Teachable and Patreon are both good platforms to monetize your audience but they do it in very different ways. In this detailed comparison, we talk about the key differences between Teachable and Patreon, highlighting their features, pricing, pros and cons, and who each platform is best suited for. Whether you’re building a full online course or want to monetize your creative community, this guide will help you make the right choice.
Quick Comparison
Teachable Overview
Teachable is one of the leading platforms for building and selling online courses. It is built specifically for educators, coaches, and creators who want to teach online, whether through courses, digital downloads, or coaching sessions.
With Teachable, you can:
- Create structured, multi-lesson courses
- Offer subscriptions, bundles, or one-time sales
- Customize your sales pages and checkout experience
- Accept payments through Stripe or PayPal
- Use a drag-and-drop builder to design your course
It is built to make learning easy for students and selling easy for creators.
Patreon Overview
Patreon is a membership-based platform that allows creators to earn recurring income directly from fans. Instead of building structured courses or products, Patreon is ideal for creators who publish content consistently and want to monetize access to exclusive content.
With Patreon, you can:
- Offer different membership levels
- Share posts, audio, video, and files with subscribers
- Set up community features like Discord integration
- Charge monthly or per-post
- Reward loyal fans with exclusive perks
It is especially popular with podcasters, writers, artists, and YouTubers who have loyal audiences.
Course Creation & Content Delivery
Teachable was built with course creation in mind. You get:
- Drag-and-drop course builder
- Quizzes and certificates
- Drip scheduling
- Cohort-based learning (on higher plans)
- Downloadable resources and assignments
Patreon is not designed for course delivery. While you can post content, organize it into tags, and restrict access by membership level, there’s no proper course interface, progress tracking, or educational tools.
Winner: Teachable
If your goal is to build and sell courses, Teachable is the only choice between the two.
Membership & Community Tools
Both platforms support memberships, but in very different ways.
Patreon was built for memberships and allows users to create different membership levels and each level gets different benefits (exclusive posts, early access, behind-the-scenes content, etc.). It integrates easily with tools like Discord and makes building a community simple.
Teachable supports memberships too, you can sell access to a library of courses or ongoing coaching. It also has built-in community features that allow students to connect, interact and engage with instructors and other learners.
Winner: Patreon
Patreon wins when it comes to engaging with your fans regularly and creating a sense of community.
Marketing & Sales Tools
Teachable offers basic marketing tools like:
- Coupon creation
- Order bumps and upsells
- Affiliate programs
- Email marketing
Patreon does not provide any built-in sales funnels or marketing automation. You will need to promote your page using external tools if you want to do so.
Winner: Teachable
Teachable gives you more bontrol over how you promote and sell your offerings.
Pricing & Fees
Teachable Pricing (Monthly Plans)
- Free Plan: $1 + 10% transaction fee
- Starter: $39/month (7.5% transaction fee)
- Builder: $89/month (no transaction fee)
- Growth: $189/month (no transaction fee)
- Advanced: $399/month (no transaction fee)
There are discounts on annual pricing plans and standard payment processor fees apply.
Patreon Pricing
Patreon is free to start, but charges transaction fees that vary depending on your plan:
- Lite: 5% of income
- Pro: 8%
- Premium: 12%
This may look cheaper at first but with time, the percentage fees add up and can become way more expensive than fixed pricing fees like that of Teachable. Standard payment processing fees also apply.
Winner: Patreon
Patreon is free to start, which is great for beginners but the percentage fees add up fast. It is still a better than Teachable in terms of pricing because Teachable charges transaction fees on the free and lowest plan in addition to the fixed price.
Website & Branding
Teachable gives you your own customizable website. You can set up a homepage, sales pages, checkout pages, and course portals all under your own domain if you wish.
Patreon gives you a profile page that looks the same as every other creator’s. You can add some images, but customization is extremely limited.
Winner: Teachable
If branding matters to you, Teachable gives you far more control.
User Experience & Ease of Use
Patreon is very easy to set up. You can create your first membership and start sharing content in minutes. It is designed for simplicity.
Teachable has more features and flexibility, so it is a bit harder to fully understand. But the interface is user-friendly and there are tutorials to guide you through.
Winner: Patreon
Customer Support
Teachable provides:
- Email support
- Live chat
- Help center and webinars
Patreon provides:
- Email-only support
- A help center
- Occasional webinars
Winner: Teachable
Faster and more direct support channels make Teachable a safer choice for long-term businesses.
Pros & Cons
Teachable Pros
- Built for online learning
- Supports one-time payments, subscriptions, and bundles
- Professional checkout and branding options
- Good learning experience for students
- Offers affiliate tools and upsells
Teachable Cons
- Monthly subscription cost
- Transaction fees on free and lowest plan
- Limited email marketing on lower plans
Patreon Pros
- Free to start, no monthly fees
- Built-in community and membership structure
- Simple to use
- Great for consistent content creators (e.g., artists, podcasters)
- Loyal audience leads to recurring income
Patreon Cons
- High platform fees (up to 12%)
- Not built for courses or structured learning
- Limited branding and customization
- No sales or marketing tools
Who Should Choose Teachable?
Choose Teachable if:
- You want to build and sell online courses
- You want full branding control over your website and pages
- You need built-in tools to grow and scale
Who Should Choose Patreon?
Choose Patreon if:
- You consistently create content (videos, podcasts, writing)
- You already have a loyal audience that wants to support you
- You want to start earning quickly without upfront costs
- You value simplicity over structure
Conclusion: Teachable vs Patreon, Which Is Better?
The choice of which is better depends on what you want to achieve. Teachable is better for creators who want to build, market and sell online courses. Patreon is best for creators who want to monetize exclusive content, build community, and earn through recurring memberships.
FAQs
Can I use both Patreon and Teachable?
Yes! Some creators use Patreon for their community and Teachable for selling courses or coaching.
Does Teachable support memberships like Patreon?
Yes, you can offer subscription-based access to courses or bundles.
Which one is cheaper to start with?
Both platforms are free to start but Teachable charges higher transaction fees than Patreon on the free plan.
Can I build a full website on Patreon?
No, you get a basic creator page, with limited customization options.
Do they both support mobile content access?
Yes! Both platforms are mobile-friendly, and Teachable also offers a mobile app for students.
(can change CTA here to "start free trial")
