Video Transcript
Teachable and Thinkific are the two most commonly compared course platforms — and for good reason. Both let you create and sell online courses, but they're built on different philosophies.Teachable is a course-selling platform with strong marketing and checkout tools.Thinkific is a course-building platform with deep customization and technical flexibility. The right choice depends on what matters more to your business: selling or building.
Want platform-specific depth? See the Teachable review covering its transaction fees and plan limits or the Thinkific review covering its 2026 plan changes and feature gating.
Teachable vs Thinkific at a Glance
| Teachable | Thinkific | Ruzuku | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price (annual) | $29/mo | $40/mo Basic; $82/mo Start | Free |
| Transaction fees | 7.5% on Starter | 0% on Thinkific Payments; 5/2/1% on your own Stripe | 0% on all plans |
| 0% fee tier | Builder ($69/mo annual) | All plans, but only on Thinkific Payments | All plans including free |
| Course limits | 1–100 by plan | Unlimited on all plans | Unlimited (Core+) |
| Student limits | 100–unlimited by plan | 10,000 current students | Unlimited |
| Mobile apps | iOS & Android | No native apps | No native apps |
| Live teaching (Zoom) | No | Start plan ($82/mo annual) | All plans |
| Community discussions | Basic | 1 community on all plans; 3 on Grow | All plans, integrated in courses |
| Payment plans | Builder ($69/mo) | Start ($82/mo annual) | Core ($99/mo) |
| Affiliate marketing | Strong, built-in | Available | Not built-in |
| Student tech support | Not included | Not included | Included on all plans |
| Best for | Course selling at scale | Customized course sites | Teaching-first course businesses |
Pricing: What You Actually Pay
Pricing is the most consequential difference between Teachable and Thinkific — not because of the sticker prices, but because of what happens after your first sale.
The transaction fee math
Teachable's cheapest plan (Starter, $29/mo annual) charges a 7.5% transaction fee on every sale, plus limits you to 5 products and 100 students. Thinkific's cheapest plan (Basic, $40/mo annual) has no certificates, no graded assignments and no live cohorts, so the plan that actually compares is Start at $82/mo annual ($109 monthly). Thinkific charges no fee on top of that if you take payments through Thinkific Payments — but keep your own Stripe and it adds a third-party gateway fee of 2% on Start (5% on Basic, 1% on Grow) in the US, Canada, the UK and the EU. So each platform's entry plan takes a cut; Thinkific's is smaller, and it's the one you can remove by switching processors rather than by upgrading.
Here's what that looks like at different revenue levels:
| Monthly revenue | Teachable Starter | Teachable Builder | Thinkific Start | Ruzuku Core |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000/mo | $29 + $75 = $104/mo | $69/mo | $82 + $20 = $102/mo | $83/mo |
| $5,000/mo | $29 + $375 = $404/mo | $69/mo | $82 + $100 = $182/mo | $83/mo |
| $10,000/mo | $29 + $750 = $779/mo | $69/mo | $82 + $200 = $282/mo | $83/mo |
Annual pricing shown. Teachable Starter limited to 5 products and 100 students. The Thinkific Start column assumes you keep your own Stripe, which costs 2%; that second figure drops to $0 if you use Thinkific Payments instead. All plans also incur standard payment processing fees (Stripe/PayPal ~2.9% + 30¢).
The takeaway: on Teachable's Starter plan, you're paying 7.5% of every dollar forever. At $5,000/month, that's $4,500/year in platform fees alone — on top of the plan cost. Upgrading to Builder ($69/mo) eliminates the percentage fee but caps you at 10 products.
Thinkific went the other way in 2026: prices rose, and the two limits people ask about stayed put. Every named plan still caps you at 10,000 current students, and keeping your own Stripe still costs 5% on Basic, 2% on Start and 1% on Grow. The entry point is also higher than the headline suggests — there's no permanent free plan, just a 30-day trial, and Basic at $40/month (annual) has no certificates, no graded assignments and no live cohorts. Start, at $82/month annual, is where a structured course begins. (For a deep dive, see our Teachable pricing breakdown and Thinkific pricing breakdown.)
The payment plan gap
If you sell courses above $200, offering payment plans significantly increases conversions. On Teachable, payment plans unlock on the Builder tier ($69/mo annual). On Thinkific, they require the Start plan ($82/mo annual). On Ruzuku, payment plans are available on Core ($83/mo annual). All three platforms are similar here, but the surrounding features at each price point differ substantially.
Where Teachable Wins
Native mobile apps
Teachable's iOS and Android student apps are a real advantage. Students can download content for offline viewing, get push notifications, and access courses from their phones without using a browser. If your students are on the go — fitness coaches, language learners, professional development — mobile apps matter.
Thinkific does not offer native student apps. Students access courses through the mobile browser, which works but isn't the same experience. Ruzuku also doesn't offer native apps — mobile access is browser-based.
