9 Russian Platforms for Creating and Launching Online Courses

Contents:

• Stepik
• iSpring Suite and iSpring Learn
• CoreApp
• MTS Link Courses"
• "Anti-Trainings"
• Zenclass
• Course Editor
• Scroll
• "Nethouse.Academy"

Stepik

Stepik offers the opportunity to create a course using an online designer and place it for free in a catalog that is available to 7 million users. The platform also supports mobile learning, allowing students to access materials anytime, anywhere. This makes Stepik an ideal choice for teachers and students seeking to incorporate modern technology into their learning experience.

Stepik offers powerful tools for developing non-commercial courses, including the ability to work with text, upload video materials, and create assignments with automatic checking. The platform provides course authors with access to analytics, including data on the number of registrations, content views, and assignment completions. Authors can interact with students through comments and forums, as well as send notifications and emails to subscribers, which helps improve the educational process and increase learner engagement.

When developing paid courses, users have access to a wider variety of assignment types, advanced statistics, and more flexible learning management. Course owners can set deadlines and limit the number of assignment attempts. Assignments are checked both automatically and manually. It is also possible to restrict access to modules and individual materials, add exam modules, and issue branded certificates. Stepik charges a commission on each course sale for all these features.

On the Stepik platform, all courses are open by default, allowing anyone to find them in the catalog. However, the creation of private courses accessible exclusively to invited participants is only available with the paid Enterprise plan. This feature is ideal for organizations and educational institutions that want to control access to their content and provide training in a closed environment.

The cost of participating in courses varies depending on their type. Non-commercial courses are offered for free, while paid courses are subject to a commission that ranges from 7 to 40% of sales. For businesses and educational institutions, the Enterprise plan price is determined individually, taking into account the specifics and needs of the organization.

iSpring Suite and iSpring Learn

iSpring Suite is a powerful e-learning course builder that runs on Microsoft PowerPoint. It extends the capabilities of PowerPoint by adding features for creating interactive content. With iSpring Suite, you can easily integrate text blocks, video lectures, quizzes, and dialogue simulators into slides. This tool also allows you to record screen video, voice-over text, and convert standard presentations, PDFs, and Word documents into fully-fledged online courses. Completed courses can be saved in various formats, such as SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, xAPI, CMI5, AICC, and HTML5, ensuring compatibility with over 156 learning management systems (LMS). iSpring Suite is the ideal choice for creating high-quality educational content.

In 2022, Microsoft ceased sales of its products in Russia, and in 2024, announced the unavailability of its cloud services for Russian companies. However, users can still use iSpring Suite. This builder allows you to create and edit content on your computer without installing PowerPoint, but it is worth considering certain limitations. For example, you cannot convert a presentation into an e-course in this version.

iSpring offers corporate clients its own distance learning system (LMS) - iSpring Learn. The platform allows you to develop courses within the system or upload those already created in other builders. iSpring Learn allows you to create training programs for different groups of employees, plan learning activities, and collect reports on the learning process. The system operates in the cloud, but there is also an option to deploy the LMS on the client's server, which provides flexibility and ease of use.

iSpring Suite and iSpring Learn are part of the Russian software registry. These solutions provide high-quality creation and management of educational content, making them popular among users in Russia.

iSpring Suite starts at 27,000 rubles per year for access to the core set of tools. Users can take advantage of a free 14-day trial to evaluate the program's functionality and capabilities before purchasing.

iSpring Learn offers plans starting at 53,100 rubles per year for 25 users. Customizable plans allow you to tailor the solution to your organization's specific needs. The platform can be installed on the client's server for a one-time fee, providing flexibility and control over system use.

CoreApp

CoreApp is a platform specifically designed for launching online schools and selling information products. It offers a powerful builder that allows you to create longread courses, as well as develop tests and simulators. Users can implement game mechanics and integrate activities created using other tools, such as LearningApps. The platform supports webinars both directly on the platform and broadcast via external services such as VK and RuTube. For the convenience of students, a mobile application is available for iOS and Android, which provides flexibility in learning and access to courses at any time.

CoreApp provides powerful tools for engaging audiences and A/B testing information products. The platform enables interaction with students and effective feedback collection. The developers offer the ability to transfer courses created in other builders to their platform, simplifying the integration and management of educational programs.

Courses and webinars can be posted on the platform by legal entities, individual entrepreneurs, and self-employed individuals. Various payment systems are available for user convenience. For organizing a customer base and monitoring payments, integration with CoreApp CRM is recommended, allowing you to effectively manage customer interactions and optimize the sales process.

