Best public speaking courses for professionals (2026)
Vendor facts checked · 14 optionsThe short answer
Public speaking courses for professionals fall into four groups: self-paced online courses (Bodhih, University of Washington and HarvardX), clubs with a live audience (Toastmasters), live coached workshops (Dale Carnegie, AMA, Harvard DCE, Duarte, Ginger) and AI practice tools (Yoodli, VirtualSpeech). Choose by how much you actually speak, who gives the feedback, and price.
Bodhih publishes this guide and lists its own course first, labelled as ours.
A public speaking course can be eight weeks of reading great speeches, a club that meets every fortnight, two coached days in a room, or an app that listens while you rehearse. All of them are sold under the same words. For someone who has to present at work, the useful questions are whether you speak during the course, who or what gives the feedback, whether there is a live audience, and whether the price fits one person or a whole team.
Every price, length and inclusion below was read on the page listed for each entry on 13 November 2026. Where the page showed no figure, we say so and do not guess. Prices change, so confirm before you enrol.
How we built this list
- Included: public speaking and presentation courses, clubs, workshops and practice tools open to individuals or companies in November 2026.
- Checked for each: price, length and format, how much speaking practice there is, where feedback comes from and what you receive at the end, as stated on the page listed.
- Left out: star ratings and review counts, any figure we could not read on the vendor’s own page, and well-known courses whose pages could not be opened on the day (LinkedIn Learning, Udemy and BBC Maestro among them).
- Order: Bodhih’s course is ours, so it is listed first and labelled. The rest are alphabetical by provider. This is a shortlist with facts, not a ranking.
Disclosure: Bodhih publishes this guide and sells the product marked “Our product”. We receive nothing from the other providers listed, and links to them are not affiliate links.
Comparison at a glance
| # | Name | Format | Speaking practice | Feedback from | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Public Speaking and Presentation Skills (our product) | Self-paced online | 5 recorded talks, 9 sims | AI coach (words and timing) | ~12 h | ₹3,999 + GST ($99) to 10 Jan 2027 |
| 2 | Effective Executive Speaking (seminar) | Live seminar | Speeches to the class | Personalised, in class | 3 days | $2,995 |
| 3 | High Impact Presentations | Coached programme | Recorded presentations | Coach | Not shown | Not shown |
| 4 | Captivate and other presentation workshops | Live, online, on-demand | Varies by workshop | Not stated | Not shown | Not shown |
| 5 | Foundations of Public Speaking, Present With Influence and other courses | In-house or virtual | Not stated | Not stated | From 2 hours | Not shown |
| 6 | Communication Strategies: Presenting with Impact | In person | Presentations in class | Instructor and peers | 2 days | $3,200 |
| 7 | Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking | Self-paced online | Writing, not delivery | Not stated | 8 weeks | Audit free; certificate $209 |
| 8 | Impactful Communication for Leaders | Online cohort | Peers and AI simulations | Learning coach | 5 weeks | €2,530 |
| 9 | COM 101: Communication Essentials for Work and Life | Weekly class | Not stated | Not stated | 8 weeks | $490 |
| 10 | Toastmasters club membership and Pathways | Club, in person or online | Live, to an audience | Club members | Ongoing | $72 per 6 months + $25 |
| 11 | Improving Communication Skills | Self-paced video | None (quizzes) | Quizzes only | ~12 h | Enrol free; certificate paid |
| 12 | Introduction to Public Speaking (and the Dynamic Public Speaking Specialization) | Self-paced video | Recorded speeches | Peers | ~13 h | Enrol free; certificate paid |
| 13 | Public Speaking Mastery | Self-paced online | AI practice exercises | AI | 3.5 h | $45 a month |
| 14 | Yoodli | AI practice tool | AI roleplays | AI | Ongoing | Free; from $8 a month |
- Our product · Bodhih Training Solutions (Bengaluru, India)
1. Public Speaking and Presentation Skills
Best for: Professionals at any level, and companies training employees across countries, who want a full curriculum with private speaking practice and feedback on every recording.
