LearnWorlds vs. Teachable
Launched in 2014, LearnWorlds is a versatile learning management system (LMS) designed for creating engaging, interactive, and professional online courses. It’s particularly favored by creators who prioritize customization, interactivity, and a polished student experience. LearnWorlds stands out for its advanced course builder, SCORM compliance, and robust video interactivity features, making it a go-to choice for those who want to deliver a dynamic learning environment. It’s also well-suited for organizations needing a lightweight LMS for employee training or customer education.
Since its inception in 2013, Teachable has become a household name in the online course space, known for its simplicity and beginner-friendly interface. Teachable is an all-in-one platform that emphasizes ease of use, enabling creators to quickly set up courses, coaching programs, and digital downloads. Its drag-and-drop course builder and straightforward pricing make it appealing to solopreneurs and small creators who want to get started without a steep learning curve.
Both platforms have evolved significantly over the years, adding features like AI tools, community options, and integrations. However, their differences in focus—LearnWorlds on interactivity and customization, Teachable on simplicity and accessibility—set the stage for this comparison.
1. Course Creation and Content Delivery
LearnWorlds
LearnWorlds excels in course creation, offering one of the most robust and flexible course builders in the industry. Its drag-and-drop interface allows creators to build courses with a variety of content types, including videos, eBooks, PDFs, audio files, and interactive elements. What sets LearnWorlds apart is its interactive video player, which enables creators to add quizzes, note-taking prompts, buttons, and calls-to-action directly within videos. This fosters a more engaging learning experience and increases student retention.
LearnWorlds also supports SCORM compliance, making it ideal for organizations integrating with existing LMS systems. Its course player allows for drip-feeding content (by day or specific dates), performance thresholds, and self-paced learning options. Creators can enhance videos with automatically extracted transcripts, subtitles, and interactive overlays, ensuring accessibility and engagement.
Additionally, LearnWorlds offers 16 question types for assessments, including multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and interactive assignments. This makes it a powerhouse for creating comprehensive quizzes and exams. Course completion certificates and gamification elements (like badges) further enhance the learning experience.
Teachable
Teachable’s course creation process is built around simplicity. Its drag-and-drop course builder allows creators to organize modules, upload content (videos, text, audio, PDFs), and drip content on a schedule. The platform supports basic quizzes and assessments, with options for multiple-choice questions and customizable quiz attempts. Students can track their progress, mark lessons as complete, and earn certificates upon finishing a course.
Teachable has introduced thoughtful AI-powered features, such as an AI curriculum generator, quiz generator, summary generator, and writing assistant. These tools streamline content creation, especially for beginners who may need help structuring their courses. The platform’s video player supports variable playback speeds, subtitles, and picture-in-picture mode, with a unique feature allowing students to take notes at specific timestamps.
However, Teachable’s course builder lacks the advanced interactivity of LearnWorlds. Customization options are limited, and creators who want to embed forms or host live sessions must rely on HTML code blocks or third-party integrations, which can be cumbersome.
Verdict
LearnWorlds is the clear winner for course creation, offering a more flexible and interactive builder with advanced features like SCORM compliance, interactive video, and comprehensive assessments. Teachable is better suited for creators who prioritize simplicity and quick setup but may fall short for those needing robust customization or interactivity.
2. Interactivity and Student Engagement
LearnWorlds
LearnWorlds is designed to maximize student engagement through interactive and community-driven features. Its interactive video capabilities allow creators to embed quizzes, polls, and CTAs directly in videos, creating a dynamic learning experience. The platform’s course player supports note-taking and highlighting, further enhancing student interaction with the content.
A standout feature is LearnWorlds’ built-in community functionality. Students can create profiles, join discussion forums, and interact with peers and instructors. Teachers can assign roles, moderate discussions, and organize groups, fostering a sense of belonging. This community feature is particularly valuable for cohort-based courses or membership-style programs.
LearnWorlds also supports gamification, such as badges and points, to motivate learners. Its advanced analytics provide insights into student engagement, allowing creators to refine their courses based on performance data.
Teachable
Teachable lags behind in interactivity and engagement. While it offers a basic community feature—a forum-style discussion board where students and instructors can post and react—it’s not as robust as LearnWorlds’ community tools. There’s no option for student profiles, group assignments, or moderated discussions, limiting the sense of community.
Teachable’s engagement tools are primarily tied to its course player, which allows for comments on lessons and note-taking during videos. However, it lacks gamification features, advanced analytics, or interactive video capabilities. For creators who want to foster a vibrant learning community or deliver highly engaging content, Teachable’s offerings feel rudimentary.
Verdict
LearnWorlds dominates in interactivity and engagement, with its interactive video, gamification, and robust community features. Teachable is functional but lacks the depth needed for a highly engaging student experience.
3. Live Learning and Integrations
LearnWorlds
LearnWorlds does not offer native livestreaming, which is a notable drawback for creators who prioritize live teaching. However, it compensates with strong integrations for platforms like Zoom and WebEx, which support features like breakout rooms, screen sharing, and group coaching. These integrations are seamless, allowing creators to schedule and manage live sessions within the LearnWorlds platform.
LearnWorlds also supports a wide range of third-party integrations, including email marketing tools (e.g., ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit), payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal), and analytics platforms. Its Zapier integration enables automation with thousands of apps, making it highly extensible.
