Teachable vs Thinkific: Which platform is right for you?

Thinkific and Teachable both offer easy-to-use course builders, something that’s key to any learning management platform. Neither platform requires users to have coding experience or any extensive tech knowledge.

When it comes to course features, both Thinkific and Teachable provide basic functionalities like multiple content types (video, quizzes, etc.) as well as the ability to drip feature-release course content at certain times, course completion certificates, course progress tracking, and more. 

However, Thinkific offers a bit more flexibility and customization options during the course creation process. Plus, Thinkific includes tools that enhance the learning experience furthe, such as Live Lessons with Zoom, assignments, and a built-in presentation creator that make it easy to take your course to the next level.

A great learning experience is vital to your success as a course creator. It will help your students learn more effectively and make them want to share it with their friends — helping you grow your business.

Teachable offers a no-frills learning experience. Students are brought into an experience that is expected out of any online course platform.

Thinkific offers an unmatched suite of functionality that extends beyond what's capable in most course platforms. These features help turn a student’s experience from exciting to extraordinary.

After publishing your course, you need to get it in front of the right audience. Sales and marketing tools enable creators to gain visibility and earn revenue.

Teachable provides a number of sales tools needed and a few basic marketing features to help you earn revenue from your course. Creators should be aware of hefty transaction fees for those in tiers below Teachable Professional.

Thinkific offers sales and marketing features to enable any course creator to get started. With 90+ integrations in the Thinkific App Store; use the best tools in the business for marketing and email automation, increasing sales, and enhancing the learning experience through gamification. Gain the extensibility and flexibility of apps like ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Shopify, Salesforce, and many more. These apps are created by developers for Thinkific and can be downloaded, installed, and implemented without any coding required for all Thinkific users.

It’s important to choose a course platform that you can trust, where getting the answers to your questions is easy and your data is secure. 

While Teachable’s support is mostly limited to asynchronous email support, creators on the Business and Professional tier can take advantage of live chat support and group coaching calls. 

Whether you’re looking for a network of experts, a community of peers, or a responsive support team; Thinkific has you covered with a best-in-class support team. In addition, as your business grows and your learning platform becomes mission-critical, Thinkific offers more security and support options to ensure your success.

A mobile app is a great way for your audience to engage with your learning content from anywhere, at any time. 

Thinkific has two mobile app options for you to choose from: Thinkific Mobile and Branded Mobile. If you’re looking for a white-labeled app that spotlights your brand with your own App Store listing and logo, Branded Mobile ($199/month) has what you need. 

Thinkific also offers Thinkific Mobile (included with Start plans and higher) which gives your audience access to your material in a more flexible, convenient way. While Branded Mobile reflects your own branding, Thinkific Mobile includes Thinkific branding.

In comparison, Teachable offers an iOS app meant to complement desktop courses but doesn’t currently offer a custom-branded app for school owners. While Teachable’s app is an effective way for students to view and complete lectures and courses, it doesn’t currently offer in-app purchases, content management, or student interactions. 

From a pricing standpoint, LearnUpon currently only offers three pricing tiers that work well for solopreneurs. They also do not offer a free plan, so you're not able to test and experiment with the platform, and your course, before you start paying. This is a huge barrier to course creators who need ample experimentation time before they are ready to monetize.

Thinkific remains an affordable choice for all creators, whether you’re an established business or if you’re just getting started. Thinkific offers tiers for early-stage businesses all the way to enterprise. With add-on features like a Branded Mobile app ($199/mo) and more, no matter what stage you’re in, you have access to the functionality you need. Thinkific provides the tools that are trusted by many growing learning businesses.