Teachable alternative
Course Catalyst vs Teachable: a practical comparison
Teachable is a solid course platform with a low entry price on annual billing. Where it gets expensive is the transaction fee on the cheapest plan and the product limits. Here is how it lines up against Course Catalyst.
Side by side
Course Catalyst vs Teachable
Teachable sells online courses, digital downloads, memberships and coaching.
| Topic | Teachable | Course Catalyst |
|---|---|---|
| Plans and price | Starter $39/month, Builder $89/month, Growth $189/month. Billed annually that is $29, $69 and $139 per month. | Lite $27/month ($270/year). Pro $97/month ($970/year). 14-day free trial. |
| Fees on your sales | 7.5% transaction fee on Starter. 0% on Builder and Growth when you use Teachable Payments, with standard card processing (for example 2.9% + 30 cents in the US) still applying. | Lite 10% platform fee on sales. Pro 0%. Stripe processing fees are separate. |
| Courses, products and contacts | Products (courses, coaching, downloads): 5, 10 or 50. Unlimited students. Up to 1 TB of video storage. | Unlimited courses, products, contacts, landing pages and funnels on both plans. Video storage: 50 GB on Lite, unlimited on Pro. |
| Email marketing | Built-in email marketing is listed. No sending limit is stated. | Broadcasts and email sequences built in. 5,000 marketing emails per month on Lite, 150,000 on Pro. |
| Custom domain | Listed on the plans, no limit stated. | Your own domain on Pro. Lite sites run on a Course Catalyst address. |
| Community | Not on Starter. Included on Builder and Growth. | Community channels and threads on both plans. |
| API and MCP | Public API listed. The Growth plan states 10,000 requests per month. | Public API and MCP access on both plans, so you can run your site from Claude or your own scripts. |
Teachable details come from Teachable's pricing page, read October 30, 2026. Prices and limits change, so confirm on their site before you decide. Annual prices shown per month are as they state them.
When Teachable is the better choice
- You want the lowest monthly price to get started: $29/month on annual billing, if the Starter limits work for you.
- You have a small catalog and want 0% platform fee at $69 to $89 a month (Builder), which is below our Pro price.
- You want up to 1 TB of video storage stated up front.
When Course Catalyst is the better choice
- You have more than 5 to 50 products and do not want to count them.
- You want a custom domain and 0% platform fee on one plan, with no product ceiling.
- You want community included from the cheapest plan, not only on higher tiers.
Before you decide
Do the fee math on your own numbers
Monthly price is only part of it. On Course Catalyst, Pro costs $70 more per month than Lite and drops the platform fee from 10% to 0%. That pays for itself once you sell about $700 a month. Below that, Lite is cheaper. Teachable's Builder plan has no platform fee but caps you at 10 products, so compare your catalog size, not only the price.
Run the same test in both
Build one short course, a sales page and a welcome email in each product, then buy it yourself. Ten minutes in each tells you more than any feature list, including this one.
Moving over
If you are moving from Teachable, send us your course and audience requirements first. Our import help covers Kajabi and Kit today. We will tell you honestly what we can move and what you will rebuild by hand.
See the actual course player
Our public docs run on Course Catalyst. This is the published docs course, captured from the product.
What Course Catalyst costs
Lite: $27/month
Or $270/year, billed annually. 10% platform fee on sales. Payment processing fees are separate.
Everything you need to launch and sell your first course.
Pro: $97/month
Or $970/year, billed annually. 0% platform fee on sales. Payment processing fees are separate.
For creators who sell and email at scale.
Questions before you choose
Is Course Catalyst a good Teachable alternative?
It is if you want courses, a site builder, checkout, email and community in one place with simple pricing and no limit on courses or contacts. It is not the right fit for everyone, so read the section on when Teachable is the better choice.
Does Teachable charge a transaction fee?
On the Starter plan, yes: 7.5%, according to Teachable's public pricing page on October 30, 2026. Builder and Growth list 0% when you use Teachable Payments, and normal card processing fees still apply.
How much does Teachable cost compared to Course Catalyst?
Teachable's prices are in the table above, taken from their public pricing page on October 30, 2026. Course Catalyst is $27/month on Lite and $97/month on Pro, with a 10% platform fee on Lite and none on Pro. Prices change, so confirm on their site.
Can you help me migrate?
We help import from Kajabi and Kit. Email caleb@calebcurry.com with what you want to move. We will review your courses, pages, contacts and emails with you and agree on the scope before starting. This is hands-on help, not a promise that every setting or subscription transfers automatically.