Teachable and Thinkific both start from the same premise: a no-code platform for packaging video lessons into a sellable course, but they optimize for…
| Teachable | Thinkific | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary category | Ecommerce | Ecommerce |
| Rating | Not documented | Not documented |
| Pricing model | subscription | subscription |
| Starting price | $39/month (Starter plan) | $36/month (Basic plan, billed annually) |
| Free plan | Not documented | Not documented |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, iOS | Web, iOS, Android |
| Team collaboration | Not documented | Not documented |
| AI features | Yes | Not documented |
| Public API | Not documented | Not documented |
Entry-level pricing and fees
Teachable: Teachable's Starter plan is 39 dollars a month, or 29 dollars a month billed annually, but charges a 7.5 percent transaction fee on sales
Thinkific: Thinkific's Basic plan is 49 dollars a month, or 36 dollars a month billed annually, and has moved toward eliminating transaction fees on most current plans
the effective cost of the entry tier depends more on sales volume and transaction fees than the sticker price
Core platform focus
Teachable: Teachable centers on structured courses, coaching, and digital downloads sold through a single guided checkout
Thinkific: Thinkific bundles courses with native communities, memberships, and live cohort coaching in one site
buyers who want an all-in-one community and recurring-revenue hub need more built-in tooling than a pure course checkout provides
AI content creation
Teachable: Teachable includes AI tools that generate course outlines, lesson text, and quizzes, plus automatic video subtitle translation into dozens of languages
Thinkific: Thinkific's documented feature set does not mention AI course-writing or subtitle-translation tools
creators who want to speed up first-draft curriculum production have a documented advantage on one platform
Communities and memberships
Teachable: Teachable itself notes that community and membership features are less developed than on dedicated platforms
Thinkific: Thinkific includes native discussion communities and membership tiers that can be bundled directly with course content
creators building recurring revenue around an engaged audience need first-party community tools rather than workarounds
Live cohorts and coaching delivery
Teachable: Teachable supports selling coaching sessions as a product type through its checkout
Thinkific: Thinkific adds Zoom-integrated live sessions and cohort-based course delivery alongside self-paced content
cohort-based programs need scheduling and live-session tooling, not just a sellable product listing
Mobile app options
Teachable: Teachable gives students iOS and Android apps for consuming purchased courses
Thinkific: Thinkific offers the same native student apps plus an optional paid add-on to publish a fully white-label branded app
creators who want their own-branded app store presence need that option available at all
API access and integrations
Teachable: Teachable's provided facts do not document a public API or app marketplace
Thinkific: Thinkific offers API access on the Grow plan and above plus an app marketplace for email, CRM, and marketing tools
businesses connecting a course site into an existing CRM or marketing stack need programmatic access
Enterprise and compliance tier
Teachable: Teachable's top Custom plan adds a dedicated success manager, white-glove onboarding, and priority SLA support
Thinkific: Thinkific Plus adds single sign-on, SCORM and learning paths, and CRM integrations for large organizations
large organizations often have compliance and identity-management requirements beyond a standard course plan
Ownership and company background
Teachable: Teachable was founded in 2013 and has been owned by Hotmart Company, a creator-economy business, since a 2020 acquisition
Thinkific: Thinkific was founded in 2012 and remains headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia
some buyers weigh company independence and acquisition history when choosing a long-term platform for their business
Admin seats and team permissions
Teachable: Teachable's Growth plan supports up to 5 admin users with configurable permissions
Thinkific: Thinkific's provided facts do not document a specific admin-seat or permissions structure
multi-instructor teams need clear seat limits and role-based access to collaborate safely
| Feature | Teachable | Thinkific |
|---|---|---|
| Drag-and-drop course builder | Available | Available |
| Quizzes | Available | Available |
| Drip content scheduling | Available | Available |
| Completion certificates | Available | Available |
| Assignments and instructor grading | Limited | Available |
| Feature | Teachable | Thinkific |
|---|---|---|
| Native built-in checkout | Available | Available |
| Order bumps and upsells | Available | Available |
| Subscriptions and payment plans | Not documented | Available |
| Transaction fee on entry plan | Limited | Available |
| Automatic global sales tax and VAT collection | Available | Not documented |
| Feature | Teachable | Thinkific |
|---|---|---|
| Student discussion communities | Limited | Available |
| Membership or subscription selling | Available | Available |
| Live cohort sessions with Zoom integration | Not documented | Available |
| Sell one-on-one coaching sessions | Available | Not documented |
| Feature | Teachable | Thinkific |
|---|---|---|
| AI-generated course outlines and lesson text | Available | Not documented |
| AI-generated quizzes | Available | Not documented |
| Automatic video subtitle translation | Available | Not documented |
| Multiple student-facing interface languages | Available | Not documented |
| Feature | Teachable | Thinkific |
|---|---|---|
| Native student app on iOS and Android | Available | Available |
| White-label branded mobile app | Unavailable | Available |
| Feature | Teachable | Thinkific |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple admin seats with permissions | Available | Not documented |
| Phone or priority support | Not documented | Available |
| Dedicated success manager on top tier | Available | Available |
| Feature | Teachable | Thinkific |
|---|---|---|
| Public API access | Not documented | Available |
| App marketplace or third-party integrations | Not documented | Available |
| Analytics and reporting dashboards | Not documented | Available |
| Feature | Teachable | Thinkific |
|---|---|---|
| Single sign-on | Not documented | Available |
| SCORM support or learning paths | Not documented | Available |
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
Teachable's cheapest annual plan is 29 dollars a month versus Thinkific's 36 dollars a month, but Teachable's entry Starter plan charges a 7.5 percent transaction fee while Thinkific has moved toward eliminating fees on most current plans, so higher-volume sellers may find Thinkific cheaper overall despite the higher sticker price.
Both offer no-code, drag-and-drop course builders that are approachable for non-technical creators, though Teachable's guided setup and AI course-creation tools can make producing a first course faster, while Thinkific's deeper feature set around communities and live cohorts takes a bit more configuration to use fully.
Not based on the documented feature set; Thinkific's facts describe a drag-and-drop editor, communities, and live cohorts but do not mention AI-generated outlines, lesson text, quizzes, or subtitle translation, which are specifically documented as Teachable features.
Thinkific is the stronger documented fit, since it includes native discussion communities and membership tiers bundled directly with courses, while Teachable itself lists community and membership features as less developed than dedicated platforms.
Neither platform offers a permanent free plan; both provide a free trial on paid plans, and Teachable additionally backs its trial with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Thinkific documents built-in Zoom-integrated live sessions and cohort-based course delivery, while Teachable supports selling coaching sessions as a product type but does not document dedicated live-cohort scheduling tools, making Thinkific the more built-out option for cohort programs.
Read the full Teachable review · Read the full Thinkific review