The cost of using the CoreApp platform starts at 1,190 rubles per month, which allows you to create and post up to ten courses. For those who want to evaluate the platform's functionality, the option to create individual lessons is available for free.

MTS Link Courses

The We.Study platform, formerly part of the Webinar Group ecosystem, was rebranded after its acquisition by MTS in 2022. This course builder allows you to create courses consisting of various lesson modules. Lessons can include text, images, audio and video materials, presentations, HTML documents, and other files. We.Study also offers the option to upload ready-made SCORM courses, making it a versatile online learning tool.

Creating a course structure from scratch is optional. The platform offers ready-made templates, including a new employee onboarding course and a training course focused on practical skills acquisition. Courses can be integrated with quizzes and assignments, including open-ended questions and the ability to attach files. Webinars and online lessons with a teacher can also be scheduled, after which students are given access to a video recording of the lesson. The MTS Link Courses platform supports blended learning, allowing you to combine in-person classes with online components, and student assessments are easily integrated into overall learning statistics.

Learning analytics provide detailed tracking of how students interact with learning materials and complete assignments. This information includes course completion rates, the number of students who dropped out, and the stages at which they stopped. To increase student engagement, we recommend using feedback tools to maintain learners' interest and activity throughout the course.

Ready-made courses are hosted on the MTS Link platform. This platform allows for flexible course access settings, including both paid and free options. Module progression can also be customized: participants can study the materials in their own order or follow a predetermined path. Additionally, there are conditions, such as a passing grade for advancing to the next module, and the opportunity to earn certificates upon completion.

Prices start at 5,995 rubles per month and include up to 500 students, access to advanced analytics, and 100 GB of file storage. A free 14-day trial is available, during which you can invite up to 50 students.

AntiTrainings

The AntiTrainings platform provides tools for creating and launching your own educational products. With our builder, you can use all familiar content formats, including assignments and tests, and organize online meetings and webinars. You can also import existing courses from other platforms, making AntiTrainings a versatile solution for your educational needs.

It is important to pay attention to the data analysis capabilities that are provided service. It collects information about difficult assignments that students take a long time to complete, assignments with unclear requirements that result in high failure rates, and demotivating lessons that often lead to students dropping out. This data allows us to evaluate and improve course quality. Additionally, reports are available on the activity of both students and tutors, as well as their academic performance. The service includes a simple gamification system that awards points for progress and creates a ranking of "best students." Accumulated points can be exchanged for prizes such as books, courses, or other awards, further encouraging student learning and engagement. The platform offers various interaction options, including issuing certificates, keeping student reflection journals, and communicating via chat and private messages. Email distribution is also available for user convenience. Students can take courses both on the web and in the mobile app, available for iOS and Android. This provides flexibility in training and allows learners to easily adapt the process to their schedule.

Sales are customized to meet the needs of both individuals and legal entities. For example, it is possible to offer different levels of access to a single course, such as "basic" and "advanced." This allows you to tailor offers to different categories of clients, thereby increasing sales and satisfying the needs of your audience.

Subscriptions start at 2,180 rubles per month, which includes access for 30 students and 30 GB of cloud storage. Discounts are available for annual payments, and a 14-day trial period is available to evaluate all the benefits of the service.

Zenclass

A convenient online designer for creating and launching courses with a minimalist interface. The platform supports a variety of content formats, including images, audio, video, as well as Google Docs, Sheets, and Presentations. You can upload files for students to download and conduct live streams from YouTube. However, assignment types are limited: only self-checking tests and open-ended assignments with written answers or file uploads are available. Statistics provide standard data on student registration, payment, activity, and progress, helping you effectively track their progress. This functionality makes the platform an ideal solution for those who want to quickly and easily organize the educational process.

The course can be opened Accessible at any time or scheduled for a specific date. You can also sell an educational product through Zenclass if it's hosted on another platform. In this case, Zenclass will track registrations and process payments. You don't need to be a legal entity to use the platform—self-employed individuals and sole proprietors can also accept payments. All funds are initially deposited into a Zenclass account, which charges a processing fee (4.5% for Russia and 8.9% for international transactions). The funds can then be withdrawn to your account. The service starts at 2,700 rubles for the basic plan, which includes one account and the ability to publish three courses. Special discounts are available for annual payments. We also offer a free 14-day trial, allowing you to evaluate all the benefits of the service before subscribing.

