Thinkific
Build and sell online courses without technical headaches
What it is
Thinkific is a hosted course platform where creators build, market, and sell online courses, membership sites, and digital communities. It suits independent educators, coaches, and small teams who want a dedicated course home without stitching together separate tools. The course builder is straightforward, though the platform's customization ceiling is lower than fully self-hosted alternatives, and transaction fees disappear only on paid plans.
Key features
- ●Drag-and-drop course builder with video, text, PDF, and quiz lessons
- ●Memberships and bundled product sales
- ●Student community spaces tied to courses
- ●Custom domain and white-label checkout
- ●Affiliate program management
- ●Completion certificates with customizable templates
- ●Analytics dashboard for enrollment, revenue, and lesson completion
- ●Zapier and native integrations with Mailchimp, ConvertKit, and others
Pros and cons
Pros
- +No transaction fees on paid plans
- +Unlimited courses and students on most tiers
- +Built-in community and membership features
- +Clean, beginner-friendly course builder
- +Native quizzes, assignments, and completion certificates
- +Integrates with major email marketing and CRM tools
Cons
- –No free plan; entry tier starts around £63/month
- –Storefront and site design customization is limited compared to self-hosted options
- –Live cohort and scheduling features are basic relative to dedicated cohort platforms
- –Marketing automation built-in is thin; you will likely need an external email tool
- –Mobile app experience for students lags behind some competitors
Who it's for
- ●Coaches packaging expertise into a self-paced video course
- ●Educators running a membership with gated monthly content
- ●Small businesses training customers on a product or service
- ●Creators selling course bundles with tiered pricing
- ●Consultants building a course-based lead funnel
Categories
Frequently asked questions
Does Thinkific have a free plan?
Thinkific no longer offers a permanent free plan. All active plans are paid, starting around £63 per month when billed annually.
Does Thinkific charge transaction fees on course sales?
When using the built in Thinkific payments processor there is a standard charge of 2.9%
How does Thinkific compare to Teachable?
Thinkific's community features are more integrated, whereas Teachable has a slightly more polished checkout experience.
Can I use my own domain with Thinkific?
Yes, custom domains are supported on paid plans. You point your domain to Thinkific and your school appears under your own URL.
Is Thinkific good for live cohort courses?
Thinkific can schedule drip content and has some live session support, but dedicated cohort platforms like Teachfloor or Disco offer more structured cohort tooling. Thinkific works best for self-paced courses.
What payment processors does Thinkific support?
Thinkific processes payments through their built in Thinkific Payments processor as well as through Stripe and PayPal. Support for additional regional processors is limited, which can be a constraint for creators outside North America or Europe.