Teachable vs Udemy: The Ultimate Showdown for Course Creators (2025)
Teachable vs Udemy: If you’re looking to create and sell online courses in 2025, you’ve probably considered these two leading platforms. Both Teachable and Udemy are popular choices for course creators, but they offer very different approaches to course creation and monetization.
Teachable gives you full control over pricing, branding, and course structure, while Udemy offers access to a massive marketplace with built-in traffic. But which platform is better for earning passive income and growing your online education business?
In this detailed comparison, we’ll cover:
- Key features of Teachable vs Udemy
- Pricing and commission structures
- Ease of use and course setup
- Earning potential and affiliate programs
- Our recommendation for 2025
By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly which platform is the best for course creators and how to maximize your earnings from online courses.
Why Creating and Selling Online Courses Is Profitable in 2025
The e-learning industry is projected to reach over $375 billion by 2026, driven by increasing demand for remote learning, digital skills, and professional development.
Creating and selling online courses allows you to:
- Turn your expertise into a profitable business
- Build a scalable source of passive income
- Reach a global audience without geographical limits
- Establish yourself as an authority in your field
Both Teachable and Udemy allow you to tap into this growing market, but they work very differently when it comes to control, pricing, and revenue potential.
Platform Overview: Teachable vs Udemy
What Is Teachable?
Teachable* is an all-in-one platform that allows you to create, host, and sell online courses directly to your audience. Founded in 2014, Teachable is designed for course creators who want full control over pricing, branding, and customer relationships.
Teachable lets you:
- Set your own pricing (one-time fee, subscription, or payment plan)
- Customize the look and feel of your course platform
- Manage student data and communication directly
- Integrate with payment processors like Stripe* and PayPal*
Related: ClickFunnels vs. Systeme.io: Which Platform Is Best for Passive Income?
What Is Udemy?
Udemy* is a massive online course marketplace with over 60 million students and 200,000+ courses. Unlike Teachable, Udemy focuses on volume and built-in traffic.
Udemy allows you to:
- List your course in a high-traffic marketplace
- Leverage Udemy’s audience for organic traffic and sales
- Access Udemy’s promotional tools to increase visibility
- Offer discounted pricing to increase enrollment
However, Udemy controls pricing and takes a significant cut of your revenue, a key factor to consider when choosing between Udemy and Teachable.
Features Comparison of Teachable vs Udemy
| Feature | Teachable | Udemy |
|---|---|---|
| Course Pricing | Set your own pricing | Udemy sets the pricing (frequent discounts) |
| Commission | 100% (minus payment fees) | 37%–63% depending on source of sale |
| Branding | Full control | Udemy branding |
| Audience Building | You control the list | Udemy owns the audience data |
| Upsells and Cross-Sells | Yes | No |
| Email Marketing | Yes, built-in | No, requires external tools |
| Payment Gateways | Stripe, PayPal | Udemy handles payments |
| Mobile App | Yes | Yes |
| Certification | Yes | Yes |
Key Differences:
- Teachable gives you full control over pricing, branding, and student relationships.
- Udemy provides immediate access to a large audience but takes a larger cut of your earnings.
- Teachable is better for long-term growth and Udemy is better for fast exposure.
Pricing and Commission Structure
Teachable Pricing
Teachable offers a straightforward pricing model with three main tiers:
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Commission |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 10% + $1 per transaction |
| Basic | $39/month | 5% per sale |
| Pro | $119/month | 0% per sale |
| Business | $299/month | 0% per sale + advanced features |
Best Value: The Pro Plan is ideal for most course creators who want to maximize profits while minimizing platform fees.
Udemy Commission Structure
Udemy operates on a commission-based model:
| Sale Type | Commission Rate |
|---|---|
| Direct Sale (through your link) | 97% to creator (minus fees) |
| Organic Sale (through Udemy) | 37% to creator |
| Promotional Sale (Udemy promotion) | 25% to creator |
Best Value: Udemy is better for creators who don’t want to manage marketing and traffic generation.
Ease of Use
- Teachable: Simple drag-and-drop builder with customizable course pages
- Udemy: Structured course builder with pre-set guidelines and templates
Teachable gives you more creative control.
Udemy is faster to launch, but you have less flexibility.
Affiliate Potential
Teachable Affiliate Program:
- Up to 30% recurring commissions
- Direct payment from Teachable
- Unlimited earning potential
Udemy Affiliate Program:
- Up to 20% commission
- Payments handled by Udemy
- Limited earning potential due to discounting model
Use Cases
| Use Case | Best Platform |
|---|---|
| Building a long-term brand | Teachable |
| Fast exposure and quick sales | Udemy |
| High-ticket courses | Teachable |
| Skill-based, low-cost courses | Udemy |
| Email list building and upsells | Teachable |
Results: Our Experience with Teachable vs Udemy
After testing both platforms, we found that:
- Teachable generated higher profit margins (35% more than Udemy)
- Udemy provided higher volume of students but lower revenue per student
- Teachable allowed for more effective upselling and cross-selling
- Udemy was faster to generate initial sales due to built-in traffic
Conclusion: Which Platform Is Best for Course Creators?
If you want to build a long-term business and have full control over your pricing and branding, Teachable* is the better choice.
If you prefer fast exposure and don’t mind giving up a portion of your earnings, Udemy* is a solid option for getting started.
Ready to start earning? Try Teachable* today and start building your course empire!
*InfiniFocus is reader-supported. When you purchase or sign up through links on our site, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more in our Affiliate Disclosure.