Course creators face a critical decision when selecting the platform that will shape their online education business. While hundreds of options exist in today’s competitive market, WishList Member and Teachable have emerged as leading choices for educators who want robust functionality without overwhelming complexity. These platforms represent two fundamentally different philosophies: one prioritizing complete customization control, the other emphasizing streamlined simplicity for rapid deployment.
What Makes These Platforms Unique?
WishList Member and Teachable represent two fundamentally different approaches to creating and selling online courses. WishList Member is a WordPress plugin that transforms your existing WordPress website into a membership site with protected content. It has been a pioneer in the membership space since 2008, downloaded and activated on over 120,000 membership sites and online communities. In contrast, Teachable is a standalone, hosted platform specifically designed for creating and selling online courses without requiring your own website.
The most significant difference lies in their structure: WishList Member requires you to have a WordPress website and handle your own hosting, while Teachable is an all-in-one hosted solution where everything is managed for you. This fundamental distinction affects everything from setup complexity to customization options and ongoing maintenance requirements. With WishList Member, you’ll need to be comfortable with WordPress or have someone on your team who is, whereas Teachable provides a more streamlined, user-friendly experience for those who don’t want to manage the technical aspects of a website.
WishList Member offers unlimited membership levels and sophisticated content protection features with one-click functionality, making it ideal for complex membership structures. Meanwhile, Teachable focuses on providing a cohesive course creation experience with built-in marketing tools and sales features. The platform handles payment processing, student management, and course delivery in a single, integrated environment.
How Easy Are These Platforms to Set Up?
When it comes to ease of use, Teachable generally offers a more straightforward experience, especially for beginners. As a hosted platform, Teachable handles all the technical aspects of hosting, security, and updates. You can set up your school quickly with their intuitive interface, allowing you to focus on creating course content rather than managing website technicalities. Their user-friendly dashboard makes it easy to upload videos, create quizzes, and organize your course structure.
WishList Member, while powerful, has a steeper learning curve as it’s integrated with WordPress. Setup involves installing the plugin on your WordPress site and configuring your membership levels and content protection. WishList Member does offer a Getting Started wizard and video tutorials to help with the initial setup, but you’ll still need some familiarity with WordPress to navigate effectively. The backend can feel more complex and dated compared to Teachable’s modern interface.
For non-technical course creators, Teachable’s straightforward approach is often preferred. However, if you’re already comfortable with WordPress or have technical support available, WishList Member’s setup won’t be overly challenging, and you’ll gain more flexibility in the long run. The platform seamlessly integrates with WordPress themes and page builders like Elementor and Divi, providing unlimited design possibilities.
Revolutionize Your Course Creation Process with AI
While traditional platforms require significant time investment, modern AI course generator solutions like Learniverse are transforming how educators approach course development. Learniverse combines the best aspects of both worlds by offering AI-powered course creation from text, PDFs, or links within minutes. The platform provides adaptive and personalized learning paths that adjust to individual learner needs, while interactive tools like quizzes, videos, and gamification elements keep students engaged throughout their journey.
What sets Learniverse apart from WishList Member and Teachable is its built-in analytics and learner tracking capabilities combined with easy customization through drag-and-drop design tools. The platform is ideal for educators, trainers, HR teams, and course creators who want to leverage artificial intelligence to streamline their content development process while maintaining high-quality educational outcomes. Unlike the technical complexity of WishList Member or the structural limitations of Teachable, Learniverse positions itself as an adaptable solution that balances ease of use with powerful engagement-driven features, making it particularly attractive for users who need rapid course deployment without sacrificing educational effectiveness.
What Are the Course Creation Capabilities?
Both platforms offer robust tools for creating and delivering course content, but with different approaches and capabilities. WishList Member provides exceptional flexibility in how you structure and present your content since you’re working within WordPress. You can use any WordPress theme or page builder to design your course pages, giving you virtually unlimited design options. WishList Member also offers powerful content dripping features, allowing you to schedule content release by date, after registration, or based on other triggers.
Teachable offers a more structured course creation experience with its built-in course builder. It provides a clean, professional layout for organizing your content into courses, sections, and lectures. Teachable excels with its native video hosting, quizzes, completion certificates, and student discussion features. The platform also includes course compliance features to ensure students complete lessons in order if desired.
