Teach:able
Top 5 Best in Class Review: Teach:able 2024
About and History
Teachable, the online learning service provider, traces back to its founder Ankur Nagpal’s journey. In 2013, Ankur Nagpal, a recent graduate of UC Berkeley and a resident of New York, created the predecessor of Teachable called Fedora. This platform aimed to offer more customization tools and a profitable payment system for course creators. Within two years, the team expanded from one person in a studio apartment to 15 experts in an office in Manhattan. The platform’s growth led to a rebranding as Teachable.
By 2020, over 100,000 instructors had joined Teachable, generating over $500 million from their courses. The company’s core values include transparency, optimism, persistence, and integrity. Teachable’s team consists of diverse professionals dedicated to making the platform better and supporting creators in transforming their knowledge into income.
This table summarizes the key advantages and disadvantages of using Teachable as a platform to create and sell online courses.
Pros and Cons
Teachable is a popular platform for creating and selling online courses. While it offers a user-friendly interface and built-in features, it’s essential to weigh its advantages and disadvantages before making a decision. Here’s a comprehensive analysis incorporating insights from user data and learning trends:
Pros:
- Flexible Pricing: Teachable caters to creators at various stages with a free plan for basic features and paid tiers unlocking advanced functionalities like drip content and coupons. This allows you to test the waters before committing to a paid plan.
- Streamlined Course Creation: Teachable offers drag-and-drop course builders, design templates, and tutorials to simplify course creation. This is particularly helpful for beginners without extensive technical knowledge.
- Multilingual Course Potential: While native multi-lingual support is limited, Teachable allows uploading content in various languages. This can be supplemented with third-party captioning and translation tools to cater to a broader audience.
- Integrated Payment Processing: The built-in payment gateway facilitates secure transactions and simplifies course sales management. This eliminates the need for third-party integrations for basic payment processing.
- Student Engagement Features: Teachable provides tools like content locking, graded quizzes, and discussion forums to enhance student engagement and interactivity within your courses. This can lead to better learning outcomes and higher course completion rates.
- Valuable Insights & Analytics: The comprehensive dashboard offers valuable insights into sales performance, student progress, and course completion rates. This data can be used to optimize your course content, marketing strategies, and overall student experience.
- Email Marketing Automation: Teachable’s built-in email marketing tools allow for automated communication with students. This can be used to send course updates, promotional emails, and personalized messages to nurture student relationships and boost engagement.
- Course Completion Certificates: Teachable allows issuing certificates upon course completion, adding perceived value for students and potentially enhancing the credibility of your course content.
Cons:
- Limited Customization: Teachable’s course builder and website design options are not as extensive as some competitors. This can be a drawback for creators seeking highly customized learning experiences or brand-specific website aesthetics.
- Transaction Fees: The Basic Plan incurs a 5% transaction fee on sales, which can eat into your profits. Consider the volume of sales you expect when choosing a plan to minimize the impact on your revenue.
- Limited Third-Party Integrations: While Teachable offers some built-in features like email marketing, advanced marketing automation or sales funnel creation might require integrating third-party tools. This adds complexity and potential additional costs.
- Limited Customer Support: Teachable’s support is currently limited to email communication. This might not be ideal for creators who require more immediate assistance or prefer options like live chat or phone support.
- No Built-in Marketplace: Unlike platforms like Udemy with a built-in marketplace, Teachable lacks a dedicated space for course discovery. This makes it solely your responsibility to market your courses effectively and reach your target audience.
- Continuing Education Limitations: Teachable doesn’t currently integrate with systems for issuing continuing education credits. This might be a limitation for creators targeting audiences requiring CE credits for professional development.
Alternatives to Consider:
| Platform | Description | Ideal For |
|---|---|---|
| Thinkific | User-friendly interface with more customization options and a free plan. | Creators seeking a user-friendly platform with more design control and a free option, understanding limited marketing and student engagement features. |
| Podia | Focuses on memberships and online communities alongside courses. | Creators targeting memberships or wanting to build a subscription model and a more interactive learning environment. |
| Udemy | A well-established marketplace with a vast audience reach. | Creators comfortable with a competitive marketplace environment, understanding revenue share models might not be ideal for all. |
Core Features
Teachable has established itself as a popular platform for creating and selling online courses, empowering both seasoned educators and passionate individuals to share their knowledge with the world. To achieve this, Teachable offers a robust suite of features designed to streamline the course creation process, manage your online learning business, and ultimately, help you succeed. Let’s delve into the core functionalities of Teachable, analyzing its strengths and any potential limitations to determine if it aligns with your needs.
