Stepik
Stepik is a Russian online learning marketplace founded in 2013 that connects 5,000+ course authors with 13 million registered learners across 11,000+ courses spanning programming, analytics, and business. It generates revenue via course sales commissions, corporate B2B training contracts, and mobile applications across iOS, Android, and RuStore.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersMoscow, Russia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Stepik does
Stepik is a Russian online learning marketplace and course-authoring platform founded in 2013 and operated by the Saint Petersburg-based LLC "Цифровые образовательные решения" (Digital Educational Solutions), with Nikolay Vyahhi as founder and CEO and Rita Viktorovna Karimi as General Director of the legal entity. The platform connects more than 5,000 course authors with 13 million registered learners through a catalog of 11,000+ courses spanning programming, data analysis, foreign languages, marketing, humanities, business, and self-development, with 9,000+ courses available free of charge. Underlying technology is a Python/Django backend with MariaDB and an Ember.js frontend, complemented by a proprietary automated task verification system for programming and SQL exercises that provides instant feedback, plus LTI, OAuth 2, and iframe integrations for embedding into external LMS systems, and native mobile applications on iOS, Android, and RuStore.
Stepik operates three distinct go-to-market motions. For individual learners it runs a self-serve, product-led growth motion with freemium access to thousands of free courses and certificates of completion. For enterprises it runs a direct B2B sales motion targeting HR and L&D teams at 200+ companies including Samsung, Yandex, Avito, Sberbank, VK, and CIAN, with invoice billing at a 25% markup over base prices, volume discounts, and custom course development. For authors it operates as a two-sided marketplace, taking a 7% commission on sales generated through author-owned channels and a 40% commission when students are acquired through Stepik's traffic sources, including paid Yandex Direct campaigns that authors can leverage at no additional cost. The platform is a resident of the Skolkovo Innovation Center.
The business model is hybrid: marketplace commission fees, corporate subscription contracts (annual billing cadence), and ancillary services such as paid "how to create a successful course" meta-courses for prospective authors. Pricing is set by individual authors per course (ranging from free to 159,990 RUB) and Stepik monetizes on the spread. Corporate training carries a documented minimum threshold of 5,000 RUB per employee for training programs. No revenue figure is disclosed in the available data, and the company has no disclosed venture capital, private equity, or institutional funding rounds.
Stepik firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Stepik
- Legal name
- Общество с ограниченной ответственностью «Цифровые образовательные решения»
- Website
- https://stepik.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Stepik is a Russian online learning marketplace founded in 2013 that connects 5,000+ course authors with 13 million registered learners across 11,000+ courses spanning programming, analytics, and business. It generates revenue via course sales commissions, corporate B2B training contracts, and mobile applications across iOS, Android, and RuStore.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Stepik industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Learning Platform
- NAICS
- Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Computer Training (611420), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online Learning Content & Course Publishing Platforms (BPAMAJAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Corporate Training Course Marketplaces (B2B Content Libraries) (EDAFAIAH), Corporate/L&D Course Licensing from Creators (B2B Upskilling) (MPACALAH), Higher Education Course Design & Online Program Development (EDAGAKAB), Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC), Assessment & Quiz Item Authoring Tools (within course builders) (EDAFAHAG)
Keywords
Where Stepik is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Moscow
- HQ country
- Russia
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Stepik business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Course Sales Commission: Stepik charges commission on paid course sales: 7% when author brings their own students via author links, 40% when students come from Stepik's traffic sources. Commission covers hosting, payment processing, customer support, and marketing.
- Corporate Training / Enterprise: B2B sales of course access to corporate clients. Pricing is 25% above base course price to cover document handling and additional support. Volume discounts available for larger purchases. Includes custom course development and adaptation services.
- Course Creation Services: Paid courses for authors teaching how to create successful courses on Stepik. Example: 'Creating a Paid Course on Stepik: Beginner Level' at 2,900₽
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Individual Course Purchase |
| Subscription | Annual | Corporate B2B Pricing |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Courses (Freemium) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Stepik product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Stepik operates an online learning platform that combines a course marketplace, learning management system (LMS), and course authoring tool. Authors create and publish free or paid courses using video, text lessons, and interactive assignments with automated code/SQL verification, while learners access 11,000+ courses across programming, data analysis, languages, and professional development. The company also offers a dedicated B2B corporate training solution with invoice billing, progress analytics, and custom course development for 200+ companies.
Product overview
Stepik is a unified online learning ecosystem comprising the core Stepik Platform (course marketplace and LMS), Stepik Mobile Application (iOS/Android for on-the-go learning), Stepik Course Constructor (authoring tool for creating courses), Stepik Corporate Training Enterprise (B2B training solution with private courses and analytics), and the Stepik Help Center (documentation portal). These products work together as an integrated platform where learners access courses, authors create and sell content, and organizations deploy corporate training.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Stepik Platform Russian online learning platform combining a course marketplace, learning management system (LMS), and course constructor. Hosts 11,000+ free and paid courses across programming, data analysis, languages, and other topics for individual learners and corporate clients.
- Stepik Mobile Application Native mobile app for iOS and Android enabling users to download courses and learn on-the-go, with offline viewing, progress sync, and push notifications. Available on App Store, Google Play, and Russian RuStore.