While Teachable provides a more cohesive, purpose-built course experience out of the box, WishList Member offers more customization options when paired with other WordPress plugins. With WishList, you could integrate specialized quiz plugins, forum plugins, or other tools to create a highly tailored learning environment that matches your exact vision. The platform includes a built-in course builder called CourseCure and allows unlimited membership levels with sophisticated content protection rules.
How Do the Pricing Models Compare?
Pricing structures differ significantly between these platforms, impacting your business model and profitability. WishList Member operates on an annual licensing model, with plans starting at $149.50 per year for a single site. This is a flat fee regardless of how many members you have or how much revenue you generate. While this requires an upfront investment, it can be more economical in the long run as your membership grows, since you won’t pay increasing fees based on student numbers or transaction percentages.
Teachable uses a tiered pricing model with four main plans as of June 2025: Starter ($29/month annually), Builder ($69/month annually), Growth ($139/month annually), and Advanced ($309/month annually). The Starter plan includes a 7.5% transaction fee, while the Builder, Growth, and Advanced plans offer 0% base transaction fees. Teachable handles payment processing, tax calculations, and author payouts if you have multiple instructors.
For monetization, both platforms support one-time payments and subscriptions. WishList Member integrates with numerous payment gateways including PayPal, Stripe, and many others. Teachable has built-in payment processing supporting major credit cards and PayPal. Teachable also offers useful sales features like course bundles, coupons, and affiliate marketing tools, making it easier to market and sell your courses through various channels.
The Builder plan and above on Teachable allows up to 1,000 students with unlimited published products (courses, coaching, digital downloads), while WishList Member has no such restrictions. This makes WishList Member more cost-effective for larger operations, while Teachable provides better value for smaller creators who prefer predictable monthly costs.
What Customization Options Do You Get?
When it comes to creating a distinctive brand experience, the platforms offer different levels of customization. WishList Member provides extensive customization options since it works within your WordPress site. You maintain complete control over your site’s design, layout, and branding. You can use any WordPress theme, customize every aspect of your pages, and create a unique look and feel that aligns perfectly with your brand identity. This level of control extends to all aspects of the user experience, from landing pages to member dashboards.
Teachable offers more limited customization options by comparison. While you can add your logo, customize colors, and upload background images, the fundamental structure and layout of Teachable schools follow a consistent template. This ensures a clean, professional look but may feel restrictive if you want a highly unique design. Custom coding options are available on higher-tier plans, but they’re still constrained by Teachable’s overall framework.
For course creators who prioritize having a distinctive brand presence and unique user experience, WishList Member’s flexibility within WordPress will likely be more satisfying. The platform connects seamlessly with popular page builders, allowing complete design freedom. However, Teachable’s consistent design ensures your school looks professional without requiring design expertise, which many course creators find advantageous, especially when starting out.
How Do You Build Community and Engagement?
Building an engaged community around your courses can significantly improve student success and retention. Both platforms offer different approaches to facilitating student engagement. WishList Member doesn’t include built-in community features, but its WordPress integration allows you to easily add forums, discussion boards, or social networking capabilities through plugins like bbPress or BuddyPress. This flexibility enables you to create sophisticated community experiences tailored to your specific needs.
Teachable includes basic engagement tools within its platform, such as course discussions, comments, and the ability to message students. These features allow for student interaction and questions within the context of specific lectures or courses. The new 2025 plans include unlimited Community spaces, allowing creators to build engaged learning communities directly within the platform. However, Teachable lacks more advanced community features like member directories or forums unless you integrate with external tools.
For comprehensive community building, WishList Member’s WordPress foundation provides more options through integrations, while Teachable offers simpler, more contained engagement tools. WishList Member also includes gamification features like points and badges to encourage student participation and course completion. Your choice might depend on how central community interaction is to your course experience and whether you prefer integrated but basic tools or more powerful but separately managed community features.
Integration Capabilities
The ability to connect with other software tools is crucial for creating a comprehensive business ecosystem. WishList Member shines in this area with over 50 built-in integrations covering payment processors, email marketing systems, learning management systems, and more. Popular integrations include Stripe, PayPal, ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign, LearnDash, TutorLMS, and Zapier. This extensive integration network allows you to create a highly customized system tailored to your specific requirements.
