Thinkific vs. Teachable (2022): Which is Best For Your Course?

Updated by Tara Malone

Thinkific and Teachable are both fantastic tools, but you might wonder: which one is right for me? 

As an online course creator (even an aspiring one), you probably feel like you’re up to your eyeballs in options. 

You have so much expertise to share and so much to teach your audience, but no idea which tool to start with. And how could you? These products always market as though they’re perfect for anyone. 

While that may be true, there is one learning management system (LMS) platform that’s better for your specific needs. 

But which one? How do you decide?

The good news: we’ve done the heavy lifting, so you don’t have to. In this post, you’ll get a peek inside both Thinkific and Teachable — from a course creator’s point of view. 

Ready? Let’s take a look at our two competitors.

Thinkific vs. Teachable: Pricing

A course creation platform will only work for you if it fits in your budget. 

And while your long-term goal may be to create courses so awesome you don’t have to think about money ever again… when you’re starting out, price matters. 

Let’s start our comparison by looking at the monthly and annual price breakdown for both platforms. 

Thinkific Pricing

Thinkific’s features vary across their plan levels, but all plans have unlimited courses and students.

And as with many course creation platforms, Thinkific offers a 20% discount when you pay annually. 

Teachable Pricing 

Teachable’s pricing is very competitive, and most of their pricing plans cost less than Thinkific’s plans.

Note that both platforms offer a free plan. This could come in handy if your course is in the piloting phase!

Now that we have pricing out of the way, let’s move on to what your experience as a course instructor would be like.

Thinkific vs. Teachable: Course Setup 

Both platforms take a step-by-step approach to course setup. This makes either one ideal for the first-time course creator, and super simple for more experienced instructors. 

Here’s what to expect in the setup process. 

Thinkific Course Setup

Step 1: Name your school. 

Step 2: Name your fist course.

Step 3: Begin building your course. 

Step 4: Confirm your details.

Step 5: Build your course basics.

Step 6: Learn how to generate leads.

Step 7: Get your first enrollments. 

Looks pretty straightforward, right? Let’s move on and take a look at Teachable.

Teachable Course Setup

Step 1: Name your school. 

Step 2: Tell them more about you and your courses. 

Step 3: Watch the tutorials and start building your course.

Pro tip: We highly recommend watching the tutorial videos. They’re easy to follow and will save you significant research time. 

Step 4: Create your course. 

Step 5: Add your curriculum. 

Step 6: Choose your pricing plan. 

Step 7: Publish your course! 

Stick a fork in it… you’re done!

Now you have a good idea about how course creation basics work for both platforms. But don’t forget about the student experience!

Thinkific vs. Teachable: Student Experience 

Your students’ user experience is just as important as yours. Think about it: you’re doing this for them, so you want their time in your course to be worth their investment (in both time and money).

Let’s take a look at how your students will interact with your courses, starting with Thinkific. 

Thinkific Student Experience 

Your students will love Thinkific’s course experience. 

Thinkific’s presentation is clear, easy to follow, and great for visual learners. It offers a clear dashboard where they can see exactly how far they are in the course and look ahead to see what’s next. 

This is what your student sees when they open up their first course:

Your students can click on each lesson to see a drop-down with the text, audio, and video elements you’ve added. 

Next, let’s take a look at Teachable, from the perspective of your students.

Teachable Student Experience

Teachable’s student experience is engaging and intuitive, not unlike the course creator’s experience. The platform is easy for students to use, even if they’ve never taken an online course before!

Students can see what percentage of the course they’ve completed, and it’s easy to click through to the next lesson. This student experience is very similar to Thinkific in the way the course is presented. 

Here is what your students see when they open their course:

But as important as price, instructor experience, and your students’ ease of use is, there are more considerations to take into account before you choose the best platform for you.

Teachable vs. Thinkific: Key Points to Consider

Honestly, the two platforms are very competitive. They both offer easy setup, payments with international currencies and all major credit cards, and unlimited courses and students. Plus, price and student experience are also incredibly similar. 

However, there are a few key questions to think about when choosing the best LMS for you: 

1. Do your students want to learn on the go?

If you’re looking for a course platform that supports an iPhone app, go with Teachable. Thinkific does not currently support mobile learning.  

2. Do you want to pay transaction fees?

Thinkific offers zero transaction fees for all plan levels. Teachable only offers this feature for their Professional plan and above.

3. How much customization do you need?

Thinkific has a large number of customizable features. Teachable is an eye-catching platform, but offers a more standardized course experience for both you and your students. 

Finally, let’s take a look at the features for each platform, broken down by plan level.

Thinkific Features

Teachable Features

Now that you know more about each platform, it’s time to make up your mind.

But unlike other LMS comparisons, these two competitors are seriously similar! If they’re so alike, how do you choose between these two comparable platforms? 

Let’s see if we can make it easier to choose.

Thinkific vs. Teachable: Which Is Best for Your Course?

These platforms are both excellent if you: 

• Are a first-time course creator,
• Aren’t sure where to begin,
• Need step-by-step guidance, or
• Want a variety of integration options.

However…

Thinkific is better for course creators who want more extensive customization options when it comes to site design. While you might need to spend a bit more time working on your courses, it’s great for those who want 0% fees for transactions (no matter your plan level) and those who want to sell courses in bulk.

On the other hand, Teachable is better for course creators who don’t always love technology. 

It’s also great for those who want to offer their courses in different languages to attract a global audience. And remember, if you want your students to be able to learn on the go, Teachable offers an iPhone app.  

Whatever your decision, this is where the rubber meets the road — it’s time to start building your course! It’s time for you to teach your gift, and share your expertise with the world. 

If you’re ready to create your first online course and want to take the guessing out of course creation, you are invited to join our free Course Builder’s Bootcamp!