12 Best Thinkific Alternatives in 2025: A Comprehensive Comparison

<p>Thinkific has positioned itself as a go-to solution for course creators, offering an impressive set of tools for building, marketing, and selling courses, It has earned its reputation through several standout features such as the user-friendly course builder and flexible pricing.</p>

<p>Despite its strengths, it also has several limitations that are driving creators to seek alternatives such as the removal of the free plan, limited community features, basic marketing tools, limited customization options and security concerns.</p>

<p>Depending on your specific needs, there are numerous platforms that offer superior features in specific areas such as better community building, more robust marketing tools, enhanced customization, or simply more value for money and that’s what we’ll be discussing in this article.</p>

<p>When considering alternatives, important factors to consider include: pricing, ease of use, marketing features, student experience, course building tools and customer support.</p>

<h2><b>Thinkific vs. Top Alternatives: 2025 Comparison Table</b></h2>

Best Thinkific Alternatives in 2025

1. Teachable

Brief Overview

Teachable is a comprehensive online course platform that empowers creators to monetize their expertise without technical complexity. Founded in 2013 by course creator Ankur Nagpal (originally as "Fedora"), the platform has grown to serve over 150,000 creators who have collectively earned more than $500 million selling courses to over 32 million students across 100+ countries. Teachable positions itself as more than just a course platform, it's a complete business solution for creators looking to build sustainable revenue streams through education products.

Comparison with Thinkific

Both Teachable and Thinkific offer robust course creation and selling capabilities, but they approach the market with different value propositions. While Thinkific focuses on providing a flexible learning platform for businesses and emphasizes B2B selling features, Teachable takes a creator-first approach with a stronger emphasis on individual educators and influencers. Both platforms offer unlimited courses, students, and video hosting, but differ in their feature sets, pricing structures, and target audiences.

Advantages Over Thinkific

Teachable offers several key advantages:

• More flexible product options: Teachable allows creators to sell online courses, digital downloads, coaching sessions, memberships, and communities all from one platform
• AI-powered tools: Teachable provides AI course outline generation and AI-powered content creation tools
• Better mobile experience: Teachable offers a dedicated iOS student mobile app with a 4.6 rating, providing seamless mobile learning
• Stronger marketing features: Built-in email marketing, abandoned cart recovery emails, and affiliate program features come standard
• More generous free plan: Teachable's free plan allows one published product with basic features, while Thinkific doesn't offer a free plan
• More competitive pricing: Teachable's pricing starts at $29/month (annual) compared to Thinkific's $36/month (annual)

Thinkific Advantages Over Teachable

Thinkific maintains several competitive advantages:

• More comprehensive B2B features: Thinkific Plus offers advanced B2B selling features like group orders, bulk student imports, and custom admin permissions
• SCORM compliance: Available on Plus plans, allowing integration with corporate training systems
• Better analytics: Thinkific provides more detailed analytics dashboards and custom reporting options
• Wider integration options: API access and CRM integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce) on higher-tier plans
• White-label options: Thinkific offers white-label website capabilities on higher plans
• No transaction fees on paid plans: Unlike Teachable's Starter plan (7.5% fee), Thinkific’s pricing plans all have 0% transaction fees

Pricing Comparison

Teachable Pricing

• Free Plan: $0 + $1 + 10% transaction fee
• Starter: $29/mo, 7.5% transaction fee
• Builder: $69/mo, 0% transaction fee
• Growth: $139/mo, 0% transaction fee
• Advanced: $309/mo, 0% transaction fee

Thinkific Pricing

• Basic: $36/mo, 0% transaction fee
• Start: $74/mo, 0% transaction fee
• Grow: $149/mo, 0% transaction fee
• Plus: Custom pricing

Teachable's entry-level pricing is lower, the free plan and the inclusion of built-in features like email marketing make it more cost-effective for beginners. Thinkific offers better value for established businesses needing advanced features without transaction fees from the start.

Best For

Teachable is best for individual creators, influencers, and solopreneurs who want an all-in-one platform to quickly launch and scale their knowledge business. It's particularly well-suited for those who:

• Want to start with a free plan and scale up
• Need built-in marketing tools without additional integrations
• Prioritize ease of use and quick setup over advanced customization
• Plan to offer diverse products beyond just courses (coaching, communities, downloads)
• Value strong mobile learning experiences for their students

Final Verdict

In comparison to Thinkific, Teachable emerges as the superior choice for individual creators and small businesses prioritizing ease of use and built-in marketing features. Its free plan, AI-powered tools, and comprehensive feature set at lower price points make it more accessible for beginners. However, Thinkific remains the better option for larger businesses, corporate training needs, and users requiring advanced B2B features, SCORM compliance, or extensive customization options. The choice ultimately depends on whether you prioritize creator-friendly features and simplicity (Teachable) or business-grade functionality and scalability (Thinkific).

2. SchoolMaker

Brief Overview

SchoolMaker is a comprehensive training platform designed to bring more results to your course clients and help you make more sales. Unlike typical training platforms that simply provide access to a list of videos, SchoolMaker combines your training programs, community, and support features all in one place with a clear focus on student results and outcomes.

The platform goes beyond basic course creation by offering multiple product types including courses, communities, coaching, live events, and consultations. SchoolMaker positions itself as a tool that focuses specifically on your students' results, enabling course creators to make more money through better student outcomes.

Comparison with Thinkific

When comparing SchoolMaker to Thinkific, several key differences emerge in their approach to online course creation and student engagement:

Course Structure & Student Progress:

• SchoolMaker emphasizes a step-by-step progression system with specific steps for students to follow at the end of each lesson, remembering where students left off.
• Thinkific focuses primarily on course creation with traditional lesson structures.
• SchoolMaker offers advanced metrics to track student progress and identify where students get stuck, while Thinkific lacks this feature.

Product Diversity:

• SchoolMaker supports multiple product types: courses, communities, coaching, live events, and consultations from the start.
• Thinkific primarily focuses on course creation, with additional features available on higher-tier plans.

