The short version:
- Pick Systeme.io if you want to start free and run funnels and email beside your course.
- Pick Teachable if native student apps and its affiliate tools matter more than price.
- Pick Thinkific if you want a deeper learning platform and can use its own payment processor.
- Pick Podia if you want a clean storefront with community spaces.
Every one of these platforms changed its pricing in 2025 or 2026, so most comparisons you’ll find are out of date.
(affiliate link: free plan with 1 course, unlimited students, 0% platform fees, no card)
How This Was Compared (and My Bias)
I’m an affiliate for Systeme.io. Links labeled “affiliate link” can earn me a commission at no extra cost to you.
The comparison is built from publicly listed pricing and independent reviews, not from hands-on testing of every platform. Some figures come from third-party analyses (one written by a competing course platform), cross-checked against vendor pages where I could.
Where sources disagreed, I say so instead of picking a number. Last reviewed: October 2026.
What Changed in 2025–2026 (and Why Old Articles Are Wrong)
- Teachable retired its free plan and restructured its tiers in 2025. In September 2026 it revised how it counts and charges for certain students.
- Thinkific retired its free plan in favor of a 30-day trial. Its “0% fees” claim now depends on using Thinkific’s own payment processor.
- Podia retired its free plan in 2024, then raised prices. The entry plan is now $49/month ($42 on annual billing).
- Systeme.io still has a permanent free plan, and its Startup plan is $17/month.
Side by Side
| Systeme.io | Teachable | Thinkific | Podia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes (1 course, unlimited students) | No (7-day trial) | No (30-day trial) | No (30-day trial) |
| Entry paid plan | $17/mo (Startup) | $39/mo ($29 annual) | $54/mo ($40 annual) | $49/mo ($42 annual) |
| Fee on the entry plan | 0% | 7.5% | 0% with Thinkific Payments; 5% with your own Stripe/PayPal | 5% |
| Where fees reach 0% | Every plan | Builder ($89/mo; $69 annual) | Own-Stripe surcharge falls to 2% (Start) and 1% (Grow) | Shaker ($99/mo; $84 annual) |
| Email marketing | Built in, unlimited sends | Basic; most add a separate tool | Via integrations | Built in, capped at 100 / 500 / 1,000 subscribers by plan |
| Sales funnels | Built in (3 / 10 / 50 funnels by plan) | Limited | No | Basic |
| Your own affiliate program | Every plan | Builder and up | Limited | Shaker and up |
| Certificates | Sources conflict, so check | Reported from Growth | Reported from Start | Yes (reported) |
| Native student app | Not confirmed | Yes (iOS and Android) | Check | Check |
| Community feature | 1 community on free, more on paid plans | Check | Yes | Yes (a Podia strength) |
Cells marked “check” are ones I couldn’t verify, so confirm them on the vendor’s current plan page.
What a Year Actually Costs
Annual cost at three sales levels, using each platform’s annual-billing price and the cheapest plan that makes sense at that level. These exclude payment-processor fees (which apply everywhere) and any email or funnel tools you add.
| Monthly sales | Systeme.io | Teachable | Thinkific (Thinkific Payments) | Podia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $300 | $0 (free plan) | $618 (Starter $29 + 7.5% fee) | $480 (Basic) | $684 (Mover $42 + 5% fee) |
| $2,000 | $0, or $204 on Startup | $828 (Builder, since Starter’s fee would total $2,148) | $480 (Basic) | $1,008 (Shaker, since Mover’s fee would total $1,704) |
| $8,000 | $204–$564 (Startup or Webinar) | $828 (Builder) or $1,668 (Growth, if you need certificates) | $984 (Start) | $1,008 (Shaker) |
Two cautions. Thinkific’s figures assume you use Thinkific Payments; with your own Stripe, add the 5% / 2% / 1% surcharge. And Systeme.io’s lower bill buys you less polish in the learning area, which is the real trade-off in the cards below.
✅ Build your first course free
The Four Platforms in One Card Each
Systeme.io
- Pick it if you’re starting out, watching costs, or want funnels, email, and your own affiliate program next to the course.
- Skip it if a polished, branded learning environment is a core part of what you sell.
- Watch for: free-plan limits (1 course, 3 funnels, 2,000 contacts, 1 automation rule), plainer course design, and email-based support. Check certificates and any student app in your own account before promising them.
The official course page lists modules, drip scheduling, quizzes, bundles, and progress tracking. See our setup guide and the pricing breakdown.
Teachable
- Pick it if native iOS and Android student apps, built-in upsells, and (on Builder and up) affiliate tools matter, and you can afford $69–$139/month.
- Skip it if you want to test an idea without paying, or you plan to give away lots of free content.
