Independent pricing guide. Not affiliated with Thinkific Labs Inc.
Thinkific Pricing: 0% Transaction Fees on Every Plan, Including Free
Updated 30 March 2026
Teachable charges 5% on sales until you pay $159/month. Thinkific takes 0% from day one. For courses generating $2,000+/month, that fee difference pays for a Thinkific subscription.
Free
1 course, 0% fees
$49
Basic/mo
$99
Start/mo
$199
Grow/mo
All Plans Compared
Four plans for course creators at different stages. The key differentiators: number of courses, assignments, memberships, and API access.
| Feature | Free | Basic ($49) | Start ($99) | Grow ($199) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $0 | $49 | $99 | $199 |
| Transaction fees | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Courses | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Students | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Custom domain | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Drip content | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Email marketing | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Affiliate selling | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Assignments | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Bundles | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Memberships | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Bulk emails | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Certificates | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| API access | No | No | No | Yes |
| Bulk enrollments | No | No | No | Yes |
| Remove Thinkific branding | No | No | No | Yes |
| Priority support | No | No | No | Yes |
| Community (Spaces) | Basic | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Quizzes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Transaction Fee Comparison: Thinkific vs Teachable
Thinkific charges 0% transaction fees on ALL plans. Teachable charges 5% on Free and Basic ($59/mo), dropping to 0% only on Pro ($159/mo). The difference is dramatic at scale.
| Revenue | Thinkific (any plan) | Teachable Free | Teachable Basic ($59) | Teachable Pro ($159) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000/mo | $0 (0%) | $50 (5%) | $50 (5%) + $59 plan | $0 (0%) + $159 plan |
| $5,000/mo | $0 (0%) | $250 (5%) | $250 (5%) + $59 plan | $0 (0%) + $159 plan |
| $10,000/mo | $0 (0%) | $500 (5%) | $500 (5%) + $59 plan | $0 (0%) + $159 plan |
| $25,000/mo | $0 (0%) | $1,250 (5%) | $1,250 (5%) + $59 plan | $0 (0%) + $159 plan |
At $5,000/month in course sales: Teachable Basic costs $59/month + $250 in transaction fees = $309/month total. Thinkific Basic costs $49/month + $0 in fees = $49/month total. You save $260/month on Thinkific.
The Free Plan: Genuinely Useful
Unlike many "free" plans that are barely functional demos, Thinkific Free lets you build, launch, and sell 1 course to unlimited students with 0% transaction fees. You only pay Stripe's processing (2.9% + $0.30).
Included on Free
- 1 course with unlimited lessons
- Unlimited students
- Quizzes and surveys
- Basic community space
- Stripe payment processing
- 0% Thinkific transaction fee
Not included on Free
- Custom domain (uses yourname.thinkific.com)
- Email marketing tools
- Drip content scheduling
- Completion certificates
- Additional courses beyond 1
- Thinkific branding removal
Course Platform Revenue Calculator
Enter your course revenue to see how much you keep on Thinkific, Teachable, and Kajabi after all fees.
Stripe processing (2.9% + $0.30/transaction) applies to all platforms. Estimated 50 transactions at $100 avg = $160/mo in Stripe fees.
Thinkific (0% fees)
Free
Basic ($49/mo)
Start ($99/mo)
Grow ($199/mo)
Teachable (5% on lower plans)
Free ($0/mo + 5% fee)
Basic ($59/mo + 5% fee)
Pro ($159/mo, 0% fee)
Kajabi (0% fees, higher plans)
Kickstarter ($149/mo)
Basic ($199/mo)
At $5,000/month in course revenue, Thinkific Basic keeps $4,791/month vs Teachable Basic's $4,531/month. That is $260/month more revenue on Thinkific because of the 0% transaction fee.
All calculations include Stripe payment processing at 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Teachable's 5% transaction fee is on top of payment processing on Free and Basic plans. Kajabi also uses Stripe. Average course price assumed at $100 for transaction count.
Thinkific vs Teachable at a Glance
Thinkific Wins
- 0% transaction fees on every plan including Free
- Better landing page builder for course sales pages
- More customization and site design control
- Stronger community features (Thinkific Spaces)
- Growing app store for extended functionality
- Native branded mobile app option ($199/mo add-on)
Teachable Wins
- Slightly better built-in course player experience
- Native coaching product for 1:1 sessions
- Built-in payment processing (no external Stripe setup)
- Better for non-technical course creators
- Simpler setup and onboarding flow
- Native iOS app for students
Thinkific vs Kajabi
Kajabi ($149-$399/month) is an all-in-one platform replacing 5 separate tools: course hosting, email marketing, website builder, funnel builder, and community. Thinkific is course-focused with add-on integrations. The comparison depends on what tools you already have.
Choose Thinkific if:
- You already have an email marketing platform (Mailchimp, ConvertKit)
- You already have a website
- You want to minimize costs at $49-$99/month
- You want maximum course customization
- Your primary need is course hosting, not marketing
Choose Kajabi if:
- You do not have existing tools and need everything in one place
- You want built-in email marketing and sales funnels
- You value simplicity over customization
- You would otherwise spend $149+/month on separate tools
- You want a polished, all-in-one creator experience
Thinkific Apps and Add-on Costs
Branded Mobile App
$199/month add-onWhite-labeled iOS and Android apps with your branding. Students access courses through your app instead of the browser. Significantly improves engagement and completion rates. Steep price but valuable for established course businesses.
Thinkific Plus (Enterprise)
$499+/monthCustom pricing for organizations with 50+ students or complex requirements. Includes dedicated support, custom integrations, advanced analytics, and SLA guarantees.
Third-Party App Integrations
Free to $50/month eachZapier, Mailchimp, ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign, and more. Most integrations are free or included in the app store. Some premium integrations charge their own subscription.