Thinkific vs. Teachable (+ An Affordable Alternative Without Hidden Fees That Makes It Easy to Make Money)

 You’re researching course creation platforms and considering Thinkific vs. Teachable.

In this blog post, I’ll break down the similarities and differences between the two platforms.

I’ll also discuss how ProductDyno — a platform for creating and selling online courses and other digital products— can be a great alternative (or addition) to Thinkific vs. Teachable.

 

 Thinkific vs. Teachable (+ ProductDyno)

Feature	Thinkific	Teachable	ProductDyno
Ease of Use	❌ Not easy to use	❌ Not easy to use	✅ Easy to use with a simple, very user-friendly interface
Course Creation	❌ Involves many steps, time-consuming	❌ Involves many steps, time-consuming	✅ Few steps, fast and efficient
Fees	❌ Hidden charges, take a cut	❌ Hidden charges, take a cut	✅ No hidden fees, you keep all your revenue
Sales/Marketing Tools	❌ Basic tools	❌ Basic tools	✅ Unique, advanced marketing and sales tools
Customer Support	❌ Poor support	❌ Poor support	✅ Fast, human support (not bots)
Products Offered	❌ Focus only on courses	❌ Focus only on courses	✅ Courses + digital products, bundles, memberships

Thinkific

Despite Thinkific’s popularity, it has many significant drawbacks for creators:

 

It’s not beginner-friendly (Not easy to use)

According to some users, Thinkific is very difficult to use.

For example, this user shared this review on Capterra:

 “Not easy to use - don't spend money on this”

I am very disappointed and out $1800 to boot. They refuse to process a refund although after lots of attempts I was never able to publish a course. I tried and tried to get online help but it's hidden behind chat bots. If you do manage to get someone on the phone, you only get 15 minutes and they kick you off and you have to rebook more time! This could be the following day. So you can't get a cohesive amount of time to actually learn how to use the product. Only software experts or those willing to invest full time in figuring out this nuanced offering should bother. It is NOT easy to use as advertised. Far from it.

This product is incredibly difficult to use. You don't realize it until you've already signed up and they won't process your refund. AVOID unless you want to devote full-time effort to figuring this coursework out. It's also very hard to reach a human being to get assistance.”

If you're a beginner, you may waste hours trying to figure out Thinkific’s interface.

The steep learning curve can delay your course launch, lower your motivation, and result in missed income opportunities—especially if you give up or switch platforms after wasting time and energy.

 

No free plan – Basic Plan starts at $36/month

You must invest upfront when you don’t know if you will make sales or not.

This monthly fee can quickly add up, especially if you're still building your audience.

It cuts into your revenue before you’ve even made a sale, making profitability harder in the early stages of your business.

 

There are hidden fees

There are several fees you’ll pay on Thinkific. For example, this is what a user shared on TrustPilot:

“There are actually several additional fees related to transactions. For example, Local payment method fee, Currency conversion fee, International card fee, Adjustment fee, Subscription fee, Sales tax calculation fee, and Currency flat fee. Also, if you have to do a refund OR someone uses a fraudulent credit card- you will be fully absorbing these fees... This means if you got scammed, then you will still have to pay Thinkific for that transaction.”

The screenshot below shows  some of the fees.

And this is what another user reported on TrustPilot:

“PAY $900 on top of $99 monthly fee for a CSV file upload!

I needed to bulk upload coupons, a simple CSV file! I upgraded my account, followed their steps for Postmaster public API and it didn’t work. Support gave me a generic response “you need to upgrade to Pro+Growth” which is an extra $900 on top of the monthly $99 fee - all this for a CSV file upload?” 

 

Thinkific’s additional fees can quietly eat into your earnings, especially if you’re a new creator trying to turn a profit.

These extra charges reduce the amount you actually take home from each sale, making it harder to reinvest in your business, run ads, or scale your content.

For creators on a tight budget, you may struggle to break even—let alone scale. You may find it hard to grow your business, retain students, or invest in creating more valuable content.

 

Thinkific Payments/Billing

Thinkific’s payment system has some downsides.

For example, some users say their system automatically deducts money and wrongful charges happen.

This user shared her experience on TrustPilot:

“This system deceives customers

This system deceives customers, automatically deducting money that cannot be refunded. I have been using the $199 package since 2024. By the time my card had an error, after fixing it, they automatically deducted an additional $279. I contacted the administrator, they said I could not get a refund, explained. roundabout. Too bad service.”

 

Another user, on TrustPilot, alleges Thinkific charged her wrongly:

"One of the absolute worst experiences

We have been with them for 2+ years and are leaving because of nearly fraudulent practices on behalf of Thinkific Payments. BEWARE of Thinkific Payments - it is not at all what they advertise it to me. Hidden fees and impossible to leave once you're on it (if you have recurring revenue).”

 

And here’s the experience of another user, shared on TrustPilot:

“They charged me totally wrong

They charged me totally wrong. I cancelled my plan in July and they said I would get a refund. This never arrived at my bank. Now I saw they used my refund money to keep charging my account (I never started a new subscription) until now my bank freezed their billing (of course, as I never agreed to an abo). Apart from not accepting my cancellation they also charged me 100€ too much. Counting all the official plan rates I never come to the sum they took from my bank account. Now I talked to the support and they said they are not going to do anything about it, they only freezed my website (even though they still have my payments for the end of the year). Please please don't do this to yourself and use another website (thinkific is overpriced anyway, for a recurring payment option they want 100$ monthly)."

Lacks essential marketing tools

Without built-in marketing features, it becomes harder to promote your course, collect leads, or upsell other products.

You’ll either have to rely on third-party tools or miss out on key income opportunities.

That means more complexity, more cost, and fewer students enrolling in your course.

 

Poor customer support

If something goes wrong and Thinkific’s support is unhelpful or slow, you're left to troubleshoot on your own.

That delay can lead to unhappy students, negative reviews, or course downtime—all of which affect your credibility and can result in lost sales.

 

Here’s what one user said about Thinkific support, on TrustPilot:

“Multiple times happened that students can't access the lessons. Customer service is not good. I put paid membership and people cards got declined multiple times and customer service doesn't have a solution. Wouldn't recommend. I am switching to different platform.”

 

Teachable

Teachable also has significant drawbacks that you need to know about as you consider Thinkific vs. Teachable:

 

Course and test creation is time-consuming

Some users have reported that creating a course with Teachable can waste your time.

If it takes hours to build a course or quiz, that’s time you could have spent marketing or making money.

Delayed launches mean delayed income. Creators with full-time jobs or multiple projects may find it impossible to consistently grow their digital product business on Teachable.

 

It’s hard to navigate the course builder

If moving content blocks, editing lessons, or rearranging your curriculum feels clunky, it slows you down.

This affects your productivity, delays course launches, and increases frustration.

You might even skip enhancements that could boost student satisfaction—all because the builder makes editing harder than it should be.

 

System Dysfunctions Can Cost You Money

You can be locked out of your account and lose a significant amount of money.

One user even reported on TrustPilot that they lost over a hundred thousand dollars due to being locked out of their account:

 

This kind of disruption can damage your brand, harm your reputation with students, and ultimately lead to lost trust, lost students, and lost revenue.

Situations like these not only cause financial setbacks but also create long-term damage to your credibility as a course creator.

If you choose Teachable and this happens to you, students may hesitate to purchase from you again in the future.

Lacks essential marketing tools

Without built-in tools to create landing pages, upsell, or build an email list, you’ll have a harder time making sales.

That means more reliance on external software and less income—adding to your expenses, your to-do list, and your frustration as a creator trying to grow.

 

Unresponsive customer support

When you run into tech issues and can’t get support, you risk losing both time and money. Bugs may stay unresolved for months.

That could frustrate students and result in dropped enrollments, refund requests, and a poor experience that makes it harder to grow your audience.

 

Here’s what one user said about Teachable support, on TrustPilot:

“This is the worse customer service experience ever!!
Bought the program, full price, it never worked! Can't get anyone to speak to about getting my money back. Choose a different platform! They took my money and did not deliver the product...
This Awful! Awful!”

 And this is what this user shared on Capterra:

“There is no way to reach someone by phone. The only way is email. After submitting an email, a week will go by and no one will answer. It has been a month, no answer and no way to contact anyone. The only way to contact someone is if you want to sign up with teachable and pay an outrageous amount a month to have them host your course, keep a large amount of your sales, and keep a portion of each sale for 60 days. This is possibly the worst company you could ever sign up with to host your course. Never choose them!!!!”

Transaction fees on the Free and Basic plans

Teachable’s transaction fees—$1 + 10% on the Free plan and 5% on the Basic plan—can seriously shrink your profits. These fees pile up with every sale, cutting into your hard-earned income.

As your course sales grow, the more you lose, making it harder to build sustainable revenue.

 

Publishing and enrollment limits on Free and Basic plans

Teachable’s Free plan restricts you to one published course and just 10 student enrollments. That severely limits your earning potential. Even the Basic plan allows only five courses.

If you plan to scale, you’ll need to upgrade fast—eating into your profits before you’ve had a chance to grow.

 

Hidden Fees and Delayed Payouts

Some users say Teachable charges hidden fees like a “BackOffice” fee and withholds 10% of your earnings for 45 days in case of refund requests.

For a new creator, this means your expected income might be much lower than what you actually earn—and you won’t receive it quickly.

If you’re counting on course revenue to reinvest or cover expenses, these delayed and reduced payouts can put serious strain on your finances.

 

Payment Issues and Unexpected Charges

Many creators report major problems with Teachable’s payment system.

These include blocked or withheld funds for up to two months, subscriptions being reactivated without consent, and unexplained double charges.

 

For example, this user, on TrustPilot, reported that Teachable have blocked $20,000 in sales:

“20'000USD BLOCKED, NO response in 13 days

We’ve generated over $20,000 in sales on Teachable since March 5th, 2025, and we have not received a single payout.
Both the "Payouts" and "Statements" sections in our dashboard are completely empty, and there has been no explanation whatsoever.
We opened support ticket received one reply on April 5th — nothing since, despite multiple daily follow-ups via email and live chat.
To make matters worse, we’ve discovered several other creators facing the same issue.
Customer support is non-existent and chat agents claim it's "not their responsibility."
This situation is not only frustrating — it’s damaging and the company’s operations are suffering due to Teachable’s lack of transparency and accountability.
We strongly advise others to avoid using this platform for any serious business.”

 

And here’s another dissatisfied user:

“THE PAYMENT ISNT PROCESSING

EVERY DAY I RECEIVE A MESSAGE FROM A CLIENT, SAYING THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO MAKE THE PAYMENT.
YOU’LL CLAIM TO BE A COURSE SOFTWARE AND YOU CANNOT EVEN PROCESS PAYEMENTS, FORGET ADVANCED FEATURES

Please don't go ahead with teachable. Idk how many sales its costing me. I feel like I wanna file a consumer complaint and claim my refund...i cant keep talking to.” the support team (who reply after weeks) for something as simple as payment”

  

As a new creator, this can create financial confusion and frustration. You may have to spend hours dealing with support just to access your own money.

This can derail your focus, delay course delivery, and potentially damage relationships with students.

Worse, if your funds are tied up, you might not be able to invest in marketing, tools, or even basic needs—hurting your ability to grow or stay in business.

Considering all of the above, Thinkific and Teachable may not be ideal for you— especially if you’re just starting out  and working with tight budgets, limited time, or without technical experience.

It might be worth exploring an alternative platform, ProductDyno, that makes it simple and easy to create courses, has no hidden fees and charges, and offers affordable, predictable, and transparent pricing.

 

Want to see how simple, easy, and quickly you can use ProductDyno to create and sell online courses and other digital products?  You can sign up for a free trial.

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

 

Features	Thinkific	Teachable	ProductDyno
Free onboarding support	No (you pay extra)	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Platform simple and easy to use	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Yes
Course creation	Hard	Hard	Easy
AI tools create course	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Yes
Gamification features	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes
Can spammers easily access paid content?	❌ Yes	❌ Yes	✅ No
Extra fees	❌ Yes	❌ Yes	✅ No
Delayed payouts	❌ Yes	❌ Yes	✅ No

Monthly payments	❌ Yes	❌ Yes	❌ No (One-time plans too)
Major payment gateways	3	3	14
Cross-sell and down-sell features	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Yes
In-built tools for social media marketing	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Yes
Customer support	❌  Terrible	❌  Terrible	✅ Great
Can you create other products in addition to courses?	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Yes
Can you sell your products on your own site as well?	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Yes

ProductDyno

 

What is ProductDyno?

ProductDyno is a content delivery platform that lets you create and sell courses, memberships, and other digital products.

Best for

Since 2017, ProductDyno has been helping:

·       writers

·       authors who want to distribute eBooks

·       content marketers

·       digital marketers

·       affiliate marketers

·       digital product creators

·       coaches

·       consultants & course creators

·       membership & subscription site owners

·       agency & white label license sellers

·       mid-sized businesses, and

·       enterprises

to create and sell courses and other digital products online.

 

People like you are using ProductDyno to make money— creators have made over $15,656,647+ in revenue on ProductDyno so far!

 

Want to see how simple, easy, and quickly you can use ProductDyno to create and sell online courses and other digital products?  You can sign up for a free trial.

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

How ProductDyno Is Different Than Thinkific and Teachable

Unlike Thinkific and Teachable, ProductDyno:

·       has a  simple, user friendly interface— no confusion and you can use it to easily create online courses

·       has tools like the Course Blueprint Designer and Instant Course Builder you can use to plan and launch your course in minutes

·       offers AI tools that can generate lesson content, titles, CTAs, and more—saving you hours of writing

·       is very transparent regarding pricing and payments. You don’t pay hidden or extra fees. And they don’t take a cut of your revenue—You keep 100% of your revenue (except for payment processor fees like PayPal/Stripe)

·       offers a one-time payment lifetime deal (at times), which lets you create and sell unlimited products without recurring costs—ideal for maximizing profits

·       doesn’t process payments directly. Instead, it integrates with trusted, experienced payment processors to handle transactions.

·       integrates directly with email marketing tools such as ConvertKit, and sales channels such as Pabbly, making it easy for you to market and sell your products

·       has excellent customer support

And apart from courses, ProductDyno enables you to sell other products, such as SaaS products, reports, and audio & video bundles so you can make more money.

 

 

Here’s what one user said about ProductDyno on AppSumo:

“This is the One! Get It Now!

I have tried teachable, thinkific, Learn Dash, AmemberPro (years old), Digital Suitcase, (something close to that), wordpress member plugins, Optimize press and so on. I current have thrivecart learn +. This blows them all way as a whole.

1) The big names won’t let you multibrand.

2) The onboarding robot takes you through every page. I think I can train an admin just by having them login. Huge!

3) I integrated Amazon s3 in 10 mins.

4) In integrates natively with Thrivecart. Easily the number one funnel-focused cart.

5) Interacts with so many emails providers, most will find what they need.

6) Member area templates. I really like this. I have some courses that are multi-media and some are multiple short videos. This allows me to match exactly.

7) WOMBAT – get this. Your community will help you grow.

Lastly, check out how responsive Fraz is. That is a great sign of a team leader dedicated to the job. I say get it now.” (By the way, Fraz is a co-founder of ProductDyno).

 

People like you are using ProductDyno to make money— creators have made over $15,656,647+  in revenue on ProductDyno so far!

 

Want to see how simple, easy, and quickly you can use ProductDyno to create and sell online courses and other digital products?  You can sign up for a free trial.

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

Note: Unlike Thinkific and Teachable, ProductDyno doesn’t take a percentage of your sales revenue.

 

Thinkific vs. Teachable

Now let’s look at Thinkific vs. Teachable in more detail.

.

Thinkific

Some Of Thinkific’s Top Features

I’ll detail Thinkific’s features later, but first, let’s look briefly at some of its top features and some challenges users have with Thinkific.

Thinkific offers tools like:

·       a drag-and-drop course builder

·       a website and landing page creator

·       a customizable course player

·       flexible payment options, and

·       student engagement tools like quizzes

 

Teachable

Some of Teachable’s Top  Features

•        Along with building online courses, Teachable also lets you offer coaching sessions and digital downloads.

•        You can create memberships to give your students ongoing access to content.

•        The platform includes simple tools to organize your lessons and track student progress.

•        Built-in payment processing helps you get paid quickly and securely.

•        You can customize your sales pages to match your brand.

 

Thinkific vs. Teachable: Product Features

Now that we’ve done an overview of each platform, let’s look at specific product features and compare how each platform stacks up.

To help you understand how each platform works in practice, I’ll compare Thinkific vs. Teachable, and ProductDyno as an alternative to the two platforms, in terms of:

·       Ways To Make Money On Each Platform

·       Course, Content, and Product Creation

·       Customization

·       Teaching and Learning Experience

·       Community Building

·       Sales and Marketing

·       Pricing

·       Payments and Business Finances

·       How Much You Can Lose If You Use Either Platform

·       Customer Support

 

Thinkific vs. Teachable: Ways to Make Money on Each Platform

 

How to Make Money on Thinkific

Thinkific lets you make money by creating and selling digital learning products. The most popular way is to sell online courses.

You create your content (videos, PDFs, quizzes, etc.) and bundle it into a course. You can charge a one-time fee, offer subscriptions, or create payment plans.

You can also make money by offering memberships. With this model, learners pay a monthly or yearly fee to access exclusive content or a library of courses. You can add value with live sessions, community forums, or bonus materials.

Another option is coaching services. Thinkific lets you sell 1-on-1 or group coaching programs. You set your own schedule and pricing and use built-in tools like Calendly and Zoom integrations.

You can also sell digital downloads, like eBooks or templates, and bundle products to create higher-priced offers.

Some creators even make money through affiliate marketing—offering others a commission to promote their courses.

But keep in mind: Thinkific has many hidden fees and charges that can eat into your sales.

 

How to Make Money on Teachable

Teachable helps you earn money by selling online courses, coaching services, and digital products.

The main way to make money is by creating a course and selling it to students. You can charge a flat price, offer payment plans, or even a subscription model to generate recurring income.

You can also sell coaching sessions. Teachable allows you to list 1-on-1 or group coaching programs with custom booking forms and pricing. You can schedule meetings, collect intake forms, and host your sessions via Zoom or other tools.

Teachable recently added support for digital downloads. That means you can sell PDFs, guides, eBooks, or audio files. This works well if you don’t want to create a full course but still want to monetize your knowledge.

Another way to make money is through bundles and upsells. You can combine products (like a course + eBook) into a single offer at a higher price or upsell one product after a user purchases another.

Lastly, Teachable has a referral program (Teachable’s affiliate feature) that allows you to earn commissions by promoting other Teachable products or having others promote yours. But keep in mind: Teachable takes a cut from your sales, especially on lower-tier plans.

Like Thinkific, Teachable also has many fees and charges that can eat into your sales.

