Choosing a course platform as a yoga teacher isn't the same as choosing one for a business coach or a software instructor. You have specific needs: video-heavy content, live session integration, the ability to share audio-only practice tracks, and a clean learning experience that doesn't distract from the practice itself.
The best platform for your yoga course depends on what you're building. For structured courses with live sessions, Ruzuku offers the best balance of simplicity, built-in browser live video (no Zoom required), and zero transaction fees. For yoga-specific features (class scheduling, on-demand libraries), Marvelous (formerly Namastream) and OfferingTree are worth considering. Teachable and Thinkific are powerful general-purpose options but require more setup.
What Yoga Teachers Need from a Platform
Before comparing specific platforms, here's what matters most for yoga courses:
- Video hosting and delivery: Your content is primarily video. The platform needs to handle large files, stream smoothly in up to 4K, and organize multiple video segments per module.
- Live session integration: Built-in browser video rooms or Zoom integration for live practice sessions, alignment feedback, and community calls scheduled directly within the course.
- Sequential content delivery: Students should progress through your course in order, not jump randomly between modules. This is how you build progressive skill development.
- Community and discussion: A space for students to share experiences, ask questions, and support each other between sessions.
- Simple student experience: Yoga students aren't looking for a complex software interface. They want to log in, see their next lesson, and start practicing.
- Multiple file types: Beyond video, you may want to share audio-only practice tracks, downloadable pose guides, printable sequence cards, and written content.
For Yoga Teachers & Studios: Best Platforms for Hosting Online YTT (200-Hour / 300-Hour)
Running a 200-hour or 300-hour Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) online has distinct instructional requirements that simple video portals cannot handle:
- Sequential Milestone Gating: Trainees must master foundational anatomy, alignment cues, and philosophy before accessing advanced teaching practicums. Ruzuku enforces sequential step completion to maintain academic rigor.
- Live Alignment Clinics: Trainees need real-time postural adjustment feedback. Ruzuku's built-in browser live video rooms allow participants to practice together without requiring external Zoom downloads.
- Video Practicum Submissions: Students submit videos demonstrating class sequences and cueing directly into lesson discussion steps, where instructors and peers provide feedback.
- 4K Crystal-Clear Video Streaming: Detailed micro-adjustments, subtle alignment cues, and breathwork pacing remain razor-sharp on Pro tier 4K streaming.
Platform Comparison
Ruzuku
Best for: Yoga teachers who want simplicity, live sessions, and zero transaction fees.
Ruzuku is designed for teaching-focused course creators — not marketers or info-product sellers. For yoga teachers, the key advantages are built-in video meetings (schedule a live class inside your course and students join in the browser, no Zoom account needed, with a Zoom integration as a second option for breakout rooms or larger groups), sequential content delivery, community discussion within each step, and a clean interface that stays out of the way. There is a free plan for up to 5 students, then Core at $99/month ($997/year) and Pro at $199/month ($1,997/year). Every plan charges 0% transaction fees, including the free one.
Strengths: Simplest setup of any platform on this list. Real human support (email a real person, not a chatbot). All features included at every tier — no upsells for basic functionality. Built by educators for educators.
Limitations: Smaller marketplace/discovery features than Teachable or Thinkific. No built-in website builder (you'll need your own landing page or use the included course sales page). Less suitable if you're primarily selling a large content library rather than structured courses.
Marvelous (formerly Namastream)
Best for: Yoga teachers who want a yoga-specific platform with class scheduling and on-demand libraries.
Marvelous (formerly Namastream) is built specifically for yoga, fitness, and wellness professionals. It includes live class scheduling, on-demand video libraries, and integrations with Zoom. If your business model is primarily live class scheduling with an on-demand library (more like a studio replacement than a structured course), Marvelous fits that model well.
Strengths: Purpose-built for yoga/fitness. Live class scheduling is native. Website builder included. Familiar model for yoga teachers used to studio scheduling.
Limitations: No free plan. Community features are basic. Less flexibility for structured multi-week courses with progressive curriculum. Check the current price and fee terms on Marvelous's own pricing page before you decide.