Watch out for: It is a new course (November 2026) with no learner reviews yet; the AI feedback covers words and timing, not body language, and transcripts contain errors; and there is no live audience.
Format Online, self-paced; nine 60-minute modules told as one speaker’s 90-day story, each with an animated concept video Practice Nine Scenario Sims and five talks recorded in the Speaking Studio (45 seconds to 8 minutes) Feedback An AI coach on wording and measured pace, pauses and filler words; it does not see the speaker and does not judge accent; audio is deleted after transcription Assessment 20-item baseline and final; pass 70% Time About 12 hours, planned over 90 days Price Launch price ₹3,999 plus GST ($99) until 10 January 2027, then ₹7,999 ($199); company seats lower Credential Bodhih credential with Open Badge 2.0; Bodhih’s own, not a university qualification See Public Speaking and Presentation Skills on Bodhih · Source: bodhih.org
- American Management Association
2. Effective Executive Speaking (seminar)
Best for: Managers and executives who want three days of speaking to a class, with personalised feedback.
Watch out for: It is priced as a live seminar, and you bring your own phone or tablet to video your presentations.
Format 3 days; in person, live online or at your company Practice Impromptu and prepared speeches to the class, videoed on your own device for review Feedback Personalised feedback in class Price US$2,995 (AMA members US$2,695) Credits 1.8 CEU American Management Association website · Source: amanet.org
- Dale Carnegie
3. High Impact Presentations
Best for: Business professionals who want coached practice, with their presentations recorded and reviewed one to one.
Watch out for: The course page we read shows no price, length or dates, so ask your local Dale Carnegie office for all three.
Format Coached programme; delivery format not stated on the page read Practice Several presentations, recorded Feedback Individual coaching and review Price Not shown on the page read Dale Carnegie website · Source: dalecarnegie.com
- Duarte
4. Captivate and other presentation workshops
Best for: Teams that want a named method for presentation writing, slide design and delivery from a specialist presentation firm.
Watch out for: The training page lists no prices or lengths; individuals are sent to enrol and teams to talk to sales.
Format Live, online and on-demand courses and programmes Courses listed Captivate and Speaker Coaching (delivery); Storytelling for Business Presentations, VisualStory and Duarte DataStory (writing); Slide:ology (slide design) Price Not shown on the page read Duarte website · Source: duarte.com
- Ginger Leadership Communications (UK)
5. Foundations of Public Speaking, Present With Influence and other courses
Best for: Companies that want in-house or virtual group training, or one-to-one coaching for a keynote or a pitch.
Watch out for: Courses are listed as corporate or in-house, and the course list shows no prices.
Format Corporate and in-house short courses, two-hour virtual sessions, a multi-day programme and one-to-one coaching Courses listed Foundations of Public Speaking, Present With Influence, Executive Presence, Amplify Leadership Programme Price Not shown on the page read Ginger Leadership Communications (UK) website · Source: uk.gingerleadershipcomms.com
- Harvard DCE Professional and Executive Development
6. Communication Strategies: Presenting with Impact
Best for: Professionals who can travel for two days of presenting in class, with feedback from an instructor and peers.
Watch out for: It is in person on campus only and is among the most expensive options here; the page does not mention video review.
Format Two consecutive days in person, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm ET Practice Oral presentations and small-group activities Feedback Instructor and peers Price US$3,200 (7 December 2026 session); US$3,300 (April and July 2027 sessions) Harvard DCE Professional and Executive Development website · Source: professional.dce.harvard.edu
- HarvardX (Harvard University, on edX)
7. Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking
Best for: People who want to understand persuasion by analysing famous twentieth-century American speeches with Professor James Engell.
Watch out for: It is about analysis and writing: learners write an opinion piece and a short speech, and the page does not say they deliver one or get feedback on delivery.
Format Online, self-paced; 8 weeks at 2 to 3 hours a week Practice Writing an opinion piece and a short speech Price Free to audit; verified certificate US$209 HarvardX (Harvard University, on edX) website · Source: pll.harvard.edu
- INSEAD (online programme)
8. Impactful Communication for Leaders
Best for: Leaders who want a business-school programme with peers, AI-driven simulations and time with a learning coach.
