Teachable vs Self-Hosted Checkout: Which Saves You More?
Updated February 2026 · 7 min read
Teachable is one of the biggest names in online course platforms. It offers a polished experience for course creators, but that polish comes at a real cost. In this article, we’ll compare Teachable’s pricing against self-hosted checkout to see which approach actually puts more money in your pocket.
Teachable’s 2026 Pricing Breakdown
Teachable offers multiple pricing tiers, and the fee structure changes significantly at each level:
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Transaction Fee | Processing Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $1 + 10% | + processing |
| Basic | $59/mo | 5% | + processing |
| Pro | $159/mo | 0% | + processing |
| Pro+ | $249/mo | 0% | + processing |
On the free and basic plans, Teachable takes a meaningful percentage of each sale. To eliminate transaction fees, you need the Pro plan at $159/month — that’s $1,908 per year before you sell a single product.
The Real Cost at Different Revenue Levels
Let’s compare what you actually pay on Teachable (Basic plan) vs. self-hosted Stripe checkout:
| Monthly Revenue | Teachable Basic ($59/mo + 5%) | Self-Hosted (Stripe only) | You Save |
|---|---|---|---|
| $3,000/mo | $209/mo ($2,508/yr) | $117/mo ($1,404/yr) | $1,104/yr |
| $5,000/mo | $309/mo ($3,708/yr) | $175/mo ($2,100/yr) | $1,608/yr |
| $10,000/mo | $559/mo ($6,708/yr) | $320/mo ($3,840/yr) | $2,868/yr |
| $20,000/mo | $1,059/mo ($12,708/yr) | $610/mo ($7,320/yr) | $5,388/yr |
Even on Teachable’s Pro plan ($159/mo, 0% transaction fee), you’re paying $1,908/year in subscription costs alone. A self-hosted checkout has no monthly fee at all.
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Try the Free Calculator →When Teachable Makes Sense
Teachable excels at delivering multi-lesson courses with video hosting, quizzes, certificates, and student management. If you’re running a complex online school with dozens of courses and hundreds of students, Teachable’s Pro plan ($159/mo) might genuinely be worth it for those features.
When Self-Hosted Makes Sense
If you sell any of the following, you’re overpaying on Teachable:
- Ebooks and PDFs — No course platform needed. Just a checkout and a download.
- Templates and presets — Same: payment + file delivery.
- Single video courses or workshops — Host the video anywhere (Vimeo, YouTube unlisted) and just sell access.
- Software or code — A download link is all you need.
- Memberships or subscriptions — Stripe handles recurring billing natively.
For all of these, a self-hosted checkout like Protocol 134 gives you everything you need at a fraction of the cost.
What is Protocol 134?
Protocol 134 is a self-hosted checkout system built for digital creators. It connects directly to your Stripe account, handles payments and digital delivery, and costs $97 one-time. No monthly fees. No transaction fees. No revenue share.
Compared to Teachable’s Basic plan, Protocol 134 saves you the $59/month subscription fee AND the 5% transaction fee. That’s potentially thousands of dollars per year, depending on your revenue.
The Bottom Line
Teachable is a specialized course platform. If you need its advanced course features, it can be worth the investment. But if you’re paying Teachable to sell simple digital downloads, you’re paying a premium for features you don’t use. A self-hosted checkout keeps more money in your pocket.
Related: Best Gumroad Alternative for Creators | The Hidden Cost of Digital Product Fees
Stop Overpaying for Simple Checkouts
Protocol 134: $97 once. No monthly fees. No transaction fees. Just Stripe processing.
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