⚡ Quick Verdict:
- Pricing: Circle starts at $89/month. Teachable starts at $29/month.
- Best for: Circle for community building with an integrated course. Teachable for selling online courses first.
- Key difference: Circle is a community platform with courses attached. Teachable is a course platform with light community features.
- Our pick: Circle, rated 4.3 against 4.2, because spaces, live events and automation tools sit in one place.
Circle and Teachable both promise to hold your audience and your paid content.
They start from opposite ends of the same problem.
Circle starts with the community and adds course functionality later.
Teachable starts with the online school and treats discussion as a side feature.
That single split decides which one fits your business.
Overview
This Circle vs Teachable comparison covers pricing, key features, course tools and ease of use.
We also break down who each platform works best for.
Our sources include published specs, documentation and G2 reviews.
Our writers also spent hands-on time inside both accounts.
Those notes appear in the “What Our Team Noticed” sections below.
What is Circle?
Circle.so is an all-in-one platform for creators, brands and online business owners.
It lets you run memberships, host courses, manage events and build a community.
The Circle community sits inside spaces you can set as public, private or secret.
Related spaces roll up into a space group, so content stays organised by theme.
Most community builders pick it as a calmer home than a Facebook group.
Here is how the platform looks in motion.
🏆 Winner: Circle
Spaces, chat, live events and courses share one login. Every plan opens with a 14-day free trial.
Circle Pricing
Circle’s pricing runs on three published tiers.
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Professional | $89/month | Solo creators launching a first paid space |
| Business | $199/month | Teams needing more advanced features and admins |
| Enterprise (rich member profiles, events, plus branded app) | Custom Pricing | Larger brands wanting a custom domain and branded mobile app |
Pricing verified July 2026.
Free trial: Yes. All plans include a 14-day free trial so you can assess the platform first.
Money-back guarantee: No published refund window. Cancel before the trial ends to avoid a charge.
📌 Note: Circle charges a transaction fee of 0.5% to 4% on payments, depending on your plan. That sits on top of the standard Stripe fee of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.
⚠️ Pricing conflict flagged: Some sources list a $399/month enterprise plan. Our CSV-verified data lists Enterprise as Custom Pricing, and we use the CSV figures throughout this article.
Key Benefits of Circle
Here is what Circle offers that keeps community members coming back:
- Organised community spaces: Public, private spaces and secret spaces let you control access per topic. Certain spaces can sit behind a paid membership.
- Native live streaming: Host live sessions for up to 30 participants or a live stream for up to 100 viewers.
- Rich community posts: Circle’s post editor covers bold, italics, headings, blockquotes and collapsible sections.
- Automation tools: Automation workflows handle repetitive community management tasks and member follow-ups.
- Paid memberships: Stripe checkout supports multiple currencies, coupon codes and free trials on your own plans.
- Mobile app access: Members reach communities, courses, events and chats from their phone.
What Our Team Noticed
Our writer set up a test community on Circle and invited a small group. Here is what stood out from that hands-on time:
Circle Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Clean user interface that feels familiar to Slack and Notion users
- Spaces and Space Groups keep the entire community organised
- Live events, chat and courses run inside one platform
- Paid memberships, coupons and multiple currencies through Stripe
❌ Cons
- Course builder is lighter than a dedicated learning management system
- Transaction fees stack on top of the monthly subscription cost
- Automation features stay basic for complex multi-step workflows
What is Teachable?
Teachable is a cloud-based course platform for creating online courses and coaching services.
Your Teachable school holds multiple courses, digital products and students in one dashboard.
The Teachable software is not a full learning management system, but it covers hosting and delivery.
It is also not a marketplace like Udemy, so it never markets your online classes for you.
HotMart acquired Teachable in 2020, and the Teachable team has shipped AI tools since.
This walkthrough shows the builder in action.
Teachable
Built for course creators who want to sell courses fast. VAT and US sales tax are handled for you.
Teachable Pricing
Teachable offers four paid tiers in our verified data.
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $29/month | Publishing a first online course |
| Builder | $69/month | Creators selling courses and coaching |
| Growth | $139/month | Advanced reporting and a bigger catalogue |
| Advanced | $309/month | Larger teams and a coaching program at scale |
Pricing verified July 2026.
Free trial: Yes. You can open a Teachable account and build before you publish.
Money-back guarantee: No blanket refund promise. Billing stops at the end of the paid period.
