Thinkific is a popular choice for online course creation, but it’s not the only player in town. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the best Thinkific alternatives in 2025, breaking down their unique features, pricing structures, and helping you find the perfect platform for your specific teaching style and business goals.
Why Consider Thinkific Alternatives?
Let’s face it — Thinkific is a solid platform that’s earned its stripes in the online course creation world. With its user-friendly interface and robust feature set, it’s no wonder thousands of course creators have made it their home base. But here’s the thing: what works for one educator might be a square peg in a round hole for another.
Maybe you’re finding Thinkific’s pricing a bit steep for your bootstrapped business. Perhaps you’re craving more advanced marketing features that Thinkific just doesn’t deliver. Or possibly, you’ve outgrown what the platform offers and need something that can scale with your expanding empire. Whatever your reasons, it’s always smart to shop around before committing to a platform that’ll be the backbone of your knowledge business.
In this deep dive, we’re going beyond the surface-level comparisons. We’ll look at alternatives that might save you money, offer more flexibility, provide better marketing tools, or simply align better with your specific teaching style. Because at the end of the day, the best platform isn’t necessarily the most popular one — it’s the one that feels like it was built just for you.
Top 10 Thinkific Alternatives in 2025
1. Teachable: The Marketing-Focused Alternative
If marketing capabilities are high on your priority list, Teachable might just be your perfect Thinkific alternative. This platform has earned its reputation as a marketing powerhouse in the online course space.
Teachable shines with its advanced sales and marketing features that help you not just create courses but sell them effectively. Their checkout process is notably smooth, with impressive conversion rates that can make a real difference to your bottom line. The platform offers robust affiliate marketing tools, making it easier to build a network of promoters for your courses. Plus, their email marketing capabilities allow for sophisticated sequences that nurture leads and encourage purchases.
One area where Teachable really stands out is its sales page builder. While Thinkific certainly offers page-building functionality, many users find Teachable’s options more flexible and conversion-focused. You’ll get access to a range of templates specifically designed to sell digital products, with plenty of customization options to match your brand.
Pricing: Teachable’s plans start at $39/month for the Basic plan, $119/month for the Pro plan, and $299/month for the Business plan. All plans include unlimited students and courses.
Who it’s best for: Course creators who prioritize marketing capabilities and want a platform that excels at conversion optimization.
2. Kajabi: The All-in-One Business Platform
Looking for more than just a course platform? Kajabi might be right up your alley as a comprehensive Thinkific alternative that offers a complete business solution.
Kajabi takes the “all-in-one” approach seriously, combining course creation tools with website building, email marketing, sales funnels, and community features. This integration means you won’t need to cobble together multiple tools or worry about complex integrations — everything works seamlessly within one ecosystem. For many course creators, this simplicity is worth the premium price tag.
With Kajabi, you’re getting sophisticated marketing automation that rivals dedicated email marketing platforms. Their Pipeline feature (Kajabi’s version of sales funnels) makes it easy to create complex marketing sequences that guide prospects from awareness to purchase. The platform also includes robust analytics across all aspects of your business, giving you valuable insights into what’s working and what needs improvement.
Pricing: Kajabi is on the premium end of the spectrum, with plans starting at $149/month for the Basic plan, $199/month for the Growth plan, and $399/month for the Pro plan.
Who it’s best for: Established course creators who want an all-in-one solution and are willing to invest more for a comprehensive business platform.
3. LearnWorlds: The Interactive Learning Experience
When it comes to creating truly engaging learning experiences, LearnWorlds stands out as one of the best Thinkific alternatives with its focus on interactivity and student engagement.
LearnWorlds offers some of the most advanced interactive learning tools on the market. The platform allows you to create interactive videos where students can answer questions, take notes, and engage with the content as they watch. Its e-book tool lets you transform PDFs into interactive learning resources with embedded questions and activities. These features create a more engaging learning experience that can improve completion rates and student satisfaction.
