ChatGPT answers, unedited

If your priority is getting your first students without having to build an audience first, you want a course marketplace, not a course-hosting platform. Marketplaces already have learners browsing for courses, while platforms like Teachable, Thinkific, and Kajabi mainly give you tools to sell to an audience you bring yourself. Webflow

Here are the main options:

For a first course with no audience, I would usually start with:

1. Udemy (most beginner-friendly for getting discovered)

Best if your course solves a specific search problem:

• "Excel for accountants"
• "Python for beginners"
• "How to use ChatGPT for small business"
• "Beginner bookkeeping"
• "Real estate investing basics"
• "Canva design for entrepreneurs"

The key is not making a broad course like "Learn Marketing." Make something that matches what a person would type into a search bar. Udemy is built around marketplace discovery. Steve Wootten

2. Skillshare (if your topic is creative)

Good fits:

• drawing
• photography
• illustration
• writing
• crafts
• design
• creative workflows

Students there often browse for inspiration and projects rather than a specific professional certification. Steve Wootten

3. Hybrid approach (often the smartest long term)

A common path is:

1. Put your first version on a marketplace to validate demand.
2. Collect reviews and learn what students struggle with.
3. Later create your own branded version on a platform like Teachable, Thinkific, or Kajabi where you control the customer relationship. Webflow

A few questions would change my recommendation:

• What subject is your course about?
• Is it aimed at career skills, hobby/creative learning, business owners, or personal development?
• Do you want a $20–50 volume course or a $200+ premium course?

If your #1 priority is getting students without having to build an audience first, I’d focus on marketplaces, not platforms like Teachable/Kajabi/Thinkific.

The two I'd look at first

• Udemy — probably the most straightforward option if your subject is something people actively search for (software, AI, business skills, coding, productivity, etc.). Udemy is a marketplace where students are already browsing courses, and following its 2026 combination with Coursera, the combined ecosystem reports 290M+ learners and 95,000 content creators. About Udemy Webflow
• Skillshare — particularly interesting if you're teaching creative subjects such as design, illustration, photography, video, animation, crafts, or AI/creative work. Published classes are automatically added to Skillshare's catalog for members to discover. Skillshare Help Center Skillshare Help Center

The important distinction

The basic tradeoff is: marketplaces give you discovery, while standalone platforms give you more control over pricing, branding and the customer relationship. Webflow

One big 2026 caveat with Skillshare

Skillshare has recently tightened its teacher model. New teachers need approval, and its current new-teacher categories are concentrated around creative fields. More importantly, beginning July 2026, teachers need at least 50 followers plus an additional publishing/watch-time requirement to qualify for monthly royalty payments. Skillshare Help Center Skillshare Help Center

So if you're starting from zero audience, I wouldn't choose Skillshare solely because you expect immediate income.

What I'd do for a first course

If you tell me what your course is about, I can narrow this down substantially.

For example:

• AI / ChatGPT → one set of platforms
• Excel / Power BI / coding → another
• Fitness / personal development → different options
• Photography / design / art → Skillshare becomes much more relevant
• Business / entrepreneurship → different tradeoffs

And I can compare Udemy vs Skillshare vs the other marketplaces specifically for your topic, including how much audience each one can realistically provide and how you'd price the first course.

Skillshare has recently tightened its teacher model. New teachers need approval, and its current new-teacher categories are concentrated around creative fields. More importantly, beginning July 2026, teachers need at least 50 followers plus an additional publishing/watch-time requirement to qualify for monthly royalty payments.

So if you're starting from zero audience, I wouldn't choose Skillshare solely because you expect immediate income.

What I'd do for a first course

If you tell me what your course is about, I can narrow this down substantially.

For example:

If your main goal is “I have no audience yet and I want the platform to bring me my first students”, you should look at marketplaces, not traditional course-hosting platforms. Platforms like Teachable, Thinkific, Kajabi, etc. are great for owning a course business, but they generally expect you to bring the traffic. Webflow

My ranking for a first course with minimal marketing:

1. Udemy — best overall for a first-time creator

Best if you teach a searchable skill.

Examples:

• Excel
• AI tools
• coding
• design software
• marketing
• business skills
• languages
• productivity

Why it works:

• Students are already searching there.
• You can publish without having an audience.
• The platform can surface your course through search, recommendations, and promotions. Ruzuku Learning Revolution

Downsides:

• Heavy competition.
• Less control over pricing and student relationships.
• Marketplace sales involve a revenue split. Mighty Networks

My pick for your first validation course: Udemy.

2. Skillshare — good for creative topics

Best for:

• illustration
• photography
• video editing
• writing
• crafts
• design
• creative workflows

Students browse classes rather than usually searching for a single expensive course. Earnings are generally tied to engagement/watch time rather than a traditional one-course purchase model. Steve Wootten

3. Coursera — usually not for solo beginners

Great brand, but it is more focused on university, institutional, and professional partnerships rather than an individual uploading a first course. Biztoolkit

Platforms I would not start with if you have zero audience

These are excellent later, but they don't solve the “where do students come from?” problem:

• Teachable
• Thinkific
• Kajabi

They help you build your own school, own your customer relationship, and control branding — but you typically need your own traffic source. Webflow

A practical beginner strategy

A lot of creators use a hybrid approach:

1. Put a beginner-friendly version on Udemy to get:

• first students
• reviews
• proof people want the topic
• Build an email list from other channels.
• Later sell:

• a premium version
• coaching
• templates
• community
• advanced course

RuzukuIf you tell me:

• your course topic,
• whether it’s prerecorded or live,
• your target price ($20 vs $200 vs $2,000),
• and whether you already have any audience,

I can recommend the best platform more precisely.

If your #1 priority is getting students without having to build an audience first, I’d start with Udemy.

My ranking for a first course

1. Udemy — best overall for “bring me students”

• It has a large existing marketplace, so students can discover your course through Udemy rather than you having to generate every sale yourself.
• Udemy explicitly pays instructors for sales that happen without instructor promotion; currently that share is 37% of net revenue. Udemy Udemy
• It also has Udemy Business/Personal Plan audiences, giving eligible courses additional exposure and revenue based on learner engagement. Teach Udemy Udemy
• There is no fee to create and host a course. Udemy
• Downside: Udemy's marketplace is competitive and courses are often heavily discounted, so you'll generally earn less per student than you would selling directly.
• Skillshare — good if your course is creative

• Skillshare automatically adds published classes to its catalog, where existing members can discover and watch them. Skillshare Help Center
• It's particularly suited to design, illustration, photography, video, animation, crafts, creative career, AI/innovation, etc. Skillshare Skillshare Help Center
• However, there's an important 2026 catch: Skillshare has tightened teacher eligibility and royalty requirements, including follower/watch-time thresholds, so I wouldn't choose it purely because you expect immediate income from one class. Skillshare Help Center Skillshare Help Center
• Your own site / Teachable / Thinkific — best later, not first

• You keep much more control over pricing, branding and the customer relationship.
• But they don't solve your initial student-acquisition problem. You're effectively responsible for bringing the audience yourself.
• I'd move here after you've proven that people actually want your course.

What I'd do in your position

Start with Udemy → get your first students/reviews → use those results to build your own audience → eventually sell directly.

The key is not to make a broad course like:

"Complete Guide to Excel"

Instead, make something extremely searchable and outcome-focused:

"Excel for Small Business Owners: Build a Complete Financial Dashboard"

Udemy's existing marketplace can then do some of the discovery work for you.

If you tell me what your course is about, I can also tell you which platform I'd choose specifically for that topic and whether Udemy, Skillshare, Coursera, Maven, or another marketplace gives you the best chance of getting your first 10–100 students without an existing audience.

If your #1 goal is getting your first students without having to build an audience from scratch, I’d start with Udemy.

My ranking for your situation

1. Udemy — best overall for a first course

• It operates as a large course marketplace, so students are already searching there rather than you having to generate 100% of the traffic yourself.
• Udemy also distributes selected courses through external reseller partners, potentially exposing them to additional audiences. Udemy Support
• You can see your enrolled students and their interests through Udemy's instructor analytics. Udemy Support
• Downside: courses compete heavily on price, reviews, ratings, and search positioning.
• Skillshare — excellent if your course is creative

• Particularly attractive for design, illustration, photography, video, animation, crafts, creativity, and AI/innovation. Skillshare is currently accepting new teachers in those categories. Skillshare Help Center Skillshare Help Center
• Your class is automatically added to Skillshare's catalog for its existing members. Skillshare Help Center
• Skillshare actively promotes selected high-quality classes through search, recommendations, homepage features, etc. Skillshare Help Center
• Important 2026 change: Skillshare has tightened its teacher/earnings model and is focusing more heavily on engaged, high-quality teachers rather than simply having a huge catalog. Skillshare Help Center
• Coursera — not my first choice for an independent beginner

• Great if you have university/company credentials or are teaching something suited to professional credentials.
• But it's less of a straightforward "upload your course and let the marketplace find buyers" model than Udemy.

