Teachable vs Thinkific for Creators Outside the US

If you are building an online course business outside the United States, the platform you choose matters more than most review sites acknowledge. Payment processing, currency support, tax compliance, and localization can make or break your operations — and yet most comparisons focus almost entirely on US-based creators.

In this article, we compare Teachable and Thinkific through the lens of international creators. We look at what actually matters when your students are in Europe, Latin America, Asia, or Africa: how you get paid, how taxes are handled, what currencies you can charge in, and whether you can present your course in a language other than English.

Quick overview

Both Teachable and Thinkific are well-established course platforms with tens of thousands of creators. They share a similar model: you create courses, host them on the platform, and sell directly to students. But they differ in meaningful ways beneath the surface.

Teachable was founded in 2014 and is now owned by Hotmart. Thinkific, founded in 2012, is a publicly traded company based in Vancouver, Canada. Both offer free plans with limited features and paid plans that scale up.

Payment processing and fees

This is the area where international creators should pay the closest attention.

Teachable

Teachable uses its own payment system called Teachable Payments, which is built on Stripe. In many countries, this works well — your students pay, and Teachable handles the processing. However, there are important caveats:

• On the free plan, Teachable takes a 5% transaction fee plus payment processing fees. On paid plans, the transaction fee drops to 0%, but you still pay standard credit card processing rates.
• Teachable Payments is available in a growing list of countries, but it is not universal. If Teachable Payments is not available in your country, you may need to use a US-based Stripe account or explore workarounds, which adds complexity.
• Payouts are made on a schedule set by Teachable. On lower-tier plans, you may wait longer to receive your funds.

One important note: do not use link-masking or redirect services for Teachable affiliate links. Teachable’s terms require that affiliate links point directly to their domain.

Thinkific

Thinkific takes a different approach: you connect your own Stripe or PayPal account directly. This means:

• You receive payments directly into your Stripe or PayPal account. There is no middleman holding your funds.
• Thinkific charges 0% transaction fees on all plans, including the free plan. You only pay what Stripe or PayPal charges.
• Because you own the Stripe account, you control the payout schedule, and your available currencies depend on what Stripe supports in your country.

For creators in countries with strong Stripe support (most of Europe, parts of Asia and Latin America), this gives you more control. For creators in countries where Stripe is not available, you would rely on PayPal, which has its own limitations and higher fees.

Currency support

Pricing in your students’ local currency can significantly increase conversion rates. Nobody wants to do mental math converting from US dollars before buying a course.

Thinkific allows you to set specific prices in multiple currencies. If you sell to students in Europe and Latin America, you can set a EUR price and a BRL price independently. This is a genuine advantage for international sellers.

Teachable is more limited here. Your primary currency is determined by your Stripe account. While students may see approximate local currency equivalents, you have less granular control over pricing per currency.

If multi-currency pricing is important to your business — and for most international creators, it should be — Thinkific currently has the edge.

VAT and tax handling

Value-Added Tax (VAT) is a legal requirement in the European Union, the UK, and many other countries. If you sell digital products to consumers in these regions, you may be required to collect and remit VAT — regardless of where your business is based.

Teachable

Teachable handles US sales tax automatically on its higher-tier plans through its BackOffice feature. For international VAT, the situation is more complex:

• Teachable can calculate and display VAT for EU customers, but the responsibility for remitting it to tax authorities may fall on you depending on your plan and setup.
• On higher-tier plans, Teachable offers a tax-inclusive pricing option, which is helpful for EU compliance (where prices displayed to consumers must include VAT).
• Check Teachable’s current documentation for the latest on which plans include automated tax handling.

Thinkific

Thinkific offers a tax add-on (Thinkific Payments with tax support, where available) and also integrates with third-party tax services. The specifics depend on your region:

• In regions where Thinkific Payments is available, automated tax collection and remittance may be included.
• Otherwise, you would handle taxes manually or through a service like Quaderno or TaxJar.

Neither platform is a complete “set it and forget it” solution for international tax compliance. If you sell to multiple countries, budget time to understand your obligations or consult a tax professional. That said, both platforms are improving their tax tools over time — check their current offerings before deciding.

Payouts and getting your money

How quickly you receive your earnings matters, especially if you are reinvesting in content creation.

• Teachable: Payouts run on a schedule determined by Teachable. The frequency may depend on your plan tier and your region. Some creators report receiving payments monthly; others have experienced delays. On higher-tier plans, faster payout schedules are available.
• Thinkific: Because payments go directly to your Stripe or PayPal account, you receive funds according to Stripe’s or PayPal’s schedule for your country — typically within 2–7 business days after a sale. You are not waiting for a third party to release your earnings.

