Today, I will tell you why Thinkific is a marvellous platform for creating and hosting your online courses!
Some may even say that Thinkific is the best course creation platform!
The truth is: Choosing the best Learning Management System (LMS) for creating and hosting online courses is an arduous task when hundreds of options are available in the market.
It is a gruelling task to decide which plan to choose and which payment gateway to configure. Not to forget all the technical challenges you face while setting everything up!
Thank God there’s Thinkific!
Affiliate Disclosure: I, Shubhamjeet Kumar, participate in various affiliate programs, and I will earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through the links on this page at no extra cost to you. I have worked hard to put together items that are high-end and helpful.
What Is Thinkific?
Thinkific was launched by Greg Smith in 2012 that allows individuals and businesses to create, market, and sell online courses.
It provides a user-friendly interface and a suite of tools to create and deliver educational content to students.
Thinkific is used by more than 50,000 course creators like you!
Thinkific offers a range of features, including:
- Course creation
- Customization of course materials
- Multimedia integration
- Student management
- Progress tracking
- Payment processing
With Thinkific, you can design courses using various content formats such as videos, quizzes, PDF files, presentations, and discussions.
Thinkific also supports the creation of membership sites, where you can offer ongoing access to your courses and content for a recurring fee.
In addition to course creation and management, Thinkific provides marketing and sales tools to help you promote your courses.
You get customizable landing pages, email marketing integrations, Affiliate Marketing capabilities, and the ability to offer coupons and promotions to attract students.
Thinkific Features: How Does Thinkific Help?
Thinkific offers several impressive features to help you design, market, and sell your online courses, such as:
(1) User-Friendly Course Builder
Thinkific provides a user-friendly course builder that allows you to create and organize your course content.
You can use various multimedia formats like videos, presentations, quizzes, and downloadable files to create engaging and interactive learning experiences.
I noticed that it took me takes minutes to create courses and you will love the course builder even if you have no course-building experience.
(2) Customization Options
Thinkific offers customization tools to personalize the look and feel of your course site. You can choose from pre-designed themes, customize colours, fonts, and logos, and create a branded learning environment that aligns with your brand identity.
(3) Multimedia Integration
Thinkific supports embedding multimedia content from platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, and SoundCloud.
You can easily integrate videos, audio files, and other media elements into your course materials.
(4) Student Management
Thinkific provides tools for managing and communicating with your students.
You can track student progress, monitor course completion rates, and communicate with students through built-in messaging or email notifications.
(5) Sales And Marketing Tools
Thinkific offers a feature to help you promote and sell your courses.
You can create customizable landing pages to showcase your courses, offer free trials or paid enrollment options, set up coupons and promotions, and integrate with popular email marketing and CRM platforms.
With Thinkific, you can also get Affiliate Marketers to promote your course to your audience, thereby saving you a lot of time and effort.
(6) Payment Processing
Thinkific integrates with major payment gateways like Stripe and PayPal, allowing you to securely accept payments for your courses.
You can set pricing options, offer one-time or recurring payments, and manage transactions and revenue within the platform.
(7) Student Engagement Features
Thinkific includes features to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes.
You can facilitate discussions through the built-in community feature, offer quizzes and assessments to evaluate student progress and provide certificates of completion.
(8) Analytics And Reporting
Thinkific provides detailed analytics and reporting tools to track your course performance.
You can gain insights into student enrollment, engagement, completion rates, and revenue.
These analytics can help you make data-driven decisions and optimize your courses.
(9) Integrations
Thinkific integrates with a wide range of third-party tools and services, including email marketing platforms, CRM systems, webinar software, Affiliate Marketing platforms, and more.
This allows you to leverage existing tools and streamline your workflow.
(10) Mobile-Friendly Experience
Thinkific offers a mobile-responsive interface, allowing students to access and engage with your courses on various devices, including smartphones and tablets.
(11) Accelerator Program
Thinkific will teach you all about building and selling courses online. With the Accelerator Program, Thinkific will teach you how you can create impactful courses and market them to your audience.
These are just some of the key features offered by Thinkific. The platform continues to evolve, so I’d recommend you check their website or contact their support team for the most up-to-date information about their features and capabilities.
Single
$0
Try Thinkific for free!
- 1 course
- 1 community
- 2 spaces per community
- 1 administrator
- Unlimited Students
- 0% transaction fee
- Email (30 days) and chatbot
Additional Features:
- 100% ownership of content
- Drag and drop course builder
- Easy-to-use website themes
- Fully integrated e-commerce
- App store
- Course quizzes and surveys
- Thinkific Academy course
Basic
$49 / month
Gain access to core features and essential tools
- Unlimited Courses
- 1 community
- 5 spaces per community
- 1 administrator
- Unlimited Students
- 0% transaction fee
- Email and live chat support
Additional Features:
- Includes all Free features
- Custom domain
- Coupons & discounts
- Affiliate selling
Start
$99 / month
Unlock additional features to drive student engagement
- Unlimited Courses
- 1 community
- 10 spaces per community
- 1 administrator
- Unlimited Students
- 0% transaction fee
- Email and live chat support
- Thinkific Mobile
Additional Features:
- Includes all Basic features
- Assignments
- Bundles and add-on packages
- Memberships & payment plans
- Live lessons
- Advanced course-building options
- Advanced website code editing
Grow
$199 / month
Grow your online business with advanced tools
- 1 course
- 1 community
- 2 spaces per community
- 1 administrator
- Unlimited Students
- 0% transaction fee
- Email (30 days) and chatbot
Additional Features:
- 100% ownership of content
- Drag and drop course builder
- Easy-to-use website themes
- Fully integrated e-commerce
- App store
- Course quizzes and surveys
- Thinkific Academy course
Get A 25% Discount On Thinkific!