- Watch for: the 7.5% fee on Starter (it costs more than upgrading to Builder once you pass roughly $533/month in sales on annual billing, or about $667 on monthly billing), certificates starting at higher tiers, and changing student and product limits. Teachable revised its usage-fee rules in September 2026, so read its current usage-fees policy before building a large free audience there.
Sources disagree on Teachable’s exact product and student limits and on whether a top “Advanced” tier still exists. Check the live pricing page.
Thinkific
- Pick it if you want a more complete learning platform (communities, assessments, deeper course features) and you’re happy to use Thinkific Payments.
- Skip it if you need to bring your own Stripe or PayPal on a low plan, or you want a free plan.
- Watch for: the surcharge when you use your own Stripe or PayPal (5% on Basic, 2% on Start, 1% on Grow), and prices that rose in 2026 (older articles still quote $49 / $99 / $199). Thinkific Payments may not be available in every country, so confirm yours.
For how a dedicated LMS compares with an all-in-one tool, see our Systeme.io vs Kajabi comparison.
Podia
- Pick it if you want a clean storefront and a pleasant community area, and you’ll start on Shaker ($99/month, or $84 annual) or higher.
- Skip it if you need real funnels, a big email list on a small plan, or a free start.
- Watch for: the 5% fee on Mover, email subscriber caps (100 on Mover, 500 on Shaker, 1,000 on Earthquaker), and PayPal and affiliate tools only from Shaker.
Related reading: Systeme.io vs Stan Store and our email platform comparison.
Pick by Situation
| If you… | Start with |
|---|---|
| Have no budget and want to test a first course | Systeme.io (free plan) |
| Sell mostly through email and funnels | Systeme.io |
| Need a native student app today | Teachable |
| Need a more complete learning platform and use Thinkific Payments | Thinkific |
| Want a storefront plus community, with revenue to cover $99+/month | Podia |
| Sell premium programs and want the most polish | See Kajabi and its alternatives |
Questions to Ask Before You Pay Anyone
- What’s the real fee with my payment processor, and does the platform’s own processor work in my country?
- What are the student and product limits today, not last year?
- Do free or imported students cost extra?
- Are certificates, quizzes, and community included on the plan I’d buy?
- How big is my email list, and what happens when I pass the cap?
- What are the cancellation, refund, and trial terms, and do I need a card to start?
- Can I export my students and content if I leave?
Switching Between Platforms
Moving a course means rebuilding it. Contacts export as a file, but lessons, quizzes, and sales pages usually need to be recreated. Plan for days or weeks, not an afternoon, and keep the old platform running until the new one is tested.
Systeme.io’s Unlimited plan includes a free migration service (see the pricing page for current terms).
🎯 Try Systeme.io free before you pay anyone
FAQ
Which is cheapest: Systeme.io, Teachable, Thinkific, or Podia?
Systeme.io, because it has a permanent free plan and its first paid plan is $17/month with 0% platform fees. The others have no free plan and start at roughly $40–$49/month on annual billing.
Does Teachable still have a free plan?
No. Teachable retired it in 2025. Its Starter plan is $39/month ($29 annual) with a 7.5% fee.
Does Thinkific charge transaction fees?
Not if you use Thinkific Payments. If you connect your own Stripe or PayPal, Thinkific adds a surcharge of 5% on Basic, 2% on Start, and 1% on Grow, according to recent sources.
Does Podia have a free plan?
No. Podia retired it in 2024 and offers a 30-day trial instead. Its Mover plan has a 5% fee, and Shaker and Earthquaker charge 0%.
Which platform has the best learning experience?
Dedicated course platforms like Thinkific and Teachable usually feel more polished for students than Systeme.io. Systeme.io trades some polish for price and for bundled funnels and email.
Does Systeme.io have certificates or a student app?
Sources conflict on certificates, and I couldn’t confirm a dedicated student app. Check both in your account before you promise them to students.
Which is best for a beginner?
Systeme.io, because you can build and test a course without paying. If native apps or a more complete learning platform are essential, Teachable or Thinkific may justify their cost.
Can I move my course from Teachable, Thinkific, or Podia to Systeme.io?
Yes, but expect to rebuild lessons and pages. Export your contacts, re-upload or re-embed videos, and recreate quizzes and sales pages.
The Bottom Line
If you’re starting out, begin where it costs nothing and move up only when you hit a real limit. If a native app, a deeper learning platform, or a storefront with community is central to your offer, one of the others may be worth its higher price, but check the current fees and limits first.
👉 Create your free Systeme.io account
Keep reading: how to create an online course, best all-in-one platforms, and the Systeme.io review.
Affiliate disclosure: links labeled “affiliate link” are affiliate links for Systeme.io. If you sign up through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and limits were checked against vendor pages and independent reviews in October 2026 and may have changed since.
