Teachable and Udemy are both popular names in the world of online learning but they serve creators in very different ways. Picking the right one for your course business depends on your goals, how much control you want, and whether you are willing to do your own marketing.
In this article, you will see the differences between Teachable and Udemy based on real experience using both platforms. Whether you're a new course creator or an experienced digital entrepreneur, this article will help you figure out which platform makes the most sense for you.
Quick Overview
Teachable
Teachable is best for creators who want control over their brand, pricing, and customer relationships. It gives you the tools to build your own online school and market your courses the way you see fit. But that freedom comes with added responsibility, you'll need to bring your own audience and handle your own marketing.
Udemy
Udemy is a marketplace for course creators. You upload a course, and they handle the marketing and student acquisition. The disadvantage is that you have very little control over pricing or branding, and your share of revenue is way lower than on Teachable.
Comparison Table
Ease of Use
Udemy is easier to start with, no doubt. You can launch a course in days with zero upfront costs. The course builder is easy to use, so you don’t have to think too much, just follow the steps and publish.
Teachable, on the other hand, gives you more flexibility, but it also expects more from you. You'll need to set up your own pages, branding, and marketing integrations. If you are okay putting in a bit of extra effort, the results can be worth it.
Course Creation
Creating a course on Udemy is fast and easy. You can simply upload your course videos, write some titles, add a quiz or two, and you're good to go. But the downside is that all courses on Udemy follow the same template. You cannot create a unique experience for your learners, and interactive features are very limited.
Teachable allows you to do more with your content. You can drip lessons over time, embed third-party tools, add your own domain, customize your course player, and set up advanced course structures. It takes more time to set up fully, but the customization options are a big plus, especially if you are planning to sell higher-priced courses.
Pricing
Pricing is where Udemy and Teachable are very different.
Udemy is free to start and does not charge a monthly subscription fee but it operates on a marketplace model. That means that they control your pricing and run constant discounts. For example, your $99 course can be sold for as low as $10–$15, and you’ll get around 25% to 50% of that amount depending on how the student found your course. Earning a good amount of money on Udemy usually means that you have to sell to thousands of students because of super low discount prices.
Teachable operates a subscription model which means you will be charged a monthly subscription fee but you have full control over your course pricing. You set your course prices and keep all of the revenue except on the free and lowest pricing plan that have 10% and 7.5% transaction fees respectively.
The only other fees you’ll pay are the payment processor fees per transaction that can range from 3% - 5% and are applicable to all pricing plans. Teachable has a free plan with basic features and paid pricing plans start at $39 per month and go up to $399 per month.
If you want to build a proper online training business and keep your revenue, Teachable is a better option but if you do not have the resources or skills to get customers for your course(s), Udemy is a good option to test the waters with.
Marketing & Sales
Udemy is one of the biggest course marketplaces in the world with almost 80 million learners so it is hard to beat when it comes to organic reach. They do the heavy lifting for you by sending traffic to your course. The disadvantage is that you do not have any form of control; you're not allowed to collect student emails, and promoting your website in the course is against Udemy’s rules.
Teachable does not give you any customers but it provides marketing and sales tools that you can use to get customers. You can build an email list, run marketing promotions, set up affiliate marketing, and track user behavior with integrations. This added difficulty has the advantage of giving you control over your email list for future remarketing to users, promoting other courses in a course and many more things you can do to maximize the lifetime value of your customers.
Student Experience
The student experience on Udemy is consistent and mobile-friendly. Every course follows the same layout, which keeps things simple but also basic. The mobile app works well, and students can leave reviews, ask questions, and download videos for offline viewing.
With Teachable, you can build a custom student journey. You can create certificates, use detailed progress tracking, and even connect community tools like Circle or Facebook Groups. If you are planning to offer coaching, group learning, or premium bundles, Teachable makes it easy.
Community Building
Udemy’s community features are quite limited. Students can ask questions under each video, and there’s a public review system but that’s about it. It works, but it is very basic.
Teachable gives you more options for building communities. You can build your own community around your course, whether that’s a forum, chat group, or private membership space. It is a better option for creators who want to go beyond one-time sales and build an engaged learning space.
Analytics & Insights
If you are data-driven, Teachable gives you deeper insights into your students. You can see who is dropping off, how different marketing channels are performing, and what lessons are most engaging. This allows you to modify your course for better retention and conversions.
Udemy’s analytics are focused more on platform performance. You can track traffic sources, ratings, and sales, but you will not get much insight into student behavior or engagement within your course.
Tech and Customization
Udemy is extremely simple from a tech perspective, what you see is what you get. You don’t have to worry about hosting, design, or setup. But you also can’t customize anything beyond the basics.
Teachable allows you to customize course layouts, embed tools, add code, and connect with your other tools. You can also build a branded school that showcases your brand identity fully.
Support & Help
Both platforms offer support, but Teachable’s support is more responsive, especially on paid plans. You get access to live chat, comprehensive tutorials, and even personalized advice if you’re on the higher plan.
Udemy has a good knowledge base and an instructor community forum, but because they have so many customers, communicating with support staff can be quite slow.
Final Verdict
So which platform is right for you? Here's the short answer:
If you already have a sizable audience on social media, email list or other channels, Teachable is a better choice because you get to keep all your earnings and you can provide a way better learner experience to your students.
But if you don’t have your own audience and you’re not a marketing or sales expert, Udemy is the best option to start with. Over time, you can build your audience and migrate to Teachable or other course platforms to keep more of your revenue.
Choose Udemy if you:
- Want to test a course idea quickly with no cost
- Don’t want to worry about traffic or marketing
- Just want to focus on content, not tech
Choose Teachable if you:
- Want full control over pricing and branding
- Want to build a long-term education business
- Want to maximize revenue per student
Whichever one of them you choose, the most important thing is to get started. Your first course doesn’t need to be perfect. What matters is that you take the first step.
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