Web platformEducation & e-learningOriginal by Udemy
Udemy grew on an online learning marketplace model in which anyone can create and sell a course. Instructors upload video lessons, set their prices and tap into the platform's traffic, while students choose among thousands of courses, from programming to photography, using ratings and reviews. Lifetime access, frequent promotions and a trustworthy review system are the core elements that keep both sides on the platform.
Building something similar requires a student website and mobile app, an instructor panel with course creation tools, secure video hosting and playback, cart and checkout, instructor revenue sharing and payout reports, a Q&A area, and a quiz and certificate module. On the admin side you need a course approval process, refund handling, a coupon engine and content quality control. Tax and e-invoicing rules for instructor payouts should be planned for each market you sell in.
How Udemy works: the core user flow
How many apps and dashboards do you need?
Student website and app
The interface for students who search for courses, buy them, watch videos, ask questions and leave reviews.
Instructor panel
A panel where instructors build course curricula, upload videos, define coupons and track their earnings.
Admin panel
An internal panel for course approval, refunds, campaigns, instructor payouts and complaint management.
Critical features of a product like Udemy
Course creation wizard
A curriculum of sections, lessons, videos, documents and quizzes is built by drag and drop and sent for approval before publishing.
Protected video playback
Videos are delivered encrypted over HLS, downloading and sharing are made harder, and watch progress is saved.
Instructor revenue sharing
Different commission rates apply by sales channel (organic, coupon, ads), and a monthly payout report is generated.
Coupon and campaign engine
Instructor coupons, site-wide discounts and time-limited campaigns are managed through pricing rules.
Q&A and announcements
Students ask questions per lesson, and the instructor replies and sends announcements to the course.
Ratings and certificates
Graduates leave ratings and reviews, and a completion certificate is issued with a verification code.
What goes into the first version, what comes later
First version (MVP)
- Course listing, search and category pages
- Instructor panel with course and video upload
- Cart and checkout with Stripe
- Protected video playback and progress tracking
- Ratings, reviews and completion certificates
Later releases
- Mobile app and offline viewing
- Corporate subscription plan
- AI-generated subtitles and translation
- Personalised course recommendations
Modules and how the budget is calculated
The budget is calculated with 360 SOFT’s pricing model from the modules below, about 34 screens and the project’s complexity: roughly 183 person-days for the full scope and 140 person-days for the first version. Every module you drop lowers the budget directly.
| Module | Phase |
|---|---|
| Sign-up, login, social login | First version |
| User profile and settings | First version |
| Roles and permissions | First version |
| Product / content catalogue | First version |
| Cart and checkout | First version |
| Online payments (Stripe / PSP) | First version |
| Marketplace integration (Amazon, etc.) | Later release |
| Advanced search and filters | First version |
| Video / voice calls | First version |
| Ratings and reviews | First version |
| Real-time messaging | First version |
| Reporting and analytics | First version |
| Admin dashboard | First version |
| E-invoicing | First version |
Hosting, SMS, map APIs, app store accounts and payment-provider fees are separate items. Maintenance and improvements (optional): €600 / month. We send a fixed written price within 24 hours after a free discovery call.
The hard parts
Video cost and protection
Encoding, storing and delivering thousands of hours of video is expensive, and DRM-style measures are needed against content piracy.
Instructor payments
Revenue sharing, refunds, tax withholding and e-invoicing flows must be designed together with accounting.
Content quality
In an open marketplace, low-quality or duplicate courses erode trust; an approval process and a quality checklist are essential.
Business model
In a Udemy-style marketplace, revenue is the commission taken on course sales: a high rate on sales the platform brings in and a low rate on sales from the instructor's own coupon, which encourages instructors to bring their own audience. Selling subscriptions to a curated course library for companies and offering instructors promotion and advertising packages are strong additional revenue models.
Get a free quote for your project
Let us scope it together and send a fixed written quote within 24 hours. NDA on request; you own the source code.
Choosing a company to build an app like Udemy
Most people searching “website like udemy” are really looking for a reliable app development company. When comparing quotes, check four things:
- Can you try similar products they have shipped, in the stores or live?
- Are the source code, design files, servers and store accounts transferred to you by contract?
- Do they show a working demo every two weeks, with written scope and acceptance criteria?
- Are maintenance, scaling and GDPR/security costs written into the quote?
Copyright and trademarks
A business model and features are generally not protected on their own, but the Udemy name, logo, interface design, content and source code are. That is why we build a product with similar functionality but your own brand, design and code. This is not legal advice; we recommend a trademark search before launch.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to build a website like Udemy?
A first version with course sales, video playback and an instructor panel can be ready in a few months. A mobile app and corporate packages come in later phases.
Ready-made LMS script or custom software?
Moodle or off-the-shelf course scripts may be enough for a single-institution programme, but a multi-instructor marketplace with commissions and payouts usually needs custom development. The decision should reflect your scale and differentiation goals.
Are there copyright or trademark issues?
The online course marketplace business model is free to use. The name, logo, design, course content and code cannot be copied, and content rights should be clear in instructor agreements. This information is not legal advice.
What should I look for when choosing an education platform development company?
Ask for references in video infrastructure, marketplace payments and scalable search. Pay particular attention to how easy the instructor panel is to use.
