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Software · head to head

Hemingway Editor vs Thinkific

Hemingway Editor logo

Hemingway Editor

Software

Make your writing bold and clear

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Thinkific logo

Thinkific

Software

Create and sell online courses your way

From
$36/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Hemingway Editor has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Hemingway Editor no grammar or spelling corrections; tool focuses only on style, readability, and clarity, leaving grammatical errors unflagged; Thinkific no free plan, 14-day trial only
  • They diverge on capability: Hemingway Editor covers Readability analysis, Thinkific covers Course builder.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hemingway Editor and Thinkific actually diverge.

Attributes where Hemingway Editor and Thinkific differ
AttributeHemingway EditorThinkific
Starting priceFree$36/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, macOS, WindowsWeb, Mobile
Founded20132012

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 Hemingway Editor

  • Readability analysis
  • Sentence complexity
  • Passive voice detection
  • Adverb highlighting
  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support

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.

Hemingway Editor

  • Checking readability and flagging dense sentencesnot Thinkific
  • Grammar checking and proofreading a draftnot Thinkific
  • Adjusting tone before publishingnot Thinkific
  • Paraphrasing passages with the free web toolsnot Thinkific

Thinkific

  • Course creationnot Hemingway Editor
  • Membership sitesnot Hemingway Editor
  • Coaching programsnot Hemingway Editor
  • Corporate trainingnot Hemingway Editor

Where each one falls short

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

Hemingway Editor

  • No grammar or spelling corrections; tool focuses only on style, readability, and clarity, leaving grammatical errors unflagged
  • Cannot distinguish context for idioms and colloquialisms, sometimes suggesting inappropriate replacements that alter intended meaning
  • Free version cannot suggest fixes for highlighted issues, only displays problems without solutions
  • Not suitable for academic or formal writing where its simplicity bias penalizes legitimate complex sentence structures

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

Hemingway Editor

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Readability checking
    • Sentence highlighting
    • Adverb detection
  • Hemingway Editor Plus Individual 5K$8.33/month
    • 5,000 AI sentence rewrites monthly
    • Advanced grammar fixes (unlimited)
    • Unlimited document review
  • Hemingway Editor Plus Individual 10K$12.5/month
    • 10,000 AI sentence rewrites monthly
    • Advanced grammar fixes (unlimited)
    • Unlimited document review
  • Hemingway Editor Plus Team 10K$12.5/month
    • 10,000 AI sentence rewrites per user monthly
    • Role-based admin controls
    • Priority support

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 Hemingway Editor if

  • You need readability analysis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want sentence complexity.
Hemingway Editor review

Choose Thinkific if

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

Questions people ask

Is Hemingway Editor or Thinkific better?
Neither clearly leads. Hemingway Editor 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, Hemingway Editor or Thinkific?
Hemingway Editor has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Hemingway Editor and $36/month for Thinkific.
Does Hemingway Editor or Thinkific run on more platforms?
Hemingway Editor runs on Web, macOS, Windows. Thinkific runs on Web, Mobile.
Can I use Hemingway Editor for free?
Yes. Hemingway Editor has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Thinkific starts at $36/month.
What is Hemingway Editor best used for?
Hemingway Editor is most often used for checking readability and flagging dense sentences, grammar checking and proofreading a draft, adjusting tone before publishing, paraphrasing passages with the free web tools. Of those, checking readability and flagging dense sentences and grammar checking and proofreading a draft are not what Thinkific is typically brought in for.
What can Hemingway Editor do that Thinkific cannot?
Hemingway Editor covers Readability analysis, Sentence complexity, Passive voice detection, Adverb highlighting. Thinkific covers Course builder, Website builder, Quizzes, Certificates.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Hemingway Editor: Is there a free version and what does it include?

Yes. The free web version at hemingwayapp.com includes readability scoring, highlighting of complex sentences, passive voice detection, and weak adverb flagging. No account needed. Hemingway Editor Plus ($8.33/month or $100/year) adds advanced grammar fixes, AI sentence rewrites (10,000 monthly on best value plan), and unlimited document feedback.

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
Hemingway Editor: Does Hemingway Editor work offline?

The free web version requires internet. The desktop version for Mac and Windows ($19.99 one-time payment) works fully offline after download, enabling distraction-free writing without network connectivity.

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
Hemingway Editor: What writing metrics does Hemingway measure?

Hemingway grades readability level, highlights adverbs and weak words, flags passive voice constructions, marks complex or hard-to-read sentences in color (red for very hard, yellow for difficult), and suggests simpler alternatives for complex phrases.

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
Hemingway Editor: Can I collaborate with others or share documents?

The web version allows pasting text directly, but Hemingway Editor itself does not have native collaboration or team features. Team plans on Hemingway Plus support $12.50/user/month pricing and role-based admin controls, but are primarily for shared workspace management rather than live document collaboration.

Source
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