Course Editor

The longread course builder, with its sophisticated functionality, offers a wide range of options for creating educational content. Information is presented in the form of articles, divided into blocks. These blocks can include a variety of content types, such as images, video, audio, tables, quizzes, and exercises. This approach makes learning more interactive and engaging, and also promotes better assimilation of the material by students.

Various templates are available, including several types of quotes and lists, allowing for flexible appearance customization. All elements can be customized by color, allowing for personalization. Users can download exercises in SCORM or PDF formats, as well as integrate HTML code. Buttons and links are provided for easy navigation through longreads, and certain sections can be made mandatory, preventing students from moving on to the next section until they complete the assessment.

Preview mode allows you to evaluate the course's appearance on various devices, such as computers, tablets, and smartphones. The finished longread can be exported in xAPI, SCORM, and CMI5 formats, which are supported by most distance learning systems (LMS). It is also possible to download the course in web format, allowing you to host it on any hosting service or your own server. In this case, access to the course does not require the use of an LMS.

Course Editor provides the ability to integrate with your learning platform. In this case, there's no need to upload the created course; simply add students by their email addresses and set learning deadlines. The system also includes progress reports that cover the entire course, as well as individual groups and students. However, it's worth noting that the analytics aren't highly detailed.

The cost of creating courses and training students directly on the platform is 2,000 rubles per month. This offer includes a limit of 100 students and storage up to 5 GB. For those planning to export courses and need more storage, a plan for 6,200 rubles per month is offered, which provides 50 GB for file storage. Educational institutions can take advantage of a 50% discount. There are also discounts for users paying for an annual plan. A free 14-day trial is available, allowing you to evaluate the platform's functionality before purchasing.

Scroll

This builder allows you to create both longread courses and dialogue simulators. To create a course in the first format, a diverse set of blocks for filling with content is offered. Included are text blocks, images, audio and video materials, links to external resources, as well as the ability to add downloadable files, tests, and surveys. To effectively structure and format your learning materials, you can use tabs, sliders, and accordions, which allow you to hide and expand content by clicking on a subheading. Tables, quotes, and other elements are also available to help create interactive and engaging content for learners.

Dialog Builder The simulators offer the ability to create complex scenarios, including three types of scenes: slide presentations, dialogues with on-screen characters, and instant messaging conversations. To design the simulator, users can upload their own illustrations or use the Scroll library, which offers a variety of backgrounds and characters. This makes the process of developing interactive content more flexible and convenient, allowing the simulators to be adapted to various educational and business needs. The finished project is saved in SCORM 2004 and SCORM 1.2 formats, allowing it to be easily uploaded to your organization's distance learning system (LMS). You can provide access to the course via a link, which is convenient for previewing, for example, by a client. Instant training is also available on the Scroll platform, where you can invite students via email. The course creator will have access to detailed reports containing data on each student's activity, including points earned, start and end dates, and time spent on its completion. This allows for effective tracking of student progress and engagement in the educational process.

The subscription price for freelancers is 1,990 rubles per month, which allows for the creation of up to ten training sessions. For those interested in creating longreads, a plan for 2,990 rubles per month is available, which is also limited to ten longreads. There is also a combined plan for 3,990 rubles per month, which includes both formats. Discounts are available when paying annually. For businesses, plans starting at 59,900 rubles per year are available, which have no limit on the number of courses created and provide full access to all the builder's features.

Nethouse.Academy

Nethouse.Academy is a course builder and educational platform from a popular website creation service. With Nethouse.Academy, you can not only create your own course but also develop a landing page for its effective promotion. This platform offers convenient tools for organizing educational content and engaging an audience.

Courses can be created from text, images, audio, and video, and can also include assignments and webinars. However, this platform lacks quizzes. However, it is possible to embed HTML code into lessons, allowing you to integrate assignments from third-party services, such as LearningApps. The platform also lacks a learning analytics tool. This functionality may be insufficient for large and complex courses, but it is quite suitable for mini-courses.

For effective promotion and increased sales, a variety of registration methods and the use of promo codes are available. The Nethouse.Academy platform fully handles all financial and legal matters, charging a commission of 4.9% of each payment. Additionally, for an additional fee, you can set up personalized newsletters and advertising campaigns on Yandex.Direct and VKontakte, which will significantly increase your product's visibility and attract new customers.

Prices start at 999 rubles per month, allowing you to create up to 10 courses and providing access to 20 GB of file storage. A free 10-day trial is also available.