📌 Note: Lower tiers carry a transaction fee. Teachable’s free plan has historically charged $1 plus 10% of sales, the basic plan 5%, and higher plans none. The BackOffice add-on adds a 2% fee.
⚠️ Pricing conflict flagged: Older sources list Basic at $39, Pro at $119 and Business at $299. Our CSV-verified plan names and prices are the four listed above, and those are the figures we use here. Teachable raised prices and lowered product limits in 2025, which is why older numbers still circulate.
Key Benefits of Teachable
Here is what makes Teachable worth a look for course sales:
- Complete course builder: Upload videos, audio, text, images, PDFs, quizzes and HTML embeds into one course curriculum. Unlimited video bandwidth carries all your videos.
- Tax and compliance cover: Course compliance features handle EU and UK VAT plus US sales tax natively.
- Flexible payment options: One-time fees, subscriptions and payment plans run through Teachable Payments, Stripe, PayPal and Apple Pay.
- Student progress tools: Graded quizzes, drip scheduling and course completion certificates track learning.
- Sales page builder: Templates cover a sales page, checkout page and thank you page without code.
- AI assistance: An AI Course Starter drafts outlines and an AI Quiz Generator builds assessments.
What Our Team Noticed
Our writer built a short test course and pushed it through checkout. Here is what stood out:
The clip below covers the same walkthrough end to end.
Teachable Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Simple drag-and-drop builder that suits new users
- Handles global payments, VAT and US sales tax for you
- Quizzes, milestones and certificates come built in
- Creators keep full control over branding, pricing and student data
❌ Cons
- Community features are thin next to a dedicated community platform
- Built-in email marketing is basic and often needs an external tool
- Design customisation is limited on sales pages and funnels
Feature Comparison
Ten rounds decide this. Each one looks at how the two platforms handle the same job.
| Feature | Circle | Teachable |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $89/month | $29/month |
| Community spaces | ✅ | ❌ |
| Native live streaming | ✅ | ❌ |
| Course builder | ✅ (integrated course) | ✅ (full curriculum) |
| Graded quizzes & certificates | ❌ | ✅ |
| Automation workflows | ✅ | ❌ |
| Email marketing | ✅ | ✅ (basic) |
| VAT & sales tax handling | ❌ | ✅ |
| Mobile app | ✅ | ✅ (mobile-friendly web) |
| Best For | Building a thriving online community | Selling online courses |
1. Community Spaces and Group Discussions
Circle: The community platform space model is the whole product here. You can open public, private and secret spaces, then bundle them into a Space Group. Chat spaces add group discussions with threads, so other members can follow one topic without noise.
Teachable: Community features exist, but they stay basic. Discussion attaches to course content rather than standing on its own. Creators who want a real community aspect usually bolt on a separate tool.
2. Course Builder and Course Content
Circle: The course builder supports videos, audio files, PDFs and more. It is enough to create online courses that sit next to your discussions. It is not a match for a dedicated learning management system.
Teachable: This is the stronger side. Video, audio, text, images, PDFs, quizzes and HTML embeds all slot into a course curriculum. Creating courses across multiple courses stays quick once you learn the layout.
3. Live Streaming Feature and Live Events
Circle: Native live streaming runs inside the platform. You can host events as a small group session for up to 30 participants, or a live stream for up to 100 viewers. Event scheduling and reminders push attendance up.
Teachable: There is no built-in live stream. Live sessions run through Zoom or a webinar tool, then get linked inside a specific course. Drip scheduling covers timed release instead.
⚠️ Warning: Circle’s live streaming feature is convenient, but it lacks the advanced controls of a dedicated webinar platform. Check the viewer cap before you promote a big launch.
4. Automation Tools and Workflows
Circle: Automation workflows trigger on member actions and cut repetitive community management work. Chat agents and gamification help you engage members without daily manual effort. Complex multi-step logic still hits a ceiling.
Teachable: Automation leans on AI-powered tools and scheduled content rather than workflow branching. The AI Course Starter and AI Quiz Generator remove setup time. Anything deeper needs Zapier or a third-party tool.
5. Member Onboarding and Welcome Message
Circle: You can customise invitation emails, a post-signup welcome message and check-in prompts for new members. Member activity tracking then shows who went quiet. That combination makes community building far less guesswork.
