aven Learning showed up a few years ago and brought "cohort-based courses" into the spotlight. Since then, the online education community has been buzzing about this new, engaging way of learning.
Though undoubtedly a major player in the space, there are some flaws we can't simply overlook about this cohort learning platform. That's where the whole "Maven Learning alternatives" conversation comes in. One thing that's hard to miss is how Maven feels like a "famous people only network," really big on influencer marketing. For educators who want a more academic vibe for their cohorts, Maven just doesn’t cut it.
It's not only about the online academy side of things—there are loads other reasons why instructors like yourself are searching for alternatives to Maven Learning. Let’s start with a well-rounded review, and then introduce eight competitors that are currently giving Maven a run for their money.
What is Maven Learning?
In 2020, Maven Learning was born out of a startup idea that blended two thriving sectors: the creator economy and edtech. Maven cohort based courses are designed and led by instructors and influencers. The concept was simple - anyone with expertise could teach.
After raising $25 million from investors and experiencing a significant change in direction, the company now focuses on courses developed by star employees within tech organizations rather than multitasking creators. This pivot has occurred after students completed more than 300 cohorts and generated up to $9 million in course sales within 18 months.
The Trio Behind Maven
Wes Kao, Gagan Biyani, and Shreyans Bhansali co-founded Maven Learning, each bringing their unique experiences to the table.
Wes Kao previously co-founded the altMBA, which expanded rapidly under her leadership. She also serves as a mentor for Backstage Capital and WeWork Labs.
Gagan Biyani, a Udemy co-founder, initially pursued live online classes but shifted gears to create a massive open online course provider, or MOOC. After leaving Udemy and starting a food company, he joined forces with Wes Kao to establish Maven.
Shreyans Bhansali has a diverse background, currently working as both a Co-founder at Maven and Engineering Manager at Google. He has also held positions as Founder & CTO at Socratic and attended the University of Hamburg.
Maven Learning's Diverse User Base
Maven cohort platform caters to a wide range of individuals, such as:
- Subject Matter Experts eager to share their knowledge with upcoming leaders
- Consultants and coaches looking to scale their expertise through highly-leveraged courses
- Successful C-level executives with a history of coaching others and achieving results
The shift in focus for Maven Learning highlights the platform's adaptability and its commitment to delivering valuable content for users from various backgrounds and industries.
Maven Courses
On Maven Learning, you can set up a wide range of cohort-based courses tailored to various topics and industries, including business, technology, design, marketing, and more.
Debunking Confusing Websites
It is important to note that Maven Learning should not be confused with the following websites:
- Maven: This website is related to the Apache Maven project, a software project management and comprehension tool.
- Maven Education: This LinkedIn page is about a different company called Maven Education, which specializes in tutoring and educational services.
Maven Learning: Pros & Cons Revealed
There are some pretty good reasons for Maven's success. Here are a few:
First Cohort Earnings Potential
Maven claims that educators have the potential to earn up to $30,000 when they launch their first cohort
Students Give It a Thumbs Up
With an average rating of 9.1/10, it's clear that students appreciate the interactive and community-oriented nature of the live courses.
A Platform with Traction
With a user base of over 15,000 students, Maven is definitely making a name for itself in the cohort-focused learning space.
Visibility for Maven Course Creators
If you're an educator, you'll love the added exposure you can get through Maven's course marketplace.
Networking Opportunities
Thanks to its clientele of C-level execs and founders, the Maven online learning site offers some great networking potential.
And here are the not-so-perfect apects of Maven Learning:
Pricing Mystery
Educators might feel a bit in the dark about the Maven prices before they sign up.
Commission: A Hefty 10%
This rate seems a bit steep, and it's not totally clear if this includes the signup fee or not. We only found a guide on how to sell with Maven.
Limited Market Reach
If you're looking to expand globally, Maven's focus on the US audience could be a bummer.
Could Use More Integrations
Maven's LMS could definitely benefit from more features and integrations to round out the experience.
Maven Alternatives for Cohort Based Learning Trainers
Let's review the platforms that address Maven's limitations.
Alternatives for Academies & Bootcamps
If you're looking to establish an online academy or bootcamp, consider these options.
EducateMe
EducateMe is a platform that provides an all-in-one solution for academies and bootcamps looking to launch their cohort courses as an alternative to Maven Learning.
Why EducateMe is Well-suited for Bootcamps and Academies:
Scalable Pricing Model
EducateMe uses a pricing model where each active student is charged $2.5/month. This structure is ideal for educators or businesses looking to scale a large audience, such as academies and bootcamps. The pricing model allows you to adjust your costs depending on your needs.
Cohort Learning Solutions
Offers comprehensive cohort learning solutions that promote collaboration among students without the need for a physical space. The platform's tools, features, and integrations enable course creators and trainers to develop engaging cohort-based courses that enrich the learning experience.
Bootcamp Management Tools
Provides educators and organizations with the necessary tools to efficiently manage their online learning bootcamps. Users can automate live sessions, organize training materials, manage student assignments, track and analyze performance, and more - all from one platform.