 

How You Can Make Money on ProductDyno

1.    Create and Sell Digital Products

For example, you can create, upload, and sell eBooks, PDFs, reports, checklists, audio files, templates, stock photos, and more. ProductDyno delivers them securely to buyers.

2.    Sell Online Courses

For example, you can upload course videos directly or embed them from Vimeo/YouTube. You can organize lessons and modules easily and even drip content over time.

3. Offer Memberships (Recurring Income)

For example, you can create a members-only site with exclusive content (videos, articles, templates, etc.) and charge a recurring monthly or yearly fee.

4.    Sell Software or SaaS

 For example, if you have downloadable software, plugins, or cloud-based SaaS tools, ProductDyno helps with secure delivery and license key management.

5.    Create Product Bundles

 For example, you can combine multiple products (e.g., eBook + templates + video course) into a high-value bundle and sell it.

6. Sell Services with Digital Deliverables

For example, you can offer services like coaching, consulting, or digital audits and use ProductDyno to deliver supporting materials (worksheets, recordings, reports).

7. Promote Affiliate Products Inside Your Content

For example, you can add affiliate links to other tools, courses, or software within your products. If a customer buys through your link, you earn a commission.

8. License Your Products to Others

For example, you can allow others to resell your content or use it in their business, and charge a licensing fee. 

And you can use ProductDyno to make money in many other ways as well.

You can sell:

·       Software (SaaS or downloadable)

·       Mobile apps

·       WordPress themes

·       WordPress plugins

·       Website templates (HTML, CSS)

·       Excel/Google Sheets calculators

·       Resume or CV templates

·       Branding kits

·       Canva templates

·       Sales funnel templates

·       Legal document templates

·       Budget templates

·       Investment tracking spreadsheets

·       Audio meditations

·       Script templates for YouTubers

·       AI prompt packs (e.g. for ChatGPT)

 

Here’s what one creator shared on ProductDyno’s website:

“You can even use ProductDyno to set up your own ‘video on demand’ business similar to Netflix using their expiring content feature. No wonder we’ve moved all our product delivery securely over to ProductDyno.” - Nick James

 

ProductDyno lets you setup easily and start earning quickly.

Here’s what another user said about ProductDyno on AppSumo:

“The very best LMS ever!!!

I have tried all the big-name competitors like Teachable, Kajabi, and Coassemble, and I’m so glad that I found this! It’s all I need to create my own membership site. I’ve used it for about 5 years now and so far everything works just fine and they have made a lot of improvements over the past years.

This is a great platform to sell e-courses, memberships, and any digital product. This is the best online store builder that I have encountered. It is so easy to use. I am not a coder but I was able to customize the site to my liking and I was able to create an e-commerce business in a very short time.”- solesky, AppSumo Verified Purchaser

 

Want to see how you can use ProductDyno to create and sell online courses and other digital products to make money?  You can sign up for a free trial.

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

Thinkific vs. Teachable: Course and Product Creation

 

Thinkific vs.	Teachable	(+ProductDyno)
Top Features	Thinkific	Teachable	ProductDyno
Create courses with any content type	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Easy to create a course?	❌ No – tedious, many steps involved	❌ No – tedious, many steps involved	✅ Yes – simple, easy, few steps involved
Time consuming to create a course?	❌ Yes	❌ Yes	✅ No

Can you create unlimited courses?

✅ Yes

Yes – only on $119/month & $499/month plans

✅ Yes

Thinkific Course and Product Creation

Thinkific gives you a drag-and-drop course builder—so even if you're not tech-savvy, you can create a course layout.

Plus, Thinkific provides AI you can use.

If you're stuck on where to start, you can use their AI Course Outline Generator that instantly creates a detailed course outline tailored to your audience's needs.

Thinkific also has an AI Quiz Generator that creates short quizzes to keep learners engaged, test comprehension, and identify knowledge gaps.

However, Thinkific’s AI tools are pretty basic. They can’t write your actual course content. They mostly handle things like names, outlines, and quiz prompts.

While you can try some of the AI tools for free on Thinkific’s website, the Course Outline Generator is locked behind the Start ($74/Month), Grow ($149/month), and Premium ($399/month) plans.

Regarding the type of course you want to create, Thinkific doesn’t limit what kind of course you can create. Whether it's a video-based fitness program, a downloadable workbook for writers, or a text-heavy legal guide, you're free to build it your way.

If you're trying to guide students down different learning paths—like offering one course for beginners and another for pros—Thinkific lets you create separate paths. But, just a heads-up, you can’t break things down into mini sub-chapters within one course.

But even with these features, you still need to manually add lesson content, format pages, and build sales assets separately.

There’s no built-in automation to actually write the course lessons for you, structure the sales funnel, or design the visuals—so you’ll still spend time jumping between tools or hiring help.

For example, let’s look at how you can use Thinkific to create a course.

 

Creating A Course With Thinkific

Creating a course with Thinkific involves a lot of steps. They usually include:

Step 1: Create a new course:

Go to "Manage Learning Products," select "Courses," and then click "New Course".

Step 2: Choose a course template:

Thinkific offers various course templates, so select one that best suits your course content and learning style.

Step 3: Add lessons and modules:

Go to the "Curriculum" tab and start adding lessons and modules to structure your course content.

Step 4: Upload course content:

Upload your course content, including videos, PDFs, and other relevant materials, as seen in this video.

Step 5: Add quizzes and assignments:

Implement quizzes, assignments, or other assessments to gauge student understanding and progress, as shown in this video.

Step 6: Customize the landing page:

Design the course landing page to attract students and showcase the course's value. Consider adding a custom banner image and call-to-action button.

Step 7: Adjust course settings:

Configure various course settings, such as pricing, access restrictions, and notifications.

Step 8: Launch your course:

Once you're satisfied with the course's content and settings, launch it to make it visible to your audience.

As you can see, creating a course with Thinkific is hard.

If it's your first time creating a course online, this whole process is tedious, can waste your time, and may overwhelm you.

On the other hand, with ProductDyno, even a newbie can easily create a course in a few steps, in seconds. It's as simple as clicking a few buttons, which you can do easily even without any course creation experience.

 

Here’s what one creator said about using ProductDyno to create courses:

“I like ProductDyno, because it is easy to build courses with UI builder and dynamic check as you build.”- Sridhar Rayasam, Mindchannel Educational Services

 

Want to see how simple, easy, and quickly you can use ProductDyno to create and sell online courses and other digital products?

You can sign up for a free trial.

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

Note: Unlike Thinkific and Teachable, ProductDyno doesn’t take a percentage of your sales revenue.

I’ll detail how you can use ProductDyno to create a course later, but first, let’s cover what users hate about Thinkific course creation.

 

What Users Dislike About Thinkific’s Course and Product Creation

Some users say Thinkific isn’t very beginner-friendly. The dashboard can feel clunky and confusing, especially if you’ve never built a course before.

Other users say Thinkific looks good at first — until you actually try building a course. It’s not as simple as it seems. You’ll likely spend more time figuring things out than creating content. One user even said you’d need a full-time schedule just to get the hang of it.

Adding a quiz or customizing your course player can take way more time than expected.

Also, be aware that you may have limited control over course creation because Thinkific makes it hard to manage your courses the way you want, especially when it comes to customization and settings.

For example, one user said every time they disable a course, another one randomly gets reactivated. This caused learners to sign up and pay for outdated courses, which led to a bunch of refunds.

Another issue is the lack of control over image file types — only JPG is accepted. Plus, you’re stuck using their default templates with no way to fully customize the course player.

Another thing that bothers users is the time it takes for videos to upload. According to some users, if your course is video-heavy, it may take up to an hour to upload a single video. That’s a long wait if you’re trying to batch upload a full course in one sitting.

Here’s what other users have reported:

•        The platform feels heavy and hard to move through.

•        You can’t adjust themes or tweak the course player.

•        Color choices are very limited.

You might struggle with layout limitations. The structure of your course is mostly fixed — lessons on one side, menu on the other. You can’t really move things around. 

Thinkific’s assignments feature might give you problems—you might have challenges with bugs here.

For example, when your students click “next,” they may be taken back to the beginning. That means they start over each time and that can waste a lot of time.

Another thing that gets frustrating is the question import. You’ll probably find it slow and clunky. Editing or changing questions takes time. It's not as smooth as it should be.

 

Teachable Course and Product Creation

With Teachable, you can break your course into sections. Inside each section, you can drop in videos, PDFs, text, quizzes, and forms.

You can group lessons however you want. This keeps your content clean and easy to follow.

If you want more control, the Power Editor gives you that. You can tweak your lessons, edit your sales pages, and adjust your checkout page to match your brand.

You can create any type of course with Teachable. The popular types are:

·       Arts

·       Health

·       Niche

·       Academics

·       Membership

·       Business

 

With Teachable, you can break your course into sections. Inside each section, you can drop in videos, PDFs, text, quizzes, and forms.

You can group lessons however you want. This keeps your content clean and easy to follow.

 

Creating A Course With Teachable

Like Thinkific, Teachable also has AI tools that you can use for course creation, but they can only suggest course structures and generate subtitles—you can’t use them to create an entire course.

For example, they offer an AI course curriculum generator that you can use to generate a course outline. 

But the reality is that you still have to write and format pages, headlines, and lessons manually. It’s tedious and can take weeks or even months.

And like creating a course with Thinkific, creating an online course with Teachable involves a lot of steps.

Here’s what a user said about this on TrustPilot: 

“It's expensive and takes a lot of my time

Teachable was extremely helpful to me when I was starting up getting my products on the site. Their technical assistance, training and coaching was helpful. It was inspirational too. However, I am not making enough money off of my Teachable products to justify the expense and to justify how much time it takes to get products uploaded and sales pages set up. The site is cumbersome and there are so many steps involved with getting a product set up.”

 

Creating an online course with Teachable usually includes:

•                   Brainstorm ideas or find a topic

•                   Plan Your Course Structure and Curriculum

•                   Outline the course: Create a detailed structure, including modules, lessons, and learning objectives.

•                   Build your curriculum: Develop the content for each lesson, considering various formats like video, text, and downloadable resources.

•                   Decide on your delivery method: Will it be primarily video, audio, or a combination of formats?

•                   Create a new course: Follow the Teachable wizard to set up your course details, including title, description, and category.

•                   Upload your videos, text, PDFs, and other resources to your lessons and modules.

•                   Customize your course page: Make it visually appealing and informative, including a captivating cover image, description, and curriculum overview.

 

The reality is that this is hard to do, especially creating a detailed structure, including modules, lessons, and learning objectives—it can take hours, sometimes weeks or even months.

In contrast, ProductDyno makes it easy to create an online course. :

I’ll detail how you can use ProductDyno to create a course later, but first, you might want to learn more about ProductDyno or try it.

You can sign up for a free trial.

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

Note: Unlike Thinkific and Teachable, ProductDyno doesn’t take a percentage of your sales revenue.

 

Now let’s cover the downsides of Teachable course creation.

 

What Users Dislike About Teachable’s Course and Product Creation

One problem is that there’s very little guidance on how to design or structure your course. You’ll find tips on how to price your product high, but not on how to build it well. So you end up guessing your way through the process.

When using the text editor, you might face bugs— pages freeze. Sometimes you have to refresh just to continue writing. This slows you down and breaks your flow. You waste time fixing things instead of working on your content. That can be frustrating.

Another thing that bothers users is there’s no autosave. If your internet drops or a glitch happens, your text could vanish. Some users have hit enter and lost everything. So you could spend hours writing lessons, only to lose all that progress. It feels like starting from scratch each time.

You also can’t duplicate a single lesson. So you end up creating the same structure again and again manually. That adds extra work. You spend more time repeating tasks instead of focusing on your course content or engaging your students.

Another downside to consider is that the builder itself isn’t very smooth. Dragging, dropping, or moving sections takes effort. It’s not as clean or fast as you'd expect. This clunky design makes course building feel like a chore. You could easily get frustrated and give up halfway through.

And preparing courses, and setting up quizzes or assignments, takes a lot of time in Teachable because every step requires manual effort. So, it takes longer than it should.

 

Thinkific and Teachable may not be ideal for you, especially if you want to create online courses quickly.

ProductDyno makes it simple and easy to create an entire course —in minutes—with AI tools that help you to brainstorm ideas, structure your course, and create content even if you have no experience creating online courses.

Want to try it?

You can sign up for a free trial.

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

Note: Unlike Thinkific and Teachable, ProductDyno doesn’t take a percentage of your sales revenue.

 

ProductDyno Course and Product Creation

 

Unlike Thinkific and Teachable’s AI tools that can’t write your course for you, ProductDyno gives you built-in AI tools that let you plan and write an entire course—in minutes.

So, instead of spending weeks planning and building your course, you can finish everything in a few minutes—even if you're not tech-savvy or have never created a course online before.

Here’s what another user said about how ProductDyno makes it easy to create courses:

“I transferred my members area to Product Dyno from another site builder. This is so easy to build. I like the visual builder coz while building my members area, I can already see what it’s gonna look like. And my students like it.”- Liza Ramos, Liza’s Choice Network LLC

 

Regarding creating other products, there’s an intuitive interface and pre-made templates you can use to quickly setup so you can begin the product creation process in minutes.

 

This is what a user said:

 “Freakin' AWESOME!!

I am super impressed that ProductDyno really is so comprehensive that it contains all the things you need to get up and running quickly so you can help and satisfy your customers easily.”- Sumo-ling, AppSumo Verified Purchaser

Want to see how simple, easy, and quickly you can use ProductDyno to create and sell online courses and other digital products?  You can sign up for a free trial.

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

ProductDyno’s Features That Make It Easy For You to Create Courses

 

Content Calendar Creator

This feature lets you generate lots of ideas quickly so you can create quality content consistently to keep your learners hooked and coming back for more.

So you don’t need to spend endless hours brainstorming content ideas.

 

Ultimate Course Blueprint Designer

This tool helps you design comprehensive course outlines that cater to different learning styles.

So you don’t need to guess how you’re going to structure your course, saving you hours of work.

 

Lesson Content Wizard

ProductDyno’s Lesson Content Wizard guides you step-by-step to turn a simple topic into a complete, engaging, structured course.

For example, if you’re a digital marketing expert and you want to turn a rough idea like “email list growth” into a full lesson, you would:

(1) Open ProductDyno’s Lesson Content Wizard and type in your lesson topic—“Grow Your Email List.”

(2) Choose a content format (tips, step-by-step, case study, etc.) from a guided list of structures.

(3) Answer a few quick prompts to add your knowledge, insights, or examples—the wizard helps shape your lesson automatically.

(4) Add images, callouts, or downloadable resources in one click to keep your content visually engaging.

(5) Hit “Finish,” and your lesson is published as a polished, easy-to-follow module—ready for students.

 

Instant Course Builder

With just one click you can convert a course blueprint into a fully structured course.

For example, if you’re a fitness coach and you want to create a course quickly, you would:

(1) Paste the URL of your YouTube fitness videos, blog posts, or documents into the Instant Course Builder.

(2) Choose a title and short description for your course.

(3) Let ProductDyno auto-generate your course structure—each video or post becomes a lesson, grouped into modules.

(4) Drag-and-drop to reorder lessons or rename them, if needed.

(5) Hit “Publish” and your course is ready to sell or share—no extra formatting or design needed.

 

Uploading a Course You’ve Created Already

Unlike Thinkific and Teachable, where uploading products involves many steps and wastes time,  uploading products to ProductDyno is simple, easy, and doesn’t require technical skills.

You can quickly import content (PDFs, eBooks, infographics, videos, images, worksheets, etc.) into ProductDyno from an external server.

Here’s how:

Step 1: Log into ProductDyno and click “Create Product.”
Step 2: Turn on the “Enable External Content” option.
Step 3: Paste the URL of the first page your customers should see.
Step 4: Use the Visual Content Builder to customize the layout.
Step 5: Save and publish—your course is live and ready to sell!

 

Want to see how simple, easy, and quickly you can use ProductDyno to create and sell online courses and other digital products?  You can sign up for a free trial.

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

Thinkific vs. Teachable: Customization

 

Thinkific Customization

You can build your own course site on Thinkific using a simple drag-and-drop builder. 

There are 12 ready-made templates to choose from. Each one looks clean and professional, so you don’t have to start from scratch.

You also get three main design themes—Vision, Empire, and Vogue. These give you a solid base layout. From there, you can adjust almost everything.

You can customize courses on Thinkific, specifically the course player.

Thinkific also allows you to customize the color of the banner at the top of the course player to match your brand colors.

If you want to make the site feel like yours, you can add your own logo, pick your brand colors, and choose fonts that fit your style.

If you're on the Pro plan or higher ($319/month), you can even tweak things more by adding custom CSS.

Branding your logo, and even adding custom CSS (only available to those on the Start/Pro plans or higher) for broader visual adjustments, are doable.

 

What Users Dislike About Thinkific’s Customization

You can customize some parts, but you might hit a wall if you’re trying to create something truly unique to your brand.

A few things to keep in mind:

•        Adjusting space between elements can be tricky.

•        Full white labeling is locked behind the Grow plan ($149/month).

Some users have reported that it’s not easy to customize the course itself, course gallery, and landing pages.

This means the branding can feel off— and that’s not great when you’re trying to stand out in a crowded market.

Some features also require code. For example, changing the footer or making deeper layout changes often needs CSS skills.

And if you don’t have design skills, you may struggle to customize your site because Thinkific doesn’t provide examples of customized websites to guide you.

And if you're stuck, the help docs might not always have what you need. Some users have said they searched the help center but had to turn to Google for design samples and answers.

One frustrating thing is that you can only “white label” your site—fully remove Thinkific’s branding — if you're on the Grow plan. And that’s $149/month (billed yearly).

 

Teachable Customization

Teachable lets you change the look of your courses, communities, and landing pages—just like Thinkific. But your options are more limited. You only get two layout styles for your course: Simple and Colossal.

Their website builder doesn’t give you much freedom. You can’t move things around the way you want. That’s because most of the layout is fixed. So all Teachable sites end up looking almost the same.

Here’s why that matters:

•        Your site might not stand out.

•        Visitors may feel like they’ve seen it before.

•        Your brand could lose its identity.

For example, let’s say you’re launching a cooking course. You want it to look fresh and fun. But with the basic templates, you can’t add your flair. It may end up looking like a business course instead. That disconnect could turn off buyers.

You can connect your own domain, but only if you’re on the Pro plan. That costs $159/month (billed yearly).

If you want full design control, then you’ll need the Power Editor. That’s where you can use HTML, CSS, and Liquid to build the look you want.

But there's a catch. The Power Editor is part of the Business plan, which costs $249/month. And it’s not beginner-friendly. You’ll either need to know code—or hire someone who does. (A software developer will typically charge between $70 and $400+ per hour for their services).

Hiring a developer eats into your profits. For example, if your course earns $300/month and you’re paying $100 to a coder, that’s a third of your income gone.

