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LMS · head to head

LearnUpon vs Thinkific

LearnUpon logo

LearnUpon

LMS

Multi-portal learning management for training employees, customers and partners from one instance

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Thinkific logo

Thinkific

LMS

Create and sell online courses your way

From
$36/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: LearnUpon pricing counts registered users, so a partner or customer audience with many dormant accounts pays full price for people who log in once a year, and the finance case degrades as the population grows.; Thinkific no free plan, 14-day trial only
  • They diverge on capability: LearnUpon covers Multiple portals, Thinkific covers Course builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LearnUpon and Thinkific actually diverge.

Attributes where LearnUpon and Thinkific differ
AttributeLearnUponThinkific
Starting priceOn request$36/month
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Mobile
FoundedUnknown2012

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

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 LearnUpon

  • Multiple portals
  • Central course library
  • Compliance and recertification
  • Learning paths
  • Ecommerce
  • SCORM and xAPI 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.

LearnUpon

  • A software company that must train staff, certify customers and enable resellers without three separate systemsnot Thinkific
  • Compliance training where the auditor asks for a dated completion record per named employeenot Thinkific
  • Selling certification courses to customers as a revenue line rather than a cost centrenot Thinkific
  • Franchise or dealer networks needing separately branded portals under central content controlnot Thinkific

Thinkific

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

Where each one falls short

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

LearnUpon

  • Pricing counts registered users, so a partner or customer audience with many dormant accounts pays full price for people who log in once a year, and the finance case degrades as the population grows.
  • The multi-portal design carries administration overhead that a single audience organisation pays for without benefit.
  • Reporting is adequate for completion and compliance and thin for measuring whether training changed behaviour, so organisations needing that add a separate analytics layer.
  • Content authoring is not included at the depth of a dedicated authoring tool, so most customers also licence something like an authoring suite and manage two vendors.
  • Complex competency frameworks, multi year programme structures and academic style progression are not modelled well, which limits it in regulated professions with formal qualification pathways.

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

LearnUpon

On request
  • LearnUpon$undefined/year
    • Quoted by registered user tier and number of portals
    • Annual contracts
    • Not comparable with per active user or per course competitors without modelling

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 LearnUpon if

  • You need multiple portals.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want central course library.
LearnUpon review

Choose Thinkific if

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

Questions people ask

Is LearnUpon or Thinkific better?
Neither clearly leads. LearnUpon 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, LearnUpon or Thinkific?
LearnUpon starts at On request and Thinkific at $36/month.
Does LearnUpon or Thinkific run on more platforms?
LearnUpon runs on Web, iOS, Android. Thinkific runs on Web, Mobile.
What is LearnUpon best used for?
LearnUpon is most often used for a software company that must train staff, certify customers and enable resellers without three separate systems, compliance training where the auditor asks for a dated completion record per named employee, selling certification courses to customers as a revenue line rather than a cost centre, franchise or dealer networks needing separately branded portals under central content control. Of those, a software company that must train staff, certify customers and enable resellers without three separate systems and compliance training where the auditor asks for a dated completion record per named employee are not what Thinkific is typically brought in for.
What can LearnUpon do that Thinkific cannot?
LearnUpon covers Multiple portals, Central course library, Compliance and recertification, Learning paths. Thinkific covers Course builder, Website builder, Quizzes, Certificates.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

LearnUpon: How is LearnUpon priced?

By registered user tier and the number of portals, quoted rather than published. That unit is not comparable with per active user or per course pricing, so model your own population before comparing quotes.

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
LearnUpon: Can customers and employees be kept separate?

Yes, that is the main design point. Separate portals have their own branding, administrators and catalogues, while sharing courses from one library.

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
LearnUpon: Does it handle recurring compliance training?

Yes. Recertification cycles, automatic reassignment and per user dated completion records are built in and are a common reason for purchase.

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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