I have used Thinkific for a few years and they will offer a 25% discount if you pay for an entire year through their annual plans.
This means that you can save $156 on the Basic plan, $300 on the Start plan, and $600 on the Grow plan only if you sign up through this link.
Thinkific is generous and upon request, offered a 30-day FREE TRIAL of the Start Plan to my audience!
Thank you, Thinkific! ❤️
Pros & Cons Of Thinkific
Here are some of the pros and cons of using Thinkific as an online course platform or a Learning Management System (LMS):
Pros of Thinkific
(1) User-Friendly Interface
Thinkific offers a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for course creators to build and manage their online courses, even without technical expertise.
(2) Course Customization
Thinkific provides a range of customization options, allowing you to personalize the look and feel of your course site to align with your brand.
(3) Multimedia Integration
The platform supports embedding multimedia content, making it easy to incorporate videos, audio files, and other media elements into your course materials.
(4) Marketing And Sales Tools
Thinkific offers various tools to help you promote and sell your courses, including customizable landing pages, email marketing integrations, and the ability to create coupons and promotions.
(5) Payment Processing
Thinkific integrates with popular payment gateways, enabling secure and seamless payment processing for your courses.
(6) Student Engagement Features
Thinkific includes features like discussion forums, quizzes, and assessments to foster student engagement and enhance the learning experience.
(7) Analytics And Reporting
The platform provides detailed analytics and reporting tools to track the performance of your courses, enabling you to make data-driven decisions and optimize your offerings.
(8) Mobile-Friendly Experience
Thinkific is mobile-responsive, allowing students to access and engage with your courses on various devices, providing flexibility and convenience.
Cons of Thinkific
(1) Limited Marketing Automation
While Thinkific provides some marketing tools, it may not offer the same level of automation and advanced marketing features as dedicated marketing platforms.
(2) Customization Limitations
While Thinkific offers customization options, the level of customization may be limited compared to some other platforms.
(3) Advanced Features For Complex Courses
If you have highly complex or specialised course requirements, you may find that Thinkific’s feature set may not fully meet your needs.
(4) Pricing Structure
Depending on your business needs and the number of students, the pricing structure of Thinkific may be a consideration. As your course enrollment grows, you may need to upgrade to higher-priced plans.
(5) Limited Assessment Options
While Thinkific does offer quizzes and assessments, it may not have advanced assessment features that some educators may require for complex evaluation methods.
Note: It’s important to note that the pros and cons listed here are subjective and may vary depending on individual needs and preferences. It’s advisable to evaluate your specific requirements and consider factors beyond these pros and cons to determine if Thinkific is the right platform for you.
Thinkific vs Teachable
I will now share how Thinkific is different from Teachable.
| Teachable | Thinkific | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing and core features | ||
| Free | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price for paid plans | $39 per month (billed annually) | $36 per month (billed annually) |
| Unlimited courses | Yes (Pro and Business paid plans only) | Yes (paid plans only) |
| Unlimited 1:1 coaching | Yes (paid plans only) | No, it does not have a standalone coaching product |
| Unlimited students | Yes | Yes |
| Unlimited digital downloads | Yes, all paid plans have unlimited digital downloads and it’s a built-in feature | No, Thinkific doesn’t have a built-in feature for digital downloads |
| Live course and coaching sessions | Yes | Yes, with a Zoom integration |
| Marketing and sales features | ||
| Coupons | Yes | Yes |
| Upsells | Yes | Yes |
| Bundles | Yes | Yes |
| Order bumps | Yes | Yes |
| Set up free trials for students | Yes | No |
| Affiliate marketing | Yes | Yes |
| Affiliate payout management | Yes | No, you can track affiliate commission but payout is not automated |
| Student referral program | Yes | No, it is not a built-in feature. Thinkific uses a third-party integration |
| Payment processing and taxes | ||
| Payment processing options | Integrates with Stripe, PayPal, Mobile Pay, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and more | Integrates with Stripe and PayPal |
| Dedicated payment gateway | Yes, get paid daily, weekly, or monthly straight to your bank | Thinkific has a payment gateway, but it is only available in US and Canada, with limitations |
| Payment fraud protection | Yes, with Teachable Pay | Yes, with Thinkific payments |
| Tax handling | Yes, including US, European, and Global tax or VAT collection and remittance | No |
| Automatic payouts for your team and tax form handling | Yes, including author revenue shares, affiliate commissions payout, and 1099 tax form filing with BackOffice | No |
| Built-in feature for multiple currencies | Yes, with over 130 currencies accepted in Teachable Pay | No, it doesn’t support selling in multiple currencies |
| Course and content features | ||
| Drip feature-release course content at specific times | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app for students to watch courses anywhere | Yes | No |
| Course completion certificates | Yes | Yes |
| Limit the number of students per course (enrollment caps) | Yes | No |
| Support | ||
| Creator community | Private community that meets weekly and coaches creators | A Facebook group |
| Customer support | Email and live chat | Live and write-in chat 7 days a week–extra cost for an onboarding specialist |
| Onboarding support | Pro users get an onboarding specialist and customer success manager at no extra cost | No, only the highest tier Premier ($499 monthly) gets one onboarding call, and it is only for 30 minutes |
| Customization and Integration | ||
| Public API | Yes | Yes |
| The ability to connect with any business tool you need (Email, CRM, Analytics, etc.) | Yes, with the public API | Yes, with its API |
Thinkific vs Knorish
Knorish is an emerging LMS and many people want to know how it weighs up against Thinkific.