For creators who need predictable cash flow, Thinkific’s direct-payment model is generally more favorable.

Multi-language support

If you teach in a language other than English, you need a platform that does not fight you on localization.

Thinkific

Thinkific offers site-level language settings that let you change the default language of your course site’s interface (buttons, navigation, labels). This is valuable if your audience does not read English. Thinkific supports a number of languages out of the box and allows custom translations.

Course content itself (videos, text, downloads) can be in any language on both platforms — that is just your content. The difference is in the surrounding interface.

Teachable

Teachable’s interface is primarily in English. Some elements can be customized through the page editor, but there is no built-in site-wide language switcher. If your students do not read English, they may encounter English-language buttons, menus, or system emails that you cannot fully translate without workarounds.

For courses aimed at non-English-speaking audiences, Thinkific is generally a better choice due to its more flexible localization options.

Course creation and student experience

Both platforms provide solid course builders with video hosting, quizzes, assignments, and drip content. A few differences worth noting:

• Teachable has a well-regarded course player and a clean student experience. Its coaching features and course compliance tracking are strong.
• Thinkific offers more flexibility in site design and page building. Its App Store lets you add features through third-party integrations. Community features and live lessons are available on higher-tier plans.

Neither platform is objectively “better” for course creation — it depends on what you need. If design flexibility matters, lean toward Thinkific. If you value a streamlined, opinionated setup, Teachable may suit you better.

Pricing

Both platforms offer free plans and multiple paid tiers. Pricing changes frequently, so we recommend checking the current pricing on each platform’s website rather than relying on specific numbers that may be outdated.

General guidance:

• Teachable’s free plan includes a 5% transaction fee. Paid plans remove the fee and add features like custom domains, coupons, and advanced reporting. Higher tiers add features like advanced developer tools, bulk student management, and priority support.
• Thinkific’s free plan includes basic course creation with no transaction fees. Paid plans add features like custom domains, memberships, certificates, and communities. The highest tiers include advanced analytics, API access, and white-labeling.

Who should choose which?

There is no universal answer, but here is a practical framework:

Choose Thinkific if:

• You need multi-currency pricing
• You want direct control over your payments via Stripe or PayPal
• Your audience speaks a language other than English
• You want 0% transaction fees from day one
• Design flexibility and customization are priorities

Choose Teachable if:

• You prefer an all-in-one system where the platform handles payments
• You are in a country where Teachable Payments is available and you want simplicity
• Coaching features and compliance tracking are important to you
• You are comfortable with an English-language interface for your students

Final thoughts

For international creators — especially those outside the US and those building courses in non-English languages — Thinkific tends to be the stronger choice due to its multi-currency pricing, direct payment processing, 0% transaction fees, and better localization support.

That said, Teachable is a capable platform that continues to improve its international features, particularly since the Hotmart acquisition brought more global perspective. If Teachable’s integrated approach appeals to you and its payment system works in your country, it remains a solid option.

The best advice is to sign up for the free plan on both platforms and test them with your specific use case. See how payments work in your country, check the language options for your audience, and make sure the workflow fits your needs before committing to a paid plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Teachable if I am not based in the US?

Yes. Teachable is available worldwide, though Teachable Payments (its built-in payment processor) is not available in every country. If it is not available in yours, you may need to use a US-based Stripe account or explore alternatives. Check Teachable's supported countries list for current availability.

Does Thinkific handle VAT automatically?

Thinkific offers tax handling through Thinkific Payments in supported regions and through third-party integrations. Full automated VAT collection and remittance depends on your region and plan. For complete compliance, you may need to use an additional tax service.

Which platform is better for courses in Spanish, Portuguese, or other non-English languages?

Thinkific generally offers better localization with site-wide language settings and customizable translations. Teachable's interface is primarily English-based, though you can manually adjust some elements. For a fully localized student experience, Thinkific is the stronger choice.

Do I need a separate Stripe account to use either platform?

For Thinkific, yes — you connect your own Stripe (or PayPal) account. For Teachable, you can use Teachable Payments (which is Stripe-based but managed by Teachable) or connect your own gateway on certain plans.

Can I sell in multiple currencies on Teachable or Thinkific?

Thinkific lets you set specific prices in multiple currencies, giving you more control over international pricing. Teachable's multi-currency options are more limited and depend on your Stripe account configuration.

Are there transaction fees on Thinkific?

Thinkific charges 0% transaction fees on all plans, including the free plan. You only pay the fees charged by your payment processor (Stripe or PayPal).