Selecting the best platform in your on-line course is a make-or-break choice.
The incorrect selection can result in excessive prices, lacking important options, and a irritating expertise for each creators and college students.
And switching platforms later? That’s a fair larger headache.
Thinkific has positioned itself as a go-to answer for course creators, providing a powerful set of instruments for constructing, advertising, and promoting programs. However does it stay as much as the hype in 2025?
That’s what we’ll discover on this submit. We’ll provide you with an sincere, in-depth Thinkific evaluate masking its options, pricing, execs and cons. We’ll additionally evaluate it to promising opponents so you possibly can determine if it’s the best match for your online business.
Thinkific overview
Thinkific is a cloud-based studying administration system (LMS) constructed to assist people and companies create, market, and promote on-line programs. It’s an internet course platform for educators, entrepreneurs, and firms that need to create programs.
At first look, Thinkific appears to test all of the bins. It supplies an intuitive course builder, scholar engagement instruments (like quizzes and certificates), and built-in advertising options to assist develop your viewers. It even claims to make promoting programs easy with a number of cost choices and integrations.
However though this on-line coaching platform has many advantages, it additionally has downsides. Some customers discover Thinkific’s customization choices limiting, for instance. When you’re contemplating utilizing Thinkific, it’s vital to look past the function record and see the way it actually performs.
Earlier than you decide to this on-line course platform, let’s discover its options, execs, and cons to find out whether or not it’s the best match in your wants.
Prime options of Thinkific
Right here’s an in depth take a look at Thinkific’s strongest options:
1. Drag and drop course builder
You want zero coding abilities to create a course with Thinkific. It comes with an intuitive drag-and-drop builder that means that you can add:
Movies
Quizzes
PDFs
Notes
Video correction notes/ideas
You possibly can add all types in fact codecs and supplies effortlessly — like this:
You possibly can even construction your content material into modules, reorder classes as wanted, and preview programs from a scholar’s perspective to make sure easy navigation.
2. Constructed-in web site and touchdown web page builder
When utilizing Thinkific, you don’t want an exterior web site to host your programs. It comes with a built-in website builder. You possibly can choose an appropriate template, create high-converting touchdown pages, customise themes, and optimize your website for website positioning.
3. Totally customizable course participant
The platform means that you can absolutely customise the course participant to match your branding. You possibly can alter colours, fonts, and layouts to create a constant studying expertise that aligns with your online business.
Not like some opponents that limit design components, this studying administration system offers you full inventive management of your course pages.
4. A number of cost strategies
Thinkific supplies versatile cost options. Course creators can cost within the following methods:
One-time charges
Subscription plans
Installment cost plans
The platform integrates with Stripe and PayPal for straightforward transactions.
It additionally helps coupon codes and bundles to spice up gross sales.
5. Scholar engagement instruments
Protecting college students engaged is essential for any course’s success. Thinkific contains interactive options akin to:
Quizzes and assignments. Check college students’ data and reinforce studying.
Certificates of completion. Reward college students with branded certificates after completion of the web course.
Discussions and communities. Enable college students to work together with instructors and friends.
6. Analytics and reporting
Thinkific supplies detailed analytics on the next:
Scholar progress and completion charges
Income and gross sales traits
Enrollment and engagement metrics
These insights assist you to refine your Thinkific course and advertising methods.
7. Advertising integrations
This course-building and studying platform additionally integrates with advertising instruments like GetResponse, ConvertKit, Zapier, and Google Analytics to assist automate e mail campaigns, monitor consumer habits, and optimize conversion charges.
With these integrations, you possibly can simply nurture leads and improve scholar retention.
8. AI-powered ideas and translation
Lately, Thinkific has included AI capabilities into the platform. Its AI-assisted content material technology helps course creators draft course outlines, counsel lesson constructions, and create quizzes and assignments.
This function is especially helpful for these fighting structuring their course content material or want a place to begin for his or her classes.
Thinkific pricing in 2025 — What you get in your cash
Thinkific value choices are structured to cater to a variety in fact creators. Right here’s a breakdown of what every plan contains and who it’s greatest suited to:
1. Fundamental Plan ($36/Month) – Finest for solo course creators
This plan is good for these simply beginning. It affords the next set of options:
2. Begin Plan ($74/Month) – Finest for rising companies
This plan is designed for educators or companies seeking to provide a extra interactive studying expertise and develop their monetization choices.
3. Develop Plan ($149/month) – Finest for established companies
This plan is designed for skilled course creators seeking to develop their attain and provide a extra premium studying expertise
4. Thinkific+ Plan (customized pricing) – Finest for enterprises and large-scale coaching
Thinkific+ plan is a high-end answer for organizations that want scalability and superior customization. It contains:
Superior analytics to trace scholar efficiency and engagement
Superior scholar administration and enrollment choices for company coaching
Devoted onboarding and precedence help
At this stage, companies can absolutely customise the training expertise, making it ultimate for big firms or academic establishments operating a number of programs concurrently.
