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Thinkific continues to be a highly favored platform for individuals creating online courses, despite the constant introduction of new alternatives in the market.
A significant contributor to its widespread adoption is its cost-effective and versatile pricing model. Thinkific offers various subscription levels tailored to support creators through every phase of developing their online courses. Yet, the substantial differences in features and pricing among these tiers can make selecting the ideal plan somewhat challenging.
Consequently, we have developed this detailed Thinkific pricing overview to guide you toward the most fitting selection. We will thoroughly analyze the expenses and components of each available plan, and further, we will juxtapose Thinkific’s pricing structure with that of its main industry competitors.
| Thinkific Plan | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | $0 | $0 |
| Basic Plan | $49/month | $36/month |
| Start Plan | $99/month | $74/month |
| Grow Plan | $199/month | $149/month |
| Expand Plan | $499/month | $374/month |
Thinkific presents four distinct subscription levels, each offering the flexibility of either monthly or annual payment cycles.
Observably, opting for an upfront annual payment yields considerable cost advantages compared to monthly installments. Nevertheless, our suggestion is to begin with a monthly subscription and transition to an annual payment plan after you’ve become comfortable and established.
Furthermore, Thinkific refrains from imposing supplementary transaction fees aside from the standard charges associated with payment processing. This positions its pricing structure quite favorably amongst the leading platforms for course development.
Let’s now explore the specific details inherent to each of these subscription plans.
Respond to these brief questions, and you will swiftly pinpoint the optimal Thinkific pricing package for your unique business!
Aside from the financial investment, Thinkific’s subscription tiers vary based on the features provided and the allowances for courses, community spaces, and administrative user accounts.
Within this segment, we will meticulously dissect the key distinctions among them, aiming to assist you in selecting the most suitable option for your specific business requirements.
The Thinkific Free option encompasses all the essential functionalities needed to construct and market an online course, incorporating elements such as:
The most notable advantage of the free tier is the capacity to register an unlimited quantity of students within your educational portal. No transaction fees are applied, and you gain immediate access to your earnings, positioning Thinkific as the premier free online course creation tool.
Nevertheless, the complimentary plan does carry specific restrictions that warrant consideration:
For individuals venturing into the online course landscape and seeking to explore possibilities, the Free plan represents an excellent initial step. It is equally well-suited for evaluating the platform’s capabilities and constructing your course content.
Thinkific’s Basic subscription is priced at $49 monthly and serves as the more economical, introductory paid tier.
In addition to encompassing everything offered in the Free plan, this level provides:
The Basic plan furnishes all the fundamental features necessary to commence selling online courses, establishing it as the optimal choice for newcomers embarking on their journey with the Thinkific platform.
Important Information Regarding Payment Processing
Thinkific Payments, facilitated by Stripe, functions as the standard payment gateway in regions like the US, UK, Canada, EU, and Singapore, carrying no additional transaction charges. Should you opt to utilize your personal Stripe or PayPal account instead, be prepared for supplementary fees.
This fee amounts to 5% on the Basic plan, 2% on the Start plan, and 1% on the Grow plan. This charge is nullified if Thinkific Payments is not operational within your geographical area.
Thinkific’s Start subscription level costs $99 each month and delivers exceptional value for the investment.
Building upon everything included in the Basic plan, you also receive:
The Start plan incorporates all the crucial features most users require, rendering it the most frequently chosen option among online content creators. Experience a 30-day complimentary trial of Thinkific Start.
Thinkific presents a branded mobile app add-on available starting from the Basic plan.
This enhancement incurs an additional cost of $199 per month and empowers
you to launch your uniquely branded application for both iOS and Android users,
enabling them to engage with your school’s content.
Thinkific’s Grow subscription is priced at $199 monthly and is specifically designed for well-established creators and larger business operations. Beyond incorporating everything from the Start plan, it additionally provides:
In addition to these supplementary features, this plan also elevates the usage limits for several existing functionalities:
| START | GROW | |
|---|---|---|
| Communities | 1 | 3 |
| Site Admins | 1 | 2 |
| Course Admins | 2 | 5 |
| Revenue Partners | 1 | 3 |
| Group Analysts | 0 | 3 |
The Grow plan serves as an appropriate choice for creators and businesses necessitating enhanced administrative functionalities. Secure a 30-day complimentary trial for Thinkific Grow.
Thinkific’s highest available subscription is the Expand plan, priced at $499 monthly. Concerning the included features, there isn’t a substantial variation when comparing the Expand and Grow options. The main distinctions are found in the allocated limits for communities and the number of permitted admin accounts.
| GROW | EXPAND | |
|---|---|---|
| Communities | 3 | 10 |
| Site Admins | 2 | 5 |
| Course Admins | 5 | 15 |
| Revenue Partners | 3 | 10 |
| Group Analysts | 3 | 15 |
Consequently, the Expand plan represents the most appropriate selection for larger organizations that encounter limitations with any of the metrics outlined in the table above while using the Grow plan.
