Thinkific vs Teachable: Which Online Course Platform is Right for You?

Thinkific and Teachable are two of the most popular online course platforms available on the market. Both platforms offer a range of features to help users create and sell online courses, but they differ in several key areas. In this article, we will compare Thinkific vs Teachable to help you decide which platform is right for you.

Thinkific is a comprehensive online course platform that is designed to help users create and sell courses quickly and easily. The platform offers a range of features, including course creation tools, marketing and sales tools, and student management tools. Thinkific is rated “Excellent” based on 487 reviews on Trustpilot, making it a popular choice among course creators.

Teachable is another popular online course platform that is designed to help users create and sell courses. The platform offers a range of features, including course creation tools, marketing and sales tools, and student management tools. Teachable is rated “Average” based on 130 reviews on Trustpilot, making it a popular choice among course creators as well.

Pricing

When it comes to pricing, both Thinkific and Teachable offer flexible plans for course creators of all levels. However, there are some key differences between the two platforms.

Teachable has three paid plans: Basic, Professional, and Business. The Basic plan starts at $29 per month when billed annually and includes unlimited courses, unlimited students, and basic quizzes and surveys. The Professional plan starts at $99 per month when billed annually and includes everything in the Basic plan plus graded quizzes, advanced reports, and course completion certificates. The Business plan starts at $249 per month when billed annually and includes everything in the Professional plan plus bulk student enrollment and custom user roles.

Thinkific advertises four paid plans, but when you dig into the details, it can be broken into five plans. The Free plan includes unlimited courses, unlimited students, and basic quizzes and surveys, but charges a 10% transaction fee on all sales. The Basic plan starts at $49 per month when billed annually and includes everything in the Free plan plus no transaction fees, email integrations, and drip content. The Pro plan starts at $99 per month when billed annually and includes everything in the Basic plan plus graded quizzes, advanced customization, and course certificates. The Premier plan starts at $499 per month when billed annually and includes everything in the Pro plan plus unlimited growth, priority support, and onboarding.

It’s important to note that both platforms offer a 30-day money-back guarantee and the ability to upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time.

Overall, Teachable may be a better option for beginners or those on a budget, while Thinkific may be a better fit for more advanced course creators who need more customization and growth options.

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Course Creation Features

When it comes to creating courses, both Thinkific and Teachable offer an intuitive and user-friendly experience. However, there are some differences worth noting.

Thinkific allows for a highly customizable course creation experience. Users can choose from a variety of course templates or create their own from scratch. The platform also offers a drag-and-drop course builder that allows users to easily add and arrange course content, including videos, audio, text, and quizzes. In addition, Thinkific offers a range of customization options, including the ability to add custom branding and design elements to courses.

Teachable also offers a drag-and-drop course builder, making it easy to add and arrange course content. However, the platform is less customizable than Thinkific, with fewer options for custom branding and design. Teachable also offers a course compliance feature that allows users to set course completion requirements, such as requiring students to complete all lessons before moving on to the next module.

Both platforms offer the ability to create multimedia-rich courses, including video, audio, and text-based content. Thinkific also offers the ability to create interactive content, such as quizzes and surveys, while Teachable offers the ability to create assignments and discussions.

Overall, both Thinkific and Teachable offer robust course creation features, but Thinkific may be a better choice for users who prioritize customization and interactive content, while Teachable may be a better choice for users who prioritize course compliance and ease of use.

Sources: Thinkific vs Teachable (2022 Update) #1 Teachable Alternative, Thinkific vs Teachable #1 Thinkific Alternative [2022 Comparison]

Marketing and Sales Features

When it comes to marketing and sales features, both Thinkific and Teachable offer a range of tools to help course creators promote and sell their courses.

Both platforms provide customizable landing pages that can be optimized for conversions. Thinkific and Teachable also offer the ability to create coupons and discounts, as well as upsell and cross-sell products. Additionally, both platforms make it easy to integrate with third-party marketing tools like email marketing services and social media platforms.

However, there are some differences between the two platforms when it comes to marketing and sales features. Teachable’s checkout process is more optimized and includes payments by Apple Pay and Google Pay. Thinkific, on the other hand, offers more flexible pricing options, including the ability to offer subscriptions and payment plans.

Another key difference is in affiliate marketing. Both Thinkific and Teachable offer the ability to create affiliate programs, but Teachable’s program is more robust and includes automatic tracking of referrals and payments.

Ultimately, the choice between Thinkific and Teachable for marketing and sales features will depend on the specific needs and goals of the course creator.

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Student Engagement Features

When it comes to student engagement features, both Thinkific and Teachable offer a variety of tools to help instructors keep their students engaged throughout the course. However, there are some key differences between the two platforms.

Thinkific offers a number of community-building features, such as private forums, live lessons, and group features. These tools allow instructors to create a more interactive and collaborative learning environment, which can help keep students engaged and motivated.

Teachable, on the other hand, focuses more on course creation and marketing features. While it does offer some segmentation tools like tags and groups, it lacks the more advanced community-building features that Thinkific provides. However, Teachable does excel in payment processing, making it easier for instructors to accept payments from students.

Both platforms offer quizzes and certificates, which can serve as a way to incentivize students and keep them engaged. Additionally, Thinkific offers automated emails, which allow instructors to send out personalized messages to students at specific intervals. This can be a powerful tool for keeping students engaged and motivated throughout the course.

Overall, when it comes to student engagement features, Thinkific may be the better choice for instructors who want to create a more interactive and collaborative learning environment. However, Teachable’s strong payment processing features may make it a better choice for instructors who prioritize ease of use and convenience.

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Payment and Payout Features

Both Thinkific and Teachable offer robust payment and payout features that allow course creators to easily sell their courses and receive payments from students.

