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LMS · head to head

Screencastify vs Thinkific

Screencastify logo

Screencastify

LMS

Simple video creation for everyone

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Thinkific logo

Thinkific

LMS

Create and sell online courses your way

From
$36/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Screencastify has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Screencastify limited to Chrome browser only, cannot record on Firefox, Safari, or Edge; Thinkific no free plan, 14-day trial only
  • They diverge on capability: Screencastify covers Screen recording, Thinkific covers Course builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Screencastify and Thinkific actually diverge.

Attributes where Screencastify and Thinkific differ
AttributeScreencastifyThinkific
Starting priceFree$36/month
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsChrome BrowserWeb, Mobile
Founded20132012

Identical on both: 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 Screencastify

  • Screen recording
  • Video editing
  • Drawing tools
  • Google Drive export
  • Chrome support
  • Edge 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.

Screencastify

  • Recording lessons for flipped classroom instruction without external toolsnot Thinkific
  • Creating product demos and explainer videos for sales teamsnot Thinkific
  • Documenting technical processes for customer support tutorialsnot Thinkific
  • Collecting and grading video assignments from students with rubricsnot Thinkific
  • Adding interactive assessments to video content to measure understandingnot Thinkific

Thinkific

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

Where each one falls short

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

Screencastify

  • Limited to Chrome browser only, cannot record on Firefox, Safari, or Edge
  • Free version watermark appears on all videos and requires upgrade to remove
  • Free tier limited to 10 videos total before requiring paid plan
  • Maximum 1080p resolution at 30fps, no support for higher framerates or 4K
  • No free educator license for educational institutions

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

Screencastify

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 10 videos
    • 30-minute recording limit
    • Browser tab, full screen, and webcam recording
  • Starter$7/month
    • Unlimited videos
    • 60-minute recording limit
    • Basic editing
  • Pro$10/month
    • Unlimited videos
    • 180-minute recording limit
    • AI video enhancements
  • Enterprise & EDU$null/month
    • Custom pricing
    • Central admin controls
    • LMS integrations

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 Screencastify if

  • You need screen recording.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome Browser.
  • You also want video editing.
Screencastify review

Choose Thinkific if

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

Questions people ask

Is Screencastify or Thinkific better?
Neither clearly leads. Screencastify 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, Screencastify or Thinkific?
Screencastify has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Screencastify and $36/month for Thinkific.
Does Screencastify or Thinkific run on more platforms?
Screencastify runs on Chrome Browser. Thinkific runs on Web, Mobile.
Can I use Screencastify for free?
Yes. Screencastify has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Thinkific starts at $36/month.
What is Screencastify best used for?
Screencastify is most often used for recording lessons for flipped classroom instruction without external tools, creating product demos and explainer videos for sales teams, documenting technical processes for customer support tutorials, collecting and grading video assignments from students with rubrics. Of those, recording lessons for flipped classroom instruction without external tools and creating product demos and explainer videos for sales teams are not what Thinkific is typically brought in for.
What can Screencastify do that Thinkific cannot?
Screencastify covers Screen recording, Video editing, Drawing tools, Google Drive export. Thinkific covers Course builder, Website builder, Quizzes, Certificates.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Screencastify: What's the free tier limit?

Free plan allows 10 total videos up to 30 minutes each, with watermark. After 10 videos, you must upgrade.

Source
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
Screencastify: Is Screencastify limited to Chrome?

Yes. Screencastify is exclusively a Chrome extension and does not work on other browsers like Firefox, Safari, or Edge.

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
Screencastify: What's the maximum video quality?

Maximum resolution is 1080p at 30 frames per second. Videos can only be exported to MP4, audio to MP3, or as GIF.

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
Screencastify: Does Screencastify work for educational use?

Screencastify lacks a free educator license for schools or non-profits, unlike some competitors who offer discounted or free plans for educational institutions.

Source
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