Udemy vs. Teachable: Marketplace or Your Own School?
It's the classic dilemma for course creators: leverage a massive existing audience on a marketplace like Udemy, or build your own brand on a self-hosted platform like Teachable? This guide will help you decide.
The Fundamental Difference
Marketplace (Udemy)
Like renting a stall in a busy food court. You get hungry customers walking by without advertising, but the food court sets the rules, takes a big cut, and limits how you brand your stall.
Visibility but Limited ControlSelf-Hosted (Teachable)
Like opening your own restaurant. You control the menu, the decor, and the pricing, but you have to attract diners, manage marketing, and handle operations yourself.
Full Control but Requires TrafficRevenue Models: The Biggest Difference
Udemy: Revenue Sharing
Instructor Promotion (97% share)
Student uses your referral link or coupon
Marketplace Sale (37% share)
Udemy brings the student
Free to join, but profit heavily depends on traffic source
If you charge on Udemy, you cannot offer the course for free elsewhere
Teachable: Subscription Model
Starter: $39/month
7.5% transaction fee
Builder: $69/month
5% transaction fee
Growth: $189/month
0% transaction fee
Keep 100% of revenue after platform/transaction fees
✓ Complete control over pricing and discounts
Profitability Scenario: 50 Students × $100 Course
Total Revenue: $5,000
Udemy (Instructor Promotion)
$4,850
97% share
Annual: $58,200
Udemy (Marketplace Sale)
$1,850
37% share
Annual: $22,200
Teachable (Growth Plan)
$4,861
$5,000 - $139 platform fee
Annual: $58,332
Key Insight: If most of your Udemy sales come from the marketplace (not your own traffic), you lose 63% of revenue. Teachable gives you predictable, high margins if you can drive traffic.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Feature | Udemy | Teachable |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in Audience | 73+ million students | Bring your own |
| Branding Control | Zero (Udemy branding) | Full (custom domain, design) |
| Student Data Ownership | Platform owns it | You own it (emails, names) |
| Email List Building | Not allowed | Full access |
| Pricing Control | Limited (Deals Program) | Complete control |
| Course Player | Udemy's player only | Customizable player |
| Sales Pages | Udemy's template only | Up to 10 custom pages per product |
| Marketing Tools | Udemy handles some | Full suite included |
| Affiliate Program | Udemy's program | Your own affiliate program |
| Content Restrictions | Cannot offer free elsewhere if paid | No restrictions |
| Monthly Cost | $0 | $39-$189+ |
| Transaction Fees | 3-63% revenue share | 0-7.5% depending on plan |
| Long-term Business Value | Low (no audience ownership) | High (own customers & brand) |
Which Platform Should You Choose?
Choose Udemy if:
- You're a complete beginner with no audience
- You need immediate traffic and validation
- You create courses as a side project
- You want zero upfront investment
- You don't care about building a brand
- You're willing to give up 63% for marketplace traffic
Choose Teachable if:
- You want to build your own brand
- You have (or can build) an audience
- You want full control over pricing
- You want to own customer relationships
- You're building a long-term business
- You want to create a content ecosystem
The Hybrid Strategy: Why Not Both?
Many successful creators use both platforms strategically. Here's how:
1. Lead Generation on Udemy
Create a condensed, introductory course on Udemy to attract students and validate demand. Price it low to maximize volume.
2. Premium Courses on Teachable
Host your comprehensive, high-ticket courses on Teachable where you control pricing, branding, and customer relationships.
3. Funnel Students Up
Use your Udemy course to build awareness, then direct serious students to your Teachable school for advanced content and community.
Related Resources
Course Platform Comparison
Expand your research with comparisons of Kajabi, Thinkific, and other platforms.
Read More →Online Course Platforms
Complete guide to choosing the best online course platform for your teaching business.
Read More →Udemy Instructor Guide
Deep dive into becoming a successful Udemy instructor if you choose the marketplace model.
Read More →The Best of Both Worlds: Repurpose Your Content Across Multiple Platforms
Why choose one when you can be everywhere? With VideoToPage, you can create your core video content once and automatically repurpose it for any platform.
For Udemy:
Create a condensed, lead-generating version of your course. VideoToPage helps you extract the most important concepts from your full content and package them into a compelling intro course.
- Generate concise lesson summaries
- Create engaging course descriptions
- Extract key takeaways for previews
For Teachable:
Build comprehensive, premium courses with all the supporting materials your students need. VideoToPage turns your videos into complete learning experiences.
- Generate full transcripts and study guides
- Create quizzes and assessments
- Build sales pages and marketing copy
VideoToPage is the content engine that lets you maintain a presence on Udemy for lead generation while building your premium brand on Teachable—without doubling your workload.