Best 10 Thinkific Alternatives For Progressive Creators and Academies

nline learning practices and approaches continue to change year after year. Yet, not all platforms keep up in providing adequate tools to handle online courses. 

We think that Thinkific is one of them.

Sure, Thinkific is a powerful LMS with a simple and easy-to-use course builder, cool integrations, and content options backed by marketing features for selling online courses.

And it is what course creators seek, especially when they start their course-building voyage or launch the first course, right? 

Nevertheless, a new wave is crushing the e-learning world, the name of which is quality learning. There, much depends on advanced features. And if Thinkific is a ship, it certainly lacks vital tools to navigate these waters.

If you are here, then you can at least partly agree with us. Let’s consider some LMS platforms and websites like Thinkfic that can sail under the flag of quality learning or have functionality to compensate for the Thinkific downsides.

Why Seek Thinkific Alternatives?

Before all, it would be wrong to diminish the role of Thinkific for course creators.

It works out as one of the best facilitators on the market, as the platform puts a lot of effort into answering creators’ pain points. 

For instance, they recently introduced the Automated Sales Tax solution under the partnership with Stripe. As their CEO, Greg Smith, says, they want creators to focus on on “delivering exceptional content,” not doing repeatable jobs related to payment and accounting.

However, what makes creators seek other solutions? 

‍

The main issue with Thinkific is that it lacks advanced features for online course creation and selling. 

For instance, when you aim to provide quality learning or specific courses to different learners, you should have decent learning analytics, engagement, management, and even automation. That way, course creators and learning providers can scale online courses and maintain quality.

Unfortunately, compared to other platforms, Thinkific lacks some critical student engagement features and options for user management. 

Limited engagement tools 

First of all, quality learning heavily relies on peer interaction. Yes, Thinkific offers a basic email notification feature, an effective community builder, and the ability to link communities to the courses. 

However, this software has no in-built communication suite or gamification features that are crucial for the immersion of learners. 

Note. It offers pro-cohort integrations like Motrait (for gamification) and Lesson Space or Slack (for cooperation). Still, third-party apps do affect the creator's budget.

Weak reporting and management

Another area of improvement refers to basic reporting and management. And it is one of the issues that platforms like Thinkific have, especially those with integrated marketing tools. 

For example, the reporting feature will show you the progress of all students, while some metrics are only available via report download. 

The management of the course can be better. In particular, the assignment and access administration partly rely on third-party integrations. That's why Thinkific may be a wrong choice for creators holding many online courses.

Low-tier pricing plans lack features

Lastly, the Basic Plan and Start Plan can be limited, depriving the users seeking budget pricing options of the essential and flow-changing features. 

• Basic Plan has no advanced assignments, HTML customization, course compliance, and features to handle completion certificates.
• A similar case is with the Start Plan, offering inadequate API access, Zapier actions, and course customization options.

Yet, all paid plans offer live chat support.

Importantly, design and customization are other areas that people criticize. Some underline the outdated design, while others complain about the inability to insert custom CSS.

Best Thinkific Alternatives with a Focus on Quality Course Creation

• #1. EducateMe: Best LMS with strong management and engagement tools
• #2. Mighty Networks: Effective tool to handle community-centered learning
• #3. TovutiLMS: Excellent course platform with interactive content to engage with learners
• #4. Disco: Another powerful platform for community of learners

Here are some of the Thinkific alternatives that have solid features for course development, management, and engagement. Remember that most of these platforms focus on creating learning experiences and course delivery options rather than marketing or sales. 

Thus, they suit those creators who put deep learning before the ease of selling the courses.

#1. EducateMe: Best LMS with strong management and engagement tool

Despite having no monetization support, EducateMe is one of the best Thinkific alternatives in terms of management, engagement, and course creation. 

EducateMe s an intuitive learning management system with powerful engagement tools, a defined focus on management, and great white-label customization. 

Before all, it is known to be a very easy-to-use and flexible system, while its built-in messenger and peer review options are helpful to immerse learners into the process.

