Teachable vs Thinkific, and a third option.
Teachable is a platform for online courses, coaching and downloads. Thinkific is a platform for online courses, communities and memberships. Here they are on price, fees and features, with Sherpo next to them.
- Teachable and Thinkific, side by side
- A year of platform cost
- Sherpo as a third option
- 0% of your sales on Sherpo
- Teachable Starter$2,718 a year
- Thinkific Basic$648 a year
- Sherpo Pro$588 a year
- Sherpo Lite$228 a year
Paid through Stripe, Thinkific Basic’s 5% fee adds $1,500, for $2,148 a year.
Teachable Starter is $39 a month and charges 7.5% of sales. Thinkific Basic is $54 a month and takes 0% with Thinkific Payments, 5% through Stripe. For a business earning $2,500 a month in $50 orders, Teachable Starter costs $2,718 a year and Thinkific Basic costs $648. Sherpo is a flat $19 or $49 a month and takes 0% of sales.
- Teachable Starter
- $39 a month, 7.5% of sales
- Thinkific Basic
- $54 a month, 0% with Thinkific Payments, 5% through Stripe
- Sherpo
- From $19 a month, 0% of sales
- At $2,500 a month
- $2,718 and $648 a year
Teachable, Thinkific and Sherpo, side by side.
Each platform’s entry plan. Features that need a higher plan or another tool are marked.
| Feature | Teachable | Thinkific | Sherpo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $39 a month | $54 a month | Lite $19 · Pro $49 |
| Fees on your sales | 7.5% of your sales | 0% with Thinkific Payments, 5% through Stripe | 0% of your sales |
| Your brand | |||
| Your own domain | Included | Included | IncludedPro |
| White-label | LimitedOn Teachable Growth and up, checkout URLs remain | LimitedOn Thinkific Grow and up | IncludedPro |
| Site builder | Included | Included | Included |
| Export your customer list | Included | Included | Included |
| What you can sell | |||
| Online courses | Included | Included | Included |
| Quizzes | Included | Included | IncludedPro |
| Certificates | LimitedOn Teachable Growth and up | LimitedOn Thinkific Start and up | IncludedPro |
| Blog with a paywall | Not offered | Not offered | Included |
| Files and downloads | Included | Included5 on Basic | Included |
| Downloads tied to the buyer | Not offered | Not offered | IncludedPDF and XLSX |
| License keys | Not offered | Not offered | Included |
| Live portfolio | Not offered | Not offered | Included |
| Coaching and booking | IncludedWith Calendly | IncludedWith Calendly | IncludedWith Cal.com |
| Tips | Not offered | Not offered | Included |
| Buyers’ AI access to every product (MCP) | Not offered | Not offered | Included |
| How you sell | |||
| Membership tiers | Included | LimitedOn Thinkific Start and up | Included |
| Bundles | Included | LimitedOn Thinkific Start and up | Included |
| Coupons | Included | Included | Included |
| Affiliates with commission | LimitedOn Teachable Builder and up | IncludedPayouts made outside Thinkific | Included |
| Built in | |||
| Video hosting | Included1 TB of storage | Included100 GB a month on Basic | IncludedNo bandwidth fees |
| AI subtitles | LimitedFree on Teachable Growth and up, paid below | LimitedThinkific Plus only | IncludedOn Sherpo Pro |
| For developers and AI | |||
| API for your own front-end | LimitedOn Teachable Growth and up, no checkouts | LimitedGrow and up, read-only | IncludedYour own codebase, on Pro |
| Webhooks | LimitedOn Teachable Growth and up | LimitedOn Thinkific Grow and up | IncludedEvery plan |
| Run your store from your AI | LimitedIn testing, Growth and up | LimitedThinkific Plus only, read-only | IncludedEvery plan |
| Included | 11 of 24plus 7 with a limit | 10 of 24plus 8 with a limit | 24 of 24 |
- Included
- Included with a limit, or through another tool
- Not offered
A year on Teachable, on Thinkific, and on Sherpo.
For a business earning $2,500 a month in $50 orders, Teachable Starter costs $2,718 a year and Thinkific Basic costs $648. Sherpo Pro costs $588 and Sherpo Lite $228.
