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Online course platforms · 12 alternatives

Teachable alternatives: 12 compared

Sebastiaan Smits Editor Sebastiaan Smits · Published October 19, 2026 · Updated October 19, 2026

Creators leave Teachable when the 7.5% fee on the entry plan eats margin, when the product cap bites, or when they want email and funnels in the same bill. Most land on Thinkific, Podia or Kajabi for a hosted swap, on systeme.io or Heights Platform for lower fees, and on WordPress plugins for full ownership.

Short answer: The closest replacements for Teachable in our online course platforms ranking are Thinkific, Podia and Kajabi. Choose Thinkific if you want unlimited courses instead of a product cap and are fine with a hosted school. All 12 alternatives below are ranked products from Best Online Course Platforms in 2026, and each says where it differs from Teachable and when Teachable is still the better choice.

Visibility in our rankings can be paid for. Payment moves a vendor's position within the shortlist; it never adds a vendor, and it never changes a word of the review or of this page. The first three alternatives go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands in a category, wherever the category has them; the established names follow in their ranked order. How it works: placement disclosure · editorial process.

Teachable at a glance

  • Headquarters: United States
  • Pricing model: Flat monthly
  • Pricing: Starter is $29 per month billed annually or $39 monthly with a 7.5% transaction fee and 5 products; Builder is $69 or $89 with 10 products; Growth is $139 or $189 with 50 products; Custom is by quote.
  • Free option: Free trial
  • Built for: Individual creators selling across borders
  • Wrong for: A school with a large catalog of short courses hits the product caps early. Thinkific and LearnWorlds Pro Trainer both list unlimited courses.
  • Place in our ranking: #7 of 14
  • Website: teachable.com

Facts from our online course platforms ranking, last checked October 19, 2026.

Why buyers look past Teachable

  1. The entry plan takes a cut of every sale

    Starter lists a 7.5% transaction fee and a five-product cap. Builder and Growth show 0%, but the pricing FAQ ties that to Teachable Payments, and card processing (2.9% plus 30 cents for US cards) still applies. A seller who prefers another payment gateway has to read the fine print first.

  2. Useful features sit on the top public tier

    Certificates, branding removal, imported students and custom admin permissions are listed under Growth only. Starter and Builder have one admin user. A school that wants a certificate or its own branding, or needs to bring over students from another tool, pays for the highest published plan.

  3. The terms favor the platform on exit

    The terms let Teachable change or end services at any time, say content may be irretrievable after cancellation, and allow it to keep an archival copy of what you uploaded. Fee changes can apply at your next renewal. Buyers who want a clean exit weigh that.

12 alternatives at a glance

Closest replacement first. The last column is our place in the full 14-product ranking.

#AlternativeHeadquartersPricingKey differenceSwitch ifOur rank
1ThinkificCanadaFlat monthly; free trialHosted course builder with communities and branded appyou want unlimited courses instead of a product cap and are fine with a hosted school#6
2PodiaUnited StatesFlat monthly; free trialWebsite, email and course sales in one subscriptionyou want email, a site and community in the same subscription and help with the move#5
3KajabiUnited StatesFlat monthly; free trialAll-in-one platform for courses, coaching and marketingyou want funnels, email and a CRM bundled with your courses and can pay a much higher price#10
4LearnWorldsCyprusFlat monthly; free trialHosted course school with interactive video and SCORMyou run structured training with assessments or SCORM and want learner-based limits#4
5Heights PlatformUnited StatesFlat monthly; free trialCourses and community with gamificationyou want zero platform fees and gamified, community-led courses from a small vendor#13
6systeme.ioIrelandFree + paid tiers; free planFunnel, email and course builder with a free planyou want a free or very cheap start with funnels and email and accept a plainer school#8
7TeacheryUnited StatesFlat monthly; free trialSingle-plan hosted course platformyou want flat pricing with unlimited courses, a lifetime option and no per-sale fee#11
8FreshLearnUnited StatesFree + paid tiers; free planHosted courses, cohorts and membershipsyou want live cohorts and coaching next to courses and a free tier to test them on#12
9PayhipUnited KingdomFree + paid tiers; free planDigital product store with courses and tax handlingyou sell downloads and a few courses together and want sales tax handled with no monthly fee#3
10LearnDashUnited StatesFlat yearly; free trialWordPress LMS plugin from Liquid Webyou run WordPress and want group management for teams without per-student charges#9
11LifterLMSUnited StatesFree + paid tiers; free planWordPress course and membership pluginyou want a free open source core and prefer to buy only the add-ons you need#2
12Tutor LMSBangladeshFree + paid tiers; free planWordPress course plugin with a free coreyou want to own a WordPress site and pay a licence once instead of a monthly subscription#1

What each alternative does differently

1. Thinkific

Hosted course builder with communities and branded app · Canada

The nearest hosted rival. Even the cheapest plan allows unlimited courses and one community, where Teachable counts products. Memberships, payment plans and certificates start one tier up. The price page we fetched showed euros, and the branded app is sold separately rather than included.

Switch from Teachable if you want unlimited courses instead of a product cap and are fine with a hosted school.

