12 Best Online Coaching Platforms for Organizations in 2024

Building an organization around learning and development is a clear competitive advantage. And strong coaching can (and should) be a cornerstone of excellent L&D. Whether expert- or peer-led, coaching helps your team set goals and forge their careers with a third-party perspective.

It’s a wonderful tool. But not always simple to facilitate. 

Online coaching platforms help by providing personalized learning experiences that are easy to access and flexible to use. These platforms offer one-on-one or group coaching that can help employees at all levels improve their skills, from leadership and communication to technical abilities. Plus, they can easily scale to meet the needs of a growing team.

This post highlights 12 online coaching platforms that can enhance your L&D efforts. Each one has unique features to fit different coaching needs, whether for new hires, rising stars, or experienced leaders. Read on to find the right tools to help your team thrive and succeed.

What is an online coaching platform?

An online coaching platform lets your employees connect with coaches or subject-matter experts to guide them in their professional development. Because these tools are online, they’re accessible from anywhere. And ideally, at least some of the coaching syllabus can be delivered asynchronously.

Coaching can take various forms: 

• Peer-to-peer: One team member listens and shares advice with another of equivalent seniority. 
• Manager-to-employee: A manager gives recommendations and career guidance to help their employee progress within the organization.
• Expert-to-employee: A professional coach (often external) follows a coaching methodology to give impartial guidance and help the employee set goals. 
• Expert-to-group: An expert facilitates conversations to help peers learn from one another and grow in a group context.  

Some of the platforms we’ll see below are particularly suited to one or two of the structures above. The type of coaching you’re after may determine the ideal coaching software for your organization. 

Note: This article focuses on coaching software for organizations, used for upskilling and developing strong teams. We’re less interested in tools used to develop an online coaching business, provide life coaching services, or create coaching packages for new clients.

White label tools that include client management, invoicing, and payment processing with Stripe or Paypal include Satori, Thinkific, CoachAccountable, Paperbell, and Simply.Coach.

What is coaching?

Here we’re talking about employee coaching — helping to develop team members’ skills and performance in their specific roles. Coaches act as guides, often to junior or less experienced employees. They help to set goals, find inspiration, and create pathways to overcome challenges.

The best coaches don’t offer solutions or clear next steps. They help the people they’re working with discover and work towards these themselves.

Crucially, coaching isn’t management (although managers can be great coaches). Whereas managers often set expectations and measure their reports’ performance, coaches encourage and guide learners to set their own goals and find motivation through professional development.

Coaching is also different from other common terms like mentoring, training, and teaching. There are similarities between these concepts, but coaching is its own discipline.

What to look for in a great coaching tool

Shortly, we’ll see a range of different learning and coaching software, each with its own pros and cons. As you look for a coaching platform, some of the key things to prioritize include:

• Personalization: Because each employee has their own goals and career path, you shouldn’t be stuck with a one-size-fits-all solution.
• An easy interface: Platforms must be simple for coaches, employees, and L&D coordinators to use.
• Notifications and progress tracking: Employees aren’t always self-motivated and can quickly lose track of what’s required of them. Automated notifications and reminders about tasks due and scheduled sessions are critical.
• Workflow automation: Employees should be guided from step to step in their training plan, without coaches having to send manual reminders.
• AI-augmentation: If you want to build your own courses and upskill your workforce, artificial intelligence makes this fast and effective. AI also helps map the best content to an employee’s needs, and can even suggest the best matches of coach and learner.
• Integrations: Integrations can include simple things like Calendly or Google Suite to schedule sessions, to video conferencing, to content libraries and your LMS and HR tools.
• User-generated content: Empowers subject-matter experts to create and share multimedia content such as videos, webinars, podcasts, and blogs.
• Mobile apps: Coaching sessions and follow ups may need to be delivered through mobile, particularly if a team member is traveling or away from their desk.
• Further reading: While the best coaching is delivered live, it can be helpful to reinforce ideas through a little homework. If those libraries are built into the same coaching tool, that makes life simple.

