free trial and a 30-day guarantee listed per plan (a notice on the page mentions the trial being extended to 30 days).

**Limitations:** Starter allows 5 products and 1 admin user, so a growing catalog pushes you to Builder. The page names no contact pipeline, and card terms for the trial are not stated.

**Best for:** creators who mainly want a hosted course store with minimal setup and plan to move to Builder as sales grow.

### Where Workspace369 fits: the client side beside a course platform

![Workspace369 demo client profile with related project, invoice, document and scheduling tabs](https://workspace369.com/images/solutions/crm-light-clean.webp)

[Workspace369](https://workspace369.com/solutions/crm-for-online-course-creators/) is a client-work system, not a course platform. It suits the part of a creator business that runs on people rather than checkout: coaching clients, consulting add-ons, sponsorship deals and done-with-you programs. Cadet is $29 a month ($23.25 billed yearly) for one seat and lists CRM and client records, public intake forms, [proposals](https://workspace369.com/features/quoting/) with deposit on acceptance, [invoices](https://workspace369.com/features/invoices/), payment links, split payments, retainers and recurring invoices, a [client portal](https://workspace369.com/features/client-portal/) and one live funnel with 100 leads a month. Email automations are included, with up to 3 active workflows. The screenshot is a demo record, not a customer result.

**Limitations:** lesson hosting, cohorts, quizzes, memberships and student progress come from the five platforms above, and each of them sells the course itself. Cadet is one seat with unlimited projects; Voyager ($74 a month, two seats) adds calls and texts, and online booking and payment plans start at Specialist ($149 a month). The 14-day trial needs a card.

**Best for:** creators who already have a course platform and also sell 1:1 coaching, consulting or sponsorships that need proposals, invoices and a portal.

## Also worth a look: Kit for email-led creators

If your audience lives in an email list, Kit sells email and audience tools to creators; its pricing page blocked our check on October 27, 2026, so see kit.com/pricing for current plans and trial terms. It is an email and audience tool that sells digital products and subscriptions, not a lesson host, so pair it with a course platform if you teach through video lessons.

## Side-by-side comparison

| Tool | Entry price (monthly) | Billed yearly | Offer types listed | Main entry-plan limit | Trial |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Kajabi | $179 (Basic) | $143 a month | Courses, coaching, memberships, communities | 2,500 contacts, 5 products | Free trial, length and card not stated |
| Thinkific | $109 (Start) | $82 a month | Courses, communities, live cohorts and coaching | 2 administrators, 10,000 current students | 30 days, card not stated |
| Podia | $49 (Mover) | $42 a month (Mover) | Courses, coaching, community, events | 100 email subscribers, 50 products | 14 days, no card |
| Systeme.io | $17 (Startup); $0 free plan | Not stated | Courses, funnels, communities | 5,000 contacts, 5 courses | Free plan, no card |
| Teachable | $39 (Starter) | $29 a month | Courses, memberships, coaching | 5 products, 1 admin user | 7 days listed, card not stated |
| Workspace369 | $29 (Cadet) | $23.25 a month | Client work beside a course platform | 1 seat, unlimited projects | 14 days, card required |

## Which tool fits your course business?

| If you mostly need | Start with | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Courses, email, community and contacts in one platform | Kajabi | Lists Contact CRM and cohort courses, at the highest entry price |
| A paid cohort program with payment plans | Thinkific | Live cohorts, coaching and payment plans on its entry plan, Start |
| One simple tool and a trial without a card | Podia | Courses, coaching, community and events as products; 14-day trial, no card |
| The lowest price and a built-in pipeline | Systeme.io | Free plan and $17 Startup |
| A hosted course store with little setup | Teachable | Starter at $29 a month billed annually |
| Proposals, invoices and a portal for coaching clients | Workspace369 | Client work tools from Cadet, course hosting on your platform |

## Run a launch test during the trial

Take two fictional people through each tool you shortlist:

1. A buyer who joins your list, buys a course and gets access. Check that the contact, the order and the access all appear together.
2. A coaching enquiry that asks for a custom package. Check how you would quote it, collect a deposit and invoice the balance.
3. A buyer who needs a payment plan or a refund. Find where each is recorded and who can see it.
4. A tagged contact segment you can email, such as everyone who bought but has not started.
5. Export the contact list and confirm what comes out.

If a platform handles the first and fourth well but the second awkwardly, that is the case for a separate client tool. Cost the combination against the full stack with the [software stack cost calculator](https://workspace369.com/tools/software-stack-cost-calculator/).