Building Your Course Empire: A User-Friendly Foundation
Teachable prides itself on a user-friendly interface, and rightfully so. The drag-and-drop course builder allows you to effortlessly upload various content formats, including text, images, videos, and audio lectures. This flexibility caters to different teaching styles and learning preferences, ensuring your course content is engaging and informative. While design templates provide a solid starting point, it’s important to note that some competitors might offer more extensive customization options for those seeking a highly personalized learning experience.
Beyond Content Delivery: Fostering Student Engagement
Teachable goes beyond simply hosting your content. The platform boasts features designed to keep your students actively engaged with the material. These include graded quizzes that assess understanding, content locking that encourages students to follow a structured learning path, and discussion forums that foster interaction and community building. Additionally, built-in email marketing automation allows you to communicate with students directly, nurturing relationships and providing course updates or personalized messages.
Seamless Transactions and Valuable Insights
One of Teachable’s key strengths is its integrated payment processing system. This eliminates the need for third-party involvement for basic payment processing, ensuring secure transactions, and simplifying course sales management. Students can pay with major credit cards and some alternative payment methods, depending on their chosen plan. It’s important to consider the 5% transaction fee associated with the Basic Plan when determining your pricing strategy.
Teachable goes further by providing a comprehensive dashboard that tracks key metrics. This includes sales performance, student enrollment, course completion rates, and individual student progress. This valuable data empowers you to identify areas for improvement, optimize your course content, and tailor your marketing strategies for optimal results.
Empowering Your Students: Value-Added Features
Teachers recognize the importance of acknowledging student achievements. The platform allows you to issue course completion certificates upon successful completion. While these don’t carry formal accreditation, they serve as a mark of achievement and add perceived value to the learning experience for students.
Building a Community of Learners (New Information)
One of Teachable’s recent advancements is the integration of community features. This fosters student interaction and creates a more holistic learning experience. Students can now connect, ask questions, and offer peer support, fostering a sense of community and belonging.
The Teachable Ecosystem: Weighing the Pros and Cons
While Teachable offers a solid foundation for course creators, there are areas where alternative platforms might be a better fit. For instance, the website and course builder offer limited customization options compared to some competitors. This can be a drawback for creators seeking a highly personalized learning experience or a brand-specific website aesthetic. Additionally, Teachable doesn’t have a built-in course marketplace, meaning the onus falls on you to reach your target audience through external marketing efforts.
Customer support is currently limited to email communication, which might not be ideal for creators who require more immediate assistance and prefer live chat or phone support options. Finally, Teachable’s native multi-lingual support is limited, although content upload in various languages is possible. For creators targeting a global audience, additional integrations with third-party captioning or translation tools might be necessary.
Teachable shines as a user-friendly platform with a comprehensive suite of features for creating, managing, and monetizing your online courses. It caters well to beginners and established creators alike, offering a free plan to experiment before committing to a paid tier. However, its limitations in customization, marketing reach, and customer support require careful consideration depending on your specific needs.
By carefully evaluating Teachable’s strengths and weaknesses, you can make an informed decision about whether it’s the right platform to host your online course empire. Remember, regardless of your chosen platform, explore additional marketing strategies to reach your target audience and maximize your course’s success.
Pricing Structure
Teachable’s tiered pricing structure caters to creators at every stage of their online course journey. This review dives into each plan’s features, limitations, and costs to help you choose the most suitable option for your needs.
Pricing Modules:
Free Plan (Cost: $0): This entry point allows you to test the waters of course creation with basic features. However, it comes with limitations on the number of courses, students, and digital products you can offer. Additionally, transaction fees of $1 + 10% per sale can eat into your profits. You’ll also lack a custom domain, be limited to one admin user, and miss out on advanced features like graded quizzes and third-party integrations.
