Online education and e-learning have gained immense popularity in recent years, making it essential for content creators to choose the right platform for course creation and management. While Teachable has been a go-to choice for many, several alternatives may better suit your needs as a content creator and your students' learning preferences. In this article, we'll explore Teachable and present the top nine Teachable alternatives, highlighting their unique features, payment options, and customization capabilities. By the end, you'll have the insights needed to make an informed decision about the best platform for your courses.
What is Teachable? Pros and Cons
Teachable is a leading learning management system (LMS) that empowers content creators to host online courses. It offers integrated payment processing and affiliate marketing tools, along with features like attaching supplementary materials, creating quizzes, and supporting both synchronous and asynchronous learning. Teachable also integrates seamlessly with popular apps such as Zoom, Zapier, Calendly, MailChimp, and ZenDesk.
While Teachable has its merits, it's essential to understand its pros and cons.
Pros of Teachable:
Students can earn course completion certificates.
Monthly payment options are available for higher-priced courses.
Monthly subscriptions can be set up for ongoing courses.
The Pro plan allows for an unlimited number of courses.
Seamless integration with third-party apps.
Cons of Teachable:
Coding knowledge may be required to implement webinars or live video.
Limited course customization options.
Designing sales pages can be time-consuming.
No support for sales funnels.
Lack of a built-in course marketplace for increased exposure.
Credit card processing limited to Stripe.
Pricing: Teachable offers various pricing plans, including a free option with transaction fees. The basic plan starts at $39 per month (billed annually) with transaction fees. The Pro plan, which allows unlimited courses, is priced at $119 per month, billed annually. Advanced theme customization is available on the Business plan at $375 per month (billed annually).
The Top Teachable Alternatives
ThriveCart Learn is a formidable contender among Teachable alternatives. It stands out by providing a comprehensive platform for creating and selling online courses without the need for extensive third-party integrations. While it does offer the flexibility to integrate with various third-party tools, it excels in offering a robust all-in-one solution.
ThriveCart Learn comes bundled with a standard ThriveCart plan, offering an array of features that cater to course creators' needs. These features include high-converting marketing funnels, embeddable landing pages, and user-friendly affiliate campaign tools. One of its standout benefits is the ability to create an unlimited number of courses, modules, and accommodate a limitless number of students—a significant advantage for course creators looking to scale.
What users appreciate most about ThriveCart is its high-converting checkout pages designed to drive conversions effectively. Additionally, ThriveCart offers one-click upsells and bump offers, enabling course creators to maximize their revenue potential. Another noteworthy aspect is the absence of recurring monthly fees. With ThriveCart, you make a one-time payment for a lifetime license, ensuring long-term cost efficiency.
Pros of ThriveCart Learn:
Inclusion of unlimited courses, modules, and students at no extra cost.
High-converting checkout funnel process for improved conversion rates.
Support for one-click upsells and bump offers to boost revenue.
Flexible payment models, including subscriptions, plans, and trials.
Integration capabilities with major payment gateways like Stripe, PayPal, and Auth.net.
Cons of ThriveCart Learn:
While videos can be used in course content, they need to be hosted on platforms like YouTube or Vimeo and then embedded.
Pricing: ThriveCart Learn comes at a one-time cost of $495, which not only provides access to ThriveCart Learn but also unlocks all the standard ThriveCart features for building conversion funnels and promoting product sales. For advanced automation tools and the creation of course bundles, users can opt for ThriveCart Learn+.
2. Podia
Podia emerges as a user-friendly alternative to Teachable, particularly suitable for beginners in course creation. Its online course and website builder tool simplifies the process, requiring no coding skills. However, Podia's template options may be more limited compared to some other platforms, offering basic editing tools for customization.
Podia supports asynchronous learning and self-paced courses, equipped with an activity dashboard to monitor student progress and the option to award completion certificates. While it provides drip campaign options, it falls short in offering extensive automation workflows. Additionally, third-party integrations are somewhat limited.
Pros of Podia:
Options for drip campaigns throughout the course.
All-inclusive package with a web builder, course creator, and storefront.
Cons of Podia:
Lack of provided templates, coupled with limited customization options.
Limited automation options for email marketing workflows.
Absence of built-in student grading features.
Pricing: Podia offers a limited-access free plan, but it collects an 8% transaction fee for every purchase made. For paid plans, pricing ranges from $39 to $89 per month ($468 to $1,068 per year), catering to different needs.
