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Teachable vs Thinkific

T

Teachable

White-label course platform for creators to build branded, owned online schools with full customization.

Solo instructors, coaches, and small teams prioritizing cost savings and student engagement without complex course structures

VS
T

Thinkific

Enterprise-grade LMS with advanced automation, affiliate tools, and native mobile apps

Growing course creators, agencies, and established instructors needing sophisticated course architecture, affiliate networks, and professional mobile learning experiences

Short Answer

Teachable offers lower transaction fees (0% on most plans) and stronger community features, while Thinkific provides more advanced automation, better affiliate tools, and superior course structure flexibility at a competitive price point.

Our Verdict

AI-assisted

Choose Teachable if you're price-sensitive, want built-in email marketing without third-party tools, value student community engagement, and prefer transparent 0% transaction fees. Choose Thinkific if you need sophisticated course bundling, advanced affiliate management with tiered commissions, professional mobile apps, and don't mind paying a premium for enterprise-grade course architecture and automation.

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Teachable10
5Thinkific

Choose Teachable if

Solo instructors, coaches, and small teams prioritizing cost savings and student engagement without complex course structures

Choose Thinkific if

Growing course creators, agencies, and established instructors needing sophisticated course architecture, affiliate networks, and professional mobile learning experiences

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Key Differences at a Glance

πŸ”Ή
Transaction Fees: Teachable wins (0% on Growth & Business plans vs 2% on all plans)
πŸ’°
Starting Monthly Price: Teachable wins ($39/month (Basic plan) vs $99/month (Basic plan))
🧠
Built-in Email Marketing: Teachable wins (Integrated; unlimited emails on Growth plan vs Requires third-party integration)
See all 7 differences

Key Facts & Figures

MetricTeachableThinkificDiff
Entry-Level Monthly Price(USD)$39/monthβ€”β€”
Free Trial Length(days)14 daysβ€”β€”
Affiliate Commission Rate(percent)Up to 30%β€”β€”
Monthly Platform Cost(USD)$29–$299/monthβ€”β€”
Starting Monthly Price(USD)$39/month$39β€”
Transaction Fee on Courses(%)2% + payment processorβ€”β€”
Maximum File Upload Size(GB)4GB per lessonβ€”β€”
Free Trial Period(days)14 daysβ€”β€”
Basic Plan Monthly Cost(USD)$39/month$99/month-61%
Transaction Fee (Primary Plans)(%)0% (Growth & Business)2% (all plans)-100%
Maximum Course Bundles per Site(bundles)Limited bundling (estimated 5-10 practical bundles)Unlimited with conditional logicβ€”
Base Monthly Price(USD)$29/monthβ€”β€”
Payment Processing Fee(%)2% + $0.302.2% + $0.50β€”
Revenue Commission Rate(%)37.5% on self-collected paymentsβ€”β€”
Creator Revenue Retention(%)62.5% keep rateβ€”β€”
Active Student Base(millions)No built-in audienceβ€”you bring your ownβ€”β€”
Setup Time to First Sale(weeks)4–12 weeks (requires audience building)β€”β€”

All figures sourced from publicly available data. Last updated Jun 2026.

Key Differences

Transaction Fees

Teachable

0% on Growth & Business plansπŸ†

Thinkific

2% on all plans

Starting Monthly Price

Teachable

$39/month (Basic plan)πŸ†

Thinkific

$99/month (Basic plan)

