16/04/2019 by Sam Leave a Comment
This post was updated on the 11th Feb 2020 to match current features and pricing.
I spend a lot (no really, A LOT) of time answering the question
“I want to make an online course/membership site. Which plugin should I use?”
And while there is no easy answer, and your choice will depend on a whole heap of variables, I do have some favourites. Today we are talking all about Teachable (You can read more about my other faves, MemberVault, AccessAlly or Wishlist Member.)
What is Teachable?
Teachable is an online course platform, which allows you to build and host your content, as well as building a website and sales page to sell your content.
Unlike the last options we have looked at, this ISN’T a plugin for your WordPress site. It sits independently. You don’t need a website to host your content on Teachable.
What does Teachable do?
Teachable allows you to upload content, build a course, sell a course, and run your course.
But… it also
Creates multimedia lectures
You can easily add video, images, text, audio and pdf files to your course modules. You can import your content directly from Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, or your hard drive.
Has a drag and drop website builder
With Teachable you can easily build a home page and sales pages to sell your courses. A great option if you don’t have your own website, don’t feel comfortable making changes to your site… or even if you just want another way to easily build sales pages.
Is fully responsive
Your course will look great on laptops, tablets and mobiles, without you having to do anything extra at all.
Creates assessment and quizzes
Want to test the knowledge of your students along the way? Teachable allows you to build custom quizzes, with a range of questions. Depending on your Teachable plan, you can even set the quizzes to self grade, saving you from doing it.
Drip feeds content
Don’t want your students to have access to all of your course on day one? Set content to drip feed out on set dates, or a fixed number of days after they sign up, to control access to your content.
Integrate your affiliate marketing
Want affiliates to promote your course too? You don’t need an extra plugin or purchase, as Teachable can control all of that for you too.
And a lot more… (see all of the features and functionality here)
What does Teachable NOT do?
Teachable is NOT a plugin and does not install directly onto your website.
Your content will be hosted on the Teachable platform, and you will need to log in there to upload, edit and access your course.
It’s also important to make sure you understand the terms of service, and any other terms and conditions for an external platform, before you start using it.
For example, with Teachable
“Instructors (this is you) and their affiliates are paid for signups through PayPal 30 days after the end of the month in which a sale is made. This 30-day period is necessary to account for student refunds.”
So, if a student signs up at the beginning of Feb, you won’t receive the cash in your bank account until the end of March. Worth keeping in mind when you are planning your cash flow.
How much is it?
(Prices in $US – At time of publishing)
$29 a month for Basic level of Teachable ( plus 5% of transactions )
$79 a month for the Professional level of Teachable( no transaction fees, allows for graded quizzes and advanced features)
$399 a month for the Business level of Teachable ( no transaction fees, allows for 100 admin users, and bulk enrolment of students )
Prices are in US Dollars and were current at the time of publishing this post.
Make sure you check out current pricing and deals here
My personal opinion:
I’ve set up and created courses within Teachable for several clients, and I love how user friendly it is.
Tech is no longer a boundary to creating your own online course. You simply follow the instructions, upload your content into modules and lectures, and edit the settings to suit your needs.
There is a great knowledge base in case you get stuck.
It’s a popular option for a reason.
Although you do need to keep in mind that the monthly payments continue even if you have no students, that they take a % of your fees at the base level, and that you could be waiting a while for your payout. (MemberVault is great option if you are worried about these last bits).
Disclaimer
This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may be rewarded for you purchasing through my link.
This doesn’t impact the price you pay in any way.
I wouldn’t be telling you about it if I didn’t believe that it could be a good option for you. So go on, have a look, and see what you think.