Teachable Alternatives (2026): 3 Picks Compared on Fees and Real Costs
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Teachable is an online course platform: it hosts your lessons, takes payment and gives each student a login under your brand. Its cheapest plan is $29/mo billed yearly, but that plan takes 7.5% of every sale and allows 5 products. A good Teachable alternative fixes the reason you’re leaving: fees, course limits, missing features or wanting everything in one place.
The short answer
Most creators leaving Teachable should try Thinkific: unlimited courses, no platform fee and a 30-day trial from $40/mo billed yearly. Choose LearnWorlds for interactive video and exams, or Kajabi ($143/mo yearly) to replace your email, funnel and app tools too.
Teachable pricing in brief
Teachable has no free plan. Its plans, billed yearly, are Starter ($29/mo), Builder ($69/mo) and Growth ($139/mo); billed monthly they are $39, $89 and $189. Custom is quote-only. Starter charges a 7.5% transaction fee, while Builder and up charge 0% when you sell through Teachable Payments. Card processing of 2.9% + 30¢ for US cards applies on every plan.
Products are capped at 5 on Starter, 10 on Builder and 50 on Growth. A published course, coaching offer or download counts as one product. The plan cards list a 7-day free trial, though a pop-up on the same page offered 30 days on October 17, 2026. New to the platform? Our guide on how to sell courses on Teachable walks through setup and fees.
Why people look for a Teachable alternative
- The Starter fee. 7.5% of every sale goes to Teachable on Starter, on top of card processing. On a $100 sale paid by US card you keep about $89.30.
- Product caps. Starter allows 5 products and Builder 10. Courses, coaching and downloads all count toward the limit.
- Features on high tiers. Completion certificates and removing Teachable branding need Growth, at $139/mo billed yearly.
- No free plan. Teachable’s help center says it no longer offers one, so a canceled school goes offline until you pick a paid plan.
None of this makes Teachable a bad choice. Builder removes the platform fee, and student mobile apps come with every plan. The question is which limit hurts you most.
Teachable vs the alternatives at a glance
| Platform | Best for | Starts at | Fee per sale (own payments) | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Teachable | A few products plus student apps | $29/mo Starter, billed yearly | 7.5% on Starter; 0% from Builder | 7 days on the plan cards |
 Thinkific | Many courses, no platform fee | $40/mo Basic, billed yearly | 0% on every plan | 30-day free trial, no free plan |
 LearnWorlds | Interactive lessons and quizzes | $24/mo Starter, billed yearly | $5 per paid enrollment on Starter; none from Pro Trainer | 30-day trial, no free plan |
 Kajabi | All-in-one business platform | $143/mo Basic, billed yearly per the plan cards | 0% on every plan | 30-day trial (homepage), no free plan |
List prices in US dollars before tax, from each vendor’s pricing page on October 17, 2026. Card processing (2.9% + 30¢ for a US card) applies on top on every platform. LearnWorlds prices exclude VAT.
What a year really costs
Plan prices hide the real bill, because fees grow with your sales. This table assumes you sell 10 courses at $100 a month ($12,000 a year), paid by US cards through each platform’s own payments, on yearly billing.
| Platform and plan | Plan cost a year | You keep from one $100 sale | Platform fee | Year total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teachable Starter | $348 | $89.30 | 7.5% ($900 a year) | $1,632 |
| Teachable Builder | $828 | $96.80 | 0% on Teachable Payments | $1,212 |
| Thinkific Basic | $480 | $96.80 | 0% on Thinkific Payments | $864 |
| LearnWorlds Starter | $288 | $91.80 | $5 per paid enrollment ($600 a year) | $1,272 |
| LearnWorlds Pro Trainer | $948 | $96.80 | None | $1,332 |
| Kajabi Basic | $1,716 | $96.80 | 0% on Kajabi Payments | $2,100 |
Our own arithmetic from the published prices. Year total = plan cost + platform fees + card processing ($3.20 a sale × 120 sales = $384). Before tax, add-ons and payouts in other currencies; international cards cost more. LearnWorlds lists Stripe and PayPal fees as 2.9% + $0.30; Kajabi’s 2.9% + 30¢ is its US rate on Basic.
