Teachable review: $39 a month and a fee on the lower plans
Teachable is the straightforward way to get a first paid course online, and its lower plans charge a cut of sales as well as a subscription. Our 1 October 2026 check records Starter at $39 a month, Builder at $89 and Growth at $189, with a free plan available indefinitely and transaction fees on the lower tiers.
The short answer
Buy Teachable if you want one or two courses selling without learning a platform first. Starter was $39 a month, or $29 billed annually, verified against teachable.com/pricing on 1 October 2026, and the free plan lets you build before you pay anything at all.
Skip it if you need email marketing and funnels in the same product. Kajabi bundles those from $179 a month on Basic, verified 1 October 2026, and a creator who would otherwise buy a separate email platform should total both bills before choosing the cheaper subscription.
Where Teachable fits
Teachable fits the creator whose question is how to sell a course, not how to build a learning management system. The builder is easy, the checkout handles payments and tax, and the student experience including a mobile app is better than most at this price. That is the specific job it does well.
Our 1 October 2026 check records a freemium model: a free plan available indefinitely, with no time-limited trial on the paid plans. That combination is unusual and it is useful, because it means you can build the whole course and the sales page before any money changes hands, then pay when you are ready to sell properly.
The paid card starts at Starter, $39 a month or $29 billed annually. Across a year that is $468 paid monthly against $348 prepaid, a saving of $120. Builder is $89 a month or $69 annually, which is $1,068 against $828 and a saving of $240. The step from Starter to Builder is $50 a month.
Growth is $189 a month or $139 billed annually, which totals $2,268 against $1,668 across a year and saves $600. That is $100 a month above Builder. Above Growth our snapshot records a Custom tier with the price quoted rather than published, so this page states no figure for it.
The fees are the part that needs care. Our snapshot records that Teachable's model carries transaction fees on the lower plans and a flat subscription higher up, and it does not record the percentage. We will not print a number our own check did not capture, so read the fee rate for your plan off teachable.com/pricing before you choose a tier.
That makes the plan decision the same arithmetic as everywhere else in this category. A percentage of sales costs little at low revenue and a lot at high revenue, so the point at which paying $50 a month more to remove or reduce the fee makes sense depends entirely on what you sell each month. Work it out with the current percentage rather than a remembered one.
Against the field Teachable is cheap to start and narrow in scope. Thinkific is $54 a month on Basic, verified 1 October 2026, with a deeper builder. Kajabi at $179 on Basic, same date, takes no cut of sales and bundles email and funnels. Podia is $39 a month on Mover, recorded 14 June 2026. The course and membership platforms category sets out the rest.
Teachable pricing
Teachable charges a flat monthly or annual subscription and, on the lower plans, a percentage of each sale. The subscription figures below were verified against teachable.com/pricing on 1 October 2026. The fee percentages are not in our snapshot and are not stated on this page. The Teachable pricing breakdown carries the longer version.
| Plan | Price | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | Available indefinitely on our 1 October 2026 check. Our snapshot does not record its limits |
| Starter | $39/mo | $29/mo billed annually, $348 a year against $468 paid monthly. Carries a transaction fee |
| Builder | $89/mo | $69/mo billed annually, $828 a year against $1,068 paid monthly. $50 a month above Starter |
| Growth | $189/mo | $139/mo billed annually, $1,668 a year against $2,268 paid monthly |
| Custom | Custom | Quoted rather than published. Our snapshot records no figure for this tier |
Two things are being priced, the subscription and a cut of sales on the lower tiers. Five factors decide the total:
- Which tier you sit on. Starter, Builder and Growth were $39, $89 and $189 a month on our 1 October 2026 check, which is $468, $1,068 and $2,268 across a year paid monthly.
- The transaction fee on your plan. Our snapshot records that the lower plans carry one without recording the rate, so take the current percentage off Teachable's own pricing page and apply it to your monthly sales.
- Your sales volume, since that is what turns a percentage into a real number. The fee is close to free at low revenue and expensive at high revenue, which is what moves people up the card.
- Billing period. Annual billing saved $120 on Starter, $240 on Builder and $600 on Growth across a year on our check, and prepays the whole term.
- Student or product caps, if the tier you want has them. Our snapshot does not record any, so check what each plan allows before you grow into an upgrade you did not plan.
