Teachable vs Udemy (2026): Which Pays Better?

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

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 ↗

Udemy

Course marketplace with 70+ million learners; instructors keep 37% on marketplace sales and 97% on their own referrals.

6.8 /10

Pricing: Free

Pros

Buyers come to you; no marketing needed to make first sales
Free to publish

Cons

Marketplace sets deep discounts and keeps 63%
No access to student emails; hard to build a business on

Visit Udemy ↗

Teachable vs Udemy at a glance

	Teachable	Udemy
Editor score	8.2 / 10	6.8 / 10
Pricing model	Paid	Free
Starting price	$39/mo	Free
Web rank	#6.9k	#1.9k
Minimum traffic	None	None
Revenue share / fee	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	Instructors keep 37% of marketplace sales, 97% of sales from their own coupon links
Commission	–	–
Payout	Daily payouts via Teachable Payments; monthly via the alternative payment gateway	Monthly (paid on the 6th for the prior month)
Methods served	online courses, memberships subscriptions, digital products, coaching services	online courses
Niches accepted	General, Tech & SaaS, Finance & Insurance, Health & Supplements, Gaming & Esports, E-commerce & Retail	General, Tech & SaaS, Finance & Insurance, Health & Supplements, Gaming & Esports, E-commerce & Retail
Reader upvotes	0	0
Best for	courses, coaching, affiliates	course marketplace, udemy, learners

Our pick

Teachable edges it with a score of 8.2 versus 6.8. 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 Udemy instead if you need: buyers come to you; no marketing needed to make first sales, free to publish.