Also, it has excellent native integrations with Slack, Notion, Loom, etc, while you can develop custom solutions via API.

What about management? With EducateMe, you can use a synchronized calendar dashboard to manage events, lessons, and group assignments from a single space and automate repetitive tasks. Its student tracking features will allow you to check cohorts’ progress, review their work, and give feedback. 

Other powerful EducateMe features:

• Easy-to-use course builder. Add various pieces, from images and video content to raw codes and “alert” blocks, for better perception of info. Moreover, use an AI assistant to build course structure.
• Kanban assignment tracker.Create flows and streamline how you administer assignments and homework.
• Learning analytics. EducateMe allows you to track student progress, see the students' engagement and completion rates, filter data, and download reports.
• Branding options. Apply white labeling to reflect your brand, including fonts, colors, domain, and even element shapes.

💡Highlight: If you are an academy or creator, seeking a way to affect learning quality, not marketing, EducateMe may be your choice. It is a great fit for a course creator with 2+ courses and plans to scale their business.

#2. Mighty Networks: Effective tool to handle community-centered learning

Mighty Networks is an online course platform with outstanding community and membership creation opportunities. Compared to other platforms like Thinkific, Mighty Network focuses on community learning experiences, using dynamic chats, feeds, and posts to build courses.

So, it offers excellent options in terms of cooperation and collaboration for online course creation. You can use interactive messages to start discussions, do polls, or ask for feedback. That way, the students can be better motivated to participate in the learning. 

However, due to the prevalence of such functions, there is an apparent lack of organization to create courses. The software offers a pleasing user experience but rather inadequate reporting and user management features. Also, it has a visually engaging design and provides mobile app creation.

Other features of this Thinkific alternative:

• Live streaming. Regarding engagement, the software offers an in-built streaming feature, meaning you do not need Zoom and can start live streaming in any space.
• Excellent branding options. Like EducateMe, Mighty Networks also has different decent customization options to create the spaces the students engage with, including colors, emojis, logos, and fonts.

Pricing: there is a 14-day free trial; Community Plan costs $39/mo (with chat and messaging); Business Plan costs $119/mo (allows online course creation, integrations, and analytics); one can call the sales to order Mighty Pro Plan (offers mobile app and advanced branding options).

💡Highlight: With an appealing design, mobile app, social learning tools, and good customization options, this alternative to Thinkific may be the worthiest option for single creators building their communities.

Read more: Might Networks Alternatives

#3. TovutiLMS: Excellent course platform with content variety to engage with learners

TovutiLMS is a learning management system that offers exciting interactive content, gamification features, and engagement tools. Compared to Thinkific, it has better engagement tools and worthy course content options. 

There, you can add more than 40 course content types, including a video player, polls, and quizzes with gamification to create online courses. Also, it provides completion certificates and an interactive dashboard with badges, not to mention good community options. 

Despite being mobile-friendly, it is a bit complex and non-intuitive due to the design and system layout. Also, you are likely to get the best tools, like e-commerce, API access, SCORM support, and advanced customization options, only under the high-tier pricing plans of this Thinkific alternative.

Other TovutiLMS features:

• Good management and reporting features. Use a checklist feature to navigate the student's learning path; leave notes regarding active students’ progress.‍
• E-commerce. Under advanced plans, you can use marketing tools to help you sell online courses.

Pricing: no free plan; Tovuti Pro starts at $11.160/year (for up to 50 users); Tovuti Lite consists of the next packages: Starter Plan costs $199/mo(up to 50 users, unlimited courses, 1 custom brand and domain), Growth Plan $299/mo (up to 100 users, advanced reporting), Business Plan is $399/mo(up to 250 users, activity dashboard, media library); Professional Plan (API access, Zoom integrations, SCORM, Badges and Certifications) is available via call.

💡Highlight: Tovuti is a practical, sometimes complex LMS suitable for various learning providers that prefer engaging learners via gamification and interactive content rather than communication.

