Teachable is still a usable course host, but it is no longer the default pick. There is no public free plan. Starter costs about $29 a month on annual billing, or $39 monthly, and takes a 7.5% platform fee on every sale before card processing. Builder at about $69 a month annual is the first 0% Teachable tier. For most teachers, Thinkific is the closest swap. For a tight budget, use systeme.io. For community-first, use Skool. For Instagram and TikTok checkout, use Stan Store. For a full business suite, use Kajabi.
Which Teachable alternative should I choose?
Dedicated course creator: Thinkific. You get a real school, quizzes, communities, and 0% platform fees if you use Thinkific Payments.
All-in-one operator: Kajabi. Courses, email, funnels, website, and community sit in one login. Expect $143 a month on annual Basic billing.
Bootstrapped creator: systeme.io. The free plan includes 2,000 contacts, 3 funnels, 1 course, unlimited emails, and 0% platform fees.
Community-first coach: Skool at $9 or $99 a month, or Circle if you want a more polished campus with live events.
Social-first creator: Stan Store at $29 a month. Mobile checkout, 0% Stan cut, weak as a deep classroom.
Checkout-focused marketer: ThriveCart or SamCart. Use these to take payment. Host the curriculum elsewhere if the course is long.
Interactive academy or corporate training: LearnWorlds. In-video questions, assessments, and SCORM.
Stay on Teachable if students already live there, Teachable Payments handles VAT or GST for you, and you are on Builder or higher. Leave Starter once the 7.5% cut costs more than upgrading or switching.
Why creators leave Teachable
The Starter plan is the main leak. A 7.5% platform fee on a $197 course is $14.78 before Stripe or PayPal. At $3,000 a month in sales that is $225 in Teachable cut, plus the subscription.
The free plan is gone. Teachable removed it in the 2025 plan restructure. New accounts get a short trial, then Starter.
Marketing and checkout stayed thin. Native email is basic. Templates are rigid. A follower still leaves Instagram, loads an external page, and fills a form. That path is where a lot of warm traffic dies.
The social conversion problem
The old path looks like this: social post, bio link, sales page, cart, checkout. Cold or lukewarm social traffic on that path often converts in the 5% to 10% range after the click. Slow pages, desktop layouts on phones, and long forms take the rest.
The newer path looks like this: comment a keyword, get an automated DM with a payment link, pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Stripe, then a webhook enrols the buyer.
That in-app path does not replace a good course host. It replaces the leaky front door. Some creators see a clearly higher close rate on warm comment traffic than on cold landing pages. Measure your own keyword-to-paid rate instead of copying someone else’s percentage.
How do Teachable alternatives compare on price and fees in 2026?
| Platform | Pricing | Platform / Transaction Fees | Free Plan / Trial | Key Notes |
| Teachable | Starter: ~$29/month annual | 7.5% on Starter; 0% from Builder up | No free plan; 7-day trial | US card processing of ~2.9% + $0.30 also applies |
| Thinkific | Basic: ~$40/month annual after August 2026 increase | 0% with Thinkific Payments; own Stripe may add gateway surcharge: often cited as 5% Basic, 2% Start, 1% Grow | Trial only | Annual pricing shown |
| Kajabi | Basic: $143/month annual or $179 monthly; Growth: $199 annual or $249 monthly; Pro: $399 annual or $499 monthly | 0% with Kajabi Payments | No Kickstarter plan on public pricing page | Premium all-in-one platform |
| Podia | Paid plans usually ~$39–$49/month | Higher plans have 0% platform fee; confirm current Mover fee | — | Pricing can vary by plan |
| Systeme.io | Free; Startup ~$17–$27/month; Webinar $47; Unlimited $97 | 0% platform fees on every plan | Free plan | Includes funnel and marketing tools |
| Skool | Hobby: $9/month; Pro: $99/month | Hobby: 10% + $0.30/payment; Pro: 2.9% + $0.30 under $900, 3.9% + $0.30 above $900 | — | Fees are all-in; no separate card-processing fee |
| Circle | Professional: $89/month annual; Business: $199/month | 2%, 1%, or 0.5% + Stripe, depending on plan | 14-day trial | Community-focused platform |
| LearnWorlds | Starter: ~$24–$29/month | $5 per sale on Starter; higher plans remove the per-sale fee | — | Annual pricing may apply |
| Stan Store | Creator: $29/month; Creator Pro: $99/month | 0% Stan cut; Stripe or PayPal processing still applies | 14-day trial | Creator-focused storefront |
| ThriveCart | Standard: ~$495 lifetime; newer plans around $47/month Standard and $87/month Pro+ | 0% platform fee | — | Lifetime option still offered; strong checkout functionality |
| SamCart | Launch: from ~$59/month | 0% platform fee | — | Strong for bumps, upsells, and failed-payment recovery |
How much do Teachable and its alternatives cost at $1,000 and $5,000 a month in sales?