No Code Set Up
EducateMe is designed to be user-friendly and requires no coding expertise to set up and manage.
Usage by Academies and Bootcamps
The user base includes owners of academies, universities, and bootcamps, such as Set University, Litosvita, and Citrus Academy. This demonstrates the platform's suitability and reliability for similar institutions, providing potential customers with insight into how others are utilizing EducateMe.
Teachfloor
Teachfloor is another alternative to Maven offering, cohort platform for instructors seeking to establish online academies or bootcamps with cohort-based courses.
Why Consider Teachfloor for Academies & Bootcamps:
Varied Pricing Options
Teachfloor's pricing plans take into account different company sizes and provide the flexibility of hosting an unlimited number of students. The Pro plan offers support for up to four admins, with pricing ranging from $59 to $69 based on the billing frequency. The Business plan is available between $299 and $349. Customized pricing can be requested to meet specific needs.
Comprehensive Platform for Cohort-Based Learning
Teachfloor's platform simplifies the process of creating and selling cohort-based courses online. Its user-friendly design allows for straightforward management of live online academies.
Ease of Use for Online Bootcamp Management
This platform facilitates conducting live Zoom classes, managing students, and processing online payments, offering a complete solution for online bootcamp management.
Collaboration Between Instructors
Understanding the importance of teamwork among instructors, Teachfloor offers support for multiple instructors working together. Users can add collaborators to their site and link them directly to their respective classes.
VarsityScape
Made for academies, VarsityScape is a streamlined cohort-based learning platform that combines essential tools for successful live classes in one user-friendly platform.
Notable Aspects of VarsityScape for Academies:
Support
a. Assistance in Academy Setup
VarsityScape provides support for setting up academies, including courses, cohorts, marketing pages, and content on their platform.
b. Collaboration on Launch Strategies:
To ensure a successful course launch, they work alongside instructors, considering their budget and target audience.
c. Continued Support during Cohorts
They manage administrative tasks throughout the cohorts, allowing you to focus on student engagement and instruction.
Innovative AI Platform
VarsityScape's content creation tool, powered by AI, uses natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to efficiently analyze and generate multimedia course materials such as slides and videos.
Pricing Adapted to Academy Needs
Offering flexibility, its pricing plans cater to academies of different sizes. The Personal plan covers up to 100 students per cohort, 1,000 session minutes, and a 6% transaction fee. Meanwhile, the Professional plan supports up to 500 students per cohort, offers unlimited sessions, and requires a 3% transaction fee.
Alternatives for Single Creators & Corporates
FreshLearn and Eduflow make good options for individual educators and corporations, respectively.
FreshLearn
FreshLearn empowers users to transform their knowledge into various forms such as courses, cohorts, live workshops, digital downloads, and even launch an online business.
The platform boasts a diverse user base of over 13,000 creators, which includes coaches, fitness and wellness trainers, instructors, and artists. These creators have collectively generated more than $20 million in revenue by offering courses, cohorts, workshops, and more on their uniquely branded websites.
Key Advantages of FreshLearn for Solo Cohort Instructors:
Flexible Pricing Structure
Creators can benefit from FreshLearn's affordable pricing options. The platform offers a free plan, a pro plan at $39 per month with additional personalized features, and a "no-brainer" package with advanced features at $69 per month.
User-Friendly Interface
FreshLearn's platform is designed to be easy to navigate and manage, even for those without a tech background or specialized skills. Its intuitive design ensures a seamless experience for creators.
Emphasis on Individual Instructors
The FreshLearn community primarily consists of single instructors. The platform showcases a "hall of fame" where users can learn from others' experiences and reasons for choosing FreshLearn. One of the main motivations for switching from other platforms is the cost savings offered by FreshLearn.
Eduflow
EduFlow is a cohort-based learning platform specifically designed to cater to corporate training and professional development needs. This Maven alternative comes equipped with robust tools and features, allowing businesses to create, manage, and launch engaging cohort-based courses for employees. These courses can be utilized for sales training, peer review, and more. Depending on the chosen plan, monthly pricing ranges from $49 to $649.
Key Aspects of EduFlow:
Streamlined Course Development
EduFlow's authoring experience ensures that building courses is a hassle-free process. Instructors can create engaging courses in minutes rather than months, streamlining the development of training content.
Encouraging Teamwork and Collaboration
EduFlow's platform is designed to boost student engagement and knowledge retention through collaborative learning experiences. This approach helps to foster a culture of collaboration and peer learning within the organization.
Flexibility & Integration
It functions as a stand-alone tool or works in tandem with an existing learning management system (LMS). It also offers seamless integration with other tools that organizations may already be using.
Alternatives for Communities
Cohort communities are collaborative spaces designed for individuals with similar interests to engage and network around common objectives. These platforms integrate both networking and accountability functionalities, enabling members to interact and maintain mutual responsibility towards one another.
