Teachable is a platform that helps creators share their knowledge and get paid on their terms. It allows users to create and sell online courses, coaching sessions, digital downloads, and memberships. This article will explore Teachable's features and offer alternatives for creators looking for course solutions.
What is Teachable ?
Teachable is a platform designed for creators, educators, and entrepreneurs to monetize their knowledge. It offers unique features such as integrated payment solutions, advanced analytics, and no-code site-building tools. Additionally, Teachable provides a mobile app for students, built-in AI tools, and customizable student experiences. The platform supports different verticals, including marketing, health, and personal development, helping creators generate additional revenue through various learning products.
What to Consider When Selecting a Teachable Alternative?
- Course Creation Tools: Look for platforms that offer intuitive and customizable course creation tools. This ensures you can design engaging and professional courses without needing advanced technical skills.
- Marketing and Sales Features: Effective marketing and sales tools are crucial. Features like email marketing, sales funnels, and landing pages can help you attract and convert students efficiently.
- Payment Processing: Ensure the platform supports secure and efficient payment processing. Multiple currency support and fast checkout options can enhance the user experience and expand your reach.
- Customization Options: The ability to customize your site and courses to match your brand is essential. Look for platforms that offer flexible templates and design tools.
- Support and Community: Robust customer support and an active community can be invaluable, especially when you're starting out. Look for platforms that offer extensive support resources and a community of creators.
Best Alternatives to Teachable
1. Beacons
Beacons is an all-in-one creator platform that empowers over 5 million creators, including Green Day, Sia, Jeremy Lin, and Jack in the Box, to manage their digital presence. With Beacons, creators can sell in their store, send emails to fans, and score brand deals—all in one place. The platform offers a full stack of tools to help creators build their audience and even create and sell courses through their mainCategoryLink.
Pros of Using Beacons
Beacons offers several advantages for creators looking to streamline their digital presence and maximize their revenue. Here are three key benefits:
- Cost Savings: Beacons is price competitive and offers a free tier, making it accessible for creators at all stages. This allows you to start building your online presence without a significant upfront investment.
- Data Syncing: The platform automatically syncs data across its tools, providing better insights and saving you time. This seamless integration helps you make informed decisions and manage your operations more efficiently.
- Comprehensive Toolset: Beacons provides a full stack of tools, from email marketing to brand deals, all in one place. This all-in-one approach simplifies your workflow and helps you focus on creating content and engaging with your audience.
Pricing
Beacons offers a range of pricing packages to suit different needs and budgets. Here are the available plans:
- Free Plan: $0 (Free forever)
- Creator Pro: $8.33 per month (billed annually) or $10 per month (billed monthly)
- Store Pro: $25 per month (billed annually) or $30 per month (billed monthly)
- Business Pro: $75 per month (billed annually) or $90 per month (billed monthly)
Reviews
Beacons has received an impressive overall rating of 4.9 out of 5 based on 16 reviews on Product Hunt. Users praise the platform for its ease of use, comprehensive features, and usefulness for creators at all stages. Many highlight the value of its free and paid tools, which grow with the user's needs.
Who Should Use Beacons?
Beacons targets creators and businesses looking to centralize their digital operations, offering a suite of tools far beyond just course creation. Musicians, influencers, and entrepreneurs can all benefit from Beacons' comprehensive features, including email marketing, brand deals, and a customizable store.
2. Kajabi
Kajabi is a platform that provides tools for creating and selling online courses. It includes customizable templates and design tools to help users transform their knowledge into marketable courses.
Pros of Using Kajabi
Custom Branded Mobile App: Kajabi offers a mobile app that can be fully customized to match your brand, giving your audience a seamless and professional experience on the go.
Comprehensive Analytics: With detailed analytics, Kajabi helps you understand your business performance, track user engagement, and make data-driven decisions to grow your audience and revenue.
Diverse Product Offerings: Kajabi supports a wide range of digital products, including online courses, coaching, communities, newsletters, memberships, and podcasts, allowing you to diversify your income streams and reach a broader audience.
Cons of Using Kajabi
- High Pricing: One of the most common complaints about Kajabi is its cost. Many users feel that the platform is expensive, especially for those who are not selling a high volume of eLearning products. The pricing can be a significant barrier for smaller creators or those just starting out.
- Poor Customer Support: Numerous reviews highlight dissatisfaction with Kajabi's customer support. Users have reported issues with the support team's responsiveness and effectiveness, which can be frustrating when dealing with technical problems or needing assistance.