Three things stand out. Thinkific Basic is the cheapest once you sell regularly. LearnWorlds Starter beats Pro Trainer only below about 11 paid enrollments a month, where the $5 fees stay under the $55 monthly price gap. Kajabi costs the most, so it only makes sense if it replaces tools you already pay for.
Pick by what you need
| If you want… | Look at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| More courses for less | Thinkific | Unlimited courses and 0% platform fee from $40/mo yearly |
| Certificates without paying for Growth | Thinkific Start or LearnWorlds Pro Trainer | $82/mo or $79/mo billed yearly, against Teachable Growth at $139/mo |
| Interactive video and real exams | LearnWorlds | In-video quizzes, assessment builder, SCORM from Pro Trainer |
| Email, funnels and an app in one bill | Kajabi | Website, email marketing, funnels and branded app on every plan |
| Student mobile apps at a low price | Stay on Teachable | Student iOS and Android apps on every plan; Thinkific charges $199/mo for a branded app |
How we chose
We picked course platforms that replace Teachable for a common reason to switch, and read each pricing page on October 17, 2026. We compared published prices, fees, trials and plan limits only. We haven’t tested these platforms hands-on yet, so we don’t rank them on ease of use, video quality or support.
Other names that often come up, such as Podia, Skool, Mighty Networks, Circle, Kartra and Gumroad, aren’t covered here because we haven’t verified their US plans yet. Many “Teachable alternatives” lists are written by one of the platforms they recommend, so check prices on the vendor’s own page.
Thinkific: best for creators with several courses on a budget
Online course platform for building and selling courses, communities, digital downloads and coaching, with AI course outlines, hosted checkout, memberships and optional branded mobile apps.
- Starts at
- $40/mo Basic, billed yearly ($54 billed monthly)
- Trial
- 30-day free trial, no free plan
Compared with Teachable: Thinkific is the closest match to Teachable. Basic gives you unlimited published courses, 1 community and a custom domain, with a 10,000 current-student cap. There is no platform fee when you sell through Thinkific Payments, only 2.9% card processing (plus 30¢ for US cards). If you use Stripe or PayPal directly instead, Thinkific adds a gateway fee of 5% on Basic, 2% on Start and 1% on Grow. Completion certificates start on Start ($82/mo billed yearly), and a branded mobile app is a $199/mo add-on.
Who it’s for: You plan more than 5 courses, want a 30-day trial, or are tired of Teachable Starter’s 7.5% fee.
Skip it if: You need student mobile apps without an add-on, or you sell to companies and need SCORM, which is only on Thinkific’s custom-priced Plus plan.
Deciding between the two? Read our Teachable vs Thinkific comparison.
Visit ThinkificRead the Thinkific profile
Source: thinkific.com, checked October 17, 2026
LearnWorlds: best for trainers who want interactive video and exams
Learning platform (LMS) for selling and running online training, with interactive video, an assessment builder, AI course tools, a website builder, SCORM support and white-label options.
- Starts at
- $24/mo Starter, billed yearly ($29 billed monthly) + $5 per paid enrollment
- Trial
- 30-day trial, no free plan
Compared with Teachable: LearnWorlds is a learning management system (LMS): software built for running training, not just hosting videos. It turns videos into interactive lessons with in-video quizzes and transcripts, and has an assessment builder for exams. The low Starter price comes with a $5 fee for every paid enrollment, and Starter can’t host free courses, subscriptions or certificates. Pro Trainer ($79/mo billed yearly) drops the enrollment fee and adds certificates and up to 20 SCORM packages. Prices exclude VAT.
Who it’s for: You teach skills that need practice and testing, such as compliance, software or exam prep, or you need SCORM on a self-serve plan.
Skip it if: You want the simplest setup, or you sell many cheap courses on Starter, where $5 per enrollment adds up fast.
Visit LearnWorldsRead the LearnWorlds profile
Source: learnworlds.com, checked October 17, 2026
Kajabi: best for creators who want email, funnels and an app in one place
All-in-one platform for selling courses, coaching, communities, memberships, podcasts and newsletters, with a website builder, email marketing, funnels, payments and a branded mobile app.