#4. Disco: Another powerful platform for community of learners

One may say that Mighty Networks and Disco are the same. Unlike many alternatives to Thinkifc, they both use virtual spaces and feeds to develop community learning experiences. Yet, they are different. 

Disco is a community learning platform that offers an easy-to-use course builder and solid tools for developing the community of learners. 

It offers an intuitive interface, while its virtual space and experience system add to the organization. That way, you can administer lessons from a single dashboard and communicate with students through discussion features like feed, live sessions, multiple channels, or direct messages. 

Madeleine Sava, former Director of Education at Dribble, says picking this model allowed her team to give “sort of personal touch and match students with a mentor to get feedback and grow and hone their design skills.”

Its focus on collaboration backed by solid integrations and ease of use makes it excellent for cohort courses, communities, and memberships. The significant downsides of this course platform are pretty basic reporting and analytics.

Key features of this Thinkific alternative:

• Course builder. You can use templates to create a self-paced or cohort course, event series and member space. Also, you can insert an onboarding survey to personalize the process.
• Appearance and course customization. It offers flexible options to customize the virtual spaces, allowing changing colors, logo, favicon, and name of labels.

Pricing: free plan (14 days); Pro Plan is $99/mo (1 community with 10 learning products and 1000 members); Organization Plan is $449/mo (100 learning products and 10,000 members); Max Plan is $1249/mo (200 learning products and unlimited number of members); Enterprise Plan requires contacting with sales (unlimited communities, features and number of products and members).

💡Highlight: Due to dashboard organization, Disco can be an excellent tool for academies and organizations for corporate training rather than course creators, putting the community of learners at the center of education

Thinkific competitors that offer marketing and sales tools

• #5. LearnWorlds: A bit complex solution with content diversity
• #6. Podia: Thinkific alternative with powerful email marketing 
• #7. Kajabi: All-around software that many have heard of
• #8. Teachable: Common Thinkific alternative with intuitive features

Indeed, Thinkific may not be the best learning management system to sell courses. Despite that, a course creator can use third-party apps to handle this aspect of business.

Should you look toward Thinkific competitors, then? Sure, especially if they offer better selling opportunities and stronger marketing tools.

#5. LearnWorlds: A bit complex solution with content and assignment diversity

We should say that LearnWorlds is almost an all-in-one solution for the creation and development of learning courses. 

Its main advantage is a diversity of course content and assignment options to include in modules. For instance, you can add interactive video content, Soundcloud audio, ebooks, exams, and self-assessments. 

Also, you may create your own site by using various templates, color palettes, font families, button sizes, and layout forms.

LearnWorlds offers powerful marketing and sales funnel opportunities, including affiliate programs, bundling models, feedback surveys, payment gateways, and a pop-up and website builder. 

Importantly, LearnWorlds may be complex to use due to its multiple functions. In addition, it offers pretty basic email marketing tools and has no community features. That’s why it is an “almost” all-in-one solution to create courses compared to other Thinkific alternatives.

Other features of this Thinkific alternative:

• Mobile app. You can create your own Android or iOS app with Learnworlds.
• Certifications. LearnWorlds allows issuing course completion certificates (under the Pro Trainer Plan or higher).

Pricing: there is a free trial; Starter Plan costs $29/mo (with communication features, payment support, exams, and quizzes); Pro Trainer is $99/mo (assessments, unlimited landing pages, online classes, and webinars); Learning Center Plan is $299/mo (interactive content, mobile app creation, advanced options); High Volume & Corporate Plan can be ordered via the call.

💡Highlight: The absence of definite engagement tools makes this course platform a good option for multiple self-paced programs or online courses with a focus on events and assignments rather than cooperation.

#6. Podia: Thinkific alternative with excellent email marketing 

If you are looking for an alternative that can compensate for Thinkific’s poor email marketing and product variety, Podia may be your choice. Why? 