Teachable provides payment capabilities that make it easy for customers to buy more of your products. For example, Teachable users can set up different pricing plans for various products and courses. With Teachable Payments, you can generate revenue globally too.

Thinkific also offers a variety of payment options, including credit card payments, PayPal, and Apple Pay. Additionally, Thinkific allows course creators to set up payment plans for their courses, which can be a great way to increase revenue and make courses more accessible to students who may not be able to afford a one-time payment.

When it comes to payouts, both platforms offer easy and secure options for course creators to receive their earnings. Teachable pays out earnings on a monthly basis, while Thinkific offers weekly and monthly payouts.

It’s worth noting that both platforms charge transaction fees for payments received through their platforms. Teachable charges a transaction fee of 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction, while Thinkific charges a transaction fee of 2.0% + 30 cents per transaction.

Overall, both Thinkific and Teachable offer excellent payment and payout features that make it easy for course creators to sell their courses and receive payments from students.

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Customer Support

When it comes to customer support, both Thinkific and Teachable offer similar options. They both have extensive knowledge bases with articles and tutorials to help users navigate the platforms. Thinkific also offers a community forum where users can ask questions and get help from other users and Thinkific staff. Teachable has a dedicated support team that can be reached through email or live chat.

Both platforms offer customer support via email, but Teachable also offers live chat support. This can be a valuable resource for users who need quick answers to their questions. Teachable also offers phone support for users on their Professional and Business plans, while Thinkific does not offer phone support at this time.

Thinkific and Teachable both offer support for their users in a variety of languages. Thinkific offers support in English, French, Spanish, and German, while Teachable supports English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, and Italian. This can be a valuable resource for users who speak languages other than English.

Overall, both Thinkific and Teachable offer strong customer support options. While Teachable offers live chat and phone support, Thinkific has a community forum where users can get help from other users and Thinkific staff. Both platforms offer extensive knowledge bases and support in multiple languages.

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Integration and Compatibility

When it comes to integration and compatibility, both Thinkific and Teachable offer a wide range of options to meet the needs of their users. Both platforms allow for integration with popular third-party tools, such as Mailchimp, Zapier, and Google Analytics, to name a few.

Thinkific offers a robust set of integrations that allow users to connect their courses with various marketing and sales tools, payment gateways, and membership platforms. With Thinkific, users can integrate with popular email marketing tools such as ConvertKit, AWeber, and Mailchimp, as well as payment gateways such as Stripe and PayPal. Additionally, Thinkific offers integrations with various membership platforms, including MemberMouse and MemberPress.

Teachable also offers a variety of integrations that allow users to connect with popular marketing and sales tools, payment gateways, and membership platforms. Teachable integrates with email marketing tools such as ConvertKit, Mailchimp, and Drip, as well as payment gateways such as Stripe and PayPal. Teachable also offers integrations with various membership platforms, including MemberSpace and Memberful.

Both Thinkific and Teachable offer integration with Zapier, which allows users to connect their courses with over 2,000 other apps and services. This integration enables users to automate various tasks, such as adding new students to their email list or sending completion certificates to students who finish a course.

Overall, both platforms offer a wide range of integration options that allow users to connect their courses with various marketing and sales tools, payment gateways, and membership platforms. Whether you choose Thinkific or Teachable, you can rest assured that you will be able to integrate your courses with the tools you need to run your business effectively.

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Pros and Cons of Thinkific and Teachable

When it comes to choosing between Thinkific and Teachable, there are several pros and cons to consider. Here are some of the most important:

Thinkific Pros:

  • Advanced quiz creation tools and feedback surveys
  • Free version available for those with 3 courses or fewer
  • No transaction fees on any of its plans
  • Native integrations with popular email service providers such as Aweber, Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Constant Contact, and ActiveCampaign

Thinkific Cons:

  • Does not offer advanced built-in email marketing tools for sending automated email sequences
  • Does not have as many advanced options as Teachable Payments

Teachable Pros:

  • Offers more advanced payment options than Thinkific
  • Automatically tracks how many referrals your students bring in and coordinates payments with them
  • Offers advanced built-in email marketing tools for sending automated email sequences
  • Continually monitors the site to make sure it’s always running smoothly for optimum student engagement

Teachable Cons:

  • Higher transaction fees than Thinkific
  • No free version available

Ultimately, the decision between Thinkific and Teachable will depend on your specific needs and priorities. Thinkific may be the better choice if you want advanced quiz creation tools and feedback surveys, a free version for those with 3 courses or fewer, and no transaction fees on any of its plans. On the other hand, Teachable may be the better choice if you want more advanced payment options, advanced built-in email marketing tools, and automatic tracking of student referrals. Keep these pros and cons in mind when making your decision.

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Conclusion

Both Thinkific and Teachable have their strengths and weaknesses. Thinkific is better suited for course creators who want more control over their course design and customization options. It also has a more comprehensive set of features that cater to different types of online courses, including live lessons and graded quizzes even in its free plan.

Teachable, on the other hand, is more focused on marketing and selling online courses. It has better marketing features, including affiliate marketing and upselling, and allows course creators to create sales pages and funnels within the platform. It also has better integrations with third-party tools, including Zapier and Mailchimp.

When it comes to pricing, both platforms offer competitive plans that cater to different needs and budgets. However, it’s important to note that Thinkific’s pricing can be a bit confusing, with multiple plans and add-ons that can increase the cost of using the platform.

Ultimately, the choice between Thinkific and Teachable depends on the specific needs and preferences of the course creator. It’s important to carefully evaluate each platform’s features, pricing, and user experience before making a decision.

For more information and in-depth comparisons, check out the resources below:

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