Basic Plan (Cost: $59/month): This plan unlocks essential features like a custom domain, coupons, content dripping functionality, and the ability to integrate third-party tools. Transaction fees are reduced to 5% per sale. While limitations remain, including a cap of 5 courses, coaching products, and digital downloads, the Basic Plan offers a good balance of features and affordability for creators starting out.
Pro Plan (Cost: $159/month): The Pro Plan caters to established creators with growing audiences. It eliminates transaction fees entirely, allowing you to keep a larger share of your revenue. Additionally, it unlocks powerful marketing tools like affiliate marketing and course bundles to boost sales. The Pro Plan also removes limitations on the number of courses, coaching products, and digital downloads you can offer, alongside providing access to advanced features like graded quizzes, course completion certificates, and compliance tools.
Business Plan (Cost: Custom Quote): Designed for high-volume course creators and educational institutions with specific needs. This plan offers all the features of the Pro Plan with additional benefits like white-labeling (removing Teachable branding from your course platform), public API access for advanced integrations, and priority live chat support. Since pricing is customized, you’ll need to contact Teachable directly to discuss a plan tailored to your specific business needs.
Choosing the Right Plan: A Matter of Growth and Goals
The ideal Teachable plan depends on your current stage of course creation and projected growth. Here’s a breakdown to help you decide:
- Just Starting Out? The Free Plan lets you experiment with basic features and build a course before committing financially. However, consider the impact of transaction fees as your sales grow.
- Ready to Scale? The Basic Plan offers a cost-effective solution for creators with a single course or a limited audience.
- Established Creator? The Pro Plan maximizes your earning potential with eliminated transaction fees and advanced marketing tools.
- High-Volume Creator? Consider the Business Plan for extensive customization, priority support, and white-labeling options.
| Plan | Cost | Features | Transaction Fees | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Basic course creation, limited students & courses | $1 + 10% per sale | 1 user, 1 course, limited content features |
| Basic | $39/month | Custom domain, coupons, content dripping, integrations | 5% per sale | 1 user, 5 courses, coaching products & downloads |
| Pro | $119/month | Graded quizzes, certificates, compliance tools, affiliate marketing | 0% | 1 user, Unlimited courses, coaching products & downloads |
| Business | Custom Quote | White-labeling, Public API, priority support | 0% | 1 user, Unlimited courses, coaching products & downloads |
Pricing is just one part of the equation. Here are some additional factors to consider:
- Scalability: Will your course creation needs expand in the future? Choose a plan that allows for growth.
- Support: How much support do you anticipate needing? Higher-tier plans often offer priority support options.
- Transaction Fees: The impact of transaction fees can be significant. Factor them into your pricing strategy, especially with lower-priced courses.
The Final Takeaway:
Teachable’s flexible pricing structure caters to a wide range of users. By carefully considering your needs, budget, and future goals, you can select the optimal plan to empower you to build a successful online course empire.
Course Delivery System
Teachable Review: Course Delivery System – Functionality and Considerations
Teachable has carved a niche as a user-friendly platform for creating and delivering engaging online courses. This review delves deeper into Teachable’s course delivery system, analyzing its functionalities, limitations to consider when choosing a plan, and steps to select the right system for your needs.
Teachable’s Course Delivery System: A Breakdown
Teachable’s course delivery system prioritizes user-friendliness and student engagement. Here’s a closer look at its key features:
- Content Variety: Teachable supports a diverse range of content formats, including PDFs, images, videos, and audio files. This allows creators to cater to different learning styles and preferences.
- Drag-and-Drop Course Builder: The user-friendly interface allows creators to easily upload content, structure courses logically, and organize modules in a clear sequence.
- Drip Content (Paid Plans): Higher-tier plans offer drip content functionality, enabling creators to control the pace at which students access course material.
- Interactive Features (Some Paid Plans): Teachable offers features like graded quizzes and discussion forums (paid plans) to promote interaction and knowledge retention.
- Content Locking (Paid Plans): This feature allows creators to restrict access to specific course sections until students complete prerequisite material.
- Student Progress Tracking: Students can track their progress within the course, keeping them motivated and allowing them to monitor their learning journey.
- Mobile App: A mobile app provides students with on-the-go access to courses, increasing flexibility and convenience for learners.