These figures are subscription plus platform cut only. They are not tax advice.
At $1,000 a month in sales: Teachable Starter is about $104. Teachable Builder is about $69. Thinkific Basic with native payments is about $40. Kajabi Basic annual is about $143. systeme.io is $0 to $27. Skool Hobby is about $109 all-in. Skool Pro is about $128 all-in. Stan Creator is $29 plus Stripe. Circle Professional is about $89 plus $20 in Circle fees.
At $5,000 a month in sales: Teachable Starter jumps to about $404. Teachable Builder stays near $69. Thinkific stays near $40 if you avoid the own-Stripe surcharge. Kajabi stays near $143. systeme.io stays $17 to $27. Skool Hobby climbs to about $509. Skool Pro is about $244. Stan stays $29 plus Stripe. Circle Professional is about $89 plus $100 in Circle fees.
When 7.5% of monthly sales is larger than the gap between Teachable Starter and Builder, Builder or a switch wins. On annual billing that is around $530 a month in sales. Below that, Starter can still be cheaper. Above that, you are paying a beginner tax.
Skool’s rule is different. Hobby is cheaper until you process about $1,200 to $1,300 a month inside Skool. After that, Pro’s lower fee pays for the extra $90.
Thinkific
Thinkific is the default Teachable alternative for people who want a school, not a marketing suite.
It wins on 0% platform fees with Thinkific Payments, a more flexible site builder, structured assignments, quizzes, certificates on mid tiers, and a large app store. It loses on native email. You will still want Kit, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, or systeme.io for serious sequences.
Use native payments unless you have a hard reason to bring your own Stripe. The third-party gateway fee can erase the fee advantage on Basic.
Best for educators, academies, and multi-course libraries. Weak as a one-bill replacement for Kajabi.
Does Thinkific charge transaction fees?
Not when you use Thinkific Payments. If you connect your own Stripe or PayPal in supported countries, a third-party gateway fee can apply and is highest on Basic, often cited as 5% on Basic, 2% on Start, and 1% on Grow.
Kajabi
Kajabi is the product you buy when courses are only one offer in a larger business.
You get a website, visual email, pipelines, landing pages, community, and course delivery. After the January 2026 restructure, public plans start at Basic. Kickstarter is no longer a listed public tier. The suite is excellent. The bill is not small. If you only need video lessons and a checkout, you are overpaying.
Best for established creators replacing several tools. Weak for a first $29 mini-course.
Is Kajabi still $149 a month?
No. On the public 2026 pricing page, Basic is $179 monthly or $143 annual. Growth is $249 monthly or $199 annual. Pro is $499 monthly or $399 annual. Kickstarter is not a listed public plan.
What is the cheapest Teachable alternative with email marketing?
systeme.io. It is the honest cheap answer after Teachable killed its free plan.
The free tier is permanent: 2,000 contacts, 3 funnels, 1 course, 1 custom domain on many accounts, unlimited email sends, and 0% platform fees. Paid plans raise contact and funnel limits and add evergreen webinars on the Webinar tier.
Course tools are basic next to Thinkific or LearnWorlds. Funnels and email are the reason to start here.
