Softwr

Software · head to head

ON24 vs Thinkific

ON24 logo

ON24

Software

The digital engagement platform

From
$2000/month
Rated
-
Thinkific logo

Thinkific

Software

Create and sell online courses your way

From
$36/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ON24 the Internet Archive's capture of ON24's homepage on 1 January 2021 named five distinct platform tiers, Webcast Elite, Engagement Hub, Target, Intelligence, and Connect, but pointed visitors to a 'Find your pricing fit' quiz rather than publishing figures.; Thinkific no free plan, 14-day trial only
  • They diverge on capability: ON24 covers Live webinars, Thinkific covers Course builder.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ON24 and Thinkific actually diverge.

Attributes where ON24 and Thinkific differ
AttributeON24Thinkific
Starting price$2000/month$36/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Mobile
Founded19982012

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 ON24

  • Live webinars
  • Virtual events
  • Engagement hub
  • AI-powered analytics
  • Content hubs
  • Salesforce
  • Marketo
  • Eloqua

Only in Thinkific

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

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

ON24

  • Event planningnot Thinkific
  • Ticket salesnot Thinkific
  • Attendee managementnot Thinkific
  • Virtual eventsnot Thinkific
  • Event marketingnot Thinkific

Thinkific

  • Course creationnot ON24
  • Membership sitesnot ON24
  • Coaching programsnot ON24
  • Corporate trainingnot ON24

Where each one falls short

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

ON24

  • The Internet Archive's capture of ON24's homepage on 1 January 2021 named five distinct platform tiers, Webcast Elite, Engagement Hub, Target, Intelligence, and Connect, but pointed visitors to a 'Find your pricing fit' quiz rather than publishing figures.

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

ON24

$2000/month
  • Core$2000/month
    • Webinars
    • Engagement tools
    • Basic analytics
  • Professional$4000/month
    • Virtual events
    • Advanced analytics
    • Integrations
  • Enterprise$8000/month
    • Full platform
    • AI insights
    • Dedicated success manager

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 ON24 if

  • You need live webinars.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want virtual events.

Choose Thinkific if

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

Questions people ask

Is ON24 or Thinkific better?
Neither clearly leads. ON24 starts at $2000/month and Thinkific at $36/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ON24 or Thinkific?
ON24 starts at $2000/month and Thinkific at $36/month.
Does ON24 or Thinkific run on more platforms?
ON24 runs on Web, Ios, Android. Thinkific runs on Web, Mobile.
What is ON24 best used for?
ON24 is most often used for event planning, ticket sales, attendee management, virtual events. Of those, event planning and ticket sales are not what Thinkific is typically brought in for.
What can ON24 do that Thinkific cannot?
ON24 covers Live webinars, Virtual events, Engagement hub, AI-powered analytics. Thinkific covers Course builder, Website builder, Quizzes, Certificates. Both handle Web 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

Related pages

Other head to heads