Affiliate marketing tools
Teachable's built-in affiliate system is more mature than Thinkific's. You can set custom commission rates, track referral sources, and manage payouts directly from the dashboard. If affiliate-driven launches (JV partnerships, influencer promotions) are core to your sales strategy, Teachable has the edge.
Checkout optimization
Teachable offers upsells, order bumps, and cart recovery emails — features designed to maximize revenue per checkout. These are selling-first features that reflect Teachable's DNA as a sales platform. Thinkific has abandoned cart emails but lacks the deeper checkout optimization tools.
Where Thinkific Wins
A smaller fee, and one you can switch off
Thinkific takes 0% on sales processed through Thinkific Payments, on every plan. Keep your own Stripe and it charges a third-party payment gateway fee instead — 5% on Basic, 2% on Start, 1% on Grow — in the US, Canada, the UK and the EU, waived only after your first $1M in sales each year. That's a gentler cut than Teachable's 7.5% on Starter, and it's the one you can remove by changing processors rather than by moving up a plan. The trade-off is the entry point: Thinkific retired its permanent free plan, so after the 30-day trial you're paying $40/month annual for Basic, or $82 for Start.
Unlimited courses on every plan
Teachable limits products by plan: 5 on Starter, 10 on Builder, 50 on Growth. Thinkific offers unlimited courses on every paid plan. If you plan to create multiple courses, mini-courses, or lead magnets, Thinkific's model is more flexible.
Deep customization and SCORM compliance
Thinkific gives developers and designers more control with CSS/HTML editing (Start plan and up), a theme system, and an app store for integrations. It also supports SCORM — the standard for tracking completion in corporate training and continuing education — but SCORM sits on the custom-priced Plus plan, alongside SSO and learning paths, so getting it means a sales call rather than a plan upgrade. If you're building courses for organizational clients, Thinkific is still the only one of the two that offers SCORM at all.
Community features
Thinkific has invested more in community than Teachable. Every plan includes one community with spaces and a private feed, Grow raises that to three, and Start adds live cohort sessions through the Zoom integration. Teachable's community features exist but are more basic. That said, both platforms treat community as an add-on — a separate area students visit outside their course — rather than an integral part of the learning experience.
What Both Platforms Miss
Having built and run a course platform for 14 years, we've watched thousands of course creators launch, grow, and sometimes struggle on various platforms — including ours. Here's what we've observed that neither Teachable nor Thinkific prioritizes:
Student engagement built into the course
Both Teachable and Thinkific are built around recorded video content. You upload videos, students watch them. Community, if available, lives in a separate section.
Where discussion sits turns out to matter. Across 32,000+ courses on our own platform, measured per enrollment, courses with lesson-level discussions complete at 50.9% compared to 37.3% for those without — a 36% improvement. Neither Teachable nor Thinkific makes discussion a native part of the lesson flow.
Student tech support
When a student can't log in, can't access a video, or can't figure out how to submit an assignment, who handles it? On both Teachable and Thinkific, you do. Both platforms offer creator support (help for you as the course builder), but neither provides technical support for your students.
This means your inbox fills up with password resets, browser compatibility issues, and payment questions — work that has nothing to do with teaching. On Ruzuku, our support team handles student technical issues directly, so you can focus on your content and your students' learning.
Live cohort teaching
Self-paced courses work well for some topics, but many transformative learning experiences require live interaction — group coaching, cohort-based programs, workshops with real-time feedback. Thinkific offers Zoom integration on its Start plan ($82/mo annual). Teachable doesn't have native live teaching tools.
Across our platform data, cohort-based (scheduled) courses complete at 53.4% versus 41.9% for open-access courses, measured per enrollment. If live teaching is central to your model, evaluate whether the platform you choose truly supports it or just offers a Zoom link.
Three Scenarios: Which Platform Fits?
Scenario 1: Marcus sells a self-paced photography course at $197
Marcus has 500 email subscribers and plans to sell a polished, pre-recorded course with video lessons and downloadable presets. He wants a mobile app for students and an affiliate program for YouTube partners.
Best fit: Teachable. Mobile apps, strong affiliate tools, and checkout optimization align with Marcus's selling-first approach. At his volume, the Builder plan ($69/mo) eliminates transaction fees and gives him the marketing tools he needs.
Scenario 2: Dr. Kim runs a 6-week therapy CE program with live sessions
Dr. Kim teaches counselors how to integrate mindfulness techniques into their practice. Her program includes live weekly sessions, peer discussion, homework submissions, and a certificate of completion with CE credits.