Podia
Podia is for creators who want courses, downloads, coaching, and a light community without a long setup. Paid plans usually start near $39 to $49 a month. Unlimited video on paid tiers and on-page chat help pre-sale questions. Design control is narrower than Thinkific. Funnel logic is lighter than Kajabi or systeme.io.
Skool and Circle
Skool treats the community as the product and drops courses into the classroom tab. Hobby and Pro are close on features. The fee is the product. Hobby at 10% is fine while you test. Pro at 2.9% is the business plan. You do not get a serious certificate engine, SCORM, or a custom academy site. You do get a feed, calls, and a habit loop students actually open.
Circle is the polished version of community plus courses plus live events. Professional at $89 a month annual includes courses, spaces, livestreams, events, and a site builder. Circle’s own paywall fee never reaches 0%. Budget Stripe on top, and budget Email Hub if you want a real email stack. Choose Circle when the campus matters more than the lowest possible fee.
Is Skool a full Teachable replacement?
Only if community is the main product. It is a poor swap if you need formal assessments, SCORM, or a custom academy website.
LearnWorlds
LearnWorlds is built for people who care how the lesson plays.
Interactive video can hold questions, overlays, chapters, and transcripts. Assessments, certificates, SCORM, and a white-label app sit on higher plans. Starter is cheap and usually costs $5 per paid enrolment. Use this for academies and training teams. Skip it for a simple downloadable workshop.
Stan Store
Stan Store is a mobile shopfront, not a full LMS.
Creator at $29 a month covers products, courses, bookings, lead magnets, and AutoDM. Creator Pro at $99 adds bumps, upsells, payment plans, affiliates, and email flows. Stan takes 0%. Stripe or PayPal take their normal cut. Use it in the Instagram or TikTok bio. Move the long curriculum to Thinkific or LearnWorlds if students need a real classroom.
ThriveCart and SamCart
Use these when the problem is checkout, not the classroom.
ThriveCart gives high-converting carts, order bumps, 1-click upsells, and a basic Learn or Academy layer. The lifetime Standard license still circulates near $495. Monthly plans exist too. Pro extras such as affiliates and tax tools are often an annual add-on.
SamCart starts near $59 a month and focuses on tested product pages, bumps, upsells, Apple Pay, and dunning for subscriptions.
Use either when paid traffic or launches pay the bills. Keep a real LMS if the product is a 20-module certification.
What is the best checkout tool to pair with Thinkific for order bumps?
SamCart or ThriveCart. Thinkific hosts the course. The checkout tool takes the money, adds bumps and 1-click upsells, then a webhook or integration enrols the buyer in Thinkific.
Should I stay on Teachable?
Yes, if you are already on Builder or higher, students already live there, and Teachable Payments handles VAT or GST for you. The school works on those tiers.
No, if you are on Starter and selling every month, or if you need better design, community, interactive video, or in-app social checkout. Do not choose Teachable for a free plan in 2026. New accounts do not get one.
Does Teachable have a free plan in 2026?
No. The public free plan was removed in the 2025 restructure. New users get a short trial, then Starter.
What is the Teachable transaction fee in 2026?
7.5% on Starter. 0% on Builder, Growth, and higher. Card processing is extra on every plan.
Which course platforms have 0% transaction fees?
Thinkific with native payments, Kajabi with Kajabi Payments, systeme.io, Stan Store, ThriveCart, SamCart, and Teachable from Builder up. Skool and Circle still take a cut. LearnWorlds Starter takes $5 per sale.
Selling courses from Instagram and TikTok
You can keep Thinkific, Teachable, LearnWorlds, or systeme.io in the background and still sell inside the app.
- Put one clear instruction on the Reel or post. Example: Comment BLUEPRINT and I will send the link.
- An official-API inbox tool replies in seconds with a short note and a checkout link.
- The buyer pays in the in-app browser with Apple Pay, Google Pay, Stripe, Stan, SamCart, or ThriveCart.
- A webhook or Zapier or Make step enrols them on the course host.
- They get login details and the first lesson without you copying emails by hand.
ManyChat, InstantDM, and Stan AutoDM all sit in that inbox layer. Prefer official platform APIs over grey-hat scrapers if the Instagram or TikTok account is the business.