What I'd do

If you haven't built an audience yet:

Start with Udemy → get your first 50–100 students → collect reviews → use that proof to build your own audience/course business later.

If your subject is creative, I'd seriously consider Skillshare instead, especially because you can benefit from its existing membership base and discovery mechanisms. Skillshare explicitly says even teachers who aren't already well-known can start and grow a following there. Skillshare Help Center

The key distinction is:

Udemy = people actively shopping for courses.
Skillshare = people subscribing to a learning library and discovering classes.

If you tell me what your course is about, who it's for, and roughly what you'd charge, I can tell you which platform I'd choose and how I'd launch the first course with almost no audience.

If your #1 goal is getting your first students without having to build an audience, I’d prioritize marketplaces over platforms like Teachable, Kajabi, or Thinkific.

My ranking

1. Udemy — best overall for adult courses

• Built-in marketplace/search traffic.
• Students are already on the platform looking for courses.
• Particularly good for practical topics: business, software, AI, coding, productivity, career skills, etc.
• You sacrifice some pricing/control in exchange for access to the marketplace.
• My first choice if you're teaching adults and starting with zero audience.
• Skillshare — excellent for creative subjects

• Your class is automatically added to Skillshare's catalog, where existing members can discover and watch it. Skillshare Help Center Skillshare
• Particularly suited to design, illustration, photography, video, animation, creativity, and related subjects.
• The catch: you generally earn through watch time/engagement rather than simply selling your course at whatever price you want. Skillshare Help Center
• Skillshare is currently accepting new teachers in a narrower set of categories, so check that your topic qualifies. Skillshare Help Center
• Outschool — potentially fantastic if your course is for kids/teens

• This is probably the strongest option if you're teaching ages 1–18.
• Outschool says it has 900,000+ learners across 174 countries and explicitly markets classes to its audience. Outschool Support Outschool Support
• You set your class price and Outschool handles enrollment/payment infrastructure, but takes a 30% teacher fee. Outschool Support Outschool Support
• You still need a good listing and some promotion—the marketplace isn't a guarantee of enrollments.

What I'd do in your position

If you're launching one course with no existing audience, I'd avoid starting with Kajabi/Teachable/etc. Those are better once you have people to send to your course.

I'd do:

No audience → marketplace → first students/reviews → audience → your own platform

The marketplace gives you a chance to validate the course before spending significant effort on marketing.

If you tell me what your course is about, who it's for (adults, college students, kids, professionals, etc.), and roughly what you'd charge, I can tell you which platform I'd pick specifically—and how I'd structure the first course to maximize your chances of getting students without an audience.

If your #1 priority is getting your first students without having to build a big audience first, I’d start with Udemy.

My ranking for your situation

1. Udemy — best overall for a first course

• It has a large existing marketplace of people actively searching for courses.
• You don't need an email list or large social following to get discovered.
• Udemy says instructors receive 37% of revenue on sales generated by Udemy itself (search, browsing, advertising, etc.), while you receive 97% when the sale comes through your own instructor promotion. Udemy Support Udemy Support
• Best if your course solves a specific problem people already search for: Excel, coding, AI tools, bookkeeping, Photoshop, project management, etc.
• Skillshare — good if your topic is creative

• Skillshare has a built-in community of learners and hundreds of thousands of people using the platform. Skillshare
• It's particularly strong for design, illustration, photography, video, crafts, creativity, and creative careers.
• However, Skillshare currently has an approval process for new teachers, and its 2026 rules restrict which categories new teachers can enter. Skillshare Help Center Skillshare Help Center
• You earn primarily through royalties based on minutes watched rather than selling your course for a price you choose. Skillshare Help Center
• Teachable / Thinkific / Kajabi — not my choice for your first course if you have no audience

• These are better when you already have an audience or are ready to build one.
• You get much more control over pricing, branding, and the customer relationship, but they don't solve the initial "where do I find students?" problem for you. Webflow

What I'd actually do

I'd use Udemy to validate the course first.

Don't spend 2–3 months creating a giant 20-hour course. Instead:

Pick one very specific outcome → create a focused 2–5 hour course → optimize the Udemy title/thumbnail/description for marketplace search → get your first reviews → see what students actually want → make course #2.

Then, once you've proven people will pay to learn the subject, you can move toward your own platform and charge considerably more.

The important distinction is:

Udemy = easier student acquisition, less control.
Teachable/Kajabi/etc. = more control, but you have to bring the students.

If you tell me what you want your first course to teach, I can tell you which platform I'd choose specifically for that topic, how much I'd charge, and whether there's enough existing demand to make it worth creating.

If your #1 priority is getting students without having to build an audience first, I’d start with Udemy.

My ranking for your first course

1. Udemy — best overall for zero audience

• It’s a true course marketplace, so students are already searching for courses there.
• Udemy provides a Marketplace Insights tool showing demand, search volume, and revenue potential for topics. Udemy Support
• There’s no fee to become an instructor or host courses. Udemy Support
• When Udemy generates the sale without your promotion, instructors currently receive 37% of the net amount; sales through your own coupon/referral link can pay 97%. Udemy Support
• This makes it particularly good for testing whether people will actually buy your idea before investing heavily in marketing.
• Skillshare — good if your topic is creative

• Skillshare already has a catalog of classes and its members can discover your class through the platform. Skillshare Help Center
• It's especially attractive for things like design, illustration, photography, video, writing, productivity, freelancing, and creative skills.
• The downside is that you're generally paid based on member watch time/engagement, rather than simply getting a sale every time someone enrolls. Skillshare Help Center
• You also have to apply and be approved before publishing your first class. Skillshare Help Center
• Teachable / Thinkific / Kajabi — not my choice for your first course if you have no audience

• These are better when you already have an audience or are willing to market aggressively.
• You're essentially building your own storefront, rather than tapping into a large course marketplace. Ruzuku

What I'd do in your position

Start on Udemy → validate the course → collect reviews → then expand elsewhere.

The important part is not simply uploading a generic course and hoping Udemy sells it. I'd first use Udemy's demand data to find a topic with existing searches but manageable competition. Then make the course specifically around that demand.

For example, instead of:

"Learn Excel"

I'd aim for something more like:

"Excel for Small Business Owners: Build a Complete Financial Dashboard in 2 Hours"

The second one gives the marketplace a much clearer search intent and target student.

If you tell me what your course is about, I can compare Udemy vs Skillshare vs other platforms specifically for that topic and tell you which one is most likely to bring you your first 10–100 students without much marketing.

If your #1 goal is getting your first students without having to build an audience first, I’d start with Udemy.

My ranking for your situation

1. Udemy — best overall for a first course

• It has a large course marketplace where students are already searching for things to learn.
• You don't pay to create/host a course. Udemy Support Udemy Support
• Udemy can generate sales without you bringing the student yourself; for marketplace sales where no instructor promotion is involved, instructors currently receive 37% of net revenue. Udemy Support
• It also has Udemy Business/subscription distribution, where instructors earn based on learner engagement. Udemy Support
• Downside: heavy competition and usually much lower revenue per student than selling directly.
• Skillshare — good if your topic is creative

• Students with active memberships can discover your class directly through Skillshare's catalog. Skillshare Help Center
• Particularly attractive for subjects like design, illustration, photography, video, animation, crafts, and creative software.
• However, the economics have changed substantially in 2026: you now need at least 50 followers plus additional watch-time/publishing requirements to qualify for monthly royalties. Skillshare Help Center Skillshare Help Center
• So I wouldn't choose it solely because you expect instant income from one class.
• Teachable / Thinkific / Kajabi — not my first choice for you

• These are better once you have an audience.
• They give you much more control over pricing, branding, and the customer relationship, but they don't solve the "where do my first students come from?" problem nearly as well as a marketplace.

What I'd actually do

Start on Udemy, validate the course, then move toward your own platform.

Think of it as:

Udemy → first 50–200 students → reviews + proof of demand → audience/email list → your own higher-priced course

Don't spend months building a beautiful course website before knowing whether people actually want the course.

One important caveat: the topic matters enormously. A course like "Excel for Financial Analysts" has a very different marketplace opportunity from "How to Become a Life Coach."

If you tell me what your first course is about, I can tell you whether Udemy, Skillshare, or another platform is most likely to bring you your first students and how I'd position the course to get discovered.

If your #1 priority is getting students without having to build an audience first, I’d start with Udemy.