Watch out for: It covers leadership communication broadly, not only speaking to an audience, it runs on fixed start dates, and it costs far more than a self-paced course.
Format Online, five content weeks; next starts 15 February and 10 May 2027 Practice Peer dialogue, AI-powered simulations and an Action Learning Project at work Feedback A learning coach (2 hours of support on the standard journey) Price €2,530; optional Premium Journey €690 more Credential INSEAD Certificate of Completion INSEAD (online programme) website · Source: insead.edu
- Stanford Continuing Studies
9. COM 101: Communication Essentials for Work and Life
Best for: People who want eight weekly sessions with Matt Abrahams, the Stanford Graduate School of Business lecturer, and guest speakers.
Watch out for: The run shown on the page ends on 17 November, so check whether a later run is open; the page read does not describe individual feedback on your own talks.
Format 8 weeks, one 90-minute session a week on Tuesdays (5:30 to 7:00 pm PT); class recording available Dates shown 29 September to 17 November Price US$490 Stanford Continuing Studies website · Source: continuingstudies.stanford.edu
- Toastmasters International
10. Toastmasters club membership and Pathways
Best for: Anyone who wants regular practice in front of a real audience, in person or online, at a very low price.
Watch out for: Feedback comes from fellow members, not professional tutors, your experience depends on the club you join, and clubs may charge local dues on top.
Format Clubs near you or online; Pathways learning with six learning paths, studied online Practice Speaking at club meetings Feedback Fellow club members Price US$72 international dues every six months plus a one-time US$25 new member fee; local club dues set by the club Languages Pathways content in Arabic, English, French, German, Simplified Chinese and Spanish Toastmasters International website · Sources: toastmasters.org, toastmasters.org
- University of Pennsylvania, Wharton (on Coursera)
11. Improving Communication Skills
Best for: People who want research-based teaching on trust, persuasion, listening and negotiation from Maurice Schweitzer.
Watch out for: It is about interpersonal communication, not speaking to an audience: there are no speeches to give.
Format Self-paced, 4 modules of about 3 hours each Covers Cooperation and competition, building trust, detecting deception and apologies, persuasive messages and listening Practice Quizzes and discussion prompts Price Enrol free; the certificate needs the paid track or Coursera Plus University of Pennsylvania, Wharton (on Coursera) website · Source: coursera.org
- University of Washington (on Coursera)
12. Introduction to Public Speaking (and the Dynamic Public Speaking Specialization)
Best for: Learners who want university teaching from Dr. Matt McGarrity and are willing to record speeches for other learners to review (over 400,000 enrolled).
Watch out for: Feedback comes from other learners, so its quality varies, and you need a camera or smartphone to record and upload your speeches.
Format Self-paced, 5 modules, about 13 hours; the first of four courses in the Specialization Practice Recorded speeches, uploaded for peer review Feedback Peer review Price Enrol free; the certificate needs the paid track or Coursera Plus (advertised at US$239 a year) University of Washington (on Coursera) website · Sources: coursera.org, coursera.org
- VirtualSpeech
13. Public Speaking Mastery
Best for: People who want a short course with browser-based practice exercises and AI feedback on eye contact, pace and filler words.
Watch out for: It is short, and the page gives the number of practice exercises as seven in one place and eight in another.
Format Online, self-paced; 3.5 hours of learning and practice, in a browser Practice AI-enhanced exercises, including impromptu speaking, a TEDx-style speech and a conference presentation Feedback AI feedback on eye contact, pace and filler words Price US$45 a month, with 12 months of access to the course Credential Digital certificate; the vendor lists 5 CPD hours VirtualSpeech website · Source: virtualspeech.com
- Yoodli
14. Yoodli
Best for: People who want an AI roleplay partner for pitches, interviews, sales conversations and public speaking, to use beside a course.
