Softwr

Webinar & Virtual Events · head to head

Cvent vs Thinkific

Cvent logo

Cvent

Webinar & Virtual Events

Event technology for every event

From
$10000/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Thinkific logo

Thinkific

Learning Management

Create and sell online courses your way

From
$36/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cvent high cost prohibitive for small organizations and nonprofits; Thinkific no free plan, 14-day trial only
  • They diverge on capability: Cvent covers Event registration, Thinkific covers Course builder.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cvent and Thinkific actually diverge.

Attributes where Cvent and Thinkific differ
AttributeCventThinkific
Starting price$10000/month$36/month
CategoryWebinar & Virtual EventsLearning Management
Founded19992012

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Mobile), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Cvent

  • Event registration
  • Venue sourcing
  • Attendee management
  • Mobile event app
  • Event marketing
  • Salesforce
  • Marketo
  • Microsoft Dynamics

Only in Thinkific

  • Course builder
  • Website builder
  • Quizzes
  • Certificates
  • Communities
  • Memberships
  • Marketing tools
  • Analytics

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Cvent

  • Event planningnot Thinkific
  • Ticket salesnot Thinkific
  • Attendee managementnot Thinkific
  • Virtual eventsnot Thinkific
  • Event marketingnot Thinkific

Thinkific

  • Course creationnot Cvent
  • Membership sitesnot Cvent
  • Coaching programsnot Cvent
  • Corporate trainingnot Cvent

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Cvent

  • High cost prohibitive for small organizations and nonprofits
  • Complex modular pricing makes budgeting difficult

Thinkific

  • No free plan, 14-day trial only
  • Transaction fees on third-party payment processors (5% on Basic tier)
  • PayPal only available on Grow plan ($199/month), not on Basic or Start
  • Limited customization on lower-tier plans
  • Cannot embed courses in external domains or iframes
  • Limited number of spaces per plan
  • Less interactive community features compared to alternatives
  • Features continuously moved to higher-priced tiers
  • Payment processing delays reported (up to 90 days)

Pricing, plan by plan

Cvent

$10000/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Cvent review.

Thinkific

$36/month
  • Basic$36/month
    • 1 course
    • Up to 500 students
    • Thinkific Payments (0% fees)
  • Start$74/month
    • Up to 3 courses
    • Up to 2,000 students
    • Third-party payment (3% fees)
  • Grow$149/month
    • Unlimited courses
    • Unlimited students
    • Third-party payment (0% fees)

Which should you pick?

Choose Cvent if

  • You need event registration.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want venue sourcing.
Cvent review

Choose Thinkific if

  • You need course builder.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want website builder.
Thinkific review

Questions people ask

Is Cvent or Thinkific better?
Neither clearly leads. Cvent starts at $10000/month and Thinkific at $36/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cvent or Thinkific?
Cvent starts at $10000/month and Thinkific at $36/month.
Does Cvent or Thinkific run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Mobile, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Cvent best used for?
Cvent is most often used for event planning, ticket sales, attendee management, virtual events. Of those, event planning and ticket sales are not what Thinkific is typically brought in for.
What can Cvent do that Thinkific cannot?
Cvent covers Event registration, Venue sourcing, Attendee management, Mobile event app. Thinkific covers Course builder, Website builder, Quizzes, Certificates. Both handle Web support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cvent: Does Cvent offer a free trial or demo?

Cvent does not list pricing on its website but offers customized demos and evaluations. No free trial is publicly available.

Source
Thinkific: Does Thinkific have a free plan?

No. Thinkific does not offer a free plan but provides a 14-day free trial. Paid plans start at $36/month (Basic tier).

Source
Cvent: What modules are available?

Core modules include Registration, Attendee Hub, OnArrival, event app, badge printing, and real-time reporting. Additional modules can be added based on event needs.

Source
Thinkific: Are there transaction fees on Thinkific?

Thinkific charges no transaction fees when using their built-in Thinkific Payments. Third-party payment processors incur 5% fees (Basic) down to 0% (Plus), plus 3.6% for Stripe with subscriptions.

Source
Cvent: Does it support virtual and hybrid events?

Yes. Cvent Event Management supports in-person, virtual, and hybrid events with integrated registration, attendee engagement, and reporting across all formats.

Source
Thinkific: What payment methods does Thinkific support?

PayPal is locked to Grow plan ($199/month). Basic and Start plans do not support PayPal, limiting payment options for international creators and potentially reducing conversions.

Source
Cvent: How much does it cost?

Cvent pricing starts at $10,000 per month and scales to $100,000+ for enterprise deployments, with costs based on selected modules and event volume. Exact pricing requires a sales consultation.

Source
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