If you desire a direct, feature-by-feature juxtaposition of what each Thinkific subscription entails, we recommend consulting this comprehensive comparison table.
Thinkific generally provides substantial value relative to its cost. While in certain instances it may carry a higher price tag than some of the well-known Thinkific alternatives, this difference is typically justified by its broader range of capabilities and features.
One of Thinkific’s primary competitors is Kajabi. Kajabi’s pricing commences at $149 per month, with its most advantageous plan positioned at $199 per month. Under the $149 tier, users are restricted to a maximum of three courses and 1,000 active students.
Although Thinkific might appear more budget-friendly than Kajabi, it’s crucial to understand they aren’t directly equivalent. Kajabi functions as an all-encompassing platform, which means alongside course creation tools, it integrates functionalities for blogging, hosting podcasts, constructing sales funnels, executing email marketing campaigns, and more.
Consult our Thinkific versus Kajabi analysis for an in-depth comparison.
Thinkific’s other two main rivals—Teachable and Podia—offer a closer comparison regarding features and pricing structures.
Both of these platforms feature a free introductory plan; however, they implement a transaction fee. Additionally, Podia‘s free option does not permit the creation of published courses. Taking these factors into account, Thinkific’s Free plan emerges as the distinctly superior choice among the free offerings.
| THINKIFIC | TEACHABLE | PODIA |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $1+10% per transaction | 10% per transaction |
| $49/month | $59/month + 5% fee | $39/month + 5% fee |
| $99/month | $159/month | $89/month |
| $499/month | $665/month | NA |
| Thinkific vs Teachable | Thinkific vs Podia |
The plans offering the most favorable balance of features and cost within Teachable and Podia are their Pro ($159/month) and Shaker ($89/month) tiers, respectively. These specific plans do not impose transaction fees and align closely with Thinkific’s Start plan ($99/month) in terms of functionality.
In this comparison, Thinkific carries a slightly higher monthly cost than Podia. However, this price difference is readily offset by the more robust suite of tools for course development and website construction that Thinkific provides.
We have thoroughly examined all the pricing tiers offered by Thinkific and detailed the inclusions within each one. Thinkific delivers excellent value for the cost, but identifying the plan that best aligns with your needs is essential.
If you are embarking on launching an online course venture but are operating under significant budget constraints, initiating with the Basic plan could be a prudent choice.
For the majority of course creators, the Start plan represents the most advantageous option, as it accommodates an unlimited number of courses and incorporates all the vital tools for course creation and sales.
Conversely, if your operation is already a well-established business, you might require access to more advanced capabilities (like API access) and a greater number of administrator accounts. Under these circumstances, opting for the Grow plan would be the recommended course of action.
We trust this guide assists you effectively in selecting the appropriate Thinkific pricing plan. Should you have any inquiries or wish to share feedback, please feel free to express them in the comments section below.
It depends on what pricing plan you choose. There are five pricing plans: Free, Basic ($49/month), Start ($99/month), Grow ($199/month), and Expand ($499/month).
The best Thinkific premium plan is the one that fits your needs. The plan that offers the best value for money is the Start plan ($99/month), and it’s the most popular among creators. The best entry-level plan is the Basic Plan ($49/month), while the best plan for established creators and businesses is the Grow plan ($199/month).
No, Thinkific doesn’t charge any additional transaction fees beyond standard payment processing fees (normally 2.9% + $0.30). The only exception to this is if you choose to use Stripe or PayPal when Thinkific Payments is available in your country, in which case you’ll be charged an additional fee.
No, you don’t need to pay for it with Thinkific. All plans include unlimited content hosting for all your content, including videos.
Apart from the Free plan, which only allows you to create one course, all other plans include an unlimited number of courses. In addition to this, there’s no limit on the number of videos or other content types that you can host on Thinkific.
No, Thinkific has no hidden costs. You pay a subscription fee based on your chosen plan, and there’s no additional cost to using the platform. The only exception is when you’re based in a Thinkific Payment-supported country and use an external payment gateway, for which you’ll be charged a transaction fee.
Daniel NicFounder, SellingOnliceCoursesGuide.comis an entrepreneur and digital education specialist who founded sellingonlinecoursesguide.com, a platform dedicated to helping creators and educators successfully navigate the online course marketplace. Through his website, he shares insights and strategies for developing, marketing, and monetizing online educational content. His work focuses on empowering course creators to build sustainable online businesses while effectively sharing their knowledge with students worldwide.
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Copyright © 2024 by SellCoursesOnline
Daniel Nic is an entrepreneur and digital education specialist who founded sellingonlinecoursesguide.com, a platform dedicated to helping creators and educators successfully navigate the online course marketplace. Through his website, he shares insights and strategies for developing, marketing, and monetizing online educational content. His work focuses on empowering course creators to build sustainable online businesses while effectively sharing their knowledge with students worldwide.
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