Teachable vs Thinkific for Teachers in India: Plans, Fees and Payments Compared

Teachable and Thinkific at a glance

Sikhami wrote this comparison, and we make Sikhami, so please read it with that in mind. We checked every detail about Teachable and Thinkific on their own websites on 18 October 2026. Prices and features change, so check them again before you decide. Teachable and Thinkific are trademarks of their owners; Sikhami is not connected with them.

Neither has a free plan, but both let you try first. Teachable gives a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Thinkific gives a 30-day free trial. Each has three self-serve plans and a custom plan above them.

On the monthly price alone, Teachable's entry plan costs less. But Starter adds a 7.5% fee on every sale, and Builder removes it at $89 a month. Thinkific's prices rose by about 10% from 13 August 2026, and its help centre lists the new US dollar prices.

Over a full year, the gap is easier to see. Billed annually, Teachable Starter comes to $348 and Builder to $828 before any sale. Thinkific Basic is $475 a year, and Start is $978. Teachable says annual billing saves 22%. Thinkific's help centre calls its annual price a standard 25% discount.

Fees and payments for a teacher in India

This is where the two differ most for a teacher in India. Each has its own payment system built on Stripe. India is on neither list of supported countries.

Teachable

Teachable Payments works in 41 countries, and India is not one of them. Creators elsewhere use the Custom Payment Gateway, which connects their own Stripe Standard account. Buyers can pay by card or Stripe Link, and by PayPal for one-time purchases in US dollars. Teachable does not handle tax on this gateway. Its plan fee, 7.5% on Starter and 0% above, still applies.

Thinkific

Thinkific Payments is not offered in India either. You connect Stripe or PayPal instead. Thinkific says its third-party gateway fee is not charged where Thinkific Payments is not available. An Indian Stripe account can charge only in rupees through Thinkific's Stripe integration. PayPal takes one-time payments, in US dollars by default.

So on both, your money flows through your own Stripe or PayPal account, and they charge their own fees. Going by Thinkific's help centre, a teacher in India would pay no Thinkific fee per sale on top of the plan. On Teachable, the 7.5% fee applies on Starter, and Builder and Growth have none.

Before you pay for either, ask whether your buyers can pay by UPI. Then run one real test sale during the trial.

Course features compared

Both cover the basics of a paid course. Each row below is confirmed on that platform's own pages.

Thinkific also lists live lessons through Zoom, and a branded app as a $199 USD a month add-on. Teachable's student app page lists offline viewing and screenshot prevention.

Teachable, Thinkific and Sikhami together

If you would rather start without a monthly plan, Sikhami is a third option. On Sikhami, a teacher sells a video course through an institute, which is free to create.

Which one suits you

Teachable suits you if

• You want the lower monthly price of the two, and can accept 7.5% per sale on Starter.
• Many of your students use iPhones, or want to watch lessons offline in the app.
• You sell coaching and digital downloads next to courses, with upsells and order bumps on every plan.

Thinkific suits you if

• You teach cohorts or scheduled courses, with live lessons over Zoom.
• You want assignments and surveys alongside quizzes.
• You want no Thinkific fee per sale from the first plan, and are happy to charge in rupees through your own Stripe account.

Sikhami suits you if

• You want to start free, with no plan to pay for while you build your first course.
• Your buyers are in India and like to pay by UPI, card or net banking.
• You want learners to find your institute and courses on a social network for learners.
• You also run classroom batches and want attendance and fee receipts in the same place, through the free LMS.

For a closer look at each, read our pages on Teachable pricing and Thinkific pricing.

How to try Sikhami alongside either

1. Sign up on Sikhami, open Learning studio and choose New institute. Your own name is fine if you teach alone.
2. Fill in Details: logo, username, about section, email, phone, full address and map location. Then publish, and add your bank and tax details for payouts.
3. Under Courses, choose New course and Video course, and upload your videos on the website.
4. Add tests and set prices for 6 months, 1 year, 2 years or lifetime. Under each price, Sikhami shows what you will receive per sale on the website and in the app.
5. Publish and share the course link, while your Teachable or Thinkific trial runs.

What to test during a free trial

A trial is short, so plan it. These checks show you the real cost and the real student experience.

• Connect your payment account, then buy your own course with a real card.
• Note the currency and the payment methods your buyer sees at checkout.
• Watch a lesson on a phone, in the app and in the browser.
• Take a quiz as a student, and see how results and certificates work.
• Check how long the money takes to reach your bank, and what was deducted on the way.
• Export your student list once, so you know you can leave if you need to.
• Ask support one real question, and note how quickly and clearly they reply.

Write down what you find for each platform. Our guide on how to sell online courses helps with the steps before your first sale.

Good to know before you start

• On Sikhami, a teacher sells a video course through an institute. A teacher profile alone cannot sell one.
• Video courses are created on the website. Learners watch them on the website and in the Android app.
• Sikhami gives you no app, web address or website builder of your own.
• There is no DRM, download protection or screen-recording protection on course videos.
• Tests are multiple choice with one correct answer.
• Live classes for batches run on Google Meet or Zoom, and the batch keeps the link.
• Courses made from a YouTube playlist are always free.