Built-in Email Marketing

Teachable

Integrated; unlimited emails on Growth planπŸ†

Thinkific

Requires third-party integration

Affiliate Program Features

Teachable

Basic commission tracking

Thinkific

Advanced tiered commissions, performance analyticsπŸ†

Course Bundle Capabilities

Teachable

Limited bundling options

Thinkific

Advanced course bundles with conditional logicπŸ†

Mobile App Quality

Teachable

Basic mobile app functionality

Thinkific

Native iOS/Android apps with offline accessπŸ†

Community/Social Features

Teachable

Built-in community platform with discussionsπŸ†

Thinkific

No native community features

Full Comparison

Teachable
Thinkific
Entry-Level Monthly Price(USD)
$39/month
β€”
Transaction Fee (Entry Plan)(percent + fixed)
5%
β€”
Monthly Platform Cost(USD)
$29–$299/month
β€”
Starting Monthly Price(USD)
$39/month
$39
Transaction Fee on Courses(%)
2% + payment processor
β€”
Show 7 more attributes
Basic Plan Monthly Cost(USD)
$39/month
$99/month
Transaction Fee (Primary Plans)(%)
0% (Growth & Business)
2% (all plans)
Base Monthly Price(USD)
$29/month
β€”
Payment Processing Fee(%)
2% + $0.30
2.2% + $0.50
Revenue Commission Rate(%)
37.5% on self-collected payments
β€”
Creator Revenue Retention(%)
62.5% keep rate
β€”
Maximum Course Price(USD)
Unlimited pricing control
β€”
Email Marketing Platform
Third-party integration required
β€”
Landing Page Builder
Not included
β€”
Community Features
Robust community hub built-in
β€”
Maximum File Upload Size(GB)
4GB per lesson
β€”
Built-in Email Marketing
Requires integration (Mailchimp, etc.)
No, requires integration
Show 10 more attributes
Cohort-Based Learning Features
Advanced (group discussions, schedules)
β€”
Integrated Email Marketing
Yes, unlimited on Growth plan
No, requires integration
Native Mobile Apps(null)
Basic mobile web interface
Full iOS and Android apps with offline access
Affiliate Program Tier System
Basic single-tier commissions
Advanced multi-tier with performance rewards
Maximum Course Bundles per Site(bundles)
Limited bundling (estimated 5-10 practical bundles)
Unlimited with conditional logic
Built-in Community Platform
Yes, with discussion forums
No native community
Advanced Sales Funnels
Basic landing pages only
β€”
Course Design Customization
CSS/HTML full control
β€”
Native Affiliate Management
No, requires third-party
β€”
Mobile App Support
iOS + Android apps
β€”
Maximum Student Capacity(students)
Unlimited
Unlimited
Student Capacity per Basic Plan(students)
Unlimited
β€”
Free Trial Length(days)
14 days
β€”
Affiliate Commission Rate(percent)
Up to 30%
β€”
Email Marketing Tools
Advanced automation, segmentation included
β€”
Free Trial Period(days)
14 days
β€”
API Availability
Full REST API with webhooks
β€”
Maximum Courses(count)
Unlimited
β€”
Community Discussion Rooms(count)
Basic forums only
β€”
Direct Member Messaging(binary)
No
β€”
Event/Webinar Hosting(binary)
No (integrations only)
β€”
Native Email Marketing(binary)
Yes (integrated)
β€”
Mobile App Availability
Web only
β€”
Active Student Base(millions)
No built-in audienceβ€”you bring your own
β€”
Setup Time to First Sale(weeks)
4–12 weeks (requires audience building)
β€”
Custom Branding Support
Full white-label with custom domain
β€”

Visual Comparison

Side-by-side comparison of numeric attributes

Pros & Cons

Teachable

5 pros3 cons

Pros

  • 0% transaction fees on Growth and Business plans (saves 2-3% per transaction)
  • Integrated email marketing with unlimited sends on Growth plan
  • Built-in student community platform with discussion forums
  • Lower entry price at $39/month vs $99 for competitors
  • Simplified interface ideal for solo instructors and small teams

Cons

  • Limited course bundling and product grouping capabilities
  • Affiliate program lacks advanced tiering and performance analytics
  • Basic mobile app with limited offline functionality

Thinkific

5 pros3 cons

Pros

  • Advanced course bundling with conditional logic and prerequisites
  • Sophisticated affiliate program with tiered commissions and performance dashboards
  • Native iOS and Android apps with offline course access
  • Robust automation workflows for enrollment, email sequences, and drip content
  • Superior student progress tracking and learning analytics

Cons

  • 2% transaction fee on all payment plans increases costs at scale
  • Requires third-party email marketing tool integration (additional cost)
  • Higher starting price at $99/month limits accessibility for beginners

Frequently Asked Questions

Teachable is significantly cheaper at scale. On Teachable's Growth plan ($99/month), you pay 0% transaction fees. On Thinkific's equivalent plan, you pay $199/month plus 2% on every transaction. For a course selling $10,000 monthly, Teachable saves you $200 in transaction fees alone, making it roughly $300/month cheaper total.

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Last updated: June 22, 2026AI generated