- Course Completion Certificates: Teachable allows creators to issue certificates upon successful course completion, adding perceived value for students.
- Community Building (New Feature): Teachable’s recent addition of community features fosters student interaction and creates a more holistic learning experience.
Limitations to Consider When Choosing a Plan
While Teachable offers a robust course delivery system, some limitations exist depending on the plan you choose:
- Transaction Fees: The Basic Plan has a 5% transaction fee for every sale, impacting your profits.
- Payout Times: The Basic Plan doesn’t offer instant payouts and has longer payout times for non-US, Canadian, and UK users.
- Customer Support: Basic Plan users lack priority customer support.
- Student Groups: Organizing students into groups is unavailable with the Basic Plan.
Choosing the Right Course Delivery System on Teachable
Here are steps to consider when selecting the right course delivery system on Teachable:
- Understand Your Audience: Identify your learners’ preferences and learning styles to ensure Teachable’s system aligns with their needs.
- Evaluate Features: Look for platforms that offer engaging features like quizzes, forums, and progress tracking.
- Payment Processing: Choose a platform with a smooth payment process and robust student progress tracking for a hassle-free experience.
- Community Building: Consider platforms with features for building a learning community, offering digital downloads, and facilitating communication.
- Ease of Use: An intuitive user interface, comprehensive payment processing, analytics, and custom branding options simplify course creation and build a professional online presence.
- Course Customization: Select a platform that allows for course customization, including diverse content formats, drip-feed options, and lecture comments to tailor the learning experience.
Teachable’s Course Delivery Systems in Action
Teachable offers various course delivery systems working together for an effective learning experience:
- Content Formats Support: Deliver content in diverse formats like PDFs, images, videos, and audio to cater to different learning styles.
- Drip-Feed Content: Release course materials gradually to enhance student engagement and retention.
- Lecture Comments: Facilitate interaction and discussion through lecture comments within the course environment.
- Sections and Lectures Organization: Organize content into sections and lectures for easy navigation and access.
- Interactive Quizzes: Assess student understanding with basic quiz functionality integrated into the course structure.
- Custom Domain Integration: Link your existing website to Teachable under a custom domain for a seamless and branded learning experience.
- Third-Party Integrations: Integrate with third-party tools like Calendly for scheduling, enhancing the course delivery system with additional functionalities.
The Takeaway: A User-Friendly and Customizable Delivery System
Teachable’s course delivery system offers a user-friendly and customizable platform for creating engaging online courses. By understanding the limitations of different plans and following the steps outlined, you can choose the best system to deliver your course content effectively and cater to your audience’s needs.
Teachable’s delivery system is constantly evolving, with new features like community building being added to enhance the overall learning experience.
Choosing the Right Course Delivery System on Teachable
Here are steps to consider when selecting the right course delivery system on Teachable:
- Understand Your Audience: Identify your learners’ preferences and learning styles to ensure Teachable’s system aligns with their needs.
- Evaluate Features: Look for platforms that offer engaging features like quizzes, forums, and progress tracking.
- Payment Processing: Choose a platform with a smooth payment process and robust student progress tracking for a hassle-free experience.
- Community Building: Consider platforms with features for building a learning community, offering digital downloads, and facilitating communication.
- Ease of Use: An intuitive user interface, comprehensive payment processing, analytics, and custom branding options simplify course creation and build a professional online presence.
- Course Customization: Select a platform that allows for course customization, including diverse content formats, drip-feed options, and lecture comments to tailor the learning experience.
Teachable’s Course Delivery Systems in Action
Teachable offers various course delivery systems working together for an effective learning experience:
- Content Formats Support: Deliver content in diverse formats like PDFs, images, videos, and audio to cater to different learning styles.
- Drip-Feed Content: Release course materials gradually to enhance student engagement and retention.
- Lecture Comments: Facilitate interaction and discussion through lecture comments within the course environment.
- Sections and Lectures Organization: Organize content into sections and lectures for easy navigation and access.
- Interactive Quizzes: Assess student understanding with basic quiz functionality integrated into the course structure.
- Custom Domain Integration: Link your existing website to Teachable under a custom domain for a seamless and branded learning experience.
- Third-Party Integrations: Integrate with third-party tools like Calendly for scheduling, enhancing the course delivery system with additional functionalities.
