Thinkific is a strong pick when the course is the product: a clean builder, a good student experience and, on Thinkific Payments, processing priced like Stripe's. Read the plan grid closely, though. Memberships, subscriptions, payment plans and certificates start on Start ($82 a month billed annually), and processing through your own Stripe account costs extra on every plan below Plus.
We assessed Thinkific alongside the rest of our monetization reviews, including Lemon Squeezy, Payhip and Whop, so the score below is relative to that field.
What it does well
The builder is chaptered and drag-and-drop, with video lessons, quizzes and student discussions on every plan, and graded assignments and completion certificates from Start. The student side is the quiet strength: clear progress, reliable playback and iOS and Android apps. Thinkific Payments, part of what Thinkific calls TCommerce, adds order bumps, gifting, Buy Now Pay Later, invoicing and a sales tax and VAT option.
Thinkific also has the clearest exit path among the course platforms we cover. Its help center documents moving customers and active subscriptions from Thinkific Payments to your own Stripe Standard account: Thinkific starts the customer migration, you accept it in Stripe, and Stripe support completes the subscription transfer. User reports export as CSV on Basic and up.
Where it falls short
Email and funnels are thinner than Kajabi's, so most creators add an email tool. Design hits a wall without the HTML and CSS editor, which starts on Start. Communities feel bolted on.
The third-party gateway fee is real, and it is published. Thinkific's help center lists 5% on Basic, 2% on Start, 1% on Grow and 0.5% on the legacy Expand plan for sales processed through Stripe, applied to your first $1 million in sales each calendar year. Plus has "no fee at this time." Switching to Stripe also turns off TCommerce features.
Pricing in practice
There's no free plan, only a 30-day trial. Basic is $40 a month billed annually ($54 monthly) with 1 admin, 1 community, up to 5 digital downloads and no paid memberships. Start is $82 billed annually ($109 monthly). Grow is $164 billed annually ($219 monthly) and removes Thinkific branding. Plus is custom.
For a US business, Thinkific Payments charges 2.9% + 30 cents per card sale, plus 1.5% for international cards, 1% for currency conversion, 0.7% on subscriptions and payment plans, and 0.5% where its tax solution assesses tax.
Example. Assumptions: 100 one-time sales of a $50 course a month ($5,000), US cards, annual billing, no tax assessed. Basic on Thinkific Payments costs $40 + $175 = $215. Basic on your own Stripe costs $40 + $175 Stripe processing + $250 gateway fee = $465. Start on your own Stripe costs $82 + $175 + $100 = $357. If those were $50 monthly subscriptions instead (Start or higher), add 0.7%, or $35, on Thinkific Payments.
Who should pick it (and who shouldn't)
Pick Thinkific if you sell structured courses, want processing at roughly Stripe's price, and like knowing there's a documented way to leave with your subscribers. Skip it if you want one login for email, funnels and courses, or if you need recurring memberships but only want to pay for Basic.
Alternatives worth comparing
- Teachable: similar pricing, with a 7.5% fee on Starter. See Teachable alternatives.
- LearnWorlds: deeper assessments and interactive video, with payments through your own Stripe or PayPal. Read our LearnWorlds review or try LearnWorldsAFFILIATE (affiliate link).
- Kajabi for an all-in-one marketing suite. Skool vs Circle vs Kajabi covers community-first options.
What changed (Oct 7, 2026)
- Plan names, prices and limits now match Thinkific's official pricing page as checked on Oct 7, 2026.
- We corrected statements in the review text that no longer matched the product or its documentation.
- We revised the pros and cons to match current features and pricing.
| PLAN | PRICE | WHAT YOU GET |
|---|---|---|
| Free trial | $0 for 30 days | then a paid plan is required (no free plan) |
| Basic | $54 /mo ($40 /mo billed annually) | 1 admin, 1 community, up to 5 digital downloads, 100 GB video bandwidth/mo |
| Start | $109 /mo ($82 /mo billed annually) | 2 admins, 1 community, unlimited digital downloads, 200 GB video bandwidth/mo |
| Grow | $219 /mo ($164 /mo billed annually) | 6 admins, 3 communities, unlimited digital downloads, 400 GB video bandwidth/mo |
| Plus | custom | unlimited communities, custom student capacity, 7,500 GB+ video bandwidth/mo |
Course creators who want a solid LMS without an all-in-one marketing suite — and anyone who wants Thinkific to do the heavy lifting in this category.
You want built-in email marketing and funnels in the same subscription. — if that's a dealbreaker, see every monetization tool we've reviewed.
- Is Thinkific worth it in 2026?
The course platform that stays out of your way once the course is built. We rate it 8.4/10, and it's the strongest pick for course creators who want a solid lms without an all-in-one marketing suite.
- How much does Thinkific cost?
Thinkific has no free plan; it offers a 30-day free trial. It lists Basic at $54/mo ($40/mo billed annually), Start at $109/mo ($82/mo billed annually), Grow at $219/mo ($164/mo billed annually) and Plus at custom pricing.
- What are the downsides of Thinkific?
Email and funnel tools are thinner than Kajabi Design customisation hits a wall without code App store add-ons stack up in cost Communities feature feels bolted on
- How did BestCreates review Thinkific?
Editorially reviewed: An editorial evaluation of verified product information, official documentation, pricing and features, informed by Carlos Gil's professional experience. Available demos and screenshots may inform the review; documented product use is required for a hands-on label. The score is relative to the other tools we cover in this category.
The course platform that stays out of your way once the course is built.
Editorially reviewed. An editorial evaluation of verified product information, official documentation, pricing and features, informed by Carlos Gil's professional experience. Available demos and screenshots may inform the review; documented product use is required for a hands-on label. Read our review standards.
BestCreates is written and edited by Carlos Gil. Every tool is assessed against the same documented framework — the jobs creators hire it for, ease of use, pricing accuracy, support and integrations — and each review states in the open how it was assessed.
LAST UPDATED OCT 9, 2026
SIGNED BY CARLOS GIL · FOUNDER & EDITOR, THE BEST NETWORK · OUR DISCLOSURE POLICY