Softwr

LMS · head to head

Seesaw vs Teachable

Seesaw logo

Seesaw

LMS

Student-driven digital portfolios and family communication

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Teachable logo

Teachable

LMS

Create and sell courses online

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Seesaw has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Seesaw seesaw Starter limited to 1 active class per teacher and 35 students maximum; Teachable starter plan charges 7.5% transaction fee, significantly higher than other plans
  • They diverge on capability: Seesaw covers Digital portfolios, Teachable covers Course builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Seesaw and Teachable actually diverge.

Attributes where Seesaw and Teachable differ
AttributeSeesawTeachable
Starting priceFree$29/month
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, IOS, Android, ChromebookWeb
Founded20132014

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (LMS).

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 Seesaw

  • Digital portfolios
  • Creative tools
  • Family messaging
  • Activity library
  • Assessment
  • Translation
  • Multimodal responses
  • Mobile apps

Only in Teachable

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

Both cover

  • Web support
  • IOS support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Seesaw

  • Student portfoliosnot Teachable
  • Family communicationnot Teachable
  • Formative assessmentnot Teachable
  • Student voicenot Teachable

Teachable

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

Where each one falls short

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

Seesaw

  • Seesaw Starter limited to 1 active class per teacher and 35 students maximum
  • Free tier only offers 35 activities and 5 multimedia items per post
  • No individual teacher subscriptions available; requires school or district purchase
  • Paid licenses start at $2,500 USD minimum per school or district

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

Seesaw

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Digital portfolios
    • Family messaging
    • Basic activities
  • Seesaw Plus$12/month
    • All free features
    • Advanced activities
    • Skill-based learning
  • Seesaw for Schools$undefined/month
    • Admin tools
    • Analytics
    • SSO

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$189/month
    • 50 products
    • 5000 active students
    • 0% transaction fee
  • Custom$undefined/month
    • Unlimited products
    • Dedicated success manager
    • Custom pricing

Which should you pick?

Choose Seesaw if

  • You need digital portfolios.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android, Chromebook.
  • You also want creative tools.
Seesaw review

Choose Teachable if

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

Questions people ask

Is Seesaw or Teachable better?
Neither clearly leads. Seesaw 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, Seesaw or Teachable?
Seesaw has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Seesaw and $29/month for Teachable.
Does Seesaw or Teachable run on more platforms?
Seesaw runs on Web, IOS, Android, Chromebook. Teachable runs on Web.
Can I use Seesaw for free?
Yes. Seesaw has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Teachable starts at $29/month.
What is Seesaw best used for?
Seesaw is most often used for student portfolios, family communication, formative assessment, student voice. Of those, student portfolios and family communication are not what Teachable is typically brought in for.
What can Seesaw do that Teachable cannot?
Seesaw covers Digital portfolios, Creative tools, Family messaging, Activity library. Teachable covers Course builder, Quizzes, Certificates, Coaching products. Both handle Web support, IOS support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Seesaw: Is Seesaw free to use?

Seesaw offers a free tier called Seesaw Starter. Effective June 30, 2026, Seesaw Starter is limited to 1 active class per teacher, 35 students maximum, 35 activities, and 5 multimedia items per post. Paid plans are available for schools and districts only.

Source
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
Seesaw: What grade levels does Seesaw support?

Seesaw is designed for elementary education from pre-kindergarten through 6th grade. It serves as the only elementary Learning Experience Platform with award-winning tools for joyful, inclusive instruction.

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
Seesaw: What new features are coming to Seesaw in 2026?

As of June 30, 2026, Seesaw Starter users gain AI-powered tools with included credits, Student Highlights Folders, and Post Visibility Settings to control who can see sensitive student work.

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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