The professionals of utilizing Thinkific
There are many optimistic Thinkific critiques on-line. A number of skilled course creators have reviewed this platform on their blogs, and we have now seen about 256 five-star critiques on evaluate platforms like G2 and Capterra.
Right here’s what’s most appreciated concerning the platform by different customers:
1. It’s extraordinarily simple to be taught
Customers have extremely praised Thinkific’s user-friendly interface. Whether or not you’re tech-savvy or simply getting began, the platform is designed to be intuitive and simple to navigate. The educational curve is minimal, which makes it accessible for learners and skilled course creators alike.
The method is fairly simple while you arrange your first course. With drag-and-drop instruments and easy customization choices, you possibly can have your course up and operating very quickly. This can be a big benefit if you wish to concentrate on creating content material moderately than getting caught in difficult tech setups.
2. It affords wonderful buyer help
Different customers spotlight Thinkific’s buyer help as a professional. The help workforce is understood for being responsive and useful, providing help by way of a number of channels, together with stay chat, e mail, and intensive assist guides.
Thinkific affords precedence help for these on higher-tier plans. If any points come up, they’re resolved promptly. Thinkific’s dedication to serving to customers succeed is one key think about protecting course creators loyal to the platform.
3. It’s scalable
Thinkific is an internet course platform for small-scale creators and enormous companies seeking to develop their course choices. As your online business expands, Thinkific means that you can scale your operations easily. You possibly can simply add extra programs, college students, and options.
With completely different pricing tiers to select from, you possibly can conveniently improve your assets as your scholar base and course library develop.
4. You get a variety of integrations
Thinkific integrates with varied third-party instruments like Zapier, GetResponse, Mailchimp, Stripe, PayPal, Google Analytics, and extra. These integrations mean you can streamline your e mail advertising, automate workflows, and combine your programs with a CRM.
The cons of utilizing Thinkific
Regardless of having numerous optimistic critiques, some Thinkific critiques counsel that it’s not a sensible choice. There are about eight one-star critiques of Thinkific on G2 and Capterra saying it’s a foul selection attributable to:
1. Account closing points
Some customers have reported difficulties closing their Thinkific accounts. These points vary from delayed buyer help responses to surprising fees even after trying to cancel. This frustrates customers who desire a hassle-free expertise when ending their subscription.
Disabling a course also can set off one other to reactivate, resulting in unintended enrollments and refund points.
2. Safety points
Thinkific’s safety measures have raised issues amongst customers, particularly concerning content material safety. A serious subject is that paid subscribers can simply entry course content material URLs by way of a easy “View HTML” trick, permitting them to share the hyperlinks freely.
This lack of safety makes it simple for unauthorized customers to entry premium course content material with out paying, which is a big disadvantage for educators who’re promoting on-line programs.
3. No free plan
Thinkific’s free plan was as soon as considered one of its most praised options. Nevertheless, as of 2025, they now not provide it, placing them behind competing course creation platforms.
This can be a main disadvantage for brand spanking new course creators seeking to check the platform with out making a monetary dedication.
4. Technical glitches
Some customers expertise crucial technical points, together with sudden account suspensions with out rationalization. One reviewer misplaced entry mid-pre-sale, leaving patrons unable to buy. Assist was unhelpful on this occasion, with AI bots and delayed e mail responses.
Furthermore, Thinkific lacks a built-in contact type and weblog integration, forcing customers to pay additional for third-party instruments. The fundamental plan additionally prevents search engine indexing and PPC campaigns, making it ineffective for startups. These limitations make Thinkific a dangerous selection for some educators.
5. Video load instances are sluggish
Importing course content material to Thinkific could be time-consuming. Some customers expertise load instances of 30-60 minutes per video, which could be irritating, particularly for creators who rely closely on video-based programs.
3 Thinkific alternate options to check out
Listed below are three of one of the best Thinkific alternate options:
1. GetResponse
Though GetResponse is legendary for its e mail advertising instruments, the newly launched GetResponse content material monetization hub makes it a incredible choice for creating and promoting on-line programs.
With an AI-powered course creation course of, webinars, and premium newsletters, GetResponse makes it simple to monetize your experience.
Key options embrace:
AI instruments. Each learners and execs can simply construct programs with good AI instruments.
Webinar internet hosting. Host stay or on-demand webinars to interact together with your viewers in real-time. Use these webinars to construct an viewers and promote your on-line course.
E mail advertising and automation. Ship customized sequences and automate campaigns based mostly on scholar habits.
Gross sales funnels and touchdown pages. Use ready-to-use e mail to generate leads and convert them into college students.