 

What Users Dislike About Teachable’s Customization

Some users have expressed their frustration with the increasing cost of customizing your products with Teachable.

For example, one user shared their frustration about the pricing on TrustPilot, saying,

"The fact that Teachable is now charging a $665 monthly fee for creators to access their own custom code is ridiculous."

Other users also complain about how the page editor works:

•        You don’t get pre-made themes.

In short, if you want full control over your course site’s look and feel, Teachable may not be the most budget-friendly choice—especially if you're trying to grow without spending extra every month.

As an alternative to Thinkific and Teachable, ProductDyno gives you more customization options.

 

ProductDyno Customization

Unlike Thinkific and Teachable, ProductDyno’s drag-and-drop editor makes it easy to customize your products, without needing to spend more on a developer—even if you have no coding or design skills.

Just pick what you need and drop it where it belongs.

And instead of starting from scratch, you get modern, pre-designed layouts. That means you can launch fast—no need to spend hours tweaking every detail.

This helps you design pages the way you imagine them, without needing tech skills.

And you don’t have to build every section yourself. ProductDyno gives you access to over 65 ready-made blocks. These blocks are built for digital creators like you—perfect for courses, memberships, and landing pages.

Since the blocks are grouped by type, it’s easy to find exactly what you need. You don’t waste time searching. You just click, add, and move on.

You can personalize every part of your site:

•        Upload your logo

•        Set your brand color

•        Change fonts and colors

•        Add navigation, footers, taglines, and more

You also get five fully editable pre-made themes. Each one can be shaped to match your content.

Plus, you get to style your text, links, and headings with your chosen colors. Adding color this way helps your course look consistent and polished.

And with hundreds of fonts, your brand can truly stand out. You’ll find a typeface that fits your voice, whether playful, serious, or professional.

This means you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on custom development—you just unlock a library of pre-designed templates crafted specifically for online courses, memberships, and digital products.

 

Want to see how you can use these ProductDyno features to customize your online courses and other products?  You can sign up for a free trial.

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

Thinkific vs. Teachable: Teaching and Learning Experience

Inside Thinkific, Teachable, and ProductDyno, you’ll find features designed to create a smooth and engaging learning experience—like quizzes to test knowledge, certificates to celebrate progress, and automated emails to keep learners on track.

 

Thinkific: Teaching and Learning Experience

Thinkific offers live sessions. You can host Zoom calls right inside your course. You can also set up private coaching sessions or let your students leave feedback that others can see.

Thinkific also provides a built-in presentation tool to help you create slides without needing any extra software.

Students can also share their progress on social media. This is great for keeping them motivated and showing off your course at the same time.

Also, as students move through the course, they won’t get lost. For example, Thinkific adds short progress pages and breaks between modules.

Students can even learn on the go. The Thinkific mobile app is available on all plans, including the starter one. They’ll get alerts when new lessons unlock and notifications when there’s something new in the community.

 

What Users Dislike About Thinkific’s Teaching and Learning Experience

Despite these features, some users have reported that Thinkific doesn’t offer the best learning experience for students.

For example, a student can buy your course and be unable to enroll because of system glitches and you will lose trust, and money, as a result.

Also, you can’t copy, paste, or edit quizzes in Thinkific.

So if you’re building multiple similar quizzes, you have to create each one from scratch. That’s a huge time drain—especially if you’re managing several courses at once.

Another course creator said the built-in gamification is too simple to keep students engaged and so you’ll have to incur extra costs if you want to engage your students.

For example, the user mentioned above had to buy extra plugins to add interactive elements like points, badges, and leaderboards.

Without those tools, students may lose interest halfway through the course, stop engaging, and may ask for refunds.

If you buy them, you’ll spend more time to set these plugins up.

Also, note that you’ll pay between $10 and $200/month for these extra tools. That’s more cost.

Some instructors have also faced technical hiccups. For example, one teacher tried to reply to a student’s long post but the message didn’t go through. That kind of bug can create confusion or make students feel ignored.

Here are more common issues users have shared:

•        Quizzes are very limited

You only get true/false and multiple choice. There are no timers or retry limits. If you want to upgrade, Thinkific integrates with Brillium, but it’ll cost you at least $399/$499 per month just for that added function.

•        Certificates are too basic

To customize a certificate or add your signature, you’ll need graphic design skills and coding knowledge. Without that, the certificates may look unprofessional, and students might not value them.

•        Progress tracking is confusing

Some students don’t understand how far they’ve gone in a course. Replay options are also hard to find. That leads to students feeling lost and not completing the course.

•        No built-in email tools

You can’t manage student emails easily from Thinkific. And integrations with contact management systems are limited. That means you’ll need a separate tool like Mailchimp or ConvertKit, which adds extra costs and setup.

 

Teachable Learning Experience

Teachable gives you several tools to make your course more engaging and interactive. For example, you can use live video to teach in real time, share assignments, and even track how your students are doing.

Teachable also allows you to check whether your students understand your courses. For example, you can create quizzes with multiple-choice questions. But each question can only have one correct answer. That means you can’t let students explain things in their own words.

Also, if you're on the Basic plan, your quizzes won’t be graded. You’ll need the Professional plan ($159/month) to get that feature.

There are other tools you can use. For example, you can assign tasks to your learners. This helps them stay active and apply what they’ve learned instead of just watching videos.

Getting feedback is simple too. For example, you can add forms or enable comments on your lectures. But if you want to have full conversations with students, you’ll need to upgrade to a plan that costs around $665 per month (billed yearly).

Here’s what else you can do:

•        Track basic student progress.

•        Send course updates and news through email (though some users say this feature sometimes acts up).

•        Give out completion certificates when a student finishes your course.

It’s flexible, but some features cost extra.

 

What Users Dislike About Teachable’s Learning Experience

Several learners and instructors have shared frustrating experiences that you might want to know about before committing.

For example, some students have a hard time logging into Teachable after they buy a course. This is what one reviewer said on TrustPilot:

“I was only able to access the course once, after which any attempt to sign in received an “incorrect password” or ‘incorrect login’ message. I made at least 20 attempts. I reached out to customer service but was sent in circles, as many other reviewers have stated.”

And on Software Advice, a student shared a similar experience, saying:

“I have never been able to get into a music course that I purchased from them. I am currently unable to access another course I have purchased and a week and no response. I am disgusted by them.”

 

Here are some other downsides users have shared:

·       You cannot see the results of assessments unless you are on the highest tier ($249/month).

·       You cannot have discussions with students unless you are on the highest tier.

·       You can’t do live workshops

·       You can’t set learning goals

·       There are no projects and portfolios for courses

·       Documents can’t be uploaded in the discussion area

·       The web app crashes a lot when you upload videos in bulk

·       Even on high speed internet videos can take about 2 hours to upload

 

And the bulk uploader is completely unreliable.

If uploading content becomes a full-day task, it delays your course launch. You waste time and energy, which could be better spent improving your course.

That’s not all. Your students can get confused once you try to switch between educators. You can lose access to courses because the dashboard isn’t intuitive enough to guide you.

As a result, your students can lose learning time, they may give up, and you might lose loyal customers.

Progress tracking is too basic for growing schools. You can only see individual student logins, one at a time. There’s no way to view a list of inactive students or get a big-picture view of progress across the whole school. So it’s tough to improve your course. You can’t support struggling students or see trends, which makes growing your school harder.

 

In contrast, it’s easy to login to ProductDyno, you can use the webinar integrations do live workshops, you can set learning goals, and they’ve got a great quiz feature.

 

Want to see how you can use ProductDyno to create a great learning experience for your students and yourself?  You can sign up for a free trial.

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

ProductDyno Teaching and Learning Experience

ProductDyno offers features that make it simple and easy for you to create an engaging instructor-learner relationship.

 

Interactive Quizzes

You can keep learners engaged by inserting interactive quizzes within their courses or memberships to enable you assess and evaluate if your students understanding what you teaching them.

These quizzes can be placed inside any course or membership product, helping you boost engagement and reinforce learning directly inside the platform.

This means you can gain valuable data on the performance of individual students and the overall progress of your students.

As a result, you can tailor your teaching approach and provide targeted support to struggling students, as well as continuously improve your course content.

 

Direct Messaging

 

With this feature, you can message your customers or students directly—without needing third-party tools.

This means you can offer personal support, answer questions, or send private encouragement from right inside your dashboard.

 

Here’s what a creator said about the quiz and direct messaging features on AppSumo:

“I like ProductDyno, because it is easy to build courses with UI builder and dynamic check as you build. It has all the bells and whistles. Also, the direct message, quiz and referral marketing system is a boon to any creator.”- Sridhar Rayasam, Mindchannel Educational Services

 

Here’s what another creator said about ProductDyno on AppSumo:

“I purchased this to try the LMS module, and I was not disappointed. I’ve tried all the e-learning platforms offered on AppSumo and this is the only one I plan to keep. It is easy to set up, has great options for editing content and adding quizzes, etc.

Whether you are selling digital products or are planning to use this for the LMS, I think this is a product well worth the cost – one of the best deals I’ve ever bought on AppSumo!”- therealmarv

 

Engaging Discussions

ProductDyno also offers built-in Engaging Discussions for each product or membership.

This lets you host student conversations, get feedback, and build a strong learning community—all without needing external forums or tools.

 

Progress Tracker

ProductDyno’s progress tracker shows learners exactly where they are in a course, which lessons they’ve completed, and what’s left to do.

The progress tracker comes with a progress bar. Increments in the progress bar compels the students to complete more modules and complete the whole course.

Students can use it to manage their learning pace and set personal goals.

This keeps them focused and gives a clear sense of accomplishment. It’s a built-in motivator that helps reduce drop-offs and encourages course completion.

And you can gain valuable insights on student engagement and completion rates to identify and support learners who’re struggling to understand the course, and appreciate the fast learners.

 

ProductDyno’s Personalized Certificate Feature

 

ProductDyno’s Personalized Certificate feature lets you set specific criteria learners must meet before earning a certificate.

This adds a sense of achievement and pushes learners to complete your content with purpose.

Want to see how you can use these ProductDyno features to create a great learning experience for your students?  You can sign up for a free trial.

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

Thinkific vs. Teachable:  Community Building

 

Thinkific Community Building

Thinkific has a Facebook group—but that pulls your students away from the platform itself.

This means your students’ learning flow will be broken, they may engage in unrelated discussions on social media and lose focus, and they can feel disconnected from the course experience.

And while Thinkific offers discussion forums, it’s not the kind of interactive space where real conversations or connections happen. To get more out of it, you’d need to rely on third-party tools or integrations.

Here’s what one user said about this on TrustPilot:

 

“I don't like that it doesn't have an easy-to-use built-in discussion area. We have to create another login with Disqus to leave comments or open a discussion. Instead of staying within the platform, this drives most of the discussions to the Facebook group instead.”

 

While Thinkific allows for scheduling live events and webinars, it doesn't offer native live streaming capabilities.

So if you want to host community events like Q&As or live sessions, you’ll need to integrate third-party tools like Zoom or Circle. This can add extra cost and complexity, especially for creators who want a simple, all-in-one solution.

Also, Thinkific doesn’t offer tagging, live chat, subtopics, and real-time notifications—so the interaction feels slow and one-sided. Some creators have complained that students don’t even notice when someone replies to them.

So, if keeping your students engaged and connected right inside your course is a big deal for you, Thinkific’s built-in options might not be enough.

 

What Users Dislike About Thinkific’s Community Building

Some users have complained that you can’t interact with other students on the platform. You’re left learning alone, without a space to ask questions, share wins, or get help.

So your students may miss out on peer support, idea sharing, and motivation from others on the same journey.

This creates a lonely learning experience. This lack of community can lead to disengagement, reduced course completion rates, and a weaker overall learning environment.

Someone else described the discussion area as “terrible” and wished Thinkific would team up with something better.

 

Teachable Community Building

Unlike Thinkific, Teachable doesn't offer a built-in online community feature.

So, if you want to engage with your students, you must use a third-party application.

For example, you can create a community on Circle.io and then connect your school to it, which significantly adds to the cost (Circle.io will cost you between $99/month and $399/month).    

However, Teachable gives you a private space for your creator community. And under each lesson, there’s a spot where you or your students can leave comments. This feature is available to schools on all the paid plans. 

Here are other features Teachable offers:

·         Lecture Commenting: Students can comment on course lectures and videos. 

·         Announcements and Emails: You can use these features to share updates, provide support, and engage with students. 

·         Cohorts: Teachable's cohort-based courses allow for the creation of a more intimate and supportive community around a specific group of students. 

Also, within your community, you can create topics and categories to help organize conversations and discussions.

And within the categories, you can post topics to encourage discussions, create groups, read personal messages of your learners, and moderate and edit posts.

On the other hand, your students can only post comments and posts in your community.

Teachable also offers a direct messaging feature that allows your students to send direct messages to each other. When toggled off, you can send messages to your students and they can respond, but they can’t start messages themselves.

 

What Users Dislike About Teachable’s Community Building

You get a private community area, yes—but there’s no live chat or real-time engagement. That makes it hard to spark meaningful conversations or build a strong bond with your students.

Second, the lesson comment section only allows static comments. It feels more like a bulletin board than a place to talk. There’s no back-and-forth flow, which makes discussions feel one-sided.

Third, users often complain that there’s no notification system for new replies in the comments. So, your students might never even see responses unless they keep checking back manually.

Fourth, to get better engagement, you’ll have to rely on outside platforms like Circle or Facebook Groups. This pulls students away from your course and can cause distractions or drop-offs.

Lastly, many course creators feel frustrated that Teachable doesn’t offer any gamification features like badges or leaderboards. These small additions could boost interaction, but they’re missing completely.

   

Unlike Thinkific and Teachable, ProductDyno provides built-in interactive spaces where you can communicate directly with your learners and have conversations and discussions.

 

Want to see how you can use these ProductDyno features to create and sell online courses and build a learning community?  You can sign up for a free trial.

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

ProductDyno Community Building

 

Community Catalyst

ProductDyno’s Community Catalyst feature allows you to host discussions right within the platform, let students ask questions, share ideas, and support one another—without needing to rely on Facebook or Circle.

Everything happens in one place so your students stay focused, engaged, and immersed in your content.

This kind of seamless, built-in interaction creates a sense of belonging and accountability, which drives course completion and long-term loyalty.

 

Event Excellence

ProductDyno’s Event Excellence feature makes it easy to run live sessions, virtual events, webinars, and workshops—all from inside your membership site.

You don’t have to juggle Zoom links or third-party integrations that complicate your workflow.

Members get notified, show up in the same environment they learn in, and connect with you and others in real-time.

No missed replies. No static comment sections. No clunky message systems. Just fluid, dynamic, interactive experiences.

These features help you build not just a course, but a true community—where every message gets seen, every voice matters, and every member feels like they belong.

That’s something you can’t get from Thinkific or Teachable’s disjointed tools.

Want to see how you can use these ProductDyno features to create and sell online courses and build a learning community?  You can sign up for a free trial.

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

Thinkific vs. Teachable: Sales and Marketing

 

Thinkific Sales and Marketing

Thinkific lets you offer different types of courses. You can create free courses to build trust and grow your audience.

You can also create paid courses to help you make money from your knowledge.

Time-limited ones create urgency and can boost signups. For example, you can give students 7-day access to test your content and then offer an upgrade.

You can also run discounts and promotions. Use coupons to attract new students or reward loyal ones.

You’re allowed to bundle courses too. For example, if you sell three separate lessons, you can package them as one and offer a better price. Subscriptions help you earn recurring income each month.

Regarding marketing, Thinkific connects with email tools like Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, and Constant Contact. These apps make it easy to collect emails and send updates.

 

Other tools can help you sell your products:

·       You can use SEO to show up in Google.

·       You can add order bumps (add-ons like a workbook or bonus video) during the checkout process to help increase your average order value because customers can add something extra with a single click — without disrupting their purchase flow.

·       Thinkific integrates with Spotify Course Marketplace, allowing your course to be discovered by Spotify’s massive global audience.

·       Abandoned Cart Emails: Thinkific automatically sends emails to people who started to check out but didn’t finish. This gives you a second chance to recover lost sales by reminding them to complete their purchase.

·       Affiliate Marketing: Thinkific allows you to create your own affiliate program. You can invite students or influencers to promote your courses and earn a commission for each sale they refer.

 

Email Marketing & Automation
While basic, Thinkific’s built-in email tools allow you to communicate with students directly.

You can send onboarding emails, course updates, or promotional messages.

For advanced workflows, you can integrate with tools like ConvertKit or Mailchimp to create behavior-based sequences that nurture leads and drive sales automatically.

Also, you can download apps such as ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp, and Constant Contact from the Thinkific app store to help you build an email list.

 

What Users Dislike About Thinkific’s Sales and Marketing

Sales Funnel Limitations: Thinkific doesn't include a built-in sales funnel builder. This means you'll need to invest in additional tools like ClickFunnels or Leadpages, which can cost between $97 and $297 per month.

Email Marketing: There's no integrated email marketing system. To manage email campaigns, you'll need email marketing tools (You’ll spend about $25/month on that).

Additionally, you’ll need:

•        A software as a Service (SaaS) tool that helps businesses create, manage, and optimize sales funnels. That will cost you from $127/month.

•        Tools for customer relationship management, IT service management, and e-commerce marketing. That will cost you from $15/month.

•        There’s no native blog feature, which can hinder SEO efforts and lead to a fragmented content strategy. So you’ll need an SEO tool. You will spend at least $139.95/month on that.

All the tools you’ll need will cost you an extra $250+/month.

 

Teachable Sales and Marketing

In Teachable, you can also add “order bumps”.

You can also upsell, but some users have reported that the mechanics are clunky.

Teachable also lets you set up affiliate links or let your students refer others, but Affiliates are not available on the Basic plan. You need to upgrade your Teachable account to the Professional plan ($249/month) to access this feature.

Teachable has email automation, but some users have reported that it’s useless (you can’t use it for email marketing).

That means you’re going to need AT LEAST:

•        A SaaS tool to create, manage, and optimize sales funnels (That’ll cost you from $127/month).

•        Tools for customer relationship management, IT service management, and e-commerce marketing (That’ll cost you about $15/month).

•        An SEO tool (Depending on the tool you choose, you may need at least $139.95/month for that).

All the tools you’ll need will cost you an extra $250+/month.

What Users Dislike About Teachable’s Sales and Marketing

Some users have reported how frustrating it is to offer gift certificates. The process isn’t automated. So you have to handle everything manually—track codes, send emails, process redemptions. This can waste your time.

Another thing that bothers users is the absence of a contact form. This means important questions can get lost in inbox clutter, and you may miss out on potential sales.

And you’ll have to pay at least $10 a month if you want a white-labeled contact form.

Email automation is another problem. You can send one-time updates to students, but can’t send sequences or welcome flows.