- Starts at
- $143/mo Basic, billed yearly per the plan cards ($179 billed monthly)
- Trial
- 30-day trial (homepage), no free plan
Compared with Teachable: Kajabi costs far more than Teachable, but it bundles more: a website builder, email marketing, funnels, a contact CRM and a branded mobile app on every plan. Basic allows 5 products and 2,500 contacts, the same product cap as Teachable Starter, with no platform fee. Kajabi Payments charges 2.9% + 30¢ per sale for US businesses on Basic. Third-party processors add 2% on Basic, 1% on Growth and 0.5% on Pro. Kajabi’s yearly plan cards also print the monthly figure next to “Billed annually”, so confirm the price at checkout.
Who it’s for: You already pay for separate email, landing page and community tools and want to replace them with one bill.
Skip it if: You only need to host and sell a course. Kajabi Basic costs about five times Teachable Starter’s yearly rate.
Visit KajabiRead the Kajabi profile
Source: kajabi.com, checked October 17, 2026
Before you move off Teachable
Teachable’s help center lists what happens when you cancel a paid school plan. Do these steps first.
- Download your content. Save any videos and files you don’t store elsewhere. Teachable says it can’t guarantee content stays available after a school is canceled.
- Export your students. Export the student list and emails from the Users page, plus sales records you need for taxes.
- Handle subscriptions. Canceling your plan doesn’t stop student subscriptions or payment plans. They can keep charging for up to 30 days, so cancel each one from the Sales page.
- Free your domain. Remove any custom domain and make your Teachable subdomain primary; Teachable requires this before it finalizes the cancellation.
- Overlap the switch. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the billing cycle, and students lose access once the school goes offline. Rebuild on the new platform during its trial before that date.
When Teachable is still the right pick
- You want student iOS and Android apps without paying for an add-on.
- You sell more than about $533 a month: Builder ($69/mo billed yearly) removes the 7.5% fee and adds an affiliate program for your course.
- You sell a few products, coaching and downloads, and your school is already set up. Switching costs time, and students lose access if you cancel before rebuilding.
Still deciding? Read our Teachable vs Thinkific comparison, the guide on selling courses on Teachable, see our best online course platforms roundup, or browse all online course platforms.
FAQ
What is the best alternative to Teachable?
For most solo creators, Thinkific: it offers unlimited courses, no platform fee on Thinkific Payments and a 30-day trial from $40/mo billed yearly. Pick LearnWorlds for interactive video and exams, or Kajabi if you want email, funnels and a branded app in one platform.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Teachable?
On sticker price, LearnWorlds Starter is $24/mo billed yearly, below Teachable Starter at $29/mo, but it adds $5 per paid enrollment. Once you sell regularly, Thinkific Basic ($40/mo billed yearly, no platform fee) usually costs less in total: about $864 a year when selling $1,000 a month, against $1,632 on Teachable Starter. Prices checked October 17, 2026.
Is Thinkific better than Teachable?
It depends on what you sell. Thinkific has unlimited courses and no platform fee from its cheapest plan. Teachable includes student mobile apps on every plan and an affiliate program from Builder. See our Teachable vs Thinkific comparison for the full breakdown.
Does Teachable have a free plan?
No. Teachable’s help center says it no longer offers a free plan, and its cheapest plan, Starter, is $39/mo or $29/mo billed yearly. None of the three alternatives here has a free plan either; Thinkific, LearnWorlds and Kajabi each offer a trial instead.
What happens to my students if I cancel Teachable?
Your school goes offline at the end of the billing cycle and students lose access to content hosted there. Active student subscriptions and payment plans don’t stop automatically: Teachable says they can keep charging for up to 30 days, so cancel them from the Sales page. Export your student list first.
Can I move my courses from Teachable to another platform?
Yes, but expect manual work. Teachable recommends downloading content you don’t store elsewhere and exporting your student list and emails from the Users page before you cancel. You then re-upload videos and rebuild sales pages on the new platform. Teachable’s quote-only Custom plan lists migration help.
Sources
All pages checked October 17, 2026.