OfferingTree
Best for: Yoga teachers who want an all-in-one platform combining website, scheduling, and course hosting.
OfferingTree positions itself as the all-in-one solution for wellness professionals — website, scheduling, courses, memberships, and payments in one place. It's newer and smaller than the general-purpose platforms but designed with yoga teachers in mind.
Strengths: All-in-one solution (no need for separate website hosting). Yoga/wellness-specific features. Clean design. Check the current price and fee terms on OfferingTree's own pricing page — we have not verified them here.
Limitations: Younger platform with fewer integrations. Community features are still developing. Less proven at scale for large course programs or YTT.
Teachable
Best for: Yoga teachers who want maximum marketing tools and don't mind a learning curve.
Teachable is one of the largest general-purpose course platforms. It offers strong marketing features (sales pages, upsells, affiliate programs, email marketing), a large marketplace for discovery, and robust video hosting. However, it's designed for all types of courses, not specifically yoga.
Strengths: Polished platform with extensive features. Strong sales and marketing tools. Large user base. Regular feature updates.
Limitations: The Starter plan is $39/month ($29 billed annually) and takes a 7.5% transaction fee; you need Builder at $89/month ($69 annually) to reach 0%. No built-in Zoom integration — you'll need workarounds for live sessions. More complex setup than Ruzuku or Marvelous. The platform's vibe is "sell courses" more than "teach students," which some yoga teachers find misaligned. For our full analysis, see Is Teachable Any Good?
Thinkific
Best for: Yoga teachers who want a balance of features and customization.
Thinkific is similar to Teachable in scope — a general-purpose course platform with strong video hosting, customizable course design, and decent marketing tools. Start is $109/month, or $82/month billed annually, with a 30-day free trial — there's no free plan. Basic sits underneath at $54/month ($40 annual), but it has no certificates, no quizzes and no live sessions. For our full take, see our full Thinkific review.
Strengths: Good course design tools. Unlimited courses on every tier, and 0% transaction fees when you sell through Thinkific Payments. More customization options than Ruzuku.
Limitations: Similar to Teachable — general-purpose, not yoga-specific. Setup is more complex. Every named plan caps you at 10,000 current students, and if you take payments through your own Stripe instead of Thinkific Payments, Thinkific adds 5% on Basic, 2% on Start and 1% on Grow. To be fair to Thinkific: the Start plan does include one community and live coaching sessions, so neither needs a higher tier. The cap is that you get one community, not one per course.
Quick Comparison
| Platform | Best For | Live Sessions | Transaction Fees | Yoga-Specific |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruzuku | Structured courses + live | Built-in meetings + Zoom integration | 0% on every plan, including free | No (general, teaching-focused) |
| Marvelous | Live class scheduling | Native scheduling | Not verified — check their pricing page | Yes (yoga/fitness) |
| OfferingTree | All-in-one (website + courses) | Zoom integration | Not verified — check their pricing page | Yes (wellness) |
| Teachable | Marketing-heavy courses | Third-party needed | 7.5% on Starter; 0% from Builder up | No (general) |
| Thinkific | Customization + design tools | Live cohorts from Start plan | 0% on Thinkific Payments; 5% / 2% / 1% on your own Stripe | No (general) |
Which Platform Should You Choose?
Here's a simple decision framework:
- Building structured courses with live sessions? → Ruzuku (simplest setup, built-in video meetings, 0% transaction fees on every plan)
- Replacing your studio schedule with live online classes? → Marvelous (yoga-specific scheduling)
- Need a full website + scheduling + courses in one? → OfferingTree (all-in-one for wellness)
- Want maximum marketing tools and don't mind complexity? → Teachable or Thinkific
If you're a yoga teacher building your first online course, start simple. You can always migrate to a more complex platform later — but you can't get back the months you spent learning a complicated system instead of teaching students.
Disclosure: This site is published by Ruzuku. We've tried to give an honest comparison based on real platform features and pricing. We encourage you to try the platforms yourself before deciding.
Next step: our complete course creation guide walks you through the full process, or take the platform quiz to find your best fit.