That’s a huge gap when you’re trying to build trust or recover abandoned checkouts.

Another con is that you can’t customize the checkout. You can’t change much or add your own tracking code.

And there’s no option for a two-step checkout either. This means you can’t send cart abandonment emails to improve conversions.

 

If these Thinkific and Teachable sales and marketing feature gaps and cons are a deal-breaker for you, then you’ll want to take a look at ProductDyno, which makes it simple and easy to create, market, and sell online courses and other digital products.

You can sign up for a free trial.

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

ProductDyno Sales and Marketing

ProductDyno offers a comprehensive suite of sales and marketing features designed to help you effectively promote and sell your digital products.

Here's an overview of its key functionalities:

 

Email Marketing

Although ProductDyno doesn’t have a built-in email marketing tool, it integrates seamlessly with 40+ email marketing platforms including:

·       Aweber

·       ConvertKit

·       ActiveCampaign

·       GetResponse

·       Drip

·       Mailchimp

·       SendFox

·       And many more...

 

ProductDyno’s email ecosystem is fully automated and customizable.

The system automatically sends emails when someone signs up, makes a purchase, or completes a lesson to help you boost engagement, loyalty, and sales without juggling multiple complicated tech setups.

One feature that sets ProductDyno apart from Thinkific and Teachable is the ability to control who accesses your courses and other products to enable you offer region-specific pricing or cater to specific international markets.

For example, if you're a creator in the US selling a premium course, you can offer it at full price to your US audience while setting a lower, region-specific price for users in developing countries.

This helps you stay competitive globally without undervaluing your content at home.

You’re able to grow your international customer base, increase sales from price-sensitive markets, and still maintain your brand value in higher-income regions—all while having full control over who sees and buys your products.

This feature also allows you to block unwanted emails so you can prevent spammers from accessing your courses, preventing loss of revenue.

 

Sales Funnel Builder

ProductDyno includes features that creators can use to build an effective sales funnel.

These include customizable product delivery pages, integrations with email marketing platforms, checkout options via third-party tools like ThriveCart, and built-in upsell/downsell flows.

You can create landing pages, connect opt-in pages, trigger automated email sequences, offer limited-time deals, manage upsells and downsells—all from one dashboard— and direct users through a funnel that ends with product access inside a secure membership area.

So you won’t need to pay for additional software to sell your products —and that can save you hundreds of dollars monthly.

Creators can link a lead magnet opt-in form to an email list (via integrations like ConvertKit or MailerLite), send automated emails, and redirect subscribers to a one-time offer (OTO) page—this acts as the upsell.

After purchase, customers are taken to a secure delivery page built with ProductDyno.

If you want to pitch an upgrade you can embed a second offer or link to another product right inside the delivery page.

For example, a course creator might offer a free checklist via an opt-in form, then immediately pitch a low-cost video training, and finally promote a high-ticket coaching program after purchase.   

Or you can give away a free ebook, offer a $27 mini-course as an OTO, then upsell a $197 masterclass.

Each step is handled within ProductDyno or with minimal third-party tools.

This streamlined approach makes it easier to track conversions, reduce tech headaches, and keep everything under one roof—boosting sales without boosting costs.

This built-in funnel system helps you reduce tech overwhelm, save on monthly software costs, and focus on maximizing sales.

 

List Building

With ProductDyno, you can easily "front end" a series of paid products with a free lead magnet, creating a seamless path from free to paid offers.

Let’s say you’ve created a free ebook titled “10 Proven Strategies to Start a Profitable Online Course.” First, upload the ebook to ProductDyno and set it up as a free product. ProductDyno lets you gate the content behind an opt-in form, so users must enter their email address before gaining access.

Next, connect ProductDyno to your preferred email marketing platform—like ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign, or Mailchimp.

This way, when someone signs up for the lead magnet, their email is automatically added to your mailing list and can trigger a welcome sequence or follow-up campaign.

ProductDyno gives you a direct link or embed code for your lead magnet’s signup form. You can share this link in blog posts, on social media, in YouTube video descriptions, or even run ads to drive traffic to it.

You can also create multiple lead magnets—like checklists, templates, or mini-courses—and organize them in your ProductDyno dashboard. Each lead magnet becomes an entry point to grow your list and introduce people to your paid offers.

This strategy helps you build a targeted email list, nurture leads with valuable content, and eventually convert them into paying customers—all within ProductDyno’s ecosystem.

This strategy not only helps you quickly grow your email list, but also builds trust by offering immediate value.

Once a subscriber opts in, they’re naturally guided to discover your other relevant products, making them more likely to buy.

It's an effortless way to warm up cold leads, increase conversions, and maximize the lifetime value of every subscriber—all without needing complicated funnels or expensive third-party tools.

 

Collections

 

One notable feature that sets ProductDyno apart from Thinkific and Teachable is the collections feature.

Unlike on Thinkific and Teachable where each product feels isolated, ProductDyno’s Collections feature helps creators market smarter by organizing and selling related products under one branded experience.

So your customers who buy one product can instantly discover and buy others, boosting your lifetime value per customer without extra effort.

That means upsells, bonuses, and new launches become part of a natural flow—no complicated tech setups needed.

So your customers can instantly access products they own, explore related offers, and upgrade easily without becoming confused.

 

How Collections Work

For example, you can group:

Multi-Product Courses

Let’s say you offer three separate courses on freelancing—beginner, intermediate, and advanced.

With ProductDyno’s Collections, you can group them under one branded dashboard called “Freelancing Mastery.”

Your customers can access each level from one login, making it easier to learn progressively and encouraging them to complete and purchase all levels.

You Can Group A Free Module And A Paid Module

You might offer a free introductory module on copywriting basics to attract new users.

Once inside the “Copywriting Crash Course” Collection, learners see paid modules like “Sales Copy Mastery” and “Email Marketing Secrets.” This setup encourages natural upsells as users transition from free content to more valuable, paid training.

Group Basic Modules and Advanced Modules

For example, if you teach coding, your Collection could start with “HTML & CSS Basics” and move into advanced modules like “JavaScript Pro” and “Backend Development.”

Students gain access through one login and are more likely to keep learning—and buying—because the next level is always just a click away.

Products In A Sales Funnel (Front-End, Order Bump, Upsells, Downsells)

For example, you can sell an ebook as a front-end offer, offer a cheat sheet as an order bump, then upsell a video series and down-sell a workbook.

With ProductDyno, all these products can live inside one Collection—so buyers see the full suite immediately and are more likely to buy more over time.

Series Of Images Or Videos

Imagine you sell stock photography or video tutorials.

Instead of sending multiple links or access codes, you create a “Nature Footage Pack” Collection that includes all your mountain, ocean, and forest clips.

Buyers can browse everything from one dashboard, making your content more accessible and that can increase repeat purchases.

One Product In Multiple Languages

If you sell a digital planner in English, French, and Spanish, ProductDyno lets you group all versions into one Collection.

Buyers can choose their preferred language from a single dashboard. This prevents confusion, supports international customers better, and keeps your brand experience smooth across different regions.

And because this feature is dynamic, you can add new collections over time to increase upsell opportunities.

You can add a Tag to the Collection so you can easily find it when they become many. For example you can tag a collection "live", "in progress", "paused", etc.

ProductDyno allows you to brand the collection with your brand colors to reinforce your brand identity, and makes your products look more premium.

It also helps customers recognize your content instantly, increasing engagement, repeat purchases, and overall perceived value of your offers.

 

Here’s what one creator said about ProductDyno’s collections feature:

“It allows you to setup collections which follows a new method of marketing that I’ve been testing and teaching recently to convert prospects into die-hard fans when you mix products and good content marketing together. I highly recommend ProductDyno to anyone wanting to securely deliver their content online and have everything in one place!”- Stephen Luc, NonStop Info Publishing LLC

 

And this user adds:

“Bundling collections is a USP and can help you cross sell a lot and it is a good tool to build a hub. This is a huge value for your money. Please use it and make money.”- Sridhar Rayasam, Mindchannel Educational Services

 

ProductDyno Clone Feature

One other feature that ProductDyno has, that Thinkific and Teachable don’t have, is the clone feature.

Unlike Thinkific or Teachable, which focus mostly on course duplication with limited settings carryover, ProductDyno lets creators instantly clone products—in just a few clicks.

This means you can create a new course, membership, or download area without starting from scratch.

It’s ideal for creators managing multiple products or versions.

Here’s how it helps and how to use it strategically:

Benefits of ProductDyno’s Clone Feature for Creators

1.      Saves time and effort

·       Instantly duplicate an entire product setup (content, integrations, delivery settings).

·       No need to recreate email sequences, membership access, payment settings, or layouts from scratch.

2.      Faster product launches

·       Launch new products or mini-courses in minutes by cloning a proven setup.

·       Ideal for bundling products or launching quickly during trends.

·       Useful for creators who sell in niches that demand constant content (e.g., digital marketing, templates, tutorials).

3.      A/B testing made easier

·       Clone a product, tweak the pricing, headlines, or bonuses, and compare which one converts better.

 

How Creators Can Use the Clone Feature to Make More Money

•        Sell product variations: Clone a digital course and adjust the bonus materials for a “Pro” version with a higher price tag.

•        Offer limited-time versions: Clone and edit for seasonal or event-specific campaigns (e.g., “Black Friday version”).

•        Create niche-specific editions: Clone your main product and tweak the messaging to target different audiences (e.g., coaches, writers, designers).

•        Build product bundles: Clone individual mini-courses, combine them into a new “bundle,” and sell it at a premium.

•        Create quick tripwire offers: Clone an existing product, strip it down to one juicy piece of content, and use it as a low-cost entry offer.

Word Of Mouth Big Audience Targeter (W.O.M.B.A.T.)

Thinkific and Teachable support affiliate marketing, but they often require manual setup, rely on third-party tools for advanced tracking, and focus mainly on flat referral commissions.

They're functional but not flexible or intuitive, especially for non-tech users.

ProductDyno’s WOMBAT feature, on the other hand, is a fully integrated viral marketing engine inside ProductDyno.

It goes beyond traditional affiliate systems by letting you create viral campaigns that reward customers, subscribers, and leads for sharing your product.

You can offer customizable incentives—like bonus products, discount coupons, or access to premium content—based on actions like referrals, signups, shares, and purchases.

This creates a built-in viral loop: people not only buy your product but also help promote it for rewards.

That means more traffic, leads, and sales—without spending extra on ads or managing complex affiliate programs.

Wombat turns your customers into marketers automatically. It helps you grow faster by rewarding word-of-mouth, which is more trusted and effective than traditional advertising—something Thinkific and Teachable simply don’t offer at the same level.

Thanks to the drag-and-drop editor, you can launch your first campaign in minutes—even if you're not a techie.

ProductDyno’s Word Of Mouth Big Audience Targeter (W.O.M.B.A.T.) makes word-of-mouth marketing easy, automatic, and scalable.

It transforms your happy customers into active promoters—without you lifting a finger.

You can set up dynamic landing pages, pop-ups, milestone rewards, and fully automated email campaigns in one place—no tech headaches.

The entire system is customizable. From Welcome emails to Reward Unlock notifications, everything can be branded your way. You also get a library of ready-to-go viral templates.

You can set up both referral and milestone campaigns that run hands-off in the background.

For example, with one click, users can share customized promotional messages on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Email. This massively multiplies your brand reach with no extra effort from you.

You control the message and the design, ensuring that every share looks professional, on-brand, and drives more referrals your way.

And you can track your campaigns through a live dashboard that shows real-time performance.

 

ProductDyno’s Retention Renegade

ProductDyno’s Retention Renegade gives you tools, templates, and automated workflows to encourage renewals, reward engagement, and re-engage at-risk members before they cancel.

For example, you can set up automated win-back campaigns, loyalty incentives, and check-in messages that show members you care and remind them why they joined.

Retention Renegade makes it easy to build relationships that last to enable you receive predictable income stream while spending less time stressing over cancellations and refunds.

 

How to Use ProductDyno’s Retention Renegade to Easily Retain Customers

Here’s how it works:

 (1) Identify your retention triggers:

Inside your ProductDyno dashboard, define key moments that matter—such as renewal dates, login inactivity, or milestone achievements.

(2) Create automated workflows:

Use the Retention Renegade’s templates to set up automated emails, reward campaigns, and reminder messages that trigger based on customer behavior.

(3) Offer loyalty rewards and perks:

Easily add loyalty bonuses, surprise discounts, or exclusive content unlocks for customers who stay subscribed or hit engagement milestones.

(4) Re-engage inactive members:

Automatically send personalized check-ins or win-back offers to customers who haven’t logged in or interacted with your product for a set period.

(5) Monitor and optimize your retention campaigns:

Track your retention stats right inside ProductDyno, tweak your messaging or offers, and keep fine-tuning your strategy to maximize long-term customer commitment.

With the Retention Renegade, you create a stronger bond with your audience, increase recurring revenue, and build a thriving, loyal customer base without needing a separate retention team or expensive tools.

 

SEO

ProductDyno offers several features that can enhance the visibility of your online courses and digital products, thereby supporting your SEO efforts.

 

SEO-Friendly Features in ProductDyno

1.      Custom Domains and Subdomains: ProductDyno allows you to set up custom domains or subdomains for your products and collections. This capability enables you to create branded URLs, which can improve your site's credibility and search engine rankings.

2.      Custom Code Integration: The platform supports the addition of custom JavaScript and CSS code. This feature allows you to insert SEO-related elements such as meta tags, structured data, and other scripts that can enhance your site's search engine visibility.

3.      Landing Page Builder: ProductDyno includes a landing page builder that lets you create visually appealing and content-rich pages. Well-structured and informative landing pages are more likely to rank higher in search engine results, thereby increasing the visibility of your courses and products.

4.      Content Management: The platform's content builder allows you to add unlimited text, images, videos, and other media types to your content. Rich and diverse content can enhance user engagement and dwell time, which are positive signals for search engine algorithms.

 

ProductDyno’s Cross-Sell and Down-Sell Features

Unlike Thinkific and Teachable—which only offer upsells—ProductDyno lets you create both cross-sell and down-sell offers.

Cross-sells let you suggest related products after a customer’s initial purchase. For example, if someone buys your premium online course, you can cross-sell a related eBook or tool.

Down-sells help you recover potential lost sales by offering a lower-cost alternative if someone declines your original offer.

For example, if someone declines the premium course, you can down-sell a mini version at a lower price.

This flexibility helps you maximize every sales opportunity, reduce cart abandonment, and boost total revenue—all without needing complex external funnel builders.

In short, ProductDyno doesn’t just help you make the sale—it helps you make more from every visitor, something Thinkific and Teachable simply can't match.

 

Want to see how you can use ProductDyno to create, market, and sell online courses and other digital products?  You can sign up for a free trial.

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

ProductDyno Checkout Pages

Each ProductDyno checkout template is optimized specifically for digital product sales, meaning faster setup and higher conversions.

Whether you're selling ebooks, courses, memberships, or software licenses, the templates are designed to guide buyers smoothly through the purchase process—reducing friction, building trust, and helping you close more sales effortlessly.

ProductDyno offers other tools to enhance marketing and boost sales:

 

Other Helpful ProductDyno Sales and Marketing Features

 

AI Text Editor

You can use it to craft any content instantly—titles, CTAs, or full paragraphs—right inside the editor.

Just choose the tone, add context, and let the AI generate text you can easily insert into your course, membership, or email.

You can use this feature to quickly generate persuasive email sequences that nurture leads and convert them into paying members.

 

Sales Video Script Magician

ProductDyno’s Sales Video Script Magician is a guided wizard that lets you create structured video scripts like the pros use—whether it’s for a VSL, webinar, or YouTube ad.

The Magician helps you build narratives—introductions that grab attention, middle sections that build value, and calls-to-action that feel irresistible.

You don’t just talk about your product. You create desire, handle objections, and compel the viewer to take action.

Instead of struggling to figure out what to say, it walks you through crafting an engaging story that hooks your audience, builds emotional connection, and naturally leads them to buy your course.

So you don't waste hours second-guessing your script or hiring expensive copywriters.

Plus, your videos won’t feel salesy—they'll feel like natural conversations that convert.

The tool walks you through each section of your video with prompts that help you nail the messaging.

You plug in details about your offer, your audience’s struggles, your unique promise—and the Magician spins it into a compelling, high-converting script. No video or copywriting experience needed.

Thinkific and Teachable don’t give you a step-by-step storytelling tool that’s specifically optimized to persuade viewers of your courses to become paying customers.

 

How to Use ProductDyno’s Sales Video Script Magician

Here’s how it works:

(1) Choose the video type — Pick the style of video you want to create (e.g., VSL, webinar pitch, launch teaser).

(2) Answer guided prompts — Fill in short prompts about your product, target audience, biggest benefits, and any objections you want to handle.

(3) Let the tool generate your script — Instantly get a complete, persuasive script that uses emotional storytelling, addresses pain points, and builds excitement.

(4) Customize and fine-tune — Edit the script if needed to match your brand’s voice or add personal touches.

(5) Use the script to record your video — Record your video using the script, upload it to your ProductDyno-secured product page, and ensure that only paying customers can access it.

You’ll have a persuasive, professional-grade sales video without needing a degree in marketing or spending weeks writing.

No need to hire an expensive copywriter or guess your way through scripting. ProductDyno gives you everything: the hook, the emotional arc, the close. All tailored for your niche and product.

 

Sell Your Products Anywhere—Your Way

One big difference between ProductDyno, and Thinkific and Teachable, is that ProductDyno allows you to sell your products through your own website, email, social media, JV platforms, or affiliate links without limits.

On the other hand, Teachable and Thinkific limit you to their ecosystem more tightly.

The lack of flexibility with Teachable and Thinkific means you can’t sell third-party products or external offers, which limits your income streams.

You’re locked into promoting only what you build on their platform, restricting growth, cross-promotions, and the ability to build a diverse digital product business.

In contrast, ProductDyno's flexibility  gives you total control over your sales strategy. You can reach customers anywhere—through your website, emails, social media, or partners—without platform restrictions.

It boosts your exposure, increases sales opportunities, supports affiliate marketing, and lets you grow your business your way, without being locked into a single ecosystem.

 

Want to see how simple, easy, and quickly you can use ProductDyno to create, market, and sell online courses and other digital products?  You can sign up for a free trial.

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

Thinkific vs. Teachable: Marketing and Sales Data Analytics and Reporting

 

Thinkific Marketing and Sales Data Analytics and Reporting

Thinkific offers a number of dashboards where you can track marketing, enrollment, orders, revenue, and engagement.

This means you constantly have to switch between different areas to see how your business is performing.

It’s time-consuming and confusing, especially if you’re trying to quickly spot trends or fix a drop in sales.

Important data like traffic sources, conversion rates, or email performance aren’t always easy to find in one place.

This scattered setup can lead to poor decision-making, missed opportunities, and slower growth.

