Are you an expert in your field looking to turn your knowledge into revenue? Then you’re likely no stranger to the world of e-learning platforms.
With the post-COVID era accelerating the growth of this industry, it’s become more important than ever to choose a platform that can give you a first-mover advantage over competitors.
While Thinkific is a popular choice for course creators, it’s important to know that there are other options out there that offer similar or even better features and functionality.
That’s why we’ve put together a comprehensive analysis of the top 5 Thinkific alternatives for 2024.
In this post, we’ll examine the key features and benefits of these e-learning platforms.
And, before we explore the Thinkific alternative, let’s quickly review what this platform has to offer.
Table of Contents
What Is Thinkific And How Does It Work?
Thinkific is one of the best online course platforms that allows creators to build and sell courses online. It provides a user-friendly interface for course creation, hosting, and management.
Thinkific offers the advanced features of
- Custom web themes and domains
- Quizzes and assignments
- Community spaces and notifications
- Mobile app for Courses and Communities
- Drip scheduling
- Bundles, coupons, and cross-selling
- Live lessons and events
Thinkific works by providing creators with a range of tools and features to build and sell their courses.
Thinkific can help you get started in just 3 easy steps
1. Create and customize courses in a snap. Thinkific’s user-friendly platform makes it easy to upload and organize your content and customize your course to match your brand.
2. Design a website that sells. No coding skills are needed! Choose from a selection of customizable themes and templates to create a professional web storefront that reflects your brand and attracts learners.
3. Market and sell your courses like a pro. With Thinkific’s built-in marketing and e-commerce features, you can easily promote and sell your courses to a global audience. It’s that simple! Thinkific’s user-friendly platform makes it easy to upload and organize your content and customize your course to match your brand.
Thinkific supports various pricing models, including one-time payments, subscriptions, and payment plans. Creators can also set up coupons and promotions to attract new students.
Overall, Thinkific makes it easy for creators to build, sell, and manage their online courses, providing them with all the necessary tools and features in one place.
Ready For A Change? Check These 5 Alternatives To Thinkific In 2024
1. Teachable – Powerful All-In-One Platform
If you’re an online creator, then listen up because Teachable is the platform you need to know about.
Formerly known as Fedora, Teachable is an online course platform that is all about helping you market and sell your courses.
But, it’s not just limited to courses – you can sell any digital product on Teachable, whether it’s an ebook, audiobook, coaching service, or membership.
The best part? You don’t need to know a single line of code to work with Teachable.
It takes care of everything from designing your courses to hosting, marketing, selling, and even receiving payments. That’s right, it’s a one-stop shop for all your online product needs. And, it is almost similar to Thinkific!
Key Features
- User-friendly interface for course creation, hosting, and management
- Customizable course website with a drag-and-drop website builder
- Supports various multimedia formats like video, audio, and documents for course content creation
- Various pricing options including one-time payments, subscriptions, and payment plans
- Coupons and promotions can be set up to attract new students
- Advanced quiz and grading features to enhance the learning experience
- Student progress tracking and course completion certificates
- Integrates with various tools like email marketing services, payment gateways, and analytics platforms
- Offers a mobile app for on-the-go course management and student engagement
- Provides reliable hosting and security for course content and student data
Key Differences Between Teachable Vs Thinkific
One notable difference is that Teachable allows you to set up free trials for students, while Thinkific doesn’t have this feature.
Another difference is in affiliate payout management. Teachable has a built-in system for managing affiliate payouts, while Thinkific only allows you to track affiliate commissions and doesn’t offer automated payout.
Teachable also offers a built-in student referral program, whereas Thinkific relies on third-party integrations for this feature.
Finally, Teachable supports selling in over 130 different currencies through its Teachable Pay feature, while Thinkific doesn’t support multiple currencies.
Pricing
Basic: $39/month (when billed annually) or $59/month (when billed monthly)
Professional: $159/month (when billed annually) or $119/month (when billed monthly)
Business: $665/month (when billed annually) or $499/month (when billed monthly)
Pros
- Its Pro Plan is good
- Coding Snippets
- You can generate the Bulk Coupon
- It comes with Built-in Marketing Tool
- Easy to Use
- Teachable provides good Customer Support
- Decent Page Builder
- Email Template Editor
Cons
- It has a Limited Free Plan
- You have to pay the Transaction Charges on Basic Plan
- No Support in the Basic plan
- Slow Admin Interface
2. Podia – Easy, Professional, Clean
Podia is an integrated platform that provides creators with the tools they need to sell digital products and online courses.
