CourseStack
CourseStack is a bootstrapped cloud-based platform that enables technical course creators — primarily in cybersecurity training — to build, deliver, and monetize hands-on courses with browser-streamed virtual machines, CTF infrastructure, and integrated payments on a single platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersPhiladelphia, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What CourseStack does
CourseStack is a bootstrapped, privately-held software company founded in 2023 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with a designated agent address in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. The company operates with a small team (1-10 employees) led by three co-founders — Barrett Adams, Evan Shone, and Chris Myers — and has taken no external funding. It builds a unified cloud-based learning platform explicitly designed for technical course creators, particularly in cybersecurity training, eliminating the need to combine separate LMS, cloud infrastructure, browser-access, payment, automation, and CTF-hosting tools.
The platform's core technology stack includes browser-streamed Linux and Windows virtual machines, multi-machine networks with isolated subnets, custom AMI-based images importable from AWS, browser-based VS Code and Jupyter workspaces, and per-student isolated CTF challenge infrastructure with dynamic flags and live scoreboards. Additional product capabilities include REST API and Webhooks, LTI integration for external LMS platforms, Discord integration, Stripe Connect for payouts, and a generative AI assistant called Co-Author that helps draft technical course content. The platform is distributed globally via self-serve sign-up at app.coursestack.com, with a direct sales motion for enterprise Scale tier customers, and includes a CourseStack Discover marketplace for course discovery.
CourseStack's revenue model is built on tiered platform subscriptions (Build $0, Launch $79/mo, Grow $200/mo, Scale custom) and usage-based Labs Capacity plans ($125-$750/mo) plus optional compute credits at $0.05 each. The platform charges 0% transaction fees on course sales, allowing creators to retain 100% of revenue after Stripe fees. Its primary customer base consists of cybersecurity training organizations and individual technical instructors, with named customers including Red Siege, Just Hacking Training, Level Effect, TrustedSec, Scythe, Digital Defense Institute, Hack Smarter Labs, LimaCharlie Academy, White Knight Labs, and ogSec Training.
CourseStack firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CourseStack
- Legal name
- CourseStack, Inc.
- Website
- https://coursestack.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- CourseStack is a bootstrapped cloud-based platform that enables technical course creators — primarily in cybersecurity training — to build, deliver, and monetize hands-on courses with browser-streamed virtual machines, CTF infrastructure, and integrated payments on a single platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CourseStack industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Learning Management System
- NAICS
- Computer Training (61142), Educational Support Services (61171), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Core Digital Curriculum & Courseware (Full Programs & Units) (EDAFACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Course Bundle Subscriptions & Learning Membership Marketplaces (EDAFAIAI), Training Delivery Services (Onsite/Virtual Instruction, Workshops, Coaching) (BPAEANAN)
Keywords
Where CourseStack is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Philadelphia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CourseStack business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Platform Subscriptions: Tiered subscription plans (Build $0, Launch $79/mo, Grow $200/mo, Scale custom) providing LMS functionality, course creation, student management, payments, and analytics.
- Labs Capacity Plans: Usage-based capacity tiers (Small $125/mo for up to 100 labs, Medium $220/mo, Large $450/mo, XLarge $750/mo) for concurrent student lab sessions. Includes per-lab overage rates.
- Compute Credits: Credits consumed when running labs. 1 credit = 1 GB-hour. A 4 GB VM running for 1 hour uses 4 credits. Paid plans include 250-500 credits/month; additional credits at $0.05 each.
- Course Sales Revenue: Creators keep 100% of course revenue with 0% platform transaction fees. Stripe processes payments; creators retain all revenue after Stripe fees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free tier for exploring the platform and building first course |
| Subscription | Annual | Publish courses and start earning with branded academy |
| Subscription | Annual | Scale training business with advanced features |
| Subscription | Annual | Multi-team training organizations with enterprise features |
| Usage-based | Monthly | Small labs capacity - up to 100 labs/month |
| Usage-based | Monthly | Medium labs capacity - up to 200 labs/month |
| Usage-based | Monthly | Large labs capacity - up to 500 labs/month |
| Usage-based | Monthly | XLarge labs capacity - up to 1000 labs/month |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
CourseStack product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CourseStack provides a unified technical training SaaS platform that combines an LMS, browser-streamed Linux/Windows virtual machines, multi-machine lab networks, CTF competition hosting, live cohort and workshop delivery, and Stripe-based payments in a single product. It is sold on tiered subscriptions (Build free, Launch $79/mo, Grow $200/mo, Scale custom) plus usage-based Labs Capacity plans, and targets technical course creators and cybersecurity training organizations that need native hands-on lab infrastructure without stitching together six separate tools.
