Verdict. Pick Thinkific if courses are your main product and you want communities, certificates and memberships on one site. Thinkific takes nothing from your sales on Thinkific Payments, and US payouts clear in 2 business days. The catch is price. The 2026 increase put Start at $109 a month, and selling through Stripe instead of Thinkific Payments costs up to 2% more per sale on the public plans.
- Founded
- 2012
- Headquarters
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Best for
- Course businesses that want a polished learner experience
- Plans from
- $109/month
- You keep from $1,000
- $832 on Start
Who can join. Open to anyone after a 30-day free trial. Thinkific Payments works for businesses in the US, Canada, the UK, the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Thinkific pricing and fees
Public plans cost $109 to $499 a month billed monthly, Thinkific takes 0% on Thinkific Payments at 2.9% + 30¢ per US card, and using Stripe adds 0.5% to 2%.
| Plan | Price | Fee on sales | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $54/mo | 0% on Thinkific Payments, 5% on Stripe | Listed in Thinkific's help center but not on the public pricing page. $40/mo billed annually. |
| Start | $109/mo | 0% on Thinkific Payments, 2% on Stripe | $82/mo billed annually. 1 community, 10 spaces, 2 admins, no PayPal. |
| Grow | $219/mo | 0% on Thinkific Payments, 1% on Stripe | $164/mo billed annually. 3 communities, 20 spaces, 6 admins, PayPal, group orders. |
| Expand | $499/mo | 0% on Thinkific Payments, 0.5% on Stripe | $374/mo billed annually. 10 communities, 200 spaces, 15 admins. |
| Plus | Talk to sales | 0%, no Stripe fee for now | Custom pricing for 10,000+ seats and enterprise needs. |
On $1,000 of monthly sales at $10 each, the cheapest option is the Start plan. You'd pay about $168 in platform and card fees, 16.8% of revenue, and keep $832. Compare that with every other platform.
Payment processing. Thinkific Payments, built on Stripe, charges 2.9% + 30¢ per card sale for US and Canadian businesses, paid on top. Using your own Stripe account adds a gateway fee of 5% on Basic, 2% on Start, 1% on Grow and 0.5% on Expand, charged on your first $1M of sales each calendar year.
Payouts. Thinkific Payments schedules payouts daily. Each sale clears in 2 business days in the US and Australia, 3 in Canada, the UK and the EEA, and 7 in Hong Kong and Singapore. Minimum payouts vary by country, and accounts with instant payouts can switch to weekly or monthly.
What you get with Thinkific
- Unlimited courses, downloads and coaching products
- Communities with spaces and live events
- Memberships and subscriptions
- Bundles, upsells and payment plans
- Assignments and completion certificates
- Custom domain
- AI teaching assistant
- Affiliate reporting
- Branded mobile app add-on at $199/mo
Thinkific pros and cons
What we like
- 0% platform fee on every plan when you use Thinkific Payments.
- Unlimited courses, downloads and coaching products on every plan.
- US payouts clear in 2 business days.
- Listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, so its finances are public.
What gets in the way
- Prices rose about 10% on August 13, 2026, and Start is now $109 a month.
- Selling through your own Stripe account costs up to 5% extra per sale.
- No free plan for new signups, only a 30-day trial.
- Start limits you to 1 community and 2 admins, with no PayPal.
- The branded mobile app costs another $199 a month.
Who should skip Thinkific
If you mainly run a paid community, pick Skool or Circle, and if you sell under $500 a month, Skool Hobby or Teachable Starter costs less.
Thinkific alternatives
| Platform | Score | Keep from $1,000 | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Podia | 6.6 | $842 | Creators selling several small products from one storefront |
| Teachable | 6.6 | $852 | Solo course creators who want simple setup and checkout |
| Circle | 6.1 | $815 | Brands and creators running a large paid community |
| Skool | 5.8 | $861 | Coaches running a paid community with courses inside |
Head to head: Teachable vs Thinkific.
See all 6 course and community platforms ranked.
Thinkific questions
Does Thinkific charge transaction fees?
Not on Thinkific Payments. Thinkific takes 0% of sales on every paid plan when you use its built-in processor, which charges 2.9% + 30¢ per US card sale. If you connect Stripe instead, Thinkific adds 5% on Basic, 2% on Start, 1% on Grow and 0.5% on Expand.
How much does Thinkific cost in 2026?
Billed monthly, Start is $109, Grow is $219 and Expand is $499. Annual billing saves 25%, bringing them to $82, $164 and $374 a month. Prices on Basic, Start and Grow rose about 10% on August 13, 2026. Expand did not change. Plus is custom priced.
Is there a free Thinkific plan?
Not for new signups. Thinkific offers a 30-day free trial and shows no free plan on its pricing page. Existing free accounts must sell through Thinkific Payments, because Stripe and PayPal were switched off for them in July 2024 in North America and the UK and in November 2024 in the EU.
When does Thinkific pay out?
Thinkific Payments schedules payouts daily. Each sale takes 2 business days to clear in the US and Australia, 3 in Canada, the UK and the EEA, 4 in New Zealand and 7 in Hong Kong and Singapore. Minimum payout amounts vary by country.
Sources
We checked these pages on October 20, 2026. Platforms change fees often, so confirm on the official page before you commit.