Community Integration:

• SchoolMaker includes built-in community features with automatic lesson comment integration into the community.
• Thinkific offers community features but without the seamless lesson-to-community integration that SchoolMaker provides.

Advantages Over Thinkific

• Results-Focused Approach: SchoolMaker's primary advantage is its focus on student results rather than just content delivery. The platform includes Steps and Milestones features that show clients they're on the path to success from the moment they buy - a feature that Thinkific doesn't offer.
• Advanced Student Tracking: SchoolMaker provides superior analytics to track student progress, allowing instructors to see what steps are difficult for students and improve courses over time. This level of detailed progress tracking isn't available in Thinkific.
• Automated Video Q&As: SchoolMaker offers a unique consultation system where instructors can answer all weekly questions in a single video session, with automatic time-coding and individual answer delivery
• 1-on-1 & Group Coaching: Built-in coaching management that Thinkific lacks
• Auto-testimonials: Automated testimonial collection triggered by milestone completion
• Seamless Community Integration: SchoolMaker automatically posts lesson comments in the community, encouraging peer-to-peer learning. This integration creates a more cohesive learning environment compared to Thinkific's separate community features.
• Specialized Learning Experience: SchoolMaker deliberately doesn't include features like landing page creation or email marketing, believing that specialized tools like Webflow, Carrd, ConvertKit, or ActiveCampaign handle these functions better. This allows them to focus entirely on the learning experience.

Thinkific Advantages Over SchoolMaker

• Comprehensive All-in-One Solution: Thinkific provides a complete ecosystem including landing page creation, email marketing, and website building capabilities, making it an all-in-one platform for course creators who prefer everything in one place.
• SCORM compliance for enterprise users: For enterprises that require SCORM compliance for delivering e-learning, Thinkific offers this feature while SchoolMaker does not.
• Marketing Tools: Built-in marketing tools including landing pages, email automation, and analytics provide a complete marketing solution that SchoolMaker doesn't offer.

Pricing Comparison

SchoolMaker Pricing

• Lite Plan: $29/month, 0% transaction fee
• Starter Plan: $99/month, 0% transaction fee
• Pro Plan: $165/month, 0% transaction fee
• Business Plan: $249/month, 0% transaction fee

SchoolMaker's pricing is more affordable at entry level, the Lite plan at $29/month provides a lower barrier to entry compared to Thinkific's Basic plan at $36/month. At higher pricing tiers, Thinkific offers slightly lower pricing than SchoolMaker.

Best For: Course Creators Focused on Student Results and Completion Rates

SchoolMaker is ideal for:

• Result-oriented educators who prioritize student outcomes over content volume
• Course creators struggling with student completion rates who need better progress tracking and engagement tools
• Instructors who want integrated coaching and consultation features without managing multiple platforms
• Community-focused educators who want seamless integration between course content and community discussions
• Small to medium-sized course businesses that want a focused learning platform rather than a full marketing suite

Final Verdict

SchoolMaker presents a compelling alternative to Thinkific for course creators who prioritize student results and engagement over comprehensive marketing features. While Thinkific offers an all-in-one business solution, SchoolMaker's specialized focus on learning outcomes, advanced progress tracking, and integrated support features make it superior for educators who want to maximize student success.

The choice between SchoolMaker and Thinkific ultimately depends on your priorities: choose SchoolMaker if you want a results-focused learning platform with superior student tracking and integrated coaching features, or choose Thinkific if you need an all in one platform with marketing tools and enterprise-level features.

For course creators who measure success by student completion rates and outcomes rather than just sales numbers, SchoolMaker's targeted approach and innovative features like automated consultations and milestone-triggered testimonials provide clear advantages over Thinkific's more traditional course platform approach.

3. Kajabi

Brief Overview

Kajabi is an all-in-one knowledge commerce platform that enables creators to build, market, and sell online courses, memberships, coaching programs, podcasts, newsletters, and digital downloads from a single dashboard. Unlike many competitors, Kajabi includes built-in tools for websites, email marketing, sales funnels, and analytics, eliminating the need for multiple integrations.

Comparison with Thinkific

While both platforms serve online course creators, their approaches differ significantly. Thinkific focuses primarily on course creation and delivery with a user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop course builder. Kajabi, however, positions itself as a complete solution, offering extensive marketing automation, advanced analytics, and integrated payment processing through Kajabi Payments.

The key distinction lies in their philosophies: Thinkific provides a straightforward course platform that integrates with external tools, while Kajabi offers an all-inclusive ecosystem designed to run an entire online business from one platform.

Advantages over Thinkific

All-in-One Solution: Kajabi's biggest advantage is its comprehensive feature set. Users get email marketing, website building, landing pages, and CRM functionality without needing separate subscriptions to tools like ConvertKit or MailChimp, potentially saving $30-$160 monthly.

Advanced Marketing Features: Kajabi offers sophisticated marketing tools including automated email sequences, A/B testing, sales funnels, and the ability to create upsells and downsells within offers, features that can potentially double sales according to user testimonials.

AI-Powered Tools: Kajabi's AI assistant "Ama" helps with course creation, while Creator Studio promises to transform one piece of content into 40 different formats for various marketing uses.

Branded Mobile App: Kajabi allows creators to build their own branded mobile apps, providing a premium experience for students across iOS and Android devices.

Thinkific Advantages over Kajabi

More Affordable Entry Point: Thinkific’s basic paid plan starts at $36/month, making it more accessible compared to Kajabi's lowest tier at $71/month (Kickstarter plan).

Simpler Learning Curve: Thinkific's focused approach on course creation makes it easier to use for those who don't need extensive marketing features and prefer a straightforward platform.

Better Integration Options: While Kajabi aims to be all-in-one, Thinkific's App Store offers more third-party integrations, providing greater flexibility for users who already have established tool preferences.

Pricing Comparison

Kajabi Pricing

• Kickstarter: $71/month, 0% transaction fee
• Basic: $119/month, 0% transaction fee
• Growth: $159/month, 0% transaction fee
• Pro: $319/month, 0% transaction fee

Thinkific remains more budget-friendly, especially for creators just starting out or those who need basic course functionality without extensive marketing tools.

