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Software · head to head

Schoology vs Thinkific

Schoology logo

Schoology

Software

LMS that connects learning with the bigger picture

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 Schoology has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Schoology schoology (now PowerSchool's Schoology Learning) gates its full feature set behind a separate Enterprise package; the free version is a limited LMS tier, per the vendor's own archived K-12 page (2019), with no dollar figure published for the Enterprise upgrade.; Thinkific no free plan, 14-day trial only
  • They diverge on capability: Schoology covers Course management, Thinkific covers Course builder.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Schoology and Thinkific actually diverge.

Attributes where Schoology and Thinkific differ
AttributeSchoologyThinkific
Starting priceFree$36/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidWeb, Mobile
Founded20092012

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 Schoology

  • Course management
  • Gradebook
  • Assessment builder
  • Discussion boards
  • Resources library
  • Parent portal
  • Mobile app
  • PowerSchool SIS

Only in Thinkific

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

Both cover

  • Analytics
  • Web support
  • IOS support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Schoology

  • Course deliverynot Thinkific
  • Assessmentnot Thinkific
  • Collaborationnot Thinkific
  • Parent communicationnot Thinkific

Thinkific

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

Where each one falls short

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

Schoology

  • Schoology (now PowerSchool's Schoology Learning) gates its full feature set behind a separate Enterprise package; the free version is a limited LMS tier, per the vendor's own archived K-12 page (2019), with no dollar figure published for the Enterprise upgrade.

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

Schoology

Free
  • BasicFree
    • Course management
    • Assignments
    • Gradebook
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • SIS integration
    • Analytics
    • Standards alignment

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 Schoology if

  • You need course management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want gradebook.
Schoology review

Choose Thinkific if

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

Questions people ask

Is Schoology or Thinkific better?
Neither clearly leads. Schoology 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, Schoology or Thinkific?
Schoology has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Schoology and $36/month for Thinkific.
Does Schoology or Thinkific run on more platforms?
Schoology runs on Web, IOS, Android. Thinkific runs on Web, Mobile.
Can I use Schoology for free?
Yes. Schoology has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Thinkific starts at $36/month.
What is Schoology best used for?
Schoology is most often used for course delivery, assessment, collaboration, parent communication. Of those, course delivery and assessment are not what Thinkific is typically brought in for.
What can Schoology do that Thinkific cannot?
Schoology covers Course management, Gradebook, Assessment builder, Discussion boards. Thinkific covers Course builder, Website builder, Quizzes, Certificates. Both handle Analytics, 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
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