12 best online coaching platforms

This list explores a range of different platforms for companies and organizations needing all types of coaching. Whether your biggest priorities are pricing and free plans, or comprehensive feature sets to build custom coaching funnels, you’ll find the ideal option.

Let’s start with the clear leader in the pack.

1. 360Learning

360Learning is the market-leading collaborative learning management system. It provides coaches and employees with a safe space for async practice and 1:1 review. 

This is absolutely ideal for sales teams to practice pitches and cold calls, but also lets new managers (or anyone, really) practice those hard conversations that occur in the workplace.

When extra training is required, you can build training courses in minutes with 360Learning’s AI authoring tool. This makes adding new courses or picking out individual modules fast and efficient.

You also get customizable assessments and tools to give feedback online, plus a mobile coaching app. 1:1 coaching can be done in real time, or through recordings (as shown above).

Both coaches and employees are notified when they have tasks to complete, so the process can continue asynchronously and at scale.

Key features: Video coaching; screencast demo; AI course builder; qualitative feedback; vast library of learning resources.

Pros: 360Learning is really the only coaching and learning platform that puts collaboration first. And for organizations that want to share knowledge and grow from within, this is essential.

Cons: Not a good fit for organizations that don’t value a collaborative approach to coaching and learning.

Pricing: Free trial available. Team plans are $8 per registered user per month (up to 100 users). You can also request a live demo to see how the platform can work for you.

2. BetterUp

BetterUp makes it easy to connect your employees with professional coaches relevant to their goals and your industry. Coaching sessions take place as 1:1 video calls, and employees can schedule appointments to suit their work timetable.

Employees take a short intake form about their reasons for seeking coaching and what they hope to achieve. They can also suggest the kind of coach they want.

BetterUp then suggests potential coaches, and the employee can choose from a range of profiles. The platform also suggests the kinds of development opportunities that might suit each employee, based on their position, experience, and stated needs.

If you want to bring external coaching expertise to your team on a personalized, one-to-one level, BetterUp is a great option.

Key features: Science-based approach to coaching; employees can sample and select from a range of experienced coaches; easy-to-use interface.

Pros: Personalized coaching; emphasis on mental health, leadership, and goal setting. Helpful if you don’t have coaching experience in house.

Cons: Unclear costs; doesn’t focus on role-specific technical skills.

3. CoachHub

Similar to BetterUp, CoachHub offers digital coaching programs for companies and their teams. Organizations have access to more than 3,500 coaches worldwide, in over 80 languages.

Coaching sessions typically take place at the individual level, with employees choosing areas to focus on with coaches. Group coaching is also available for 4-6 people, with each session focused on a challenge faced by one participant.

CoachHub’s areas of expertise include executive coaching, performance and talent development, employee experience and well-being, organizational transformation, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Key features: Provides personalized coaching with a focus on leadership and talent development. Coaches are certified and experienced in various fields.

Pros: One-on-one coaching; personalized development plans; wide range of coaches and languages; focus on leadership.

Cons: Unclear costs; primarily targets leadership and executive skills.

Pricing: Request a demo to learn more about CoachHub packages.

4. Highspot

Highspot is a dedicated sales coaching and enablement platform specifically built to upskill sales teams. The platform uses artificial intelligence to “pinpoint what’s working and what’s not, quickly upskill sellers, and drive sales effectiveness and consistency at scale.”

Specifically, the AI Copilot can analyze sales calls, practice pitches, and Zoom recordings to grade a trainee’s performance against a range of metrics. It can also improve your messaging and outreach templates, to make your first touch with a prospect more impactful.

Coaches and peers can then add further feedback and insights to supplement this. This mix of AI- and human-powered coaching lets you scale sales training and upskill more team members, faster. It also helps ensure a consistent training experience, which is a challenge for large and distributed teams.

Key features: Screenshare and mobile presentations; video analysis; AI-powered feedback and grades.

Pros: Built as a dedicated sales enablement platform; very scalable; smart use of AI.

Cons: Not a good fit for the whole company; not focused on soft skills or leadership development.

Pricing: Quote available on request.

5. Seismic

Seismic is another tool built for customer-facing teams like sales, customer onboarding, and customer success. It’s best known as a coaching and content sharing platform for sales reps.