My ranking for your situation

1. Udemy — best for your first course

• Has a large existing marketplace of people actively searching for courses.
• You don't need a big Instagram, YouTube, or email audience to get initial enrollments.
• Particularly good for practical, searchable topics: software, business skills, AI, coding, Excel, productivity, certifications, etc.
• The tradeoff is that Udemy controls much of the pricing/promotion and you give up a substantial share of revenue on marketplace-driven sales. Ruzuku CreatorStackClub
• It also gives you student/enrollment analytics so you can see what is actually working. Udemy Support
• Skillshare — excellent if your topic is creative

• Strong built-in audience and discovery.
• Especially attractive for design, illustration, photography, video, animation, crafts, creativity, and creative careers. Skillshare Help Center Skillshare
• Instead of primarily selling your course at a fixed price, you earn through a royalty system based largely on watch time. Skillshare
• One catch: Skillshare currently has an application/approval process for first-time teachers, and some categories aren't accepting new teachers. Skillshare Help Center Skillshare Help Center
• Teachable / Thinkific / Kajabi — don't start here if you have zero audience

• These are better once you can reliably bring people yourself.
• They're essentially your own storefront/course business rather than a marketplace that sends you students. Ruzuku

What I'd actually do

Start on Udemy → validate the topic → build a reputation → eventually move premium offerings to your own platform.

The important part is choosing a course where people are already searching for the answer.

For example, I'd much rather launch:

"ChatGPT for Real Estate Agents: Automate Your Marketing & Follow-Up"

than:

"How to Be More Productive With AI"

The first has a specific audience, specific problem, and specific search intent.

If you tell me what you want your first course to be about, I can tell you whether Udemy, Skillshare, Coursera, or another marketplace is likely to give you the best shot at getting your first students without heavy marketing.

If your #1 priority is getting students without having to build an audience first, I’d start with udemy.com.

The key distinction is that Udemy and Skillshare are marketplaces with existing learner traffic, whereas platforms like Teachable, Thinkific, and Kajabi mostly give you the tools—you still have to bring the students yourself. Ruzuku Webflow

My ranking for your situation

1. udemy.com — Best overall for a first course

• Huge existing learner marketplace.
• Students actively search for courses by topic.
• You don't need an established social-media following.
• Free to publish.
• Particularly good for practical, searchable subjects: Excel, coding, AI tools, marketing, business skills, design, languages, etc.
• The downside: Udemy takes a significant share when it brings you the student, and its discounting can push course prices quite low. Mighty Networks Thinkific
• skillshare.com — Best if your course is creative

• Built-in audience.
• Especially strong for design, illustration, photography, writing, productivity and other creative/project-based subjects.
• The model is different from Udemy: you're generally earning through the platform's royalty/engagement system rather than selling a $100–$200 course directly. Thinkific Business Insider
• maven.com — Interesting for premium live/cohort courses

• Better if you're teaching something like career advancement, business, AI, leadership, or another professional skill.
• But I wouldn't choose it specifically because you want zero marketing. Its model isn't as straightforwardly marketplace-driven as Udemy.
• teachable.com / thinkific.com / kajabi.com — Not my first choice for you

• Excellent once you have an audience.
• You get much more control over pricing, branding and the student relationship.
• But they don't solve your initial student-acquisition problem. Webflow

What I'd actually do

I'd use Udemy to validate your first course, rather than spending months building a website, funnel, email list, etc.

The strategy would be:

Create a narrowly targeted course → publish on Udemy → optimize the title/thumbnail/description for marketplace search → get your first reviews → see whether strangers actually buy it.

If it works, you can then build a higher-priced version on your own platform and start building an audience that you control.

That approach essentially lets Udemy pay for some of your initial distribution in exchange for giving up some revenue and control. That's a pretty reasonable trade for a first-time instructor with no audience. Ruzuku Zapier

If you tell me what you want to teach, I can also tell you whether Udemy, Skillshare, Maven, or another marketplace is most likely to bring you students for that specific topic.

If your #1 priority is getting students without having to build an audience first, I’d start with Udemy.

My ranking for your situation

1. 🥇 Udemy — easiest way to get marketplace traffic

Udemy is explicitly a marketplace, meaning students can discover your course through searches, recommendations, promotions, and Udemy's own ecosystem rather than you having to generate every student yourself.

For sales that come through Udemy's marketplace rather than your own promotion, instructors currently receive 37% of the net amount. If you bring the student yourself through an instructor coupon/referral, the share is 97%. Udemy

That's a meaningful tradeoff: less control and lower revenue per student in exchange for access to Udemy's existing demand.

support.udemy.com

2. 🥈 Skillshare — particularly good for creative topics

Skillshare automatically places published classes into its catalog for its existing members, so you aren't starting with an entirely empty audience. Teacher earnings are based substantially on member watch time. Skillshare Help Center Skillshare Help Center

I'd consider it if you're teaching things like:

• Design
• Illustration
• Photography
• Video
• Writing
• Productivity
• Creative software
• Freelancing/creative business

help.skillshare.com

3. 🥉 Maven — interesting, but different

Maven is much more attractive if your course is a live, premium, outcome-oriented cohort rather than a $20–$50 recorded course.

It currently lists courses in areas such as AI, product management, leadership, career development, and professional skills. Its courses commonly sell for hundreds or thousands of dollars. Maven Maven Help Center

Importantly, Maven does have marketplace discovery, but it's not quite "upload course → strangers flood in." Its current discovery system says you first need to generate some momentum—such as 100 waitlist leads or 2 paid enrollments—before qualifying for marketplace listing. Maven Help Center

So I wouldn't pick Maven if your requirement is "I have zero audience and don't want to market at all."

What I'd do if I were you

Start on Udemy unless your course is inherently live/cohort-based.

The strategy I'd use is:

Udemy → get first students/reviews → learn what people actually want → improve course → eventually build your own audience/product.

Don't spend 3 months building a giant 20-hour course, though. Your first course should be narrow and outcome-specific.

For example, instead of:

"Complete Excel Course"

I'd do:

"Excel for Financial Analysts: Build a 3-Statement Model From Scratch"

The second is much easier for a marketplace searcher to understand and buy.

If you tell me what your course topic is, who you want to teach, and roughly what you'd like to charge, I can tell you whether I'd choose Udemy vs Skillshare vs Maven for that specific course.

If your #1 priority is getting students without having to build an audience first, I’d choose a marketplace, not a traditional course-hosting platform.

My ranking for a first course

1. Udemy — best overall

• Probably the strongest choice if you have zero audience and want people already searching for courses.
• Udemy explicitly has a marketplace where students can discover courses, and you don't pay to create/host a course. Udemy Support Udemy Support
• For sales generated by Udemy rather than your own promotion, instructors currently receive 37% of net revenue. If you bring the student yourself through your coupon/referral link, it's 97%. Udemy Support
• Best for: business, software, AI, Excel, coding, career skills, productivity, professional skills, etc.
• Skillshare — good for creative topics

• It already has a member base browsing its catalog, so you don't need to manufacture all the demand yourself.
• Your class gets automatically added to the Skillshare catalog once published, and earnings are primarily tied to member watch time/engagement. Skillshare Help Center Skillshare Help Center
• However, Skillshare changed its teacher-earnings rules in 2026, including new eligibility requirements for monthly royalties. Skillshare Help Center Skillshare Help Center
• Best for: design, illustration, photography, writing, creativity, freelancing, lifestyle/productivity.
• Outschool — excellent if you're teaching kids

• This is different from Udemy because classes are generally live/interactive.
• Outschool says it markets classes to its audience and gives teachers access to a global community of learners; it currently advertises access to 1M+ learners. Outschool Support Outschool Support
• Best for: children/teens, tutoring, languages, STEM, art, music, hobbies, homeschool subjects.

What I would NOT start with

I wouldn't make Kajabi, Teachable, Thinkific, Podia, etc. your first platform if you currently have no audience.

They're excellent for building a real course business, but the fundamental problem is that you have to bring the students. Marketplace platforms like Udemy and Skillshare trade some control/revenue for access to an existing audience. Webflow

My recommendation

If you're making a normal self-paced course, I'd start with Udemy.

The strategy I'd use is:

Udemy → validate topic → get first reviews/students → improve course → build your own audience → eventually sell a higher-priced version independently.

That way you're not spending months creating a course and then discovering that nobody wants it.

If you tell me what your first course is about, I can tell you whether Udemy, Skillshare, Outschool, or another marketplace is likely to give you the easiest path to your first 10–100 students.

If your main goal is “I have my first course and I don’t want to spend months building an audience first”, you want a course marketplace, not a course-hosting platform. Marketplaces already have learners searching for topics; platforms like Teachable or Kajabi are great later, but they usually require you to bring the traffic yourself. Webflow

My ranking for a first-time creator:

1. Udemy — best overall first choice

Best for: practical skills, software, business, marketing, coding, productivity, career skills, language learning.

Why:

• Large built-in learner marketplace
• Students already search for courses by topic
• No need to build a website or funnel first
• You can test whether your topic has demand before investing heavily Ruzuku

Downsides:

• Heavy competition
• Frequent discounts can reduce your effective price
• You don’t really own the student relationship Wbcom Designs

Good first-course strategy: Make a very specific course rather than a broad one:

• “Excel for Financial Analysts”
• “Python Automation for Small Businesses”
• “Beginner Canva Design for Realtors”

Avoid:

• “Learn Business”
• “Master Marketing”
• “Complete Life Coaching Course”

Specific wins on marketplaces.