Its user-friendly interface is designed to allow easy uploading and selling of digital products.
Also, the customization options enable creators to tailor storefronts and course pages to their brand and style.
Podia also offers built-in email marketing, drip campaigns, and affiliate marketing, along with integrations to Zapier and Google Analytics to make online selling even more manageable.
Additionally, Podia’s pricing structure is simple, with no hidden fees or transaction costs.
That’s why it is an attractive choice for creators who want an affordable platform to sell their products and courses without needing any technical knowledge.
What Type Of Products You Can Create With Podia?
- Online courses
- Digital downloads
- Community Membership
- Webinars and coaching
Key Features
- Create engaging online courses or memberships that your students will love!
- Enjoy unlimited video hosting via Wistia to make your content stand out.
- Create an attractive sales page for your products to grab your potential customer’s attention.
- Charge a one-time fee, a recurring subscription, or even a payment plan to make it easier for your customers to pay.
- Easily accept payments through Stripe or PayPal to make the buying process seamless.
- Handle EU VAT digital taxes so you don’t have to worry about the legal stuff.
- Create and manage your affiliate program to boost your sales and reach a wider audience.
- Send broadcast or automated email campaigns to keep in touch with your customers and keep them engaged with your brand.
Pricing
Mover Plan – (Billed Annually: $33/month, Billed Monthly: $39/month)
- Unlimited courses
- Unlimited digital downloads
- Email marketing
- Messaging
- Live chat support
- Zero transaction fees
Shaker Plan – (Billed Annually: $75/month, Billed Monthly: $89/month)
- All Mover Plan features with
- Affiliates
- Third-party code integration
- Memberships
Pros
- Easy to use and set up
- Attractive design
- Flexible payment options
- Handles EU VAT
- Inbuilt live chat
- Zero transaction fees on Mover & Shaker plan
- Friendly customer support
Cons
- Limited course builder
- Lacks essential learning tools
- No standalone community area
- No mobile app
- Basic reporting tools
- Not suitable for the development of building a full website
3. LearnWorlds – Best To Build a High-Converting Website
LearnWorlds is a comprehensive platform that empowers creators to develop, market, and monetize their online courses with ease.
The platform boasts a user-friendly interface, coupled with a range of customization options. So, this feature enables creators to craft immersive course content.
LearnWorlds also offers interactive features such as quizzes, assessments, and assignments. So, it allows creators to track and assess their students’ progress accurately.
The platform further provides advanced video creation tools, integrating with renowned video hosting services such as Vimeo and Wistia.
To enhance creators’ marketing efforts, LearnWorlds offers a wide range of features that include email marketing, automation, and affiliate management.
These functionalities aid creators in promoting their courses, reaching a wider audience, and boosting their earnings.
With its broad array of features, LearnWorlds is a top choice for creators looking for a robust platform to develop and sell their online courses.
Moreover, if you are looking for the best Thinkific alternatives free, you can go for the LearnWolrds.
Key Features
- User-friendly interface and customization options
- Interactive course content features, including quizzes, assignments, and assessments
- Advanced video creation tools and integrations with Vimeo and Wistia
- Email marketing, automation, and affiliate management tools
- Mobile-responsive course content and built-in community features
- White-labeling options for branding
- Comprehensive analytics and reporting tools
- Multiple pricing plans are available, including course bundles and subscriptions.
Pricing
Starter Plan – $24/month (billed annually) or $29/month (billed monthly), Unlimited paid courses
- Drip content
- Quizzes
- Basic integrations.
Pro Trainer Plan – $79/month (billed annually) or $99/month (billed monthly)
Includes everything in the Starter plan with
- Unlimited courses
- Unlimited memberships
- Communities
- 0% transaction fees
- Priority support
- Advanced integrations
Learning Center Plan
$249/month (billed annually) or $299/month (billed monthly) includes everything in the Pro Trainer plan with
- 5 admin accounts
- White-labeling
- Bulk student imports
- Interactive video players.
High Volume & Corporate Plans
Custom pricing is available for high-volume clients and businesses with specific needs.
EXCLUSIVE OFFERS
- LearnWorlds free trial (30-Day Access Without Credit Card)
- LearnWorlds Discount Code (Get 20% + 10% Instant OFF)
Pros
- Interactive eBook and video player with a robust affiliate program.