The Teachable figure is $39 a month for Teachable Starter, plus 7.5% of sales. The Thinkific figure is $54 a month for Thinkific Basic, with sales through Thinkific Payments. Card processing is charged by the payment provider on all three. Sherpo prices here are billed monthly. Competitor prices are from each platform’s own pages and published price trackers, checked in October 2026.
Put in your own numbers| Teachable Starter | Thinkific Basic | Sherpo Lite | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price a month | $39 | $54 | $19 |
| Transaction fee | 7.5% | 0% | 0% |
| Plan price a year | $468 | $648 | $228 |
| Fees on $30,000 of sales | $2,250 | $0 | $0 |
| Total a year | $2,718 | $648 | $228 |
| Difference | Sherpo Lite costs $420 less | ||
What each is known for, and where Sherpo fits.
Teachable is known for course delivery, with drip content, student apps for iOS and Android, and tax handling in its checkout. Thinkific is known for its course builder, with assignments and drip scheduling, and Thinkific Plus for business training. Sherpo is the option for selling under your own brand, at a flat price.
One flat price
Sherpo is $19 or $49 a month and takes 0% of your sales, whatever you sell.
Your brand, your domain
On Pro your site runs on your own domain, with no Sherpo branding.
Every format in one account
Courses, paid blogs, files, live portfolios and memberships, with one login and one customer list.
Switching from Teachable or Thinkific?
Contact us and tell us what you are moving. Our team handles the move with you, content and customers included.
Teachable vs Thinkific: common questions.
Still curious? Talk to us
What is the difference between Teachable and Thinkific?
Teachable is a platform for online courses, coaching and downloads, known for course delivery, with drip content, student apps for iOS and Android, and tax handling in its checkout. Thinkific is a platform for online courses, communities and memberships, known for its course builder, with assignments and drip scheduling, and Thinkific Plus for business training.
Which is cheaper, Teachable or Thinkific?
With Thinkific Payments, at $2,500 a month, Thinkific Basic is the cheaper of the two. For a business earning $2,500 a month in $50 orders, Teachable Starter costs $2,718 a year and Thinkific Basic costs $648. Sherpo Lite costs less than both: $228 a year. Paid through Stripe, Thinkific Basic’s 5% fee adds $1,500, for $2,148 a year.
Does Teachable take a cut of sales?
Teachable charges 7.5% of sales on its entry plan, Teachable Starter. Card processing is charged separately by the payment provider. Sherpo takes 0% on every plan.
Does Thinkific take a cut of sales?
On Thinkific Basic with Thinkific Payments, no. Where Thinkific Payments is offered, using Stripe adds a Thinkific fee: 5% of every sale on Basic, 2% on Start and 1% on Grow. That fee comes on top of the processor’s own card fees. Sherpo takes 0% on every plan.
Can I use my own domain on Teachable, Thinkific and Sherpo?
On Sherpo Pro, your site runs on your own domain, with no Sherpo branding. Teachable and Thinkific also support custom domains.
Can AI run my store on Teachable, Thinkific or Sherpo?
On Sherpo, yes: the Merchant MCP is on every plan, so Claude and other assistants can create products, prices and coupons in your account. Teachable has an experimental MCP server, on Growth and higher plans. Thinkific has a read-only MCP server, on Thinkific Plus only.
Is there an alternative to Teachable and Thinkific?
Yes, Sherpo. It charges a flat $19 or $49 a month and takes 0% of sales. It sells courses, paid blogs, files, live portfolios and memberships from one account. On Pro, it runs under your own brand and domain.
What does Sherpo offer that Teachable and Thinkific do not?
Neither Teachable nor Thinkific offers a blog with a paywall, downloads tied to the buyer, license keys, live portfolios or tips. Sherpo includes them.
Can I switch from Teachable or Thinkific to Sherpo?
Yes. Contact us and tell us what you are moving. Our team handles the move with you, content and customers included.
Can I try Sherpo before I leave Teachable or Thinkific?
Yes. Lite and Pro start with a 14-day free trial, and your Sherpo site can stay offline until you launch. You can set everything up while your current account keeps running.
See what you would keep.
Start your free trial, or put your own numbers into the fee calculator.
- 14-day free trial
- Sherpo takes 0% of your sales
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