Softwr

Learning Management · head to head

LearnWorlds vs Thinkific

LearnWorlds logo

LearnWorlds

Learning Management

Create and sell online courses with interactive experiences

From
On request
Rated
-
Thinkific logo

Thinkific

Learning Management

Create and sell online courses your way

From
$36/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: LearnWorlds the $24 Starter plan charges $5 for every paid enrollment, so selling a cheap course can cost more in fees than the plan; Thinkific no free plan, 14-day trial only
  • They diverge on capability: LearnWorlds covers Interactive video, Thinkific covers Quizzes.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LearnWorlds and Thinkific actually diverge.

Attributes where LearnWorlds and Thinkific differ
AttributeLearnWorldsThinkific
Starting priceOn request$36/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidWeb, Mobile
Founded20142012

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

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 LearnWorlds

  • Interactive video
  • Assessments
  • Community
  • Mobile app
  • HubSpot
  • Google Analytics
  • Facebook Pixel

Only in Thinkific

  • Quizzes
  • Communities
  • Memberships
  • Marketing tools
  • ConvertKit

Both cover

  • Course builder
  • Website builder
  • Certificates
  • Analytics
  • Zapier
  • Mailchimp
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • Web support
  • IOS support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

LearnWorlds

  • Building and selling online courses with a branded schoolnot Thinkific
  • Delivering training to customers or employees with certificatesnot Thinkific

Thinkific

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

Where each one falls short

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

LearnWorlds

  • The $24 Starter plan charges $5 for every paid enrollment, so selling a cheap course can cost more in fees than the plan
  • Escaping the enrollment fee requires the $79 Pro Trainer plan
  • Active learners are capped monthly, at 1,000 on Starter and 2,000 on both Pro Trainer and Learning Center
  • The $249 Learning Center plan allows no more learners than the $79 plan, differing on admins and AI credits instead
  • Admin seats are rationed at 1, 5 and 25
  • AI credits are metered monthly at 300, 500 and 1,000

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

LearnWorlds

On request
  • Starter$24/month
    • 1 admin
    • Custom domain
    • Coupons
  • Pro Trainer$79/month
    • 5 admins
    • SCORM/HTML5
    • Subscriptions
  • Learning Center$249/month
    • 20 admins
    • Interactive video
    • Bulk actions
  • High Volume$undefined/month
    • Unlimited admins
    • White label
    • SLA

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 LearnWorlds if

  • You need interactive video.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want assessments.

Choose Thinkific if

  • You need quizzes.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want communities.

Questions people ask

Is LearnWorlds or Thinkific better?
Neither clearly leads. LearnWorlds 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, LearnWorlds or Thinkific?
LearnWorlds starts at On request and Thinkific at $36/month.
Does LearnWorlds or Thinkific run on more platforms?
LearnWorlds runs on Web, IOS, Android. Thinkific runs on Web, Mobile.
What is LearnWorlds best used for?
LearnWorlds is most often used for building and selling online courses with a branded school, delivering training to customers or employees with certificates. Of those, building and selling online courses with a branded school and delivering training to customers or employees with certificates are not what Thinkific is typically brought in for.
What can LearnWorlds do that Thinkific cannot?
LearnWorlds covers Interactive video, Assessments, Community, Mobile app. Thinkific covers Quizzes, Communities, Memberships, Marketing tools. Both handle Course builder, Website builder, Certificates, Analytics.

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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