For busy creators, it can be frustrating—and it makes scaling your business much harder than it needs to be.

 

Data You Get

You get insights on:

·       which marketing channels drive the most traffic and conversions

·       visitor activity and conversion

·       how each landing page is performing

·       how many visitors turn into leads or customers

 

Thinkific also lets you:

·       track your sales and orders

·       view the total number of orders and sales

·       see which products generate the most income

·       Track your revenue over different periods with revenue reports

 

You can also create custom reports, as well as divide data into segments for better visual presentation and analysis.

Thinkific’s analytics are visually appealing, but mostly descriptive. They show you what happened, not what to do next.

That kind of “rearview mirror” analysis is limiting when you're trying to grow a digital product business in real time.

Custom reports in Thinkific are only available on higher-tier plans, making data segmentation inaccessible for many small creators.

 

Teachable Marketing and Sales Data Analytics and Reporting Features

Teachable allows you to track total sales, earnings, refunds, chargebacks, affiliate commissions, and payouts.

You can also identify best-selling courses and understand seasonal trends.

Teachable also lets you analyze which marketing strategies are driving sales.

Teachable integrates with Retool, which allows you to see information such as:

·       the number of successful transactions over a specified  period  of time (daily, weekly, monthly, or annual interval), name of the buyer, the type of product bought, etc.

·       the number of refunds over time (daily, weekly, monthly, or annual basis).

·       total number of active subscribers

·       monthly revenue from recurring products over the past two years

·       The percentage of students who continue their subscriptions at the end of a billing cycle, within a specified window of time.

·       The number of subscriptions or memberships that were canceled within a specific time-frame.

·       The percentage of subscribers whose subscriptions expire within a specified period of time.

·       A comparison chart of new subscribers vs. churned subscribers over a given period (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.).

 

This reliance on Retool adds complexity, slows decision-making, and increases the learning curve.

For example, you may struggle to track key performance metrics in real time, miss growth opportunities, or delay important marketing adjustments—ultimately impacting sales and customer retention.

It also means extra costs and time spent managing multiple tools instead of creating.

Also, advanced features like conversion tracking or funnel visualization often require third-party integrations, such as Google Analytics or Retool, which can be confusing or costly for non-technical users.

Teachable’s more robust analytics (like coupon and conversion tracking) rely on Retool—a separate platform that requires a separate setup and login. This fragmented approach creates friction and slows down decision-making.

As a result, you risk missing out on key growth opportunities, like knowing which marketing campaigns drive the highest LTV (lifetime value), or identifying drop-off points in your funnels.

 

ProductDyno Marketing and Sales Data Analytics and Reporting Features

ProductDyno’s Business Intelligence (BI) feature stands out from Thinkific and Teachable’s marketing, sales and data analytics, and reporting features by offering simpler, more actionable insights—without the complexity or extra cost.

ProductDyno’s business intelligence feature is built into the platform, making it easier for you to get insights without technical barriers.

So no juggling extra third-party dashboards or logins. Even non-tech-savvy users can confidently make marketing decisions.

You see what’s working, what’s wasting money, and what to improve—all in one dashboard.

Thinkific offers multiple dashboards for marketing, enrollment, orders, revenue, and engagement.

While these dashboards look good and show descriptive data—like traffic sources, product performance, and sales—they mostly tell you what happened (e.g., “You made 10 sales this week”) without helping you decide what to do next.

And if you want custom reports or segmented data, you’ll need to upgrade to a higher plan. This can be frustrating and costly for small creators.

Plus, switching between multiple dashboards slows down decision-making.

Teachable, meanwhile, provides data on sales, refunds, and marketing performance.

However, its advanced analytics—such as funnel tracking or subscriber churn—depend on Retool, a separate tool that requires extra setup and a separate login.

This adds complexity, creates delays, and makes it harder to spot urgent problems or capitalize on quick wins.

For example, if you want to find out which campaign drives your highest-converting leads, you’d have to jump between Teachable and Retool—and possibly still miss the insight.

ProductDyno, on the other hand, keeps things simple and powerful. The Business Intelligence feature shows you:

·       Sales at a glance

·       Top customers

·       Customer comparisons

·       Product performance

·       Graphical representations of top-performing products

·       Refunds and refund patterns

 

The information is presented in a simple, easy-to-understand manner. You don’t need to be a data analyst to figure things out. So no need to dig through spreadsheets.

You’ll know exactly what to improve, which funnel works best, and where your money’s leaking.

So you can market better because you see what customers actually do. and you can spend less because you can cut what’s not working. You earn more because you double down on what is.

 

Thinkific vs. Teachable: Pricing

 

Thinkific Pricing

Thinkific has 4 plans:

·       Basic

·       Start

·       Grow

·       Pro

 

        1. Basic Plan

•        Price: $36/month (or $49/month if billed monthly)

 

Features:

·       drag-and-drop course builder

·       unlimited courses

·       unlimited students

·       five digital downloads

·       five coaching/webinar sessions

·       one community with five spaces

·       one admin account

·       email and live chat support

·       custom domain

·       coupons/discounts

 

        2. Start Plan

•        Price: $74/month (or $99/month for monthly billing)

 

Features:

·       unlimited courses

·       unlimited digital downloads

·       assignments

·       one community with ten spaces

·       unlimited coaching and webinars

·       one admin account

·       memberships

 

        3. Grow Plan

•        Price: $149/month (or $199/month for monthly billing)

 

Features:

·       unlimited courses

·       three communities with twenty spaces

·       unlimited digital downloads

·       unlimited coaching and webinars

·       two admin accounts

 

4.    Pro Plan:

Price: For $319/month (billed annually) or $399/month if paid monthly

Offers all features from the Grow Plan, plus two administrators, and advanced website code editing options

At first glance, Thinkific’s pricing — starting at $36/month — might seem like a steal.

But when you dig deeper, you’ll realize the real cost of running an online school on Thinkific can skyrocket due to fees & charges, add-ons, limitations, and inefficiencies.  

Let's recap some of  the several fees you pay on Thinkific: 

·       Local payment method fee

·       Currency conversion fee

·       International card fee

·       Adjustment fee

·       Subscription fee

·       Sales tax calculation fee, and

·       Currency flat fee

 

Thinkific lacks marketing and sales tools. So if you’re serious about growth and scaling, you’ll need several tools:

·       CRM tools= Starting at $249 

·       Email marketing tools=  That will cost you about $15- $30/month

·       Thinkific doesn’t have a Sales Funnel Builder so you’ll need tools like ClickFunnels ($147/month, billed monthly) or LeadPages ($49/month)

·       Thinkific has no marketing features so you’ll need marketing tools

·       Some users have shared that because the platform is hard to use,  you might need help when getting started (some experts charge about $200/hour)

·       And according to some users, Thinkific charges $8.99 PER CUSTOMER on top of other fees and charges.

·       If you want to offer your course in another language, you’ll pay an extra $2000/month under their Plus plan.

 

Thinkific Price vs. Cost: What You Actually Pay

As I stated earlier on, there are several fees you’ll pay if you sign up for Thinkific. Let’s recap what the user said:

 

"They won't tell you this on their pricing page, but I notice I typically still pay 6 to 9% transaction fees on their Grow plan, which you might have read is "0% per transaction (transaction fees do not seem to be mentioned anymore on the sales page, but is still shown in their "upgrade" page when you're signed in). Guess they forgot to add disclaimers... There are actually several additional fees related to transactions. For example, Local payment method fee, Currency conversion fee, International card fee, Adjustment fee, Subscription fee, Sales tax calculation fee, and Currency flat fee. Also, if you have to do a refund OR someone uses a fraudulent credit card- you will be fully absorbing these fees... This means if you got scammed, then you will still have to pay Thinkific for that transaction."

And another user says this is what you pay if you want your site in another language:

“At the end of the day, the platform is decent/reliable with little downtime, but the fact that I have to spend $2000/m or $24,000 per year to essentially replicate my site in another language.”

 

All these fees can add up.

Let’s say you choose the Start Plan at $74/month billed annually, which looks mid-range and appealing. Now consider this:

•        You’ll need a CRM like Salesforce: +$25/month

•        Email marketing tool like GetResponse: +$19/month

•        Landing pages using Leadpages: +$49/month

•        Zapier to connect tools: +$20/month

•        Affiliate management tool (doing it manually in Thinkific wastes time): consider automation or a VA = $100/month

•        Custom landing page via freelancer: one-time $300

•        Video issue troubleshooting with expert: $250/hour (even one session adds up)

 

Total monthly tech stack:

$74 (Thinkific) + $113 (add-ons) = $187/month

That’s $2,244/year — excluding transaction fees, international expansion, scaling, or paying an expert.

Now consider you want to bulk upload coupon codes — a simple CSV file. You’ll have to upgrade to Pro + Growth for an extra $900/year, which bumps your yearly cost closer to $3,200.

 

Other Costs That Hurt Your Business

The cons mentioned above (bugs, time delays, essential features behind paywalls, and mandatory third-party tools) mean you’ll spend more than you save. You’ll either:

•        Pay more for tools you thought were included

•        Or lose time, revenue, and customers from bugs, delays, and limited features

•        Manual affiliate payouts take hours weekly. Even if it’s 2 hours/week at $50/hour = $400/month = $4,800/year in lost productivity.

•        Limited customer support (only PST hours) means creators in other time zones may wait 24+ hours to resolve urgent issues, delaying launches or losing sales.

•        Platform bugs (e.g., videos not loading, account bugs) have caused missed launches, which can mean losing thousands in potential revenue.

For example, if your course launch was supposed to earn $3,000 and Thinkific was down, with no refund or compensation, that’s a direct $3,000 loss.

 If you’re serious about growth, scaling, and not losing money to hidden costs, you need a platform with more built-in value and fewer unexpected charges.

 

ProductDyno is an affordable alternative to Thinkific vs. Teachable without these fees and charges.

 

Here’s what one beginner creator said about ProductDyno’s affordability:

 

“Easy and Affordable

I have tried just about every membership platform out there. They are either buggy, cumbersome or WAY too expensive – especially if you are just getting started.

ProductDyno fills a much needed void. It’s easy, affordable and they’ve thought of everything. This thing has so many integrations and features you might think you are using one of the expensive options that cost hundreds per month.”- Valerie DuVall, DigitalIncomeLab.com

 

ProductDyno starts at just $49 (a one-time fee), they don’t charge platform fees, there are no hidden fees, and because of its many integrations you don’t have to buy extra tools for marketing. Learn more about them or you can sign up for a free trial.

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

Teachable Pricing

Here are Teachable’s plans:

Free plan: (10% transaction fee + $1 per sale)

 

Basic Plan: The Basic Plan is priced at $59/month when billed annually.

 

Features:

·       5% transaction fee

·       support for up to five published products of each type (courses, coaching, downloads)

·       community features

·       one membership tier

·       integrated email marketing

·       coupons and order bumps

 

Pro Plan: The Pro Plan costs $159/month (billed annually) and removes transaction fees.

 

Features:

·       includes all features in the Basic plan

·       50 published products of each type

·       unlimited membership tiers

·       affiliate marketing options

·       live chat support

·       upsell capabilities

·       public API access

·       removable branding

·       support for five admin seats

 

Pro+ Plan: The Pro+ Plan is available for $249/month (billed annually)

 

Features:

·       all features from the Pro Plan

·       200 products across all categories

·       custom user roles

 

Business Plan: $499/month or $665/month paid annually

 

Features:

·       Bulk student enrolment

·       Unlimited admin and author seats

·       Advanced theme customization options

·       Live chat support

·       Power Editor (for advanced customizations)

·       Unlimited courses

 

However, note that Teachable increase their prices when you get a lot of students. For example, this user experienced this:

 

 

“Terrible Experience, Unprofessional Pricing!

After four years with Teachable, we’ve decided to leave and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. They’re essentially blackmailers. Once you've set up your courses and attracted a good number of students, they start increasing their prices at an unreasonable rate. Over the past two years, they’ve increased pricing three times. We started with a package priced at $99, and now, the same package with some unnecessary features costs $699! This is completely unacceptable.

This huge price hike is completely unrealistic for schools like ours. We’re barely earning $500 after advertising and instructor fees, so how can we afford $699 for a service that has become more expensive with fewer benefits? Teachable’s approach is unprofessional and greedy. It’s a total waste of money now. Avoid at all costs!”

In addition to the price hikes, there are fees you’ll pay. 

 

Some users have shared that there are hidden fees with Teachable. For example, this is what this user shared on TrustPilot:

"Warning! Be careful of hidden FEES with Teachable

Be careful with Teachable FEES! Teachable say they want to help creators grow a business but be warned!
There are numerous hidden fees with every transaction including a credit card fee AND a 'Backoffice' fee.
PLUS after those fees are deducted, they withhold a further 10% for 45 days before you receive it, in case a student requests a refund.
All of these are documented on their site BUT the time you find out about them - is going to be when the numbers don't add up and you're trying to figure out what happened.
It is possible to generate a report to find out what the fees are - be ready for a shock!”

And this is what a user shared on TrustPilot:

“In December 2024 we generated US$11,642 in sales. On our plan we knew we would incur a 5% Teachable Fee, which reduced this to $11,059. However, a further $812 in credit card and backoffice payments was also taken means Teachable helped themselves to $1395 on top of the monthly subscription of $159.
That's 12% not 5%! Our $97 product became $85 for us and a $7 product for Teachable!
AND they are holding a further $8.50 per sale $1024 for 45 days.
So from $11,642 in sales, we received $9,223 at the time of sale and have to wait for 45 days for the $1024.
We are looking at alternatives before growing our business any further.

If you're going to run with Teachable, be aware that what you think you're getting as a reward for your great content isn't as much as you think it will be and Teachable have crafted a nice little system for squeezing around 10X more from you than openly advertised.”

 

Here are some of the fees to expect:

Teachable Transaction Fees:

• Free Plan: $1 + 10% per sale.
• Basic Plan: 5% per sale.
• Pro and Pro+ Plans: 0% transaction fees.
• Business Plan: 0% transaction fees.

Teachable BackOffice Fees:

• Standard BackOffice Fee: Ranges from 2% to 2.8% of the gross merchandise value (GMV) depending on the amount of GMV generated.
• BackOffice service: Can add a fee for managing refunds, chargebacks, and fraud protection. 

 

Other Teachable Fees:

• Chargeback fees: $15 per chargeback.
• Payment processing fees: Teachable does not directly charge payment processing fees, but standard fees (e.g., 2.9% + 30¢ for US credit card sales) apply through payment gateways like Stripe and PayPal. 

 

And because Teachable doesn’t have in-built marketing and sales tools, you’ll need to buy these tools if you’re serious about growth and scaling.

So,

·       You’ll need plugins= a CRM  (That will cost between $25 and $249/month) 

·       Tools for email marketing = $15- $30/month

·       Sales Funnel Builders= You’ll pay between $49/month  and $147/month

·       Zapier= $20/month

·       Custom landing page (about $300)

 

Why Teachable Can Cost You More Than You Think

In addition to the fees, there are lots of costs/losses to expect. For example, technical glitches can cost you.

Here is one user who says he’s lost at least $800 because of glitches on Teachable:

“Customer service / Tech support is a disaster

Customer service, and especially tech support, is a total disaster. It cancels out any of the strong points Teachable has. As soon as you get a problem you have to move mountains to solve it.
Teachable seems to have many serious technical glitches, and these glitches are getting more frequent. It takes an average of 2 to 5 days for them to respond to complaints about technical glitches or website problems. We have lost at least $800 because people are unable to pay for our courses due to a glitch. And now the technical team won't even respond in spite of continued urgent emails to customer support.
They used to have an AI assistant which was very useful in rapidly figuring out how to work through the usual run-of-the-mill issues, but they removed it!”

Let’s Do the Math:

For example, if you buy the Basic Plan ($39/month) and make 100 sales at $100 each:

•        Revenue = $100 × 100 = $10,000

•        Teachable Fee (5%) = $500

•        Monthly Platform Fee = $39

•        BackOffice Fee (2%) = $200

•        Funds withheld for 45 days (10%) = $1,000 unavailable cash

Total Cost = $739 (excluding delay in $1,000 payout)

True profit = $10,000 - $739 = $9,261

Now add plugins/tools needed:

•        CRM (e.g. Salesforce): $25/month

•        Email marketing (e.g. GetResponse): $15–$30/month

•        Funnel builder (e.g. ClickFunnels): $147/month

•        Zapier automation: $20/month

•        Custom landing page (freelancer): $300 one-time

Plugin Total (Monthly) = $25 + $30 + $147 + $20 = $222/month

Add to $39 basic plan = $261/month in recurring cost

Over a year: $261 × 12 = $3,132/year

 

Teachable's Missing Features Cost You Time and Profit

1. No Affiliate Marketing on Basic Plan

Without affiliate tools, creators lose a free way to drive sales.

If affiliates could have brought 30% more sales:

$10,000 revenue × 1.3 = $13,000

Missed sales = $3,000 lost income

 

2. No Bulk Enrollment in Pro Plan

Manually enrolling 1,000 students at 2 minutes each = 33 hours wasted.

At a $50/hour opportunity cost = $1,650 in lost productivity

 

3. No White Glove Onboarding or Priority Support

A user with a tech issue reported tickets going unresolved for 2 months.

If your course isn’t live or has bugs for 2 months = lost revenue:

100 potential students × $100 = $10,000 lost

 

4. Clunky Interface and Buggy Builder

“Time-consuming to upload sales pages.”

Let’s say you lose 3 hours/week fighting the interface = 12 hours/month

At $50/hour = $600/month in wasted time = $7,200/year

 

5. Payout Delays + Withheld Funds

Teachable withholds 10% for 45 days = huge cash flow issue for businesses.

If your monthly revenue is $10,000 → $1,000 frozen each cycle

 

User Complaints That Hurt Business

•        Login issues → students can’t access courses → refunds, bad reviews

Even a 5% refund rate on $10,000 = $500 in lost income

•        Double Charges, Platform Bugs → leads to churn

Losing even 10 students/month at $100 = $1,000/month = $12,000/year

•        Confusing UX, Broken Courses

Your brand reputation takes a hit, and trust = income

Hard to scale when you're putting out tech fires

 

Bottom Line: Teachable Price vs. Cost

Teachable's sticker price looks cheap.

But the real cost—after plugin tools, time wasted, lost sales, withheld revenue, and poor support—can be thousands of dollars annually.

Instead of $39/month, you could be paying:

·       $3,132/year (Basic Plan + Plugins)

·       $7,200/year (Time wasted)

·       $12,000/year (Lost students from bugs/UI issues)

·       Total Cost = Up to $22,000/year — for a tool that was supposed to cost $39/month.

 

ProductDyno is an affordable alternative to Thinkific vs. Teachable.

ProductDyno starts at just $49 (a one-time fee), there are no glitches, they don’t charge platform fees, there are no hidden fees, and because of its many integrations you don’t have to buy extra tools for marketing.. Learn more about them or you can sign up for a free trial.

