Teachable is solid but its pricing has crept up and transaction fees eat into margins. If you’re selling courses, coaching, or digital products, these 5 alternatives offer better economics or simpler experiences.
1. Gumroad
Best for: Selling digital products with zero setup
Gumroad handles checkout, delivery, and audience building with almost no setup. List a product, share a link, get paid. No monthly fee — just a per-transaction cut.
Free plan · 10% flat fee per sale
Pros: Zero monthly cost, instant setup, audience features
Cons: 10% fee adds up, limited course features
Try Gumroad
2. Payhip
Best for: EU-based sellers (VAT handled)
Payhip sells digital products, memberships, and courses with automatic EU VAT handling. Free plan with 5% transaction fee, or $29/mo for 0% fees.
Free (5% fee) · Plus $29/mo (0% fee)
Pros: EU VAT handled, free plan, courses + products
Cons: Smaller ecosystem, basic analytics
Try Payhip
3. Thinkific
Best for: Branded course sites
Thinkific gives you a fully branded course website with more customization than Teachable. Built-in communities, assignments, and certificates. Free plan available.
Free plan · Basic from $49/mo
Pros: More customization, communities, certificates
Cons: Transaction fees on free plan, app marketplace smaller
Try Thinkific
4. Podia
Best for: Courses + downloads + community in one
Podia bundles courses, digital downloads, webinars, and community into one platform. No transaction fees on any plan. Clean, modern interface.
Free (8% fee) · Starter $9/mo (0% fee)
Pros: No transaction fees, all-in-one, clean UI
Cons: Fewer course-specific features, basic analytics
Try Podia
5. Stan Store
Best for: Creators selling from social media
Stan Store is a link-in-bio meets storefront. Perfect for creators selling courses, downloads, and bookings directly from Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube bios.
From $29/mo · 14-day free trial
Pros: Social-first, fast checkout, creator-focused
Cons: Limited course features, no free plan
Try Stan Store
The Bottom Line
For zero-setup selling, Gumroad gets you live in minutes. For EU sellers, Payhip handles VAT automatically. For branded course sites, Thinkific offers more customization than Teachable.
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