Teachable vs LearnDash 2026: Hosted Platform or WordPress Plugin?
Quick verdict: Teachable is our overall pick for Teachable vs LearnDash.
Teachable (3.9/5) wins on ease — a hosted platform with native mobile apps — while LearnDash (3.8/5) wins on cost at volume with a $259/yr license and unlimited learners.
| Tool | Rating | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teachable Best overall | 3.9/5 | $39/mo (monthly, Starter) | Teachable is a course-first platform for selling self-paced courses, coaching and digital … |
| LearnDash Best for teams | 3.8/5 | $259/yr (Essentials, about $21.58/mo) | LearnDash is the WordPress LMS plugin: a one-time annual license you install on your own s… |
Bottom line: Teachable (3.9/5) for the hosted, hands-off route — course builder, payments and native iOS/Android apps on a SaaS bill from $39/mo, with no server to run. LearnDash (3.8/5) for the cost floor at volume: a $259/yr Essentials license (about $21.58/mo) with unlimited courses and learners and no per-sale fee, on your own WordPress site plus roughly $10-20/mo of hosting. Pick Teachable when operations are the enemy; pick LearnDash when you already live on WordPress, want to own the domain and the data, and sell at a volume where the SaaS bills start to bite.
Pricing and details
Teachable · 3.9/5
7-day free trial · $39/mo (monthly, Starter)
Teachable bills by published-product count: 1 product on Starter, 5 on Builder, 25 on Growth, 100 on Advanced. Starter charges a 7.5% transaction fee on every sale; Builder and above carry 0% fees. There is no standing free plan — entry is the 7-day trial, and annual billing saves about 22-33% per tier.
Starter $29/mo · Builder $69/mo · Growth $139/mo · Advanced $309/mo (annual)
Teachable is a course-first platform for selling self-paced courses, coaching and digital products with native iOS and Android student apps. It bills by product count, not by seat, and its entry tier carries a 7.5% transaction fee that drops to 0% at the Builder tier.
Score breakdown
Pros
- Course-first builder: drag-and-drop lessons, quizzes, certificates, drip and coaching in one flow
- Native iOS and Android student apps on every paid tier — mobile delivery without a third party
- 0% transaction fees on Builder, Growth and Advanced tiers
- AI creation tools plus free subtitles/translations and unlimited integrations
Cons
- 7.5% transaction fee on the $39/mo Starter tier — real volume sellers should start at Builder
- No standing free plan; entry is the 7-day trial
- Community and collaboration tooling is thinner than Kajabi's all-in-one suite
Pricing verified 2026-09-19
LearnDash · 3.8/5
48-hour live demo (no card) · $259/yr (Essentials, about $21.58/mo)
LearnDash is a plugin, not a SaaS: you pay a yearly license (Essentials $259, Pro $399, Elite $599) on top of your own WordPress hosting (roughly $10-20/mo). Every plan includes unlimited courses and learners and no per-sale fee. Since the Liquid Web acquisition, new customers buy the bundled Essentials/Pro/Elite plans; legacy 1-site/10-site/unlimited licenses are grandfathered. MemberDash memberships are bundled into every tier.
Essentials $259/yr · Pro $399/yr · Elite $599/yr (annual, Liquid Web bundled plans)
LearnDash is the WordPress LMS plugin: a one-time annual license you install on your own site, with unlimited courses and learners on every tier. It bills by license (Essentials / Pro / Elite per year), takes no cut of your sales, and is the only cluster member priced annually-only.
Score breakdown
Pros
- Cheapest true cost at volume: $259/yr Essentials with unlimited courses and learners, no transaction fees
- Owns your data and domain — the WordPress stack stays yours, no platform lock-in
- Pro adds AI course/quiz builders, weighted grading, report cards and cohort groups; Elite adds multi-instructor front-end creation
- MemberDash memberships bundled into every tier since the Liquid Web acquisition
Cons
- Self-hosted: hosting (roughly $10-20/mo), security and WordPress maintenance are on you
- Annual-license-only pricing — no monthly option, and the $199 entry price quoted across Google is retired
- No native mobile apps; front-end experience depends on themes and add-ons
Pricing verified 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Which is better overall, Teachable or LearnDash?
Teachable is our overall pick (3.9/5 vs 3.8/5). Teachable (3.9/5) wins on ease — a hosted platform with native mobile apps — while LearnDash (3.8/5) wins on cost at volume with a $259/yr license and unlimited learners.
Do Teachable and LearnDash offer free plans?
Neither advertises a free plan; check current trial terms before committing.
What does Teachable cost?
$39/mo (monthly, Starter) — Teachable bills by published-product count: 1 product on Starter, 5 on Builder, 25 on Growth, 100 on Advanced. Starter charges a 7.5% transaction fee on every sale; Builder and above carry 0% fees. There is no standing free plan — entry is the 7-day trial, and annual billing saves about 22-33% per tier. Prices were last verified on 2026-09-19.