Comparison
Teachable vs Thinkific: which is right for your course business in 2026?
Teachable is cheaper to start ($39 a month) but charges a 7.5% fee on Starter and caps products. Thinkific costs more ($109 a month and up) but doesn’t cap courses, and it includes quizzes, assignments and certificates on every plan. Its exams and AI teaching assistant are kept for Plus. Choose Teachable for a low-cost start with a few products. Choose Thinkific for more courses, communities and a path to exams and AI. If you run an exam-prep academy and want your own app, built and run for you, there’s a third option at the end.
Checked November 2026, from each company’s pricing page and help centre. Prices change, so confirm before you buy.
Price
| Compared on | Teachable | Thinkific |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | Starter $39 a month ($29 annual) (source) | Start $109 a month ($82 annual) (source) |
| Middle plans | Builder $89 ($69), Growth $189 ($139) | Grow $219 ($164), Expand $499 ($374) |
| Top plan | Custom (contact sales; for businesses selling over $12k a year) | Plus (talk to sales) |
| Free plan | No (trial only) | No (30-day trial) |
Teachable is far cheaper at the entry level. At the middle tier the gap narrows, and Thinkific’s plans include more.
Fees, limits and apps
Fees on your sales
Teachable charges a 7.5% transaction fee on Starter and 0% on higher plans with Teachable Payments, with card processing on top (US cards 2.9% + 30¢). Thinkific Payments runs at 2.9% processing; using your own Stripe or PayPal adds a gateway fee that varies by plan, and PayPal isn’t on Start. From Builder up, the two are close if you use their built-in payments.Limits
Teachable: 5, 10 or 50 products by plan, unlimited students through its checkout, 1–5 admin users. Thinkific: unlimited courses, up to 10,000 current students on standard plans, 2–15 admin seats. If you sell many separate courses per exam, module or batch, Thinkific’s unlimited courses matter.Branded app
Teachable students use Teachable’s own iOS and Android apps on all plans; an app under your own brand isn’t listed. Thinkific’s branded mobile app is a $199-a-month add-on on any plan, included on select Plus plans. Thinkific lets you have your own store app, at a price.Assessments and exams
Teachable: auto-graded quizzes and short-answer assessments; certificates listed on Growth. Thinkific: quizzes, assignments and certificates on every plan; exams on Plus only.
AI
Teachable
“Create with AI” for creators: outlines, quizzes from text lessons, subtitles. No student-facing AI assistant today; adaptive AI quizzes are on its 2026 roadmap.Thinkific
Thinker, an AI teaching assistant that answers learners from your course content, on Plus plans (credit-based) (help centre), plus a Course Outline Generator. If you need AI that answers students now, Thinkific Plus is the one with it.
Which should you pick?
Pick Teachable
If you’re starting out, sell a few products and want the lowest monthly cost.Pick Thinkific
If you sell many courses, want communities and assessments included, and may grow into Plus.
Edural, a third option for exam-prep academies
If you run an exam or certification prep academy with hundreds or thousands of students, you may not want either platform’s brand around your teaching. Edural builds your academy its own student app on its own domain, designed for your brand and exam, and our team sets it up and moves you over.
| Compared on | Teachable | Thinkific | Edural |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | Self-serve | Self-serve | Live Done for you |
| Branded app | Teachable’s app | +$199 a month | Live Your own web app, included; native apps not yet |
| Cut of sales | 7.5% on Starter | Gateway fee on own Stripe or PayPal | None; your own Stripe or Razorpay account |
| Recordings into courses | AI from text | Outline generator | Live Notes, flashcards and quizzes from each lecture’s transcript |
| AI that answers students | Not offered | Plus only | Early access Answers from your own lectures |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes, 30 days | No |
| Price | From $39 a month | From $109 a month | One flat monthly fee, no commission, agreed on a call |
See Edural’s flat pricing, see the app we build for you, see how lectures become courses, or see how we move you over. Teaching nursing exams? See Edural for nursing exam prep.
Quick answers
- Is Teachable cheaper than Thinkific?
- Yes, at the entry level. Teachable Starter is $39 a month against Thinkific Start at $109. Starter adds a 7.5% transaction fee and caps you at 5 products, though, so the gap narrows once you sell.
- Does Thinkific have an AI assistant that answers students?
- Yes. Thinker answers learners from your course content, on Plus plans only, with credits by plan. Teachable doesn’t offer a student-facing AI assistant today.
Keep comparing
- Teachable alternativeEdural as a Teachable alternative, with the full switching story.
- Thinkific alternativeEdural as a Thinkific alternative, without the app add-on.
- Edural vs TeachableEdural and Teachable, side by side.
- Edural vs ThinkificEdural and Thinkific, side by side.
- Apply for founding accessWant your own academy app? Apply for one of 20 founding spots.
- CompareEvery comparison in one place.