Teachable pricing against the course platforms
Teachable has one of the cheapest paid entries in the category and a free plan behind it. Thinkific is $54 a month on Basic, verified 1 October 2026, and is the usual alternative for a creator who wants more course machinery. Podia is $39 a month on Mover, recorded 14 June 2026, which is the same sort of price with a 5% cut of sales attached. Kajabi at $179 a month on Basic, verified 1 October 2026, takes nothing per sale and bundles email and funnels, which is the trade to run the numbers on once revenue is real. LearnDash is a different shape again at $259 a year for a WordPress licence, recorded 6 October 2026.
Teachable billing terms worth knowing
Two facts settle most Teachable pricing questions: the free plan has no end date, and the lower paid plans take a cut.
- Free plan
- Available indefinitely on our 1 October 2026 check. No time-limited trial on paid plans.
- Starter
- $39 per month, or $29 per month billed annually. $468 or $348 across a year.
- Builder
- $89 per month, or $69 per month billed annually. $1,068 or $828 across a year.
- Growth
- $189 per month, or $139 per month billed annually. $2,268 or $1,668 across a year.
- Annual saving
- $120 on Starter, $240 on Builder, $600 on Growth.
- Transaction fees
- Charged on the lower plans. Our snapshot does not record the percentages, so this page states none.
- Check date
- 1 October 2026, against teachable.com/pricing.
Teachable plans: Starter $39/mo ($29/mo billed annually); Builder $89/mo ($69/mo billed annually); Growth $189/mo ($139/mo billed annually); Custom Custom.
If a Teachable payout is smaller than your sales suggest, the explanation is the transaction fee on your plan rather than the subscription. Our 1 October 2026 snapshot does not record those percentages, so this page gives no figure and points you at the vendor's card instead. Our creator tool cost calculators will set a year of subscription plus fees against a no-fee platform once you have the current rate.
What Teachable gives up
There is no email marketing in the box. Our snapshot records a course platform, and the newsletter, the launch sequence and the abandoned-cart email all come from somewhere else. Add that subscription to Starter's $468 a year before calling Teachable the cheap option.
The transaction fee on the lower plans is the real price of a cheap tier. It does not arrive as an invoice, it reduces each payout, and it is heaviest in the months you sell most. Read the current percentage off Teachable's own page and apply it to your own revenue, because our snapshot does not record it and we will not guess.
Page building and site design are basic next to the bundled platforms. You can make a sales page that works, and making one that looks distinctive is harder here than on a platform where the page builder is the main event.
Plan caps can force an upgrade before the business is ready for one. Our 1 October 2026 snapshot does not record student or product limits, so check them yourself: an unplanned $50 a month step from Starter to Builder is the sort of thing that should be a decision.
The free plan is a build environment rather than a business. It has no end date on our check, which is genuinely useful, and our snapshot does not record what it restricts. Treat it as the place to assemble the course and expect to pay once you are selling.
Annual billing saves real money and removes your exit. Prepaying Starter hands over $348 for a $120 saving across the year, and with a free plan available there is no reason to prepay before the course has sold to anyone.
The breadth is deliberately limited, which is the point and also the cost. If you want courses, email, funnels, a community and a website in one bill, you are describing Kajabi at $179 a month, verified 1 October 2026, or Kartra at $59 a month on Essentials, recorded 15 June 2026, rather than Teachable with four things bolted to it.
How Teachable compares
The four platforms below are the ones a course creator weighs against Teachable, and the axis is a cheap focused subscription against a bundled one. Prices are each vendor's published rates with the date we checked them, and those dates differ, so read them with that in mind. The wider field sits in the course and membership platforms category.
| Tool | Best for | Price | Where it breaks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teachable | Getting a first paid course live cheaply and quickly | Free, $39/mo Starter | No email marketing; the lower plans take a cut of sales |
| Thinkific | A deeper course builder on a hosted platform | $54/mo Basic | No built-in email marketing either, so budget a separate tool |
| Kajabi | An established business wanting courses, email and funnels in one bill | $179/mo Basic | The dearest entry point in the category and no free plan |
| Podia | Courses, downloads and coaching from one simple site | $39/mo Mover | Mover carries a 5% transaction fee on every sale |
What to test on the Teachable free plan
Our 1 October 2026 check records a free plan available indefinitely and no time-limited trial on the paid tiers, so there is no clock on this. Build the real thing on the free plan and upgrade when you are selling.