Best fit: Thinkific if the certificate is the deciding factor, Ruzuku if the live cohort teaching is. Dr. Kim needs live teaching, community discussion, and ideally SCORM or CE tracking. Thinkific covers Zoom and completion certificates from the Start plan at $82/month annual — the cheapest route to a certificate of the three. Basic won't do: certificates start on Start. SCORM isn't on Start either; it needs the custom-priced Plus plan.Ruzuku offers built-in video meetings (no Zoom account needed) plus optional Zoom integration, integrated course discussions, exercise submissions, and built-in student tech support on the Core plan at $83/month annual — but certificates are a Pro feature at $199/month ($166/month annual), so a CE program on Ruzuku means Pro, roughly twice Thinkific Start. The live teaching and student support are what she'd be paying the difference for.
Scenario 3: Jamie builds a language-learning site with 12 mini-courses
Jamie teaches accent coaching and wants to offer a library of short courses at different price points, plus a membership for ongoing practice. She doesn't need mobile apps but wants full control over her site's look.
Best fit: Thinkific. Unlimited courses on every plan, deep customization, and membership support on the Start plan make Thinkific the natural choice for a multi-course library business.
For deeper decision frameworks per platform, see the 4 scenarios where Teachable earns its price and scenarios where Thinkific's tier structure works.
Switching Between Platforms
We hear from course creators considering platform switches regularly. A few things to know:
- Content transfers manually. You can download your video files and course materials from either platform, but you'll rebuild the course structure on the new platform. Neither offers one-click migration.
- Student accounts don't transfer. Your students will need to create new accounts. Active subscriptions can't be moved automatically — you'll need to coordinate the transition with your students.
- Your domain can move. If you use a custom domain, you can point it to any platform. This means your course URLs stay the same for students.
One course creator we spoke with was migrating their midwifery CE program (4,500+ students) from another LMS and evaluating both Teachable and Ruzuku. Their main concerns: bulk student import and course re-purchase tracking for recurring certification. These are the kinds of migration details worth checking with each platform's support team before committing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Thinkific better than Teachable?
Neither is universally better — they serve different priorities. Thinkific is the better value for course building: unlimited courses, an HTML and CSS editor, deep customization, and SCORM if you go up to the custom-priced Plus plan. Teachable is stronger for course selling: mobile apps, affiliate marketing, checkout upsells, and a simpler setup. If your priority is the teaching experience itself — live interaction, student engagement, completion rates — neither platform focuses there. That's where teaching-first platforms like Ruzuku differ.
Is there a free course platform with no transaction fees?
Neither of these platforms has one. Thinkific replaced its free plan with a 30-day trial, and Teachable retired its free tier too — you get a 7-day trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee, then Starter at $29/month annual with a 7.5% fee. Ruzuku offers a free plan with zero transaction fees, unlimited courses, and up to 5 enrolled students — designed for piloting your first course before committing to a paid plan.
Which platform is better for live or cohort-based courses?
Thinkific supports Zoom integration on its Start plan ($82/mo annual), including scheduled live events and replays. Teachable does not have native live teaching tools. Ruzuku has built-in video meetings (no Zoom account needed) plus optional Zoom integration on all plans, and is specifically designed for cohort-based courses with scheduled content, live sessions, and integrated student discussions.
Which has better customer support?
Both offer email and chat support for course creators. Teachable adds priority support on higher tiers. Thinkific has a responsive support team and a strong knowledge base. However, neither provides direct technical support for your students — when students have login or access issues, you handle it yourself. This is one of the most common frustrations we hear from creators switching to Ruzuku, where student support is included on every plan.
Can I switch from Teachable to Thinkific (or vice versa)?
Yes. Both platforms allow you to export your course content (videos, files, text). You'll rebuild the course structure on the new platform. Student enrollment, payment history, and active subscriptions don't transfer automatically — plan for a transition period. If you use a custom domain, you can point it to the new platform to keep URLs consistent.
What about Kajabi?
Kajabi is in a different category — it's an all-in-one marketing platform that includes courses, email marketing, landing pages, and sales funnels. It starts at $143/month (annual) and is best for creators who want marketing and courses in one tool. See our Teachable vs Kajabi and Kajabi vs Thinkific comparisons.
Bottom Line
Teachable and Thinkific are both solid course platforms, and most comparisons between them focus on the same features: pricing, mobile apps, customization. But the more important question is what kind of course business you're building.
If you're building a course-selling business — affiliate launches, checkout optimization, mobile-first students — Teachable is the better fit. If you're building a customized course site with multiple products, control over design, and a route to SCORM through Plus — Thinkific is stronger. And if you're building a teaching-first business where student outcomes, live interaction, and completion rates matter more than marketing tools — Ruzuku is worth a look.
Not sure which fits? Take our 2-minute platform quiz for a personalized recommendation, or explore all platform comparisons.
Pricing verified as of August 2026. Teachable and Thinkific update pricing periodically — check their pricing pages for the latest. See our detailed breakdowns: Teachable pricing · Thinkific pricing · Ruzuku vs Teachable · Ruzuku vs Thinkific · Teachable review · Thinkific review