Teachable vs Thinkific 2026: Transaction Fees, Plans, and Which Wins for Spiritual Course Creators

Two platforms. One question that actually matters: at your current revenue, which one costs you less money?

Teachable and Thinkific are the two most-compared course platforms in the $30-150/month bracket. Neither has an explicit esoteric content ban. Both dropped their free plans. But they structure their fees very differently, and that difference has compounding effects once you start generating meaningful revenue.

All pricing figures are as of early 2026 (verify current pricing before committing).

Plans and Prices at a Glance

Teachable 2026 (annual billing)

Monthly billing adds roughly $10-90 per tier. Teachable removed its free plan in early 2025; all paid plans include a 7-day trial.

Thinkific 2026 (annual billing)

*0% applies when using Thinkific Payments. If you connect your own Stripe account on Basic, Thinkific reportedly adds a surcharge - the exact percentage is not uniformly disclosed (verify current terms). Thinkific also discontinued its free plan; 30-day trials are available.

The Number That Changes Everything: Teachable's 7.5%

Teachable Starter looks cheap at $29/month. It stops being cheap the moment you make sales.

At $1,000/month in course revenue:
- Starter: $29 + ($1,000 x 7.5%) = $29 + $75 = $104/month total
- Builder: $69 + $0 = $69/month total

At $5,000/month:
- Starter: $29 + ($5,000 x 7.5%) = $29 + $375 = $404/month total
- Builder: $69

The break-even where Builder ($69/month, 0% fee) becomes cheaper than Starter ($29/month, 7.5% fee):

```
69 = 29 + 0.075 x R
40 = 0.075 x R
R = 40 / 0.075 = $533/month in revenue
```

Above $533/month in course sales, Builder is the cheaper plan. Starter makes financial sense only if you're selling well below that threshold.

International Card Processing: Teachable's Hidden Add-On

Teachable charges 3.9% + $0.30 for international card processing, versus 2.9% + $0.30 for domestic US cards. This stacks on top of any platform transaction fee.

For a UK-based astrologer selling a $200 course to a US buyer on Teachable Starter:
- Platform fee: $200 x 7.5% = $15
- Card processing (international): $200 x 3.9% + $0.30 = $8.10
- Total fees: $23.10 on a $200 sale (11.6%)

Thinkific's card processing rates follow Thinkific Payments (Stripe-based), which runs at standard Stripe rates by country.

Student Caps: The Thinkific Structural Advantage

Teachable's student caps are a real operational constraint:

- Starter: 100 students total
- Builder: 1,000 students
- Growth: 5,000 students

Thinkific has no student caps on any plan. If you're building a course library and want to grow without worrying about hitting enrollment walls, this is a meaningful difference.

For spiritual practitioners running annual cohort enrollments, retreats with waitlists, or courses that compound in student count year over year, Thinkific's unlimited enrollment is structurally cleaner.

Which Platform Fits Which Creator

Teachable Builder ($69/month) makes sense if:
- You want a polished checkout experience
- You're in the $0-500/month revenue range and not yet at Builder's break-even
- You prefer Teachable's content editor and student dashboard

Thinkific Basic ($36/month) makes sense if:
- You want 0% fees without paying $69/month
- You have unlimited courses and students to manage
- You're using Thinkific Payments (not external Stripe)

Thinkific is cheaper on paper for most solo practitioners: $36/month at 0% beats Teachable's $29/month + 7.5% anywhere above $93/month in revenue. But the Thinkific Stripe surcharge on Basic could narrow that gap - verify current rates before committing.

Payment Processing and Stripe Risk

Both platforms use Stripe as their underlying payment processor. Stripe restricts "psychic services and fortune tellers" in Japan, Mexico, and Thailand. This is a payment-layer restriction, not a Teachable or Thinkific content ban - neither platform explicitly prohibits spiritual or esoteric courses.

For practitioners in those jurisdictions, or for anyone wanting to avoid Stripe dependency, a Merchant of Record approach (selling through DodoPayments or Gumroad) is an alternative that handles payment processing separately from your course delivery. See comparison of MoR platforms for the breakdown.

Internal Platform Links

- For a three-way comparison including Kajabi: Kajabi vs Thinkific vs Podia
- Course pricing strategy for spiritual products: course pricing psychology
- Building an astrology school from scratch: launch your astrology school
- Selling courses specifically in astrology: sell astrology courses online
- Full directory of course platforms: course platforms

FAQ

Does Teachable's 7.5% fee apply to all payment methods?

Yes, on the Starter plan. The 7.5% platform transaction fee applies to every sale regardless of payment method. The card processing fee (2.9% or 3.9% + $0.30) is separate and also applies. The only way to eliminate the platform fee on Teachable is to upgrade to Builder or higher.

Can I start on Thinkific Basic and upgrade later without losing content?

Yes. All Thinkific plans use the same course builder infrastructure. Content, student records, and course structure migrate with you as you upgrade. The key restriction is the Stripe surcharge on Basic if you're not using Thinkific Payments - upgrading to Start removes that surcharge.

Do either platform let me sell memberships, not just one-time courses?

Both do. Teachable supports subscription pricing on any paid plan. Thinkific supports communities and memberships on Start and Grow tiers. For a platform purpose-built for ongoing memberships, see recurring billing and membership for a broader comparison that includes dedicated membership tools.

What happened to the free plans?

Teachable removed its free plan in early 2025. Thinkific also discontinued its free plan. Both now offer 30-day trials (Thinkific) or 7-day trials with a 30-day money-back on annual plans (Teachable). You can test both without long-term commitment, but there's no permanent free tier on either platform as of early 2026.

How do student caps work on Teachable - does a student who completes a course still count?

Yes, enrolled students count toward the cap regardless of whether they've completed the course or are still active. The cap is on total enrollment, not active users. At 100 students on Starter, you'd need to unenroll or upgrade before admitting student 101. Thinkific's unlimited enrollment avoids this operational friction entirely.

Not tax or legal advice. Verify current platform pricing before making purchasing decisions.