2. Skillshare — good for creative/project-based courses

Best for: design, illustration, photography, writing, video, crafts, creative software.

Skillshare has an existing subscription audience and works well when your course is engaging and project-driven. Business Insider

Downsides:

• Revenue is based on engagement/watch time rather than a normal course purchase
• Less ideal for expensive professional training

3. Coursera — usually not the first choice for solo creators

Coursera is excellent for university-backed or institutional courses, but it is generally less open as a self-serve marketplace for individual instructors. Online Courseing

Platforms I would not start with if you have zero audience

These are excellent tools, but they don't solve the “where do students come from?” problem:

• Teachable
• Thinkific
• Kajabi

They help you build a business after you have traffic, an email list, a community, or an existing reputation. Webflow

My suggested path for a first course

1. Launch on Udemy
2. Get your first 50–500 students and reviews
3. Learn which parts students value most
4. Create a premium version later on your own platform (higher price, your audience, your brand)

A useful rule:

• No audience → Udemy/Skillshare
• Small audience → marketplace + email list
• Established audience → Teachable/Kajabi/Thinkific

If you tell me what your course topic is, your target student, and whether you want passive income or a high-ticket business, I can suggest the best platform and launch strategy.

If your #1 priority is getting your first students without having to build an audience, I’d start with Udemy.

My ranking for your situation

1. Udemy — best overall for a first course

• It has a large existing marketplace where students actively search for courses.
• You don't need an existing email list or social following to publish.
• Udemy provides instructor analytics showing how students discover your courses and the market demand for your topic. Udemy Support Udemy Support
• The downside: you sacrifice some pricing/revenue control, particularly when Udemy generates the sale.
• Skillshare — best if your course is creative

• Strong fit for topics like design, illustration, photography, video, writing, productivity, freelancing, etc.
• Classes are automatically added to Skillshare's catalog, where members can discover them. Skillshare Help Center
• Skillshare says it promotes high-quality classes through search, recommendations, curation and features. Skillshare Help Center
• Important 2026 caveat: you now need at least 50 followers to qualify for royalty payments, so I wouldn't choose it solely because you expect immediate income from one class. Skillshare Help Center
• Teachable / Thinkific / Kajabi — not my first choice for you

• These are better once you have an audience.
• They give you much more control over pricing, branding and the student relationship, but they generally don't bring you students. Ruzuku

What I'd actually do

I'd use Udemy to validate your first course, rather than spending months building a website and trying to generate traffic.

The strategy would be:

Udemy → get first 50–200 students → collect reviews/feedback → improve the course → build your own audience → eventually sell a higher-priced version independently.

The key is choosing the right topic. A mediocre course on a highly searched topic can outperform a fantastic course on something nobody is looking for.

If you tell me what you want to teach, I can also tell you which platform is best for that specific course and whether Udemy, Skillshare, Coursera, Maven, or another platform is likely to give you the easiest first students.

If your #1 priority is getting students without having to build a big audience first, I’d strongly favor a marketplace over platforms like Teachable, Thinkific, or Kajabi.

My ranking for a first course

🥇 I'd start with Udemy

udemy.com is designed around marketplace discovery: students are already searching for courses, so you aren't starting from zero with your own website, email list, and social following. The broader Udemy/Coursera combination now reaches more than 290 million learners globally. About Udemy Ruzuku

The important catch is economics: you trade some revenue and control for access to that audience. If Udemy generates the sale, your share is substantially lower than if you bring the student yourself. CreatorStackClub

So I'd use Udemy like this:

First course → Udemy → get initial students/reviews → learn what people actually want → build your own higher-priced version later.

That is much lower-risk than spending months building a beautiful course on Teachable and then discovering you have no way to get people to it.

🥈 Skillshare is interesting if your topic is creative

skillshare.com currently emphasizes creative fields such as AI & Innovation, design, photography, illustration, animation, film/video, crafts, and creative careers. Skillshare Help Center

Skillshare automatically puts published classes into its catalog for members to discover, and it says it promotes high-quality classes through search, recommendations, curation, and features. Skillshare Help Center Skillshare Help Center

However, the business model is different: you're generally earning through Skillshare's royalty/engagement system rather than simply selling a $100 course at your chosen price. Also, as of July 2026, Skillshare changed its eligibility requirements for monthly royalty payments. Skillshare Help Center

What I would NOT do for course #1

I wouldn't start with Teachable/Kajabi/Thinkific if you currently have essentially no audience.

They're excellent when you have the traffic. But they're primarily infrastructure for your own course business—you still have to get prospective students there. Marketplace platforms solve the much harder initial problem: discovery. Ruzuku

The bigger question

The platform matters less than whether people are already searching for the thing you want to teach.

For example, I'd be much more confident putting:

"Excel Financial Modeling for Beginners"

on Udemy than:

"My Complete Framework for Becoming Your Best Self"

because the first has an obvious marketplace search intent.

If you tell me what your first course is going to teach, I can tell you which platform I'd choose (Udemy vs Skillshare vs Coursera vs another option), how I'd price it, and how I'd structure the course specifically to get its first students without a big following.

If your main goal is “I have a first course and I don’t want to spend months building an audience”, you should prioritize marketplaces that already have learners searching for courses, not platforms where you have to bring your own traffic. Ruzuku Zapier

My ranking for a first-time course creator:

1. Udemy — best overall for getting your first students

Best if: your course teaches a searchable skill.

Examples:

• Excel
• Python
• AI tools
• marketing
• design software
• project management
• business skills
• language learning

Why:

• Students already browse/search there.
• You can publish without first having an audience.
• Reviews can create momentum after your first sales. Zapier

Downsides:

• You compete with many similar courses.
• You have less control over pricing and the student relationship.
• Marketplace-driven sales typically mean a smaller revenue share. Ruzuku Mighty Networks

My suggestion: Put your first “validation” course on Udemy. Use it to learn what students want before building a premium version elsewhere.

2. Skillshare — good for creative/project-based courses

Best if: your course is something people like to browse and try.

Examples:

• illustration
• photography
• writing
• animation
• crafts
• productivity
• creative software

Skillshare works more like a subscription library, so teachers earn based on engagement rather than selling a single course price. Steve Wootten

Good fit:

• “Create a logo in Canva”
• “Paint your first watercolor”
• “Start journaling”
• “Learn beginner photography”

Less ideal:

• expensive professional certifications
• premium coaching-style programs

3. Coursera — usually not the easiest first option

Great platform, but it is more oriented toward universities, companies, and established educators rather than a solo creator uploading a first course. Biztoolkit

Platforms I would not start with if you have zero audience

These are excellent tools, but they are mainly course hosting platforms, meaning you generally need to bring the students yourself:

• Teachable
• Thinkific
• Kajabi

They are better after you have:

• an email list
• YouTube/TikTok/LinkedIn followers
• a community
• existing customers

SavingSec Mighty Networks

My recommended beginner strategy

1. Launch version 1 on Udemy

• Make it focused (not a huge “everything course”).
• Price it competitively.
• Collect reviews and questions.
• Study what students actually ask for

• What lessons get watched?
• What problems appear in Q&A?
• What outcomes do students want?
• Create a premium version later

• Host it on your own platform.
• Add community, coaching, templates, live calls, or certification.

The exception: if your course is about a personal transformation, coaching, business method, or niche expertise (for example “how to start a specific type of agency”), I would consider skipping marketplaces and building a higher-ticket offer from day one.

If you tell me what your course topic is, I can suggest the platform most likely to bring you students without heavy marketing.

If your main goal is “I want my first course to get students without spending months building an audience”, you should start with a marketplace, not a course-hosting platform. The platforms that bring their own learners are mainly:

1. Udemy — best default choice for a first course

udemy.com

Best for: practical skills people already search for.

Examples:

• Excel, coding, AI tools
• marketing
• design software
• business skills
• language learning
• productivity

Why it works for beginners:

• Students already browse and search there.
• You don't need a large email list or social following.
• Reviews and course rankings can create a flywheel over time. Ruzuku Zapier

Downsides:

• You compete with many similar courses.
• Pricing is often heavily discounted.
• You have less ownership of the student relationship. Ruzuku

My pick for most first-time instructors: Udemy.

2. Skillshare — good for creative topics

skillshare.com

Best for:

• illustration
• photography
• video
• writing
• crafts
• design
• creative entrepreneurship

Skillshare has built-in discovery, but the business model is different: instructors typically earn through platform engagement/watch time rather than selling each course individually. Mighty Networks

Good if you want:

• exposure
• lots of smaller classes
• a creative audience

Less ideal if you want to sell a $200–$500 flagship course.

3. Coursera — usually not for a solo beginner

coursera.org

Great audience, but it is mainly built around universities, companies, and established institutions rather than individual creators uploading their first course. Biztoolkit

Platforms I would not start with if you have no audience

These are excellent tools, but they mostly help you host and sell to people you already attract:

• teachable.com
• thinkific.com
• kajabi.com

They give you more control, branding, and marketing tools, but they generally do not solve the “where do my first students come from?” problem. SavingSec

A practical first-course strategy

1. Put your first course on Udemy.
2. Choose a topic with existing demand (people are already searching for it).
3. Price it competitively to collect your first reviews.
4. Use student questions/reviews to improve version 2.
5. Once you have proof people buy, move toward your own platform/email list for higher-value offers.

The one exception: if your course is based on your personal brand, coaching, or a niche transformation (for example “I help new managers become confident leaders”), you may be better off with a cohort/community model rather than a marketplace.

If you tell me your course topic, target student, and whether you want low-price volume or high-price premium, I can suggest the best platform and launch approach.

If your #1 priority is getting your first students without having to build an audience, I’d choose based on what kind of course you’re teaching:

My recommendation: Udemy

If you're teaching adults and this is your first course, I'd start with Udemy.

The important distinction is that Udemy is a marketplace, rather than simply course-hosting software. Udemy says that sales can come from students browsing its marketplace, advertising, subscriptions, and other distribution channels. For sales that aren't generated through your own coupon/referral, instructors currently receive 37% of the net amount. Udemy Support Udemy Support

That makes it much more suitable for your goal of:

"I want to make a good course and let the platform help me find the first students."

You also don't pay a fee to create/host courses, although you do need to complete instructor verification and meet the course requirements. Udemy Support

If your course is for kids: Outschool

I'd actually pick Outschool instead if you're teaching children or teenagers.

Outschool explicitly says it markets classes to its audience, handles enrollments/payments, and gives teachers access to a global learner community. It currently advertises access to 1M+ learners. Outschool Support Outschool Support

It also tells new teachers to start with a one-time class, which is a smart way to validate your topic and get reviews before building a substantial course. Outschool Support

The tradeoff is that Outschool takes a 30% teacher fee, leaving you 70% of the class price. Outschool Support

I wouldn't make Skillshare your first choice

Skillshare does have a built-in creative-learning audience, particularly around design, illustration, photography, video, animation, and creative careers. Skillshare

But there's an important 2026 wrinkle: Skillshare now requires teachers to have at least 50 followers to qualify for royalty payments, and it also requires a minimum amount of qualifying watch time. Skillshare Help Center Skillshare Help Center

So if your objective is specifically "I have zero audience; help me get my first students", I'd put Udemy ahead of Skillshare.

What I'd do in your position

If you're teaching adults:
Udemy → first course → get reviews → use those reviews to build your own audience.

If you're teaching kids/teens:
Outschool → start with a small live class → get reviews → turn the successful topic into a larger recurring/self-paced course.

And I would not start with Teachable, Thinkific, Kajabi, or your own website if you currently have no audience. Those are excellent after you have distribution; they don't solve your initial student-acquisition problem.

If you tell me what your first course is about and who it's for, I can tell you which platform I'd personally choose, what I'd price it at, and how I'd structure the first course to maximize your chances of getting those first 10 students without paid advertising.

If your #1 priority is getting students without having to build an audience first, I’d start with a marketplace, not a platform like Teachable/Kajabi.

My ranking for a first course

1. Udemy — best overall for your goal

• Built-in marketplace where students actively search for courses.
• You don't need a large Instagram, YouTube, or email following to get your first enrollments.
• Udemy also distributes some courses through external resellers, giving selected courses additional exposure. Udemy Support Udemy Support
• The tradeoff is that you give up some pricing/revenue control compared with selling directly.
• Skillshare — excellent if your course is creative

• Skillshare puts published classes into its catalog, where existing members can discover and watch them. Skillshare
• It also promotes selected high-quality classes through search, recommendations, homepage features, and other channels. Skillshare
• Important in 2026: Skillshare is currently accepting new teachers mainly in creative categories such as AI & Innovation, Design, Photography, Film & Video, Art & Illustration, etc. Skillshare
• Earnings are based largely around member engagement/watch time rather than you simply selling a $50/$100 course. There are also new eligibility requirements for royalties. Skillshare
• Teachable / Kajabi — not my first choice for you

• These are better once you already have an audience.
• You get more control over pricing, branding, and the customer relationship, but you're largely responsible for bringing the students.
• In other words: great business infrastructure, poor substitute for an audience.

What I'd do in your position

Start on Udemy if the subject has strong search demand.

The strategy would be:

Udemy → get your first 50–200 students → collect reviews → learn what students actually want → then create a premium version/course on your own platform.

That lets the marketplace do much of the initial customer acquisition while you validate the idea.

If your course is something like AI, Excel, coding, business, marketing, finance, project management, photography, etc., I'd lean toward Udemy.

If it's design, illustration, photography, video, creativity, or another creative skill, I'd seriously consider Skillshare. Skillshare specifically says its current strategy is focused on creative fields where student engagement is strongest. Skillshare

If you tell me what your first course is about and roughly what you'd charge for it ($20, $50, $100, $500, etc.), I can tell you which platform I'd pick and how I'd structure the first course to maximize organic student acquisition.

If your #1 priority is getting students without having to build an audience first, I’d start with Udemy.

My ranking for your situation

1. udemy.com — best overall for a first course

• It’s a true course marketplace, so students are already searching for courses there.
• Udemy says its combined platform now reaches 290M+ learners after the 2026 Coursera/Udemy combination. About Udemy
• You can publish without paying for your own website, ads, email funnel, etc.
• The downside: you sacrifice a significant portion of revenue when Udemy generates the sale, and you have less control over pricing/branding. Ruzuku CreatorStackClub
• skillshare.com — excellent if your topic is creative

• Skillshare has an existing membership audience and automatically puts published classes into its catalog for members to discover. Skillshare Help Center
• It actively promotes selected high-quality classes through search, recommendations, curation and features. Skillshare Help Center
• Important in 2026: Skillshare is currently accepting new teachers primarily in AI & Innovation, Design, Photography, Film & Video, Art & Illustration, Animation & 3D, Crafts & DIY, Creative Career, and Creativity & Inspiration. Skillshare Help Center
• It pays based largely on member engagement/watch time rather than you simply selling a $50–$100 course. Skillshare Help Center
• Teachable / Thinkific / Kajabi — don't start here if you have zero audience

• These are better when you already have students to bring in.
• They give you much more control and help you build an owned education business, but they don't solve your initial "where do my first students come from?" problem. SavingSec Ruzuku

What I'd actually do

I'd use a two-stage strategy:

Stage 1 — Validate:
Put your first course on Udemy (or Skillshare if your subject fits it). Your goal isn't maximum profit yet. It's to discover:

• Do people actually want this?
• What do students struggle with?
• Which lessons get watched?
• What questions do students repeatedly ask?
• What gets good reviews?

Stage 2 — Build the real business:
Once you've proven the topic, create your own course on something like Teachable/Kajabi/Thinkific and gradually move your marketing toward your own platform, where you have much greater control over pricing and the student relationship.

So if you told me "I have no audience, I want to make one course, and I don't want to spend months marketing it", my answer is:

Start with Udemy.

If you tell me what your course is about, I can narrow it down to Udemy vs. Skillshare vs. another marketplace and tell you which one is most likely to bring you your first students organically.

If your main goal is “I have no audience yet and I don’t want to spend months marketing my first course,” you want a course marketplace, not a course-hosting platform. Marketplaces already have learners searching for topics. Ruzuku Zapier

My ranking for a first course:

1. Udemy — best overall for a first-time creator

Best if your course teaches a searchable skill.

Examples:

• Excel
• AI tools
• coding
• design software
• business skills
• productivity
• language learning
• certifications

Why it fits:

• Students are already searching inside the marketplace.
• You can publish without having an email list.
• Reviews can compound over time and bring more students. Zapier

Downside:

• You give up more revenue on students Udemy brings you.
• You have less control over pricing and the customer relationship. Ruzuku

My pick for most people starting from zero: Udemy.

2. Skillshare — best for creative/project-based courses

Good for:

• illustration
• photography
• writing
• crafts
• animation
• design
• creative workflows

Students browse classes rather than usually searching for a specific “buy this exact course” solution. Creator earnings are generally tied to engagement/watch time rather than a normal one-course purchase model. Zapier FloatJet

3. Coursera — usually not the first choice for solo creators

Great brand, but it is more oriented around universities, companies, and institutional partners rather than a beginner instructor uploading a first course. Online Courseing

Platforms I would not start with if you have zero audience

These are good platforms, but they are mostly “build your own store” tools:

• Teachable
• Thinkific
• Kajabi

They give you more control, but you bring the students. SavingSec CreatorStackClub

A practical first-course strategy:

1. Put your first version on Udemy.
2. Choose a topic people already search for (avoid “my life lessons” style courses unless you already have an audience).
3. Aim for a strong title, thumbnail, and first 10 reviews.
4. Once you know what sells, create a premium version on your own platform.

If you tell me:

• your course topic,
• whether it’s live or recorded,
• and your target price ($20 vs $200 vs $1,000+),

I can suggest the best platform and launch approach.