- Stepik Course Constructor Built-in course authoring tool accessed via teach.stepik.org that allows instructors to create online courses with video lessons, text modules, interactive assignments with automated verification, exams, certificates, and student progress tracking.
- Stepik Corporate Training (Enterprise)
- Stepik Help Center
Quantifiable outcome
- Average course author earns 100,000₽/month with successful courses
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Stepik
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Stepik technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature4 records
Stepik partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- SamsungminorSamsung hosts courses on Stepik platform as part of their educational content strategy. Samsung courses appear in the Stepik catalog alongside other institutional partners.
- Yandex AcademyminorYandex Academy distributes educational content through the Stepik platform, making their courses available to Stepik's user base.
- VK (VKontakte)minorVK distributes courses through Stepik platform as part of their educational initiatives.
- Computer Science CenterminorAcademic institution creating and distributing programming and computer science courses on Stepik.
- RUDN UniversityminorRussian University of People's Friendship distributes academic courses on Stepik.
- European University at St. PetersburgminorUniversity creates Python programming and data analysis courses on Stepik, including 'Основы Python для исследований и анализа данных'.
- МГИМО МИД РоссииminorMoscow State Institute of International Relations distributes academic content through Stepik.
- BEEGEEK SchoolminorLeading programming education school with courses on Stepik, led by Timur Guev (author of 'Generation Python' series and top-rated instructor).
- Shultais EducationminorOnline programming school that was among first to create SQL courses with interactive tasks on Stepik. Stepik developed custom software to convert their tasks to Stepik format. Course 'Основы SQL' has over 4,000 students with 50% completion rate.
- Кавычки Testing AgencyminorInternational QA testing agency created free introductory testing course on Stepik that became the best free course on platform in 2022, reaching 15,000+ students by December.
- Skolkovo Innovation CenterminorStepik is a resident of the Skolkovo Innovation Center (Сколково), Russia's major technology park and business incubator for innovative companies.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Stepik competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Udemy: Global creator-led course marketplace with consumer and Udemy Business (B2B) offerings; most directly comparable to Stepik in marketplace mechanics, course authoring tools, and B2B upscaling, though Udemy operates at much larger global scale.
- Skillbox: Leading Russian online education marketplace with professional courses, B2B training, and university partnerships; directly competes with Stepik for Russian learners, authors, and corporate L&D budgets.
- Netology: Russian online university and course marketplace with strong B2B training offering; directly comparable to Stepik on B2C course catalog breadth and enterprise L&D positioning in Russia.
- DataCamp: Online learning platform specializing in data, analytics, and Python courses with hands-on browser-based coding; closely mirrors Stepik's automated code/SQL verification and data-science catalog positioning.
- Geekbrains: Russian EdTech platform owned by VK/Mail.ru offering tech courses, professional retraining, and corporate training; competes directly with Stepik in IT and programming course categories in the Russian market.
- Yandex.Practicum: Yandex-backed Russian EdTech offering bootcamps and cohort-based courses in programming, data science, and analytics; overlaps with Stepik's technical course catalog and corporate training footprint.
- Otus: Russian online education platform focused on professional IT and management training for individuals and corporate clients; competes with Stepik for the same enterprise L&D and tech upskilling demand.
Broad incumbents
- Coursera: Global online learning platform with university-partnered catalog and Coursera for Business enterprise offering; competes at the high end of the same B2B/B2C market as Stepik with much broader catalog and credentialing.
- Pluralsight: Tech-focused enterprise training and assessment platform with deep B2B penetration; comparable to Stepik's corporate and technical-course positioning, particularly its assessment and skills-verification capabilities.
Regional players
- Foxford: Russian online school focused on K–12 and exam preparation with corporate parent; shares Stepik's Russian-market EdTech positioning though it emphasizes K–12/Olympiad prep rather than professional upskilling.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Stepik social profiles
Digital presenceStepik financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Stepik leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Stepik funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Stepik M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Stepik
What does Stepik do?
Stepik operates an online learning platform that combines a course marketplace, learning management system (LMS), and course authoring tool. Authors create and publish free or paid courses using video, text lessons, and interactive assignments with automated code/SQL verification, while learners access 11,000+ courses across programming, data analysis, languages, and professional development. The company also offers a dedicated B2B corporate training solution with invoice billing, progress analytics, and custom course development for 200+ companies.
Is Stepik a public or private company?
Stepik is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Stepik founded?
Stepik was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Stepik based?
Stepik is headquartered in Moscow, Russia, in the Europe region.
How does Stepik make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Course Sales Commission is the primary driver. The others are corporate Training / Enterprise and course Creation Services.
Who are Stepik's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Udemy, Skillbox, Netology, DataCamp, Geekbrains, Yandex.Practicum and Otus. Broad incumbents are Coursera and Pluralsight. Foxford is listed as a regional player.
Does Stepik have an API?
No public API is recorded for Stepik.
What industry is Stepik in?
Stepik's product category is Online Learning Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAJAL, Online Learning Content & Course Publishing Platforms, with a secondary code of EDAFAIAH, Corporate Training Course Marketplaces (B2B Content Libraries). Its NAICS code is 6114 and its SIC code is 8200.