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

ProductDyno Pricing

ProductDyno has a unique pricing plan—ProductDyno Lifetime, a one-time payment plan that gives you permanent access to the platform without monthly fees.

Unlike Teachable or Thinkific, which charge monthly or yearly subscriptions (especially for premium features), ProductDyno’s lifetime deal means you pay once and use it forever.

For creators who sell digital products long term—like courses, eBooks, templates, or software—this can lead to massive savings over time.

It’s perfect if you're on a budget, scaling multiple products, or want to avoid rising SaaS costs. With no ongoing fees, more profits stay in your pocket, making it a cost-effective tool for long-term growth.

And for the other ProductDyno pricing plans, you pay in installments:

 

•ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

Features in this plan:

Ø Saas licensing

Ø Link custom domains to ProductDyno or collections

Ø White labeling/branding removal

Ø Complimentary SSL certificates

Ø Unlimited upload (up to 25 mb)

Ø Import members through CSV

Ø Connect your own storage

Ø All current/future integrations

Ø All current standard themes

Ø All current checkout page themes

Ø Page builder themes

Ø Advanced reporting/analytics dashboard

Ø 0% transaction fee

  

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•        ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

Features in all VIP platinum plans:

·       0% Platform Transaction Fees

·       Full Website & Sales Page Builder

·       Create Landing Pages

·       Create Sales Pages

·       Create Checkout Pages

·       Create Thank You Pages

·       Create Complete Websites

·       Full Website & Sales Page Builder

·       Sell Digital Products

·       Sell Courses

·       Create Membership Sites

·       Create Collections

·       Drip Content & Schedule Releases

·       Offer Free Content & Paid Content

·       Full Learning Management System (LMS)

·       Quizzes & Assessments

·       Personalized Certifications

·       Direct Messaging with Students & Members

·       Progress Tracking & Member Engagement Tools

·       Student, Customer & Member Management

·       Advanced Marketing & Engagement Tools

·       Viral Marketing Campaigns

·       Social Sharing & Milestone Rewards

·       Fraud Detection & Security Features

·       Word-of-Mouth Big Audience Targeter (W.O.M.B.A.T.) System – Grow fast with automated viral sharing & rewards.

·       Monetization & Licensing

·       Accept Safe & Secure Payments

·       Sell SaaS, WordPress Plugins, & Apps

·       Built-in Licensing & Software Protection

·       Multi-Language Support

·       Restrict IPs & Emails

·       Business Intelligence & Analytics

·       Hosting, Customization & Integrations

·       File Hosting & Custom Domains

·       Multi-Layer Security & SSL Protection

·       50+ Integrations – Works with major payment platforms, email & webinar services, file hosting solutions, AI tools, and more.

·       0% Platform Transaction Fees

·       Exclusive VIP Platinum BONUSES ($7,000+ Value!)

·       Unlimited Products

·       Unlimited Courses

·       Unlimited Memberships

·       Unlimited Collections

·       Unlimited Landing Pages

·       Unlimited Sales Pages

·       Unlimited Checkout Pages

·       Unlimited Thank You Pages

·       Unlimited Viral Marketing Campaigns

·       Unlimited Customers

·       Unlimited Students

·       Unlimited Members

·       Unlimited Certifications

·       Unlimited Software Licensing & API Access

·       Unlimited Domains & SSL’s

·       20 Team Members

 

And unlock a full array of features:

·       Full Website & Sales Page Builder:

·       Create Landing Pages

·       Create Sales Pages

·       Create Checkout Pages

·       Create Thank You Pages

·       Create Complete Websites

 

Course & Membership Features:

·       Sell Digital Products

·       Sell Courses

·       Create Membership Sites

·       Create Collections

·       Drip Content & Schedule Releases

·       Offer Free Content & Paid Content

 

Full Learning Management System (LMS):

·       Quizzes & Assessments

·       Personalized Certifications

·       Direct Messaging with Students & Members

·       Progress Tracking & Member Engagement Tools

·       Student, Customer & Member Management

 

Read more about ProductDyno’s learning management system features in my blog post  The best learning management systems for small businesses.

Advanced Marketing & Engagement Tools:

·       Viral Marketing Campaigns

·       Social Sharing & Milestone Rewards

·       Fraud Detection & Security Features

·       Word-of-Mouth Big Audience Targeter (W.O.M.B.A.T.) System – Grow fast with automated viral sharing & rewards.

 

Monetization & Licensing:

·       Accept Safe & Secure Payments

·       Sell SaaS, WordPress Plugins, & Apps

·       Built-in Licensing & Software Protection

·       Multi-Language Support

·       Restrict IPs & Emails

·       Business Intelligence & Analytics

 

Hosting, Customization & Integrations:

0% Platform Transaction Fees

·       File Hosting & Custom Domains

·       Multi-Layer Security & SSL Protection

·       50+ Integrations – Works with major payment platforms, email & webinar services, file hosting solutions, AI tools, and more.

 

Thinkific vs. Teachable: Payments and Business Finances

 

Thinkific Payments and Business Finances

Thinkific have their own payment gateway, Thinkific Payments, but it only works if you’re in the U.S. or Canada.

With Thinkific, you can get paid straight into your bank account.

Once everything’s set up, your money can land daily, but that depends on where your business is based and if your account has been verified. It will take you about 10 minutes to enable Thinkific Payments, and then a day or two for the verification to go through.

You can accept payments through major options like Stripe and PayPal. If you're in the U.S. or Canada, you'll be looking at a fee of 2.9% plus 30 cents for each successful credit card transaction.

You'll want to go into your Thinkific Admin Dashboard to set it up.

Just a heads-up—Thinkific only allows you to sell in one currency, but your students can still pay using their local currencies.

There are also extra tools you can turn on manually—things like abandoned cart emails, order bumps, and tax handling features.

If you’re dealing with sales tax or VAT, there’s a  0.5% fee for each transaction where tax is charged (like if your student is from the U.S., UK, Canada, or the EU).

However, Thinkific’s payment system has some downsides. For example, some users say their system automatically deducts money and wrongful charges happen.

This means you can experience a disruption in cash flow, face refund disputes, lose revenue, and funds you need to reinvest in marketing, content creation, or paid tools may delay.

 

What Users Say About Thinkific Payments

Many users have reported having issues with payments on Thinkific.

For example, this user, on TrustPliot, said Thinkific continued to charge them even after they cancelled their subscription:

“My experience with Thinkific was absolutely dreadful. I cancelled my subscription and received a confirmation email, yet they continued to charge me for two more months through their now-defunct Shopify app. When I contacted support for help, they simply deflected responsibility, telling me to log in and delete my account. This is easier said than done. Thinkific requires you to manually delete every single element within your school before you can close the account. If you, like many, have trouble remembering your specific school URL, you're completely locked out, unable to access your account and therefore, unable to delete it. Their support offered no real solutions, just a frustrating circular loop of 'log in and delete.' To this day, I was unable to delete my account, and no refund...a complete waste of time and money.”

  

This user, on TrustPilot, said they were charged wrongfully:

“They charged me totally wrong. I cancelled my plan in July and they said I would get a refund. This never arrived at my bank. Now I saw they used my refund money to keep charging my account (I never started a new subscription) until now my bank freezed their billing (of course, as I never agreed to an abo). Apart from not accepting my cancellation they also charged me 100€ too much. Counting all the official plan rates I never come to the sum they took from my bank account. Now I talked to the support and they said they are not going to do anything about it, they only freezed my website (even though they still have my payments for the end of the year). Please please don't do this to yourself and use another website.” 

 

Teachable Payments and Business Finances

Teachable allows you to receive money every day, every week, or once a month. Payments go straight to your bank account.

Unlike Thinkific that allows you to sell in only one currency, you can sell in over 130 currencies without needing extra tools.

You can also make it easy for students to pay you. You can accept PayPal, Stripe, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and even Mobile Pay.

Tax work won’t slow you down either. You can automatically handle sales tax, VAT, and common tax forms. Teachable basically covers the messy parts for you, so you can focus more on selling.

 

What Users Say About Teachable Payments

Like for Thinkific, many users have reported having issues with payments on Teachable.

For example, some users say money is not paid regularly and payment can take weeks to reach your bank account.

For example, one user shared this on Capterra:

“Money is not paid regularly and you can be waiting months to receive the money from your courses. Not worth it at all of this income is important to you!”

 

Another user complained that:

“Although Teachable is a no-payment platform, they make their money when you sell a course. The payment can take weeks to reach my bank account.”

 

Another issue you may face is that payouts can be withheld (sometimes for two months), and instant payouts are only available on the more expensive plans.

 

For example, here’s what a user shared on TrustPilot:

“Teachable has been withholding my payouts for more than 8 weeks now, with no explanation or direct communication from their Trust & Safety team.

Despite escalating multiple times, contacting Stripe (Ticket #21939918), posting formal complaints, and even contacting support live chat multiple times, I have received nothing but generic responses.

My escalation requests have been ignored. My funds remain frozen without any accountability.

I strongly advise any creators considering Teachable to think twice before trusting them with your money.”

 

Here’s what another user reported on TrustPilot:

“Teachable withheld my funds for 10+ weeks. I gave them everything. No answers. No payout. This is fraud.

I’m a real educator who used Teachable to sell digital programs.
They blocked my payouts with no explanation. I replied to all requests, including from their Legal team.
I sent a formal notice. Waited. Followed up. Nothing.
This has gone from delay to intentional negligence.
Stripe confirmed it’s on their side.
If you’re a creator or educator, think twice.”

If Teachable’s payments bother you, there are  Teachable alternatives you can try.

ProductDyno Payments and Business Finances

Like Thinkific and Teachable, ProductDyno’s system is integrated with PayPal and Stripe.

However, unlike Thinkific and Teachable, ProductDyno doesn't handle payments themselves.

Another difference between ProductDyno, and Thinkific vs. Teachable payment integrations, is that ProductDyno integrates with a much wider variety of payment gateways, including:

·       Gumroad

·       Samcart

·       Convertri

·       ClickBank

·       Thrivecart

·       ClickFunnel

·       Zaxaa

·       Paddle

·       PayKickStart

·       JVZoo

·       Warrior Plus

·       Warrior Forum

·       Offline

·       Groovesell

 

So you have lots of options to receive payments from your learners.

This means you have direct control over how and when you get paid.

With ProductDyno, you can connect your preferred payment account to enable you receive funds instantly, without waiting for ProductDyno to approve or release your earnings.

So unlike Teachable, ProductDyno doesn’t hold on to your hard-earned revenue for weeks or even months and you don’t risk your payouts being randomly frozen or withheld due to platform policies or “reviews.”

With ProductDyno, you’re paid in real time, straight into your own account.

This transparency and freedom means you can be confident to scale your business without worrying about delayed or blocked income.

Another issue is that some international creators, especially those who live in countries where Stripe and Paypal don’t operate, struggle to get paid on Thinkific and Teachable because both platforms rely on PayPal and Stripe.

ProductDyno’s integration with multiple payment platforms means international creators can join the booming global e-learning market and conveniently receive payments—even if PayPal or Stripe don’t operate in their country. You can reach more buyers and still get paid by your students, no matter where you live.

 

Here’s what a user said about ProductDyno’s payments:

“Where ProductDyno shines is it centralizes all your payment processors, autoresponder systems, hosting, and everything you can think of in one area. This is often where most other scripts lack. With other scripts you typically require a lot of add-ons and you need a lot of moving pieces. Eventually it gets scattered.”- Stephen Luc, NonStop Info Publishing LLC

 

How ProductDyno Makes it Simple, Easy, and Fast to Get Paid

This is what you do:

(1) Go to your Product Dashboard. Inside ProductDyno, click on Manage, then Payment Gateways, and finally Add Payment Gateways;

(2) Choose a title like “Coaching Course Payments” so you can easily recognize this setup later;

(3) Pick the payment platform you want to use (like Gumroad, ClickBank, or Paddle) from the list of available options;

(4) Follow the on-screen instructions to connect your selected payment account securely to ProductDyno;

(5) Save your setup and instantly start receiving payments from customers through your chosen gateway, without depending on PayPal or Stripe.

 

As an alternative to Thinkific vs. Teachable, ProductDyno facilitates fast payouts, doesn’t withhold your revenue, and payments are not blocked or delayed.

 

Learn more about ProductDyno or you can sign up for a free trial.

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

Thinkific vs. Teachable: How Much You Can Lose If You Use Either Platform

Thinkific markets itself as a great platform for selling courses, coaching sessions, and digital downloads.

But if you’re serious about making money, you need to take a closer look at how much it actually costs to sell on Thinkific—because the hidden fees and charges can eat into your profits fast.

As I mentioned above, there are several fees related to transactions on Thinkific. Let’s recap them: 

·       Local payment method fee

·       Currency conversion fee

·       International card fee

·       Adjustment fee

·       Subscription fee

·       Sales tax calculation fee, and

·       Currency flat fee

 

Let’s run the numbers.

 

Scenario 1: You make $1,000 in sales per month

You’re on the Basic Plan, which costs $36/month (billed annually). Thinkific charges a 6.5% + $0.30 fee per transaction if you’re based in the U.S.

That’s $65 + ($0.30 x number of sales) just in transaction fees.

Let’s say you made 20 sales to reach that $1,000.

You’ll pay:

•        $65 (6.5% of $1,000)

•        $6.00 (20 x $0.30)

•        $36 for the Basic Plan

 

Total = $107 in fees and charges

 

So out of your $1,000, you keep just $893.

But it doesn’t stop there. If you use Stripe or PayPal instead of Thinkific Payments, you’ll also pay 2.9% + $0.30 (Stripe) or up to 3.49% + $0.49 (PayPal) per sale.

That means additional fees of up to $34.90 + $9.80 = $44.70, on top of what Thinkific already takes. You could lose $150 or more just by using Thinkific with PayPal.

 

Scenario 2: You make $5,000 in sales per month

Let’s say you upgrade to the Start Plan at $74/month and you make 50 sales.

You’ll pay:

•        $325 (6.5% of $5,000)

•        $15.00 (50 x $0.30)

•        $74 subscription

 

Total = $414 in monthly fees

 

So even though you made $5,000, you only keep $4,586.

Now imagine you also use Stripe. Add another $145 in processing fees (2.9% of $5,000), and you're left with $4,441.

That’s over $550 gone in a single month—money you could’ve used for ads, software, or paying a freelancer.

And what do you really get for that money?

Even on the Grow Plan ($149/month), Thinkific doesn’t remove these transaction fees. You still pay the 6.5% + $0.30 per transaction and Stripe/PayPal fees.

Yes, you get unlimited courses, downloads, and coaching sessions. But:

•        You can only manage 2 admin accounts.

•        Communities are capped at 3, with limited space.

•        You get no marketplace exposure or built-in audience.

That means you still need to pay for marketing tools, ads, or other platforms just to drive traffic.

The bottom line is that Thinkific’s fees add up quickly—and there’s no way to avoid them.

If you’re making $1,000–$5,000 per month, you could be losing 10%–15% of your income just to platform and transaction costs.

For example, if you made $3,000/month, expect to lose $300–$450—which is like giving up one whole product every month.

So before you commit to Thinkific, ask yourself: Can you really afford to lose that much of your hard-earned money every month?

 

ProductDyno is an affordable alternative to Thinkific vs. Teachable.

ProductDyno starts at just $49 (a one-time fee), they don’t charge platform fees, there are no hidden fees , and because of its many integrations you don’t have to buy extra tools for marketing.. Learn more about them or. Learn more about them or you can sign up for a free trial.

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

 

Teachable

Let’s break down how much you can lose if you sell products on Teachable, especially when starting out.

On the surface, Teachable may seem beginner-friendly with its Free plan at $0/month, but once you start selling, the fees start stacking up fast.

You’ll pay $1 per sale plus 10% in transaction fees.

That doesn’t even include the payment processor fees from Stripe or PayPal, which typically add 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (Stripe standard rate).

For example, let’s say you make 20 sales in a month, and you earn $500 total from selling digital products on Teachable’s Free plan.

Here’s how much you’ll lose:

•        Teachable’s cut: 10% of $500 = $50

•        Flat fee: 20 sales × $1 = $20

•        Stripe’s cut: 2.9% of $500 = $14.50, plus $0.30 × 20 = $6 → Total = $20.50

 

Total fees: $50 (Teachable) + $20 (flat) + $20.50 (Stripe) = $90.50

 

Profit left: $500 − $90.50 = $409.50

 

That’s nearly 18% of your income gone—and you’re still on the free plan.

Now let’s say you scale up and start earning more.

If you earn $1,000/month on the Basic plan ($59/month with 5% Teachable fee):

•        Teachable’s cut: 5% of $1,000 = $50

•        Monthly subscription: $59

•        Stripe fee: 2.9% of $1,000 = $29, plus $0.30 × 20 = $6 → Total = $35

Total fees: $50 (Teachable) + $59 (plan) + $35 (Stripe) = $144

Profit left: $1,000 − $144 = $856

 

That’s over 14% lost in fees, even after upgrading.

 

Now if you want to avoid Teachable’s transaction fees, you’ll need the Pro plan at $159/month. That’s a big leap—especially if you’re not consistently earning $2,000+ per month.

For example, if you earn $1,000/month on the Pro plan:

•        Teachable fee: $0

•        Subscription fee: $159

•        Stripe fee: ~$35 (as before)

 

Total fees: $159 + $35 = $194

 

Profit left: $1,000 − $194 = $806

 

So you’re still losing almost 20% of your income. You’re paying to avoid transaction fees, but the high monthly cost eats up your profits.

Now let’s talk features. Even on the Pro plan, Teachable charges extra for things like coaching features, advanced integrations, and support for multiple admins.

Bottom line: If you’re a new or small creator, Teachable’s pricing model eats into your profits fast.

The transaction fees, flat fees per sale, and pricey upgrades make it hard to grow your business without bleeding money each month.

For example, if you're making $2,000/month on the Pro plan, you're still losing almost 10–15% in total fees, depending on the payment method and number of transactions.

That’s $200–$300/month, which could go into better tools, marketing, or savings.

If you don’t want to spend more than you earn, Teachable might not be the best platform to build a profitable business on—especially in the beginning.

 

ProductDyno is an affordable alternative to Thinkific vs. Teachable.

ProductDyno starts at just $49 (a one-time fee), they don’t charge platform fees, there are no hidden fees, and because of its many integrations you don’t have to buy extra tools for marketing.. Learn more about them or Learn more about them or you can sign up for a free trial.

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

ProductDyno Can Help You Make Profits

Compared to Thinkific and Teachable, ProductDyno can help you save money and make profits if you create and sell with ProductDyno.

Here’s how.

Let’s recap ProductDyno’s pricing plans again:

·       ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

·       ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

·       ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

·       ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

Note that ProductDyno charges 0% transaction fees across all plans.