Payment Gateways: Over 20 payment options including Stripe, PayPal, WooCommerce, 2CheckOut, and Authorize.net
Email Marketing: Seamless integration with major email platforms for automated marketing campaigns
Learning Management: Compatible with advanced LMS plugins for enhanced educational features
Page Builders: Works with Elementor, Divi, and other WordPress design tools
Teachable offers fewer native integrations but covers essential services like Google Analytics, Mailchimp, ConvertKit, and Zapier. Through Zapier, you can connect to hundreds of other applications, though these connections may not be as seamless as direct integrations. Teachable’s approach focuses on providing comprehensive built-in features rather than relying heavily on external integrations.
For businesses with complex requirements or those already using specific tools that need to be integrated, WishList Member’s extensive integration options provide more flexibility. If you prefer a simpler setup with fewer moving parts, Teachable’s more contained ecosystem might be preferable, even if it means adapting to their way of doing things in some areas.
Advanced Features
Both platforms offer sophisticated features for course creators looking to scale their educational businesses. WishList Member provides private tags for section-specific protection, sneak peek content for non-members, and advanced drip content scheduling. The platform automatically tracks student progress and offers detailed analytics through its dashboard. With unlimited membership levels, you can create complex access hierarchies and pricing structures.
Teachable’s advanced features focus on sales and marketing automation. The platform includes:
Sales Tools: Customizable sales pages, one-click upsells, and comprehensive checkout experiences
Marketing Features: Built-in affiliate programs, coupon systems, and lead magnet capabilities
Student Management: Automated email notifications, progress tracking, and completion certificates
Mobile Experience: Native iOS mobile app for students across all plans
WishList Member requires third-party plugins or custom development for similar marketing features, but offers more flexibility in implementation. Teachable provides these features out-of-the-box but with less customization potential. The choice between platforms often comes down to whether you prefer built-in convenience or maximum flexibility.
What Kind of Support Can You Expect?
Reliable support and learning resources can make a significant difference when implementing and managing your online course platform. Teachable offers various support options including a comprehensive knowledge base, community forum, and email support. Higher-tier plans include live chat support and prioritized response times. Additionally, Teachable provides extensive training resources, including their “TeachableU” course to help you make the most of their platform.
WishList Member provides support through their help desk, which is available Monday through Friday during business hours. They offer detailed support guides, a WordPress Basics Course, and various video tutorials to help users navigate their system. The support is knowledgeable, but response times may vary depending on the complexity of your issue.
One notable difference is that Teachable, as a hosted solution, handles all technical maintenance, updates, and security issues. With WishList Member, you’re responsible for WordPress updates, security, and performance optimization, which might require additional technical knowledge or support resources. This difference in support responsibility is an important consideration when choosing between these platforms.
Which Platform Should You Choose for Your Courses?
Choosing between WishList Member and Teachable ultimately depends on your specific needs, technical comfort level, and business goals. WishList Member is ideal if you already have a WordPress website, value maximum flexibility and customization, want to avoid transaction fees as you scale, and don’t mind managing the technical aspects of your site. It’s particularly well-suited for businesses that need complex membership structures or want to create a highly unique user experience.
Teachable is the better choice if you prefer an all-in-one solution that’s easy to set up and maintain, don’t want to worry about hosting or technical issues, need built-in marketing and sales tools, and value a clean, professional course experience that works well out of the box. The platform’s new 2025 pricing structure with 0% transaction fees on most plans makes it more attractive for scaling businesses. It’s especially suitable for course creators who want to focus exclusively on content creation and marketing rather than website management.
Consider starting with a free trial of Teachable and exploring the WishList Member demo to get a feel for both platforms. Assess which one aligns better with your workflow, technical abilities, and long-term business vision. Remember that while switching platforms later is possible, it can be time-consuming, so making the right choice initially will save you considerable effort in the future.
For those seeking a modern alternative that combines ease of use with advanced AI capabilities, platforms like Learniverse offer compelling features for rapid course development and engaging student experiences. The future of online education increasingly favors solutions that can adapt quickly to changing content needs while maintaining high levels of student engagement and learning effectiveness.