Best For

Kajabi is ideal for established creators and entrepreneurs who want to scale their business and are willing to invest in a premium, all-in-one solution. It's particularly suited for those who:

• Need comprehensive marketing automation
• Want to eliminate multiple tool subscriptions
• Plan to offer various products (courses, coaching, memberships, podcasts)
• Have the budget for a more expensive but feature-rich platform

Final Verdict

While Thinkific excels as an affordable, user-friendly course creation platform perfect for beginners and educators focused primarily on content delivery, Kajabi stands out as the superior choice for serious entrepreneurs ready to scale. The higher price point is justified by the elimination of multiple tool subscriptions and the potential for increased revenue through advanced marketing features.

Choose Thinkific if you're just starting out, have a limited budget, or prefer a simple, focused platform. Choose Kajabi if you're ready to invest in growing a comprehensive online business and want everything under one roof. The platforms serve different stages of the creator journey, with Thinkific being the ideal starting point and Kajabi representing the path for those ready to scale.

4. LearnWorlds

Brief Overview

LearnWorlds is an all-in-one, AI-powered learning management system (LMS) designed for course creators, educators, and training organizations. With an emphasis on interactive learning, automation, and customization, LearnWorlds equips users to deliver professional, engaging educational experiences across various industries, from fitness and finance to coaching and enterprise training.

Comparison with Thinkific

While both LearnWorlds and Thinkific provide robust platforms for creating, marketing, and selling online courses, they differ in key focus areas:

• Thinkific emphasizes ease of use, quick setup, and seamless monetization with tools like TCommerce, making it highly appealing for first-time course creators and small-to-medium businesses.
  
• LearnWorlds, on the other hand, stands out for its rich interactivity, advanced learning analytics, and a strong focus on learner engagement, offering a more immersive learning experience.

Both platforms offer AI-powered course creation, SCORM compliance, branded mobile apps, and community-building tools, but the level of depth and customization varies significantly.

Advantages Over Thinkific

LearnWorlds offers several strengths that set it apart from Thinkific:

• Deeper Learning Experience: With features like interactive video, customizable course players, SCORM compatibility across multiple plans, social learning tools, live sessions, and a vast library of multimedia activities (ebooks, audio, certificates, diaries, forms, etc.), LearnWorlds delivers a more immersive educational experience.
  
• Powerful Automation: Automate user journeys using tags, advanced triggers, and 30+ conditions to personalize learner pathways and communication.
  
• Advanced Marketing Tools: LearnWorlds includes built-in funnels, pop-ups, flexible checkout options, upsells, and affiliate management, directly integrated into the platform.
  
• Full White-Labeling: Unlike Thinkific (where white-labeling is limited to higher-tier plans), LearnWorlds enables complete white-label customization including domain branding even on lower-tier plans.
  
• Mobile App Builder: Build and brand a native iOS/Android app using a no-code visual editor, with in-app purchases and push notifications.
  

Thinkific Advantages Over LearnWorlds

Despite LearnWorlds’ extensive features, Thinkific retains a few key advantages:

• Simplicity and Speed to Launch: Thinkific's drag-and-drop editor and guided setup allow users to build and launch courses faster, with less technical friction.
  
• No Transaction Fees Across All Paid Plans: Unlike LearnWorlds' Starter plan which charges $5 per course sale, Thinkific offers zero transaction fees even on its entry-level paid tier.
  
• Community Engagement at Scale: Thinkific Communities and Spaces provide structured, moderated social learning with analytics and cohort-based segmentation that’s tightly integrated into the platform.
  
• Broader App Ecosystem: Thinkific’s App Store allows users to extend platform functionality via third-party tools ,  useful for those with niche requirements.

Pricing Comparison

LearnWorlds Pricing

• Starter: $24/month + $5/course sale
• Pro Trainer: $79/month, no transaction fees
• Learning Center: $249/month, no transaction fees
• High Volume & Corporate: Custom pricing, no transaction fees

LearnWorlds is more affordable at entry level, but its Starter plan includes $5 per course sale fees. Thinkific has no transaction fees on any paid plan. At higher tiers, LearnWorlds offers advanced interactivity, but Thinkific offers more flexible community tools.

Best For: Professional educators & organizations prioritizing engagement

LearnWorlds is best suited for:

• Course creators who prioritize learner engagement and content interactivity.
• Educators or training companies that need SCORM support at an affordable price, learning paths, and multimedia-rich activities.
• Businesses looking for an advanced white-label LMS with native mobile app capabilities and deep automation.

Final Verdict

If your primary focus is creating an interactive, immersive, and highly branded learning experience especially with advanced automation and a mobile-first approach, LearnWorlds is a powerful alternative to Thinkific. It shines particularly in professional education, coaching, enterprise training, and anywhere learning outcomes and engagement are top priorities.

However, if you're a solo creator or a small business looking for a faster setup, lower overhead, and easy-to-use sales tools without worrying about transaction fees, Thinkific may be a better fit.

5. Mighty Networks

Brief Overview

Mighty Networks is a robust all-in-one platform designed to build vibrant online communities with integrated courses, events, livestreaming, and monetization tools. Its standout feature is a deep commitment to community-first learning experiences, combining education, engagement, and interaction in a single ecosystem.

Comparison with Thinkific

While Thinkific centers its platform around structured online courses with robust learning tools and business analytics, Mighty Networks takes a community-first approach, integrating education into a more socially driven experience. Thinkific provides a traditional LMS feel with features like SCORM compliance, certificates, and student learning paths, while Mighty Networks blends education with social networking and gamification to keep learners continuously engaged.

Advantages over Thinkific

• Community-First Design: Mighty’s entire product is built around connection; activity feeds, chat, profiles, events, and member-to-member discovery features create immersive learning environments.
  
• Integrated Gamification: With points, badges, and streaks, Mighty makes learning and participation fun, increasing engagement organically.
  