Teachable: Onboarding is course-shaped. You create milestones so students see progress, and enrolment emails carry the welcome. There is no member directory to introduce people to each other.
6. Customization, Custom Domain and Branding
Circle: Brand colours, logos and layout all bend to your identity. A custom domain and a branded app arrive on the top tier. The result still looks like Circle underneath, which most people treat as a plus.
Teachable: Design templates cover the basics and little else. Customisation is limited, and high-end design work usually means custom code. That is the most common complaint from creators scaling up.
7. Sales Pages, Checkout and Website Builder
Circle: A website builder sits alongside the community, so a public page and paid spaces share one home. Checkout supports discounts and coupon codes. Pricing plans unlock different content based on what members pay.
Teachable: The page manager builds sales pages, a checkout page and thank you pages from templates. Order bumps lift average order value at checkout. Anything resembling a real funnel needs an outside tool.
8. Email Marketing and Marketing Features
Circle: Email marketing runs to your member list from inside the platform. Broadcasts can target certain spaces rather than the entire community. Third party integrations extend it further through Zapier and webhooks.
Teachable: Built-in email is basic, and most creators route it to ConvertKit or Mailchimp. Marketing features cover coupons, affiliate programs and a sales page builder on higher tiers. Teachable integrations plus Google Analytics tracking fill the reporting gap.
9. Analytics, Advanced Reporting and Student Data
Circle: Analytics track community engagement, active posters and quiet accounts. That tells you which spaces are alive. It does not tell you much about revenue per course.
Teachable: Reports cover enrolments, completion rates, quiz performance and sales performance. Student data stays yours to export. Deeper insight beyond signups, bumps and revenue is thin.
💡 Pro Tip: Support channels differ. Teachable runs mostly on email ticketing, with live chat support and priority support on higher plans. Teachable U also offers free training for new users.
10. Pricing & Cost
Here are both price lists side by side.
| Tier | Circle | Teachable |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Professional: $89/month | Starter: $29/month |
| Mid | Business: $199/month | Builder: $69/month |
| Upper mid | — | Growth: $139/month |
| Top | Enterprise: Custom Pricing | Advanced: $309/month |
Circle: The Professional plan at $89/month caps admins, moderators and spaces. The Business plan at $199/month lifts those limits and adds more advanced features. Circle’s pricing climbs once transaction fees stack on growth.
Teachable: Starter at $29/month is the cheapest way in, though the basic plan carries a transaction fee. Higher tiers drop that fee and add priority support. Many creators feel pushed upward to reach features they expected lower down.
💡 Cost check: Circle’s entry tier costs $60/month more than Teachable’s. Run both against your expected sales volume, because transaction fees change the answer fast.
Different Scenarios
| If You Need… | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The lowest entry price | Teachable | $29 vs $89 per month |
| Daily community engagement | Circle | Spaces, chat and live events |
| A serious course curriculum | Teachable | Quizzes, drip and certificates |
| Paid memberships and tiers | Circle | Spaces unlock by payment |
| VAT and sales tax handled | Teachable | Native tax compliance |
| One home for everything | Circle | All in one platform |
💰 Your Budget
Teachable’s basic plan lets you start course sales for less each month. Circle costs more up front but replaces two or three separate tools.
🔌 Your Tech Stack
Circle’s features include embeds, so a Google Forms survey drops straight into a post. Teachable connects to email and analytics tools instead of hosting them.
📝 Your Content Type
If your value comes from community posts and conversation, Circle fits. If it comes from structured lessons and creating quizzes, Teachable fits.
🎓 Your Experience Level
The Teachable platform is famously gentle for beginners publishing lesson one. The Circle platform asks you to plan space structure before you invite anyone.
🆓 Free Trials and Demos
Circle gives every plan a 14-day free trial. Load real content, not free courses you will delete, so the test reflects your actual workload.
🛟 Support Options
Teachable customer support draws mixed reviews, with slow email replies a common theme. Circle leans on documentation and in-app help for most questions.
Switching Guide
Already on one of them? Here is what changes if you move.
🔄 Switching from Circle to Teachable?
✅ What you’ll gain:
- Graded quizzes, drip content and certificates for unlimited students
- Native VAT and US sales tax handling at checkout
- A cheaper entry price while you test demand
❌ What you’ll lose:
- Multiple spaces and threaded chat for unlimited members
- Built-in live streaming and event reminders
- Automation workflows and gamification
📋 How to switch:
- Export your member list and cancel paid spaces in Circle
- Open a Teachable account and rebuild lessons as a curriculum
- Import students, then create and sell the first paid course
🔄 Switching from Teachable to Circle?