Pricing: The pricing page we fetched showed euro prices: Basic €39 per month on annual billing or €53 monthly, Start €79 or €107, Grow €159 or €213, and Plus on a custom quote. (free trial)

Full review: #6 of 14 in our ranking · Visit Thinkific →

2. Podia

Website, email and course sales in one subscription · United States

Courses, downloads, coaching, events, community, a website and email marketing share one subscription. The cheapest plan shows 50 products and 100 email subscribers, with a 5% fee. A 14-day trial needs no card, and migration help is listed on the pricing page.

Switch from Teachable if you want email, a site and community in the same subscription and help with the move.

Pricing: Mover is shown at $42 per month as $504 billed annually with a 5% fee on sales; Shaker is $84 per month as $1,008 billed annually with no fee; Earthquaker is $150 per month as $1,800 billed annually. (free trial)

Full review: #5 of 14 in our ranking · Visit Podia →

3. Kajabi

All-in-one platform for courses, coaching and marketing · United States

A marketing platform with courses inside it. Landing pages, funnels and marketing email are unlimited on every plan, while products and contacts are capped. The entry price is several times Teachable's, and the branded mobile app is shown as a $199 a month value included on the higher plans.

Switch from Teachable if you want funnels, email and a CRM bundled with your courses and can pay a much higher price.

Pricing: Basic is $143 per month billed yearly or $179 monthly; Growth is $199 or $249; Pro is $399 or $499; third-party payment processors add a platform fee of 2%, 1% and 0.5% respectively. (free trial)

Full review: #10 of 14 in our ranking · Visit Kajabi →

4. LearnWorlds

Hosted course school with interactive video and SCORM · Cyprus

Built for training providers. Interactive video, an assessment builder and SCORM uploads sit on the page, and the first plan caps learners at 1,000 a month. The lowest tier charges $5 per paid enrollment, and full white-label is held for the Learning Center plan.

Switch from Teachable if you run structured training with assessments or SCORM and want learner-based limits.

Pricing: Starter is $24 per month billed annually or $29 monthly plus a $5 fee per paid enrollment; Pro Trainer is $79 billed annually or $99 monthly with no transaction fee; Learning Center is $249 or $299; Corporate is custom. (free trial)

Full review: #4 of 14 in our ranking · Visit LearnWorlds →

5. Heights Platform

Courses and community with gamification · United States

The pricing page promises zero transaction fees and no hard student limit, though the cheapest plan covers one course. Gamification, live lessons and a community space are built in. Branding removal is listed on a paid tier above the lowest. A 30-day trial needs no card.

Switch from Teachable if you want zero platform fees and gamified, community-led courses from a small vendor.

Pricing: Challenge is $29 per month for 1 course and up to 100 active students; Basic is $49 per month; Pro is $119 per month; annual billing saves 20%; a higher Academy tier also exists. (free trial)

Full review: #13 of 14 in our ranking · Visit Heights Platform →

6. systeme.io

Funnel, email and course builder with a free plan · Ireland

A funnel and email tool where courses are one module. The free plan covers 2,000 contacts and one course, and every plan states 0% transaction fees and unlimited students. Limits fall on contacts, funnels and courses. Free migration is offered, but the course editor is plainer.

Switch from Teachable if you want a free or very cheap start with funnels and email and accept a plainer school.

Pricing: Free plan with 1 course and 2,000 contacts; Startup is $17 per month with 5 courses; Webinar is $47 per month with unlimited courses; Unlimited is $97 per month; annual billing gives two months free. (free plan)

Full review: #8 of 14 in our ranking · Visit systeme.io →

7. Teachery

Single-plan hosted course platform · United States

One price covers everything: $49 a month, $470 a year or a $950 one-time lifetime payment, with unlimited courses and customers and no transaction fees. The vendor's page compares itself to Teachable's plan prices. Several email and automation tools are listed as integrations.

Switch from Teachable if you want flat pricing with unlimited courses, a lifetime option and no per-sale fee.

Pricing: $49 per month, or $470 per year, or a one-time lifetime payment of $950; every plan includes all features. (free trial)

Full review: #11 of 14 in our ranking · Visit Teachery →

8. FreshLearn

Hosted courses, cohorts and memberships · United States

Plans are sold on multi-year billing cycles, with a free tier limited to one product and 25 manual enrollments. Paid tiers add live cohorts, coaching, community and email. The pricing page promises 0% transaction fees and free migration of up to 10 courses.

Switch from Teachable if you want live cohorts and coaching next to courses and a free tier to test them on.

Pricing: A free plan covers 1 product; paid plans are listed at $35 per month for Pro, $49 for No Brainer and $99 for No Brainer+ on the pricing page default billing option, with Enterprise on a custom quote. (free plan)

Full review: #12 of 14 in our ranking · Visit FreshLearn →

9. Payhip

Digital product store with courses and tax handling · United Kingdom

A storefront for digital products that also sells courses. Every plan has all features, with a 5% fee on the free tier, 2% on Plus and none on Pro. EU and UK VAT and US and Canadian sales tax are collected for you.