The Takeaway: A User-Friendly and Customizable Delivery System
Teachable’s course delivery system offers a user-friendly and customizable platform for creating engaging online courses. By understanding the limitations of different plans and following the steps outlined, you can choose the best system to deliver your course content effectively and cater to your audience’s needs.
Teachable’s delivery system is constantly evolving, with new features like community building being added to enhance the overall learning experience.
Who Should Enroll?
This review explores who can benefit most from enrolling in Teachable, considering its functionalities and target audience.
Ideal Users for Teachable: A Range of Knowledge Sharers
Teachers empower a wide range of individuals and organizations to create and monetize their knowledge through online courses. Here’s a breakdown of who might find Teachable particularly useful:
- Content Creators, Bloggers, and Industry Professionals: Whether you’ve built an audience around your blog, YouTube channel, or social media presence, Teachable allows you to leverage your existing following and offer in-depth content through paid online courses.
- Influencers: Expand your reach and generate income by offering courses to a global audience. Teachable is designed to support influencers looking to monetize their expertise and connect with their fans on a deeper level.
- Educators and Trainers: Seasoned teachers, passionate hobbyists with expertise to share, and corporate trainers can all benefit from Teachable. The platform allows educators to reach a wider audience and create online versions of their training programs or classes.
- Course Creators (Experienced or Aspiring): Teachers streamline the course creation process, making it accessible for individuals at various stages of their teaching journey. Whether you’re a seasoned expert or just starting, Teachable provides the tools to create and share your knowledge online.
- Entrepreneurs: Teachable equips entrepreneurs with the tools to create and sell not just courses, but also coaching services and digital products. This allows them to establish a recurring revenue stream by monetizing their skills and knowledge effectively.
Additional Considerations: Skills, Goals, and Budget
Here are some additional factors to consider when deciding if Teachable is right for you:
- Course Creation Goals: Are you looking to create a simple course or a comprehensive learning experience with advanced features?
- Technical Skills: While Teachable boasts a user-friendly interface, some basic comfort with technology is helpful.
- Budget: Consider the pricing plans and transaction fees to ensure Teachable aligns with your financial goals.
- Target Audience: Teachable offers a robust course delivery system, but explore if it caters to your specific audience’s learning styles and preferences.
Alternatives to Teachable:
While Teachable is a popular option, here are some competitors to consider depending on your needs:
- Udemy: A massive online course marketplace with a built-in audience but less control over branding and pricing.
- Thinkific: Offers similar features to Teachable but may be less suitable for highly customized courses.
- Podia: A platform focused on memberships and communities, alongside course creation functionalities.
The Takeaway: A Platform for Diverse Knowledge Sharing
By carefully considering your goals, target audience, technical skills, and budget, you can determine if Teachable is the right platform to launch your online course empire. Teachable’s versatility caters to a broad range of individuals, from established content creators and educators to aspiring course creators looking to share their knowledge for the first time.
So, if you have valuable expertise to impart, Teachable can empower you to create engaging online courses, reach a global audience, and generate income by sharing your passions and skills.
Teachable Vs Competitions
Teachable is known as a user-friendly platform for creating and selling online courses. However, with numerous competitors in the market, it’s vital to understand how Teachable stacks up against other options. This section explores key online learning platforms and compares their features, pricing, and target audience to help you determine the best fit for your course creation journey.
The following table provides a detailed comparison of Teachable with some of its leading competitors:
| Feature | Teachable | Thinkific | Udemy | Kajabi | LearnWorlds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Target Audience | Course creators | Course creators | Course creators (marketplace) | Course creators | Course creators |
| User Interface | User-friendly | User-friendly | User-friendly | User-friendly | User-friendly |
| Pricing | Competitive (Tiered Plans) | Competitive (Tiered Plans) | Revenue share model | More expensive (Tiered Plans) | More expensive (Tiered Plans) |
| Transaction Fees | 5% on Basic Plan | None | Platform takes a cut | None | None |
| Free Plan | No | Yes (1 course) | No | No | No |
| Key Features | Built-in payment processing, email marketing, course completion certificates, mobile app access | Similar to Teachable, community builder tool | Marketplace reach, built-in audience | Marketing tools, website hosting, landing pages | Interactive video player, SCORM compliance |
| Limitations | Limited customization, marketing focus on creator | Lacks some advanced features | Less control over branding and pricing | Limited customization | Limited customizatio |
1. Is Teachable easy to use for someone with no technical experience?
Yes, Teachable boasts a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop course creation and intuitive features. Even individuals with limited technical experience can create and publish high-quality online courses on Teachable.
