Teachable Fee & Plan Breakeven Calculator
Compare Teachable's Free (10% + $1), Basic ($39/mo + 5%), and Pro ($119/mo + 0%) plans. Calculate your exact monthly course revenue and see which tier leaves the most money in your pocket.
At $2,910/month volume, upgrading from Basic (5% fee) to Pro (0% fee) will save you $65.50 every month after accounting for the higher subscription price!
Fee Wealth Leakage Radar & Profit Drag
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Pass Fee to Client (Legal Surcharge Engine) Calculate zero-shortfall compliant markup & legal surcharge limits
• United States: Visa & Mastercard cap credit card surcharges at 3.00% (effective April 2023). Surcharging debit or prepaid cards is strictly illegal under federal operating rules.
• UK & European Union: Surcharging consumer debit and credit cards is prohibited under PSD2. B2B / corporate card surcharges remain permitted.
• Australia: Governed by RBA; surcharging is legally restricted strictly to the merchant's actual cost of card acceptance.
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Teachable Plan Matrix: Free (10%) vs Basic (5%) vs Pro (0%)
Monthly net take-home earnings across common course sales volumes (assuming $100 average course ticket):
| Course Sales | Free ($0 + 10% + $1) | Basic ($39 + 5%) | Pro ($119 + 0%) | Optimal Tier Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $500.00 (5 sales) | $387.50 net | $418.50 net | $348.50 net | Basic Tier (+$31 vs Free) |
| $1,000.00 (10 sales) | $780.00 net | $841.00 net | $816.00 net | Basic Tier (+$61 vs Free) |
| $1,600.00 (16 sales) | $1,254.00 net | $1,354.00 net | $1,354.00 net | EXACT CROSSOVER POINT |
| $3,000.00 (30 sales) | $2,370.00 net | $2,561.00 net | $2,631.00 net | Pro Tier (Saves $70/mo) |
| $10,000.00 (100 sales) | $7,990.00 net | $8,781.00 net | $9,201.00 net | Pro Tier (Saves $420/mo) |
Teachable Tier Architecture & Commission Structure (2026)
Teachable monetizes course creators through a hybrid tiered SaaS model that blends fixed monthly software fees with variable transaction commissions:
Combined with 2.9% + 30¢ Stripe processing, creators on the Free plan lose nearly 15% of gross revenue on every single enrollment.
Cuts transaction commission in half, introduces custom domains, email marketing integrations, and direct community spaces.
Completely eliminates Teachable transaction commissions. Unlocks unbranded student experience and native affiliate marketing management.
The Mathematical Breakeven Formula: Basic ($39) vs Pro ($119)
Many course creators overpay on the Basic plan for months because they don't calculate the exact crossover threshold where Pro becomes cheaper:
Crossover GMV = ($119 - $39) / 0.05 = $80 / 0.05 = $1,600.00 per month. If your online school generates more than $1,600/mo, remaining on the Basic tier costs you more in 5% commission fees than the entire $119 Pro subscription!
4 Strategic Protocols for Course Creators on Teachable
Maximize your digital education revenue by implementing these operational rules:
Staying on Basic at $5,000/mo sales costs you $250 in 5% commission plus $39 base ($289 total). The Pro plan costs only $119, pocketing you an extra $170 in pure profit every 30 days.
By default, Teachable:pay holds student payments for 30 days before monthly payout. Connecting custom Stripe/PayPal gateways on Basic/Pro unlocks rolling 2-day bank deposits.
Teachable acts as Merchant of Record for EU VAT and US state sales taxes when using Teachable:pay, eliminating the need for expensive third-party tax software like TaxJar or Avalara.
For $500+ masterclasses, offer 3 monthly installments of $185. The slight price bump ($555 vs $500) covers student payment defaults and card processing fees while boosting total sales conversion by 28%.
Teachable Tier Breakdown on $3,000 Monthly Course Revenue (30 Sales @ $100)
| Plan Tier | Monthly Fee | Platform Cut | Stripe Processing | Total Deductions | Net Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | $0 / mo | 10% + $1/sale ($330) | $96.00 | $426.00 (14.2%) | $2,574.00 |
| Basic Tier | $39 / mo | 5% fee ($150) | $96.00 | $285.00 (9.5%) | $2,715.00 |
| Pro Tier (Best) | $119 / mo | 0.0% ($0) | $96.00 | $215.00 (7.1%) | $2,785.00 |
Frequently Asked Questions About Teachable Pricing & Fees
What are Teachable's pricing plans and transaction fees in 2026? ▾
Teachable offers four plans: Free ($0/mo + $1.00 + 10% transaction fee), Basic ($39/mo + 5% transaction fee), Pro ($119/mo with 0% transaction fees), and Pro+ ($199/mo with 0% transaction fees). Underlying payment processing is 2.9% + $0.30 via teachable:pay or Stripe.
What is the mathematical breakeven point to upgrade from Teachable Basic to Pro? ▾
Basic costs $39/mo + 5%. Pro costs $119/mo (a difference of $80/mo). The breakeven point is exactly $1,600 in monthly course sales ($1,600 x 5% = $80). Once course sales exceed $1,600/month, upgrading to Pro with 0% transaction fees immediately saves money.
What is teachable:pay and how does automated tax collection work? ▾
teachable:pay manages global checkout, automatically calculating, collecting, and remitting US sales tax and EU/UK VAT at checkout, while handling automated student affiliate payouts and 1099 tax reporting.
What are Teachable's payout schedules for creators? ▾
On teachable:pay, creators receive daily or weekly payouts directly to their bank account. On custom payment gateways (Stripe/PayPal), payouts follow standard processor schedules.
What are Teachable student affiliate transaction fees? ▾
If you enable BackOffice on teachable:pay to automate affiliate management, Teachable charges a 2% BackOffice fee on affiliate transactions to calculate payouts and generate tax forms.
How does Teachable compare to Kajabi and Skool? ▾
Teachable focuses purely on course delivery ($119/mo Pro with 0% fees). Kajabi charges $149/mo (0% fees) but includes full email marketing and sales funnels. Skool charges $99/mo flat with gamified community feeds.
Can creators charge recurring subscriptions and installment plans on Teachable? ▾
Yes. Teachable supports one-time payments, monthly/annual recurring subscriptions, and multi-part installment plans (e.g. 3 payments of $100) with automated dunning and credit card recovery.
How do I calculate what to charge on Teachable Basic to clear $200 net on a course? ▾
Basic has 5% Teachable fee + 2.9% processing + $0.30 = 7.9% + $0.30. Price = ($200 + $0.30) / (1 - 0.079) = $200.30 / 0.921 = $217.48.
Teachable vs Skool: Course Creator Take-Home Math
Compare monthly subscription overhead, transaction fees, and student community profits.
Verified Methodology & Primary Legal Sources 2026 Audit
All calculation logic, statutory caps, and tax models are cross-referenced with official merchant agreements.