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Software · head to head

Open edX vs Thinkific

Open edX logo

Open edX

Software

Open-source platform powering online learning

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 Open edX has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Open edX open edX has no licensing fee as open source software, but the vendor's own site states that hosting and infrastructure costs are the operator's responsibility, so there is no bundled managed-hosting price to compare against SaaS competitors.; Thinkific no free plan, 14-day trial only
  • They diverge on capability: Open edX covers Course authoring, Thinkific covers Course builder.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Open edX and Thinkific actually diverge.

Attributes where Open edX and Thinkific differ
AttributeOpen edXThinkific
Starting priceFree$36/month
Pricing modelfreeUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidWeb, Mobile

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2012).

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 Open edX

  • Course authoring
  • Interactive videos
  • Assessments
  • Discussions
  • Mobile apps
  • xBlocks
  • LTI tools
  • SSO

Only in Thinkific

  • Course builder
  • Website builder
  • Quizzes
  • Communities
  • Memberships
  • Marketing tools
  • Zapier
  • Mailchimp

Both cover

  • Certificates
  • Analytics
  • Web support
  • IOS support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Open edX

  • MOOC creationnot Thinkific
  • Corporate training
  • Blended learningnot Thinkific
  • Degree programsnot Thinkific

Thinkific

  • Course creationnot Open edX
  • Membership sitesnot Open edX
  • Coaching programsnot Open edX
  • Corporate training

Both are used for corporate training, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

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

Open edX

  • Open edX has no licensing fee as open source software, but the vendor's own site states that hosting and infrastructure costs are the operator's responsibility, so there is no bundled managed-hosting price to compare against SaaS competitors.

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

Open edX

Free
  • Self-HostedFree
    • Full platform
    • Community support
    • All features
  • Managed Hosting$undefined/month
    • Hosted solution
    • Support
    • Maintenance

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 Open edX if

  • You need course authoring.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want interactive videos.
Open edX review

Choose Thinkific if

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

Questions people ask

Is Open edX or Thinkific better?
Neither clearly leads. Open edX 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, Open edX or Thinkific?
Open edX has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Open edX and $36/month for Thinkific.
Does Open edX or Thinkific run on more platforms?
Open edX runs on Web, IOS, Android. Thinkific runs on Web, Mobile.
Can I use Open edX for free?
Yes. Open edX has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Thinkific starts at $36/month.
What is Open edX best used for?
Open edX is most often used for mooc creation, corporate training, blended learning, degree programs. Of those, mooc creation and blended learning are not what Thinkific is typically brought in for.
What can Open edX do that Thinkific cannot?
Open edX covers Course authoring, Interactive videos, Assessments, Discussions. Thinkific covers Course builder, Website builder, Quizzes, Communities. Both handle Certificates, Analytics, Web support, IOS 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
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Related pages

More on Open edX

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