Now, let’s break down the numbers to show you why even if you invest in ProductDyno’s most expensive lifetime plan at $997, you can still keep more profit month after month compared to using Thinkific and Teachable.

 

Let’s walk through two realistic scenarios:

•                   Scenario 1: You earn $1,000/month.

•                   Scenario 2: You earn $5,000/month.

 

Scenario 1: You earn $1,000/month

That’s $12,000 a year in revenue from selling digital products.

Let’s assume 20 sales/month ($50/product average).

 

ProductDyno

•                   One-time fee: $997

•                   Stripe/PayPal fees: 2.9% + $0.30/sale

•                   2.9% of $1,000 = $29

•                   $0.30 x 20 = $6

•                   Total processing fees: $35/month = $420/year

•                   Year 1 total cost = $997 (platform) + $420 (fees) = $1,417

•                   Profit = $12,000 - $1,417 = $10,583

 

Year 2 onwards? No platform cost. Just Stripe/PayPal fees:

$12,000 - $420 = $11,580 profit every year

 

Thinkific (Basic Plan - $36/month)

•                   $36/month = $432/year

•                   Transaction fees (approx. 6.5% + $0.30):

•                   6.5% of $1,000 = $65

•                   $0.30 x 20 = $6

•                   Monthly fees = $71 = $852/year

•                   Stripe/PayPal fees (same as ProductDyno): $420/year

•                   Total Yearly Cost = $432 + $852 + $420 = $1,704

•                   Profit = $12,000 - $1,704 = $10,296

 

Already $287 less than ProductDyno in Year 1... and way less in Year 2.

 

Teachable (Basic Plan - $59/month)

•                   $59/month = $708/year

•                   Transaction fees: 5% of $1,000 = $50

•                   $50 x 12 = $600/year

•                   Stripe/PayPal: $420/year

•                   BackOffice Fee (2.5%): $300/year

•                   Total Yearly Cost = $708 + $600 + $420 + $300 = $2,028

•                   Profit = $12,000 - $2,028 = $9,972

 

That’s $611 less profit than ProductDyno in Year 1. Even worse in future years.

 

Scenario 2: You earn $5,000/month

That’s $60,000/year with about 50 sales/month at $100/product average.

 

ProductDyno

•                   One-time fee: $997

•                   Payment processor fees: 2.9% of $5,000 = $145

•                   $0.30 x 50 = $15

•                   Monthly total: $160 x 12 = $1,920

•                   Year 1 total cost = $997 + $1,920 = $2,917

•                   Profit = $60,000 - $2,917 = $57,083

 

Year 2 onward = $60,000 - $1,920 = $58,080

 

Thinkific (Start Plan - $74/month)

•                   $74/month = $888/year

•                   Transaction fees: 6.5% of $5,000 = $325/month = $3,900/year

•                   $0.30 x 50 = $15/month = $180/year

•                   Stripe/PayPal fees: $1,920/year

•                   Total Cost = $888 + $3,900 + $180 + $1,920 = $6,888

•                   Profit = $60,000 - $6,888 = $53,112

 

That’s $3,971 less profit than ProductDyno in year one. $4,968 less in year two.

 

Teachable (Pro Plan - $159/month)

•                   $159/month = $1,908/year

•                   Transaction fees: 0%

•                   Stripe/PayPal fees = $1,920

•                   BackOffice fees (2.5%): $1,500/year

•                   Extra tools (CRM, email, funnels): $100/month = $1,200/year

•                   Total Cost = $1,908 + $1,920 + $1,500 + $1,200 = $6,528

•                   Profit = $60,000 - $6,528 = $53,472

Still $3,611 less than ProductDyno in Year 1. And $4,608 less in Year 2.

 

Teachable and Thinkific don’t offer complete marketing automation.

So you have to factor in marketing and tool costs.

 

You’ll need:

·       CRM: $29-$49/month

·       Email marketing: $15-$30/month

·       Funnel builder: $49-$147/month

·       Zapier automation: $20/month

·       Custom landing pages: $300+

 

These extras cost you an extra $100+ per month, or $1,200/year minimum.

ProductDyno users avoid this with built-in integrations. So even at its most expensive plan of $997, ProductDyno is a one-time investment.

·       No monthly bills.

·       No platform transaction fees.

·       No forced upsells.

It pays for itself in the first year and keeps paying for itself every year after.

On the other hand, Thinkific and Teachable start with lower monthly prices but chip away at your profits with transaction fees, high monthly charges, and expensive add-ons.

If you’re serious about keeping what you earn and growing your digital product business, it makes more sense to buy ProductDyno than Thinkific or Teachable.

Even after PayPal and Stripe fees, you make more profit with ProductDyno than with Thinkific or Teachable.

ProductDyno is an affordable alternative to Thinkific vs. Teachable.

ProductDyno starts at just $49 (a one-time fee), they don’t charge platform fees, there are no hidden fees, and because of its many integrations you don’t have to buy extra tools for marketing. Learn more about them or you can sign up for a free trial.

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

Thinkific vs. Teachable: Customer support

Thinkific and Teachable have quite a few things in common when it comes to support.

You get to chat with support, join a private instructor community just for instructors, or get advice from experts.

Plus, both platforms will move your course over from another platform for free—so you don’t have to stress.

 

Thinkific Customer Support

But here's something to keep in mind if you’re leaning toward Thinkific. While they do offer live chat every day, it’s not free if you want a personal onboarding specialist.

Unless you’re on their most expensive Premier plan ($499/month), you won’t get much hand-holding.

Even then, you only get a single 30-minute onboarding call.

So, if you’re hoping for more guidance as you get started, Thinkific might not be the most beginner-friendly option out there.

 

What Users Dislike About Thinkific’s Support

Many users have reported that Thinkific customer service is terrible.

You might think you’ll get help when you need it, but that’s not always what happens.

And many have shared that even if you pay for a higher plan, support isn’t guaranteed.

For example, this is what one user shared on TrustPilot:

“Awful support to client
I recently started using Thinkific for my business. As an experienced producer and entrepreneur, I have worked with several similar platforms.
Unfortunately, my experience with Thinkific's technical support has been deeply disappointing.
My account has faced several bugs that have prevented me from launching my product as planned. For the past month, my team has contacted Thinkific support daily. For most of the issues they can't presentva solution, even for things like integration with my e-mail marketing tool.
I only to receive vague responses like, "You will have to wait for an email from us." When solutions are eventually provided, they are ineffective and seem designed merely to buy time.
Due to this ongoing frustration, I am now researching alternative platforms.”

And here’s what another user reported, on TrustPilot:

And this is the poor customer service experience of another Thinkific user:

In contrast, with ProductDyno, real humans—not AI bots or chatbots—respond quickly to queries.

 

Here’s what one user said about ProductDyno’s customer support:

“Their support team is outstanding, always ready to assist with any queries.”- Dave Guindon ‧ Appbreed.com

 

And here’s what another user says:

“I wanted to comment on the excellent support I’ve received when I was trying to work through some issues. The support team really engaged my concern and really made me feel confident that I had a partner that was interested in keeping me satisfied with my purchase. Great Job – and Thank you!” –Joseph, ProductDyno Customer

 

As a Thinkific vs. Teachable alternative, ProductDyno is responsive and gives you the attention you deserve. 

 

Learn more about ProductDyno or you can sign up for a free trial.

 

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

Teachable Customer Support

If you're just getting started on Teachable—even on the free plan—you’ll find plenty of helpful resources right away.

They also have a Knowledge Base with guides that walk you through the basics of setting up your online school, managing the back end, and solving common problems. There’s also Teachable:u, which is basically a free online school created to help you learn how to build and sell courses or coaching programs.

However, note that you get limited live support unless you pay more.

For example, if you’re not on one of the higher plans (like Professional or Business), you won’t get live chat. You’re stuck with email support, which can feel slow—especially when you're stuck and need help fast.

 

What Users Dislike About Teachable’s Customer Support

Regardless of what product(s) you create and sell on Teachable, you deserve fast, effective customer service.

Unfortunately, several users have reported that Teachable doesn’t provide that.

For example, one user, on G2, said they take weeks, or even months, to resolve your issue: 

“One ticket from four months ago was completely ignored, even though we submitted request after request to have it handled. It’s still open and not completed, and nobody will respond. Also, a ticket from 2 months ago, a very important ticket, has received no less than a dozen ‘we’re looking into this’ responses when we reach out to them. We’ve reached out to every person we know there, including the owner (who did not respond at all by the way), and are still waiting. It has not been taken care of, and they will not put us in touch with someone who can help.”

 

Like Thinkific, you might not get a response from a real human, but from a chatbot instead.

This user, for example, experienced that:

Another user, on Software Ddvice, vented their frustration with Teachable customer support, saying:

 

“There is no way to reach someone by phone. The only way is email. After submitting an email, a week will go by and no one will answer. It has been a month, no answer and no way to contact anyone. The only way to contact someone is if you want to sign up with teachable and pay an outrageous amount a month to have them host your course, keep a large amount of your sales, and keep a portion of each sale for 60 days. This is possibly the worst company you could ever sign up with to host your course. Never choose them!!!!”

And this is the experience of another user: 

“No Response for Clients on Payouts

They have the most unprofessional and unresponsive customer service. Honestly, I have messaged them several times as it's the only way to get a hold of someone and that response is either: A) several days to weeks or B) none at all. There is also the issue of delayed payment when you are a customer. I get that they need to take their cut from the payout to cover their costs and be the gateway for the service, but to hold my payment (my portion of it) for over 2 months is ridiculous. I've never had this issue before with any payment gateways I've used in the past. TWO MONTHS to receive a payment from my client for my product hosted on their site? Between the lack of customer service, unprofessional response time, and unreasonable time holding payments for their customers, I would not recommend Teachable for courses. Bad experience overall.”

And this is what this user shared on Capterra:

 

“Constant Problems

The software constantly has glitches and major problems. My students have problems getting in, links do not work and have to be sent several times. My classes receive emails from other classes/courses that don't apply to their course at all.

Don't get me started on Customer Service. UGH! They replay in a decent amount of time - with a bunch of work for YOU the person paying to use their platform to read through, problem solve and basically try to figure out why THIER platform is not working properly.

For most of us we pay for a platform like this to cut down on the workload we have! Not create EXTRA work! I have spent so much time doing Teachables job that I rather create a damn Facebook group page for free and post the video learning and tutorials there. Or build it into my own website.

I can't even use their merchant services as they have asked for my tax info literally 30+ times. I sent it to them the first 10 times and just said forget it and have my student pay through our business system.

Wast of money and a HUGE waste of time.”

 And here's what another user shared on TrustPilot:

 

“Not a customer-friendly platform.

I signed up for a short trial to explore the core features for my future online school. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time to test everything, and—just like it always happens—they charged me automatically. The worst part? Support is completely silent. Still no response. If you value good support, I wouldn’t recommend this platform!!!”

In contrast, with ProductDyno, real humans—not AI bots or chatbots—respond quickly to queries and give you the attention you deserve.

You can contact ProductDyno easily by email or phone. And ProductDyno’s  customer service reaches out to you within 48 hours when you contact them. 

Here’s what one user said about ProductDyno’s customer support:

“Recently, I returned to use ProductDyno to begin my membership site. I have a learning difficulty so I emailed support with a bullet pointed request list to get me started. What amazed me was they answered every point I raised and then over-delivered with 2 videos they did working in my site which showed me how to fix my problems. They understood my issues, and I was up and running in no time. I really appreciated them going the extra mile. I sincerely recommend this product because of the great support team they have. Here’s the thing; you can buy the best product in the world and if it doesn’t have good support it will fail. ProductDyno has BOTH! Well done team.”

-Lloyd Portman, Devotional Christian Poetry

 

And here’s another one:

“I transferred my members area to Product Dyno from another site builder. This is so easy to build. I like the visual builder because I can already see what it’s gonna look like for my members. The best part is they have the most efficient support team ever!” Liza Ramos, Liza’s Choice Network LLC

 

Here’s what another user wrote about their customer service on AppSumo:

“A great product delivery program helping me manage my digital content. Excellent customer executive team as well, that have the knowledge to help their clients. Your wonderful service is greatly appreciated.” -Holly Marsden, Business Cost Saver

As a Thinkific vs. Teachable alternative, ProductDyno doesn’t just care about taking your money, but cares about helping you resolve challenges with the product.

 

Want to try ProductDyno?

 

You can sign up for a free trial.

 

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

 

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

ProductDyno Customer Support

One main difference between ProductDyno, and Thinkific vs. Teachable, is the HUMAN, responsive customer support that ProductDyno offers.

As I stated above, humans—Jennifer and Annie—respond to your queries, not chatbots or AI bots.

 

So you get personalized, empathetic support from real people who understand nuances, reassure you if you’re frustrated, explain things clearly, and tailor solutions to your specific situation to make you feel heard—especially when dealing with technical problems or urgent concerns—not generic responses from chatbots or AI bots that don’t address your issues.

Another difference is that unlike Thinkific and Teachable, where users on higher, more expensive plans receive prompt attention, you receive free, prompt attention regardless of your subscription plan.

 

Here are some other great features:

 

Free Onboarding and Great Customer Service

Unlike Thinkific, where you pay extra for onboarding help, ProductDyno onboarding help is free.

So you receive the help you need and won’t feel lost when starting with ProductDyno.

You get step-by-step video tutorials, detailed blogs, FAQs, and a responsive customer support team to guide you.

Plus, an interactive wizard walks you through creating your first product, ensuring you set everything up smoothly.

Whether you need self-help resources or direct support, ProductDyno has you covered.

 

Reliable Customer Support When You Need It

You can reach out to ProductDyno’s support team anytime through the “Send a Message” feature on their website.

Official support hours are 9 AM to 6 PM EST (Monday-Friday) and 9 AM to 12 PM EST (Saturday & Sunday).

However, since the team is globally distributed, you might get a response even outside these hours. But rest assured that the customer support team will get back to you within 48 hours.

No matter when you need help, ProductDyno ensures you’re supported.

Want to see how simple, easy, and quickly you can use ProductDyno to create and sell online courses and other digital products?  You can sign up for a free trial.

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997 (One-time fee. Lifetime access) 

Why Creators and Sellers of Digital Products Choose ProductDyno

ProductDyno is a tried & trusted platform – over 25,784 membership sites run on ProductDyno!

ProductDyno is proven to make money –Over $15,656,647+ in revenue has been generated by users!

Why do these people use ProductDyno to create and sell products?

 

You Can Launch Faster With Simple Tools That Scale

ProductDyno is built for speed and simplicity. Organizing course content, outlining lessons, and building product pages is intuitive—even for non-techies.

You can use it to easily create online courses—in minutes.

You can create engaging lessons, drag and drop media, and even reuse layouts across products.

Plus, importing or exporting content is just a click away.

 

It’s Easier To Organize Course Content

Course creation is smoother with ProductDyno. The dashboard is intuitive, so even beginners can build polished courses without tech headaches.

And its drag-and-drop layout makes it easy to organize your lessons into modules without getting lost in tabs.

For example, if you're uploading a 5-module video course with PDFs and quizzes, you can organize everything clearly in just a few clicks.

 

There Are No Platform Commission Or Hidden Fees

Unlike Thinkific and Teachable that take a cut of your revenue, ProductDyno lets you keep what you earn. When you sell a course for $500, you keep $500.

Teachable, on lower plans, takes transaction fees, and Thinkific has lots of fees and charges and their free plan limits your features until you upgrade.

With ProductDyno, there’s no revenue sharing—so whether you’re selling $5 ebooks or $2,000 masterminds, your profits are yours.

 

ProductDyno’s Marketing Tools Make It Easier To Sell Your Products

ProductDyno gives creators a serious edge with marketing tools that Thinkific and Teachable lack.

From built-in cross-sells and down-sells to advanced discount options, it’s designed to help you boost conversions and increase revenue without extra software.

ProductDyno’s deep integrations with top email marketing platforms mean you can build smarter funnels faster.

Features like Collections, Wombat (for automated affiliate rewards), and Social Media Genie (for content scheduling) simplify promotion and maximize reach.

Unlike Thinkific and Teachable, ProductDyno doesn’t just host your product — it helps you actively sell it, making it easier to grow your audience and make real money.

 

ProductDyno Provides More Payment Options

With ProductDyno, creators enjoy more flexible and faster payment options than what Thinkific or Teachable offer.

You’re not locked into one payment gateway or forced to wait for payouts — connect your own Stripe, PayPal, or other gateways and get paid instantly.

There are no delays, no withheld revenue, and no platform fees eating into your profits.

You stay in control of your funds from day one.

Compared to Thinkific and Teachable’s longer payout cycles and revenue-holding policies, ProductDyno gives you a smoother, more direct payment experience that’s better for your cash flow and your business growth.

 

ProductDyno Makes It Easier For You To Make Money And Profits

ProductDyno makes it easier to keep more of what you earn compared to Thinkific and Teachable, thanks to its low or zero transaction fees. While other platforms take a cut of your sales — sometimes up to 10% — ProductDyno lets you pocket more profit from every transaction. There are no hidden fees, and you’re free to connect your own payment gateways, so you control the full flow of funds.

That means whether you're selling a $10 product or a $1,000 course, you get to keep more money. Over time, those savings add up, making your business more profitable, faster.

 

It’s Easier To Scale And Earn More Money

As your audience and offers grow, you can create more products, bundle them, or build memberships—without hiring a tech team.

For example, you can duplicate a course using the clone feature, swap out some modules, and resell it as a new product.

With Teachable and Thinkific, managing multiple offers is clunkier and often locked behind expensive tiers. It requires more setup, especially if you want to expand beyond courses or replicate existing content.

If you want to scale, ProductDyno helps you build once and sell across multiple platforms—on your website, inside a membership, or via private links.

Unlike Thinkific, which restricts some features to higher plans, or Teachable, which locks core tools behind paywalls, ProductDyno gives you full power at all tiers.

 

You Have More Ways to Make More Money

ProductDyno makes it easier to earn income in more ways than just course sales.

With its built-in flexibility, you can sell not only courses but digital downloads, SaaS tools, membership sites, and more—all from one platform.

For example, you could sell a productivity course and bundle it with a downloadable eBook or even grant access to a custom-built SaaS tool. The good part is ProductDyno lets you protect and deliver all of these seamlessly under one roof.

In contrast, Thinkific and Teachable are great for courses but limit your product types. If you want to scale by offering software, templates, or bundled digital products, you'd need third-party tools or even hire a developer.

With ProductDyno, you save money and tech headaches. Plus, it doesn’t take a cut of your sales—unlike Teachable, which charges transaction fees unless you’re on higher plans.

 

Pay Less, Keep More—No Commissions Or Hidden Fees

Unlike Teachable, which charges transaction fees on lower plans, ProductDyno never takes a cut of your earnings.

You pay a flat subscription fee—no surprise charges, no platform commissions.