Another standout feature is LearnWorlds’ social learning environment. The platform includes built-in social networking features that allow students to connect, discuss course materials, and learn from each other. This community aspect can significantly enhance the learning experience and create a more valuable course offering.
Pricing: LearnWorlds starts at $29/month for the Starter plan, $99/month for the Pro Trainer plan, and $299/month for the Learning Center plan.
Who it’s best for: Educators who prioritize interactive learning experiences and want to create more engaging, effective courses.
4. Podia: The Simplicity-Focused Alternative
Sometimes less is more, and that’s where Podia comes in as a streamlined, user-friendly Thinkific alternative that focuses on simplicity without sacrificing functionality.
Podia’s claim to fame is its incredibly intuitive interface that makes course creation accessible to everyone, regardless of technical expertise. While Thinkific is certainly user-friendly, Podia takes simplicity to another level. The platform has a clean, minimalist design that keeps the focus on what matters: creating and selling your courses.
Despite its simplicity, Podia doesn’t skimp on essential features. In addition to courses, you can sell digital downloads, memberships, and even webinars all from the same platform. Their all-inclusive pricing model means you won’t face surprise charges as your business grows — unlimited everything is included in every plan.
Pricing: Podia offers a free plan with limited features, then paid plans at $39/month for the Basic plan and $89/month for the Business plan.
Who it’s best for: New course creators who value simplicity and want an easy-to-use platform without a steep learning curve.
5. Mighty Networks: The Community-Centric Platform
If building a thriving community around your courses is a priority, Mighty Networks offers a fresh alternative to Thinkific with its community-first approach.
Mighty Networks flips the traditional course platform model on its head by putting community at the center of the experience rather than treating it as an add-on feature. This platform excels at creating engaging spaces where members can connect, collaborate, and learn together. The community features include posts, questions, polls, events, and direct messaging.
While courses are a key component of Mighty Networks, they’re designed to integrate seamlessly with the community experience. This approach can lead to higher engagement and retention rates as students feel connected to both the content and each other. The platform also includes powerful tools for organizing events, both virtual and in-person, further strengthening community bonds.
Pricing: Mighty Networks starts at $39/month for the Community plan, $119/month for the Business plan, and $319/month for the Mighty Pro plan (custom-branded mobile apps).
Who it’s best for: Educators who believe in the power of community learning and want to build an engaged tribe around their knowledge business.
6. New Zenler: The Affordable All-in-One
For those who love Kajabi’s all-in-one approach but balk at its price tag, New Zenler presents an attractive Thinkific alternative that won’t break the bank.
New Zenler packs an impressive array of features into a much more affordable package than many competitors. The platform includes course creation tools, website building, email marketing, sales funnels, webinars, and community features — essentially everything you need to run your online education business. While it may not have quite the polish of more established platforms yet, it offers exceptional value for money.
One of New Zenler’s most appealing aspects is its pricing model. Unlike many competitors that restrict features to higher-tier plans, New Zenler includes most of its functionality in all plans. This means even small businesses can access advanced tools without having to upgrade to premium tiers as they grow.
Pricing: New Zenler offers a lifetime deal during its beta period at $997 for lifetime access. Regular pricing is $67/month for the Pro plan and $197/month for the Premium plan.
Who it’s best for: Budget-conscious course creators who want comprehensive functionality without the premium price tag.
7. WordPress + LearnDash: The Customization Champion
For those who crave maximum flexibility and control, the combination of WordPress with the LearnDash LMS plugin offers a powerful Thinkific alternative with unmatched customization options.
This self-hosted solution gives you complete ownership of your course platform. Unlike closed platforms like Thinkific, WordPress with LearnDash allows you to customize every aspect of your site and course delivery. You can choose from thousands of themes and plugins to create exactly the experience you want for your students. This flexibility extends to integrations — if there’s a tool you want to connect with, chances are there’s a way to make it work with WordPress.
LearnDash itself is packed with features for creating professional courses. It includes options for drip content, prerequisites, quizzes, assignments, certificates, and more. The focus mode feature creates a distraction-free learning environment, and the built-in gamification elements like points, badges, and leaderboards can increase student engagement.