| Top Features | Knorish | Thinkific |
| Sales Funnels | Yes | No |
| Mobile Apps | Yes | No |
| Live sessions with Zoom | Free Zoom Enterprise Account | No |
| Zoom Webinars | Upto 500 Participants Per Webinars | Purchase your own Zoom Webinar License |
| Landing Pages | Yes | No |
| Indian & International Payment Gateways | Yes | International payment gateways only |
| DRM Encrypted Piracy Prevention | Yes | No |
| Expert Customer Support | Phone, Email, Chat | Email & Chat Only. Phone support available on top plans only. |
| Extensive Website Theme Library | Yes | No |
| Coaching Business Acceleration Program | Yes | No |
| Free Website Design Service | Yes | No |
| Unlimited Students, Courses, Hosting, Videos, Assessments | Yes | Yes |
Thinkific Alternatives
Teachable
LearnDash
Knorish
Thinkific FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Thinkific:
Q. 1. How much does Thinkific cost?
Ans: Thinkific offers various pricing plans starting from a free plan with limited features. The pricing depends on the features and capabilities you need for your online courses. It’s best to visit Thinkific’s pricing page or contact their support team for the most up-to-date pricing information.
Q. 2. Is Thinkific Free worth it?
Ans: The 30-day free plan lets you build and sell courses, as well as create a website to host your courses on. There’s no limit to the number of students that can enrol in your courses. But you can only create three courses on the free plan.
Q. 3. Can I create and sell multiple courses on Thinkific?
Ans: Yes, Thinkific allows you to create and sell multiple courses on their platform. You can create as many courses as you like and manage them all within your Thinkific account.
Q. 4. Does Thinkific support multimedia content?
Ans: Yes, Thinkific supports a wide range of multimedia content, including videos, audio files, PDFs, presentations, quizzes, and more. You can easily incorporate multimedia elements into your course materials to enhance the learning experience for your students.
Q. 5. Can I customize the look and feel of my course site on Thinkific?
Ans: Yes, Thinkific offers customization options that allow you to personalize the appearance of your course site. You can choose from pre-designed themes, customize colors, fonts, and logos, and create a branded learning environment that aligns with your brand identity.
Q. 6. Does Thinkific provide tools for marketing and selling my courses?
Ans: Yes, Thinkific offers a variety of marketing and sales tools. You can create customizable landing pages to showcase your courses, set pricing options, offer coupons and promotions, integrate with popular email marketing platforms, and track your sales and revenue within the platform.
Q. 7. Does Thinkific provide student management features?
Ans: Yes, Thinkific provides student management features that allow you to track student progress, monitor course completion rates, communicate with students through built-in messaging or email notifications, and manage student enrollments.
Q. 8. Can I integrate Thinkific with other tools and services?
Ans: Yes, Thinkific offers integrations with various third-party tools and services, including email marketing platforms, CRM systems, webinar software, and more. This allows you to leverage existing tools and streamline your workflow.
Q. 9. Is Thinkific mobile-friendly?
Ans: Yes, Thinkific is mobile-responsive, which means your courses will be accessible and optimized for viewing on various devices, including smartphones and tablets.
Conclusion
So that was my review of Thinkific an online platform that enables users to create and sell online courses and digital products.
The platform is designed to make it easy for people to turn their knowledge and expertise into profitable online businesses, without needing technical skills or expensive tools.
Overall, Thinkific is a powerful tool for anyone looking to monetize their knowledge and expertise by creating and selling online courses and digital products.
Now, I am curious to know which course creation platform you have used before.
Have you used Teachable?
Or
Have you used any other platform?
Either way, let me know in the comments box below.
As a bonus, I would love to invite you to my elite community for Affiliate Marketers!
Click the below button and grab the membership, now!
