Teachable alternative for beauty courses with a hands-on day
Online lessons are half of a beauty course. The other half is a day at your station with a real model, and that belongs in your calendar.
The Avana Academy, part of Avana by Sweeber Technologies, is a Teachable alternative for salon owners who sell courses with a practical day. It costs £8.99 a month with an Avana plan or £9.99 on its own, VAT included, and takes nothing from your course price. Teachable's Starter plan is $39 a month ($29 billed yearly), priced in US dollars and keeps 7.5% of each sale; Builder, at $89 ($69 billed yearly), drops that fee. Teachable has no calendar for practice days.
| At a glance | Avana | Teachable |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | £8.99 with a plan, £9.99 alone | Starter, $39 a month |
| Fee per sale on the entry plan | None | 7.5% |
| Practice day booking | Yes, in your calendar | No |
| Certificates | Yes | Yes |
Teachable figures from teachable.com and public reviews, October 2026.
Why salon owners teach with Avana
Teachable makes online courses easy. Here is what it leaves out for a salon.
No cut of your course price
Teachable's Starter plan keeps 7.5% of every sale. The Academy takes nothing from your price, on any plan.
Your practice day is bookable
Students choose a date with a fixed number of places, and that time is blocked in your Avana calendar.
One list of people
Clients who become students, and students who become clients, sit in one place with their history.
Sell what you know as a course, from your own salon
You already explain your technique to every junior who joins. Record that once in the Avana Academy and sell it as a course. The hands-on practice day sits in your calendar between your appointments.
- Lessons you set up once
- Certificates go out automatically
- Nothing comes off your course price
Clients can still pay in the salon
Paying at the desk works the way it always has. For a long treatment you can ask for a deposit when they book, so the slot you keep free is paid for. You decide per treatment.
- Pay in the salon, as before
- Turn a deposit on for the treatments that need one
- Card, Apple Pay and Google Pay online
Avana Academy and Teachable compared
What a course costs you, and what it can do.
| Teachable | Avana | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | Starter $39, Builder $89* | £8.99 with a plan, £9.99 alone |
| Fee per sale | 7.5% on Starter, none from Builder* | None |
| Practice day in your calendar | No | Yes |
| Quizzes | Yes | Yes |
| Certificate | Yes | Yes |
| Sales pages and coupons | Yes, more options | Course page in your salon's name |
*Teachable plans change; check teachable.com. Checked in October 2026.
Which suits you?
Teachable is a good choice for purely online courses.
- your course ends with a day in the salon
- you already take bookings with Avana
- you do not want a cut taken from each sale
- your course is fully online
- you want a lot of sales page options
- you sell to a large audience outside your salon
Teachable alternative: FAQ
Is there a Teachable alternative without transaction fees?
Yes. The Avana Academy takes nothing from your course price on any plan. It costs £8.99 a month with an Avana plan, or £9.99 on its own, VAT included.
How much does Teachable cost?
At the time of writing (October 2026), Teachable's Starter plan is $39 a month, or $29 a month billed yearly, with a 7.5% fee on every sale. Builder is $89 a month, or $69 billed yearly, without that fee.
Can I run a practice day with Teachable?
Not inside Teachable, which has no booking calendar. You would need a separate booking tool. With the Avana Academy, students choose a practice day and it is blocked in your calendar.
What does a student see in the Avana Academy?
A course page in your salon's name, the lessons in order, quizzes with an explanation for each wrong answer, the practice day they booked and their certificate when they finish.
Question not here? The help centre walks through every part of Avana step by step.
Everything a hands-on course needs
The Avana Academy costs £8.99 a month with an Avana plan or £9.99 on its own, VAT included. Every Academy plan includes online lessons, quizzes, certificates and bookable practice days.
Online lessons plus a day at your station
A Teachable alternative for a salon has to handle the part of teaching that happens in person. Theory works well as video. The confidence comes from a day next to you, with a model in the chair.
In the Avana Academy, that day is a booking in your calendar, with a fixed number of places, and the certificate follows automatically. Compare Kajabi and Thinkific too.
Teach your technique, keep the full price
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