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Software · head to head

D2L Brightspace vs Thinkific

D

D2L Brightspace

Software

The LMS built to focus on the learning moment

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Thinkific logo

Thinkific

Software

Create and sell online courses your way

From
$36/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: D2L Brightspace no pricing tiers or figures are published on the site for Brightspace or its add-on products; the only path to cost is Request a Demo, per d2l.com, August 2026; Thinkific no free plan, 14-day trial only

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which D2L Brightspace and Thinkific actually diverge.

Attributes where D2L Brightspace and Thinkific differ
AttributeD2L BrightspaceThinkific
Starting priceOn request$36/month
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile
FoundedUnknown2012

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 D2L Brightspace

Nothing recorded that Thinkific does not also cover.

Only in Thinkific

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

What people use each for

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

D2L Brightspace

No use cases recorded yet. See the D2L Brightspace review.

Thinkific

  • Course creationnot D2L Brightspace
  • Membership sitesnot D2L Brightspace
  • Coaching programsnot D2L Brightspace
  • Corporate trainingnot D2L Brightspace

Where each one falls short

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

D2L Brightspace

  • No pricing tiers or figures are published on the site for Brightspace or its add-on products; the only path to cost is Request a Demo, per d2l.com, August 2026

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

D2L Brightspace

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the D2L Brightspace 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 D2L Brightspace if

Nothing in the data separates D2L Brightspace from Thinkific on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

D2L Brightspace review

Choose Thinkific if

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

Questions people ask

Is D2L Brightspace or Thinkific better?
Neither clearly leads. D2L Brightspace starts at On request and Thinkific at $36/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, D2L Brightspace or Thinkific?
D2L Brightspace starts at On request and Thinkific at $36/month.
Does D2L Brightspace or Thinkific run on more platforms?
D2L Brightspace runs on Web. Thinkific runs on Web, Mobile.
What can D2L Brightspace do that Thinkific cannot?
Thinkific covers Course builder, Website builder, Quizzes, Certificates.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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
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Related pages

More on D2L Brightspace

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