Softwr

Education & E-Learning · head to head

DataCamp vs Thinkific

DataCamp logo

DataCamp

Education & E-Learning

Learn data science and AI skills online

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Thinkific logo

Thinkific

Learning Management

Create and sell online courses your way

From
$36/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only DataCamp has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: DataCamp free tier limited to first chapter of every course only; Thinkific no free plan, 14-day trial only
  • They diverge on capability: DataCamp covers Interactive courses, Thinkific covers Course builder.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DataCamp and Thinkific actually diverge.

Attributes where DataCamp and Thinkific differ
AttributeDataCampThinkific
Starting priceFree$36/month
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
Free tierYesNo
CategoryEducation & E-LearningLearning Management
Founded20132012

Identical on both: 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 DataCamp

  • Interactive courses
  • Hands-on projects
  • Skill assessments
  • Career tracks
  • Certifications
  • Workspace
  • Mobile app
  • Practice mode

Only in Thinkific

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

Both cover

  • Web support
  • IOS support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

DataCamp

  • Interactive data science and AI education with 790+ coursesnot Thinkific
  • Career-track learning (36-44 hours) for role-specific competencynot Thinkific
  • Team upskilling with admin dashboards and learning activity trackingnot Thinkific
  • Hands-on projects, certifications, and industry-recognised credentialsnot Thinkific

Thinkific

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

Where each one falls short

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

DataCamp

  • Free tier limited to first chapter of every course only
  • Premium plan requires annual billing with no monthly option
  • Teams plan requires minimum 2+ users with annual upfront billing
  • Free tier excludes access to 790+ courses and skill assessments

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

DataCamp

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the DataCamp 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 DataCamp if

  • You need interactive courses.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want hands-on projects.
DataCamp review

Choose Thinkific if

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

Questions people ask

Is DataCamp or Thinkific better?
Neither clearly leads. DataCamp starts at Free and Thinkific at $36/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DataCamp or Thinkific?
DataCamp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for DataCamp and $36/month for Thinkific.
Does DataCamp or Thinkific run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Mobile, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use DataCamp for free?
Yes. DataCamp has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Thinkific starts at $36/month.
What is DataCamp best used for?
DataCamp is most often used for interactive data science and ai education with 790+ courses, career-track learning (36-44 hours) for role-specific competency, team upskilling with admin dashboards and learning activity tracking, hands-on projects, certifications, and industry-recognised credentials. Of those, interactive data science and ai education with 790+ courses and career-track learning (36-44 hours) for role-specific competency are not what Thinkific is typically brought in for.
What can DataCamp do that Thinkific cannot?
DataCamp covers Interactive courses, Hands-on projects, Skill assessments, Career tracks. Thinkific covers Course builder, Website builder, Quizzes, Certificates. Both handle Web support, IOS support, Android support.

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
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on DataCamp

More on Thinkific

Keep looking

Other head to heads