2. What are the different pricing plans offered by Teachable?
Teachable offers a tiered pricing structure with three main plans: Basic Plan, Pro Plan, and Business Plan. Each plan comes with varying features and limitations, allowing you to choose the option that best suits your needs and budget. Some plans have transaction fees, so be sure to compare them carefully.
3. Does Teachable have a free plan?
No, Teachable currently does not offer a free plan. However, they do provide a 14-day free trial of their Pro Plan, allowing you to experiment with the platform and its features before committing to a paid subscription.
4. How can I market my courses on Teachable?
While Teachable offers some built-in marketing tools like email marketing automation, building an audience is primarily the creator's responsibility. You can leverage social media, content marketing, and other external marketing strategies to promote your courses and reach potential students.
5. What are some limitations of using Teachable?
Teachable offers a robust feature set, but it may not be ideal for everyone. Some limitations include limited customization options for course design and branding, and the absence of certain advanced features like community builders or interactive video players found in some competitor platforms.
6. Who are some of Teachable's main competitors?
Teachable faces competition from several online learning platforms, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Some key competitors include Thinkific, Udemy, Kajabi, and LearnWorlds. Consider factors like pricing, features, target audience, and your specific needs when comparing Teachable to these platforms.
Final Thoughts
Teachable has a user-friendly platform for creating and selling online courses. This review offers a comprehensive analysis of Teachable, considering its strengths, limitations, and how it caters to different course creators.
Pros: A Platform Built for Accessibility and Growth
- User-Friendly Interface: Teachable simplifies course creation, making it accessible for individuals with varying technical skill levels.
- Diverse Features: Built-in payment processing, email marketing automation, course completion certificates, and mobile app access for students enhance the overall learning experience.
- Scalable Pricing: Teachable offers a tiered pricing structure with varying features and limitations. Creators can choose a plan that aligns with their current needs and budget, with room for growth as their course creation journey progresses.
- Proven Track Record: With over 100,000 instructors and millions of students enrolled in courses, Teachable boasts a solid reputation and has facilitated over $500 million in course sales collectively for its users.
Cons: Balancing Limitations with Growth Potential
- Customization Limitations: While offering some customization options, Teachable might not be ideal for creators seeking highly personalized learning experiences or extensive branding control.
- Marketing Considerations: Building an audience is primarily the responsibility of the course creator. Teachable offers limited built-in marketing tools compared to some competitors.
- Basic Plan Limitations: The Basic Plan, while suitable for beginners, comes with a 5% transaction fee, no instant payouts for certain regions, and additional fees for using Paypal. Additionally, it lacks priority customer support.
- Feature Parity with Competitors: Teachers may lack certain features like community-building tools or interactive video players present in some competitor platforms, potentially impacting student engagement and course interactivity.
Who Should Consider Teachable?
Teachable is a great fit for:
- Content creators and educators looking to share their expertise and monetize their knowledge.
- Influencers want to expand their reach and connect with their audience on a deeper level through exclusive online courses.
- Entrepreneurs seeking to create and sell not just courses, but also coaching services and digital products.
- Aspiring course creators with limited technical experience who want a user-friendly platform to launch their first online course.
The Final Verdict: A Strong Contender with Room for Improvement
Teachable offers a robust platform for creating and delivering engaging online courses. Its user-friendly interface, scalable pricing plans, and diverse features make it a strong contender in the market. However, it’s important to understand its limitations, such as limited customization and the absence of some advanced features offered by competitors.
By carefully considering your course creation goals, budget, and target audience, you can determine if Teachable aligns with your needs. If user-friendliness, scalability, and a solid foundation for course creation are your priorities, Teachable is a powerful platform to empower you in building your online course empire.
However, if extensive customization options, built-in marketing muscle, or the latest interactive features are paramount, explore Teachable alongside its competitors to make an informed decision.
