Thinkific vs Teachable: Which Platform is Right for You?

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When it comes to creating and selling online courses, choosing the right platform is one of the most crucial decisions. Two of the industry’s most popular choices are Thinkific vs Teachable. Both platforms offer a robust set of features, but they cater to slightly different needs. Whether you're a first-time course creator or a seasoned professional looking to optimize your eLearning business, this comparison will help you choose the best platform for your goals.

By the end of this guide, you'll understand the key differences in cost, customization, usability, integrations, analytics, and customer support between Thinkific and Teachable.

Let's explore which platform is truly the best fit for your needs.

What Are Thinkific and Teachable?

Both Thinkific and Teachable are learning management systems (LMS) designed to help you create, market, and sell online courses. They allow content creators to build courses, upload videos, manage students, collect payments, and monitor progress all in one place.

While Thinkific started in 2012 with a focus on entrepreneurs looking to control their brand, Teachable (launched in 2014) quickly earned its reputation as a user-friendly solution for anyone looking to enter the online education space. Each platform brings its own strengths to the table, and understanding these can make or break your course-launching endeavors.

Cost Comparison

One of the first things most people look at is pricing. Both Thinkific and Teachable provide tiered pricing plans, but the value you receive can vary depending on your needs.

Thinkific Pricing

Thinkific offers a free plan, which allows you to host one course and includes some basic features such as quizzes and student feedback options. Paid plans start at $36/month (Basic), going up to $74/month for the Pro plan. The Pro subscription unlocks advanced features like memberships, certificates, and multiple admin roles.

Teachable Pricing

Teachable also provides a free plan, but their free tier comes with a 10% transaction fee, making it less appealing for creators focusing on revenue. Paid plans start at $39/month (Basic) and go up to $119/month (Pro). The higher-tier Pro plan removes transaction fees and offers features like advanced reporting and priority support.

Winner

If you're on a tight budget or just testing the waters, Thinkific’s free plan is more generous. However, Teachable’s slightly higher cost comes with tools that may offer more value as your business scales.

Customization and Branding

Creating a brand identity is essential, especially when promoting and selling your courses. Here’s how these platforms compare in terms of course customization.

Thinkific’s Customization Capabilities

Thinkific shines in customization. It allows users to tweak design elements and branding to create a truly personalized experience. With Thinkific, you can:

• Use drag-and-drop builders to easily design courses.
• Access advanced customization via code for developers.
• Fully control your URLs (white-labeling).

Teachable’s Customization Capabilities

Teachable is known for its simplicity, but that simplicity often comes at the expense of deeper customization. Unlike Thinkific, Teachable does not allow complete white-labeling (their branding will remain on your site unless you're on their most expensive plan). However, it offers a clean and polished interface for smooth course-building.

Winner

Thinkific is the clear winner here for creators who prioritize branding and design freedom. If you're okay with simpler designs and less flexibility, Teachable still holds up for straightforward, polished course layouts.

Ease of Use

Thinkific Ease of Use

Thinkific’s drag-and-drop editor is powerful but may feel overwhelming to total beginners. The dashboard has a broad range of features, and while this is fantastic for flexibility, it takes a little bit of learning to master.

Teachable Ease of Use

Teachable’s minimalist design simplifies the course creation process. It’s hard to go wrong here—even for those who’ve never built an online course before. Everything is streamlined, from uploading content to setting up payment gateways.

Winner

If ease of use is your top priority, Teachable is the better option due to its beginner-friendly interface.

Integrations and Marketing Features

Successful courses require effective marketing and third-party integrations.

Thinkific Integrations

Thinkific supports over 20 different integrations, including tools like Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, and Zapier. It’s ideal for marketers looking to automate parts of their sales funnel. Thinkific also offers a built-in email feature—but it lacks advanced email automation.

Teachable Integrations

Teachable provides integrations for email marketing platforms like ConvertKit and Constant Contact. Additionally, its sales page templates are optimized for conversions, which helps users create high-performing purchase funnels.

Winner

Teachable edges out Thinkific vs Teachable when it comes to marketing-specific integrations and conversion-optimized templates. However, Thinkific might suit more advanced marketers who prefer flexibility and customization.

Analytics and Student Management

Analytics and management tools can help you evaluate success and improve your offerings.

Thinkific Reporting

Thinkific offers detailed student tracking. You can view course completion rates, learner engagement, and revenue trends. Its bulk student email feature also allows you to communicate directly with your audience.

Teachable Reporting

Teachable’s Pro plan includes advanced reporting options, such as cohort analysis and affiliate marketing insights. However, some of these tools are limited in the lower-tiered plans.

Winner

Thinkific and Teachable are tied here. Thinkific is great for tracking individual student progress, but Teachable’s metrics are ideal for analyzing trends and bigger-picture business decisions.

Customer Support

When technical issues arise, solid customer support can save the day.

Thinkific Support

Thinkific offers email support for all tiers but reserves phone support and priority access for the higher plans. They also provide a rich knowledge base, guides, and tutorials.

Teachable Support

Teachable offers live chat and priority support for Pro plan users. Plus, their knowledge base and support articles are well-organized and beginner-friendly.

Winner

Teachable edges ahead slightly for its live chat option, which is often faster than email queries.

Which Platform Should You Choose?

Deciding between Thinkific and Teachable comes down to your specific needs:

• Choose Thinkific if you want extensive customization options, robust free features, and branding control.
• Choose Teachable if you’re a beginner looking for ease of use, intuitive marketing tools, and affordable access to high-quality customer support.

Final Thoughts

Both Thinkific and Teachable are leaders in the online course creation space, each excelling in key areas. By carefully assessing your goals as a course creator, you can select the platform that best meets your needs.

Looking to get started? Most course creators recommend testing both platforms. Use Thinkific’s generous free plan or Teachable’s trial period to explore firsthand and make the choice that empowers your eLearning career.