3. Mighty Networks
Mighty Networks focuses on building a strong sense of community, making it an ideal platform for content creators looking to foster connections and discussions among their audience. It offers templates for creating membership sites, online courses, and quiz options.
Mighty Networks supports both content-only and cohort-based online course structures, allowing flexibility in course design. The platform facilitates live streaming and live chat interactions to enhance engagement.
Pros of Mighty Networks:
Integration of feeds and posts directly within community spaces, reducing reliance on external social media.
Chat and direct messaging options for enhanced communication.
Cons of Mighty Networks:
Lack of an integrated online course builder function.
Limited customization options for landing pages and websites.
Absence of features like grade books, certificates, and assignments.
Does not support SCORM technical standards for eLearning products.
Pricing: Mighty Networks offers pricing options ranging from $39 to $119 per month ($468 to $1,428 per year), making it accessible for content creators seeking community-driven solutions.
4. Thinkific
Thinkific positions itself as a user-friendly alternative for course creators. It provides pre-built templates to simplify curriculum and course reviews. While it offers various course features such as video, text, presentations, worksheets, surveys, and assignments, some users find a learning curve in fully utilizing these features effectively.
Thinkific benefits learners with progress-tracking capabilities and the option to receive completion certificates upon finishing a course.
Pros of Thinkific:
Scalable subscription plans to accommodate varying needs.
Student progress tracking for an improved learning experience.
Cons of Thinkific:
Limited selection of themes for displaying courses.
Constraints on A/B testing options for increasing conversions.
Minimal upsell opportunities.
Pricing: Thinkific provides a limited-access free plan, and its paid plans range from $36 to $149 per month ($432 to $1,788 per year), catering to different levels of content creators.
5. Kajabi
Kajabi is an appealing alternative to Teachable, offering easily customizable templates and course blueprints that simplify the lesson-building process. Creators can make use of these templates to design engaging courses quickly. Moreover, Kajabi supports tiered membership pricing, making it flexible for creators to offer various membership levels.
One standout feature of Kajabi is its built-in CRM system, coupled with seamless Stripe and PayPal integrations, simplifying payment management, membership tracking, and order processing. Additionally, Kajabi provides robust email marketing tools, although some users note limitations in creating highly customized email sequences.
Pros of Kajabi:
User-friendly page builders for simplified course creation.
Inclusion of an integrated email marketing system.
Ability to segment students for effective remarketing.
Cons of Kajabi:
Limited template variety with restricted customization options.
Learning curve for setting up digital products on the platform.
Limited integration with payment gateways.
Pricing: Kajabi offers pricing plans ranging from $149 to $399 per month ($1,788 to $4,788 per year), catering to different needs and budget considerations.
6. Udemy
Udemy stands as a prominent online marketplace for courses, boasting an extensive catalog of over 200,000 online courses and a vast student base of nearly 50 million. As a course creator on Udemy, your courses have the potential to reach a broad audience actively searching for relevant topics. However, this exposure also means increased competition among courses on the platform.
A notable drawback is that Udemy does not grant creators access to learners' email addresses, limiting the ability to build direct relationships with students. This can pose challenges, especially for creators aiming to establish effective sales funnels and promote new courses or digital products.
Udemy allows course creators to sell their courses through one-time sales or offer subscriptions for monthly fees. While there are no limits on uploads or students, Udemy charges commissions ranging from 3% to 75%, depending on the method of course purchase.
Pros of Udemy:
Includes video and content hosting.
Access to a substantial student base for course visibility.
Cons of Udemy:
Absence of online course-building tools within the platform.
High competition to gain featured course status.
Commission rates on sales can be as high as 75%.
Pricing: Udemy operates on a commission-based pricing model:
Creators retain 97% of revenues when students enroll through instructor coupons.
Creators keep 50% of revenues when students find courses through platform or search engine searches.
Creators retain 25% of revenues when students discover courses through affiliate marketing or paid marketing campaigns.
7. Teachery
Teachery is another Teachable alternative designed to provide a straightforward and hassle-free course creation experience. It offers two course templates that creators can easily customize without requiring technical skills or coding knowledge. While Teachery may be an excellent choice for true beginners, those with intermediate or advanced course-selling aspirations may find its toolset somewhat limited.
Teachery's features include support for unlimited courses and students, as well as the availability of affiliate program links. However, it lacks certain functionalities, such as hosting files, and requires users to embed or link them externally. Additionally, Teachery does not support self-directed learning and has limited options for submitting assignments.
