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Software · head to head

Thinkific vs Zoom Webinar

Thinkific logo

Thinkific

Software

Create and sell online courses your way

From
$36/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoom Webinar logo

Zoom Webinar

Software

Professional video conferencing and webinar hosting

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Zoom Webinar has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Thinkific no free plan, 14-day trial only; Zoom Webinar free tier capped at 40 minutes per meeting with up to 100 participants
  • They diverge on capability: Thinkific covers Course builder, Zoom Webinar covers HD video conferencing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Thinkific and Zoom Webinar actually diverge.

Attributes where Thinkific and Zoom Webinar differ
AttributeThinkificZoom Webinar
Starting price$36/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, MobileDesktop, Mobile, Tablet
Founded20122011

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 Thinkific

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

Only in Zoom Webinar

  • HD video conferencing
  • Screen sharing
  • Recording
  • Chat
  • Breakout rooms
  • Salesforce
  • Slack
  • Microsoft Teams

Both cover

  • 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 Zoom Webinar
  • Membership sitesnot Zoom Webinar
  • Coaching programsnot Zoom Webinar
  • Corporate trainingnot Zoom Webinar

Zoom Webinar

  • Large-scale webinars up to 1,000 participants on Enterprise tiernot Thinkific
  • Professional organisations needing end-to-end encryption and customer-managed keysnot Thinkific
  • Hybrid work environments with integrated PBX phone servicenot 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)

Zoom Webinar

  • Free tier capped at 40 minutes per meeting with up to 100 participants
  • Free tier lacks cloud storage and advanced AI Companion features
  • Higher tiers require commitments to larger participant counts (Business: 300, Enterprise: 1000)

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)

Zoom Webinar

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Zoom Webinar 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 Zoom Webinar if

  • You need hd video conferencing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Desktop, Mobile, Tablet.
  • You also want screen sharing.
Zoom Webinar review

Questions people ask

Is Thinkific or Zoom Webinar better?
Neither clearly leads. Thinkific starts at $36/month and Zoom Webinar at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Thinkific or Zoom Webinar?
Zoom Webinar has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $36/month for Thinkific and Free for Zoom Webinar.
Does Thinkific or Zoom Webinar run on more platforms?
Thinkific runs on Web, Mobile. Zoom Webinar runs on Desktop, Mobile, Tablet.
Can I use Zoom Webinar for free?
Yes. Zoom Webinar 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 Zoom Webinar is typically brought in for.
What can Thinkific do that Zoom Webinar cannot?
Thinkific covers Course builder, Website builder, Quizzes, Certificates. Zoom Webinar covers HD video conferencing, Screen sharing, Recording, Chat. Both handle 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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Related pages

More on Thinkific

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