If your main goal is “I have no audience yet and I don’t want to spend months marketing my first course,” you should prioritize a marketplace with built-in student traffic, not a course-hosting platform. Ruzuku Zapier

My shortlist:

1. Udemy — best first choice for most beginners

udemy.com

Best if your course teaches a searchable skill, such as:

• Excel, coding, AI tools
• marketing, sales, business skills
• design software
• language learning
• productivity skills

Why it works:

• Students already search the marketplace.
• You can publish without having an existing audience.
• Reviews and ratings can compound over time. Zapier

Trade-offs:

• You compete with many similar courses.
• Pricing is heavily influenced by marketplace promotions.
• You don’t fully own the student relationship. Ruzuku

For a first course, I’d usually treat Udemy as a validation and discovery engine: prove demand, collect reviews, then build a higher-priced offer elsewhere later.

2. Skillshare — good for creative/project-based courses

skillshare.com

Better fit for:

• illustration
• photography
• writing
• video creation
• crafts
• creative workflows

Students browse classes through the platform, but the earning model is different from selling a one-time course; creators typically earn based on engagement/watch time. Zapier Thinkific

3. Coursera — usually not the easiest first option

coursera.org

Great audience, but it is generally built around universities, companies, and institutional partners rather than a solo creator uploading a first course. Biztoolkit

Platforms I would not start with if you have zero audience

• Teachable — good software, but you bring the students. Steve Wootten
• Kajabi — powerful for an established creator/business, but it doesn’t solve the “where do my first students come from?” problem. Zapier

My practical recommendation:

• No audience + practical skill → Udemy first
• No audience + creative skill → Skillshare first
• Already have followers/email list → Teachable/Kajabi/your own site

If you tell me what your course topic is, the price you want to charge, and whether it’s beginner or advanced, I can suggest the platform most likely to get your first 50 students.

If your main goal is “I have no audience yet and I don’t want to spend months marketing my first course,” you should start with a marketplace that already has learners searching for courses, not a course-hosting platform. www.ruzuku.comstevewootten.comwww.mightynetworks.com

My ranking for a first course:

For most people making their first course, I would choose:

1. Start on Udemy

Best if your course is something like:

• Excel, coding, AI tools
• business skills
• marketing
• productivity
• language learning
• professional certifications
• software tutorials

The strategy:

1. Publish a focused beginner course.
2. Use Udemy’s search traffic to get your first students and reviews.
3. Learn what students actually want.
4. Later create a premium version on your own platform (where you control pricing and customer relationships). stevewootten.com

2. Use Skillshare instead if your course is creative

Examples:

• drawing
• illustration
• photography
• video editing
• creative writing
• crafts

Skillshare can work well because students browse for inspiration and projects, but it is less suited for high-ticket professional training. www.ruzuku.comstevewootten.comwww.mightynetworks.com

Platforms I would not start with if you have zero audience:

• Teachable
• Thinkific
• Kajabi

They are excellent tools, but they are mostly storefronts—they help you deliver and sell a course, but they generally do not bring you a large pool of students. stevewootten.com

A good beginner path is:

Phase 1: Udemy/Skillshare → get students + reviews
Phase 2: Build an email list/community
Phase 3: Move your best students into your own higher-priced offer

If you tell me what topic your first course is about, I can suggest the platform most likely to bring you students without heavy marketing.

If your #1 priority is getting your first students without having to build an audience, I’d start with Udemy.

My ranking for your situation

Why Udemy: It is explicitly a marketplace rather than just course-hosting software. Udemy currently reports 80M students and 1.1B enrollments, and it has a Marketplace Insights tool to help instructors identify promising topics. www.udemy.com It also distributes selected courses through external resellers, potentially exposing them to additional audiences. support.udemy.com

Skillshare is the other one I'd seriously consider. It has a large existing creative-learning community and says classes can continue generating earnings through ongoing discovery. www.skillshare.com However, there's an important 2026 caveat: new teachers currently need approval, and Skillshare is only accepting new classes in certain categories such as AI & Innovation, Design, Photography, Art, Film & Video, and Creative Career. help.skillshare.com

What I'd actually do

If this is your first-ever course and you have little/no audience:

1. Put the first course on Udemy.
Don't spend months building a website, email funnel, or social following first.

2. Pick a very specific, searchable problem.
For example, rather than:

"Learn Excel"

go narrower:

"Excel Financial Modeling for Real Estate Analysts"

The marketplace is much more useful when people are already searching for the problem you're solving.

3. Use the first 50–100 students as validation.
Watch which lessons get engagement, what students ask, and what reviews say.

4. Then consider moving your business to your own platform.
Once you know people will pay for the subject, a platform like Teachable/Kajabi becomes much more attractive because you're no longer relying entirely on marketplace discovery.

The key distinction is:

Udemy/Skillshare = audience acquisition
Teachable/Kajabi = owning the business

So if you tell me what your course is about, who it's for, and roughly what you'd charge ($20, $100, $500, etc.), I can tell you which platform I'd choose specifically—and whether I'd use Udemy, Skillshare, or a cohort platform.

If your #1 priority is getting students without having to build an audience first, I’d start with Udemy.

My ranking for your situation

Why Udemy: It is explicitly a marketplace, rather than merely course-hosting software. Udemy currently reports 80M students and 1.1B enrollments, and instructors can use its marketplace to get discovered by people already looking for courses. www.udemy.com

There's also a useful validation strategy: Udemy says instructors can use a free course to build a student audience and test demand before committing heavily to a paid course. support.udemy.com

The tradeoff is important: you sacrifice some revenue and control in exchange for access to Udemy's audience. That's a reasonable trade for your first course if your alternative is spending months trying to build an audience.

Skillshare is #2

If your course is about design, photography, illustration, video, animation, creativity, or AI for creatives, I'd seriously consider Skillshare Teach.

Classes are automatically placed in Skillshare's catalog once published, where members can discover and watch them. help.skillshare.com However, Skillshare currently requires first-time teachers to apply and be approved, and new-teacher topics are restricted to selected categories. help.skillshare.com

What I'd actually do

Course #1 → Udemy
Use it to prove that strangers will actually pay to learn what you're teaching.

Course #2 → potentially your own platform
Once you've figured out your topic, positioning, and gotten some students/reviews, move toward something like Teachable/Thinkific/Kajabi if you want higher margins and more control.

So I wouldn't start with Teachable or Kajabi if you currently have zero audience. They're excellent at selling to an audience you already have, but they don't solve the "where do my first students come from?" problem. startsitenow.com

If you tell me what your course is about, I can tell you whether Udemy, Skillshare, or another marketplace is most likely to bring you your first 100 students.

If your #1 priority is getting students without having to build an audience first, I’d start with Udemy.

My ranking for your situation

Why Udemy: it's fundamentally a course marketplace, so people are already searching for things to learn. Udemy also distributes selected courses through reseller partnerships, giving instructors additional exposure beyond Udemy itself. support.udemy.com

Skillshare is my #2. It actively promotes high-quality classes through search, browsing, recommendations, and curated features. help.skillshare.com But there's an important 2026 caveat: Skillshare is currently accepting new teachers primarily in AI & Innovation, design, photography, art, animation, film/video, crafts, and related creative categories. help.skillshare.com

What I'd actually do

If you don't have an audience yet, I'd use:

Udemy → get your first 50–100 students → learn what they actually want → then build a higher-priced version on your own platform.

The key is not to make a giant "Complete Guide to X" course. On a marketplace, I'd target a very specific search intent, e.g.:

"Excel for Real Estate Agents: Build a Property Analysis Spreadsheet"

rather than:

"Complete Excel Masterclass"

That gives the marketplace a much clearer idea of who should see your course.

One caveat: marketplace students aren't the same as owning your own audience. You trade some pricing/control/revenue for discovery. That's why I'd treat Udemy as your student-acquisition and validation platform, rather than necessarily your forever home. www.ruzuku.com

If you tell me what your first course is about, I can tell you whether I'd choose Udemy, Skillshare, or another marketplace, and how I'd position the course so the platform has a chance of bringing you students organically.

If your #1 priority is getting students without having to build an audience first, I’d start with Udemy.

My ranking for your situation

Why Udemy

Udemy is specifically designed as a course marketplace, rather than simply course-hosting software. Its marketplace can surface your course to people already searching for something to learn. Udemy even provides instructors with Marketplace Insights, showing demand, search volume, and revenue information for potential topics. support.udemy.com

The important tradeoff is revenue:

• If a student buys through your coupon/referral link, you receive 97% of the net amount.
• If Udemy brings the student through its marketplace/advertising, you receive 37% of the net amount. support.udemy.comsupport.udemy.comhelp.skillshare.com
• There's no fee to create and host courses. support.udemy.comsupport.udemy.comhelp.skillshare.com

For someone starting with little/no audience, I'd gladly sacrifice some margin in exchange for access to existing demand.

