Maven
Maven: A strong starting point for cohort instructors who want no platform fee before sales. Ranked #112 of 146 in Online Course Platforms by our editors (4.2/10); pricing: Free plan; best for cohort instructors starting with no platform fee.
At a glance
- Editor score4.2 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forCohort instructors starting with no platform fee
- Free planYes
- Paid fromNone
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Supports cohort courses, workshops, Lightning Lessons, and resources
- Combines landing pages, email campaigns, communities, and live sessions
- Includes enrollment, engagement, and completion analytics
Where it doesn't
- Charges a 10% fee on paid enrollments
- Also applies Stripe processing fees to paid transactions
- Coverage is limited to the web platform
Our verdict on Maven
Maven is an online learning platform for experts and instructors who create and sell cohort-based courses, one-day workshops, free Lightning Lessons, resources, and services. It is aimed at teaching businesses built around live instruction, community participation, and professional topics such as AI, product, engineering, design, marketing, leadership, and founder skills. The platform combines course creation with landing pages, email marketing, student management, analytics, payment processing, communities, and live-session support.
Pricing is straightforward but transaction-led. Maven is free until a student pays, after which the published model charges a 10% fee on paid enrollments, in addition to Stripe processing fees. There is no conventional subscription tier structure to compare plan by plan. That approach suits instructors validating a new cohort or workshop without committing to a recurring platform charge. It becomes less attractive as paid enrollment volume grows, because the transaction fee applies alongside payment-processing costs. Stripe is the listed payment option, with B2B payments also supported.
Its strongest fit is a live, cohort-oriented teaching model rather than a broad catalog of traditional course formats. Instructors can create cohort-based courses, one-day workshops, free Lightning Lessons, downloadable resources, and services, then support them with applications, waitlists, student management, automated email campaigns, broadcasts, and analytics for enrollment, engagement, and completion. Integrations include Zoom and calendar tools, reinforcing the live-session workflow. Choose Maven if cohort delivery, community, and no upfront platform fee matter most. Consider another platform if you need non-web access or want subscription tiers instead of a 10% transaction model.
Maven pricing
Maven fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | None |
| Student limit | Not verified |
| Transaction fee | 10 % |
| Custom domain | Not verified |
| Course formats | Classic; Weekend Seminar; Hybrid; live sessions; projects; pre-recorded videos; readings; templates; resource links |
| Payment options | Stripe |
| Email marketing | Yes |
| Mobile app | Not verified |
| Deployment | Cloud |
| Platforms | Web |
| Support | Email, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 3 integrations: Stripe, Zoom, calendar |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | maven.com |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
Maven integrations
Maven lists 3 integrations on its own site.
- Stripe
- Zoom
- calendar
Alternatives to Maven
- ThinkificA full course business platform for established creators, with broad commerce and learning tools.9.6
- LearnWorldsA deep platform for interactive courses, learning paths, branded delivery, and digital sales.9.0
- FreshLearnA broad, budget-friendly course platform with commerce, marketing, mobile apps, and AI.8.5
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026
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