GroupApp
GroupApp is a versatile platform that serves as a one-stop solution for creating an integrated space for communities, courses, memberships, and events. It offers different pricing options, catering to a range of needs and budgets from $0 to $499/month.
Advantages of GroupApp for Cohort Community Building:
Membership Subscriptions
By automating billing and simplifying subscription setup, GroupApp lets users concentrate on teaching while generating a stable income from their expertise. Users can charge a recurring fee for access to their content.
Promotional Tools
Creating and implementing promotional codes and coupons for courses and subscriptions is hassle-free with GroupApp. Users can provide special offers and customized deals to their customers.
Cohort Learning Experience Integration
The course builder allows users to set up and launch cohort-based courses with ease. The platform fosters an engaging social community experience without requiring users to switch between platforms or use complex technical workarounds.
Interactive Community Directory
Encouraging relationship-building among members, its community directory enables users to create public profiles and share personal information. With user photos included, members can easily identify and connect with their peers.
Mighty Networks
As a comprehensive platform, Mighty Networks enables instructors to build thriving memberships, courses, and communities beyond the limitations of social media. The platform, which ranks among the largest and most popular community building solutions, offers two pricing options: a $33/month community plan and a $99/month business plan.
Mighty Networks and Community Building Benefits:
Cohort-Based Courses
A Mighty Network is intended for hosting cohort-based courses, providing a live and structured learning experience. The platform has been successfully running its own Community Design™ course since 2019. A strong community element in these courses fosters accountability and improves learning effectiveness for participants.
Comprehensive Community Support Strategies
Through its Mighty Community, Mighty Networks offers an array of free resources and events to thousands of hosts. Users can learn and apply the principles of Community Design™, creating valuable and self-sustaining communities. The platform showcases its unique community strategy and product application, allowing users to benefit from the shared knowledge.
The Cultural Software Platform
Mighty Networks' cultural software integrates content, courses, commerce, and community to empower users to build their businesses and make a significant impact. Content serves to inspire and influence, while courses facilitate deeper learning and practical application. Commerce assists users in prioritizing valuable content, while community supports growth and scalability.
Disco
Disco is a cohort-based learning platform focused on helping businesses build and manage learning communities. Its pricing begins at $75/month for the Pro plan and $399/month for the Organization plan.
How Disco Complements as an Alternative to Maven:
Variety in Course Offerings
As one of the most inventive and well-crafted LMS options, the platform caters to four unique use cases, including one-off events, live cohorts, self-paced courses, and community hot spots. This adaptability makes it an ideal solution for a range of learning situations.
Personalized Branding
Users can create a high-quality learning community experience with Disco's custom branding capabilities. These features encompass personalized colors for a uniform appearance, branded emails with logos and brand colors, and logo and favicon customization to establish a distinct and recognizable identity.
Centralized Community Management
Disco eases community management by providing a one-stop platform with administrative functionalities, group management options, and bulk inviting features. This consolidated approach saves time for community managers and streamlines member management.
Marketing Opportunities
You can access a range of monetization possibilities for their learning communities. The platform delivers discounts, referrals, payment processing, and customizable templates to design the ideal learning experience, allowing users to effectively capitalize on their communities.
Mobile-Only Platforms & Tools for Cohort Events
Focusing on mobile based apps and platforms for managing cohort events, here are 3 examples of Maven Learning alternatives.
RocketShip Accelerators
RocketShip Accelerators stands out as a mobile alternative to Maven Learning, delivering accelerator resources directly to your smartphone.
Highlights:
Dashboard
A personal space for account, cohorts, team, and organization management, with access to deliverables and events.
Communication
Chat functionality enables interaction among team and organization members.
Feedback
Members can submit their expectations, questions, and opinions through surveys.
Virtually
Designed to support backend operations for cohort-based courses, Virtually allows users to manage events, calendar invites, and automated reminders. Two pricing options are available: Pro (starting at $50/month) and Business (starting at $125/month).
Highlights:
Event Management
Easily schedule Zoom sessions, update calendar invites, and automate email reminders.
Enhanced Security
Prevent unwanted visitors, tailor security preferences, and receive alerts for unusual activities.
Course Monitoring
Keep track of course progress with automated attendance tracking, dashboard reporting, and performance trend analysis.
On Deck
Be On Deck is a curated community focused on helping members build successful venture-backed companies. Operating primarily in San Francisco, this platform combines an online community, software, and events to support members in finding co-founders, making early hires, generating product momentum, expanding distribution, and raising capital.
Highlights:
Membership Structure
The yearly membership fee of $2,990 covers a 3-day kickoff summit, access to the San Francisco community space, four weeks of programming, and the virtual community.
Events
A series of progressive events centered on building cohorts and networking connects members with early believers who can positively impact their company's trajectory.
Conclusion
A comprehensive cohort-based learning platform should enable educators to experiment with various methods for developing their academies. As a result, it is essential to select an alternative to Maven that offers the flexibility necessary for growth. EducateMe is a comprehensive online academy providing diverse solutions for cohort course creators, catering to their unique needs.
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