• Built-In AI Cohost: Offers strategic support and automation features for managing communities and courses more efficiently.
  
• Customization and Scalability: Unlimited members, spaces, and admins even at lower-tier plans; the ability to scale without add-on charges.
  
• All-in-One Experience: Creators can host courses, live events, discussions, and community interactions under one branded roof, eliminating the need to stitch together multiple tools.

Thinkific Advantages over Mighty Networks

• Advanced Learning Features: Thinkific supports SCORM-compliant content, customized learning paths, complex assessments, and certificates, ideal for formal educational content and compliance training.
  
• Strong B2B and Sales Tools: With features like group orders, TCommerce, and advanced sales funnels, Thinkific is better suited for those focused on structured monetization and corporate training.
  
• Data-Driven Insights: Thinkific offers more robust analytics and custom dashboards for tracking learner progress and ROI.
  
• Website and Landing Page Tools: Thinkific’s site builder and AI-powered landing page tools are designed to support polished course marketing out of the box.

Pricing Comparison

Mighty Networks Pricing

• Community Plan: $41/month, 3% transaction fee
• Courses Plan: $99/month, 2% transaction fee
• Business Plan: $179/month, 2% transaction fee
• Growth Plan: $360/month, 1% transaction fee
  

Mighty’s entry point is slightly higher than Thinkific’s at $41/month, but its all-in-one approach including social features, gamification, and course tools may offer greater value for creators prioritizing engagement and community-building.

Best For: Community-Led Learning and High Engagement Brands

Mighty Networks is ideal for creators who want to build thriving communities around their content; coaches, membership site owners, cohort-based program leaders, and brands that value engagement just as much as education. If your vision includes peer-to-peer connection and organic community growth, Mighty is the better fit.

Final Verdict

If your main goal is to deliver formal education with structured learning paths, assessments, and analytics, Thinkific is a solid choice. However, if you want to build a high-retention, highly engaged learning community with seamless integration of courses, events, and community experiences, Mighty Networks is the superior alternative.

6. Podia

Brief Overview

Podia is an all-in-one platform tailored for solo creators and small businesses, offering an intuitive solution to build websites, sell digital products, and manage email marketing, all without juggling multiple tools. Podia has become a go-to for creators looking to simplify their tech stack while retaining control and flexibility.

Comparison with Thinkific

Both Podia and Thinkific aim to make course creation and digital product sales accessible. However, they cater to slightly different audiences:

• Thinkific is geared more toward educators, coaches, and businesses that prioritize in-depth learning experiences, analytics, and scalability.
  
• Podia focuses on simplicity and consolidation, appealing most to creators, consultants, and teams-of-one who want to run their business from a single dashboard.

Thinkific emphasizes educational tools like advanced assessments and structured learning paths, while Podia highlights ease of use, faster setup, and seamless integration between website, store, and email marketing.

Advantages Over Thinkific

Podia provides several notable advantages for solo entrepreneurs and small teams:

• True All-in-One Simplicity: Website builder, email marketing, digital storefront, and product delivery are all native to Podia, no external tools or plugins needed.
  
• Unlimited Products on All Plans: Sell courses, coaching, memberships, downloads, and bundles without product count limitations.
  
• Built-In Email Marketing: Podia includes powerful email automation, segmentation, and sales analytics directly integrated with product sales and customer data.
  
• Faster Setup: Creators can launch a full website in under 10 minutes using clean, professional templates with zero coding required.
  
• Free Migrations: Podia offers hands-on product and email list migrations for free on paid plans, helping users switch without friction.
  

Thinkific Advantages Over Podia

Despite Podia’s strengths, Thinkific excels in several areas that are vital for more education-focused use cases:

• Stronger Learning Features: Thinkific supports SCORM content (on Plus plans), advanced quizzes, simulation-based assessments, and customized student dashboards.
• Community Tools at Scale: With Thinkific’s “Spaces,” creators can build moderated, cohort-based learning environments with role-based permissions and analytics.
• Analytics and Reporting: Thinkific offers in-depth reporting, stakeholder dashboards, and scheduled reports, essential for organizations tracking learning impact.
• Enterprise-Level Flexibility: Thinkific Plus includes CRM integrations (like HubSpot and Salesforce), API access, and Single Sign-On (SSO) for larger teams.

Pricing Comparison

Podia Pricing

• Mover Plan: $33/month, 5% transaction fee
• Shaker Plan: $75/month, no transaction fees

Podia is simpler and cheaper to start with, especially for creators selling various product types. However, Thinkific is more cost-effective in the long term due to 0% transaction fees across all paid plans.

Best For: Solo creators who want simplicity and speed

Podia is ideal for:

• Solopreneurs who want a stress-free, all-in-one platform.
• Creators who sell a mix of digital products; courses, coaching, downloads, and memberships.
• Businesses that need a clean website, email marketing, and product delivery without a steep learning curve or extra integrations.
  

Final Verdict

If your focus is on quick setup, ease of use, and an integrated experience to sell digital products without needing advanced educational features, Podia is a fantastic Thinkific alternative. It shines for creators who want to keep everything simple and streamlined, especially solo operators who prefer not to wrangle with multiple systems.

However, for those who need more educational structure, enterprise-level analytics, and advanced learner engagement tools, Thinkific remains the stronger choice.

7. Udemy

Brief Overview

Udemy is one of the world’s largest online learning marketplaces, allowing instructors to publish and sell video-based courses to a global audience of over 80 million learners. The platform is free to use for instructors and handles all the hosting, payments, and marketing infrastructure. Courses are listed in a searchable public catalog and can be sold through one-time purchases, business subscriptions, or Udemy’s promotional deals.

Comparison with Thinkific

While both platforms support online course delivery, Thinkific and Udemy offer fundamentally different approaches:

• Thinkific is a course-building and hosting platform designed for creators who want full control over branding, pricing, and student experience.
  
• Udemy operates as a marketplace with built-in traffic, promotion, and pricing rules, ideal for reaching large audiences quickly, but with less flexibility and lower pricing power.

Thinkific gives you your own website and ownership of your students, while Udemy offers reach at the cost of control.

Advantages Over Thinkific

Udemy’s biggest strengths lie in its accessibility and built-in audience:

• Free to Publish: There are no upfront fees or subscription costs to get started as an instructor on Udemy.
  
• Massive Built-In Audience: With 80+ million students and 17,000+ enterprise customers, Udemy offers exposure that can be hard to replicate with a standalone platform.
  
• No Tech Setup Required: Hosting, video streaming, checkout, and customer support are all managed by Udemy.
  
• Marketing Support: Udemy promotes high-performing courses via paid ads, email, SEO, and affiliate partnerships.
  
• Revenue Share Options: Instructors can earn up to 97% on self-promoted sales and 37% on organic Udemy sales, offering high incentives for marketing their own content.
  
• Instructor Resources: Tools like the Udemy Marketplace Insights and video quality review systems help new instructors build competitive courses.
  

Thinkific Advantages Over Udemy

Despite Udemy’s ease of entry, Thinkific has critical advantages for long-term business growth:

• Full Brand Ownership: Thinkific lets you run a fully branded site, with control over your domain, design, and student experience.
  
• Custom Pricing & Packaging: Sell courses at your own price, bundle products, offer subscriptions, memberships, and use advanced sales strategies.
  
• Higher Revenue Per Student: Thinkific does not discount your courses or take a share of your sales, which means better revenue margins.
  
• Advanced Features: Thinkific includes SCORM support, community spaces, custom learning paths, mobile apps, and analytics tailored to course engagement and monetization.
  
• Enterprise Capabilities: For growing teams, Thinkific offers custom roles, CRM integrations, and more through its Thinkific Plus plan.
  

Pricing Comparison

Udemy Pricing

• Free to use: no monthly or annual fee to publish courses
• Revenue Share: 97% for self-promoted sales, 37% for sales through Udemy’s promotions

Udemy's free-to-start model is ideal for exposure but comes with revenue loss down the line. Thinkific allows creators to set prices and keep all profits, making it better for long-term brand building.

Best For: Instructors looking to start selling courses with a small budget

Udemy is best suited for:

• Beginners who want to test their course ideas without upfront costs.
• Instructors without an existing audience who benefit from selling on a marketplace.
• Educators looking for another way to sell aside their self-hosted website.
• Part-time creators and hobbyists who value ease over custom features.

Final Verdict

Udemy is a good Thinkific alternative if your main goal is to launch your course quickly and achieve global reach. It removes the need for technical setup and opens the door to a massive learner base but it comes with trade-offs in control, pricing, and branding. You can use Udemy to launch, test, and get initial sales and switch to a learning platform that grants you more control over your earnings and user experience when you outgrow Udemy.

8. ClickFunnels

Brief Overview

ClickFunnels is an all-in-one funnel building and business platform designed to help entrepreneurs sell anything online, including online courses. With its newly expanded Courses app, ClickFunnels now offers course hosting, community features, automation, CRM tools, and advanced sales funnel capabilities all under one roof. The platform empowers users to turn knowledge into revenue, while also streamlining marketing, payments, and engagement through highly customizable workflows.

Comparison with Thinkific

Thinkific and ClickFunnels both support online education, but with vastly different philosophies:

• Thinkific is an education-first platform built specifically for course creators who want a branded, structured, and professional learning environment.
  
• ClickFunnels is a marketing-first platform built around funnels and monetization strategies, now offering course creation as a key feature within its ecosystem.

Thinkific emphasizes curriculum quality and learner engagement, while ClickFunnels puts revenue generation and speed to launch at the forefront.

Advantages Over Thinkific

ClickFunnels offers several compelling advantages for creators focused on business growth and marketing efficiency:

• Integrated Funnels & Courses: Courses are deeply tied into ClickFunnels’ powerful funnel builder. You can sell them as upsells, tripwires, or within multi-step funnels, maximizing conversions and revenue opportunities.
  
• All-in-One Ecosystem: Includes landing pages, stores, email marketing, CRM, community spaces, affiliate management, analytics, and appointment scheduling, all natively integrated.
  
• AI-Powered Funnel & Copy Builder: ClickFunnels uses built-in AI tools to generate funnel layouts, images, and sales copy, accelerating course launches.
  
• Customizable Learning Experience: Drag-and-drop course builders, content scheduling, and automated certificates allow for flexible learning journeys.

Thinkific Advantages Over ClickFunnels

Despite ClickFunnels’ extensive marketing features, Thinkific maintains a strong edge in educational delivery and learner management:

• Education-Centric Design: Thinkific provides advanced learning paths, quizzes, SCORM support, certifications, and structured student dashboards optimized for retention and outcomes.
  
• Branding & Learning Focus: Full control over branding, white-labeled portals, and a distraction-free learning environment designed for educators.
  
• Analytics for Educators: Thinkific’s insights are focused on student performance, community engagement, and course completion, not just sales metrics.
  
• Purpose-Built for Learning Businesses: Thinkific suits coaches, institutions, and creators scaling education businesses, not just online marketers.

Pricing Comparison

ClickFunnels Pricing

• Launch Plan: $81/month, no transaction fee
• Scale Plan: $164/month, no transaction fee
• Optimize Plan: $248/month, no transaction fee
• Dominate Plan: $5,997/year, no transaction fee

ClickFunnels entry pricing is more than twice that of Thinkific ($81/month vs $36/month) which is most likely because ClickFunnels comes with many other marketing features, advanced sales tools and is optimized for conversion-driven sales. Thinkific is more education-focused with unlimited courses, making it a better fit for dedicated educators.

Best For: Marketers & Entrepreneurs who sell courses

ClickFunnels is best suited for:

• Digital marketers, coaches, and creators who prioritize sales funnels and upsells over educational structure.
  
• Businesses that already use or want to use funnel strategies to sell courses, memberships, or coaching.
  