✅ What you’ll gain:
- A real discussion layer instead of comments under lessons
- Live events, chat spaces and member activity tracking
- New features aimed at retention rather than checkout
❌ What you’ll lose:
- Deep quiz grading and completion certificates
- Automatic tax compliance on global sales
- The lower monthly price while selling courses
📋 How to switch:
- Download student records and course files from Teachable
- Map each course to a space, then group them by theme
- Invite members and set the paid spaces live in Circle
What Our Review Didn’t Cover
We focused on solo creators and small teams. We did not test the Enterprise plan, branded mobile apps or custom API work, and neither is the only platform worth checking against other online course platforms. Teachable users running six-figure catalogues and large Teachable community programs may hit limits we never reached. Some missing features may also have shipped since our July 2026 look at both online learning platforms.
Final Verdict
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| 💰 Pricing | Teachable |
| 🚀 Community features | Circle |
| 🎓 Course functionality | Teachable |
| ⚡ Live events | Circle |
| 🤖 Automation tools | Circle |
| 👶 Ease of use | Circle |
| 🔌 Integrations | Teachable |
| 🏆 Overall Winner | Circle |
🏆 WINNER: CIRCLE
Circle wins 4 of 7 categories.
Best for: paid memberships, live cohorts, and creators who want an integrated course beside the conversation
These are two different products wearing similar marketing. Circle’s key features point at retention, while Teachable’s point at the checkout page.
Teachable is the better tool for creating courses at depth. Its payment processor handles tax, and Teachable courses feel finished with quizzes and certificates attached.
Circle takes the overall pick because the community platform Circle built keeps people around after the lessons end. One cool feature, native live streaming, removes an entire subscription for many creators.
Pick Teachable if selling online courses is the whole business today. Pick Circle if you want to create courses and grow a membership in the same place.
More of Circle Compared
Here is how Circle lands against other online community platform options and other platforms creators shortlist:
Circle vs Skool
Circle wins on: space structure and privacy controls, native live streaming, brand customisation depth
Skool wins on: flat single-price billing, faster setup with almost no configuration, built-in leaderboard motivation
Circle vs Mighty Networks
Circle wins on: cleaner day-to-day navigation, threaded chat quality, workflow automation for member follow-up
Mighty Networks wins on: stronger native course delivery, member matchmaking suggestions, included branded app on lower tiers
Circle vs Bettermode
Circle wins on: creator-focused monetisation, live event hosting, faster launch without developer help
Bettermode wins on: API depth for product teams, embedding into an existing site, custom permission modelling
More of Teachable Compared
Here is how Teachable stacks up against rival tools for course sales:
Teachable vs Thinkific
Teachable wins on: native VAT and sales tax handling, simpler first-week setup, AI course and quiz drafting
Thinkific wins on: lower fees on entry tiers, deeper site customisation, more generous limits before an upgrade
Teachable wins on: far cheaper entry price, less setup before launch, tax compliance built in
Kajabi wins on: funnels that drive more sales, stronger email automation, one stack for a coaching business
Teachable vs LearnWorlds
Teachable wins on: gentler learning curve, lower starting cost to sell online courses, faster checkout setup
LearnWorlds wins on: interactive video and assessments, white-label school design, richer certification options
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Circle used for?
Creators use it to run paid memberships, discussions, courses and live events in one place, with spaces that control who sees what.
How much does Circle cost?
Professional is $89/month and Business is $199/month. Enterprise is custom priced. Transaction fees of 0.5% to 4% apply on payments you receive.
What percentage does Teachable take?
Lower tiers historically charged 5%, and the free option charged $1 plus 10% per sale. Higher plans remove the cut entirely.
Is Circle so worth it?
It is worth it when membership retention drives your income. If you only sell one course, the higher monthly cost is hard to justify.
Which one is better for selling online courses?
Teachable, because of graded quizzes, certificates, drip content and native tax handling. Circle suits creators who want the course wrapped inside a community.
English 
Spanish 
Chinese 
German 
French 
Arabic 
Russian 
Portuguese 
Japanese 
Korean 
Italian 
Turkish 
Dutch 
Polish 
Indonesian 
Thai 
Vietnamese 