No-Code Stack or All in One Tool? Here are the Pros and Cons

Building a Cohort-based course (CBC)? Deciding what tools to use to manage your program is likely pretty top of mind at the moment. 

Luckily, last week we shared some of the top no-code tools for running a CBC in 2022. We focused on tools that individually handle the most essential components of managing your program: community, content hosting, payments, live events, and database. 

While tying multiple tools together allows you to leverage tools that specialize in a single area of expertise, it’s certainly not the only option out there for managing a CBC online. 

Given the explosive growth of CBCs over the past few years, a number of all-in-one platforms have emerged to help you manage your program from a single place. 

But is an all-in-one right for you? We share the pros and cons of using an all-in-one tool to manage your CBC below, in addition to highlighting some of the leading tools in the space. 

Pros of using an all-in-one tool:

• Fewer tools to manage: If having to juggle multiple logins and subscriptions sounds overwhelming, an all-in-one tool might be right for you. Getting to have all of your main components in one place can cut down on admin time and let you focus on running your program. 
• Great for those just starting out: If you’re just starting out, an all in one can be a great option. They help provide some much needed structure (and maybe even a few templates) and are often super intuitive. Because these tools are no-code, they don’t require significant tech savvy to get up and running. 

Cons of using an all-in-one tool: 

• High transaction fees (~10%): Some all-in-one tools can charge hefty transaction fees, since they showcase CBCs built on their platforms to a larger marketplace. While this can definitely increase exposure, that exposure comes at a price. 
• Less fine-tune control: All-in-one tools typically have fewer options for customization. If you’re not open to building your course within the mold that’s offered, you might find using an all-in-one tool limiting. 
• Simplistic LMS, community, and event management features: Because all-in-one tools have a broad span of features, the features themselves tend to be pretty simplistic. In the world of software, you can either do one thing extremely well, or a lot of things sort of well. That’s the trade-off you make when using an all-in-one tool. 

All in ones to choose from: 

What all-in-one tools are even out there? Here are some of the most popular ones: 

Maven: Maven has gotten a ton of buzz since it was started by the founders of Udemy, altMBA, and Socratic. In order to use the platform to build your course, you need to go through Maven’s 3 week accelerator, where you’ll get feedback from leading coaches and instructors. 

Disco: Disco helps creators build live learning experiences and also offers a CBC accelerator program. It comes with integrations to Stripe, Mailchimp, and Zoom and offers curriculum, assignments, and calendaring features. 

Teachfloor: With a curriculum builder, Zoom and Stripe integrations, email automation, a course landing page, calendar scheduling, on-demand videos, and peer-review opportunities, Teachfloor is jam packed with features (not to mention a course creator academy). 

Graphy: Graphy is an all-in-one platform to help you set up a live course and monetize your knowledge. Instead of including features or integrations, Graphy has built a tool similar to Zoom that can be used for live online teaching. 

All in one or no-code stack? It’s totally up to you. 

If you’re curious to learn more about No-Code, don’t miss out on our upcoming webinar: How Ali Abdaal’s Team Uses No-Code to Automate Part-time YouTuber Academy. 

Join us on Thursday, Feb. 24th @ 12pm EST. Register here. 

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