Basic
$49
/month
- + Unlimited courses
- + Custom domain
- + Coupons & promotions
- + Email integrations
- + Drip content scheduling
Thinkific
Online course platform that lets creators build, market, and sell courses from their own branded website.
hr-educationEditor's Pick
Our Score
4.4
Starting at $49 /month
Start Free with Thinkific →
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4.4
RecommendedThinkific Score
Ease of Use
4.5
Features
4.3
Value
4.5
Support
4.1
Based on our editorial review across usability, features, value, support, and integrations.
Best For
Solo course creators launching their first online course or coaching programCoaches and consultants packaging their expertise into scalable digital productsSmall businesses creating customer training or certification programsEducators who want full brand control rather than listing on Udemy or SkillshareMembership site owners combining courses with community features
Best For
Solo course creators launching their first online course or coaching program
Free Trial
No
Standout Feature
Drag-and-drop course builder with video, quizzes, assignments, and downloadable content
Track Record
Since 2012
What Problem It Solves
Thinkific solves the technical barrier that prevents subject-matter experts from monetizing their knowledge online. Without Thinkific, a course creator would need to cobble together separate tools for video hosting, website building, payment processing, student management, and email marketing, then somehow make them all work together. Thinkific packages all of these capabilities into a single platform where a creator can go from idea to published course in days rather than months. It also solves the platform dependency problem: unlike Udemy or Skillshare, where the marketplace owns the student relationship and controls pricing, Thinkific puts creators in full control of their brand, pricing strategy, and student data. This ownership model means creators build a sustainable business asset rather than contributing content to someone else's platform.
Key Features
- Drag-and-drop course builder with video, quizzes, assignments, and downloadable content
- Branded website builder with customizable themes and custom domain support
- Built-in payment processing with Stripe and PayPal supporting one-time and subscription pricing
- Student management dashboard with progress tracking and engagement analytics
- Community features with discussions, live events, and student interaction tools
- Completion certificates with customizable templates and automatic issuance
- Thinkific App Store with 90+ integrations including Zapier, Mailchimp, and affiliate tools
Pros
- + Genuinely useful free plan that lets you test with one course and unlimited students
- + Full ownership of student data, branding, and pricing unlike marketplace platforms
- + Clean, intuitive course builder that non-technical creators can use immediately
- + No transaction fees on any plan, keeping more revenue in the creator's pocket
- + Strong community and live events features that increase student engagement
Cons
- - Built-in marketing and email tools are basic, requiring third-party integrations for serious campaigns
- - Website designs can look generic without custom CSS or theme customization
- - Video hosting lacks advanced features like chapters, hotspots, or adaptive bitrate streaming
- - Advanced analytics and reporting require higher-tier plans or third-party apps
Pricing
Start
$99
/month
- + Assignments & certificates
- + Memberships & bundles
- + Live lessons
- + Advanced course builder
- + Everything in Basic
Grow
$199
/month
- + Bulk selling & enrollments
- + API access
- + Priority support
- + Remove Thinkific branding
- + Onboarding package
Starting at $49 /month
Start Free with Thinkific →
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Our Verdict
Thinkific — Recommended
Thinkific occupies the sweet spot between simplicity and power in the online course platform market. For course creators who want ownership of their brand and student relationships without the complexity of a full LMS, Thinkific delivers a well-balanced product. The course builder is intuitive enough for first-time creators to have a course live within a day, while offering enough depth for experienced educators to build sophisticated learning paths with prerequisites, certificates, and drip content.
The biggest strength is the all-in-one nature of the platform. Course hosting, website builder, checkout, student management, email marketing integrations, and community features all live under one roof. The Thinkific App Store extends functionality with third-party integrations for things like affiliate programs, advanced analytics, and Zapier automations. The free plan is genuinely useful for testing the platform with a single course before committing to paid plans.
The limitations become apparent as you scale. The built-in marketing tools are basic compared to dedicated marketing platforms. Email capabilities are limited, pushing most creators toward integrating ConvertKit, Mailchimp, or ActiveCampaign. The website builder, while functional, produces sites that look similar to other Thinkific sites unless you invest in custom CSS. Video hosting works but lacks advanced features like chapters, interactive elements, or high-quality adaptive streaming that dedicated video platforms offer. For pure course creation and delivery, though, Thinkific is one of the strongest options available, particularly for creators who value owning their platform over renting space on a marketplace.
Related Tools
How much does Thinkific cost and is there a free plan?
Yes, Thinkific offers a free plan that includes 1 course, unlimited students, and basic features. The Basic plan costs $49/month (or $36/month annually) and adds unlimited courses, custom domain, coupons, and email integrations. The Start plan is $99/month (or $74/month annually) with assignments, memberships, bundles, and advanced course building tools. The Grow plan costs $199/month (or $149/month annually) and includes bulk selling, API access, Brillium exam integration, and priority support. Thinkific charges no transaction fees on any plan, which is a significant advantage over competitors like Teachable that charge up to 5% on lower tiers.
How does Thinkific compare to Teachable and Kajabi?
Thinkific, Teachable, and Kajabi are the three most popular standalone course platforms, each with distinct strengths. Thinkific offers the best free plan and charges no transaction fees at any tier, making it the most cost-effective for new creators. Teachable has stronger built-in marketing tools including native email, upsells, and affiliate programs, but charges transaction fees on its cheaper plans. Kajabi is the most feature-complete with built-in email marketing, landing pages, funnels, and a website builder, but it is significantly more expensive starting at $149/month with no free tier. Choose Thinkific for cost-effective course-first experiences, Teachable for marketing-heavy course businesses, and Kajabi if you want an all-in-one platform and can justify the premium price.
Can I use Thinkific for corporate training or team education?
Yes, though with limitations. Thinkific works well for customer training, partner enablement, and small-scale employee training. The Grow plan offers features like bulk student enrollment, group management, and API access that support business training use cases. However, Thinkific is not a traditional corporate LMS. It lacks SCORM/xAPI compliance, SSO integrations on standard plans, advanced compliance tracking, and the administrative controls that large enterprises typically require. For companies with under 500 learners doing product training or certification programs, Thinkific is a solid and much more affordable alternative to enterprise LMS platforms. For larger-scale corporate learning needs, purpose-built platforms like Docebo or TalentLMS may be more appropriate.
Starting at $49 /month
Start Free with Thinkific →
Affiliate link
Start Free with Thinkific →
Affiliate link