Welcome to my Teachable review! If you’re looking for a platform to host your online courses, it’s important to carefully consider your options. I made the mistake of jumping straight into Teachable about five years ago without much thought. I figured all platforms were the same and wanted to get my course up quickly. That decision set me back by at least six months.
Over the years, I’ve used multiple platforms like Teachable, Kartra, and Kajabi to build online courses. Teachable is not the best option out there—far from it. There are better platforms that offer more features at a lower cost. In this review, I’ll explain why Teachable may not be the best choice for your online course and provide insights into other options.
What This Review Will Cover:
- My experience using Teachable
- Why I think Teachable’s pricing is unfair
- Key features of Teachable
- How Teachable compares to other platforms
- The pros and cons of Teachable
- A quick verdict on whether Teachable is the right platform for you
Ready? Let’s dive in.
Teachable Overview

Teachable is an online course platform designed for coaches, creatives, and entrepreneurs to sell their courses easily. You can upload videos, create quizzes, build landing pages, send emails to students, and accept payments—all from one place. It’s popular among beginners because of its simple user interface and solid customer support.
Pros of Teachable
- Beginner-friendly: Easy to set up and use, even for first-timers.
- Excellent customer support: They respond quickly and solve issues efficiently.
- Useful features: You can add quizzes, course completion certificates, and use basic marketing tools like coupons and affiliates.
Cons of Teachable
- High costs: The value you get doesn’t match the price you pay. There are cheaper alternatives.
- Limited features: Lacks advanced tools like proper email marketing and community-building features.
- Not all-in-one: Despite claims, you’ll need other tools to handle marketing, email, and community features.
My Experience with Teachable
Five years ago, I rushed into Teachable to get my course online. After six months, I realized it wasn’t the best platform. I ended up switching to other platforms that offered more features at a lower cost. Let me explain why.
1. Teachable’s Pricing is Too High
Teachable’s pricing is not worth it, especially considering the high transaction fees. For example, Teachable charges 5% in transaction fees, plus what payment processors like Stripe charge. This adds up quickly if you’re making significant sales.
If you sell a $100 course, Teachable takes 5%, which is $5. Stripe takes another 2.9%, and there’s also a 10% reserve for chargebacks. So, you end up paying almost 8% in fees plus the reserve. Over time, this becomes a huge financial drain compared to platforms like Kajabi, which doesn’t charge any transaction fees.
2. Teachable Lacks Advanced Features
Teachable is solely a course platform—it doesn’t offer tools for building funnels, managing emails, or creating communities. You’ll have to pay for and connect third-party tools, which increases your costs and adds complexity.
For example, if you want to send targeted emails to students or build an effective sales funnel, you’ll need to integrate Teachable with email marketing tools like ConvertKit or MailChimp. Other platforms like Kartra and Kajabi provide these tools within their subscription.
3. Teachable’s Sales Page Builder is Basic
The sales page builder on Teachable is too simple. It lacks customization options, making it hard to create a unique and visually appealing page. I had to hire a freelancer to build a custom page because Teachable’s editor just couldn’t do the job.
Key Features of Teachable
Let’s look at some of Teachable’s main features and how they work.
Course Creation
Teachable makes it easy to create courses. Everything is available from the dashboard with just a few clicks. You can add videos, text, quizzes, and more.
Drip Content
Teachable allows you to schedule the release of course content over time, also known as “drip content.” For example, you can set it so that students get new lessons every week after they enroll.
Quizzes
You can create simple quizzes for your course content. It’s easy to add questions and answers, though the downside is that Teachable only allows one quiz per lecture.
Course Pages
Teachable offers basic templates for course pages, checkout pages, and thank you pages. However, these templates look outdated and don’t provide much flexibility. If you want to create an attractive sales page, you might need to build one outside of Teachable.
Marketing Features
Teachable’s marketing features are quite limited. They provide a simple email tool that lets you message your students, but it’s nowhere near a full email marketing system. If you want advanced email marketing capabilities, you’ll need to integrate with tools like ConvertKit.
Teachable does offer order bumps, which allows you to offer an upsell to customers at checkout. This is a good way to increase the value of each sale. However, it’s limited to offering only additional courses or bundles as upsells.
Teachable Pricing: Is It Worth It?

Teachable has three main pricing plans:
- Free Plan: Basic, but not useful for serious course creators.
- Basic Plan ($39/month): Includes referral marketing but has high transaction fees (5%).
- Pro Plan ($119/month): Removes transaction fees but still lacks many advanced features.
In my experience, Teachable’s pricing doesn’t match the value. While the platform is easy to use, you’ll eventually need to pay for additional tools, increasing your overall costs.
Alternatives to Teachable
If you’re considering Teachable, it’s worth looking at some alternatives that may offer more features and better value.
1. Kartra: Best All-in-One Platform
Kartra provides everything you need to run an online business: email marketing, landing pages, sales funnels, membership sites, and more. It’s also cheaper than Teachable when you consider all the extra tools you won’t need to buy separately.
2. Kajabi: Best Overall Platform for Digital Products
Kajabi is a more expensive but feature-rich platform. It allows you to build courses, communities, and even podcasts. It’s great for creators who want to grow a brand and offer more than just courses.
3. Thinkific: Budget-Friendly Option
Thinkific offers a free plan that allows you to test your course before committing to a paid subscription. It’s a great option for beginners who are just starting out.
Final Verdict: Is Teachable Right for You?
After using Teachable for six months, I don’t recommend it for serious online course creators. The platform is easy to use but lacks the advanced features needed to grow a business. Plus, it’s more expensive than other platforms that offer more functionality.
If you want an all-in-one solution, you’re better off with Kartra or Kajabi. These platforms will save you money in the long run and provide all the tools you need in one place.
Teachable Review F.A.Q.
Is Teachable legit?
Yes, Teachable is a legitimate platform, popular for beginners and online course creators. However, it lacks advanced business tools.
Is teaching on Teachable worth it?
No, Teachable is not worth it for serious business growth. It’s expensive and requires additional tools to cover essential features like email marketing and sales funnels.
Is Udemy better than Teachable?
Udemy is cheaper and easier to use but offers fewer features compared to Teachable. If you need more advanced tools, Teachable might be better, though there are even stronger alternatives available.
Is Teachable mobile-friendly?
Yes, Teachable is mobile-friendly, and you can even download the iOS app to access courses on the go.
Teachable is a solid platform for beginners, but as you grow, you may find yourself needing more advanced tools and better value from other platforms.