- Confirm the current plan prices and, more importantly, the transaction fee percentage for each tier on teachable.com/pricing. Our snapshot records that the fees exist without recording the rates.
- Build one complete course on the free plan, with the lessons, the sales page and the pricing set. This is what the free plan is for.
- Check what the free plan restricts before you rely on it. Our snapshot does not record its limits, so read them off the vendor's page.
- Apply the current Starter fee percentage to a realistic monthly sales figure. If the result exceeds the $50 a month step to Builder, the higher plan is the cheaper plan.
- Price the email platform you will need alongside it, and add it to Starter at $468 a year paid monthly. That total, not the subscription alone, is what to compare.
- Test the student side, including the mobile experience, with a lesson of your own. The learner experience is one of Teachable's stronger arguments and it is easy to check.
- Set the full year, subscription plus fees plus email, against Kajabi at $179 a month with no cut of sales, verified 1 October 2026. The cost calculators will do the sum and the free resources library has a launch checklist.
Teachable questions buyers ask
How much does Teachable cost per month?
Teachable's Starter plan is $39 a month, Builder is $89 a month and Growth is $189 a month, verified 1 October 2026. Annual billing brings those to $29, $69 and $139 a month, and the Custom plan is quoted on request. Teachable charges a transaction fee on its lower plans, and we hold no recorded rate for it, while the higher plans are flat subscriptions. A free plan is available indefinitely, and there is no time-limited trial on the paid plans.
Does Teachable still have a free plan?
No. Teachable retired its free plan in early 2025. New users now get a 7-day free trial on any paid plan instead. The old free plan charged $1 plus 10% per transaction, so it was never truly free, but it did let you test the platform without a monthly subscription. Your only option now is the 7-day trial.
Who is Teachable best for?
Teachable is best for solo course creators and small educators who want a simple, reliable way to build and sell online courses without technical complexity. It works well if you already have course content ready and want to start selling quickly. It is a weaker fit for creators who need built-in email marketing, advanced website design, or an all-in-one business platform: for those needs, Kajabi or Kartra are stronger picks.
Teachable vs Thinkific: which is better?
Teachable is simpler to set up and has better native payment options (Apple Pay, Klarna, Afterpay through Teachable:pay) plus a dedicated mobile app. Thinkific offers more design flexibility, unlimited students on paid plans (vs. Teachable's caps), and a 0% transaction fee when using Thinkific Payments. Choose Teachable for simplicity and payment flexibility. Choose Thinkific if student caps or sales page design matter more to you.
What are Teachable's transaction fees?
The Starter plan charges a 7.5% transaction fee on every sale, on top of standard payment processing fees (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction through Teachable:pay). The old free plan used to charge $1 + 10% per sale, but that plan is no longer available.
Can I sell coaching and memberships on Teachable, not just courses?
Yes. Teachable supports four product types: online courses, coaching programs (with built-in appointment scheduling), digital downloads (PDFs, templates, files), and memberships with recurring payments and gated content. You can also create bundles that package multiple products together. Bundles, memberships, and community spaces do not count toward your product limit on any plan.
Does Teachable have a mobile app for students?
Yes. Teachable provides a branded mobile app for iOS and Android included on all paid plans at no extra cost. Students can watch lessons, complete quizzes, track their progress, and engage with community features from their phone.
Does Teachable include email marketing?
Not really. Teachable lets you send basic broadcast emails to students, but it does not include email automation, drip sequences, segmentation, or funnel builders. For real email marketing, you need to connect an external tool like Kit (ConvertKit), Mailchimp, or ActiveCampaign through integrations. This is one of Teachable's biggest gaps compared to all-in-one platforms like Kajabi and Kartra.
Is Teachable worth it compared to hosting courses on your own website?
For most creators, yes. Teachable handles hosting, payment processing, tax compliance, student management, and a mobile app: things that would take significant time and money to set up independently. A self-hosted setup with WordPress and LearnDash gives you more control but requires managing hosting, security, updates, and payment integrations yourself. Teachable makes sense when your time is worth more than the monthly subscription cost.
Can I cancel Teachable anytime?
Yes. Teachable offers month-to-month billing with no long-term contracts, and you can cancel anytime from your account settings. If you are on an annual plan, you will keep access through the end of your billing period but will not receive a prorated refund for unused months. You can export your student list and course content before canceling.