Skillshare is my #2

Skillshare also has an existing member audience and actively promotes selected high-quality classes through search, recommendations, curation, and features. help.skillshare.com

But I'd be more cautious with it in 2026. Skillshare changed its teacher payout requirements, including a 50-follower minimum, and in July 2026 introduced additional eligibility requirements for monthly royalties. help.skillshare.com

So I wouldn't choose Skillshare if your goal is simply "publish one course and immediately start earning."

What I'd actually do

I'd use a two-stage strategy:

Stage 1 — Udemy:
Create your first course specifically around a topic people are already searching for. Use Udemy's marketplace to get your first students, reviews, and proof that people will pay for the information.

Stage 2 — Your own platform:
Once you've validated the topic and understand what students actually want, move future/premium offerings toward something like Teachable, Thinkific, Kajabi, etc., where you have much more control over pricing, branding, and the customer relationship.

The mistake I'd avoid is starting with something like Kajabi/Teachable and then discovering you have to spend months building an audience just to get your first 20 students.

If you tell me what your course is about, I can also tell you whether I'd choose Udemy, Skillshare, or another marketplace specifically for that topic—and how I'd position the first course to maximize the chance of getting organic students.

If your main goal is “I have no audience yet and I don’t want to spend months marketing my first course,” you want a marketplace, not a course-hosting platform. Marketplaces already have students searching for things to learn. www.ruzuku.comcreatorstackclub.com

My ranking for a first course:

1. Udemy — best overall for a first-time creator

Best if you teach a specific skill people already search for:

• Excel, coding, AI tools
• marketing
• business skills
• design software
• productivity
• career skills

Why:

• Students are already browsing/searching.
• You don’t need an email list to get your first learners.
• Reviews can create momentum over time. stevewootten.com

Downside:

• You compete against thousands of courses.
• Pricing is heavily influenced by the marketplace, so it’s harder to sell a $500 premium course there. creatorstackclub.com

My pick for a first validation course: Udemy.

2. Skillshare — good for creative topics

Better if your course is:

• illustration
• photography
• writing
• design
• crafts
• creative projects

Students often browse for inspiration and short practical classes. stevewootten.com

Downside:

• It’s less suited to high-ticket courses because the model is based around membership/royalties rather than selling your course at your own price. stevewootten.com

3. Coursera — usually not for a solo beginner

Great brand recognition, but it is generally oriented around universities, companies, and established institutions rather than a first independent creator uploading a course. www.biztoolkit.co

Platforms I would not start with if you have zero audience:

• Teachable
• Kajabi
• Thinkific

These are good tools, but they are basically your own storefront. They help you deliver and sell a course; they generally do not bring you a built-in pool of students. www.ruzuku.comcreatorstackclub.com

A common strategy is:

1. Launch a smaller course on Udemy/Skillshare to prove demand.
2. Collect testimonials and learn what students struggle with.
3. Create a premium version on your own platform later.

The biggest factor is not the platform — it’s whether the topic already has search demand. “Learn Python for Beginners” has a built-in audience; “My 7-step personal productivity philosophy” usually requires you to create the audience yourself.

If you tell me what your course topic is, your target student, and whether you want $50 sales or $500+ sales, I can suggest the best platform.

If your #1 priority is “I want the platform to bring me students so I don't have to build an audience first,” I’d start with Udemy.

The important distinction is that you want a marketplace, not just a course-hosting platform.

Why I'd choose Udemy

Udemy explicitly has a marketplace where learners search for courses, and it provides instructors with Marketplace Insights showing demand, search volume, and revenue information for topics. There's also no fee to become an instructor. support.udemy.com

That makes it particularly useful for your situation:

You → create a course around an existing demand → Udemy puts it in front of people already searching for that subject.

The tradeoff is economics. You give up a substantial portion of revenue on sales Udemy generates, whereas a platform like Teachable lets you retain much more but requires you to find the customers yourself. www.ruzuku.com

Skillshare is my #2

If your course is creative—for example photography, illustration, graphic design, video, writing, freelancing, productivity, etc.—I'd seriously consider Skillshare.

Skillshare has a built-in community of students, and teachers earn based largely on qualifying minutes watched. However, there's now a significant catch: as of 2026, teachers need at least 50 followers plus the applicable watch-time/publishing requirement to qualify for monthly royalty payments. help.skillshare.com

So I'd favor Udemy for a first course when you have essentially zero audience.

One strategy I'd strongly recommend

Don't think of your first course as your forever business.

I'd do:

1. Launch Course #1 on Udemy
↓
2. Choose a topic with demonstrated search demand
↓
3. Get your first students/reviews
↓
4. Use those results to make Course #2
↓
5. Eventually move your best customers toward your own ecosystem (email list, website, community, premium course, coaching, etc.)

That way you're using Udemy's existing traffic to validate your idea before spending months trying to build an audience.

If you tell me what you want your first course to teach, I can also tell you whether I'd choose Udemy, Skillshare, or another marketplace for that specific subject, and what type of course is most likely to get organic students.

If your #1 priority is getting your first students without having to build an audience, I’d start with Udemy.

My ranking for your situation

🥇 Udemy

Udemy is the closest match to what you're asking for because it's a course marketplace, rather than merely software for hosting your course. Public courses can be discovered through the Udemy marketplace, meaning you don't have to bring every student yourself. support.udemy.com

The tradeoff is significant: you sacrifice some pricing/revenue control in exchange for access to Udemy's marketplace traffic. That's a reasonable trade for your first course if your immediate goal is validation rather than maximizing profit per student.

I'd use it like this:

Course #1 → Udemy → get reviews/students → learn what people actually want → build audience → eventually move premium offerings to your own platform.

🥈 Skillshare

I'd consider Skillshare if your course is in AI, design, illustration, photography, video, creativity, etc. Skillshare currently has hundreds of thousands of learners and is explicitly built around discovery of creative classes. www.skillshare.com

There is an important catch in 2026: Skillshare now requires teachers to have at least 50 followers to qualify for monthly royalty payments, alongside other eligibility requirements. help.skillshare.com

Also, new teachers currently need approval, and Skillshare is only accepting new teachers in selected categories. help.skillshare.com

So I wouldn't choose Skillshare blindly.

What I would NOT do

I wouldn't start with Teachable, Thinkific, Kajabi, Podia, etc. if you currently have little/no audience.

They're excellent tools for owning your course business, but that's different from bringing you students. You'd essentially build the storefront and then discover that you're responsible for filling it.

The strategy I'd recommend

If you tell me what your course is about, who it's for, and roughly what you'd want to charge (e.g. "$50 Excel course for beginners" or "$300 AI automation course for small businesses"), I can tell you which marketplace I'd actually put it on and why, including what kind of student demand you could realistically expect.

If your #1 priority is getting students without having to build an audience first, I’d start with Udemy.

My ranking for your situation

Why Udemy: it's a marketplace rather than merely course-hosting software, so people are already searching for courses there. Udemy also has distribution through external reseller partners for selected courses, giving instructors additional potential exposure. support.udemy.com

Skillshare is the other one I'd seriously consider, particularly if your course is in AI, design, photography, illustration, video, creativity, or another creative field. Skillshare explicitly promotes classes through search, browse, recommendations and curated features. help.skillshare.com However, there are currently restrictions on which categories new teachers can enter, and you have to be approved before publishing your first class. help.skillshare.com

One important distinction:

Don't choose Teachable/Kajabi just because they're better-looking.

They're excellent when you already have an audience. If you're starting from zero, you're essentially building the store and having to bring the shoppers.

What I'd do

I'd launch course #1 on Udemy, optimize it for something people are already searching for, get your first reviews/students, and use that experience to create course #2.

Then, once you have some proof that people will pay to learn from you, you can move toward a platform where you control the customer relationship and pricing.

If you tell me what your first course is about, I can tell you whether Udemy, Skillshare, Coursera, or another marketplace is actually the best fit—and how much built-in demand that topic appears to have.

If your #1 priority is getting students without having to build an audience first, I’d start with Udemy.

My ranking for your situation

Why Udemy: It's a marketplace rather than simply course-hosting software. Students are already searching Udemy for courses, and Udemy explicitly supports using its marketplace to build a student audience and test demand. support.udemy.com

The tradeoff is that you sacrifice some control over pricing and revenue in exchange for that discovery. That's a worthwhile trade for a first course when you don't have an audience yet.

When I'd choose Skillshare instead

If your course is in AI & Innovation, design, photography, illustration, video, animation, crafts, or another creative category, Skillshare is worth serious consideration. Skillshare currently has built-in search, browse, recommendations, and promotional features, and followers are automatically notified when you publish new classes. help.skillshare.com

There's an important 2026 caveat: Skillshare has changed its teacher program and earnings requirements, and new teachers currently need approval. It also isn't accepting new teachers in several categories, including business, marketing, productivity, and writing. help.skillshare.com

What I'd actually do

For your first course, I'd use:

Udemy → validate the topic → get your first students/reviews → then build an independent version on your own platform.

That lets the marketplace do much of the initial customer acquisition instead of you spending months trying to build an Instagram/YouTube/email audience before you've even proven people want the course.