- Branding and theme editor with ready-made templates (400 available).
- Enables lead generation and powerful student engagement tools (built-in social media and RSS aggregation tools).
- Learner analytics and conversion tracking.
- The professional player with interactive videos and quizzes, assessments, and exams available.
- SCORM compliant with access to a comprehensive help center.
- Offers a free 30-day no-credit card trial with many integrations and marketing tools.
- Offers membership plans for courses and payment plans for students.
Cons
- No page-wide templates, native EU VAT support, or bulk upload feature for course content.
- Unoptimized checkout and costly white-label options.
- Complex for beginners to use.
4. LearnDash – Best Learning Management System For WordPress
LearnDash is a learning management system (LMS) designed to help course creators build and sell online courses on WordPress websites.
The platform offers a user-friendly interface that allows creators to easily create and customize course content, including lessons, quizzes, and assignments.
LearnDash also offers a range of engagement features, such as gamification and discussion forums, to help creators create an interactive learning experience for their students.
The platform includes built-in course analytics and reporting tools, which allow creators to track student progress and performance.
Additionally, LearnDash offers integrations with popular WordPress plugins, including WooCommerce and MemberPress, to facilitate e-commerce transactions and membership management.
With its extensive features and flexibility, LearnDash is a popular choice for educators and businesses looking to create and sell online courses through their WordPress websites.
Key Features
- Course creation: LearnDash offers an intuitive interface for designing and building online courses, which can include multimedia elements, quizzes, and assignments.
- Customizable design: You have the ability to customize the appearance and layout of your courses using a variety of themes and templates, or by creating your own unique design.
- Gamification: LearnDash includes features like points, badges, and certificates that motivate learners to engage with the material and complete courses.
- Drip-feed content: You can schedule the release of course content over time, providing learners with a manageable pace for learning and reducing the likelihood of overwhelm.
- Powerful quizzing: With the LearnDash quiz builder, you can create a range of question types, such as multiple choice, true/false, and open-ended, and randomize the order of questions or set criteria for passing or failing.
- Monetization: You can use LearnDash with a range of payment gateways to sell your courses online and generate revenue.
- Reporting and analytics: LearnDash enables you to track learner progress, quiz results, and other data to optimize your courses and improve engagement.
- Mobile friendly: LearnDash is designed to be responsive, which means that your courses will be accessible and easy to use on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.
Pricing
Basic – $199 per year, includes all core features, support for one site, and one course.
Plus Package – $229 per year, includes everything in the Basic plan, support for up to 10 sites, and unlimited courses.
Pro Package – $369 per year, includes everything in the Plus Package, additional features like ProPanel for reporting and analytics, and the ability to offer group licenses.
LearnDash for Teams: designed for organizations with multiple users, includes everything in the Pro Package, including advanced features like group management, assignments, and a customizable certificate builder. Pricing starts at $159 per user per year.
All plans come with access to LearnDash support resources, software updates, and extensive documentation. They also offer a 15-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to try it risk-free.
Pros
- LearnDash’s quiz builder offers a more sophisticated and adaptable set of features than Thinkific, such as a broader variety of question types and randomization options.
- With LearnDash, you have greater control over the design and layout of your courses. It includes the ability to use customized templates or create a completely unique design.
- With its drip-feed feature, you can gradually release course content over time. This feature helps to maintain student engagement and motivation.
- LearnDash’s gamification features, such as points, badges, and certificates, provide incentives. It will encourage learners to participate in and complete courses.
- LearnDash integrates with a wider range of third-party tools and platforms than Thinkific, including popular services like WooCommerce, Zapier, and Slack.
- LearnDash is fully responsive and mobile-friendly, ensuring a seamless learning experience across all devices.
- With LearnDash for Teams, you can take advantage of advanced group management features that simplify the process of tracking and managing multiple learners.
Cons
- LearnDash can be more expensive than Thinkific, especially if you need to purchase the Pro Package or LearnDash for Teams.
- LearnDash can be more difficult to use and set up than Thinkific, which has a more intuitive interface and simpler course creation process.
- Unlike Thinkific, LearnDash does not offer a free plan, which may be a disadvantage for those looking to test the platform before committing to a paid plan.
