Teachable pricing 2026: the hidden cost of the 5% transaction fee
Teachable's pricing looks competitive at first glance: a free plan, a $59/month Basic, and Pro tiers at $259 and $249. But the Basic plan charges a 5% transaction fee on every sale, and that fee fundamentally changes the math. At $2,000/month in revenue, Teachable Basic costs $209/month total ($59 subscription + $250 in fees). Thinkific Basic costs $49/month total with zero fees. That's $260/month more for Teachable on identical revenue. Here's the full breakdown so you can see exactly where Teachable's pricing works, where it doesn't, and when alternatives save you real money.
- Plans: Free, Basic at $59/mo, Pro at $259/mo, and Pro+ at $249/mo, with unlimited courses and students on paid tiers.
- The catch: Basic charges a 5% transaction fee on top of Stripe's 2.9% plus $0.30, so per sale processing runs about 7.9% plus $0.30.
- Crossover: Around $2,000/month in revenue, Basic's fees plus subscription equal the Pro price, so upgrade to Pro's 0% fees.
- Below $2,000/mo: Thinkific Basic at $49/month with 0% platform fees is strictly cheaper.
The 4 Teachable plans (March 2026)
| Plan | Monthly | Annual (per mo) | Transaction Fee | Courses | Students | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Discontinued. Teachable no longer offers a free plan (verified 23 August 2026). A 7-day free trial replaces it. | |||||
| Basic | $59/mo | $29/mo | 5% | Unlimited | Unlimited | Custom domain, coupons, email tool (basic), 2 admin seats. |
| Pro | $259/mo | $219/mo | 0% | Unlimited | Unlimited | Everything Basic + 0% fees, certificates, affiliate program, live chat support, 5 admin seats. |
| Pro+ | $249/mo | $299/mo | 0% | Unlimited | Unlimited | Everything Pro + custom user roles, priority support, 20 admin seats. |
The transaction fee problem: what Teachable Basic actually costs
The 5% transaction fee on Teachable Basic is on top of Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30, meaning your total processing cost per sale is ~7.9% + $0.30. On a $97 course, that's $7.96 ($4.85 to Teachable + $2.11 to Stripe). Compare with Thinkific Basic where the same sale costs $2.11 total (Stripe only, 0% platform fee).
| Monthly Revenue | Teachable Basic Total Cost | Thinkific Basic Total Cost | You Overpay on Teachable |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500/mo | $59 + $25 fees = $84 | $49 | $25/mo |
| $2,000/mo | $59 + $50 = $209 | $49 | $60/mo |
| $2,000/mo | $59 + $250 = $209 | $49 | $260/mo |
| $5,000/mo | $59 + $250 = $209 | $49 | $260/mo |
| $20,000/mo | $59 + $500 = $559 | $49 | $510/mo |
The crossover point where Teachable Pro makes sense: At approximately $2,000/month in revenue, Teachable Basic's fees ($200) plus the subscription ($59) total $259, exactly the price of the Pro plan with 0% fees. If you're consistently above $2,000/month, upgrade to Pro immediately. If you're below $2,000/month, you shouldn't be on Teachable Basic at all, Thinkific Basic at $49/month with 0% fees is strictly better.
At the Pro tier ($259/month), Teachable competes differently. Zero transaction fees, certificates, and an affiliate program make Pro a functional platform. But at $259/month, you're $20 more than Kajabi Basic ($249/month), which includes email marketing, sales funnels, community, and a website builder that Teachable Pro lacks. Full analysis in our head-to-head comparison. Also compare Thinkific pricing and Podia's plans. Use our Course ROI Showdown calculator to model your true net revenue across platforms.
Who should still choose Teachable
Teachable makes sense in exactly two situations
Situation 1: You're already on Teachable with an established student base. Migration costs are real, rebuilding courses, email sequences, and checkout pages takes 2-4 weeks and risks revenue disruption. If you're profitable on Teachable and your time is better spent creating content than migrating, staying put is pragmatic. Just make sure you're on Pro if revenue exceeds $2,000/month.
Situation 2: You need Teachable's specific integrations. Teachable has the largest third-party ecosystem in the course platform market, more templates, more tutorials, more Zapier integrations, more developer resources than Thinkific or Kajabi. If your tech stack depends on a specific Teachable integration that doesn't exist elsewhere, that's a valid lock-in reason.
For new creators in 2026: There is no scenario where Teachable Basic ($59/mo + 5% fees) is the right first choice. Thinkific Basic ($49/mo + 0% fees) offers more features for less money with no transaction fees. Start there, and move to Kajabi when you need the full marketing stack.
Teachable Pro
$259/mo ($219/mo annual) · 0% transaction fees · Unlimited courses · Certificates · Affiliate program
The only Teachable plan worth considering, 0% transaction fees, certificates, and affiliate marketing. But at $259/mo, compare carefully with Kajabi Basic ($249/mo) which includes email, funnels, and community that Teachable Pro lacks. Best for existing Teachable users who've outgrown the Basic plan.
View Teachable plans →Course income is self-employment revenue, your Teachable subscription, transaction fees, and marketing tools are all deductible as business expenses. CeoCult's self-employed tax deductions guide covers the full list for course creators, including the 1099 vs W-2 tax impact calculator useful when modeling your effective take-home at different revenue levels.
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Frequently asked
Why does Teachable charge transaction fees on Basic?
Teachable uses the freemium-to-premium model: offer lower subscription prices on entry plans, then monetize through transaction fees until creators upgrade to Pro. It's a deliberate pricing strategy that works in Teachable's favor, many creators don't calculate their total cost (subscription + fees) until they've been on the platform for months. By then, migration costs create lock-in. This is why we always recommend comparing TOTAL cost (subscription + fees + external tools needed) rather than subscription price alone.
Is Teachable's free plan worth using?
Only for absolute minimal testing. The free plan limits you to 1 course, 10 students, and no longer exists: Teachable discontinued its free plan and now offers a 7-day free trial instead (verified 23 August 2026). For free validation, Thinkific's free plan is better: 1 course, unlimited students, 0% transaction fees. Both are testing-only plans, but Thinkific's is genuinely free while Teachable's takes a significant cut of every sale.
When should I upgrade from Teachable Basic to Pro?
When your monthly revenue consistently exceeds $2,000. At that point, the 5% transaction fee ($200/month) plus the Basic subscription ($59) equals $259, the exact price of Pro with 0% fees. Every dollar above $2,000/month in revenue is pure savings on Pro. Don't wait, the fee compounds. At $5,000/month, staying on Basic costs $250/month more than Pro.
Federal data behind this page
What a programme costs, what its graduates earn, and what aid is available are published by federal statistical agencies rather than by any provider's marketing page, and the sources below are the primary ones. They are linked so a reader can check a figure here directly.
- College Scorecard publishes the federal cost, completion and post-enrolment earnings data used to compare programmes.
- National Center for Education Statistics is the federal statistical agency for education and the source most published figures trace back to.
- IPEDS holds the institution-level survey data behind enrolment, price and completion comparisons.
- Federal Student Aid states what aid exists, who qualifies, and what repayment actually obligates a borrower to.
- CFPB paying for college documents how education financing works and where its common traps are.
- US Department of Education sets the policy framework the accreditation and aid systems operate under.
- Department of Education laws and policy carries the rules that decide whether a provider or credential is recognised.
This page compares programmes on published data. Outcomes vary by student, and a reader's own aid package and circumstances decide what a programme actually costs them.