You've built an audience on YouTube, maybe a faceless channel powered by AI voiceovers, and you want to sell a course: how you script, which voice tools you use, how you edit and grow. Two platforms come up constantly: Teachable, a dedicated course platform, and Systeme.io, an all-in-one marketing tool with courses built in.
They're built for different stages. This comparison breaks down pricing, fees, features and the student experience, so you can pick the right one for where your channel is today.
Pricing for both platforms was checked on their official pricing pages on October 21, 2026. Plans change, so confirm before you buy.
Quick verdict
- Choose Systeme.io if you're launching your first course, want email marketing, landing pages and checkout in one place, and want to start free.
- Choose Teachable if you'll sell multiple products, want a polished course experience with native student apps, and have enough sales to justify the monthly fee.
Pricing side by side
Teachable (checked October 21, 2026)
| Plan | Monthly | Annual (per month) | Products | Transaction fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $39 | $29 | 5 | 7.5% |
| Builder | $89 | $69 | 10 | 0% |
| Growth | $189 | $139 | 50 | 0% |
| Custom | Contact sales | Contact sales | Flexible | 0% |
7-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans. No free plan. The 0% fee applies with Teachable Payments; standard processing fees may apply.
Systeme.io (checked October 21, 2026)
| Plan | Monthly | Contacts | Funnels | Courses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 2,000 | 3 | 1 |
| Startup | $17 | 5,000 | 10 | 5 |
| Webinar | $47 | 10,000 | 50 | 20 |
| Unlimited | $97 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
All Systeme.io plans include unlimited email sends, unlimited sub-accounts and 0% transaction fees, per its pricing page. The free plan doesn't expire and needs no credit card. Annual billing gives two months free.
What that means in dollars
Say you sell a $99 course and make 10 sales in a month ($990):
- Systeme.io Free: $0 platform cost, $0 transaction fee. Payment processor fees only.
- Teachable Starter (monthly): $39 + 7.5% of $990 (≈ $74) ≈ $113, plus processor fees.
- Teachable Builder (monthly): $89, 0% transaction fee, plus processor fees.
At low volume, the difference is large. As revenue grows, the gap matters less than which platform helps you sell more.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Teachable | Systeme.io |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No (7-day trial) | Yes |
| Transaction fee | 7.5% on Starter, 0% on Builder+ | 0% on all plans |
| Courses | 5 / 10 / 50 products by plan | 1 / 5 / 20 / unlimited by plan |
| Coaching and digital downloads | Yes | Varies; check plan details |
| Student mobile apps | iOS and Android, all plans | Mobile-friendly web |
| Email marketing | Check Teachable's plan comparison | Built in, unlimited sends |
| Sales funnels and landing pages | Sales pages, upsells, cart recovery | Full funnel builder |
| Your own affiliate program | Builder and up | All plans (1 on Free) |
| Global taxes (VAT/GST) | Handled | Depends on payment setup |
| Certificates | Growth | Check plan details |
| Remove platform branding | Growth | Check plan details |
| Subtitles and translations | Free on Growth | No |
Where Teachable wins
Student experience. Teachable is built for learning. Native iOS and Android apps let students watch lessons on their phones, which suits a YouTube audience that already lives on mobile.
International sales. Teachable handles U.S. sales tax, global VAT and GST, and students can pay in their local currency. For a creator with viewers in dozens of countries, that's real admin saved.
Scaling a catalog. Up to 50 products on Growth, with memberships and bundles not counting toward the limit, makes it easier to build a library of courses, coaching and downloads.
Polish features. Course certificates, branding removal and free subtitles and translations (all on Growth) make the school feel premium, and translations help if you're expanding into other languages.
Where Systeme.io wins
Cost to start. A free plan with a course, three funnels, 2,000 contacts and unlimited emails is hard to beat for validating an idea.
Everything in one account. Lead magnet, opt-in page, email sequence, sales page, checkout and course delivery live together, without integrations. For a YouTuber, that's the whole sales system in one tool. We show how to build the list side of it in how to build an email list from YouTube with Systeme.io.
No transaction fees. Systeme.io takes 0% on every plan, including Free.
Marketing automation. Tags, automation rules and email campaigns are core features, not add-ons.
Which to choose at each stage
Stage 1: You have an idea and under 1,000 engaged viewers or subscribers on your list. Use Systeme.io Free. Build a lead magnet, collect emails, and pre-sell or launch a simple course. Our guide on selling an AI voiceover course with Systeme.io walks through the full setup.
Stage 2: Your first course sells consistently. Stay on Systeme.io and upgrade to Startup if you need more contacts or funnels, or move your course to Teachable if you want native apps and a more premium learning experience. If you choose Teachable, compare the Starter fee against Builder: on monthly billing, Builder becomes cheaper once you sell more than about $667 per month.
Stage 3: You sell multiple products internationally. Teachable Builder or Growth makes sense for the catalog size, 0% fees, affiliate program, tax handling, and (on Growth) certificates and translations. Some creators keep Systeme.io for email and funnels and use Teachable purely for course delivery.
A hybrid setup many creators use
You don't have to pick one forever:
- Systeme.io for lead magnets, email list and newsletters (free up to 2,000 contacts).
- Teachable for the course itself, with student apps and tax handling.
- Link your Systeme.io emails to your Teachable sales page.
This costs more than using Systeme.io alone but gives you the best list-building tool on a budget plus a premium course experience.
Our recommendation
For a first AI voiceover or YouTube course, start with Systeme.io's free plan: zero cost, zero transaction fees, and everything you need to validate demand. Once you have consistent sales and plan to build a catalog, Teachable is a strong upgrade for the student experience, mobile apps and international payments.
Read our full Teachable review and Systeme.io review for more detail on each.
Our pick
Start with Systeme.io's free planOpens the official site. Check current pricing before you buy.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Is Systeme.io cheaper than Teachable?
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Yes, especially at the start. Systeme.io has a free plan (2,000 contacts, 3 funnels, 1 course, unlimited emails, 0% transaction fees) and paid plans from $17/month. Teachable has no free plan; it starts at $39/month ($29/month billed annually) with a 7.5% transaction fee on Starter. Prices checked October 21, 2026.
Which is better for selling my first YouTube course?
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For most creators validating a first course, Systeme.io's free plan is the lower-risk start because it includes the course, landing pages, checkout and email sequences at no cost. Teachable is a strong upgrade once you sell multiple products and want a more polished student experience.
Does Teachable or Systeme.io charge transaction fees?
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Systeme.io charges 0% transaction fees on all plans, per its pricing page. Teachable charges 7.5% on Starter and 0% on Builder, Growth and Custom when you use Teachable Payments. Payment processor fees (e.g. Stripe or PayPal) can still apply on both.
Does Teachable have mobile apps for students?
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Yes. Teachable's pricing page lists iOS and Android student apps on every plan. That's one of its main advantages for creators whose audience watches on phones.
Can I move from Systeme.io to Teachable later?
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Yes. Many creators start on a free or cheap all-in-one tool and move once a course proves itself. Teachable's Growth plan lists imported students, and its Custom plan includes migration assistance.