Teachable vs LearnDash: Complete Comparison 2026
An in-depth comparison of features, pricing, and user experience to help you make the right choice.

Teachable
8.1(3,400 reviews)
All-in-one course platform with built-in marketing, sales pages, and affiliate tools. Plans from $59/mo with native payment processing.

LearnDash
8.0(2,100 reviews)
WordPress LMS plugin powering 100K+ course sites with drag-and-drop builder, quizzes, and certificates from $199/year.
Quick Comparison
| Aspect | Teachable | LearnDash |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | Course creators focused on maximizing revenue who need built-in marketing and sales optimization tools | Course creators who already run WordPress sites and want to add learning capabilities natively |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Starting Price | $59/mo | $199/mo |
| Deployment | cloud | self hosted |
| Platforms | WEB, IOS, ANDROID | WEB |
| Rating | 8.1/10 | 8.0/10 |
Pros & Cons
Teachable
Pros
- Best-in-class marketing tools — native affiliates, order bumps, upsells, and sales page templates drive real revenue
- Teachable Payments offers instant payouts on Pro plans with simplified tax compliance handling
- $1B+ processed in course sales proves the platform can handle scale and high transaction volumes
- Sales page builder with optimized checkout flow converts visitors at 4%+ without external landing page tools
- No technical skills required — the entire platform is managed, hosted, and updated by Teachable
Cons
- 5% transaction fee on the Basic plan ($59/mo) adds up fast — at $5K/mo in sales that is $250 in fees
- Course builder lacks interactive elements like branching scenarios, H5P, or advanced quiz types
- No SCORM or xAPI support rules it out for corporate training and regulated industry compliance
- Email marketing is basic — you still need ConvertKit, Mailchimp, or ActiveCampaign for serious campaigns
- Student community features are weaker than Thinkific or standalone platforms like Circle
LearnDash
Pros
- Best value in the LMS market at $199/year with unlimited courses and students on WordPress
- Quiz engine with 8 question types, question banks, and conditional messaging rivals standalone assessment tools
- Full WordPress ecosystem access means thousands of plugins for payments, marketing, and design
- Drip content scheduling lets you release lessons on a timeline for structured learning paths
- Active developer community with hundreds of add-ons and deep customization possibilities
Cons
- Requires WordPress — you inherit all its maintenance, security, and hosting management overhead
- No built-in video hosting — you need Vimeo, Wistia, or another service for course videos
- SCORM support requires a paid add-on ($49) and is less polished than purpose-built LMS platforms
- The default student dashboard is basic and most sites need a custom theme or builder to look professional
- No native mobile app — learners access courses through mobile browsers which is a weaker experience
Pricing Comparison
| Product | Pricing Model | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|
| Teachable | subscription | $59/mo |
| LearnDash | subscription | $199/mo |
Our Verdict
Choose Teachable if...
Course creators focused on maximizing revenue who need built-in marketing and sales optimization tools
Choose LearnDash if...
Course creators who already run WordPress sites and want to add learning capabilities natively
Still Not Sure?
Explore more alternatives or read in-depth reviews to make your decision.