Skillshare vs Teachable (2026): Which Pays Better?

Both are popular course & cohort platforms. Here is how Skillshare and Teachable stack up on requirements, what you keep, payout terms, strengths and weaknesses, and which one we would pick.

Skillshare

Subscription learning platform paying teachers from a royalty pool by minutes watched plus referral bonuses.

6.3 /10

Pricing: Free

Pros

Passive royalties on creative and business classes
Referral bonuses for bringing members

Cons

Royalty rates are small and opaque
Creative topics only really work

Visit Skillshare ↗

Teachable

Course, coaching and digital product platform with checkout, drip and affiliates; plans from $39/mo, no free tier since 2025.

8.2 /10

Pricing: Paid from $39/mo

Pros

Built-in affiliate program, tax handling (VAT/US sales tax) and support for coaching, bundles and certificates
Daily payouts via Teachable Payments

Cons

No free plan since the 2025 pricing overhaul — entry price is $29-39/mo
7.5% transaction fee on the entry Starter plan; design flexibility is limited

Visit Teachable ↗

Skillshare vs Teachable at a glance

	Skillshare	Teachable
Editor score	6.3 / 10	8.2 / 10
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starting price	Free	$39/mo
Web rank	#11k	#6.9k
Minimum traffic	None	None
Revenue share / fee	Royalty pool share by minutes watched; referral bonuses	7.5% transaction fee on the Starter plan ($39/mo); 0% transaction fee on Builder ($89/mo) and Growth ($189/mo) plans, plus standard card processing fees
Commission	–	–
Payout	Monthly (16th)	Daily payouts via Teachable Payments; monthly via the alternative payment gateway
Methods served	online courses	online courses, memberships subscriptions, digital products, coaching services
Niches accepted	General, Tech & SaaS	General, Tech & SaaS, Finance & Insurance, Health & Supplements, Gaming & Esports, E-commerce & Retail
Reader upvotes	0	0
Best for	classes, royalties, creative	courses, coaching, affiliates

Our pick

Teachable edges it with a score of 8.2 versus 6.3. Teachable is the better fit if you value: built-in affiliate program, tax handling (vat/us sales tax) and support for coaching, bundles and certificates, daily payouts via teachable payments. Choose Skillshare instead if you need: passive royalties on creative and business classes, referral bonuses for bringing members.