Is Thinkific worth it in 2025? That’s the question a lot of course creators, coaches, and small business owners are asking. Platforms like Teachable, Kajabi, Podia, and LearnWorlds all promise to help you launch courses. But which one actually delivers without draining your time or money?
In this Thinkific review, I’ll break down what I discovered after testing the platform. From pricing and features to the downsides nobody talks about. My goal isn’t to sell you a dream. It’s to give you a real look at what Thinkific does well, where it struggles, and whether it’s the right fit for your goals.
What Is Thinkific?
Thinkific is an online course platform built for people who want to teach, coach, or sell training without coding or hiring a developer. At its core, Thinkific gives you three essentials:
- A place to build and host courses
- Tools to deliver them to students
- Payment options to collect revenue
The drag-and-drop builder makes it simple to upload videos, PDFs, or audio, add quizzes, and organize lessons into modules. For students, Thinkific offers progress tracking, certificates, and communities so they stay engaged.
Compared to competitors, Thinkific sits in the middle. It’s more flexible than Podia, but not as all-in-one as Kajabi. That balance is one of the reasons creators choose it over pricier or more restrictive tools.
Thinkific Pricing: Does It Add Up?
Pricing is one of Thinkific’s strongest selling points. Unlike many platforms, it offers a true free plan that lets you launch your first course with unlimited students. From there, the paid plans scale with your business:
- Free – $0 | 1 course, unlimited students
- Basic – $36/month | Unlimited courses, custom domain, coupons, affiliate reporting
- Start – $74/month | Certificates, memberships, private/hidden courses, advanced quizzes
- Grow – $149/month+ | Multiple admins, API access, priority support, advanced integrations
How does it compare? Kajabi starts at $89/month but includes more built-in marketing. Teachable is slightly cheaper at entry level, but Thinkific offers stronger customization and support.
If you’re brand new, the free plan is a no-pressure way to test the platform. If you want a professional setup, the Start plan is where Thinkific really shines.
Thinkific Features & Tools
The first thing I noticed when testing Thinkific is how approachable it feels. Uploading a video, adding a quiz, or dropping in a PDF only takes a few clicks. You don’t need design or coding skills to build something professional.
From the student’s side, the course player is clean and distraction-free. Progress tracking, completion certificates, and communities all add to the learning experience.
Some standout features include:
- Customization – Brand your site with themes, layouts, and colors so it feels unique
- Community tools – Build student groups and discussion spaces for engagement
- Payment flexibility – Stripe, PayPal, and integrations with Zapier and email tools
- Course options – Sell single courses, bundles, or memberships for recurring income
Marketing tools are basic — you get coupons, upsells, and custom checkout pages. For advanced funnels and automations, you’ll need an external email platform. But for most course creators, the essentials are here.
ThThinkific Cons: What I Didn’t Like
Thinkific has plenty of strengths, but there are a few drawbacks worth noting.
- Design limitations – You can brand your course site, but it’s not fully customizable. Kajabi offers more flexibility.
- Email tools – Only basics are included (notifications, reminders). You’ll need an external email system for serious marketing.
- Feature lock – Certificates, memberships, and advanced quizzes are only on higher plans.
- Performance at scale – With hundreds of students or multiple bundles, the backend can feel clunky.
- Support – Priority help is reserved for higher tiers. Basic users may wait longer for replies.
These cons don’t break the platform, but they’re real trade-offs to consider.
Who Thinkific Is Best For
Thinkific works best for creators and businesses that want a reliable course builder without enterprise pricing.
- Beginners – The free plan is a rare way to start teaching with no upfront cost.
- Coaches & consultants – The Pro/Start plan offers certificates, memberships, and private courses that feel professional.
- Small to mid-sized businesses – The Grow plan gives scaling options with multiple admins and API integrations.
Where Thinkific doesn’t fit is for those who want everything in one place. If you expect built-in funnels, deep email automation, or total design freedom, Kajabi or a custom tech stack is a better fit.
Thinkific vs Competitors
| Platform | Starting Price | Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thinkific | Free – $36/mo | Flexible, customizable, no transaction fees | Limited email + design freedom |
| Teachable | $29/mo | Lower entry cost, beginner friendly | Transaction fees, less customization |
| Kajabi | $89/mo | All-in-one with marketing + funnels | Expensive, overkill for small creators |
| Podia | $9–39/mo | Affordable, simple setup | Lacks advanced features & depth |
My Real Experience: Is Thinkific Worth The Risk?
After hands-on testing, Thinkific impressed me with its ease of use. Building courses felt natural, not like wrestling with software. From uploading videos to adding quizzes, it only took minutes.
Students get a clean, focused learning experience with progress tracking and certificates. On the business side, memberships and bundles add flexibility for revenue streams.
Where it felt weaker was design freedom and marketing. If you need complex automations or funnels, Thinkific won’t cover it. But if your main focus is delivering quality courses, the platform holds up.
Community feedback echoes my experience: approachable, professional, but with limitations in design and marketing.
Frequently Asked Questions About Thinkific
Is Thinkific free?
Yes. Thinkific offers a free plan with one course and unlimited students.
Can you make money with Thinkific?
Absolutely. Many creators run full businesses on Thinkific. Paid plans unlock features like memberships and certificates that help scale.
Does Thinkific take a cut of sales?
No. Unlike Teachable, Thinkific doesn’t charge transaction fees on paid plans.
Is Thinkific better than Teachable?
Thinkific usually wins on customization and support. Teachable is cheaper but less flexible.
How does Thinkific handle payments?
It integrates with Stripe and PayPal. You can also use Zapier for advanced setups.
Final Verdict: Is Thinkific Worth It in 2025?
So, is Thinkific worth it? After testing, I’d say yes — if your priority is building and delivering online courses without overpaying.
The free plan is perfect for testing the waters. The Start/Pro plan is the sweet spot for creators who want professional features like certificates and memberships. The Grow plan scales with small to mid-sized businesses.
The downsides are real: limited design, weak email tools, and features locked behind higher tiers. But those trade-offs keep Thinkific more affordable than Kajabi while giving you more flexibility than Podia.
For coaches, consultants, and course creators in 2025, Thinkific is one of the best course platforms available. This review shows it strikes the right balance between price, features, and ease of use.