Manual follow-up still makes sense for high-ticket calls. Automation makes sense for mid-ticket courses, webinars, and lead magnets, because every comment gets the same fast reply.
Can I sell a Teachable or Thinkific course in Instagram DMs?
Yes. The LMS delivers the course. The DM tool sends the link. Stripe or the checkout tool takes the money. A webhook writes the enrolment.
What should a $2,000 a month course business use instead of Teachable?
Thinkific or Teachable Builder if the product is a course library. Skool Pro if members live in the feed. Kajabi only if the extra marketing suite replaces tools you already pay for. Add a DM checkout if most buyers come from Instagram or TikTok.
Moving off Teachable
Export students and course content, rebuild modules on the new host, run both logins during an overlap window, then point every bio, DM, and email at the new checkout. Do not shut Teachable down on the same day you migrate.
The 2026 stack that replaces Teachable
Classroom: Thinkific, or LearnWorlds for formal training. Budget full stack: systeme.io. Community: Skool or Circle. Social checkout: Stan Store or a payment link. Inbox: an official-API DM tool. Paid-traffic checkout: SamCart or ThriveCart.
Pick the host for how students learn. Pick the checkout for where they already are.
How we evaluated these tools
We scored each platform as a business tool, not as a feature list. The first filter was current 2026 pricing from public plan pages and help centers, not screenshots from 2024. Teachable’s Starter fee, Thinkific’s August 2026 price rise, Kajabi’s removal of Kickstarter from the public page, and Skool’s all-in payment rates all changed the math. If a review still quotes a Teachable free plan or a $149 Kajabi Kickstarter tier, it failed this filter.
The second filter was total cost at $1,000 and $5,000 a month in sales. Sticker price hides the real bill. A $9 Skool plan with a 10% cut can cost more than a $99 plan. A $29 Teachable Starter plan with a 7.5% cut can cost more than Thinkific Basic. We separated platform fees from card processing so the comparison stayed honest.
The third filter was job fit. A course host, a community, a checkout, and a bio store are different products. Thinkific and LearnWorlds were judged on curriculum, assessments, certificates, and student experience. Kajabi, Podia, and systeme.io were judged on whether one login can replace email and funnels. Skool and Circle were judged on whether members actually return. Stan Store, ThriveCart, and SamCart were judged on mobile checkout, bumps, and speed to pay.
The fourth filter was how a stranger from Instagram or TikTok reaches the buy button. If the only path is bio link, slow page, and a long form, the platform lost points even when the classroom was strong. Official-API inbox tools and one-tap wallets counted as part of the stack, not as a side note.
We also asked who should stay. Migration has a cost. Teachable Builder with working VAT remittance can beat a messy move. The goal was a usable decision, not a ranking that pretends one tool wins every job.
Conclusion
Teachable did not become a bad product. It became a narrow one. On Builder and higher, with 0% platform fees, it still hosts courses cleanly and can handle tax remittance that some rivals leave to you. On Starter, the 7.5% cut plus a short trial and no public free plan make it a weak place to start a new school. That is the distinction most outdated roundups still miss.
There is no single winner. Thinkific is the safest course-first swap if you use Thinkific Payments. systeme.io is the safest budget swap if you need email and funnels before you need a polished academy. Kajabi is the right buy only when the extra suite replaces tools you already pay for. Skool and Circle win when the feed is the product. LearnWorlds wins when interactive video and SCORM matter. Stan Store wins in the bio. ThriveCart and SamCart win at the cart.
The creators who get stuck are the ones who hunt for one login that does classroom, community, checkout, and Instagram sales at the cheapest headline price. That tool does not exist at the quality you want. Pick a host for how students learn. Pick a checkout for where buyers already are. Add an official-API DM step if your traffic is social.
If you sell little and rarely, Teachable Starter can still be cheaper than a mid-tier suite. If you sell every month, run the 7.5% math, then move to Builder, Thinkific, or a cheaper 0% host. If your comments already ask for the link, fix the front door before you rebuild the entire school. That order saves both fees and unfinished migrations.