Switch from Teachable if you sell downloads and a few courses together and want sales tax handled with no monthly fee.

Pricing: Free Forever is $0 per month plus a 5% transaction fee; Plus is $29 per month plus 2%; Pro is $99 per month with no transaction fee. (free plan)

Full review: #3 of 14 in our ranking · Visit Payhip →

10. LearnDash

WordPress LMS plugin from Liquid Web · United States

A WordPress plugin sold as a yearly licence: Essentials, Pro or Elite. The page states no per-student fees, unlimited courses and unlimited learners. You supply hosting, a payment plugin and maintenance. Group management and multi-instructor tools need the top licence. It suits teams, not solo sellers.

Switch from Teachable if you run WordPress and want group management for teams without per-student charges.

Pricing: Essentials is $259 per year, Pro $399 per year and Elite $599 per year. (free trial)

Full review: #9 of 14 in our ranking · Visit LearnDash →

11. LifterLMS

WordPress course and membership plugin · United States

An open source plugin with a free core that includes quizzes, certificates and badges. Bundles add commerce and marketing add-ons by site count. The first year is half price and renewals are full price. A lapsed licence leaves the site working but stops updates.

Switch from Teachable if you want a free open source core and prefer to buy only the add-ons you need.

Pricing: The core plugin is free; the Earth Bundle is $199 for the first year (normally $398) for 1 site, Universe $299 (normally $598) for 5 sites and Infinity $799 (normally $1598) for unlimited sites, and the vendor states renewals are at full price. (free plan)

Full review: #2 of 14 in our ranking · Visit LifterLMS →

12. Tutor LMS

WordPress course plugin with a free core · Bangladesh

A WordPress plugin with a free core that lists unlimited courses and learners. Pro costs $199 to $799 a year by site count, or a one-time lifetime fee. The feature list covers live classes, a quiz builder and several payment gateways. Hosting and upkeep are yours.

Switch from Teachable if you want to own a WordPress site and pay a licence once instead of a monthly subscription.

Pricing: The core plugin is free; Pro is $199 per year for 1 site, $399 per year for up to 10 sites or $799 per year for unlimited sites, with one-time lifetime licenses at $499, $999 and $1,999. (free plan)

Full review: #1 of 14 in our ranking · Visit Tutor LMS →

When Teachable is still the right choice

Teachable fits a solo seller who wants a hosted school with taxes and payments handled in one place. Builder lists 10 products, a 0% fee on Teachable Payments, a built-in affiliate program and real-time support, and the pricing page shows a free trial plus a 30-day guarantee. If you sell worldwide and want no plugin upkeep, moving gains little.

What to expect when you switch from Teachable

  1. Pull your content out yourself

    The terms say content may be irretrievable once an account is cancelled, so do not count on a later export. Download videos, PDFs and lesson text first. The privacy policy describes data portability requests, but we found no promise of a full course export.

  2. Plan around the product cap and the imports

    Teachable counts each published course, coaching offer or download as one product, while memberships and bundles are free of the count. Recount before choosing a new tier. Teachable lists imported students on Growth, and the Custom plan lists migration assistance, so check what the new vendor imports.

  3. Overlap the two schools for a billing cycle

    Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing cycle and Teachable may then disable paid features. Keep the old school live while the new one goes through checkout tests, and move payment plans and subscriptions on a quiet day.

Questions and answers

Can I export my courses from Teachable?

Not as a documented one-click package. The terms say content may be irretrievable after cancellation or deletion, and the only export clause we found is a CSV of data after API use ends. Keep your own copies of videos and text.

What happens to my school if I cancel Teachable?

Paid features can be switched off and your content may become unavailable. The terms say cancellation takes effect at the end of the billing cycle, and that Teachable is not liable for lost access to content afterward.

How much notice does Teachable give of a price change?

It says it will communicate changes in advance, and a new plan price takes effect at the start of your next subscription period. You may reject it by cancelling before then. Transaction and usage fees can change on reasonable notice.

Is there a free Teachable plan?

No. The pricing page lists a 7-day trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee, with a banner offering a 30-day trial. Free options elsewhere include systeme.io, FreshLearn and the free cores of Tutor LMS and LifterLMS.

Do the transaction fees go away on higher plans?

Mostly. Starter charges 7.5%, and Builder, Growth and Custom list 0% when you use Teachable Payments. Standard processing fees still apply, for example 2.9% plus 30 cents on US card sales and $15 per chargeback.

Does Teachable handle sales tax?

Yes. The pricing page lists US sales tax, global VAT and GST handling on every plan through Teachable Payments. A plugin or self-hosted tool leaves that to you, while Payhip and Podia also list tax handling.

Sources

Prices, plan limits and product facts about Teachable on this page were checked against the vendors' own pages on October 19, 2026. Vendors change both without notice, so treat the figures as of that date.

Who wrote this

Sebastiaan Smits Sebastiaan Smits, Founder, wrote, edited and fact-checked this page. Founder of The Interregnum and of 2 Steps Ahead, an AI search visibility agency. Editorially responsible for every page here; research and drafting are AI-assisted. Last reviewed October 19, 2026. How we review.