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Thinkific Pricing: $99 Start to $499 Expand (No Free Plan)

Thinkific starts at $99/month (the Start plan) with no permanent free plan, though a 30-day free trial lets you test first. The platform focuses on course creation with communities and commerce tools, scaling up to a $499/month Expand plan and a custom-priced Plus tier.

$99/mo starting3 paid plans30-day free trialNo free plan102% above median
Prices verified May 29, 20265 tools compared in Online Course Platforms
Data from Buddy's database, updated regularly
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Price Snapshot

How much does Thinkific cost?

Thinkific starts at $99/mo for a paid plan. That's 102% above median for Online Course Platforms tools. Annual billing saves 25% off.

#4 of 5 by priceCategory avg: $79/moMedian: $49/mo
Thinkific Pricing: $99 Start to $499 Expand

The fee is the real price

What Online Course Platforms really cost once you sell

These platforms cannot be compared on subscribers or students, because each counts something different. What they do share is a cut of every sale, and it reorders them completely. Teachable is the cheapest to sign up for, but at $5,000 a month in sales Thinkific costs less.

in course sales per month

At $5,000 a month in sales, Thinkific costs $99/mo, which is #1 of 4.

  • Thinkific$99/mo
  • Kajabi$179/mo
  • Podia$299/mo
  • Teachable$414/mo

Charged per enrollment rather than as a percentage, so the total depends on your course price and cannot be ranked here:

Each figure is the vendor’s cheapest paid plan plus its published fee on that plan, applied to the sales figure you picked. Fees usually disappear on higher tiers, so a platform that looks expensive here can be the cheapest option once you are selling. Payment processor charges are separate and apply to all of them.

What else you pay

Thinkific charges beyond the plan price

These are optional, but they are the charges that move a plan price once you are running.

Branded Mobile App$199 per month

Read from Thinkific’s own pricing page. Where a charge is listed without an amount, the vendor prices it by destination or usage rather than publishing a single rate, so it is shown as charged separately rather than estimated here.

Plans

Thinkific plans and pricing

3 paid plans · Monthly rates shown, annual noted per plan · Verified May 29, 2026

Start
$99/mo$74/mo billed annually
Save $300/yr annually

Entry plan with full commerce tools. 10,000 students, 200 GB/mo video bandwidth, 2 course admin accounts, email and chat support.

GrowRecommended
$199/mo$149/mo billed annually
Save $600/yr annually

Most popular. 400 GB/mo bandwidth, 2 site admin accounts, phone and priority chat support.

Expand
$499/mo$374/mo billed annually
Save $1,500/yr annually

For established teams. 1000 GB/mo bandwidth, dedicated launch support.

Plus
Custom

Enterprise. Custom pricing via sales. Unlimited users and products.

Recommendation

Which plan should you choose?

+
Look elsewhereNew course creators

No permanent free plan makes committing upfront feel risky, though the 30-day trial lets beginners test before paying.

+
Start ($99/mo)Established educators

Gets you unlimited live events and certificates if you're running cohort-based courses.

+
Grow ($199/mo)Community builders

Three communities and enhanced analytics for managing multiple student groups.

+
Plus (Custom)Enterprise organizations

SCORM compliance and unlimited users for corporate training programs.

Consider alternativesBudget-conscious creators

Thinkific's entry price is high compared to competitors with free plans.

Editorial

My take on Thinkific pricing

Joonas Rotko
Joonas RotkoAuthor & founder of That Marketing Buddy

Thinkific's pricing is aggressive for what you get at the entry level. $99/month gets you unlimited courses and one community, but deeper analytics, extra communities, and white-labeling sit behind pricier tiers. Compare that to platforms like Teachable or LearnWorlds that offer more flexibility at lower prices.

The real value starts at $99/month with the Start plan, where you get unlimited live events and certificates. That's reasonable if you're running live cohorts or need professional credentialing. But the jump to $199/month for basic analytics and API access feels steep. Most competitors include these features at much lower price points.

Hidden Costs

What the pricing page doesn't tell you

From Buddy's analysis

All plans have a 10,000 current student limit except Plus. Video bandwidth limits could be restrictive for high-usage sites. Third-party payment gateway fees apply when not using Thinkific Payments.

Verdict

Is Thinkific Worth the Price?

Thinkific delivers solid course creation tools, but the pricing sits at the premium end of the market in 2026. The entry Start plan is $99/month , with no permanent free plan, though a 30-day trial softens the commitment. It works well for established educators who need live events or multiple communities, but brand-new creators on a tight budget should explore cheaper alternatives first.

If you're already generating course revenue, the Start plan at $99/month is reasonable value.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

No, Thinkific doesn't offer a permanent free plan. Paid plans start at $99/month (Start), and there's a 30-day free trial so you can test the platform first.

Yes. Thinkific offers a 30-day free trial on the Start, Grow, and Expand plans, so you can test the platform before committing to a paid plan.

The Start plan ($99/mo) includes unlimited courses, one community, certificates, advanced sales tools, and membership programs.

API access starts with the Grow plan at $199/month. The Start plan does not include API access.

Start includes 1 community, Grow includes 3, Expand includes 10 (with 200 community spaces), and Plus is unlimited.

Yes, Thinkific has a documented API for custom integrations, plus standard third-party connections through Zapier and Make.

The pricing information shows monthly rates only. Contact Thinkific directly for annual billing options and potential discounts.

See the pricing for yourself

30 days free. No credit card. See which plan fits before you pay.

Thinkific logoStart Free Trial on Thinkific

More on Thinkific

Joonas Rotko

Joonas Rotko

Author & founder of That Marketing Buddy

I score marketing software for AI-stack fit (MCP, API, agent-readiness), backed by 10+ years in digital marketing. Building the most trustworthy marketing software database so you can trust the pricing data on this site.

Pricing checked daily5 tools in databaseResearch-based pricing analysis

This page may contain affiliate links. I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This never influences pricing data.

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