How much does Teachable take?
Teachable's free plan charges $1 + 10% on every sale. The Basic plan ($39/month) drops this to 5%. The Pro plan ($119/month) and above take 0% in platform fees — you only pay Stripe's standard processing (~2.9% + $0.30). The break-even point for upgrading from free to Basic is $780/month in course revenue.
Last verified May 2026 · feebite Editorial · Not affiliated with Teachable
Independent fee analysis for Teachable. For the official platform, go to teachable.com. This page shows what Teachable actually keeps from your course sales at each plan.
Quick Verdict
Rating: 4.0/5 — ★★★★☆
Best for: Creators launching their first course who want a free plan to validate demand before committing to a monthly fee — Teachable's free plan is the most generous in the course platform category.
Not ideal for: High-volume course businesses where the 10% free plan fee becomes expensive; or creators who want built-in email marketing and community tools (Kajabi is better).
Fee Structure by Plan
| Plan | Monthly cost | Transaction fee | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $1 + 10% | Testing / first launch |
| Basic | $39 | 5% | Part-time course creators |
| Pro | $119 | 0% | Full-time course business |
| Business | $249 | 0% | Teams / agencies |
All plans + Stripe processing: ~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.
What You Actually Keep from a $100 Course Sale
| Plan | Teachable cut | Stripe (est.) | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $11.00 | $3.20 | $85.80 |
| Basic | $5.00 | $3.20 | $91.80 |
| Pro | $0 | $3.20 | $96.80 |
Break-Even Points: When to Upgrade
| Upgrade | Monthly fee difference | Break-even at saved fee rate |
|---|---|---|
| Free → Basic | $39/month | $780/month revenue |
| Basic → Pro | $80/month | $1,600/month revenue |
| Pro → Business | $130/month | N/A (team features, not fee savings) |
Key Facts
| Category | Online course platform |
| Transaction fee | $1+10% (free) · 5% (Basic) · 0% (Pro/Business) |
| Monthly cost | $0 / $39 / $119 / $249 |
| Payment processor | Stripe |
| Free trial | Free plan available (no time limit) |
| Course limit | Unlimited on all plans |
| Student limit | Unlimited on all plans |
| Founded | 2013 |
| HQ | New York, USA |
Country Availability
| UK 🇬🇧 | Canada 🇨🇦 | Australia 🇦🇺 |
|---|---|---|
| ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Stripe processes payments for UK (GBP), Canadian (CAD), and Australian (AUD) creators. Teachable subscriptions are billed in USD. Currency conversion fees from your card provider apply.
Features
| Feature | Free | Basic | Pro | Business |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited courses | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Unlimited students | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Custom domain | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Coupons / promotions | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Email marketing | Basic | Basic | ✅ | ✅ |
| Course completion certificates | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Affiliate marketing | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Bulk student enrolment | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Advanced reports | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Live group coaching | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Pros
- Free plan with unlimited courses and students is genuinely useful for validating a new course idea
- Clean, professional course delivery interface that students find easy to navigate
- Good mobile app (iOS/Android) for students to consume course content
- Stripe integration handles all payment complexity; no custom checkout needed
- Pro plan's 0% fee is competitive for high-volume creators
Cons
- Free plan's $1+10% fee is expensive once you're selling meaningful volume — Gumroad's 10% without the $1 is sometimes cheaper for low-priced courses
- No community feature (unlike Kajabi or Thinkific) — students can't interact with each other
- Email marketing tools are basic; serious creators need a dedicated tool alongside Teachable
- Course completion certificates are locked to Pro+ ($119/month) which feels like an arbitrary upsell
Teachable vs Alternatives
| Teachable (free) | Teachable Pro | Kajabi (Basic) | Thinkific (Start) | Gumroad | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $0 | $119 | $149 | $74 | $0 |
| Transaction fee | $1+10% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 10% |
| Community | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Email marketing | Basic | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Certificates | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Affiliate tools | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Creator Scenario: UK Yoga Teacher Launching First Course
A UK yoga teacher prices their 8-week course at £97 and makes 20 sales in their first month (£1,940 revenue).
- Teachable free: 20 × ($1 + 10% × £97) = 20 × (£1 + £9.70) = £214 platform fee + Stripe (~£62) = keeps ~£1,664
- Teachable Basic ($39 ≈ £31): 20 × (5% × £97) = £97 platform fee + £31 plan + Stripe (~£62) = keeps ~£1,750
- Basic plan saves £86 vs free — and provides custom domain, coupons, and promotional tools.
At 20 sales × £97, upgrading to Basic saves £86/month net → £31 plan pays for itself.
Who Should Use Teachable
Perfect for: First-time course creators testing a topic before investing in a paid plan; established creators selling £500–£2,000/month in courses who want a clean, focused platform without Kajabi's complexity.
Skip it if: You're selling community memberships or want coaching + newsletter integrated (use Kajabi); you need a course platform for a team with bulk student enrolment (Business plan is expensive); or you prefer to host your own course site (WordPress + LearnDash is self-hosted).
How to Get Started
- Sign up free at teachable.com — no credit card required
- Create your first course: add a title, landing page image, and section outline
- Upload your video lessons, PDFs, or written content (Teachable supports all formats)
- Connect Stripe for payments under Settings → Payments
- Set your course price, create a launch coupon (available on Basic+), and publish
Frequently Asked Questions
Can students download Teachable course content? Individual instructors control whether downloads are allowed per course. PDFs and attachments are downloadable by default. Video downloads are not supported; Teachable uses Wistia for video hosting which has DRM protection options.
Does Teachable handle UK VAT on digital products? Teachable collects and remits EU VAT on digital sales to EU customers automatically. For UK VAT, you are responsible for VAT compliance above the UK VAT threshold (£90,000 turnover). Consult an accountant for your specific situation.
This review was last updated 2026-05-10. Verify current pricing at teachable.com/pricing.
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