Neither Thinkific nor Teachable has a free plan. Teachable is cheaper to start: Starter is $39 a month, but Teachable keeps 7.5% of every sale on it, and Builder at $89 takes 0%. Thinkific's first plan, Start, costs $109 a month and already includes unlimited courses, quizzes and certificates, with no platform fee listed when you use Thinkific Payments. For most sales levels, Teachable Builder is the lowest monthly cost of the two; Thinkific gives you more on its first plan.
- You want unlimited courses, quizzes, certificates, cohorts and memberships on the first plan
- You'll take payments through Thinkific Payments (no platform fee listed)
- You want a longer free trial (30 days vs 7)
Plain link.
- You want the lowest starting price ($39 a month, $29 billed yearly)
- You sell 10 or fewer products and want 0% platform fees for $89 a month (Builder)
- You want a 30-day money-back guarantee after the trial
Plain link.
Key facts side by side
Source: Thinkific pricing, Teachable pricing, checked 2026-10-21 · Bars show size only. Thinkific's no-fee plan assumes Thinkific Payments; Teachable's is Builder with Teachable Payments.
Free plans and trials compared
| Thinkific | Teachable | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | 30 days | 7 days |
| Money-back guarantee | Not stated | 30 days |
| Cancelling | Any time, including during the trial | Any time; takes effect at the end of the billing cycle |
Sources: Thinkific pricing FAQ, Teachable pricing FAQ.
Plans and fees
| Tier | Thinkific plan (monthly / yearly per month) | Thinkific platform fee | Teachable plan (monthly / yearly per month) | Teachable fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | Start: $109 / $82 | None listed with Thinkific Payments; 2% with Stripe or PayPal | Starter: $39 / $29 | 7.5% |
| Middle | Grow: $219 / $164 | None listed; 1% with Stripe or PayPal | Builder: $89 / $69 | 0% |
| Upper | Expand: $499 / $374 | None listed; 0.5% with Stripe or PayPal | Growth: $189 / $139 | 0% |
Source: www.thinkific.com/pricing · www.teachable.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-21. Prices change; the vendor's page is the final word.
Thinkific's Stripe or PayPal fee applies to the first $1M in sales each calendar year. Teachable's 0% is with Teachable Payments; its own-Stripe option (Custom Payment Gateway) costs US schools a 2% integration fee.
What you'd pay a month, before card processing, using the numbers above (monthly billing, Thinkific Payments and Teachable Payments):
| Sales a month | Thinkific Start | Teachable Starter | Teachable Builder |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500 | $109 | $76.50 | $89 |
| $1,000 | $109 | $114 | $89 |
| $3,000 | $109 | $264 | $89 |
Card processing comes on top on both. Thinkific's pricing FAQ puts Thinkific Payments "at 2.9%". Teachable lists 2.9% + $0.30 for a US card and 4.4% + $0.30 for an international card, plus +0.5% where tax is assessed and +0.7% on recurring payments on its default Standard bundle.
Products: Thinkific allows unlimited courses on every plan. Teachable allows 5 products on Starter, 10 on Builder and 50 on Growth.
Sources: Thinkific pricing, Thinkific gateway fee FAQ, Teachable pricing, Teachable fees and bundles.
Catches on each side
- Thinkific: your own Stripe or PayPal costs extra. 2% on Start, 1% on Grow and 0.5% on Expand, on top of the processor's fees (gateway fee FAQ).
- Thinkific: branding and bulk email wait until Grow at $219 a month (pricing).
- Thinkific: a cross-border card fee may appear on your subscription charge, because Thinkific is a Canadian company; Thinkific says the card network charges it (how much does Thinkific cost?).
- Teachable: 7.5% on every Starter sale, on Teachable Payments and your own gateway alike (fees and bundles).
- Teachable: firm product limits. 5 on Starter and 10 on Builder (pricing).
- Teachable: certificates and branding removal start on Growth at $189 a month; Thinkific includes certificates on Start (Teachable pricing, Thinkific pricing).
Verdict
Pick Thinkific if you want a full course school from the first plan: unlimited courses, quizzes, certificates, cohorts and memberships for $109 a month, with no platform fee listed on Thinkific Payments.
Pick Teachable if you want the lowest monthly cost: start on Starter at $39 while sales are small, then move to Builder at $89 (0% fee) once you sell more than about $667 a month, as long as 10 products are enough.
Full reviews: Thinkific review and Teachable review.
FAQ
Is Thinkific or Teachable cheaper?
Teachable, on plan price: Starter is $39 and Builder $89 a month, against Thinkific Start at $109. Starter's 7.5% fee makes it cost more than Builder above about $667 a month in sales.
Do Thinkific or Teachable have a free plan?
Neither. Thinkific has a 30-day free trial; Teachable has a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Which one takes a cut of sales?
Teachable takes 7.5% on Starter and 0% on Builder and up with Teachable Payments. Thinkific lists no platform fee with Thinkific Payments and charges 2%, 1% or 0.5% by plan if you use Stripe or PayPal.
Which includes certificates on the cheapest plan?
Thinkific (Start). On Teachable, certificates start on Growth at $189 a month.
What changed
- 2026-10-21: Written from Thinkific's and Teachable's official pricing and help pages.
Sources
All accessed 2026-10-21 (America/New_York).
- Thinkific pricing and FAQ: https://www.thinkific.com/pricing/
- Thinkific, "Third-Party Payment Gateway Fee FAQ": https://support.thinkific.com/hc/en-us/articles/22383950439575-Third-Party-Payment-Gateway-Fee-FAQ
- Thinkific, "How much does Thinkific cost?": https://support.thinkific.com/hc/en-us/articles/360030721393-How-much-does-Thinkific-cost
- Teachable pricing and FAQ: https://www.teachable.com/pricing
- Teachable, "Understand your transaction fees and bundles": https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/15661316-understand-your-transaction-fees-and-bundles