Product overview
CourseStack is a unified technical training platform built specifically for technical course creators, combining course management, hands-on lab infrastructure, CTF hosting, live events, payment processing, and AI-assisted content creation. The core platform integrates Browser-Based VMs, Code Workspaces, CTF Infrastructure, Live Training Events, and the Co-Author AI assistant. Additional features include Multi-Machine Networks, Custom Images, Student VPN Access, Digital Certificates, and native REST API/Webhooks for automation. CourseStack Discover serves as the marketplace for third-party courses built on the platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Creators keep 100% of course revenue with 0% platform fees. On $250K annual course sales, creators save up to $12,500/year compared to 5% platform fees.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use CourseStack
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
CourseStack technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability2 records
Feature9 records
CourseStack partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- StripecoreStripe is used as the payment processor for all course sales on the platform. CourseStack uses Stripe Connect for creator payouts, Stripe Checkout for branded checkout experiences, and Stripe for KYC/regulatory requirements. CourseStack never stores sensitive payment card or bank account information directly.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CourseStack competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- CTFd: CTFd is the open-source Capture the Flag platform widely used by cyber training organizations. CourseStack explicitly positions its CTF infrastructure as a replacement for self-hosted CTFd plus custom cloud — making CTFd a peer on the CTF use case even though it is open source.
Direct peers
- TryHackMe: TryHackMe (acquired by Sophos) provides guided cybersecurity training rooms and learning paths for individuals and teams. It targets a similar learner and creator audience as CourseStack's cyber training customers and competes for the same training budget.
- Hack The Box: Hack The Box is a leading cybersecurity training platform with hands-on labs, CTF-style challenges and enterprise/pro consumer tiers. It is the most direct competitor to CourseStack in the hands-on cyber-training space, targeting the same instructors and learners.
- RangeForce: RangeForce delivers enterprise cybersecurity skills development with cloud-based, hands-on lab simulations. It competes with CourseStack for enterprise cyber-training budgets and overlaps on browser-based, isolated lab environments.
- Cybrary: Cybrary is an online cybersecurity training platform offering courses, assessments and hands-on labs to individuals and teams. It targets the same cyber-training buyer as CourseStack and overlaps on practitioner-level content.
- Skillable: Skillable is a hands-on technical training and labs platform (formerly Learn on Demand Systems) providing live lab environments for certification and technology training. It competes directly with CourseStack on browser-based labs and is a likely alternative for IT training organizations.
- LetsDefend: LetsDefend offers SOC analyst and blue-team training built around hands-on investigation labs. It competes with CourseStack for the same learner persona and is an alternative for security operations training.
- CyberDefenders: CyberDefenders provides hands-on cybersecurity training through labs, CTF challenges and blue-team exercises. It targets a similar practitioner audience and overlaps with CourseStack's CTF and lab infrastructure play.
Broad incumbents
- Teachable: Teachable is a general-purpose course creation and monetization platform used by individual creators and small businesses. It is the incumbent CourseStack most directly competes against on course hosting and payments, but lacks native hands-on lab infrastructure.
- Thinkific: Thinkific is another broad course platform targeting creators and businesses with course-building, payments and marketing tools. CourseStack positions against it on fees and on technical-training capabilities Thinkific does not natively offer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CourseStack social profiles
Digital presenceCourseStack compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
CourseStack financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CourseStack leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
CourseStack funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CourseStack 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 CourseStack
What does CourseStack do?
CourseStack provides a unified technical training SaaS platform that combines an LMS, browser-streamed Linux/Windows virtual machines, multi-machine lab networks, CTF competition hosting, live cohort and workshop delivery, and Stripe-based payments in a single product. It is sold on tiered subscriptions (Build free, Launch $79/mo, Grow $200/mo, Scale custom) plus usage-based Labs Capacity plans, and targets technical course creators and cybersecurity training organizations that need native hands-on lab infrastructure without stitching together six separate tools.
Is CourseStack a public or private company?
CourseStack is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CourseStack founded?
CourseStack was founded in 2023. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is CourseStack based?
CourseStack is headquartered in Philadelphia, United States, in the North America region.
How does CourseStack make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Platform Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are labs Capacity Plans, compute Credits and course Sales Revenue.
Who are CourseStack's main competitors?
CTFd is listed as an others. Direct peers are TryHackMe, Hack The Box, RangeForce, Cybrary, Skillable, LetsDefend and CyberDefenders. Broad incumbents are Teachable and Thinkific.
Does CourseStack have an API?
Yes. CourseStack offers a REST API and Webhooks for automation and integrations. The API enables custom workflows around student onboarding, course building, custom image importing, and more. Webhooks support event-based automations including course.enrollment, course.completion, course.lesson.completion, course.quiz.submission, exam.enrollment, and exam_attempt.submission events. Creators can connect with thousands of apps through Zapier using webhooks. Developer documentation is at app.coursestack.com/docs.
What industry is CourseStack in?
CourseStack's product category is Learning Management System. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFACAA, Core Digital Curriculum & Courseware (Full Programs & Units), with a secondary code of EDAFAIAI, Course Bundle Subscriptions & Learning Membership Marketplaces. Its NAICS code is 61142 and its SIC code is 8200.