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Software · head to head

Thinkific vs Udemy

Thinkific logo

Thinkific

Software

Create and sell online courses your way

From
$36/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Udemy logo

Udemy

Software

World's largest marketplace for online learning

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Udemy has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Thinkific no free plan, 14-day trial only; Udemy course quality varies significantly as Udemy allows anyone to create and sell courses without vetting
  • They diverge on capability: Thinkific covers Course builder, Udemy covers Video courses.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Thinkific and Udemy actually diverge.

Attributes where Thinkific and Udemy differ
AttributeThinkificUdemy
Starting price$36/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20122010

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 Thinkific

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

Only in Udemy

  • Video courses
  • Assignments
  • Mobile learning
  • Offline viewing
  • Q&A
  • Reviews
  • Slack
  • Microsoft Teams

Both cover

  • Quizzes
  • Certificates
  • Web support
  • IOS support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Thinkific

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

Udemy

  • Skill buildingnot Thinkific
  • Career transitionnot Thinkific
  • Professional developmentnot Thinkific
  • Team trainingnot Thinkific

Where each one falls short

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

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)

Udemy

  • Course quality varies significantly as Udemy allows anyone to create and sell courses without vetting
  • No formal credentials or degrees offered, unlike Coursera and edX which offer institution-branded certificates
  • Courses are self-paced with no instructor interaction or support, making structured learning difficult for some students

Pricing, plan by plan

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)

Udemy

Free
  • Personal$19/month
    • 11,000+ courses access
  • Team$360/year
    • For 5-20 people

Which should you pick?

Choose Thinkific if

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

Choose Udemy if

  • You need video courses.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want assignments.
Udemy review

Questions people ask

Is Thinkific or Udemy better?
Neither clearly leads. Thinkific starts at $36/month and Udemy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Thinkific or Udemy?
Udemy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $36/month for Thinkific and Free for Udemy.
Does Thinkific or Udemy run on more platforms?
Thinkific runs on Web, Mobile. Udemy runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Udemy for free?
Yes. Udemy has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Thinkific starts at $36/month.
What is Thinkific best used for?
Thinkific is most often used for course creation, membership sites, coaching programs, corporate training. Of those, course creation and membership sites are not what Udemy is typically brought in for.
What can Thinkific do that Udemy cannot?
Thinkific covers Course builder, Website builder, Communities, Memberships. Udemy covers Video courses, Assignments, Mobile learning, Offline viewing. Both handle Quizzes, Certificates, 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
Udemy: Does Udemy offer team/business pricing?

Yes, Udemy's Team plan costs $360 per user annually for groups of 5 to 20 people, in addition to individual Personal plan at $19/month.

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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