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.
Teachable vs Thinkific at a Glance
| Teachable | Thinkific | Ruzuku | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price (annual) | $29/mo | $36/mo | Free |
| Transaction fees | 7.5% on Starter | 0%–5% depending on processor | 0% on all plans |
| 0% fee tier | Builder ($69/mo annual) | Basic ($36/mo with 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 on all standard plans | Unlimited |
| Mobile apps | iOS & Android | No native apps | No native apps |
| Live teaching (Zoom) | No | Start plan ($83/mo) | All plans |
| Community discussions | Basic | Start plan+ | All plans, integrated in courses |
| Payment plans | Builder ($69/mo) | Start ($83/mo) | 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 1 published product and 100 students. Thinkific's Basic plan ($36/mo annual) has zero transaction fees if you use Thinkific Payments — but charges a 1–5% surcharge if you bring your own Stripe account.
Here's what that looks like at different revenue levels:
| Monthly revenue | Teachable Starter | Teachable Builder | Thinkific Basic | Ruzuku Core |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000/mo | $29 + $75 = $104/mo | $69/mo | $36/mo | $83/mo |
| $5,000/mo | $29 + $375 = $404/mo | $69/mo | $36/mo | $83/mo |
| $10,000/mo | $29 + $750 = $779/mo | $69/mo | $36/mo | $83/mo |
Annual pricing shown. Teachable Starter limited to 1 product and 100 students. Thinkific Basic uses Thinkific Payments (0% fee). 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 5 products and 1,000 students.
Thinkific's pricing is simpler — 0% fees if you use their payment processor, unlimited courses on every plan. But the 10,000 student cap on all standard plans is worth noting if you're scaling. (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 ($83/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 genuine 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
No transaction fees from day one
Thinkific's Basic plan ($36/mo annual) includes zero transaction fees when you use Thinkific Payments. This is the most affordable entry point for a professional course platform with no percentage-based fees on your revenue. The caveat: if you want to use your own Stripe account, Thinkific charges a 1–5% surcharge depending on your plan.
Unlimited courses on every plan
Teachable limits courses by plan: 1 on Starter, 5 on Builder, 50 on Professional. 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+), a theme system, and an app store for integrations. It also supports SCORM — the standard for tracking completion in corporate training and continuing education. If you're building courses for organizational clients or need CE compliance, Thinkific is the clear choice over Teachable.
Community features
Thinkific has invested more in community than Teachable. Its Start plan includes communities, spaces, and live events through 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.
The research on this is clear: courses with integrated discussion have dramatically higher completion rates. Across 32,000+ courses on our own platform, courses with active discussions average 65.5% completion compared to 42.6% for those without — a 54% 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 ($83/mo). Teachable doesn't have native live teaching tools.
Across our platform data, cohort-based (scheduled) courses achieve 64% median completion versus 48% for open access courses. 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: Ruzuku or Thinkific. Dr. Kim needs live teaching, community discussion, and ideally SCORM or CE tracking. Thinkific covers SCORM compliance and Zoom on the Start plan. Ruzuku offers native Zoom, integrated course discussions, exercise submissions, and built-in student tech support — all on the Core plan.
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.
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, zero transaction fees, SCORM compliance, and deep customization. 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?
Thinkific no longer offers a free plan (replaced with a 14-day trial). Teachable's free tier charges 10% + $1 per sale and limits you to 1 published product. Ruzuku offers a free plan with zero transaction fees, 1 published course, and up to 5 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 ($83/mo annual), including scheduled live events and replays. Teachable does not have native live teaching tools. Ruzuku supports 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 $89/month 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, SCORM compliance, and control over design — 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 March 2026. Teachable and Thinkific update pricing periodically — check their websites for the latest. See our detailed breakdowns: Teachable pricing · Thinkific pricing · Ruzuku vs Teachable · Ruzuku vs Thinkific