Sales teams require a high amount of institutional and industry knowledge, yet often also suffer from (relatively) high turnover. So good coaching and training is critical.

Seismic claims to train sales teams 62% faster than the norm, and gets new reps up to speed in only 10 days. It does this through a mix of interactive sales courses and real-life role plays, alongside data-driven coaching plans that focus on closing knowledge and skills gaps.

Seismic Learning (formerly Lessonly) lets you build interactive training plans, while Seismic Knowledge lets reps quickly find answers to any questions they have.

Key features: Video recordings; role plays and practice calls; integrations with Salesforce (and other CRMs); centralized company knowledge base.

Pros: Built for sales teams; comprehensive; good tools for building sales skills.

Cons: Setup can be slow; takes time to build an internal content library; requires foresight and planning to use well.

Pricing: Request a demo for more information.

6. Skillsoft

Skillsoft has a range of learning and development solutions, predominantly aimed at leadership, technology, and core business skills. Among these is Skillsoft Coaching, which combines content, coaches, and technology to provide a personalized coaching experience.

Its ICF/EMCC coaches have 10+ years’ professional experience in more than 30 countries, speaking over 25 languages. Skillsoft also includes a content library and a generative AI coach CAISY, which simulates scenarios and lets learners practice skills any time.

And because Skillsoft acknowledges that coaching only works when people engage, it offers three-way accountability calls with coaches, employees, and managers. This ensures that all three understand and are aligned on the goals of the program.

Key features: Broad range of courses and resources including leadership development; provides advanced analytics to track client progress; AI coach to practice scenarios and receive feedback.

Pros: Comprehensive library; advanced analytics; leadership focus; coaching for coding and compliance skills.

Cons: Can be costly; complex platform.

Pricing: Free trial available. €50/month per user (up to 50 users). Request a demo for enterprise plans.

7. Degreed

Degreed is a learning experience platform (LXP) offering “end-to-end learning” with the goal of upskilling teams. It incorporates skill taxonomies, ratings, and insights from across your organization to help you develop talent and encourage internal mobility. The core aim is to deliver personalized learning at scale.

The platform doesn’t feature dedicated coaching tools per se, but its online courses and learning management software can be used as part of a coaching plan. And a recent partnership with mentoring platform Guider shows that Degreed will soon expand its peer-to-peer coaching portfolio.

This is a strong choice for companies that want to build a broad skills-based development plan, including some coaching practices in this workflow.

Key features: Integrates and curates learning content from multiple sources; helps track and measure all types of learning, both formal and informal; specific tools for skills-based learning.

Pros: Integrates multiple learning sources; tracks various types of learning; personalized learning paths; good at exploiting existing content (owned or external).

Cons: Requires significant setup; best suited to large enterprises; may need subscriptions to access further content; not always easy to author new material.

Pricing: Choose from plans for LXP, LXP+, Academies, and Content Marketplace.

8. Tovuti

Tovuti is a mobile-friendly LXP software that lets you build personalized learning experiences.

With interactive engagement tools like quizzes and videos, the platform also includes social learning features like whiteboards, surveys, and screen sharing. All of which are very helpful for peer-led coaching.

It encourages learners to connect and engage with peers through discussions and forums. This lets coaches give feedback easily and check in frequently, without always requiring a Zoom or in-person meeting.

The platform is highly customizable and built for interpersonal interactions, but may not have the same depth of learning content as some of the options we’ll see next. Which for coaching may not be an issue at all.

Key features: Good course building software; easy to track progress; customizable and personalizable; strong security and compliance.

Pros: Supports mobile learning; serves a wide range of industries and use cases; integrates with “almost anything.”

Cons: Not as easy to set up as some learning experience platforms. 

Pricing: Tovuti Lite Starter Plan with limited features starting at $199/month for up to 50 users. For larger plans, request a demo.

9. Docebo

Docebo is a social learning platform for businesses, and government departments. It creates tools and spaces for employees to share experiences and learn from one another, building “a community of coaches.”

Best suited to mid-sized and large companies, it relies on content generated by your internal and external experts. Employees interact with and react to this content, and can ask questions in public so that the whole company develops.