Pricing: WordPress is free, but you’ll need hosting (typically $5-30/month). LearnDash licenses start at $199/year for a single site. Additional costs may include premium themes, plugins, and developer assistance if needed.
Who it’s best for: Tech-savvy course creators who prioritize customization and don’t mind a steeper learning curve to gain complete control.
8. Skillshare: The Marketplace Alternative
If you’re less interested in building your own platform and more focused on reaching a large audience, Skillshare offers a marketplace-based Thinkific alternative.
Unlike platforms where you build your own site and drive all the traffic yourself, Skillshare is a course marketplace with millions of existing users. This gives you instant access to a large pool of potential students without having to build an audience from scratch. Skillshare handles all the technical aspects of hosting and delivering your courses, allowing you to focus solely on creating great content.
The platform specializes in creative and skill-based courses, with a strong community of learners interested in design, illustration, photography, writing, and similar topics. If your expertise falls into these categories, you might find a ready audience on Skillshare.
Pricing: Skillshare pays instructors based on a royalty system tied to member watch time, rather than charging you a monthly fee. Your earnings will depend on how popular your courses are on the platform.
Who it’s best for: Creators teaching creative and practical skills who want access to an existing audience and don’t mind giving up some control and revenue potential in exchange.
9. Circle: The Modern Community Platform
While not a traditional course platform, Circle deserves mention as a Thinkific alternative for creators who want to build knowledge businesses centered around community rather than structured courses.
Circle offers a sleek, modern community platform that many course creators are using either alongside their existing course platform or as a complete alternative. The focus is on creating engaging spaces for members to connect, share, and learn together. The platform includes features for discussions, live streams, events, direct messaging, and member directories.
What makes Circle interesting as a Thinkific alternative is that many creators are finding that community-based learning can be more effective than traditional course formats for certain topics. Rather than creating highly structured courses, you can share knowledge through discussions, resources, and live sessions within a vibrant community context.
Pricing: Circle starts at $49/month for the Basic plan, $99/month for the Professional plan, and $399/month for the Enterprise plan.
Who it’s best for: Creators who believe in community-based learning and want to build a knowledge business that’s less about structured courses and more about connection and ongoing support.
10. Udemy: The Established Marketplace
Rounding out our list of Thinkific alternatives is Udemy, the world’s largest course marketplace with millions of students globally.
Like Skillshare, Udemy is a marketplace rather than a platform for building your own branded site. The main advantage is access to their massive audience of learners actively searching for courses. Udemy handles marketing, payment processing, and technical delivery, allowing you to focus on creating course content. They regularly run promotions that can put your course in front of thousands of potential students.
The platform supports courses in virtually any topic area, from professional skills to hobbies, making it suitable for a wide range of instructors. Udemy also provides detailed analytics and student feedback to help you improve your offerings over time.
Pricing: Udemy is free to join as an instructor. They take a percentage of your sales, which varies depending on how the student finds your course (through Udemy’s promotions or your own marketing).
Who it’s best for: Course creators who want to reach a large audience quickly and don’t mind sharing revenue in exchange for marketplace exposure.
