20 Free Tools to Create an Online Course [2026]

Team DigitalDefynd

Starting the process of creating an online course can be both thrilling and overwhelming. Whether you’re an experienced teacher looking to broaden your influence or someone new to the field of digital education, having the proper tools can greatly simplify your journey.

This article unveils 20 essential free tools to help you build, manage, and enhance your online courses. From powerful learning management systems and engaging interactive content creators to effective communication platforms and sophisticated design tools, each resource offers unique capabilities to transform educational content into a compelling learning experience. Let’s delve into the details of these essential tools and discover how they can enhance your course development.

Free Tools to Create an Online Course

1. Google Classroom

Google Classroom is a user-friendly platform that integrates seamlessly with Google’s suite of tools like Docs, Sheets, and Slides. It enables educators to set up classes, assign homework, communicate, and maintain materials organizationally. It’s an excellent platform for anyone creating an online course because it enables you to manage coursework and feedback all in one place, making it accessible for instructors and students. Users can set up a class within minutes, invite students via email, and begin sharing educational resources and assignments without needing physical paperwork. Its compatibility with Google Drive facilitates easy storage and retrieval of course materials.

2. Moodle

Moodle is a highly adaptable system that functions as a learning management system (LMS). It supports various course activities like forums, databases, and quizzes, which are invaluable for interactive learning environments. As an open-source platform, it provides ample flexibility for extensive customization tailored to the specific needs of educators and course developers. However, you might need to host it on a server, which could incur additional costs. Moodle is particularly useful for creators looking for a robust and flexible system that supports blended learning and purely online courses. The platform’s community support and plethora of plugins make it adaptable for various educational purposes.

3. Canva

Canva is an intuitive graphic design tool that streamlines the creation of visually engaging course materials, including presentations, infographics, and PDF documents. Its drag-and-drop interface and extensive template library make it easily accessible, even for those without substantial graphic design skills. For course creators, Canva can help design professional content that engages and attracts students. Although the free version has some limitations regarding access to premium design elements, it still offers a wide range of options that can significantly enhance the visual aspect of any course materials.

4. Screencast-O-Matic

Screencast-O-Matic is a video recording and editing tool that allows you to capture screencasts, video recordings of your computer screen accompanied by audio narration. This tool is particularly useful for creating lecture videos or tutorials that require showing software usage or step-by-step processes. The free version does limit recording time and lacks some features available in the paid version. Still, it remains a valuable tool for educators looking to include video content in their courses. Its ease of use makes it possible for instructors to produce and share video content quickly, enhancing the learning experience for students.

5. Trello

Trello is a project management application that uses boards, lists, and cards to organize tasks and schedules. It is an excellent tool for course developers to plan and manage their curriculum and content deadlines. Each card can represent a lecture, module, or assignment, allowing course creators to structure their workflow visually. The drag-and-drop interface simplifies adjusting the course timeline and task priorities. Although the free version has basic functionality, it is generally sufficient for individual educators or small teams looking to maintain organization and clarity in course development, making the overall process smoother and more manageable.

6. Padlet

Padlet is an interactive multimedia board that can collaborate and share content like text, images, links, and videos in a flexible and attractive format. This tool is particularly useful for course creators looking to engage students more dynamically, as it supports real-time updates and contributions from users, making it ideal for group projects, brainstorming, and class discussions. The free version of Padlet allows you to create a limited number of boards. Still, it offers a powerful way to enhance interaction and collaboration within your course, even within these constraints.

7. SurveyMonkey

SurveyMonkey is a tool for creating online surveys, which can be extremely useful for gathering feedback from students, conducting quizzes, or understanding learning outcomes. The free version allows for creating simple surveys with a limited number of questions and responses, which is adequate for smaller courses or occasional feedback collection. This input can be invaluable for course creators looking to refine their content, assess student satisfaction, or tailor their teaching approaches based on direct student feedback, thereby enhancing the effectiveness and engagement of their course.

8. Jitsi

Jitsi is an open-source video conferencing tool that requires no software installation for participants, making it easily accessible for virtual classrooms or remote learning sessions. It includes functionalities such as screen sharing, chat, and session recording, which are advantageous for online courses. Jitsi’s robust, scalable video conferencing capabilities make it a great choice for live lectures, group discussions, and one-on-one sessions. As it is free, Jitsi is particularly attractive for educators operating with limited budgets who need reliable and versatile communication tools for their online courses.

9. Kahoot!

Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform that enables users to quickly create, share, and engage in learning games or trivia quizzes, adding an element of fun to education. For course creators, Kahoot! can be an engaging tool to review content, conduct assessments, or break the monotony of traditional teaching methods. The free version of Kahoot! Allows you to host games with limited participants, suitable for small classes or groups. Using Kahoot! Enhances engagement by incorporating competitiveness and game mechanics into learning, making capturing and retaining students’ attention easier and improving learning outcomes.

10. Prezi

Prezi offers a vibrant alternative to traditional slide-based presentation tools like PowerPoint, enhancing the way educational content is presented. With Prezi, you can create visually engaging presentations that zoom in and out of a single canvas, making building a narrative that captures and holds the audience’s attention easier. The basic public version, which is free, allows you to create and share presentations online, but they will be publicly visible. Prezi can be particularly useful for course creators looking to deliver complex information in a more digestible and engaging way, enhancing the learning experience for students.

