Head-to-Head Comparison · Alternative to Teachable · 🛍️ creator commerce
Teachable vs Moodle
The most complete free LMS here, with the least creator-friendly first impression. Here is how Moodle ($0/mo open source) stacks up against Teachable ($39/mo) across cost, hosting, data privacy, and real-world trade-offs.
Teachable vs Moodle Specification Matrix
facts verified 2026-08-10
| Dimension | Teachable (Paid) | Moodle (Replacement) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $39 / mo | $0 / mo |
| 1-Year Cost (1 seat) | $468 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $468) |
| 1-Year Cost (5 seats) | $2,340 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $2,340) |
| 1-Year Cost (10 seats) | $4,680 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $4,680) |
| Source & License | Proprietary SaaS | open source GPL-3.0+ |
| Where It Runs | Vendor Cloud | Local or hosted (your machine or their cloud) |
| Platforms | Web / Cloud | mobilewebself-hostedself-host, real ops |
| GitHub Stars | — | ★ 7.3k (active aug 2026) |
Deep Dive: Switching from Teachable to Moodle
Trade-offs, installation & data architecture
What you trade away
Moodle's administration and learner interface are far less creator-friendly, and selling/coaching requires configuration or plugins.
How to deploy Moodle
Upload the PHP release to a web server, create a database and moodledata directory, then complete the browser installer
What it takes to run
PHP and database requirements, protected writable storage, cron, SMTP, backups and upgrades are all the operator's responsibility
Where your data lives
Courses, users, grades and settings in SQL; uploaded files in the separate moodledata directory
Why fork Moodle instead of vibe-coding a Teachable clone?
A basic course site with Stripe can be built, but student apps, tax/payments, course compliance, certificates, upsells, affiliates, and support make full parity hard.
Teachable vs Moodle FAQ
Is Moodle a good free alternative to Teachable?+
Yes. Moodle is a verified open-source (GPL-3.0+) replacement for Teachable. The most complete free LMS here, with the least creator-friendly first impression.
What is the catch when switching from Teachable to Moodle?+
Moodle's administration and learner interface are far less creator-friendly, and selling/coaching requires configuration or plugins.
How much do you save switching from Teachable to Moodle?+
Teachable costs $39/mo ($468/yr) per seat, whereas Moodle is $0/mo. Switching saves $468/yr for a solo user, $2,340/yr for a 5-person team, and $4,680/yr for a 10-person team.
How do I install or self-host Moodle instead of Teachable?+
Install: Upload the PHP release to a web server, create a database and moodledata directory, then complete the browser installer. Setup: PHP and database requirements, protected writable storage, cron, SMTP, backups and upgrades are all the operator's responsibility