Watch out for: It is a practice tool, not a course: the pages we read show no curriculum or credential, and the site is aimed mainly at sales and learning teams.
Format AI roleplays with feedback and coaching Practice Free Starter plan with 5 lifetime roleplay sessions; Pro up to 10 roleplays a week; Advanced unlimited Price Starter free; Pro US$8 a month and Advanced US$20 a month, both billed annually; business plans on request Yoodli website · Sources: yoodli.ai, yoodli.ai
How to choose
Which public speaking course fits you?
Start with what you need the course to do, then compare within the matching row.
| If you need… | Look at |
|---|---|
| A full curriculum with private practice and feedback on every recording, at a self-paced price | Bodhih |
| A real audience, regularly, at very low cost | Toastmasters |
| A free or low-cost university course | University of Washington (Coursera); HarvardX |
| Live coached practice in a group | Dale Carnegie; American Management Association; Harvard DCE |
| In-house training for a company team | Bodhih (company seats); Duarte; Ginger; Dale Carnegie |
| A leadership communication programme from a business school | INSEAD; Stanford Continuing Studies |
| An AI practice partner to use beside a course | Yoodli; VirtualSpeech |
Do you actually speak during the course?
This is the first question to ask, because many online courses can be finished without saying a word aloud. A review of 52 studies of how presenting is taught (van Ginkel and colleagues, 2015, in higher education) found that presentation skill is built by clear objectives, realistic tasks, watching good models, repeated practice, timely feedback, and assessing peers and yourself. So look for how many talks you give, how long they are, and whether you can try again after feedback.
Who gives the feedback: people, peers or an AI coach?
Each source has a real strength and a real limit. A human coach sees everything, including your body and the room, and costs the most. Peers and club members give you a live audience and honest reactions, with quality that varies. An AI coach is available at any hour and is patient with a tenth attempt, but it works from a transcript and timing: it does not see you, transcripts contain errors, and its feedback is an opinion, not a grade.
These are not rivals. Preparing in private and then speaking to a club or a workshop group is a sensible order, especially if nerves are the problem.
Questions to ask a provider
Before you buy for yourself or a team, ask these.
- How many talks will I give, and who or what responds to each one?
- Is my recording stored, for how long, and who can see or hear it?
- Does the feedback judge accent, or expect one style of delivery?
- Which research do you cite, and do you still teach the 7-38-55 rule or other popular myths as fact?
- Does it cover presenting on camera, to mixed and multilingual audiences, and with captions or an interpreter?
- What do you report to the company, and what stays private to the learner?
Questions people ask next
What is the best public speaking course for professionals?
It depends on what you need. For a full curriculum with private practice and feedback on every recording, look at a self-paced course with recorded talks (Bodhih). For a live audience at low cost, Toastmasters. For coached days in a room, Dale Carnegie, the American Management Association or Harvard DCE. For a free university course, the University of Washington on Coursera or HarvardX.
Can you learn public speaking online?
You can learn the methods online, and you can practise if the course has you record talks and gives feedback. What an online course cannot give is a live audience, so plan to take what you practise to a meeting, a club or a workshop. A review of 52 studies points to repeated practice and timely feedback, among other things, as what builds presentation skill.
Is Toastmasters better than an online course?
They do different jobs. Toastmasters gives you a real audience and feedback from fellow members for US$72 every six months plus a one-time US$25 fee, as its site showed on 13 November 2026. An online course gives you a structured curriculum and private practice at any hour. Many people use both.
Are AI speech coaches any good?
They are useful for what they measure: wording, structure, pace, pauses and filler words, at any hour and as often as you like. Their limits are real: most work from a transcript, transcripts contain errors, and a tool that does not see you cannot comment on your body or the room. Treat the feedback as a coach’s opinion and keep a human audience in your plan.
How much does public speaking training cost?
In this list, from free to audit (HarvardX, Coursera) and US$72 every six months (Toastmasters), through self-paced courses and tools at tens to low hundreds of dollars, to live seminars at about US$3,000 for two or three days (AMA, Harvard DCE). Several corporate providers do not publish prices.