Comparing Key Features of Thinkific Alternatives
When evaluating the best Thinkific alternatives, it’s important to consider how they stack up in key areas that matter most to course creators. Let’s break down the comparison:
Course Creation and Student Experience
- Most Interactive Learning Tools: LearnWorlds takes the crown with its interactive video and e-book features
- Simplest Course Builder: Podia wins for straightforward, no-fuss course creation
- Best for Assessments: WordPress + LearnDash offers the most comprehensive quiz and assessment options
- Most Professional Learning Environment: Teachable provides a clean, distraction-free learning experience
Marketing and Sales Capabilities
- Strongest Email Marketing: Kajabi offers the most robust built-in email marketing system
- Best Sales Page Builder: Teachable’s conversion-focused page builder is hard to beat
- Most Affordable Marketing Tools: New Zenler provides comprehensive marketing features at a lower price point
- Easiest Affiliate Program: Podia offers a user-friendly affiliate system that’s simple to set up and manage
Community and Engagement
- Best Community Features: Mighty Networks is purpose-built for community engagement
- Most Modern Community Interface: Circle provides the sleekest, most up-to-date community experience
- Best Social Learning Tools: LearnWorlds includes innovative social learning features
- Largest Built-in Audience: Udemy gives you access to millions of potential students
Pricing and Value
- Most Affordable All-in-One: New Zenler offers the best value for comprehensive features
- Lowest Entry Point: Podia’s free plan provides a no-cost way to get started
- Best for Scaling Businesses: Kajabi, despite its higher price, offers the most room for growth
- Most Customizable Value: WordPress + LearnDash allows you to pay only for what you need
How to Choose the Right Thinkific Alternative
With so many excellent options available, how do you decide which Thinkific alternative is right for your specific situation? Here’s a framework to help you make the best choice:
Step 1: Clarify Your Priorities
Start by ranking these factors in order of importance for your business:
- Ease of use
- Marketing capabilities
- Customization options
- Community features
- Price sensitivity
- Student experience
- Technical support
Step 2: Consider Your Technical Comfort Level
Be honest about your technical abilities and how much time you’re willing to invest in learning a new platform:
- If you prefer simplicity: Look at Podia or Teachable
- If you’re comfortable with technology: Consider WordPress + LearnDash
- If you want power without complexity: Kajabi or New Zenler might be ideal
Step 3: Evaluate Your Business Model
Different platforms support different business models more effectively:
- For one-time course sales: Most platforms work well
- For membership or subscription models: Kajabi, Mighty Networks, or Circle excel
- For marketplace exposure: Udemy or Skillshare
- For community-based learning: Mighty Networks or Circle
Step 4: Test Before Committing
Most platforms offer free trials or money-back guarantees. Take advantage of these to get hands-on experience before making your final decision. Create a sample course on your top 2-3 choices to see which feels most intuitive and aligns with your vision.
FAQs About Thinkific Alternatives
Is Thinkific the best platform for beginners?
Not necessarily. While Thinkific is user-friendly, platforms like Podia offer even simpler interfaces that might be better for absolute beginners. The “best” platform depends on your specific needs, technical comfort level, and business goals.
Which Thinkific alternative offers the best value for money?
New Zenler currently offers exceptional value, providing comprehensive all-in-one functionality at a lower price point than competitors like Kajabi. For those on a tight budget, Podia’s free plan is hard to beat for getting started.
Can I migrate my existing Thinkific courses to another platform?
Yes, but the process varies by platform. Most alternatives don’t offer one-click migration from Thinkific, so you’ll likely need to rebuild your courses on the new platform. Your content (videos, PDFs, etc.) can be reused, but the course structure will need to be recreated.
Which platform has the best marketing tools?
Kajabi offers the most comprehensive built-in marketing tools, including sophisticated email marketing, sales funnels, and automation. Teachable also excels in this area, particularly for sales page optimization and checkout processes.
Are there any free Thinkific alternatives?
Yes, Podia offers a free plan with limited features but no time restrictions. WordPress with LearnDash could also be considered relatively low-cost over time, though it requires more technical setup.
The Bottom Line: Finding Your Perfect Platform
Choosing the right course platform is a personal decision that depends on your unique goals, preferences, and business model. While Thinkific is certainly a solid option with its own strengths, exploring alternatives opens up possibilities that might better align with your specific needs.
The good news is that there’s truly something for everyone in today’s course platform marketplace. Whether you prioritize simplicity, marketing power, community features, or affordability, there’s a Thinkific alternative that’s perfectly suited to your requirements.
Remember that the “perfect” platform is the one that fades into the background, allowing you to focus on what really matters: creating valuable content and building meaningful relationships with your students. The best technology is the kind you hardly notice because it just works, empowering your teaching rather than complicating it.
Whichever platform you choose, focus first on creating exceptional learning experiences. Great course content will shine on any platform, and your students will thank you for it.