You pay:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

Whether you’re making $100 or $100,000, your profit is yours. Plus, setting up payments is fast and easy. ProductDyno integrates with Stripe, PayPal, and more, allowing you to start selling in minutes.

Thinkific’s payment tools are still new and limited in reach and come with its own fees.

Teachable Pay supports global currencies but comes with its own fees and restrictions. ProductDyno’s simplicity wins here—you get full control without extra charges.

 

Here’s what one creator said about ProductDyno on AppSumo:

 “What a cracking piece of software - don't miss this one!

I purchase many platforms on Appsumo that do not meet my expectations or have been overhyped and over-promised by their founders and developers, so much so that I end up refunding around 60% of my purchases… ProductDyno is not one of these; I will keep and use this fantastic platform.”- LukeS, AppSumo Verified Purchaser

 

Want to try ProductDyno? Click this link to learn more or sign up for a 14-day free trial. 

How  Mid-Size Businesses, Enterprises, and Global Brands Can Use ProductDyno

Mid-size businesses, enterprises, and global brands can also use ProductDyno in several ways—especially if they need a secure, flexible platform to distribute and manage digital products at scale.

Here's how:

1. Internal Employee Training Hubs

Businesses can create secure training portals using ProductDyno to host employee onboarding videos, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and instructional guides.

New and existing staff can log in to access materials based on department or job role. This ensures standardized training across locations.

With drip content and progress tracking, HR teams can monitor completion.

ProductDyno’s licensing and access control lets managers assign content to specific roles.

This streamlines onboarding, reduces training costs, and ensures consistent delivery of critical company policies and knowledge—especially useful for enterprises operating in different regions with large teams to train quickly and uniformly.

 

2. Departmental Knowledge Bases

Mid-size and large businesses can use ProductDyno to house knowledge bases by department—such as Sales, HR, IT, or Marketing. Each department can upload PDFs, whitepapers, video tutorials, and checklists for internal use.

Employees access only their department’s resources, reducing confusion and clutter.

Content updates are easy, so teams always work from the latest material.

This fosters efficiency, promotes self-service, and reduces dependence on internal support or repeated training sessions.

With remote work on the rise, a centralized, always-accessible knowledge base ensures smooth operations even when employees are spread across cities or countries.

 

3. White-Labeled Client Onboarding Portals

ProductDyno allows businesses to white-label content portals and assign them to clients during onboarding.

You can upload welcome videos, usage guides, FAQs, contract explanations, and even industry-specific case studies.

This helps your clients feel confident and well-supported right from the start.

For global brands with hundreds of clients, having customizable, repeatable onboarding systems saves time and reduces confusion.

Each client can receive tailored access depending on what service or product they purchased.

It makes your brand look polished and organized, improves retention, and leads to faster adoption of your product or service.

 

4. Customer Education Libraries

ProductDyno can host customer-facing content like tutorials, explainer videos, guides, and demos.

Enterprises offering complex tools or software can use it to educate clients and reduce support tickets.

Clients log into a secure platform and self-serve their way through training—perfect for SaaS, consulting, or B2B services.

These libraries can include webinars, mini-courses, and downloadable assets.

You can also add assessments or quizzes to reinforce learning.

Educated customers are more likely to renew, refer others, and explore upsell options.

For mid-size businesses looking to scale, this hands-off approach to client education saves staff time and boosts satisfaction.

 

5. Partner and Franchise Training Programs

Franchises, channel partners, or resellers need access to consistent brand and operational training.

ProductDyno enables enterprises to offer secure access to brand guidelines, marketing templates, sales techniques, and training videos. It ensures every partner learns your business exactly how you want it taught.

You can even create multiple portals by region or partner type and assign access accordingly.

Drip content lets you control what’s revealed and when.

This prevents overwhelm and aligns partners with your company culture and goals.

The result is that you get a stronger, more aligned partner network that delivers better results and maintains your brand reputation globally.

 

6. Lead Magnets with Built-In Delivery

Mid-size businesses can attract new leads by offering free downloadable eBooks, whitepapers, or mini-courses through ProductDyno.

Once users sign up, the system handles automatic delivery via secure access portals.

You can integrate with email platforms like ConvertKit or ActiveCampaign to follow up with targeted messages.

This hands-off system improves conversion rates, builds your email list, and warms up prospects with valuable content.

Enterprises can run large-scale lead generation campaigns with gated content for different customer segments.

Global brands can localize content and run multilingual funnels, ensuring their lead magnets reach diverse audiences efficiently.

 

7. Certification Programs for Clients or Staff

Businesses can use ProductDyno to offer internal certifications or client training programs.

For example, you can create a structured course with modules, tests, and a downloadable certificate upon completion.

This is perfect for software onboarding, HR compliance, or upskilling employees.

Clients can also earn certifications for using your service, which enhances brand authority and loyalty.

Mid-size businesses benefit by turning training into a competitive differentiator, while enterprises standardize learning outcomes across thousands of users.

Certifications build credibility and increase user engagement.

Plus, the system automatically tracks who’s completed what—eliminating the need for manual monitoring.

 

8. Sales Team Enablement Platforms

Mid-size and enterprise sales teams often struggle with outdated sales decks or scattered resources.

ProductDyno can serve as a centralized portal where sales reps access up-to-date product sheets, sales scripts, objection handling videos, and case studies.

This ensures your entire team is aligned and well-prepared.

With mobile access, field reps can review materials on the go.

You can track usage to see which resources are helping close deals.

Global brands benefit by maintaining consistent sales messaging across regions.

This leads to shorter sales cycles, better conversations with prospects, and higher closing rates—especially in competitive B2B markets.

 

9. Client-Specific Resource Hubs

Large businesses with high-value clients often need to deliver unique documentation, onboarding guides, or support videos tailored to each account.

ProductDyno lets you create client-specific resource hubs with private access.

You can easily duplicate and customize portals for different clients, upload exclusive reports or training content, and update them as the relationship evolves.

Enterprises gain by improving client experience and reducing the need for constant 1:1 hand-holding. It’s scalable, efficient, and enhances trust.

For mid-size firms with growing client bases, this feature delivers a high-touch experience without requiring more staff or overhead.

 

10. Evergreen Webinar and Content Replays

Companies investing in live webinars or virtual workshops can repurpose those recordings into evergreen content libraries inside ProductDyno.

For example, you can build a “training vault” for employees or a “value hub” for prospects with recorded sessions, PDFs, and action checklists. Enterprises can segment access by department or audience, and use email integrations to follow up with targeted offers or reminders. This turns one-time efforts into ongoing assets.

Mid-size businesses get more value out of every webinar, and global brands can scale thought leadership globally by providing access in different regions or languages.

 

ProductDyno is an affordable alternative to Thinkific vs. Teachable.

 

Here’s what one beginner creator said about ProductDyno’s affordability:

 

“Easy and Affordable

I have tried just about every membership platform out there. They are either buggy, cumbersome or WAY too expensive – especially if you are just getting started.

ProductDyno fills a much needed void. It’s easy, affordable and they’ve thought of everything. This thing has so many integrations and features you might think you are using one of the expensive options that cost hundreds per month.”- Valerie DuVall, DigitalIncomeLab.com

 

ProductDyno starts at just $49 (a one-time fee), they don’t charge platform fees, there are no hidden fees, and because of its many integrations you don’t have to buy extra tools for marketing. Learn more about them or you can sign up for a free trial.

Optionally, choose the plan that’s right for you:

•                   ProductDyno Starter Plan: $49 (one-time fee)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  4 payments of $250 each month for 4 months  

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum -  2 payments of $499 each for two months     

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for Creators, Coaches & Digital Product Sellers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

•                   ProductDyno VIP Platinum for List Builders & Affiliate Marketers:   $997  (One-time fee. Lifetime access)

 

Interested in Learning More?

 

Here’s what one creator said about ProductDyno, on AppSumo:

 “What a cracking piece of software - don't miss this one!

I purchase many platforms on Appsumo that do not meet my expectations or have been overhyped and over-promised by their founders and developers, so much so that I end up refunding around 60% of my purchases… ProductDyno is not one of these; I will keep and use this fantastic platform.”- LukeS, AppSumo Verified Purchaser

 

And here’s what another creator shared about ProductDyno, on AppSumo:

“Please if you are on the fence about this one, get it now because it has everything that you need to make a ton of money. Please please don't sit on this one.”

 

Interested in Learning More?

Want to try ProductDyno? Click this link to learn more or sign up for a 14-day free trial.

 

15 Features A Platform for Creating and Selling Digital Products  Must Have

Here are the key things you’ll want from any platform you choose to create and sell your digital products:

•        Customer support that actually helps, meaning you can get fast answers when you're stuck. Whether you’re setting up your first course or troubleshooting tech issues, a responsive support team saves you time, reduces stress, and helps you get back to building your business faster.

•        Content organization that makes sense, because your students shouldn’t have to dig around to find lessons. Look for a platform that lets you structure modules clearly, reorder content easily, and create a smooth, logical flow. This keeps learners focused—and keeps you from wasting hours fixing a messy dashboard.

•        Lesson-building that feels creative, not complicated, so you can focus on teaching—not figuring out a clunky editor. Drag-and-drop builders, multimedia support, and real-time previews make it easier to design rich, interactive lessons that keep your audience coming back.

•        Script and outline tools built-in, because planning your content shouldn’t involve switching between three apps. Platforms that let you create scripts, outlines, and lesson plans in the same workspace help streamline your process and turn your course ideas into published products faster.

•        Built-in features that boost completion rates, like progress tracking, gamification, and reminders. These tools motivate students to finish what they start, which improves satisfaction, reduces refunds, and builds long-term trust in your brand.

•        Strong content protection so your digital products stay yours. Look for platforms with features like video watermarking, disabling downloads, login limits, and anti-piracy measures that give you peace of mind while you grow your business.

•        A payment setup that’s fast and frustration-free, so you can start selling right away. Look for platforms that support Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, and others—with simple onboarding, automated payouts, and no coding needed.

•        Zero platform commission fees, meaning you keep what you earn. Some platforms like Thinkific and Teachable take a cut of every sale, which adds up fast. Choosing one with flat pricing or no commissions at all gives you predictable income—and more of it.

•        You keep 100% of your income, because you did all the work. Platforms that don’t take a slice of your sales help you scale faster and reinvest more into your business. Whether you’re selling $100 or $10,000 a month, this adds up.

•        Built to scale—without more complexity, so growing your income doesn’t mean redoing everything. Platforms that let you add more courses, products, or bundles without rebuilding your store or changing your workflow let you grow on your terms.

•        Automation tools that save you time, like email drip campaigns and abandoned cart reminders. These help you run your business on autopilot—nurturing leads, closing sales, and following up without you doing it manually every time.

•        Import/export features that make switching or backing up easy, so your content isn’t stuck in one place. Platforms that let you upload and download products, student lists, and course assets save time—and give you flexibility to pivot if needed.

•        Sell anywhere with complete flexibility, including your own website, social media, or via email. Platforms that support embeddable buy buttons, landing pages, and integrations with third-party tools give you more freedom to market however you like.

•        Marketing tools baked into the platform, such as upsells, coupons, lead capture, SEO settings, and sales funnels. These aren’t just bells and whistles—they’re essential tools that help you attract, convert, and retain buyers without paying for more software.

•        A built-in community to grow your visibility, so you’re not launching into silence. Platforms with marketplaces, instructor networks, or student communities help you get discovered faster—and let happy customers become your word-of-mouth marketers.

Thinkific vs. Teachable: Frequently Asked Questions

 

What’s better: Teachable or Thinkific?

Honestly, neither. While Teachable and Thinkific are popular, they both come with limitations.

Teachable has clunky onboarding and hidden fees, while Thinkific’s course creation tools can feel tedious.

Both platforms charge monthly fees and take a cut of your earnings.

They lack the transparency, flexibility, and smooth experience today’s course creators need.

So if you're choosing between the two, it’s more about what drawbacks you’re willing to tolerate. Neither stands out as significantly better than the other — they just package the same limitations differently.

 

What’s better than Teachable?

ProductDyno. Unlike Teachable, ProductDyno makes onboarding and course creation easy—even if you’ve never built a course before.

You can fully customize your course site, use built-in templates, and manage everything from one dashboard.

It’s not just easier to use—it’s more affordable too, with transparent, one-time pricing options and zero hidden platform fees.

ProductDyno also lets you build a community around your courses, something Teachable lacks.

And with powerful built-in sales and marketing tools, you don’t need to spend extra on third-party apps.

Simply put, ProductDyno is designed to help you teach, engage, and earn more—with way less hassle.

 

Can you sell courses on Thinkific?

Yes, you can sell courses on Thinkific. It allows creators to build and market online courses using their own branding.

You can set prices, offer free previews, bundle products, and accept payments through Stripe or PayPal.

However, you’ll still need to handle your own marketing and possibly pay for additional tools.

Thinkific charges monthly fees, and while they advertise no transaction fees, you’ll still pay payment processor fees.

For some users, especially beginners, the platform may feel a bit complex and time-consuming to navigate.

 

What’s better than Thinkific?

ProductDyno.

Compared to Thinkific, ProductDyno makes course creation a breeze.

Its drag-and-drop interface and AI-powered tools make it simple to build courses quickly.

You get a better learning experience for your audience, full pricing transparency, and no extra platform or transaction fees eating into your revenue.

ProductDyno also offers powerful built-in sales and marketing tools—no need to buy separate apps or services.

Plans are more affordable, with some offering one-time payments, helping you keep more of what you earn.

On top of that, it provides better content protection, multiple monetization options, and responsive customer support.

If you're serious about creating and selling online courses with fewer headaches, ProductDyno gives you more for less.

 

Is Teachable better than Thinkific for hosting an online course?

Not really. Teachable and Thinkific each have strengths, but both fall short in ease of use, course customization, and cost transparency.

Teachable limits features unless you pay more, while Thinkific can be time-consuming to set up.

They both charge monthly fees, and transaction costs cut into your profits. Ultimately, neither is clearly better for hosting—unless you’re fine with giving up control and paying more over time.

 

Which is better: Thinkific or Teachable?

Both platforms are similar in features but come with their own frustrations. Thinkific offers more flexibility in pricing, while Teachable has a slightly better user interface.

But they both charge platform fees (directly or indirectly), lack built-in community and marketing tools, and make course creation more complicated than it needs to be.

Unless you’re already comfortable with one of them, you might be better off exploring more user-friendly, all-in-one alternatives like ProductDyno.

 

What is the main difference between Teachable and Thinkific?

The biggest difference lies in pricing and usability.

Teachable is easier to use for beginners but has higher transaction fees and fewer customization options on lower plans.

Thinkific gives you more control and flexibility but comes with a steeper learning curve. Thinkific’s free plan includes more features, while Teachable locks key tools behind paid tiers.

Both platforms require third-party integrations for marketing and automation, which means extra costs and setup time.

 

What are the main differences between ProductDyno, Teachable, and Thinkific?

ProductDyno stands out with its simplicity, user-friendly interface, and time-saving AI tools for course creation.

Unlike Teachable and Thinkific, ProductDyno offers lifetime, one-time payment options—no recurring fees, no surprises.

It’s incredibly transparent about pricing and doesn’t charge platform or transaction fees.

You also get built-in community features, sales and marketing tools, better content security, and excellent customer support.

With Teachable and Thinkific, course creation feels tedious, and they both rely on third-party tools for selling and engaging learners.

ProductDyno gives you everything in one place—so you can focus on teaching and growing your income without the extra hassle.

 

What are the disadvantages of Thinkific?

Creating a course on Thinkific can be time-consuming and technically overwhelming for beginners.

The learning experience for users isn’t as smooth or engaging as it could be. Hidden fees, such as payment processor charges, eat into your revenue, and monthly payments add up over time.

Some users have reported unreliable customer support and limited control over course design unless you upgrade.

There are no built-in sales or marketing tools, so you’ll need to pay for and integrate other software to grow your course business effectively.

 

What are the disadvantages of Teachable?

Teachable can be difficult to navigate, especially when setting up or customizing your first course.

Many users report a poor learner experience, especially on basic plans that limit the number of courses.

Hidden transaction fees and monthly payments cut into your earnings, and creators have reported delayed or withheld payouts.

Marketing tools are limited, requiring extra spend on third-party platforms.

The lack of built-in community features makes it harder to engage students. Support response times can be slow, and the interface—while polished—doesn’t always prioritize functionality over appearance.

 

What is ProductDyno app?

The ProductDyno app is a cloud-based platform that helps digital product creators easily sell, protect, and deliver their products online.

It works like a digital shelf for your online courses, eBooks, videos, and software.

You can build membership sites, connect payment processors, and integrate email marketing tools—all from one place.

ProductDyno is known for being beginner-friendly, with drag-and-drop tools, fast setup, and strong security features.

It also supports external content hosting, so you can store your files elsewhere but still control access.

Whether you’re selling one product or many, ProductDyno simplifies the process and helps you get paid faster.

 

What is ProductDyno membership?

A ProductDyno membership is a protected area where you can offer exclusive digital content to your customers.

You can build membership sites for online courses, downloadable products, video lessons, or even software tools.

Customers sign in through a branded portal to access the content they’ve purchased.

You can also create “collections” of related products, offer upsells, and control access levels.

ProductDyno lets you connect with your email marketing platform to engage your members over time.

This system works well for creators who want to grow recurring income, improve customer experience, and deliver high-value digital content under one secure login.

 

What is ProductDyno reviews?

ProductDyno reviews are feedback from creators who’ve used the platform to sell and manage digital products.

Most users highlight its simplicity, flexible integrations, and responsive human support (like Jennifer and Annie).

ProductDyno is especially praised for making it easy to manage multiple products under one dashboard, offer upsells, and automate delivery without needing tech skills.

People also like that it doesn’t take a cut of your sales like some other platforms.

On the downside, some users mention a learning curve with advanced features.

Overall, reviews show that ProductDyno is a solid choice for creators who want control and ease of use.

 

ProductDyno lifetime

The ProductDyno lifetime deal gives you lifetime access to the platform for a one-time payment—no monthly fees.

This is popular with course creators, digital marketers, and small business owners who want to save money in the long run.

The lifetime plan usually includes access to core features like product delivery, payment integrations, email marketing tools, collections, and human support.

With no recurring costs, creators can keep more of their earnings and build long-term businesses without worrying about monthly charges cutting into their profits.

 

(N.B: I’ll earn a small commission when you click the links in the blog post and sign up for ProductDyno, with no additional costs to you)

N.B.: All reviews sourced from personal experience, Capterra, G2, TrustPilot, GetApp, Software Advice, Trust Radius, AppSumo

 

Pricing Disclaimer: The prices and features mentioned in this blog post are accurate at the time of writing.

However, product prices and features may change due to promotions, market fluctuations, or retailer updates.

I recommend checking the official website or store for the most up-to-date pricing before making a purchase.