Choosing the right platform to build and sell your online course isn’t just about price. It’s about who you are as a creator, what your students need, and how much control you want over the experience. LearnWorlds and Teachable are two of the most popular names in this space, but they’re built for very different kinds of creators. If you’re trying to decide between them, you’re not alone. Thousands of course creators face this choice every month. Let’s cut through the marketing and show you exactly how they differ - down to the features that actually matter.
What You Get Out of the Box
Teachable starts simple. You sign up, upload your video, set a price, and start selling. It’s designed for people who want to get started fast - no technical skills needed. The interface is clean, almost minimalist. You can build a basic course in under an hour. That’s great if you’re testing an idea or just starting out.
LearnWorlds, on the other hand, feels like a full learning management system from day one. You get interactive quizzes with instant feedback, certificates you can customize, discussion boards, drip content, and even a built-in community space. It doesn’t just host your course - it creates a learning environment. If you’ve ever taken an online course that felt like a digital textbook with a video player, LearnWorlds is the upgrade.
Teachable’s strength is speed. LearnWorlds’ strength is depth. One lets you launch quickly. The other lets you build something that feels alive.
Pricing That Actually Makes Sense
Teachable’s pricing looks cheaper at first glance. Their basic plan starts at $39/month. But here’s the catch: they take a 5% transaction fee on every sale unless you upgrade to their $119/month Pro plan. That means if you sell a $200 course, you pay them $10 extra. If you sell 50 of those in a month? That’s $500 gone. For many creators, that fee eats into profits faster than they expect.
LearnWorlds doesn’t charge transaction fees at all. Their lowest plan is $29/month, and you keep 100% of what you earn. No hidden cuts. No surprise charges when you hit a sales milestone. That’s a huge deal if you’re serious about scaling. You know exactly what you’ll make - no guessing.
Teachable’s pricing rewards volume. LearnWorlds rewards fairness. If you’re selling under 10 courses a month, Teachable might seem fine. But if you’re growing, LearnWorlds saves you hundreds - sometimes thousands - per year.
Design and Branding Control
Teachable lets you pick a theme and change a few colors. That’s it. Your course pages look like every other Teachable course. If you’ve ever clicked on a course link and thought, “This looks like a template,” you’ve seen Teachable’s branding in action.
LearnWorlds gives you a full design studio. You can customize every element: fonts, buttons, layouts, even the loading screen. You can embed your own logo everywhere, remove all LearnWorlds branding, and create a site that looks like it was built by a professional agency. Your brand stays front and center - not buried under a generic platform look.
Think of it this way: Teachable is like renting a furnished apartment. LearnWorlds is like buying a house and redesigning the kitchen, walls, and windows yourself. If you care about how your course looks to students - and you should - LearnWorlds gives you real control.
Student Engagement Tools
Teachable has quizzes and basic assignments. That’s about it. Students watch videos, take a test, and move on. There’s little to keep them coming back.
LearnWorlds has built-in community forums, live webinars, progress tracking, and gamified learning paths. You can assign badges for completing modules, set up milestone rewards, and let students comment on each other’s work. These aren’t gimmicks. They’re tools that boost completion rates by up to 40%, according to user reports.
One creator in Edinburgh told me her course completion rate jumped from 32% to 71% after switching to LearnWorlds - mostly because students started talking to each other in the community space. That kind of engagement doesn’t happen on Teachable. It’s not built for it.
Integration and Flexibility
Teachable connects with Zapier, Mailchimp, and a few other big tools. It’s fine if you’re using the basics. But if you want to sync with a CRM, automate email sequences based on quiz scores, or connect to your existing website, you’ll hit limits.
LearnWorlds supports direct API access, custom code embedding, and integrations with HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, WordPress, and even Stripe for custom checkout flows. You can embed your entire course inside your existing website without redirecting students. That’s huge if you already have a brand, audience, or blog.
Teachable wants you to stay on its platform. LearnWorlds lets you bring your platform with you.
Mobile Experience
More than 60% of course learners use phones or tablets. Teachable’s mobile app is functional but clunky. Navigation is slow, videos buffer, and the interface feels like a scaled-down version of the desktop site.
LearnWorlds has a dedicated mobile app for students - built natively for iOS and Android. It works smoothly. Videos load fast. Quizzes sync in real time. Students can download lessons for offline viewing. It’s designed for real-world use, not just as an afterthought.
