Udemy vs Teachable: which should you choose?
Quick answer: Udemy is built for reaching a built-in audience, while Teachable suits beginners launching a first course. For most users Teachable is the stronger default, but Udemy can be the better fit depending on your budget and use case. Udemy has the lower entry price.
Both Udemy and Teachable get recommended a lot, but they solve the job differently. Below we compare them on pricing, strengths and the use cases each one fits, then give a clear verdict.
Side-by-side
| Udemy | Teachable | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | course marketplace | online course platform |
| What it's known for | Massive open course marketplace with built-in audience and discovery, where instructors publish courses to a global learner base. | Beginner-friendly course platform to create, host and sell courses, coaching and digital downloads with built-in checkout and student management. |
| Pricing | Free for instructors to publish; Udemy takes a large share of marketplace sales (instructor keeps ~37% on organic sales, more on instructor-driven coupon sales). Learners pay per course (often discounted to ~$10-20). | Free plan (high transaction fees); Basic from ~$39/mo, Pro from ~$89/mo, Pro+ and Business tiers higher (billed annually for best rate). |
| Best audience | Instructors prioritizing volume and a built-in audience over per-sale margin or brand control. | Beginners and solo creators launching their first course, coaching offer or digital download. |
| Best for | Reaching a built-in audience, Self-paced skill courses, Volume over margin | Beginners launching a first course, Coaches and creators, Selling digital downloads |
| Entry price | Free | $39/mo ($29 annual) |
| Biggest strength | Huge built-in audience and organic discovery. | Very beginner-friendly setup. |
| Main caveat | Only 37% revenue share on organic marketplace sales. | Starter plan charges a steep 7.5% transaction fee on top of card processing. |
Features compared
Where they really diverge is in the day-to-day feature set:
Udemy key features
- Massive open course marketplace with built-in discovery
- Free for instructors to publish
- Udemy Business subscription catalog
- Quizzes, coding exercises and assignments
Teachable key features
- Course builder with video, downloads and quizzes
- Coaching products and digital downloads
- Built-in checkout (teachable:pay) and student management
- Sales pages, coupons and order bumps
Pricing tiers side by side
Udemy plans
| Plan | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Instructor publishing | Free | Revenue share model |
| Learner course price | Often ~$10-20 (discounted) |
Teachable plans
| Plan | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $39/mo ($29 annual) | 7.5% transaction fee |
| Builder | $89/mo ($69 annual) | 0% transaction fee via teachable:pay |
| Growth | $189/mo ($139 annual) | 0% transaction fee |
| Enterprise | Custom |
Tiers compiled from the vendors' published plans and independent reviews; prices are approximate and change often, so confirm current figures (and your region's taxes) on each vendor's site.
Strengths compared
Where Udemy wins
Trades margin for reach: publish free to a global audience, but Udemy keeps the majority on organic sales.
- Huge built-in audience and organic discovery.
- Free to publish, no hosting needed.
That makes it the stronger pick for instructors prioritizing volume and a built-in audience over per-sale margin or brand control.
Where Teachable wins
One of the easiest on-ramps for a first paid course, but the cheap tier's 7.5% cut punishes you until you upgrade.
- Very beginner-friendly setup.
- 0% platform transaction fees on Builder plan and above.
That makes it the stronger pick for beginners and solo creators launching their first course, coaching offer or digital download.
Verdict: choose by fit
There is no single winner; it depends on where you sit.
- Choose Udemy if you fit its core audience — instructors prioritizing volume and a built-in audience over per-sale margin or brand control.
- Choose Teachable if you fit its core audience — beginners and solo creators launching their first course, coaching offer or digital download.
FAQ
Is Udemy better than Teachable?
Teachable is the stronger default for most users, but Udemy can be the better fit depending on your budget and use case.
What is the main difference between Udemy and Teachable?
Udemy is trades margin for reach: publish free to a global audience, but Udemy keeps the majority on organic sales. Teachable is one of the easiest on-ramps for a first paid course, but the cheap tier's 7.5% cut punishes you until you upgrade.
Which is cheaper, Udemy or Teachable?
Entry pricing differs: Udemy offers a free tier, while Teachable starts at $39/mo ($29 annual). Compare the tiers above against your usage.
Sources
Facts above are drawn from these independent reviews and the vendors' own pages for Udemy and Teachable: