Thinkific price in 2024: which one should you choose

What is Thinkific?

Thinkific is an all-in-one online course platform that empowers entrepreneurs, educators, and businesses to create, market, and sell their courses. With its user-friendly interface and robust features, Thinkific enables anyone to build engaging and interactive online learning experiences. Thinkific pricing structure is designed to accommodate a diverse range of users, from small-scale educators to larger institutions. For those just starting, the Free plan offers basic features to launch online courses without financial commitment.

Whether you’re an individual looking to share your expertise with the world or a business aiming to train employees or customers, Thinkific provides the tools you need to succeed in online education.

How much does it cost to use Thinkific?

The Basic Plan is $49 per month, the start Plan is $99 per month, and the grow Plan is $199 per month. You can save 25% by billing annually. The basic plan is $36 , start plan is $74 and grow plan is $149 when billed annually.

Thinkific offers a range of plans to suit different needs and budgets. Below is a detailed plan breakdown, including its cost and critical features.

Thinkific Pricing Plans

Free Plan

• Price: $0 per month
• Features:
• Up to 1 course
• Unlimited students
• Core course creation features
• Content hosting (videos, PDFs, etc.)
• Instant access to your funds
• Quizzes & surveys
• Student discussion and community access

Basic Plan

• Price: $39 per month
• Features:
• Unlimited courses
• Unlimited students
• 5 digital downloads
• 5 coaching and Webinar sessions
• Advanced course creation features
• Content hosting (videos, PDFs, etc.)
• Instant access to your funds
• Quizzes and surveys
• Student discussion and community access
• Email & phone support
• Ability to export your data
• Custom domain support
• Basic integrations with third-party tools

Start Plan

• Price: $74 per month
• Features:
• All features in Free Plan
• Unlimited courses
• Unlimited coaching and Webinars
• Unlimited students
• Custom domain
• Email integration
• Affiliate reporting
• Branded client access
• Drip content (scheduled lesson delivery)

Grow Plan

• Price: $149 per month
• Features:
• All features in Start Plan
• Unlimited courses
• Memberships and subscriptions
• Advanced integrations (Infusionsoft, etc.)
• Priority support
• Zapier triggers
• Completion certificates
• Advanced reporting and metrics

These plans offer varying levels of access and features, allowing users to choose the one that best fits their needs and scalability goals.

Pros and Cons of Thinkific Plans

1. Basic Plan

Pros

• Affordable Entry: Ideal for small businesses and educators with budget constraints, providing essential features at a low cost.
• Course Admin: Allows for unlimited courses creation and student enrollment, ensuring scalability.
• Drip Content: Enables scheduling content delivery, helping keep students engaged over time.
• Email Marketing: Integrated email features to communicate with students effectively.
• Affiliate Marketing: Option to set up an affiliate program to expand your reach and boost sales.

Cons

• Limited Features: Missing some advanced features that are available in higher-tier plans.
• Basic Customization: Limited customization options for course pages and site branding.
• Restricted Reporting: Less detailed analytics and reporting features compared to higher plans.
• No Priority Support: Customer support is available, but not at the same priority level as higher plans.

2. Start Plan

Pros

• Enhanced Features: Includes all features of the Basic plan plus additional functionalities.
• Advanced Customization: More options for customizing the look and feel of your course site.
• Priority Support: Higher level of customer support to help with any technical issues.
• Advanced Email Marketing: More robust email marketing tools to manage your communications.
• Affiliate Marketing: Enhanced affiliate marketing options to boost your outreach.

Cons

• Higher Cost: More expensive than the Basic plan, which might be a concern for budget-conscious users.
• Complexity: Increased features mean a steeper learning curve for new users.
• Still Some Limitations: Although better than the Basic plan, it still lacks some advanced features found in the Grow plan.
• Limited Team Members: Restricts the number of team members who can manage the platform.

3. Grow Plan

Pros

• Comprehensive Features: Includes all features from the Basic and Start plans with additional advanced capabilities.
• Advanced Course Admin: More sophisticated tools for managing courses and students.
• Full Drip Content Control: Complete control over scheduling and delivering content to students.
• Advanced Email and Affiliate Marketing: Enhanced tools for both email and affiliate marketing to maximize outreach and engagement.
• Extensive Customization: Full customization options to match your brand perfectly.
• Detailed Reporting: In-depth analytics and reporting features to track performance and student progress.
• Priority Support: Top-tier customer support to resolve any issues quickly.

Cons

• Highest Cost: Most expensive option, which might be prohibitive for very small businesses or solo educators.
• Complex Setup: Requires more time and effort to set up and manage due to the extensive features.
• Overwhelming for Beginners: Could be overwhelming for those who are new to online course platforms.

Additional Costs and Considerations

Course Add-Ons and Integrations

While Thinkific’s plans include many essential features, additional costs exist for specific integrations and add-ons. Examples include:

• Email marketing services (e.g., Mailchimp, ConvertKit)
• Payment processors (e.g., Stripe, PayPal) with transaction fees
• Advanced analytics tools

How much does Thinkific take from sales?

Thinkific does not charge any transaction fees on paid plans. This means that all your revenue from course sales goes directly to you, minus any fees imposed by third-party services like payment processors. However, Thinkific applies a 10% transaction fee on each sale when using the Free Plan.

Payment Processing Fees

Thinkific does not charge transaction fees on your course sales, but payment processors like Stripe and PayPal do. Typically, these fees range from 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.

Custom Development and Design

For those who want extensive customization beyond what’s available in the Pro and Premier plans, hiring a web developer or designer to create a unique look and feel for your Thinkific site may involve additional costs.

Is There a Limit on the Thinkific Free Plan?

Users can create and launch only one course with basic features on this plan. The Free Plan also lacks some of the advanced tools and integrations available in paid plans, such as affiliate reporting, custom domains, and advanced marketing capabilities.

How Thinkific Compares to Other Online Course Platforms

Teachable

Pricing:

• Free Plan (with transaction fees)
• Basic Plan ($39/month)
• Professional Plan ($119/month)
• Business Plan ($299/month)

Key Differences:

• Teachable charges transaction fees on its Free and Basic plans, whereas Thinkific does not.
• Thinkific offers a more robust free plan with no transaction fees, making it more suitable for beginners.
• Both platforms offer similar course creation and marketing features, but Thinkific’s Premier Plan provides more advanced enterprise-level functionalities.

Kajabi

Pricing:

• Basic Plan ($149/month)
• Growth Plan ($199/month)
• Pro Plan ($399/month)

Key Differences:

• Kajabi is an all-in-one platform that includes website building, email marketing, and sales funnel automation, but at a higher price point.
• Thinkific focuses primarily on course creation and delivery, making it a more affordable option for those who don’t need the additional marketing tools included in Kajabi.

Udemy

Pricing:

• Free to create courses (Udemy takes a 50% revenue share on sales made through their marketplace)

Key Differences:

• Udemy operates as a marketplace, meaning you share your revenue with the platform but gain access to its large audience.
• Thinkific provides more control over your brand, pricing, and student data, whereas Udemy handles marketing and sales.

Why Choose Thinkific?

User-Friendly Interface

Thinkific is designed to be intuitive and easy to use, even for those with little to no technical expertise. The drag-and-drop course builder and numerous templates make it simple to create professional-looking courses quickly.

Comprehensive Feature Set

From basic course creation to advanced marketing and sales features, Thinkific offers everything you need to succeed in the online education space. Whether you’re a solopreneur or a large organization, there’s a plan that fits your needs.

Flexibility and Customization

Thinkific allows you to tailor your courses and branding to match your unique vision. With custom domains, CSS/HTML editing, and various pricing options, you can create a learning experience that reflects your brand.

Community and Support

Thinkific’s vibrant community, creators, of course, and robust support system ensure that you’re never alone on your online teaching journey. From detailed knowledge bases to live chat and webinars, help is always at hand.

No Transaction Fees

Unlike many other platforms, Thinkific does not charge transaction fees on course sales, allowing you to keep more of your hard-earned revenue.

Scalability

Whether you’re starting small or scaling rapidly, Thinkific’s tiered pricing plans and extensive feature set ensure that you can grow your online course business without outgrowing the platform.

Ethical and Sustainable

Thinkific is committed to ethical and sustainable business practices. They prioritize user privacy and data security, ensuring your information is protected.

How Do You Get Paid from Thinkific?

When you sell courses on Thinkific, payments are facilitated through third-party payment processors like Stripe and PayPal. Upon setting up your Thinkific site, you’ll need to connect these payment accounts to enable transactions.

Conclusion

Thinkific stands out as a versatile and robust online course platform, offering a range of pricing plans to suit various needs and budgets. Its user-friendly interface, comprehensive features, and commitment to providing value without hidden transaction fees make it an attractive choice for content creators and educators alike.