Teachable
Like LearnWorlds, Teachable lacks native livestreaming. It suggests workarounds, such as embedding YouTube or Vimeo livestreams using custom code blocks, but this approach is clunky and unsupported by Teachable’s team. This makes live learning less accessible for creators who don’t want to rely on third-party tools.
Teachable’s integrations are more limited than LearnWorlds’. It supports payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal) and basic email marketing tools, but its integration ecosystem is less comprehensive. Creators often need external platforms for advanced marketing or funnel-building, which can add complexity and cost.
Verdict
LearnWorlds edges out Teachable in live learning due to its better integration with Zoom and WebEx. Both platforms lack native livestreaming, but LearnWorlds’ broader integration ecosystem makes it more versatile.
4. Marketing and Sales Tools
LearnWorlds
LearnWorlds offers a robust suite of marketing tools to help creators promote and sell their courses. Its site builder allows for highly customizable landing pages, with over 400 templates and widgets for creating professional-looking websites. Creators can build funnels, capture email addresses, and apply tags for segmentation, reducing the need for external tools.
LearnWorlds supports affiliate marketing, coupons, free courses, and multiple payment options (one-time, subscriptions, payment plans). Its checkout system is secure, and analytics provide insights into sales performance. However, LearnWorlds does not include native email marketing, requiring integration with third-party tools like Mailchimp or ConvertKit.
Teachable
Teachable’s marketing tools are solid but less comprehensive. Its page builder is functional but limited, with pre-made sections that lack flexibility. Many creators opt for external funnel builders due to these constraints. Teachable’s checkout system is secure and supports multiple payment structures, including one-time fees, subscriptions, and free trials. It also natively collects sales tax based on customer location, which is a slight advantage.
Teachable’s affiliate program is user-friendly, with automatic payouts, but its marketing features (coupons, free courses) are similar to LearnWorlds’. Like LearnWorlds, Teachable lacks native email marketing, requiring integrations with tools like Mailchimp.
Verdict
LearnWorlds takes the lead in marketing due to its flexible site builder and funnel-building capabilities. Teachable is competitive but falls short in page customization and integration options.
5. Pricing and Value
LearnWorlds
LearnWorlds offers a 30-day free trial but no free plan. Its paid plans start at $29/month (Starter), with transaction fees ($5 per course sale). Higher tiers include Pro Trainer ($99/month) and Learning Center ($249/month), which waive transaction fees and unlock advanced features like white-labeling and custom apps. Annual plans offer discounts, and the Starter plan is affordable for beginners.
However, full white-labeling and premium features (e.g., custom apps) are locked behind the expensive Learning Center plan, which may be cost-prohibitive for small creators.
Teachable
Teachable offers a free plan with limited features and steep transaction fees ($1 + 10% per sale). Paid plans start at Basic ($59/month) with 5% transaction fees, followed by Pro ($159/month) and Pro+ ($249/month), which eliminate transaction fees and add advanced features. Teachable’s pricing structure limits the number of courses (1 for Basic, 5 for Pro, 50 for Pro+), which can be restrictive for scaling creators.
Teachable’s free plan is appealing for beginners, but its paid plans are pricier than LearnWorlds’ equivalents, especially considering the limited feature set.
Verdict
Teachable wins for beginners due to its free plan, but LearnWorlds offers better value for paid plans, with lower starting prices and more features.
6. Ease of Use
LearnWorlds
LearnWorlds’ interface is intuitive but has a steeper learning curve due to its extensive feature set. The drag-and-drop site and course builders are user-friendly, and the platform’s onboarding (especially on higher tiers) includes expert guidance. However, creators new to LMS platforms may need time to master its advanced tools.
Teachable
Teachable is renowned for its simplicity, with a clean dashboard and straightforward course creation process. Its AI tools and guided setup make it accessible to beginners, and TeachableU (its online university) provides tutorials for maximizing the platform. For creators who value speed and ease, Teachable is hard to beat.
Verdict
Teachable is easier to use, especially for beginners, while LearnWorlds requires more time to master but offers greater depth.
7. Support and Resources
LearnWorlds
LearnWorlds provides 24/7 support via email, live chat, and phone (Monday–Friday, 8:00–17:00 EST). Higher-tier plans include priority support and premium onboarding (up to two hours with an expert). The LearnWorlds Academy offers courses and over 400 articles on course creation and optimization. Migration services are also available for users switching from other platforms.
Teachable
Teachable offers email and live chat support during business hours (8:00–20:00 EST), but live chat is limited to Pro plan users ($119/month). Its knowledge base and TeachableU provide extensive tutorials, but support is less comprehensive than LearnWorlds’. Teachable does not offer migration services.
Verdict
LearnWorlds provides superior support with 24/7 availability, phone support, and migration services. Teachable is adequate but less robust.
Final Thoughts: Which Platform Should You Choose?
Both LearnWorlds and Teachable are excellent platforms, but they cater to different needs:
- Choose LearnWorlds if: You prioritize interactivity, customization, and a robust learning experience. Its interactive video, community features, and advanced assessments make it ideal for creators who want to engage students deeply and scale their business. It’s also a great fit for organizations needing a lightweight LMS.
- Choose Teachable if: You’re a beginner or small creator looking for simplicity and quick setup. Its free plan and user-friendly interface make it accessible, but it may not suffice for creators needing advanced features or community-building tools.
Ultimately, LearnWorlds is the more powerful and versatile platform, offering a richer feature set for creators who want to deliver professional, engaging courses. Teachable remains a strong contender for those prioritizing ease of use and affordability, particularly at the entry level.