5. Passion.io – Amazing App Builder for Coaches & Creators
Passion.io is a comprehensive platform that enables coaches to create, market, and sell their digital coaching programs.
With a suite of tools and resources, coaches can design and develop their own programs, as well as leverage the marketplace to find potential clients.
The platform boasts a range of features, including customizable templates, video hosting, progress tracking, and the ability to create quizzes, surveys, and assessments.
What sets Passion.io apart is its emphasis on building coaches’ personal brands and online presence.
Through courses and resources on branding, marketing, and social media, coaches can develop the skills needed to attract clients and build successful businesses.
Additionally, Passion.io provides access to a community of coaches who can share advice and insights.
Overall, Passion.io offers a robust set of tools and resources to help coaches create and market their coaching programs.
Key Features
- Customizable templates are available for designing coaching programs.
- Progress tracking and video hosting features are included to enhance the learning experience.
- Coaches can create quizzes, surveys, and assessments to improve the effectiveness of their coaching.
- Passion.io emphasizes building coaches’ personal brands and online presence with courses and resources on branding, marketing, and social media.
- Coaches can join a community of other coaches for advice and insights on building successful coaching businesses.
Pricing
Pro Plan – Costs $79 per month, save $216 on annually billed.
- One digital coaching program
- Access to the Passion.io platform for program creation and marketing
- Progress tracking and video hosting features
- Ability to create quizzes, surveys, and assessments
- Community support
Ultimate plan – This plan costs $239 per month, saving $696 on yearly billing.
Includes all of the features in the Pro Plan with
- Up to five digital coaching programs
- Additional marketing resources and tools
- Advanced progress tracking and reporting
- Personalized onboarding and support
- Priority access to new Passion.io features and updates
Ultimate Plus – For clients with high-volume needs or specific business requirements, Passion.io offers customized pricing options.
EXCLUSIVE OFFERS
- Passion.io free trial (14-Day Exclusive Access + Free Bonuses)
- Passion.io Black Friday deal (Whopping 90% OFF for LIFE)
Pros
- Customizable branding and design options for your online course platform.
- Access to a community of like-minded creators to network and collaborate with.
- Built-in features for gamification and engagement, such as badges and leaderboards.
- Integrated tools for marketing and promotion, including email campaigns and affiliate programs.
- Option to create a mobile app for your course platform, increasing accessibility for users.
- Personalized support and coaching from the Passion.io team.
Cons
- Limited course creation features compared to Thinkific, such as quizzes and surveys.
- Higher pricing plans compared to Thinkific.
- No built-in options for live webinars or video conferencing.
FAQs
Check out the most commonly asked questions about Thinkific and its competitors.
Yes, you can use Thinkific for free to test its basic features without any cost.
Teachable is a more beginner-friendly platform that caters to coaches and first-time creators. On the other hand, Thinkific is a professional platform that suits trainers and SMEs. If you prefer a more user-friendly and professional experience, LearnWorlds and Thinkific are worth considering.
Yes, you can do it at any time from your site dashboard.
No, you don’t need to provide any credit card details to get started with Thinkific. You can sign up for their free plan and choose a paid plan later on.
Although both Podia and Teachable have similar features, Teachable stands out with better payment options, automatic tax handling, flexibility, and student experience.
Also Read:
- 5 Best LearnWorlds Alternatives for Course Creators in 2024
- Teachable Alternatives for Effective Online Course Creation in 2024
- Podia Alternatives 2024 For Selling Online Courses and Digital Products
- Top Picks For Passion.io Alternatives In 2024 (Free & Paid)
- Kajabi Alternatives 2024 – The Best Affordable Platforms
Final Thoughts On Thinkific Alternatives 2024
In conclusion, Thinkific is an excellent platform for creating and selling online courses. However, it may not be the perfect fit for everyone due to its limitations.
Fortunately, there are several Thinkific alternatives available like Teachable, LearnWorlds, Podia, LearnDash, and more that offer a wide range of features and pricing options.
With the right e-learning platform, you can create and sell your online courses with ease and reach a global audience in 2024 and beyond.
But, whether you’re an individual educator or a corporation, it’s essential to weigh your options carefully before choosing a platform.
You have to go through the pros and cons of each alternative carefully, so you can find the right platform that meets your specific needs.
So, which alternative to Thinkific will you choose? Do your research, weigh the options, and select the platform that’s right for you.
Share your thoughts in the comments below and let us know which platform you prefer.
