Thinkific alternatives
When the features you need sit on higher tiers or add-ons.
Teachable is an easy place to launch a first course. When the 7.5% fee, product limits or lack of live teaching start to bite, these are the alternatives worth comparing. Prices checked on 25 September 2026.
| Platform | Entry price (annual billing) | Certificates | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| AcadifyLab | Flat plans, see pricing | Every plan (your own design from the second plan) | Live classes, tests and courses under your brand |
| Thinkific | $40/mo | From the Start plan ($82/mo) | Course storefront with communities and cohorts |
| LearnWorlds | $24/mo + $5 per enrollment | From Pro Trainer ($79/mo) | Interactive video and assessments |
| Kajabi | $143/mo | Check Kajabi's plan details | Creators who want email and funnels built in |
| Podia | $42/mo (5% fee on Mover) | Check Podia's plan details | Simple courses, downloads and email |
Prices from each vendor's pricing page, checked 25 September 2026, in US dollars before tax. Processing fees apply separately.
Where Teachable is built for self-paced courses, AcadifyLab is built for courses that are taught. A course can mix recorded lessons with live classes on Zoom and Google Meet, automatic attendance, tests, assignments and mock exams, and certificates are issued automatically. There is no transaction fee on any plan, plans are published openly, and higher plans publish your own branded Android and iOS apps. See online course platform.
The most direct swap. Unlimited courses on every plan, communities, and on the Start plan live cohorts with attendance, certificates, graded assignments, payment plans and memberships. See our Thinkific pricing guide.
Stronger on the learning experience: interactive video, assessments with AI, SCORM and a built-in community on every plan. Pro Trainer removes the per-enrollment fee and adds certificates. Full white-label comes on Learning Center. See our LearnWorlds pricing guide.
A bigger step up in price, but it replaces your email tool, website builder and funnel software as well as your course host, with no revenue share. Worth it if marketing is where you spend your time. See our Kajabi pricing guide.
Courses, downloads, coaching, a community, a website and email in one simpler product. Mover charges a 5% fee; Shaker ($84 a month billed yearly) removes it.
| If your main reason for leaving Teachable is… | Look first at |
|---|---|
| The 7.5% Starter fee, but you only sell self-paced courses | Teachable Builder, or Thinkific Basic |
| You need live classes, batches and tests | AcadifyLab |
| You need email marketing and funnels in the same tool | Kajabi |
| You want interactive video and SCORM | LearnWorlds |
| You want the simplest all-in-one for a small catalogue | Podia |
If the fee is your only problem, staying on Teachable and moving up to Builder may be the least disruptive fix.
Our LMS migration checklist covers each step.
When the features you need sit on higher tiers or add-ons.
When enrollment fees, learner limits or the app add-on add up.
When you need live teaching, tests or bigger email lists.
For self-paced courses, Thinkific is the closest like-for-like switch. If you teach live classes and run tests, AcadifyLab is built for that. If marketing tools matter most, Kajabi bundles them in.
Yes. AcadifyLab charges no transaction fee on any plan, and Thinkific charges no platform fee on sales. Payment processing fees still apply.
AcadifyLab issues completion certificates on every plan. Thinkific includes them from its Start plan, and LearnWorlds from Pro Trainer.
The content and student list move easily. The work is rebuilding pricing, bundles and coupons, and redirecting students to the new login. Plan it for a quiet period between cohorts.
For unlimited courses, live cohorts and B2B selling, Thinkific has the edge. For the lowest entry price and student apps on every plan, Teachable does. Our Thinkific vs Teachable comparison sets the plans side by side.
Go live with your branded LMS and mobile apps in days — not months.