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Software · head to head

Instapaper vs Teachable

Instapaper logo

Instapaper

Software

Save anything for reading later

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Teachable logo

Teachable

Software

Create and sell courses online

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Instapaper has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Instapaper full text search across saved articles is Premium only, at $5.99 a month or $59.99 a year; Teachable starter plan charges 7.5% transaction fee, significantly higher than other plans
  • They diverge on capability: Instapaper covers Save for later, Teachable covers Course builder.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Instapaper and Teachable actually diverge.

Attributes where Instapaper and Teachable differ
AttributeInstapaperTeachable
Starting priceFree$29/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, Kindle, E-readers (BOOX)Web
Founded20082014

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Instapaper

  • Save for later
  • Clean reading
  • Highlighting
  • Full-text search
  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support
  • Safari support

Only in Teachable

  • Course builder
  • Quizzes
  • Certificates
  • Coaching products
  • Payment processing
  • Affiliate marketing
  • Email marketing
  • Analytics

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Instapaper

  • Saving articles to read later with the clutter stripped outnot Teachable
  • Building a searchable personal archive of things worth keepingnot Teachable

Teachable

  • Course creationnot Instapaper
  • Coaching servicesnot Instapaper
  • Digital productsnot Instapaper
  • Membership sitesnot Instapaper

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Instapaper

  • Full text search across saved articles is Premium only, at $5.99 a month or $59.99 a year
  • Free accounts are limited to 5 notes a month, against unlimited on Premium
  • Text to speech, speed reading and the permanent archive are all Premium only
  • The free web experience carries advertising

Teachable

  • Starter plan charges 7.5% transaction fee, significantly higher than other plans
  • Student limits lift only at $10k+ annual sales for higher plans
  • No free tier, only 7-day trial
  • Custom plan requires sales contact with minimum $30k/year revenue

Pricing, plan by plan

Instapaper

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Instapaper review.

Teachable

$29/month
  • Starter$39/month
    • 5 products
    • 100 active students
    • 7.5% transaction fee
  • Builder$89/month
    • 10 products
    • 1000 active students
    • 0% transaction fee
  • Growth$189/month
    • 50 products
    • 5000 active students
    • 0% transaction fee
  • Custom$null/month
    • Unlimited products
    • Dedicated success manager
    • Custom pricing

Which should you pick?

Choose Instapaper if

  • You need save for later.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Kindle, E-readers (BOOX).
  • You also want clean reading.
Instapaper review

Choose Teachable if

  • You need course builder.
  • You also want quizzes.
Teachable review

Questions people ask

Is Instapaper or Teachable better?
Neither clearly leads. Instapaper starts at Free and Teachable at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Instapaper or Teachable?
Instapaper has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Instapaper and $29/month for Teachable.
Does Instapaper or Teachable run on more platforms?
Instapaper runs on Web, iOS, Android, Kindle, E-readers (BOOX). Teachable runs on Web.
Can I use Instapaper for free?
Yes. Instapaper has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Teachable starts at $29/month.
What is Instapaper best used for?
Instapaper is most often used for saving articles to read later with the clutter stripped out, building a searchable personal archive of things worth keeping. Of those, saving articles to read later with the clutter stripped out and building a searchable personal archive of things worth keeping are not what Teachable is typically brought in for.
What can Instapaper do that Teachable cannot?
Instapaper covers Save for later, Clean reading, Highlighting, Full-text search. Teachable covers Course builder, Quizzes, Certificates, Coaching products.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Teachable: Does Teachable have a free plan?

Teachable offers a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee, but no permanent free plan. The Starter plan costs $39/month (or $29/month annually).

Source
Teachable: What are the transaction fees?

Starter plan charges 7.5% transaction fee. Builder, Growth, and Advanced plans charge 0% transaction fees. Additional payment processing fees of 2.9%-4.99% plus per-transaction charges apply depending on payment method.

Source
Teachable: What integrations are available?

Teachable integrates with Zapier, Stripe, PayPal, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Google Analytics, Calendly, Zoom, and other tools via the App Hub.

Source
Teachable: How many courses can I create?

Starter plan allows 5 products, Builder allows 10, Growth allows 50, and Advanced allows 100 courses.

Source
Teachable: What is included in certificate features?

Course certificates are available starting on the Growth plan ($139/month annually). Certificates can be customized with branding and are generated automatically when students complete courses.

Source
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Related pages

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