Who Should Choose Which?
If you’re just starting out and want to test a course idea with minimal upfront work - and you’re okay with giving up 5% of your sales - Teachable is fine. It’s the low-friction option. You’ll get your first sale faster.
But if you’re serious about building a lasting course business - if you care about branding, student retention, and keeping every dollar you earn - LearnWorlds is the clear choice. It costs less in the long run, gives you more control, and creates a better experience for your students.
One course creator in Glasgow switched from Teachable to LearnWorlds last year. She now sells 3x more courses. Why? “My students don’t feel like they’re on a platform. They feel like they’re in my classroom.” That’s the difference.
What You Can’t Do on Either Platform
Neither platform lets you fully white-label the student dashboard without code. LearnWorlds comes closer, but if you need absolute brand control - like a corporate training portal - you’ll still need a developer.
Neither supports multi-language course delivery out of the box. You can upload translated content, but automatic language switching isn’t built in.
Neither offers automated grading for open-ended essay questions. You’ll still need to review those manually.
These aren’t dealbreakers for most creators. But if you need any of them, you’ll need to plan for workarounds.
Final Decision: What Matters Most to You?
Ask yourself these three questions:
- Do I want to launch fast, or build something that lasts?
- Do I care more about keeping my profits, or saving time on setup?
- Do I want students to feel like they’re part of a community, or just pass a quiz?
If you answered “build something that lasts,” “keep my profits,” and “create a community,” then LearnWorlds is your platform. It’s not the cheapest on paper - but it’s the most cost-effective over time.
If you’re still testing ideas, have a small audience, or don’t mind the platform’s branding, Teachable is a solid starting point. But if you plan to grow, you’ll eventually outgrow it.
The truth? Most creators who start with Teachable end up switching to LearnWorlds within a year. Not because Teachable is bad. But because LearnWorlds lets them do more - and earn more - without fighting the platform.
Can I migrate my courses from Teachable to LearnWorlds?
Yes. LearnWorlds offers a free migration tool that imports your videos, quizzes, and student data from Teachable. You’ll need to re-upload files and reconfigure some settings, but your course structure, student progress, and payment history transfer over. Most creators complete the move in under 48 hours. You don’t lose any data.
Does LearnWorlds support memberships and subscription courses?
Absolutely. LearnWorlds lets you create unlimited membership tiers with recurring billing. You can offer monthly, quarterly, or annual access. Students can cancel anytime, and you get detailed reports on churn and retention. Teachable also supports memberships, but LearnWorlds gives you more control over access rules, content dripping, and student onboarding flows.
Is LearnWorlds harder to use than Teachable?
It has more features, so it takes a little longer to learn. But it’s not harder. LearnWorlds’ interface is intuitive - every tool is clearly labeled and grouped by function. Most users feel comfortable after 2-3 hours of exploration. Teachable is simpler at first, but its lack of advanced tools means you’ll hit walls faster. LearnWorlds gives you room to grow without needing to switch platforms.
Can I use my own domain with both platforms?
Yes. Both LearnWorlds and Teachable let you connect your custom domain. But LearnWorlds lets you fully customize the look of your site - including the login page, checkout, and student dashboard - without any platform branding. Teachable still shows its logo in the footer and on emails, even with your domain.
Which platform has better analytics?
LearnWorlds wins here. You can track quiz performance per student, see how long each learner spends on each lesson, monitor community engagement, and export detailed reports. Teachable gives you basic sales data and course completion rates - but nothing granular. If you want to improve your course based on real student behavior, LearnWorlds gives you the data you need.
Do either platforms offer built-in email marketing?
Teachable has basic email automation tied to purchases. LearnWorlds doesn’t have its own email tool, but it integrates seamlessly with ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp, and Klaviyo. This is actually better - you get more powerful tools than Teachable’s limited system. If you’re serious about email, you’ll prefer the flexibility.
What to Do Next
Try both free trials. LearnWorlds gives you 30 days with no credit card required. Teachable offers a 14-day trial. Use the same course content on both. Upload one video, create a quiz, set up a landing page, and test the student experience. Pay attention to how long it takes to build, how clean the interface feels, and whether you’d be proud to send your friends there.
Then ask yourself: Do I want to be stuck with a platform that’s good enough - or one that helps me build something great?