• Entrepreneurs looking for an all-in-one business tool that includes CRM, email, ecommerce, and affiliate management alongside course delivery.

Final Verdict

If your main goal is to sell your courses using funnels, automation, and upsell strategies, ClickFunnels is a powerful Thinkific alternative. It’s optimized for fast launches, revenue growth, and sales funnels, not just course hosting.

However, if you prioritize student learning experience, better learning outcomes, and lower monthly costs, Thinkific remains the better choice for course creators.

9. Skool

Brief Overview

Skool is a streamlined, community-first platform designed to combine online courses, discussions, and group events in an easy to use interface. Skool simplifies the process of running online programs by blending course delivery and community engagement into a single experience. Its unique design, gamification, and built-in calendar make it a top choice for creators focused on community-driven learning.

Comparison with Thinkific

While both Skool and Thinkific offer course hosting capabilities, their core philosophies are quite different:

• Thinkific is a full-featured education platform built for structured learning, offering deep customization, integrations, and scalability for online educators and businesses.
  
• Skool is a lightweight, all-in-one tool focused on simplicity, user engagement, and building vibrant communities around your content.

Thinkific supports detailed educational use cases with assessments, SCORM support, and learning analytics, whereas Skool is geared toward group coaching, mastermind-style communities, and accountability-driven programs.

Advantages Over Thinkific

Skool offers several distinct advantages, especially for community-centered learning:

• All-in-One Simplicity: Combines community, courses, member profiles, messaging, and events in one place, no need for separate tools like Facebook Groups, Zoom calendars, or Slack.
  
• Frictionless User Experience: Its familiar, Facebook-like interface reduces the learning curve for users and admins alike.
  
• Built-in Gamification: Members earn points for completing courses and contributing to discussions, unlocking rewards and creating friendly competition.
  
• Engaging Community Features: Post categories, likes, leaderboards, pinned discussions, and comment threads make the learning community lively and interactive.
  
• Integrated Calendar: Hosts can schedule live calls and events that sync to user time zones, perfect for group coaching programs.
  
• Mobile App Access: Students and members can access the full platform (courses, calendar, community) on the go via iOS and Android apps.
  
• Unlimited Members and Courses per Group: You can host a complete program under one flat monthly rate.
  

Thinkific Advantages Over Skool

Despite Skool’s appeal, Thinkific stands out in several areas important to traditional educators and course businesses:

• Advanced Learning Tools: Thinkific supports quizzes, assignments, SCORM, certificates, and more with greater control.
  
• Customization and Branding: Thinkific offers far more flexibility in site design, course player branding, and domain control.
  
• More Robust Admin Features: Includes integrations with email tools, analytics dashboards, user segmentation, and developer access.
  
• Stronger Support for Larger Programs: Thinkific’s Plus plan supports enterprise-grade features like SSO, CRM integrations, and advanced reporting.
  

Skool’s single-plan model is simple and predictable, great for creators running one main program. Thinkific offers a wider range of pricing tiers and flexibility, better suited for businesses managing multiple brands, products, or client segments.

Price Comparison

Skool has just one pricing plan for $99/month per group that includes unlimited members, unlimited courses and 1 community.

Skool’s flat rate is simple, predictable and community-centric which is great for creators running one main program. However, it may become expensive if multiple programs are run separately. Thinkific is more scalable with different pricing tiers and flexibility that is better suited for businesses managing multiple brands and products.

Best For: Community Centered Coaching 

Skool is best suited for:

• Group coaching programs that rely heavily on community interaction and accountability.
  
• Creators who want a fast, low-maintenance setup without stress.
  
• Users who prioritize student engagement, live events, and peer-driven learning experiences.
  

Final Verdict

Skool is an excellent Thinkific alternative if your program thrives on interaction, simplicity, and group learning. It reduces tech headaches and keeps your focus on creating meaningful learning experiences, especially in a coaching or mastermind setting.

However, for course creators who need more customization, structured learning paths, and more scaling options, Thinkific remains the more powerful and versatile platform.

10. Circle

Brief Overview

Circle is a course creation platform that combines courses, community, events, and communications into one branded space. It is designed to help creators and businesses build vibrant, community-powered learning experiences. With features like live Q&As, email campaigns, AI-powered assistants and gamification, Circle simplifies and unifies your entire course and community under one roof.

Comparison with Thinkific

While both platforms support online course creation, Circle and Thinkific cater have different focus areas.

• Thinkific focuses on structured, standalone online courses with strong educational focus and flexibility.
  
• Circle focuses on community engagement as the core of the learning experience, building courses around interaction, live events, and real-time connection.

Thinkific gives you complete control over content delivery and branding, while Circle provides a social learning environment with easy access to courses, chats, and events.

Advantages Over Thinkific

Circle stands out in many ways, especially for creators who believe community is key to student retention and improving learning outcomes:

• Community-Centered Courses: Users can host their courses directly inside a vibrant community, with support for comments, tags, and direct messaging between members.
  
• Built-In Live Events & Q&As: Provides the ability to add office hours, coaching, and live sessions within the learning experience.
  
• Gamification & Engagement: Leaderboards, points, unlockable content, and VIP clubs help boost participation and progress.
  
• AI & Automation Tools: AI agents to guide students, summarize discussions, and automate onboarding or interactions.
  

Thinkific Advantages Over Circle

Despite Circle's strong social and community features, Thinkific maintains key advantages for more traditional course businesses:

• Educational Tools & Assessments: Thinkific includes quizzes, SCORM support, assignments, and certificates.
  
• Dedicated Learning Environment: Thinkific offers a more focused, distraction-free course interface ideal for deeper academic or professional training.
  
• More Customization for Course Structures: Advanced curriculum paths, lesson locking, prerequisite control, and content gating are Thinkific strengths.
  
• Enterprise-Ready LMS Features: Thinkific Plus supports features like SSO, advanced roles, CRM integrations, and detailed analytics.
  