- Frequent Bugs: Another major drawback is the presence of bugs within the platform. Users have noted that basic features sometimes do not work consistently, leading to a reliance on customer support and detracting from the overall user experience.
Pricing
Kajabi offers a range of pricing packages to cater to different needs and budgets. Here are the available plans:
- Kickstarter: $27 per month (billed annually, 50% off for the first 6 months, then $55 per month)
- Basic: $59 per month (billed annually, 50% off for the first 6 months, then $119 per month)
- Growth: $79 per month (billed annually, 50% off for the first 6 months, then $159 per month)
- Pro: $159 per month (billed annually, 50% off for the first 6 months, then $319 per month)
Reviews
Kajabi has a rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars based on 79 reviews on G2. Generally, users appreciate its ease of use and comprehensive features but criticize its high cost and poor customer support.
3. Podia
Podia is an all-in-one platform for solo business owners to manage their website, online store, and email marketing. It allows users to sell digital products, build professional websites using templates, and integrate email marketing with their online store and website.
Podia offers tools to create and sell online courses. Users can upload their course content, and Podia handles the hosting, checkout, and delivery. The platform supports various digital products, including courses, and provides features like fast checkout, tax support, and the ability to offer memberships and upsells.
Creating a course on Podia involves a straightforward process:
- Upload Content: Users can upload videos, PDFs, and other course materials directly to the platform.
- Course Hosting: Podia hosts all course content, ensuring it is accessible to students without additional technical setup.
- Checkout Process: The platform provides a streamlined checkout process, making it easy for students to purchase courses.
- Delivery: Once purchased, course content is delivered to students through Podia's interface.
Podia also supports various digital products beyond courses:
- Digital Downloads: Sell eBooks, PDFs, and other downloadable content.
- Memberships: Offer subscription-based access to exclusive content.
- Webinars: Host live or pre-recorded webinars as part of your course offerings.
Additional features for course creators include:
- Fast Checkout: A quick and efficient checkout process to enhance user experience.
- Tax Support: Built-in tax handling to simplify financial management.
- Upsells: The ability to offer additional products or services during the checkout process.
Podia aims to simplify the process of creating and selling online courses by providing all necessary tools in one platform, making it easier for solo business owners to manage their digital products and marketing efforts.
Pros of Using Podia
Podia offers several unique features that make it a standout choice for solo business owners. Here are three key pros:
- All-in-One Platform: Podia combines website building, online store, and email marketing in one place, simplifying your workflow and saving you time.
- Diverse Product Support: Sell a variety of digital products, including courses, downloads, memberships, tickets, and coaching, all from a single platform.
- Integrated Email Marketing: Seamlessly connect newsletters and marketing emails with your online store and website, enhancing your marketing efforts and customer engagement.
Cons of Using Podia
- Limited Customization Options: Many users have expressed frustration with Podia's limited customization options, particularly when it comes to personalizing sales pages and embedding pop-ups. This can be a significant drawback for creators looking to tailor their online presence to their specific brand and audience needs.
- Inadequate Customer Support: Podia's customer support has received criticism for being unresponsive and ineffective, especially in critical situations like handling fraud disputes. This lack of reliable support can be a major issue for users who need timely assistance.
- High Charges for Advanced Features: Some advanced features, such as the ability to add custom code or embed pop-ups, are only available in higher pricing tiers. This can make Podia expensive for smaller creators or those just starting out, limiting their ability to fully utilize the platform's capabilities.
Pricing
Podia offers two main pricing packages designed to cater to different needs and budgets. Here are the available plans:
- Mover:
- Monthly: $39/month
- Yearly: $33/month (billed annually)
- Transaction Fees: 5%
- Shaker:
- Monthly: $89/month
- Yearly: $75/month (billed annually)
- Transaction Fees: None
Reviews
Podia has a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars based on 21 reviews on G2. Generally, users appreciate Podia for its ease of use, comprehensive features, and the ability to manage everything from a single platform, though some have noted limitations in customization options and occasional bugs.
Which One Should You Go With?
Each platform—Teachable, Kajabi, and Podia—offers unique features that cater to different needs and budgets. However, if you're looking to centralize your digital operations and explore an alternative for course products, we recommend Beacons. With its comprehensive toolset and competitive pricing, Beacons is an excellent choice for creators at all stages. Happy creating!