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Software · head to head

Thinkific vs Xara Designer Pro+

Thinkific logo

Thinkific

Software

Create and sell online courses your way

From
$36/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Xara Designer Pro+ logo

Xara Designer Pro+

Software

Desktop publishing, web design, photo editing and graphic design in one workspace

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Thinkific no free plan, 14-day trial only; Xara Designer Pro+ compatible with Windows only; the product page states no Mac version

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Thinkific and Xara Designer Pro+ actually diverge.

Attributes where Thinkific and Xara Designer Pro+ differ
AttributeThinkificXara Designer Pro+
Starting price$36/monthOn request
Pricing modelUnknownone-time
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb
Founded2012Unknown

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 Thinkific

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

Only in Xara Designer Pro+

Nothing recorded that Thinkific does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Thinkific

  • Course creationnot Xara Designer Pro+
  • Membership sitesnot Xara Designer Pro+
  • Coaching programsnot Xara Designer Pro+
  • Corporate trainingnot Xara Designer Pro+

Xara Designer Pro+

No use cases recorded yet. See the Xara Designer Pro+ review.

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)

Xara Designer Pro+

  • Compatible with Windows only; the product page states no Mac version

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)

Xara Designer Pro+

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Xara Designer Pro+ review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Thinkific if

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

Choose Xara Designer Pro+ if

Nothing in the data separates Xara Designer Pro+ from Thinkific on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Xara Designer Pro+ review

Questions people ask

Is Thinkific or Xara Designer Pro+ better?
Neither clearly leads. Thinkific starts at $36/month and Xara Designer Pro+ at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Thinkific or Xara Designer Pro+?
Thinkific starts at $36/month and Xara Designer Pro+ at On request.
Does Thinkific or Xara Designer Pro+ run on more platforms?
Thinkific runs on Web, Mobile. Xara Designer Pro+ runs on Web.
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 Xara Designer Pro+ is typically brought in for.
What can Thinkific do that Xara Designer Pro+ cannot?
Thinkific covers Course builder, Website builder, Quizzes, Certificates.

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

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