Pricing Comparison

Circle Pricing

• Professional: $89/month, 2% transaction fee
• Business: $199/month, 1% transaction fee
• Enterprise: $419/month, 0.5% transaction fee
• Plus Branded App: Custom pricing, 0.5% transaction fee

Circle is higher-priced than Thinkific but offers tools for community engagement, email marketing, payments, and other automation. Thinkific is more focused on course creation and comes at a lower entry cost.

Best For: Creators Who Build Learning Around Community

Circle is best suited for:

• Creators and coaches who prioritize group learning, live interactions, and continuous student engagement.
  
• Course sellers who want built-in tools for events, memberships, and discussions all in one place.
  
• Businesses looking to create better learning experiences with gamification, chat, and mobile access.
  

Final Verdict

If your program thrives on social learning, interaction, and community building, Circle is a compelling Thinkific alternative. It delivers a rich, engaging experience that blends live sessions, discussions, and courses seamlessly, perfect for cohort programs, coaching groups, and creators building a brand.

However, if you need structured learning, certifications and a more professional learning experience Thinkific remains the more robust learning management system.

11. LearnDash

Brief Overview

LearnDash is a powerful learning management system (LMS) plugin for WordPress, designed to give course creators full control over their content, branding, and monetization. Known for its flexibility and advanced learning tools, LearnDash caters to educators, entrepreneurs, corporations, and developers who want a course platform that is easy to customize and scale without much technical effort.

LearnDash offers two main options: a self-hosted WordPress plugin and StellarSites, a fully managed hosting solution for users who want less tech responsibility but still desire control.

Comparison with Thinkific

Thinkific and LearnDash are both robust platforms, but they take very different approaches:

• Thinkific is a standalone, cloud-based platform that handles hosting, security, and infrastructure with minimal setup.
  
• LearnDash is a WordPress-based LMS plugin, giving users control over every aspect of their site, ideal for those who want more customization and ownership.
  

Thinkific is optimized for ease of use and fast launches, while LearnDash offers a high degree of flexibility for users comfortable in the WordPress ecosystem.

Advantages Over Thinkific

LearnDash provides several key benefits, especially for creators who want deeper control:

• Full Platform Ownership: You own your website, content, and customer data. No reliance on a third-party hosted environment.
  
• Advanced Course Features: Drip-fed content, quizzes, assignments, video progression, and learning paths enable highly structured, interactive learning experiences.
  
• Gamification Tools: Use badges, certificates, leaderboards, and points to keep learners motivated and engaged.
  
• Ecommerce Flexibility: Sell courses via one-time purchases, subscriptions, or memberships using Stripe, PayPal, WooCommerce, and more, with no added transaction fees.
  
• Customizability: Choose your own WordPress themes, page builders, and plugins to fully personalize your site.
  
• Extensive Add-ons & Integrations: Integrates with CRMs, email marketing tools, Zoom, and offers 100+ third-party add-ons for extended features.
  
• StellarSites Hosting Option: For those who want to avoid the hassle of managing WordPress infrastructure, LearnDash offers StellarSites, a turnkey hosted solution optimized for learning businesses.

Thinkific Advantages Over LearnDash

While LearnDash tops in flexibility, Thinkific offers key advantages in simplicity and user experience:

• No WordPress Required: No need to manage plugins, themes, or hosting, Thinkific is fully hosted and maintained for you.
  
• Faster to Launch: Creators can get started without worrying about technical setup or ongoing maintenance.
  
• Built-in Community and Mobile App: Thinkific includes integrated community features and access to branded mobile learning experiences.
  
• Support and Security: Thinkific handles backups, security, and updates automatically, reducing the learning curve and technical burden.

Pricing Comparison

LearnDash Pricing

• Plugin Plan: $199/year
• StellarSites Starter: $29/month
• StellarSites Growth/Pro: Up to $99/month

While LearnDash is more customizable for WordPress users and offers flexible one-time or subscription pricing. Its plugin plan is affordable long-term, but requires more setup. Thinkific on the other hand is a better choice for users who want everything managed for them.

Best For: WordPress users and those who want to offer custom learning experiences

LearnDash is ideal for:

• Course creators who already use (or want to use) WordPress and need full design and functionality control.
  
• Developers building white-labeled, custom LMS sites for clients.
  
• Educational businesses that need detailed quizzes, certificates, gradebooks, and reporting.
  
• Organizations offering internal training, certification, or group-based learning structures.
  

Final Verdict

If you want total control over your course platform, from design to monetization, and are comfortable working in WordPress, LearnDash is one of the best Thinkific alternatives available. Its powerful learning tools, extensive add-ons, and ecommerce flexibility make it ideal for serious educators and training organizations.

However, if you want to avoid the technical complexity of managing a WordPress site and need a plug-and-play solution with support and infrastructure included, Thinkific offers a more seamless path, especially for first-time creators or fast-growing teams.

12. TalentLMS

Brief Overview

TalentLMS is a learning management system designed for corporate training, onboarding, customer education, and remote learning programs. Known for its ease of use, scalability, and fast deployment, TalentLMS supports both off-the-shelf content and custom course creation. With robust automation, SCORM support, AI tools, and mobile accessibility, it’s built for organizations looking to deliver structured, engaging training across teams and regions.

Comparison with Thinkific

Both Thinkific and TalentLMS offer tools to create, deliver, and monetize online courses, but their core audiences differ:

• Thinkific is creator-first, optimized for entrepreneurs, coaches, and small businesses building branded online course platforms.
  
• TalentLMS is enterprise-friendly and designed to support formal learning and development (L&D) in companies of all sizes, including training employees, partners, or customers.

While Thinkific focuses on sales and course branding, TalentLMS offers multi-branch management, deep reporting, and structured training workflows.

Advantages Over Thinkific

TalentLMS offers multiple strengths that make it stand out for professional and corporate training use cases:

• Fast Setup & AI-Powered Course Creation: Get started in seconds with drag-and-drop tools, plus AI to generate course content, tests, and translations.
  
• Enterprise-Level Scalability: Create unlimited sub-accounts (branches) to manage multiple teams, brands, or client groups.
  
