Which App Should I Use to Teach Online? Your Guide to E-Learning Platforms

You want to teach online, but picking the right app feels a bit like trying to buy groceries when you’re starving and every aisle is just more confusing. Do you really need all those extra features—or are they just shiny add-ons you’ll ignore? A lot of teachers end up wasting time switching platforms because what sounded good in theory turned out to be clunky in practice.

Before you sign up for anything, jot down a short list: do you need to host live classes, share worksheets, run quizzes, record lessons, or manage payments? Trust me, the answers help you dodge a lot of frustration later. Some apps make video calls super easy but totally drop the ball when it comes to tracking progress. Others are the opposite—full of cool analytics but a pain for simple screen-sharing.

I’ve tried more e-learning tools than Max, my dog, has chewed shoes (and that’s saying something). The biggest thing? Forget what’s "popular" for a second—focus on what fits your style, your students, and how you want to teach. Don’t just click the first thing that pops up on Google. There’s way more out there than Zoom or Google Classroom.

• Nailing Down What You Actually Need
• Top Apps Everyone’s Talking About
• Hidden Gems: Lesser-Known but Awesome Tools
• Feature Face-Off: Video, Quizzes, and More
• Money Talk: Free Versus Paid Options
• Quick Tips to Make Any Platform Work Better

Nailing Down What You Actually Need

If you’re trying to pick from a sea of teaching online options, the only way to avoid a headache is to get real about your own needs up front. Not everyone needs the same thing—a math tutor who’s all about whiteboards needs different tools than someone teaching creative writing to a group of teens.

Start with the basics. Ask yourself a few questions:

• Am I teaching live or sending recorded lessons?
• Do I need to see students’ faces (like in a group video class), or just send out assignments?
• Is it important to track who’s doing the work, or is it on the honor system?
• How much tech can my students actually handle?
• What’s my budget? Am I looking for free, or do I need some pro features worth paying for?

Here’s a quick table with features most teachers look for. Jot down what matters to you and skip anything you definitely won’t use.

Once you know your must-haves, picking the right e-learning platform gets a whole lot easier. Only test apps that check your main boxes—you’ll waste less time, and your students will thank you for it.

Top Apps Everyone’s Talking About

If you search for the best online teaching apps, the same names always show up. That’s not by accident—they’ve earned their stripes. Here’s what matters about each, plus some numbers so you can see why they stand out.

• Zoom: Still the go-to for live online classes. Its "Breakout Rooms" make group work painless, and you can record sessions in a click. Best part? It doesn’t need crazy fast internet to work. Just remember, the free plan cuts you off after 40 minutes unless you upgrade. Over 300 million meeting participants use Zoom daily in 2025.
• Google Classroom: If you want simple assignment sharing and easy grading, Classroom fits. It links with Google Drive, so you can toss in Docs, Slides, and Sheets with zero hassle. Google Classroom had 150 million users as of early 2025.
• Microsoft Teams: Perfect if your school or job already pays for Microsoft tools. You get chat, live video, file sharing, and calendar stuff all in one spot. It’s the favorite in many workplaces and now powers over 300,000 educational institutions.
• Kahoot!: For teachers who want to keep classes interactive, Kahoot! delivers. You can make quizzes that feel more like games, and students actually like it. Kahoot!’s monthly active users hit 70 million this year.
• Moodle: This is what many universities use for full-on course management. It’s open-source, so you can customize almost anything, but setup can be a beast if you’re not techy. Moodle has over 400 million users worldwide.

Here’s a quick comparison to show what each app brings:

If your goal is live teaching, Zoom and Teams crush it. If you want homework, grades, and feedback in one spot, Classroom and Moodle win. For turning review day into something students actually look forward to, try Kahoot!. Remember, one size doesn't fit all—pick the e-learning platform that matches how you actually want to run your class.

Hidden Gems: Lesser-Known but Awesome Tools

You already know about Zoom, Google Classroom, and the big platforms everyone tosses around, but there’s a whole other batch of apps that run under the radar and honestly, some of them make teaching a ton easier. If the big names in e-learning platforms aren’t cutting it, check out these hidden gems and see if they fit your vibe better.

• BigBlueButton: This open-source tool is made just for online teaching. You get live slides, instant polls, break-out rooms, and a whiteboard that multiple people can use at once. Plus, it’s privacy-friendly and there are no sneaky in-app purchases or upsells.
• Seesaw: This one’s huge in younger grade levels. It lets students turn in work by snapping pictures or recording short videos. Parents can check in easily, and you can make quick feedback posts without a bunch of clicking around. It’s pretty much built to make “show your work” super simple.
• Whereby: Not everyone needs a full LMS. If you just want a fast way to set up secure video meetings, Whereby gives you a personal meeting room with a simple link—no downloads needed. It’s less clunky than a lot of the big video calling stuff.
• Edpuzzle: This one’s great if you use lots of videos in your lessons. You can embed questions right inside YouTube videos and actually see who watched and who clicked away. Teachers in a recent poll said students finished 30% more assigned videos when Edpuzzle was involved.
• Kahoot!: Sure, it’s not super brand new, but plenty of folks still overlook it. Kahoot! is king for fast quizzes and polls that break up boring lectures. Their data says 97% of teachers saw better engagement when mixing in quick games.

Here’s a quick look at how they stack up on some not-so-obvious features:

Don’t get boxed in by the big brands. Sometimes the tool built for a specific thing—like dropping questions into videos, or making it easy for parents to follow a student’s progress—ends up giving you less hassle and better results. Try one or two of these for a lesson and you’ll see how smooth things can go, especially when you find the right match for your teaching style.