![Two program staff review an applicant card and planner while passing an enrollment folder toward a shelf with a lesson book.](https://workspace369.com/images/blog/generated/course-creators-enrollment-handoff.webp)

## When to keep it simple

If you sell one self-paced course through checkout, the platform's own contact list is enough, and a second system adds work. Add a client tool when applications, discovery calls and custom quotes appear around the course. The [online course creator page](https://workspace369.com/solutions/crm-for-online-course-creators/) shows how Workspace369 handles that work with [Scheduling](https://workspace369.com/features/schedule/), [Communications](https://workspace369.com/features/communications/) and [invoices](https://workspace369.com/features/invoices/). The [coaching business page](https://workspace369.com/solutions/coaching-business-software/) covers the adjacent coaching workflow, and the [funnel builder with CRM](https://workspace369.com/solutions/funnel-builder-with-crm/) shows how leads reach the contact record. The [consultant CRM comparison](https://workspace369.com/blog/best-crm-for-consultants/) helps when your course sits beside advisory work, and the [pricing page](https://workspace369.com/pricing/) has current plans.

Test a coaching enquiry in Workspace369

Add a demo client, send a coaching proposal with a deposit, then invoice the balance.

[Compare plans](https://workspace369.com/pricing/)

Keep your course platform for lessons and access, and run one full coaching enquiry on demo data before importing real clients.

## Sources reviewed for this guide

- [Workspace369 pricing](https://workspace369.com/pricing/)Plan matrix reviewed October 27, 2026.
- [Kajabi pricing](https://kajabi.com/pricing)Official pricing page reviewed October 27, 2026 for plan prices, contact and product limits, and plan features.
- [Thinkific pricing](https://www.thinkific.com/pricing/)Official pricing page reviewed October 27, 2026 for plan prices, cohort and coaching features, and trial length.
- [Podia pricing](https://www.podia.com/pricing)Official pricing page reviewed October 27, 2026 for plan prices, subscriber limits and trial terms.
- [Systeme.io pricing](https://systeme.io/pricing)Official pricing page reviewed October 27, 2026 for plan limits, prices and free plan terms.
- [Teachable pricing](https://teachable.com/pricing)Official pricing page reviewed October 27, 2026 for plan prices and trial terms.
- [Kit pricing](https://kit.com/pricing)Official pricing page could not be loaded on October 27, 2026 (security checkpoint), so no Kit price is stated here; see site.

Workspace369 publishes this documentation-based comparison and is one of the options. It is not an independent ranking or a hands-on benchmark.

FAQ

**What is the best CRM for online course creators?**

For selling courses, cohorts and memberships, a course platform with a built-in contact list usually fits best; Kajabi is the most complete of the six checked, and Systeme.io is the lowest-priced. Workspace369 suits creators whose revenue also includes 1:1 coaching, consulting or sponsorship deals that need proposals, invoices and a client portal.

**Do course creators need a CRM at all?**

Not for simple self-serve sales, where the course platform already holds the buyer and the payment. A separate tool starts to pay off when applications, discovery calls, custom quotes and personal onboarding sit around the course.

**Can Workspace369 host my course?**

Lesson hosting, cohorts, quizzes and student progress tracking live on a course platform. Keep one for delivery and use Workspace369 for the client and billing side if you sell coaching, consulting or done-with-you work.

**Which option has the lowest entry price?**

Systeme.io: it lists a free plan and a $17 a month Startup plan. Among the course platforms with paid plans, Teachable Starter is $29 a month billed annually, Podia Mover $42 and Thinkific Start $82; Kajabi Basic is $143 a month billed annually.

**What should I test during a trial?**

Take one fictional buyer from sign-up to course access and one fictional coaching client from enquiry to paid invoice. Check that the contact, the payment and the access agree on one record, and export the contact list before you commit.

**Which of these tools list cohorts or coaching?**

Thinkific Start lists live cohorts, coaching and payment plans, and Kajabi lists cohort courses. Podia lists coaching on every plan, and Teachable counts coaching as a product type against its product limit. Systeme.io's pricing page does not name cohorts or coaching.

**Can one tool replace my course platform and my client CRM?**

Only partly. Kajabi and Systeme.io list CRM features inside the platform, but none of the six course platforms checked lists proposals, retainers or time-based invoicing on its pricing page. Creators with a coaching or consulting side often pair a course platform with a client-work tool.

## Run client follow-up in one workspace.

CRM, inbox, voice, invoicing, payments, projects, files, AI, and workflow automations — connected instead of exported.

[See pricing](https://workspace369.com/pricing/)