11. Audacity

Audacity is a free, open-source audio editing software that is invaluable for anyone creating an online course that includes podcasts, interviews, or audio content. It provides tools for recording and editing audio files, making it easy to produce high-quality sound clips. For educators, this means being able to create clear, professional-sounding audio materials or lectures that can be easily distributed to students online. Audacity provides a robust set of tools at no cost, making it a prime choice for enriching the audio elements of online courses.

12. Mailchimp

Mailchimp is a comprehensive marketing platform where users can craft, dispatch, and evaluate email and advertisement campaigns. With its free plan, course creators can manage up to 2,000 subscribers and send up to 10,000 emails monthly, which is ample for most small to medium-sized courses. This tool can be particularly useful for keeping students informed about course updates, distributing educational content, or promoting new courses to potential students. Additionally, Mailchimp’s analytics features help you understand the impact of your communications, allowing for more targeted and effective messaging.

13. H5P

H5P enables users to create, distribute, and repurpose interactive HTML5 content. It’s a versatile tool for directly embedding quizzes, interactive videos, and other learning activities into online courses. Using H5P, course developers can boost engagement by rendering content more interactive and visually captivating. While H5P can be used for free on your website, using their platform may require a subscription if you need more storage or advanced features. This tool is particularly useful for educators looking to create dynamic and interactive educational experiences that can be integrated seamlessly into almost any web environment, making learning more active and participatory.

14. Quizlet

Quizlet is a learning tool that allows educators and students to create study sets, flashcards, quizzes, and games to enhance learning and memorization. Quizlet’s free version provides basic features sufficient for creating simple study aids. However, paid versions offer more comprehensive tools like image uploading, customized study paths, and detailed class progress tracking. For course creators, Quizlet can be particularly valuable for reinforcing key concepts through repetitive learning and gamified elements, thereby increasing student retention and engagement.

15. WordPress

WordPress is a powerful content management system that’s widely used for creating websites and blogs. It’s free to use, but hosting on a server and adding certain premium themes or plugins can incur additional costs. For course creators, WordPress offers the flexibility to build a highly customized course website where they can host blog posts, course materials, student forums, and more. The vast array of plugins available for WordPress can also enhance the site’s functionality, such as through the addition of membership areas, LMS features, or SEO tools, making it an excellent choice for those who want a full-featured, professional-looking course platform.

Related: EdTech Industry Growth by 2030

16. Google Forms

Google Forms is an essential tool for creating surveys, quizzes, and forms, proving extremely beneficial for collecting data, conducting evaluations, or gathering feedback. It is completely free to use and integrates seamlessly with other Google apps like Sheets and Drive, providing an efficient way to collect and organize data. For educators, Google Forms can be particularly effective for creating quick assessments, conducting surveys to gauge student satisfaction or understanding, and collecting registration or assignment submissions. Its user-friendly nature and seamless integration with Google’s ecosystem render it an ideal option for course creators seeking a dependable and straightforward form tool.

17. Edmodo

Edmodo is a social learning platform that provides teachers and students with the tools to share content, engage in discussions, and manage assignments. Its interface is similar to a social network, which makes it particularly user-friendly and engaging for students. The platform’s free version offers essential tools for communication and collaboration, which are fundamental for any online course. Edmodo enables educators to create groups, distribute homework, schedule quizzes, and manage progress with ease. This makes it an excellent choice for course creators looking for a comprehensive, interactive, and accessible platform to facilitate both learning and community-building among students.

18. Slack

Slack is a communication platform known for its use in business environments but equally effective for educational purposes, especially in online courses. The free version provides sufficient functionality for real-time messaging, integration with other apps, and tools for group collaboration. Although it limits searchable message history and some features, it still offers powerful ways to keep students connected and engaged. Slack can be particularly useful for creating a community space where students can discuss coursework, collaborate on projects, and receive updates from the course creator. This tool ensures consistent communication and builds community among participants, significantly improving the overall learning experience.

19. OpenShot

OpenShot is a video editing software equipped with numerous features that enable the creation of professional-looking videos at no charge. For course creators, OpenShot offers tools for trimming and arranging video clips, adding transitions, and including effects and audio tracks. This characteristic makes it an outstanding option for producing lecture videos, tutorials, or promotional materials for courses. The intuitive interface allows even those with minimal video editing experience to create clear and engaging videos that can enhance the visual learning experience for students.

20. GIMP

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a free and powerful alternative to premium image editing software like Adobe Photoshop. It includes an extensive array of tools for photo retouching, image composition, and image authoring. For those creating online courses, GIMP is invaluable for designing course materials, such as graphics for slides, custom images for content, and editing photos for use in the course. Its versatility and zero cost make it particularly appealing for educators on a budget who still want to produce visually appealing educational content.

Conclusion

As we wrap up our guide to 20 free tools for creating online courses, it’s clear these resources offer immense value for educators at all levels. From robust learning management systems like Google Classroom and Moodle to creative platforms like Canva and Prezi, each tool provides unique features that cater to different aspects of course creation. Whether you aim to design engaging content, manage courses efficiently, or enhance student interaction, these tools enable you to deliver high-quality education effectively and without financial strain. Embrace these resources, experiment with them, and watch as your courses transform and reach new heights.