Softwr

Software · head to head

Khan Academy vs Thinkific

Khan Academy logo

Khan Academy

Software

Free world-class education for anyone, anywhere

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 Khan Academy has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Khan Academy the Internet Archive's capture of Khan Academy's homepage on 1 January 2021 stated it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and that its full library of practice and lessons 'is all free for learners and teachers', funded by donations rather than subscriptions.; Thinkific no free plan, 14-day trial only
  • They diverge on capability: Khan Academy covers Video lessons, Thinkific covers Course builder.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Khan Academy and Thinkific actually diverge.

Attributes where Khan Academy and Thinkific differ
AttributeKhan AcademyThinkific
Starting priceFree$36/month
Pricing modelfreeUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidWeb, Mobile
Founded20082012

Identical on both: 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 Khan Academy

  • Video lessons
  • Practice exercises
  • Mastery system
  • Progress tracking
  • Personalized learning
  • Teacher tools
  • Parent dashboard
  • Test prep

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.

Khan Academy

  • Free self paced learning across maths, science and humanitiesnot Thinkific
  • Assigning practice and tracking student progress in a classroomnot Thinkific

Thinkific

  • Course creationnot Khan Academy
  • Membership sitesnot Khan Academy
  • Coaching programsnot Khan Academy
  • Corporate trainingnot Khan Academy

Where each one falls short

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

Khan Academy

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Khan Academy's homepage on 1 January 2021 stated it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and that its full library of practice and lessons 'is all free for learners and teachers', funded by donations rather than subscriptions.

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

Khan Academy

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Video lessons
    • Practice exercises
    • Progress tracking

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 Khan Academy if

  • You need video lessons.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want practice exercises.
Khan Academy review

Choose Thinkific if

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

Questions people ask

Is Khan Academy or Thinkific better?
Neither clearly leads. Khan Academy 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, Khan Academy or Thinkific?
Khan Academy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Khan Academy and $36/month for Thinkific.
Does Khan Academy or Thinkific run on more platforms?
Khan Academy runs on Web, IOS, Android. Thinkific runs on Web, Mobile.
Can I use Khan Academy for free?
Yes. Khan Academy has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Thinkific starts at $36/month.
What is Khan Academy best used for?
Khan Academy is most often used for free self paced learning across maths, science and humanities, assigning practice and tracking student progress in a classroom. Of those, free self paced learning across maths, science and humanities and assigning practice and tracking student progress in a classroom are not what Thinkific is typically brought in for.
What can Khan Academy do that Thinkific cannot?
Khan Academy covers Video lessons, Practice exercises, Mastery system, Progress tracking. 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 Khan Academy

More on Thinkific

Keep looking

Other head to heads