Thinkific

thinkific.com
Learning Management System
Weekend Project

The all-in-one platform to create and sell online courses

How to Replace Thinkific

Overview

Thinkific is a course creation platform that enables entrepreneurs and educators to build, market, and sell online courses without technical expertise. It provides hosting, student management, payment processing, and marketing tools all in one integrated solution.

Features

41 features across 19 categories

Administration(1)

Admin Roles and Permissions

Create custom admin roles with granular permission controls for team management.

Also in: Notion, Airtable, Smartsheet

Analytics(3)

Course Analytics

Track course performance metrics including enrollment, completion rates, and revenue data.

Revenue Reporting

Access detailed financial reports including revenue, taxes, and transaction history.

Student Engagement ScoringAIPremium

AI-powered system to identify at-risk students and engagement trends.

Also in: Hugging Face, Notion, Smartsheet

Assessment(2)

Quiz and Assessment Tools

Build multiple-choice, essay, and drag-and-drop quizzes with automated grading capabilities.

Student Feedback Surveys

Collect student feedback through surveys integrated into course modules.

Automation(1)

Email Notifications

Automated email triggers for course enrollments, completions, and reminder sequences.

Also in: monday.com, Notion, Airtable

Branding(3)

Custom Branding

Customize colors, logos, fonts, and layouts to match your brand identity.

Custom Domain

Host your school on your own branded domain for professional appearance and brand control.

White LabelPremium

Resell courses under your own brand with complete removal of Thinkific branding.

Also in: Lightspeed POS, Lessonly, Setmore

Community(2)

Discussion Forums

Foster community engagement with moderated discussion boards organized by topic.

Student DirectoryPremium

Enable peer-to-peer networking with a searchable directory of enrolled students.

Also in: Squarespace, Hugging Face, Obsidian

Content(1)

Resource Downloads

Attach downloadable files like PDFs, documents, and templates to course lessons.

Also in: Squarespace, Hunter, Notion

Content Creation(3)

Content LibraryPremium

Access pre-built course templates and content modules to accelerate course creation.

Course Builder

Drag-and-drop interface to create and organize course content with lessons, modules, and sections.

Video Hosting

Built-in video hosting with adaptive streaming, analytics, and customizable video player.

Content Delivery(3)

Conditional ContentPremium

Show or hide course content based on student actions, quiz scores, or profile data.

Drip ContentPremium

Release course lessons on a schedule to extend engagement and prevent binge-watching.

Offline Content AccessPremium

Allow students to download course materials for viewing without internet connection.

Course Structure(1)

Learning PathsPremium

Create guided sequences of courses with prerequisites and recommended learning flows.

Integration(3)

API AccessPremium

Access comprehensive REST API for custom integrations and advanced automation.

SCORM SupportPremium

Import and track SCORM-compliant courses for corporate training needs.

WebhooksPremium

Real-time event notifications for student actions, enrollments, and course completions.

Live Learning(1)

Live ClassesPremium

Host interactive live sessions with integrated video conferencing and screen sharing.

Marketing(4)

Email Marketing

Integrated email campaigns with automation rules to nurture leads and engage students.

Email Personalization

Dynamic email content based on student behavior, course progress, and profile data.

Landing Pages

Pre-built, customizable landing page templates to promote and sell your courses.

Student RetargetingPremium

Automated workflows to re-engage inactive students with targeted messaging campaigns.

Mobile(1)

Mobile App

Native iOS and Android apps for students to access courses on the go.

Payments(3)

Payment Processing

Accept credit cards, PayPal, and other payment methods with secure PCI-compliant checkout.

Refund Management

Process and manage student refunds with automated workflows and tracking.

Subscription Management

Offer recurring billing with flexible subscription plans and automatic renewal handling.

Sales(3)

Affiliate Program ManagementPremium

Build a network of affiliates to promote courses with automatic commission tracking and payouts.

Coupon and Discount Codes

Create promotional codes with percentage or fixed discounts and usage limits.

Multi-course BundlesPremium

Package multiple courses together as bundles with discounted pricing options.

Security(1)

Single Sign-On (SSO)Premium

Integrate with SAML 2.0 or OpenID Connect for enterprise authentication.

Student Engagement(1)

Gamification

Add badges, certificates, and progress indicators to increase student engagement and motivation.

Student Management(4)

Bulk Student Upload

Import multiple students via CSV file with automated enrollment and provisioning.

Certificate Generation

Create and automatically issue customizable certificates upon course completion.

Student CohortsPremium

Organize students into groups for targeted messaging and group-based learning experiences.

Student Progress Tracking

Monitor student completion rates, quiz scores, and engagement metrics in real-time.

Pricing

Free

Free
  • Basic course creation and hosting

Basic

$49/mo
  • Unlimited courses and students

Professional

Popular
$99/mo
  • Advanced features and marketing tools

Business

$249/mo
  • Enterprise features and integrations

Cost Calculator

Keep Paying Thinkific

Monthly$49/mo
Yearly$588/yr
5-Year Total$2.9k

Build It Yourself

Est. Build Time~3 hrs
Hosting$20/mo
DifficultyVery Easy

Total Cost Comparison

1 YearSave $348
SaaS
$588
DIY
$240
3 YearsSave $1k
SaaS
$1.8k
DIY
$720
5 YearsSave $1.7k
SaaS
$2.9k
DIY
$1.2k

DIY hosting estimate based on Vercel + Supabase free/pro tiers (~$20/mo). Build time estimated from 41 features at very easy complexity.

Build vs Buy

Should you build a Thinkific alternative or buy the subscription? Estimate based on 41 features.

Buy Thinkific

Better Value
Monthly cost$490/mo
3-year total$17,640
Time to deployDays

Build Your Own

Development cost$24,000
Maintenance$360/mo
3-year total$36,960
Dev time~2 months

Buying Thinkific saves ~$19,320 over 3 years vs building.

Estimates based on 41 features and a BuildScore of 5/5. Actual costs vary.

Integrations

30 known integrations