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Quick verdict: Thinkific is the stronger choice for UK creators who want unlimited courses, a polished learning experience and room to grow. Teachable is easier to start with at a lower headline price, but its Starter plan takes a 7.5% transaction fee. If you expect regular sales, that fee can quickly outweigh the saving.
Pricing checked 10 September 2026. Plans and fees can change, so confirm the latest details on each provider’s website before buying.
Thinkific vs Teachable at a glance
| Feature | Thinkific | Teachable |
|---|---|---|
| Entry paid plan | Basic: £46/month or £34/month billed annually | Starter: $39/month or $29/month billed annually |
| Transaction fee | No commission on course sales; payment-processing and possible gateway fees still apply | 7.5% on Starter; 0% on Builder and above, plus payment-processing fees |
| Course allowance | Unlimited courses on Basic | Five products on Starter; ten on Builder |
| Best for | Serious course businesses, communities and a branded student experience | Beginners who value simplicity and built-in selling tools |
| UK-friendly pricing | Published GBP pricing | Main pricing is displayed in USD |
| Free option | Free trial, but no permanent free plan | Seven-day free trial |
Which one should UK course creators choose?
For most UK creators building a long-term course business, Thinkific is our overall winner. Its Basic plan includes unlimited courses, a custom domain, a community and useful sales tools without a platform commission on each sale.
Teachable remains a good option when speed and simplicity matter most. Its editor is straightforward, its checkout tools are strong and the entry price is lower. The catch is the Starter plan’s 7.5% transaction fee. Once sales begin to grow, moving to Builder is usually the more sensible comparison.
If you want a deeper look at Thinkific on its own, read our full Thinkific review for UK course creators.
Pricing for UK users
Thinkific pricing
Thinkific’s standard UK monthly prices are £46 for Basic, £92 for Start and £186 for Grow. When paid annually, the effective monthly prices are £34, £69 and £139 respectively. Thinkific also offers an Expand tier for larger organisations.
Basic is enough for many first-time course creators because it includes unlimited courses, video lessons, quizzes, student discussions, a community, digital products, coupons, order bumps and a custom domain. Start adds features such as live coaching, certificates, assignments, bundles, payment plans, subscriptions and deeper design control.
Check the current details on the official Thinkific pricing page.
Teachable pricing
Teachable lists its prices mainly in US dollars. Monthly billing is $39 for Starter, $89 for Builder and $189 for Growth. With annual billing, the advertised effective monthly prices are $29, $69 and $139. An Advanced plan is available for larger businesses.
Starter supports five products and includes mobile student apps, global tax handling, upsells and cart recovery, but it charges a 7.5% transaction fee. Builder supports ten products, removes the platform transaction fee and adds an integrated affiliate programme and real-time support.
Check the current details on the official Teachable pricing page.
Transaction fees: the important difference
The headline subscription price does not tell the whole story. Thinkific says it does not take a commission from your course sales. You still pay normal payment-processing charges, and an additional gateway fee may apply if you use a third-party processor instead of Thinkific Payments.
Teachable charges a 7.5% platform transaction fee on Starter, in addition to payment-processing fees. Builder, Growth and Advanced advertise a 0% platform transaction fee.
Here is a simple illustration. If you sold £2,000 of courses in a month, a 7.5% platform fee would equal £150 before payment processing. This is only an example, but it shows why an apparently cheaper plan may cost more once your sales increase.
Course building and student experience
Thinkific
Thinkific gives course creators plenty of structure without requiring technical knowledge. You can combine video, text, downloads, quizzes and discussions, then organise them into a clear curriculum. Unlimited courses on Basic make it useful if you plan to build several products or create a growing training library.
The community feature is another advantage. It gives students a place to interact outside individual lessons, which can improve engagement and support memberships or cohort programmes.
Teachable
Teachable is known for a clean, beginner-friendly setup. It covers courses, coaching, digital downloads, memberships and bundles. Its student apps and built-in commerce tools make it possible to launch quickly without assembling lots of separate software.
The main limitation at the entry level is not the editor; it is the combination of the product cap and transaction fee. For creators testing one small offer, that may be acceptable. For a growing catalogue, compare Builder against Thinkific Basic rather than looking only at Teachable Starter.
Sales, payments and tax
Both platforms can handle one-off purchases, subscriptions and payment plans, although the exact availability depends on your plan. Both also offer coupons and tools for increasing order value.
Teachable places particular emphasis on its native payment system and handling of US sales tax, VAT and GST. That can reduce administration for creators selling internationally. Thinkific offers strong checkout and sales features, including order bumps and abandoned-cart emails on Basic, with subscriptions and payment plans on Start.
UK sellers should still obtain appropriate tax and accounting advice. Platform automation can help with collection and checkout, but it does not replace your own legal and tax responsibilities.
Design and branding
Thinkific is the better fit when the learning environment itself is a major part of your brand. Basic supports a custom domain, while Start adds HTML and CSS editing for more control.
Teachable also supports custom domains and offers a polished default experience. Removing Teachable branding is listed on Growth, so creators who want a more white-labelled appearance should factor that higher plan into the comparison.
Who should choose Thinkific?
- You want unlimited courses from the entry paid plan.
- You expect sales volume to grow and want to avoid a platform transaction fee.
- You want a built-in community alongside your courses.
- You prefer published GBP pricing for easier budgeting.
- You care about a branded, scalable learning experience.
Who should choose Teachable?
- You want a simple setup and a lower starting subscription price.
- You are testing a small number of products before committing more money.
- You value built-in global payment and tax handling.
- You want strong sales features and student mobile apps out of the box.
- You are willing to move to Builder once transaction fees become expensive.
Our recommendation
Choose Thinkific if you are building a serious course brand and expect to publish more than a few products. It costs more at the entry level, but unlimited courses and no sales commission make the value easier to understand as you grow.
Choose Teachable if you want the quickest, lowest-cost way to test an idea and you are comfortable with the Starter transaction fee. If your course starts selling consistently, review the numbers and consider upgrading to Builder.
There is no universal winner for every creator, but for a UK-based business planning beyond its first launch, Thinkific has the stronger overall package.
Frequently asked questions
Is Thinkific cheaper than Teachable?
Not at the entry subscription level. Teachable Starter has a lower headline price, but its 7.5% transaction fee can make it more expensive when sales rise. Compare your expected revenue as well as the monthly plan price.
Does Thinkific charge transaction fees?
Thinkific says it does not take a commission from course sales. Payment-processing fees still apply, and third-party payment gateway fees may apply depending on the processor and plan.
Does Teachable charge transaction fees?
Teachable Starter charges a 7.5% platform transaction fee. Builder, Growth and Advanced advertise 0% platform transaction fees, although payment-processing charges still apply.
Which platform is better for beginners?
Teachable is slightly easier to approach and cheaper to test. Thinkific is also beginner-friendly, but it is better suited to creators who already know they want to build a broader course business.
Which is better for UK creators?
Thinkific’s GBP pricing and commission-free course sales make budgeting more straightforward for many UK creators. Teachable can still be attractive if its native payments and global tax features are your priority.
Next step: Read our Thinkific review, then compare the latest plans directly before starting a trial.