Feature Face-Off: Video, Quizzes, and More

Alright, let’s get into the nuts and bolts. Every online teaching app brags about features, but not all of them deliver what you actually need. Want to stream a live math lesson? Pre-record a grammar tip? Or set up a quick vocab quiz? Here’s how top teaching online tools really stack up:

• Video Calls & Recording: Zoom nails live video—it’s basically the gold standard for group calls and has a built-in recording option, which is a life-saver if students miss class. Google Meet keeps things simple but limits recording to certain Google Workspace accounts. Microsoft Teams is a solid all-in-one option if your school already uses Office; it combines chat, video, and file sharing but isn’t the most intuitive for new users.
• Quizzes & Polls: If you want built-in interactive quizzes, Google Classroom connects easily with Google Forms and makes grading a breeze. Kahoot! is perfect for fast, game-like quizzes students love, but it works best as an add-on, not a full classroom tool. Canvas has super customizable quizzes and lets you set deadlines, popup reminders, and mix up the question types.
• Whiteboards & Screen Sharing: Got a math lesson or want to diagram a process? Zoom and Teams offer built-in digital whiteboards. Miro and Whiteboard.fi are two external apps people swear by. If you need students to co-edit or brainstorm, don’t sleep on Miro’s flexibility.
• Homework & File Sharing: Google Classroom nails this. You drop an assignment, students turn it in, and you can comment right on their doc. On Teams, it’s easy to assign work and keep everything inside one app. Moodle is great for organized coursework, forums, and feedback, but there’s a steeper learning curve.

If you just want something fast and easy for quick lessons, Zoom plus Google Forms usually covers your bases. For a big, organized course, platforms like Canvas or Moodle handle quizzes, attendance, and grading all in one spot. It really depends on how fancy you need to get—or how much you want to mess with settings every class.

Money Talk: Free Versus Paid Options

So, should you pay for your teaching platform or stick with the free stuff? That’s a huge question, and honestly, it really comes down to how you work and what you need. Free tools are great if you’re just getting started, running a tight budget, or teaching part-time. Apps like Google Classroom and Zoom get the job done for a lot of people. You can host live classes, share files, and even assign quizzes—without dropping a dime.

But here’s where it gets tricky. Most free platforms limit you. For example, Zoom limits group meetings to 40 minutes unless you pay (and yep, you feel that clock ticking). Google Classroom doesn’t do video—you’ll need something else for live lessons. Want analytics, homework grading, or big class sizes? That’s almost always behind a paywall.

Paid platforms like Teachable, Thinkific, and Kajabi come with slick features: custom branding, automated grading, sign-up pages, integrated payments, and even ways to build your whole teaching business. They aren’t cheap—plans start around $29 a month and can jump to over $100 for the fancier stuff. But if you’ve got a lot of students or want to look professional, sometimes it saves a ton of hassle (and lost time) in the long run.

Here’s what I learned: If you’re teaching just a handful of students or running short courses, free might be perfect. If you’re planning to grow or want tools that make you stand out, paid plans start making more sense. Don’t just pay because it sounds impressive—track what features you’re really using. Most platforms will let you try paid features for a couple of weeks. Use that trial, push all the buttons, and see if it actually fits.

And don’t forget—if you’re charging students (especially internationally), some paid platforms connect right to Stripe or PayPal and handle payments for you. Saves you a whole mess of headaches and makes you look legit.

Bottom line? Weigh what matters most: cost, features, and the actual experience for your students. That’s where the sweet spot is—not just in the fanciest-looking dashboard.

Quick Tips to Make Any Platform Work Better

Even the fanciest teaching online app won't save a lesson if you run into login headaches or glitchy screens. But there are tried-and-true tricks for making just about any e-learning software play nice, regardless of your tech experience or which platform you picked.

• Run a test drive before your first class: Don’t wait for students to log in before you spot problems. Set up a mock lesson, click every button, and have a friend or family member join as a student. You’ll catch weird audio settings or chat issues before they embarrass you in front of your whole class.
• Keep it simple with links and files: Upload files in universal formats (like PDF, MP4, or JPEG) because not everyone will have the same programs. Drop links into the chat instead of making students dig through the platform to find stuff.
• Use screen-sharing smartly: Check what’s on your screen before you share it with the class—close personal tabs and make sure notifications are turned off. Nothing ruins your flow faster than a pop-up from your pizza delivery app.
• Record your sessions when you can: Most platforms (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and even a few lesser-known apps) let you record. This is a lifesaver for students who miss class or want to review.
• Master breakout rooms for group work: Eye-opening stat: a 2023 poll said 60% of students felt more comfortable talking in breakout rooms than in big group calls. Use these features for peer-to-peer learning or bite-sized group tasks.
• Pin and mute features are your friends: Learn to quickly mute students and pin important screens or slides. This saves time you’d otherwise waste fiddling while everyone waits.
• Keep a backup plan for tech fails: Have your lesson notes, phone numbers for students, or even a WhatsApp group ready in case the main app goes down. Most pros keep a Plan B nearby.

Here’s a quick look at which features you’ll find in major platforms (based on 2024 data):

Tech hiccups happen to everyone, so don’t sweat small slip-ups. The key is to get comfortable with your platform, keep things straightforward, and always have a backup just in case your dog—like Max—decides it’s the perfect moment to chase the mailman right through your WiFi signal.