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Teachable alternatives got a lot of searches after the 2025 plan change, when the old Basic, Pro, and free plans were replaced by Starter, Builder, and Growth with product caps and a 7.5% fee on the cheapest tier. If you sell a few courses and want the email and checkout in the same place, systeme.io hosts a course free and charges 0% on every plan. If the course player is what your students pay for, Thinkific is the better course tool and still cheaper than Teachable Builder.
Teachable vs the alternatives: side-by-side comparison
| systeme.io | Teachable | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Free, then $17/mo | $39/mo ($29 annual) |
| Transaction fee on entry plan | 0% | 7.5% (0% from $89) |
| Products on entry plan | 1 course free / 5 on $17 | 5 (10 on Builder) |
| Students | 500 free / unlimited on paid | Not shown on the pricing page |
| Email marketing | Unlimited sends | Basic |
| Funnels and checkout | Included | Checkout only |
| Community | 1 free / 5 on $17 | Yes |
| Certificates | No | Yes |
| Admin seats | Not plan-limited | 1 until Growth |
| Free plan | Yes, no end date | No, 7-day trial |
Other Teachable alternatives, priced today:
| Alternative | Price | Pick it if |
|---|---|---|
| Thinkific | $54/mo ($40 annual) | The player, quizzes, and unlimited courses matter; no free plan |
| Podia | $42/mo with a 5% fee | You want the simplest store; 100 email subscribers on that plan |
| Kajabi | $179/mo ($143 annual) | You are trading up, not down |
| Skool | Not verified today | Community is the product |
Prices checked September 17, 2026.
What changed at Teachable in 2025
The Basic, Pro, and free plans were retired and existing creators were moved onto Starter, Builder, or Growth. The new plans cap products at 5, 10, and 50, Starter takes 7.5% of every sale, and creators on the old free plan found themselves on a paid one. Reviews from the months after the change lead with the bill doubling or tripling and with support not replying. That is the search you probably typed.
The 7.5% fee on Starter, in dollars
On $3,000 a month, Starter’s 7.5% is $225, before card processing at 2.9% plus 30 cents. Builder at $89 removes the fee, so Starter only makes sense below about $700 a month in sales. systeme.io never charges a platform fee, at $0 or $17.
What you give up leaving Teachable
Certificates. Graded quizzes. The student app. The coaching product type. systeme.io’s course area is lessons, drip, right-or-wrong quizzes, and a forum-style community. If your course is compliance-style training, keep a real course platform. If it is a coach’s program with videos and worksheets, the plain player is fine.
Moving students
Export students as a CSV. Download your videos and copy lesson text. Rebuild on the systeme.io free plan and send students a free enrollment link. Run both for a month, then cancel Teachable before the renewal and check which plan you land on if you downgrade first, because reviewers report surprise charges in that step.
Free Teachable alternative: what the same setup costs
Free plan, no card. Affiliate link; we earn a commission on paid plans.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free Teachable alternative?
Yes. systeme.io hosts one course with 500 students free, with a checkout and email included and no card required. Thinkific and Podia offer trials only.
Does Teachable charge transaction fees?
Starter charges 7.5% per sale. Builder and Growth charge 0%. Card processing at 2.9% plus 30 cents applies on every plan.
Is Thinkific cheaper than Teachable?
Thinkific Basic is $54 a month against Teachable Starter at $39, but Thinkific has no 7.5% fee and no product cap, so it is cheaper for anyone selling more than a few hundred dollars a month.
How do I move my students off Teachable?
Export the student CSV, rebuild the course, and send a free enrollment link. There is no direct import; run both platforms for a month.
Related: systeme.io review, systeme.io pricing, systeme.io tutorial.