Coursera
Teachable
| Feature | Coursera | Teachable |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $49/mo | Free / from $59/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | career-changers, lifelong-learners, professionals, students | course-creators, coaches, educators, experts, solopreneurs |
| Founded | 2012 | 2013 |
| Video Lectures | ✓ | ✗ |
| Certificates | ✓ | ✓ |
| Peer Reviews | ✓ | ✗ |
| Quizzes | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mobile App | ✓ | ✗ |
| Offline Access | ✓ | ✗ |
| Guided Projects | ✓ | ✗ |
| Course Builder | ✗ | ✓ |
| Coaching | ✗ | ✓ |
| Digital Downloads | ✗ | ✓ |
| Affiliates | ✗ | ✓ |
| Email Marketing | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Coursera Pros
- Courses from world-renowned universities like Stanford and Yale
- Professional certificates recognized by major employers
- Financial aid available for qualifying learners
- Mobile app for learning on the go
- Structured learning paths with deadlines
✗ Coursera Cons
- Free tier only allows auditing without certificates
- Some courses have outdated content
- Peer-graded assignments can be inconsistent
✓ Teachable Pros
- Easy course builder with drag-and-drop
- Built-in payment processing and affiliates
- Custom domain and branding on all plans
- Coaching and community features included
✗ Teachable Cons
- Transaction fees on free and basic plans
- Limited site customization options
- No built-in community forum (added 2024)
The Verdict
Coursera is built for career changers and lifelong learners, with a focus on video-lectures and certificates. Teachable targets course creators and coaches and leads with course-builder and coaching.
On pricing, Coursera is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $49/mo compared to $59/mo for Teachable. That $10/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.