Pros of Teachery:
Unlimited courses and students at your disposal.
Offers affiliate program links for additional revenue opportunities.
Cons of Teachery:
Files must be hosted externally; no native hosting support.
Limited support for self-directed learning.
Restricted assignment submission options.
Absence of PayPal integration.
Pricing: Teachery operates at a fixed cost of $49 per month ($490 yearly), making it a budget-friendly choice for course creators seeking simplicity and ease of use.
8. Learnworlds
LearnWorlds positions itself as an all-in-one solution for online course creators, offering not only course hosting but also website-building capabilities. It boasts a comprehensive library of videos, tutorials, and webinars to assist beginners in getting started.
While LearnWorlds ensures ease of onboarding, its course site builder may present a learning curve, especially when customization is desired. Customizing aspects like font colors to match your brand can be a bit tedious. Users commend the platform's customer support, but they also express frustration that certain features, like certificate templates, are exclusive to premium plans.
Notably, LearnWorlds lacks built-in marketing tools but does integrate with other paid marketing tools, including email marketing applications.
Pros of LearnWorlds:
Ability to create a branded mobile app with in-app purchase capabilities (additional fee).
Support for custom domain names.
Option for unlimited courses.
Cons of LearnWorlds:
Exclusion of community spaces within the platform.
Manual handling of tax collection.
Lack of student course reviews.
Absence of a reseller payment model.
Pricing: LearnWorlds offers pricing plans ranging from $29 to $254.15 per month ($348 to $3,049.80 yearly), catering to various requirements and feature preferences.
9. LearnDash
LearnDash is a WordPress-based learning platform that empowers users to create their WordPress websites and leverage both free and paid plugins for enhanced functionality. It operates on an open-source model, allowing extensive customization using WordPress tools. LearnDash boasts an active user community that can provide assistance and answers to questions.
For those comfortable with building WordPress websites, LearnDash allows access to any WordPress themes of choice. However, individuals without web-building experience can opt for a full website from LearnDash, built on the WordPress platform. It's essential to note that maintaining and updating the site may require familiarity with WordPress fundamentals.
Pros of LearnDash:
Ability to build a personalized learning website using any WordPress theme.
Integration with third-party free and paid extensions for added features.
Cons of LearnDash:
Separate purchase for WordPress hosting and security.
Additional add-on fee for reporting and student tracking.
Lack of built-in marketing or email tools.
Limited payment options.
Pricing: LearnDash offers the LearnDash WordPress plugin at a cost of $199 per year for one site. Alternatively, users can opt for the LearnDash plugin and full website package, priced at $24 per month ($299 yearly).
Conclusion: Finding Your Perfect E-Learning Match
And there we have it, a grand tour through the bustling world of Teachable alternatives as we sail into 2024. It's a bit like online dating, isn't it? You've got a list of prospects, each with their unique charm, promising you the world or at least a slice of the e-learning pie. But just like in love, the quest for the perfect course creation platform is deeply personal and all about finding that special someone (or something) that just clicks.
Navigating this landscape is more art than science. It's about listening to your gut as much as analyzing features and crunching numbers. Do you want the platform that's the life of the party, bringing everyone together like Mighty Networks? Or maybe you're drawn to the strong, silent type that gets stuff done without a fuss—hello, ThriveCart Learn.
Choosing your e-learning companion is a journey of self-discovery. It's peeling back the layers of what you truly need versus what you think you need. Yes, the glitzy features and flashy marketing might catch your eye, but at the end of the day, it's the platform that understands you, supports your dreams, and grows with you that will win your heart.
So, take those free trials out for a spin. Date around. Dive into forums, stalk some reviews, and maybe even slide into a DM or two with current users. It's all part of the process. The goal? To find that platform where, when you log in, it just feels like coming home.
And remember, the e-learning world is your oyster. There's no one-size-fits-all solution here. Your perfect match is out there, waiting to help you bring your teaching dreams to life. It might take some searching, some trial and error, but when you find it, you'll know. Your courses will flourish, your students will thrive, and you'll wonder how you ever managed without it.
So go forth, intrepid educator. The future of online learning is bright, and it's yours for the taking. Your ideal platform is out there, just a few clicks away. May your journey be fruitful, your courses be engaging, and your student feedback be glowing. Here's to finding your e-learning soulmate in 2024!
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