Cost integrations. Simplified e-commerce with PayPal and Stripe for easy and safe transactions.
Professionals of GetResponse
Eliminates the necessity for a number of subscriptions by providing an all-in-one advertising answer, together with e mail advertising, webinars, gross sales funnels, and course creation instruments.
Saves quite a lot of time with high-quality templates and a variety of automation choices (like autoresponders, drip campaigns, and record segmentation).
24/7 stay help and wonderful customer support.
One of the beginner-friendly platforms with an intuitive interface and a low studying curve.
30-day free trial with all of the options so you may make a tried-and-tested funding.
Cons of GetResponse
No affiliate applications for customers to construct
No neighborhood for college students
It doesn’t allow you to promote a number of digital merchandise, together with podcasts, teaching classes, and memberships.
2. Teachable
Teachable is considered one of Thinkific’s largest opponents. It affords comparable course creation options however a barely completely different pricing mannequin.
Whereas Thinkific affords extra customization and 0 transaction charges, Teachable is less complicated to make use of and has a extra intuitive interface. Nevertheless, the fundamental plan features a 5% transaction charge, which means you’ll pay the platform 5% of every transaction.
Teachable’s key options embrace:
Teaching. Supply 1:1 teaching providers with programs. You can even bundle or upsell teaching classes.
Associates program and instruments. Teachable permits course creators to run affiliate applications, whereas Thinkific requires third-party integrations for this function.
Cost processing. Use Teachable Funds for sooner payouts (U.S., U.Okay., Canada) or PayPal for worldwide customers with month-to-month cost cycles.
Gross sales and checkout pages. Customizable gross sales, checkout, and thank-you pages streamline course gross sales and upsell alternatives.
Scholar communication and engagement. Have interaction college students by way of lecture feedback, emails, and customizable notifications for higher interplay.
Course monitoring and reporting. Detailed reporting on scholar efficiency, course progress, and Video Heatmap for monitoring video engagement.
Professionals of Teachable
Create and handle programs with ease due to an intuitive, user-friendly interface.
Use a built-in associates program to drive extra course gross sales.
Acquire priceless insights into your course efficiency with superior monitoring options, together with Video Heatmap.
Cons of Teachable
There are transaction charges on the fundamental plan (Thinkific doesn’t cost any).
Teachable is much less customizable in comparison with Thinkific.
3. Kajabi
Kajabi is greater than only a course platform — it’s a whole enterprise answer that mixes course internet hosting, advertising, e mail automation, and even web site constructing.
Nevertheless, Kajabi is considerably dearer than Thinkific, Teachable, and GetResponse. That’s why a very good portion of instructors search reasonably priced alternate options to Kajabi regardless of Kajabi having a very good set of options to supply.
That stated, here’s what the web studying platform has to supply.
Key options embrace:
Web site and touchdown web page builder. It comes with a complicated web site builder, changing the necessity for WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace.
E mail advertising and automation. Simply create automated sequences, broadcast emails, and section your viewers.
Cellular app. Kajabi supplies a cell app the place college students can entry content material on the go.
Pipeline builder. Pre-built gross sales funnels that combine with touchdown pages, emails, and cost processing.
Superior analytics and CRM. Not like Thinkific, Kajabi contains CRM instruments for monitoring leads and optimizing gross sales.
Kajabi College. Kajabi additionally affords coaching movies on utilizing the platform, creating your first on-line course, and efficiently promoting programs.
Professionals of Kajabi
Save time by simply creating and managing merchandise, programs, and affords.
Repurpose content material effortlessly by cloning and modifying present programs for brand spanking new audiences.
Enhance gross sales with built-in coupon and bulk low cost options for company and group entry.
Handle your online business stress-free with an easy-to-use platform that requires no technical experience or upkeep.
Cons of Kajabi
E mail advertising could be difficult for learners.
It’s dearer than Thinkific.
There isn’t any simple approach to export all content material, making platform migration a time-consuming guide course of.
It has a extra complicated studying curve.
Last ideas. Is Thinkific best for you in 2025?
We imagine Thinkific stays a sensible choice if you’d like zero transaction charges, good customization, and a devoted course platform. The platform is simple to make use of, scalable, and affords wonderful buyer help.
However for all the nice issues, Thinkific additionally has a number of drawbacks, together with some safety points, recurring technical glitches and sluggish video load instances, as reported by customers.
Due to this fact, relying on your online business objectives and desires, you might also need to contemplate some Thinkific alternate options. Teachable is one other respectable various, though the fundamental plan comes with a 5% transaction charge and helps solely 5 printed merchandise.
Lastly, you possibly can check out the GetResponse course creator, which helps you to create limitless on-line programs with interactive quizzes, webinars, audio, and exterior assets. The platform additionally supplies limitless entry to the favored GetResponse advertising instruments at no additional price.
