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Software · head to head

Open edX vs Teachable

Open edX logo

Open edX

Software

Open-source platform powering online learning

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Teachable logo

Teachable

Software

Create and sell courses online

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Open edX has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Open edX open edX has no licensing fee as open source software, but the vendor's own site states that hosting and infrastructure costs are the operator's responsibility, so there is no bundled managed-hosting price to compare against SaaS competitors.; Teachable starter plan charges 7.5% transaction fee, significantly higher than other plans
  • They diverge on capability: Open edX covers Course authoring, Teachable covers Course builder.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Open edX and Teachable actually diverge.

Attributes where Open edX and Teachable differ
AttributeOpen edXTeachable
Starting priceFree$29/month
Pricing modelfreeUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidWeb
Founded20122014

Identical on both: 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 Open edX

  • Course authoring
  • Interactive videos
  • Assessments
  • Discussions
  • Mobile apps
  • xBlocks
  • LTI tools
  • SSO

Only in Teachable

  • Course builder
  • Quizzes
  • Coaching products
  • Payment processing
  • Affiliate marketing
  • Email marketing
  • Zapier
  • ConvertKit

Both cover

  • Certificates
  • Analytics
  • Web support
  • IOS support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Open edX

  • MOOC creationnot Teachable
  • Corporate trainingnot Teachable
  • Blended learningnot Teachable
  • Degree programsnot Teachable

Teachable

  • Course creationnot Open edX
  • Coaching servicesnot Open edX
  • Digital productsnot Open edX
  • Membership sitesnot Open edX

Where each one falls short

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

Open edX

  • Open edX has no licensing fee as open source software, but the vendor's own site states that hosting and infrastructure costs are the operator's responsibility, so there is no bundled managed-hosting price to compare against SaaS competitors.

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

Open edX

Free
  • Self-HostedFree
    • Full platform
    • Community support
    • All features
  • Managed Hosting$undefined/month
    • Hosted solution
    • Support
    • Maintenance

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 Open edX if

  • You need course authoring.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want interactive videos.
Open edX review

Choose Teachable if

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

Questions people ask

Is Open edX or Teachable better?
Neither clearly leads. Open edX 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, Open edX or Teachable?
Open edX has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Open edX and $29/month for Teachable.
Does Open edX or Teachable run on more platforms?
Open edX runs on Web, IOS, Android. Teachable runs on Web.
Can I use Open edX for free?
Yes. Open edX has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Teachable starts at $29/month.
What is Open edX best used for?
Open edX is most often used for mooc creation, corporate training, blended learning, degree programs. Of those, mooc creation and corporate training are not what Teachable is typically brought in for.
What can Open edX do that Teachable cannot?
Open edX covers Course authoring, Interactive videos, Assessments, Discussions. Teachable covers Course builder, Quizzes, Coaching products, Payment processing. Both handle Certificates, Analytics, Web support, IOS support.

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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