The best online course creation tools

The creation of an online course is a time-consuming and multi-stage project therefore we have devoted a separate article to this subject. Due to the permanent development of the branch, as well as the advancement in technology, the platforms facilitating the process appear on the market. In the article below there are several best online course creation tools.

The best online course creation tools – table of contents:

Software for collecting ideas
Software for verification of ideas
Software for screen recording
Software for movies edition
Software for PDF files and graphical processing
Software for teamwork
Software for creation and sales of online courses

Software for collecting ideas

Let’s start with the tools that will help you to collect and sort out your ideas. At this stage, both software for note-taking and building mind maps software will work well. There are tools, that help increase productivity. The best of them were described in a separate article. Today we are going to look at selected examples.

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is one of many text editing programme that allows efficient recording of ideas and thoughts. The simplicity of the program allows intuitive and easy usage. It will be sufficient to collect ideas for all not demanding users, especially if the user will wish to write about his idea in great detail – there is ample space for it. The equivalents of Microsoft Word are following programs: Pages, LibreOffice Writer, and Google Docs.

The best online course creation tools - Microsoft Word

Evernote

The program allows for the creation and organization of notes, that are composed of not only texts, but images, files, or to-do lists as well. All the documents can be synchronized with multiple devices, which is very convenient. Thank this the notes can be accessed even when the device is offline.

The best online course creation tools - Evernote

Software for verification of ideas

If you still don’t have a clear idea of the subject of your online course or you wish to check what kind of content is being searched for on the Internet, you can use tools that allow you to see the exact volume of searches on the particular keywords.

Ahrefs

Ahrefs is a tool, that can be used to audit your website and help with search engine optimization. To verify your ideas, you can use the function “Keywords explorer”. Ahrefs uses a huge base of data, that is regularly updated. Thanks to this, you can check the volume of searches of particular phrases. Ahrefs is a paid tool. The prices start from 99 US dollars a month. There are four packages, that differ not in the price to be paid, but in the availability of functions.

The best online course creation tools - Ahrefs

BuzzSumo

Thanks to BuzzSumo you can check, what kind of content is popular on the Internet by narrowing the search to the given subject or a particular website. The user gains access to the rank of popular phrases, as well as to the database of questions that appear on the Internet online forums.

BussSumo is a paid tool, that has a free version, in which the user is eligible for 10 free searches a month. There is an option of a 30-day trial of this software. The prices of packages start from 99 US dollars a month.

The best online course creation tools - BuzzSumo

Software for screen recording

The creator, who wants to visualize his ideas, often includes screen recording in the online courses. Especially in the case of online courses about the particular type of software, the users expect that each step of the functionalities discussed will be presented accurately. For this reason, online course creators need tools that allow them to record their screens. Let’s discuss the exemplary programs for such type of work.

Screenflow

The very first program is the application intended for the operation system macOS. Besides the screen recording, the program has functions that support video editions. Professional tools allow the insertion of the animation into the material. There are ready-made styles and templates for the beginning course creators, that facilitate and speed up the process of editing. The prices of the application start from 149 US dollars.

The best online course creation tools - Screenflow

Camtasia

The software has an interesting tool called Camtasia Recorder, which allows screen recording. The application offers access to the database of templates, that facilitates the edition of movies. The program is compatible with operational systems: Windows and iMac. The prices start from 234,54 euro.

The best online course creation tools - Camtasia

Software for movies edition

All aforementioned applications for screen recording have functions that allow the edition of the material. Not all online course creators will need functions of screen recording hence they may decide to use platforms for movies edition only. Here are exemplary solutions:

HitFilm Express

The main advantage of HitFilm Express is the fact that it can be used free of charge. It is a good solution for the beginning creators since the tool is easy to use. The users have access to free tutorials that allow them to practice their skills. They can also use the free tool kit VFX.

The best online course creation tools - HitFilm Express

OpenShot

OpenShot works on Mac, Windows, and Linux systems. The company ensures that the tool is easy to use, and availability of many functions makes it a powerful video editor. The program has been translated into more than 70 languages. It is worth to mention that OpenShot is available free and works under conditions of GNU license.

The best online course creation tools - OpenShot

Software for PDF files and graphical processing

The creation of internet files is not only the recording and editing of video files. It is worth spicing up your product with downable images and PDF files. Those files may contain useful summaries of the lessons or tasks to be performed independently. Let’s take a look at programs that allow the creation of such files.

Canva

Canva is a popular tool for the creation of different types of graphic projects. Here, you can access ready-made templates of CVs, presentations, posts, social media relations, and many more motives, that make it easier to carry out the work. You can create your project entirely from scratch. Canva allows saving your files in many formats png, jpg, pdf, SVG, mp4, or gif. All basic functions of Canva are available free of charge.

The best online course creation tools - Canva

PowerPoint

PowerPoint is a tool that is a part of the Microsoft Office package. It is known mainly for the functionality that allows the creation of a presentation. Presentations can be made more attractive by the use of 3D technology that allows the embedding of animation directly on slides. Such a type of presentation may be an interesting addition to the video course.

The best online course creation tools - PowerPoint

Software for teamwork

Some of the creators cooperate with other individuals to produce comprehensive online courses. If you are in this group, the tool that allows teamwork is for you. Besides the traditional tools that provide boards for online work and team online chats, we may need a program that allows efficient task management.

Firmbee

Team management can be very easy, if only you have a tool that combines many useful features. Thanks to Firmbee you can share all the important information with your team. The program allows sending documents, leaving feedback, or task delegation to specific persons. And all can be done in real-time.

The best online course creation tools - Firmbee

Software for creation and sales of online courses

There are programs on the market that allow the online organization and conducting of the training. Below we present free exemplary tools that facilitate the creation of online courses.

Thinkific

It is one of the most popular platforms for online course creation. Functions available in the program allow the creation of comprehensive products. The creator may run a live course, make quizzes and surveys and track the progress of the participants. Besides the creation of courses, Thinkific supports its sales and marketing. There are three paid packages with prices starting at 39 US dollars a month. The creator may use a free trial version as well.

The best online course creation tools - Thinkific

Teachable

One of the slogans from the website of the company says: “Share what you know”. This sentence encourages us to create our online courses. Teachable can be used by the individuals that offer coaching services as well. Similar to Thikific, Teachable offers three paid packages with prices starting at 29 US dollars a month. There is a free plan available that offers access to the basic functions of the program.

The best online course creation tools - Teachable

Summary

We have discussed all the best online course creation tools. We focused mainly on the short description of the software that can be useful during the online course creation process. The teaching platforms market is very broad, hence it is worth learning more about the available possibilities.

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Author: Martin Sparks
E-commerce enthusiasts which constantly digs around the internet in order to make sure he hasn’t missed any important information on the topic of starting and scaling profitable online stores.
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