Docebo lets you add coaching sessions within elearning courses. One step in the course may require employees to schedule a coaching session on the topics they’re learning about, for real-time feedback and discussion. It’s a nice example of embedding coaching with a wider learning program.

Key features: Coaching sessions mixed into courses; social learning analytics and insights; fast employee onboarding.

Pros: Configuration is very flexible; large number of features and add-ons; regular product updates.

Cons: Setup can be complex; reporting is relatively basic; add-on services can be expensive.

Pricing: Docebo plans start at $25,000/year for a 3-year contract.

10. WorkRamp

WorkRamp is another LMS with a particular focus on revenue enablement teams, although its tools can be used across your organization. This includes employee onboarding, compliance training, and leadership programs.

Similar to Highspot, WorkRamp also includes AI tools to analyze call recordings and provide tips and feedback to reps. This again lets you coach more team members more effectively, and lets individuals access coaching whenever they need it.

Outside of employee coaching, you can also provide training and education to customers, and even certify resellers. WorkRamp’s packages suit a wide range of companies, from early startups to large businesses.

Key features: AI analysis of sales calls; intuitive lesson creation; drag and drop course builder.

Pros: Serves startups through to enterprise companies; nice range of core tools; AI tools help you scale; easy to use.

Cons: Not as “social” or collaborative as other LMS tools on this list; limited functionality in building courses and tailoring assessments; not easy to extract feedback or insights.

Pricing: Contact WorkRamp for price details.

11. LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning is one of the largest libraries of learning content for organizations and individuals. The platform boasts more than 20,000 courses, with new material added every day.

For existing LinkedIn users (like most of your workforce), it will suggest learning material specific to their roles and levels of experience. You can also incorporate this material into your current LMS or LXP platform, to let employees share their takeaways with one another.

LinkedIn Learning doesn’t provide coaching, but can be a strong complement to your peer-to-peer coaching programs. Coaches can identify specific courses as a follow up from each session, and help team members better understand the lessons within them.

The key downside to the platform is that it requires employees to actively engage. Many companies offer this resource to employees, only to find that most don’t use it. But when used as part of a structured coaching and L&D program, it can be a rich trove of knowledge.

Key features: Vast library of courses on a wide range of topics, including business, technology, and creative skills. It integrates with LinkedIn profiles, making it easy to track and showcase completed courses.

Pros: Extensive course catalog; high-quality content; integrated with LinkedIn profiles; relatively easy to personalize; little setup required.

Cons: Requires self-motivation for completion; not a personalized coaching platform.

Pricing: Try a free month (up to 20 users), with team plans starting at €38/month. Larger plans require you to talk to sales.

12. Coursera for Business

Much like LinkedIn Learning, Coursera for Business offers curated professional development for corporate teams. Users get access to courses from top universities and business leaders, and companies can deliver training and upskilling straight out of the box.

Learners can hone their skills in finance, marketing tools and strategy, data and analytics, and generative AI. There are also courses on leadership skills and career development, which may more closely align to your coaching plans.

While the platform doesn’t facilitate 1:1 coaching, it’s a relatively easy way to deliver an L&D strategy without building the content yourself.

Key features: Courses from top universities and companies; wide range of topics and specializations.

Pros: High-quality content from reputable institutions; flexible learning paths; even offers certificates and degrees.

Cons: Can be expensive; may require significant time investment; isn’t personalized to your organization and its roles.

Pricing: Team plan (5-125 users) is $399/year per user; Enterprise plans (125+ users) upon request.

Choose the best coaching platform for your organization

A rising tide lifts all boats. But too many boats get bogged down by slow and tedious L&D processes. Good coaching tools should change that. 

In our view, the best platforms put collaboration first. If the whole organization can easily buy in and participate, your life as an L&D leader is infinitely easier. 

You want a platform that’s:

• Simple, intuitive, and enjoyable for learners, and 
• Efficient for subject-matter experts to create lessons

That’s exactly how we’ve built 360Learning: to streamline coaching and put collaboration at the heart of every L&D program. Book a demo to see how it works.