Teachable vs Udemy: An Honest Comparison for Course Creators
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Creating and selling online courses has become one of the most popular ways to earn from your knowledge and expertise. The online education market has grown significantly over the past decade, and course creators now have more options than ever for hosting and selling their content. Two of the most well-known platforms in this space are Teachable and Udemy. Both platforms allow you to create courses, upload content, and sell to students worldwide. But despite their similar core functionality, the two platforms operate very differently, and understanding those differences is essential for making the right choice as a course creator.
I have spent the past several months actively using both platforms, creating courses, uploading content, and tracking my sales and earnings. This comparison is the result of that testing. My goal was to answer the questions that course creators most often ask: Which platform pays more? Which gives you more control? Which is easier to get started with? And most importantly, which one is worth your time? The answers, as you will see, are more nuanced than a simple either-or choice.
This article is based entirely on my personal experience using both platforms. I did not receive any payment or incentive from either company, and I have no affiliation with them. My approach on fortgreba has always been to test things myself and report the details, even when those details challenge popular assumptions. I have written extensively about online earning and digital products, including articles about turning micro-work into digital products and 30 websites for microtasks, and this comparison builds on that foundation with a detailed head-to-head analysis of two major course platforms.
My Honest Take: Both Teachable and Udemy are reliable platforms for selling online courses, but they serve different purposes. Teachable gives you full control over your course, pricing, and student relationships, making it better for building a long-term course business. Udemy provides access to a massive marketplace of existing students, making it easier to get your first sales without marketing. The best choice depends on whether you want to build your own brand or leverage an existing marketplace.
Quick Overview: What Each Platform Offers
Teachable is a course creation platform that allows you to build your own branded online school. Founded in 2013, the platform gives course creators complete control over their course content, pricing, and student data. You set your own prices, manage your own marketing, and keep the majority of your revenue. Teachable charges a monthly subscription fee, with plans ranging from free to premium tiers. The platform handles the technical aspects of course delivery, including hosting, payment processing, and student management.
Udemy is an online course marketplace with millions of students already browsing and purchasing courses. Founded in 2010, Udemy allows instructors to upload courses and sell them to the platform's massive user base. The tradeoff is that Udemy controls pricing through frequent discounts and promotions, and instructors receive a smaller percentage of each sale. There is no upfront cost to create a course on Udemy, but the revenue share model means you earn less per sale. The platform handles marketing, payment processing, and student acquisition.
The fundamental difference between the two platforms is control versus convenience. Teachable gives you full control over your course business but requires you to find your own students. Udemy provides access to a massive marketplace but takes a larger share of your revenue and controls your pricing. This difference affects everything from your earning potential to your marketing strategy to your relationship with students. My article about turning micro-work into digital products discusses similar tradeoffs in the digital product space.
My Course Creation Experience
Creating my course on Teachable was a more involved process. The platform gave me complete control over the course structure, allowing me to create modules, lessons, quizzes, and assignments. I could customize the look and feel of my course pages, add custom branding, and create a professional-looking school. The course builder was intuitive but required time to learn all the features. Creating my course content, including video recordings, written lessons, and supplementary materials, took about around three weeks of consistent effort.
Creating my course on Udemy was more structured but less flexible. The platform has specific requirements for course format, including minimum video length, lesson structure, and content quality standards. The course creation process was guided, with clear steps for uploading videos, adding descriptions, and creating course materials. The platform also provided resources and best practices for creating effective courses. Creating my course on Udemy took about around two weeks, slightly faster than Teachable because of the structured process.
The difference in course creation reflected the platforms' overall philosophies. Teachable prioritized flexibility and customization, allowing me to create the course I wanted. Udemy prioritized structure and quality standards, ensuring that courses met specific requirements. For course creators who value creative freedom, Teachable is more appealing. For course creators who want guidance and structure, Udemy is easier to navigate. My article about 30 websites for microtasks discusses how platform structure affects the creator experience.
The biggest difference between Teachable and Udemy is how they handle marketing. On Teachable, you are responsible for finding your own students. On Udemy, the platform brings students to you. This single difference shapes everything else about the course creation experience, from pricing strategy to revenue share to long-term business building.
My Sales and Earnings Comparison: Honest Numbers
Four-Month Sales and Earnings Comparison:
Teachable:
- Course price: around $49
- Students enrolled: around 7
- Total revenue: around $343
- Platform fees: $0 (on free plan, payment processing only)
- Net earnings: approximately $325
- Marketing effort: Notable (social media, email list)
Udemy:
- Course price: around $49 (often discounted to around $12.99)
- Students enrolled: around 23
- Total revenue: around $298
- Platform commission: approximately 63%
- Net earnings: approximately $110
- Marketing effort: Limited (platform handles discovery)
These numbers reveal an interesting pattern. My Udemy course attracted more students, with around twenty-three enrollments compared to around seven on Teachable. This reflects Udemy's marketplace advantage: students were already browsing the platform and found my course through search. However, my net earnings were notably higher on Teachable because I kept almost all of the revenue. On Udemy, the platform took around a sixty-three percent commission, which drastically reduced my earnings despite the higher enrollment numbers.
What the numbers do not show is the difference in marketing effort. On Teachable, I spent notable time promoting my course through social media, email marketing, and content creation. The around seven students I attracted came from my own marketing efforts. On Udemy, I did almost no marketing because the platform handled student discovery. The around twenty-three students who enrolled found my course through Udemy's search and recommendation algorithms. This difference in marketing effort is the key tradeoff between the two platforms.