If you tell me what your course is about, I can tell you whether Udemy, Skillshare, Coursera, Maven, or another marketplace is likely to give you the best shot at getting those first students without heavy marketing.

If your #1 priority is getting students without having to build an audience first, I’d start with Udemy.

My ranking for your situation

Why Udemy: it's a true marketplace rather than merely course-hosting software. Instructors can see their student reach, geographic distribution, interests, and marketplace opportunities, which is useful when you're trying to figure out what to create next. support.udemy.com

The downside is important: you trade some revenue and control for that built-in discovery. Marketplace platforms generally give you reach that you'd otherwise have to create through marketing. www.ruzuku.comwww.skillshare.com

When I'd choose Skillshare instead

If your course is about AI, design, photography, video, illustration, animation, creativity, or a creative career, I'd seriously consider Skillshare. Those are among the categories Skillshare is currently accepting from new teachers. help.skillshare.com

Skillshare explicitly says it has hundreds of thousands of learners, and its model pays teachers through monthly royalties based largely on watch time. www.skillshare.com

There is one catch: Skillshare currently requires first-time teachers to apply and be approved. help.skillshare.com

What I'd actually do

For a first course with zero/minimal audience, I'd use this strategy:

1. Put the first course on Udemy.
Don't spend months building a website, email funnel, or social following first.

2. Pick a very specific problem.
Instead of "Learn Excel," do something like "Excel for Small Business Owners: Build Your First Financial Dashboard."

3. Optimize for Udemy search/discovery.
Your title, thumbnail, description, reviews, and early student satisfaction matter enormously.

4. Use the first course as market research.
Look at what students ask, where they struggle, and what related topics they're interested in.

5. Once you've proven demand, build your own platform.
That's when I'd consider Teachable/Kajabi/etc., because you can start capturing the economics and control that a marketplace doesn't give you.

So the short answer is:

No audience → Udemy first.
Creative/AI topic → consider Skillshare.
Existing audience → Teachable/Kajabi/your own platform.

If you tell me what your course is about, I can tell you which marketplace is likely to be the best fit—and, more importantly, whether people are already searching for that topic there.

If your #1 priority is getting students without already having an audience, I’d start with Udemy.

My ranking for your situation

Why Udemy: your course gets placed in a marketplace where students are already searching for courses. Once approved, it's discoverable in Udemy's marketplace, and Udemy also distributes some courses through external resellers to reach additional audiences. support.udemy.com

Skillshare is the other one I'd consider, particularly if your course is creative. Skillshare explicitly uses search, browse, recommendations, homepage features, and staff picks to help students discover classes. support.udemy.comhelp.skillshare.comhelp.skillshare.com However, there's an important 2026 change: Skillshare is accepting new teachers only in selected categories, and its current focus is heavily on creative disciplines. help.skillshare.com

What I'd actually do

If this is your first course and you have essentially zero audience:

Start on Udemy → validate the topic → get reviews → create course #2 → eventually build your own email list/site.

Don't spend months building a beautiful Teachable/Kajabi setup before you know people will buy the course. Those platforms give you much more control, but they don't solve the "where do my first students come from?" problem.

One caveat: "built-in audience" doesn't mean zero marketing. Even Skillshare says teachers should actively promote a new class initially because early engagement can help its search visibility. support.udemy.comhelp.skillshare.comhelp.skillshare.com

If you tell me what your course is about, I can tell you whether I'd choose Udemy, Skillshare, or another marketplace specifically for that topic—because the answer changes quite a bit by niche.

If your #1 priority is getting your first students without having to build a big audience, I’d start with a marketplace, not a platform like Teachable/Kajabi where you have to bring your own traffic.

My ranking for your situation

🥇 If I were you: start with Udemy

Udemy is the closest match to "I want the platform to bring me students." It's a marketplace rather than simply course-hosting software, so people are already searching for courses there. The tradeoff is that you sacrifice some pricing/revenue control.

That makes it particularly attractive for a first course where your goal is validation and your first reviews, rather than maximizing revenue immediately.

🥈 Skillshare if your topic fits

Skillshare also has its own audience, search, browse and recommendation systems, and it actively promotes selected high-quality classes. help.skillshare.com

The catch is that you're paid largely based on member engagement/watch time rather than simply selling a $500 course. Skillshare also changed its teacher-earnings requirements in July 2026, so I'd view it more as an audience-building/volume play than a premium-course business. help.skillshare.com

🥉 Maven — interesting, but different

Maven is much more attractive if you're teaching something like:

• AI for professionals
• Product management
• Marketing
• Sales
• Data/engineering
• Leadership/career skills
• A specific business outcome

It has a marketplace and thousands of students browsing, but there's an important catch: Maven explicitly says its marketplace isn't a replacement for distribution. You currently need 100 waitlist leads or 2 paid enrollments before your course can qualify for marketplace listing. help.maven.comhelp.maven.com

So I wouldn't choose Maven if your requirement is literally "I don't want to market my first course."

Its upside is that once you have traction, marketplace discovery, recommendations and trending placements can amplify it. help.maven.comhelp.maven.com

The strategy I'd recommend

Don't try to build a $2,000 flagship course first.

Instead:

1. Put a narrowly focused course on Udemy.
Aim for a specific search-driven problem rather than "Complete Guide to X."

2. Price/structure it to get your first students and reviews.

3. Watch what students actually want.

4. Turn the validated topic into a higher-priced version later on your own platform or Maven.

That gives you a progression like:

Udemy → reviews + proof → audience → premium course

rather than:

Build expensive course → spend months marketing → hope people buy.

If you tell me what you want to teach, I can tell you which platform is likely to be best for that specific subject and whether Udemy, Skillshare, or Maven already has enough demand to make your first students relatively easy to find.

If your #1 priority is getting your first students without having to build an audience first, I’d start with Udemy.

My ranking for your situation

Why Udemy: its marketplace itself can generate sales. For sales that come through Udemy rather than your own coupon/referral, instructors currently receive 37% of the net amount; sales you generate yourself through an instructor promotion pay 97%. There's also no fee to create and host courses. support.udemy.com

More importantly, Udemy gives instructors Marketplace Insights, which shows demand, search volume and revenue information for potential course topics. That's extremely useful when you're trying to pick a topic that already has buyers rather than creating something and hoping people find it. support.udemy.com

One important caveat

I wouldn't choose Skillshare just because it has an audience. Skillshare does promote classes through search, recommendations and curated features, but its 2026 earnings model has become more restrictive: teachers need at least 50 followers to qualify for royalty payouts, along with other eligibility requirements. help.skillshare.com

So if you're starting from zero audience, I'd do:

1. Udemy → validate the course and get your first students
2. Build reviews/social proof → improve the course
3. Later move/direct new customers toward your own platform → keep more of the revenue

The key is that you shouldn't pick a platform first—you should pick a topic that already has marketplace demand. Udemy is particularly useful for this because of its Marketplace Insights data.

If you tell me what your first course would be about, I can compare Udemy vs. Skillshare vs. Coursera specifically for that topic and tell you which one is most likely to bring you students organically.

If your main goal is “I want my first course to get students without me having to build an audience first,” you should prioritize a marketplace, not a course-hosting platform. The platforms that bring their own learners are mainly: www.ruzuku.com

1. Udemy — best overall for a first course

Best if you teach: practical skills people already search for.

Examples:

• Excel
• coding
• AI tools
• marketing
• business skills
• design software
• productivity
• certifications

Why it fits your situation:

• Students are already browsing and searching there.
• You don’t need a big following to get your first enrollments.
• You can validate whether your topic has demand.

Downside:

• Lower revenue per student than selling direct.
• You have less control over pricing and the customer relationship. creatorstackclub.com

My pick for a first-time creator with no audience: Udemy.

2. Skillshare — good for creative topics

Best if you teach:

• illustration
• photography
• writing
• crafts
• design
• creative projects

Students often discover classes through browsing rather than searching for a specific “buy this course” solution. stevewootten.com

Downside: it is less suited for high-ticket professional courses because the model is built around membership access rather than selling your course at your own price. stevewootten.com

3. Coursera — usually not the easiest first step

Great credibility, but it is more geared toward universities, companies, and established instructors. It’s not usually the fastest path for an individual creator trying to get their first students.

Platforms I would not start with if you have zero audience:

• Teachable
• Kajabi
• Thinkific

They are excellent for building a long-term course business, but they generally expect you to bring the traffic. creatorstackclub.com

A practical first-course strategy:

1. Put a focused version on Udemy.
2. Get your first reviews and learn what students struggle with.
3. Improve the course.
4. Later create a premium version on your own platform (higher price, email list, community, coaching, etc.).

The biggest factor is not the platform — it’s whether the topic already has buyer demand. A mediocre course in a high-demand category usually beats a great course nobody searches for.

If you tell me what your course topic is and whether you want to sell it for $20–50, $100–500, or $1,000+, I can suggest the best platform and launch approach.