5 Best Thinkific alternatives

The eLearning industry is growing at a surprising rate, and more educators are turning to online course creation to share their knowledge and expertise with the world. To create, market, and sell your expertise, you need a single platform that gives you complete control over your online learning business.

Thinkific is one such course creation software for online course creators who want a solution to host the course and sell it to the target audience. Thinkific is the primary choice for many as it has a solid fan base and offers a free plan. But that doesn't make it the best choice for your needs.

If you are looking for a thinkific alternative, be it for any reason, we have compiled a list of 5 alternatives to make it easy for you to decide about your online course creation platform.

Pinlearn

Pinlearn is the best Thinkific alternative if you are looking for an all-in-one tutoring software to create a full-fledged online tutoring platform to sell both live classes and online courses. While it allows you to create an online course platform, the functionalities are much more than that. Educators can choose to host live classes to facilitate a real classroom-like experience.

PinLearn is a white label solution that provides 100% source code access to users. Being a turnkey solution, it can be deployed easily and migrated seamlessly. The script can be personalized according to your needs to fit your unique business requirements.

The versatile online tutoring software allows Edutech businesses to launch their website across different niches like sports, music, fitness training, language learning, legal consultation, medical consultation, and sports coaching.

Pros

Allows tutors to conduct one-to-one live classes and group classes in real-time.
Fully customizable solution.
Features interactive whiteboard for immersive learning.
Course selling and monetization tools.
Comes with advanced level course management, student management, and tutor management capabilities.
Live session recording.
Multi-channel internal communication system.
Multilingual feature to translate content to different languages.

Cons

Being a self-hosted solution, you need to choose a hosting solution provider for an additional cost.

Pricing

Pinlearn has 2 pricing plans, a regular and a premium plan. The software is available for a one-time cost with no monthly or yearly renewals. Explore the pricing here.

@Teachable

Teachable is another alternative to Thinkific, which features basic course offerings. The solution emphasizes sales over the learning experience, but it comes with capabilities that equip creators to deliver great quality course content.

It is easy for anyone to create a Teachable page and start creating online courses for free, which makes it perfect for students, trainers, coaches, and teachers. Educators can use their teachable page as a digital classroom as it comes with essential tools for creating online courses.

Pros

User-friendly and straightforward, making it an excellent fit for beginners.
An affordable choice for basic course delivery.
Comes with built-in affiliate programs.
Features powerful email marketing tools to set up specific triggers.

Cons

Lacks marketing functionality.
It doesn't feature student engagement tools
Charges a 5% transaction fee even with the basic plan.

Pricing

Teachable has three plans, basic, pro, and business plan, all of which supports unlimited students and courses. Explore the pricing here.

@Kajabi

Kajabi is one of the best Thinkific alternatives that is the right choice for both intermediate and advanced level course creators. Though it's not mandatory for users to have technical knowledge, the features and capabilities offered by the solution could be a bit complex for complete beginners.

Kajabi comes with website-building tools and blogging features. It also features video streaming capabilities to connect with learners in real-time. As it comes integrated with email marketing tools and automated marketing funnels, and affiliate marketing features, it's easier to sell your products and make money.

One drawback is that Kajabi might not help creators with building a uniquely branded eLearning website. While it is the best choice for course creators testing unproven products, it's the most expensive on our list as well.

Pros

Clean and bright user interface.
Features business tools for advanced-level courses creators to build, sell, and market their eLearning products.
Built-in email marketing tools for automation and marketing purposes.
It comes with advanced community management features.
The servers boast smooth running, and backup is easy as well.

Cons

Very high pricing structure. Doesn't have any free plan. Limited options for course customization.

Pricing

Kajabi offers three plans: basic, growth, and pro plans, but all plans limit products, members, and websites. In essence, the more you spend, the more features and functionalities you get. Explore the pricing here.

LearnDash

LearnDash is another Thinkific alternative that is not a standalone software but a WordPress plugin. It is the only plugin on our list and is one of the most affordable choices if you have expertise in WordPress. LearnDash is rich with features and allows course creators to customize the course and deliver it the way they envision it.

Being an LMS plugin for WordPress, it features a powerful page builder and allows creators to add discussion forums, run quizzes, and do other interactive activities. It also integrates with all major shopping cart plugins, making it easy to process payments.

Pros

Affordable and cost-effective.
The plugin has features to leverage the branding and design of an already existing eLearning site.
Includes features like course completion certificates.
Cost-effective option if you already have a WordPress website.

Cons

Needs WordPress expertise.
It doesn't include sales and marketing features and needs the support of other plugins.
More expensive than Thinkific, with the basic plan costing $199 annually.

Pricing

LearnDash includes 3 pricing plans, basic, pro, and plus, with each plan having 1 site, 10 sites, and unlimited site license, respectively. Explore the pricing here.

Podia

Podia is another alternative for Thinkific, which presents all the necessary tools one needs in a single platform. The software can be leveraged to run membership websites, online courses, and host all digital downloads. It also features landing page creation, built-in live chat tools, and email marketing capabilities. However, the solution has limitations when it comes to personalization. So if you are not looking for a highly customized and branded eLearning website, Podia can be a great pick.

Pros

Provides assistance for the sale of videos, digital downloads, and eBooks.
Coupons and upsell products can be used as marketing tools.
Live chat support is included.

Cons

Less suitable for the sale of online courses.
Lacks choices for design and customization in general.
Only the most expensive plan gives memberships, blog creation, and affiliate marketing access.

Pricing

Podia offers two pricing plans; mover and shaker. The good thing is that there is no transaction fee for all plans. Explore the pricing here.

Which is the best Thinifkic alternative in 2022

Selecting the best online course creation software for your eLearning business is subjective. The "best" Thinkific alternative is the one that serves your business needs and goals.

Are you a content creator or an Edutech business looking primarily for building a brand? Are you starting with a small budget, or is ROI your main goal? The best Thinkific alternative from this list is the one that has everything you need to create online courses that can make an impact and start making money. Choose a platform that suits your needs and get your content out there.