The pricing dynamics are also important. On Teachable, my course sold consistently at around forty-nine dollars because I controlled the pricing. On Udemy, my course was frequently discounted to around twelve dollars and ninety-nine cents as part of Udemy's promotional strategy. This meant I earned less per sale on Udemy, even before the platform commission. The frequent discounts are a source of frustration for many Udemy instructors, as they undermine the perceived value of courses.
Side-by-Side Platform Comparison
This comparison makes the differences between the two platforms clear. Teachable offers more control and higher revenue share but requires you to handle marketing. Udemy provides access to a marketplace but takes a larger commission and controls pricing. The right choice depends on whether you want to build a longer-term course business or leverage an existing marketplace for faster initial sales.
Pros and Cons Summary
Teachable Pros
- Full control over pricing and branding
- Higher revenue share (around 95%+ on paid plans)
- Own your student data and relationships
- Custom branded school
- No platform-imposed discounts
- Build longer-term business assets
- Flexible course structure
Teachable Cons
- Responsible for your own marketing
- Monthly subscription fee on paid plans
- Slower initial sales without traffic
- Requires building an audience
- Steeper learning curve
- No built-in student marketplace
Udemy Pros
- Massive built-in marketplace of students
- No upfront costs
- Platform handles marketing and discovery
- Structured course creation process
- Faster initial sales potential
- No need to build your own audience
- Quality standards guide course creation
Udemy Cons
- Lower revenue share (typically around 37%)
- Platform controls pricing and discounts
- No ownership of student data
- Limited branding control
- Frequent discounts reduce earnings
- Competition from other instructors
Who Should Choose Which Platform?
Choose Teachable if you want to build a longer-term course business and are willing to invest in marketing. Teachable is better for course creators who have an existing audience or are willing to build one through content marketing, social media, and email lists. The higher revenue share and full control over pricing make it more lucrative in the long run. If you want to build a brand and own your student relationships, Teachable is the better choice. My article about turning micro-work into digital products discusses the importance of building your own audience.
Choose Udemy if you want to test the waters of course creation without investing in marketing. Udemy is better for beginners who want to see if their course content resonates with students before building their own platform. The built-in marketplace provides immediate access to potential students, and the no-upfront-cost model makes it easy to get started. If you are a first-time course creator who wants to learn the ropes, Udemy is an excellent starting point. The lower revenue share is a tradeoff for the platform's marketing power.
Final Verdict: Which Platform Is Better?
Final Verdict
Both platforms have their place in a course creator's strategy. Teachable offers more control and higher revenue share, making it better for building a longer-term course business. Udemy provides access to a massive marketplace, making it easier to get your first sales without marketing. My recommendation is to use both platforms strategically: start with Udemy to test your course content and build a track record, then transition to Teachable to build your own brand and maximize your revenue. This approach allows you to leverage Udemy's marketplace for initial validation while building a longer-term asset on Teachable. For more ideas on building additional income streams, check out my guide to 30 websites for microtasks.
Individual Results Note: Every course creator's experience is different. The numbers, timelines, and outcomes mentioned in this article reflect my own personal experience and should not be taken as a promise of similar results. Your experience will depend on your course content, your topic, the platforms you choose, and how consistently you promote your work. Treat the figures here as one data point, not a guarantee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which platform pays more: Teachable or Udemy?
Teachable pays more per sale because you keep the majority of the revenue. In my testing, I kept approximately around ninety-five percent of revenue on Teachable compared to around thirty-seven percent on Udemy. However, Udemy produced more total sales because of its built-in marketplace. My net earnings were notably higher on Teachable despite fewer students because of the higher revenue share.
Can I sell my course on both Teachable and Udemy?
Yes, you can sell your course on both platforms simultaneously. Many course creators use Udemy for marketplace exposure and Teachable for building their own brand. However, if you sell on Udemy, you typically cannot offer your course at a lower price on your own platform due to Udemy's pricing policies. Be sure to review the terms of each platform before deciding on your pricing strategy.
Which platform is better for beginners?
Udemy is better for complete beginners because of the no-upfront-cost model and built-in marketplace. You can create a course and start getting sales without any marketing experience. Teachable requires building your own audience, which is challenging for beginners. Many course creators start with Udemy to learn the ropes and transition to Teachable once they have built a following.
How much does it cost to create a course on each platform?
Udemy is free to use, with no upfront costs. The platform takes a commission on each sale instead. Teachable offers a free plan with limited features and paid plans starting at around thirty-nine dollars per month. The paid plans include features like custom branding, course certificates, and email marketing integrations. The right choice depends on your budget and the features you need.
How do Teachable and Udemy pay course creators?
Which platform gives me more control over my course?
Teachable gives you significantly more control over your course. You control pricing, branding, course structure, and student data. Udemy controls pricing through discounts, limits branding customization, and owns student data. If maintaining control over your course business is important to you, Teachable is the better choice.
How long does it take to create a course?
The timeline varies based on course length and complexity. In my testing, creating a course on Teachable took about around three weeks, while Udemy took about around two weeks due to its structured process. A short course with a few hours of content can be created in around one to two weeks. A comprehensive course with extensive content can take months. The key is planning your content carefully before starting.
Do I need to be an expert to create a course?
You do not need to be a world-renowned expert, but you need genuine knowledge and experience in your topic. Students expect courses to provide practical value, so you should be able to teach something that helps them achieve a specific outcome. If you have skills or knowledge that others want to learn, you can create a course. The key is being honest about your expertise and creating content that genuinely helps your students.
Disclaimer
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