Softwr

Learning Management · head to head

Thinkific vs Zoom Webinars

Thinkific logo

Thinkific

Learning Management

Create and sell online courses your way

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

Zoom Webinars

Webinar & Virtual Events

Dedicated webinar platform by Zoom for large-scale events

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Thinkific no free plan, 14-day trial only; Zoom Webinars webinars tier limited to standard platform features; advanced features like pre-recorded content and multi-session events require Webinars Plus or Events tier
  • They diverge on capability: Thinkific covers Course builder, Zoom Webinars covers Attendee registration.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Thinkific and Zoom Webinars differ
AttributeThinkificZoom Webinars
Starting price$36/monthOn request
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWeb, MobileCloud-based SaaS
CategoryLearning ManagementWebinar & Virtual Events
Founded20122011

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

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
  • Zapier

Only in Zoom Webinars

  • Attendee registration
  • HD video
  • Screen sharing
  • Polls and surveys
  • Q&A
  • Breakout rooms
  • Recording
  • Salesforce

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.

Thinkific

  • Course creationnot Zoom Webinars
  • Membership sitesnot Zoom Webinars
  • Coaching programsnot Zoom Webinars
  • Corporate trainingnot Zoom Webinars

Zoom Webinars

  • Large-scale broadcasts with 10,000+ attendeesnot Thinkific
  • Multi-session virtual events and hybrid conferencesnot 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 Webinars

  • Webinars tier limited to standard platform features; advanced features like pre-recorded content and multi-session events require Webinars Plus or Events tier
  • All tiers support up to 100,000 attendees but 30-hour event limit applies across all packages

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 Webinars

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Zoom Webinars 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 Webinars if

  • You need attendee registration.
  • You work on Cloud-based SaaS.
  • You also want hd video.
Zoom Webinars review

Questions people ask

Is Thinkific or Zoom Webinars better?
Neither clearly leads. Thinkific starts at $36/month and Zoom Webinars at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Thinkific or Zoom Webinars?
Thinkific starts at $36/month and Zoom Webinars at On request.
Does Thinkific or Zoom Webinars run on more platforms?
Thinkific runs on Web, Mobile. Zoom Webinars runs on Cloud-based SaaS.
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 Webinars is typically brought in for.
What can Thinkific do that Zoom Webinars cannot?
Thinkific covers Course builder, Website builder, Quizzes, Certificates. Zoom Webinars covers Attendee registration, HD video, Screen sharing, Polls and surveys. 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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Related pages

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