• Automated Learning Paths: Build structured curriculums with progression rules, course prerequisites, and automated assignments.
  
• Built-in Gamification: Use badges, points, leaderboards, and rewards to motivate learners.
  
• Offline Access & Multi-Device Sync: Learners can train offline and sync progress across devices when reconnected.
  
• Robust Customization & Localization: Customize domains, branding, homepages, and support over 30 languages.
  
• Advanced Analytics: Real-time dashboards, scheduled/custom reports, and Excel exports provide deep insights into learner behavior and performance.
  
• Broad File & Format Support: Supports SCORM, xAPI (Tin Can), and cmi5, as well as video, documents, presentations, and more.
  

Thinkific Advantages Over TalentLMS

While TalentLMS is rich in corporate training tools, Thinkific maintains several competitive advantages for independent creators and course entrepreneurs:

• Monetization Focus: Thinkific is designed with ecommerce in mind, offering storefronts, payment integration, upsells, and no transaction fees.
  
• Branded Course Portals: With full white-labeling and visual customization, Thinkific is ideal for those prioritizing public course sales.
  
• Built-In Community Features: Thinkific plans include integrated community tools and cohort-based learning experiences.
  
• Simplified Interface for Solo Creators: Thinkific’s user experience is tailored to course creators, requiring less technical setup or L&D background.

Pricing Comparison

TalentLMS Pricing

• Core Plan: $119/month
• Grow Plan: $229/month
• Pro Plan: $449/month
• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing

TalentLMS is more expensive than Thinkific probably because it is built for corporate training and works well for enterprise use. Thinkific is more accessible for individual creators or educators selling directly to consumers.

Best For: Corporate Training, Learning & Development, and Scalable Team Education

TalentLMS is best suited for:

• HR and L&D teams delivering structured training across departments or external audiences.
  
• Organizations needing compliance tracking, certification, and reporting.
  
• Companies that prioritize automation, SCORM support, multilingual access, and custom workflows.
  

Final Verdict

If you're building enterprise training programs that have multiple user roles, structured learning paths, and stricter requirements, TalentLMS is a powerful alternative to Thinkific. It’s a professional-grade LMS designed for companies, not just creators.

However, if you are building an online course business, Thinkific offers a more creator-friendly platform.

Choosing the Right Platform for Your Needs

For Beginners with Limited Technical Skills

New creators should prioritize simplicity and ease of use. Choose a platform that offers the most straightforward setup process, along with excellent support and has a user-friendly product. It allows you to start selling quickly without technical complexity.

For Advanced Course Creators and Marketers

Experienced creators who understand marketing and want comprehensive business tools should consider an all-in-one solution for advanced sales funnel capabilities. These platforms offer sophisticated automation and optimization features.

For Corporate Training and Enterprise Needs

Organizations requiring compliance features, advanced reporting, and enterprise-grade security should choose platforms that provide enterprise level features and privacy.

For Community-Focused Learning Experiences

Creators who want to build learning communities rather than traditional courses should choose a platform with a social learning focus or professional community management with integrated courses.

For Budget-Conscious Creators

Cost-conscious creators can start with platforms that offer free plans first and switch to better platforms after achieving sustainable success.

For High-Volume Course Sellers

Established creators selling multiple courses should choose a platform with comprehensive business tools, advanced course creation capabilities and student engagement features.

How to Migrate from Thinkific

If the reason that you are considering a Thinkific alternative is because you want to migrate to another platform, here are some tips to help you migrate smoothly.

Planning the Migration

• Allow 4-6 weeks for complete migration
• Test your new platform thoroughly before switching
• Plan migration during low-activity periods
• Communicate changes to students in advance

Data Export and Import Process

• Export Student Data: Download student lists, progress reports, and completion records
• Content Migration: Transfer course videos, documents, and assessments
• Recreate Course Structure: Rebuild courses in your new platform
• Test Everything: Verify all content displays correctly and functions work
• Import Students: Upload student data and restore access

Minimizing Disruption

• Maintain Parallel Access: Keep Thinkific active during transition
• Gradual Migration: Move courses one at a time
• Student Communication: Send clear instructions about platform changes
• Support Preparation: Have help documentation ready for student questions
• Backup Plans: Maintain access to original content during transition

At SchoolMaker, we offer a free migration service if you buy any of our yearly plans, to learn more, contact us.

Conclusion

In order to make the right choice of which course creation platform to go with, you need to first determine which features matter most for your specific needs and then test free trials on 2-3 platforms that match your requirements. You also need to consider all fees, integrations, and hidden costs to avoid costly decisions.

The key to choosing the right platform is matching each platform’s capabilities with your business goals, technical comfort level, and budget constraints to find the one that helps you achieve your educational and business objectives while providing a great experience for your students. Take time to thoroughly evaluate your options, test multiple platforms, and choose the solution that will grow with your success.

FAQs

Is there a free Thinkific plan?

As of 2025, they no longer offer it, putting them behind competing course creation platforms. However, Thinkific previously offered a free plan that was quite popular among new course creators.

Is Thinkific an LMS platform?

Yes, Thinkific is a cloud-based LMS (Learning Management System) that lets online entrepreneurs, small business owners, and teachers create, market, and sell online courses.

What is Thinkific pricing?

Current Thinkific pricing includes Basic ($36/month), Start ($74/month), Grow ($149/month), and Thinkific Plus (custom enterprise pricing). 

Which is better, Thinkific or Kajabi?

Kajabi offers more comprehensive business tools and marketing features but at a significantly higher price point ($71/month vs $36/month starting). Kajabi is best for all-in-one business needs while Thinkific is more course creation focused.

What is better, Teachable or Thinkific?

Teachable excels in mobile experience and brand recognition but charges transaction fees on lower plans. Thinkific offers better value with no transaction fees and stronger community features. The choice depends on whether you prioritize mobile experience (Teachable) or cost-effectiveness (Thinkific).

The video below compares different online course creation platforms in 2025 including Thinkific, Kajabi and Teachable.