Teachable Review: Is This the Best Choice in 2021?

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There is so much that goes into building an online course, it can seem like spending weeks creating the content is the easy part.

Then you have to decide which online course platform you’re going to use, how you’re going to market the course, how will you handle refunds, and….there is just a lot to do.

Since Teachable has been around for a long time now, I’ve had a lot of experience with some of clients using it. I’ve had to help setup the course, integrate it with 3rd parties, figure out conversion tracking, and so on.

Because I’ve seen it all when it comes to Teachable, I want to share those experiences with you to help you decide if it’s the right platform for you.

What Makes Teachable Different?

While Teachable does quite a few features, it is ultimately geared toward the beginner to intermediate level course creator.

They are the only platform to have their own payment processing system (Teachable payments) through Stripe Express, but you can also use the typical Stripe and Paypal integrations. They are also one of the only options that has a searchable database of courses for students to browse.

Note: this is a newer feature and it’s still only includes the top few percent of educators on the platform.

Teachable Plans and Pricing

Teachable is one of the most well-known online course platforms for selling online courses and online coaching services.

They do make it quite easy to setup, launch and start collecting payments from students – especially for people with no “tech” background.

Teachable has 3 pricing plans for you to choose from.

The Basic Plan – $39/mo

The name says it all. Once you start selling a few courses a month, I’d highly recommend upgrading your plan as it just gets expensive with the fees and limited capabilities. You are not able to use Zapier with the basic plan.

• Email Support
• 2 admin users
• This plan charges a 5% transaction fee on every sale you make (this is on top of the processing fees you’ll have to pay)
• Members-only community
• Course creator training

The Pro Plan – $119/mo

With the Pro Plan you get everything from the Basic plan, plus a lot more bells and whistles. Some of these “extras” would potentially have me look somewhere else for an online course platform.

• 5 admin users
• Email and Live Chat Support
• Does not include your own affiliate program
• Zapier Integrations
• Graded quizzes
• Course completion certificates
• Upsells
• Advanced reporting
• Remove the Teachable branding

The Business Plan – $299/mo

This plan is for people with employees or contractors helping them run their business, and need that extra support and customization.

• 20 admin users
• Advanced developer customization
• Custom user roles
• Bulk import students
• Group coaching calls

The best plan is definitely that middle one – the Pro Plan. But it is a little pricey if you’re getting started, and Teachable caters towards beginners so there is a little mismatch there.

Podia, for example, charges $79 and you get everything in their system, including affiliate programs and Zapier integrations.

You can see the full breakdown of Teachable’s pricing plans here.

Pros & Cons – Teachable Review

What I like about Teachable

• You can offer course completion certificates are if you purchase the Pro plan or Business plan. A lot of online course platforms don’t offer this.
• You can setup recurring subscriptions so you can set up a membership model for your courses.
• You can offer monthly payment plans. This is a great option if you sell high-ticket courses and know that students need to break up the pricing over a few months.
• Teachable has an app for iOS and on Google Play store for your students to take your course remotely.
• Teachable’s built-in email marketing tool lets you create free email courses as opt-ins or lead magnets for your paid course. You can do this with ConvertKit or your current email marketing provider, but it’s nice to have it all in one spot.

What I don’t like about Teachable

• There is no free plan to get started with
• Their lowest plan has a 5% transaction fee on all sales
• There are not a lot of ways to customize your sales page or course as some other platforms offer.
• Their login process is a nightmare for students who take more than one Teachable course
• No phone support

Teachable Alternatives

There are dozens of great online course platforms out there, and I wouldn’t consider Teachable as the number one option. It’s marketed towards beginners, but comes with a steep price tag above their basic plan.

Podia vs Teachable

Podia is my favorite tool when it comes to hosting online courses and digital products. It’s a seamless experience for both the user and the course creator, and you have a lot of functionality for a lower price tag (their middle plan includes almost everything and is $79/mo).

While it’s not going to have course completion certificates, or graded quizzes, unless you’re a professional instructor I’m not sure those things matter to your students.

Also, students can easily log into your courses even if they’re signed up to 100 other courses (I hope not!) on Podia – Teachable doesn’t really make this easy.

Thinkific vs Teachable

Thinkific is another great option for beginners. The pricing structure is similar, but they have a free plan you can use to get started and bring in your first few students.

Their quizzes and exams are much more advanced than what Teachable offers. You can also setup “prerequisites” so students can’t just skip ahead to Module 4 without going through Module 3 first. I hate this feature as a student, but as an instructor I totally understand it. 🙂

Want a break down of the best online course platforms? I’ve spent countless hours reviewing the top options that I’ve seen used with my clients to offer you the best information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Teachable legit? Yes, they have been around for quite a few years now.

Is Teachable mobile friendly? They are mobile friendly, and even have an app for Apple and Android phones.

Does Teachable charge transaction fees? Teachable does charge transaction fees on their lowest plan, and you’ll have to spend $119/mo to avoid them.

Does Teachable have a free trial? They do offer a 14-day free trial, and you can sign up to try it out here. Don’t click their pricing page, just enter your email and go through the setup wizard. Otherwise, it looks like they’re charging you right away for the first month.