Podia is a comprehensive online course platform with a decent content editor and in-built marketing tools, allowing you to create and sell courses, webinars, sessions, and digital product bundles.

The online course creators and learning providers would benefit from an intuitive interface, decent editor, and easy-to-use community features that can be linked to the online courses.

Sure, compared to such Thinkific alternatives as Disco and Mighty Networks, they are pretty basic. Besides, the course builder can be too simple for some creators.

Key features of this alternative to Thinkific:

• Marketing and sales options. Email marketing is in-built, contemplating advanced email building and segmentation. The other marketing and sales features include affiliate marketing tools and landing page support. 
• Intuitive webpage builder. It offers a pretty flexible drag-and-drop website builder thanks to layout, color, and font options. You can add email forms, testimonials, and FAQs to the mobile, tablet, or website layouts.

Pricing: Podia grants a free plan; Maker Plan costs $39/mo (unlimited courses, downloads, online coaching programs, communities, and website); Shaker Plan costs $89/mo (other unlimited products, advanced marketing, API integrations).

💡Highlight: Podia provides powerful email marketing and a decent sales suite and enables creators to develop different products. This mix makes it perfect for single creators, coaches, and learning businesse that cross-sell or offer a variety of products. 

Read more: Podia Alternatives

#7. Kajabi: All-around software that many have heard of

We can’t ignore that Kajabi is one of the most popular alternatives to Thinkific. It is widely used among single creators, but why? 

Kajabi is indeed an all-in-all solution for creators wanting to create and sell courses and various digital products online. It has the most powerful marketing and sales features, multiple integrations, and flexible content and website builders.

Moreover, this platform offers mobile app creation to support learning experiences. If Thinkific offers only course creation, Kajabi allows you to develop other digital products, like podcasts. Also, it grants coupons, promos, affiliate programs, and email marketing options for their selling. 

Yet, Kajabi’s reporting and management tools are not great, while engagement tools are rather limited considering high pricing options. 

Other powerful Kajabi features: 

• Website builder. This alternative to Thinkific offers various templates to set the site’s design and content, including layout, usage, and format of pictures and texts, placing pop-ups or CTA blocks.
• Sales funnel builder. Grants pre-built structures for your funnel to organize lead generation and launch of digital products.

Pricing: requires card credentials for a free plan; Basic Plan costs $149/mo (up to 3 products and funnels, 1000 active customers; no transaction fees); Growth Plan costs $199/mo (up to 15 and 15 funnels, 10 000 active customers); Pro Plan is $399/mo (up to 100 and 100 funnels, 20 000 active customers).

💡Highlight: Having a simple course editor and putting sales and marketing in the center, Kajabi is ideal for single course creators who want to sell online courses and products online.

Read more: Best Kajabi Alternatives

#8. Teachable: Common Thinkific alternative with intuitive solutions

If considering main Thinkific competitors, there is another platform that everybody talks about — Teachable. Teachable is a universal platform for course creation and selling, with an intuitive course builder and decent marketing functions. 

Compared to other Thinkific alternatives, the drag-and-drop course builder is flexible and backed by AI functions. It has decent quiz options, for instance.

Other than that, its website builder offers enough freedom to customize and develop your course or online school web pages. That way, in terms of key features, Teachable is a good alternative to Thinkific.

However, the disadvantages of this platform are the lack of community features and advanced customization. Moreover, there are transaction fees that some consider a major downturn. 

Key Teachable features:

• Marketing features and sales suite. Teachable has solid marketing capabilities, even though email marketing is not as cool as Podia and Kajabi offer. Notably, creators can develop bundles and integrate pixel tracking, coupons, and affiliate programs.
• Payment support. Offers different ways for students to pay and provides tax automation support.

Pricing: provides a free plan; Basic Plan costs $59/mo (5% transaction fee; 5 published products); Pro Plan costs $159/mo (no transaction fees, 50 published products, public API, affiliate marketing, advanced branding); Pro+ Plan costs $249/mo (200 of each product)

💡Highlight: With an intuitive course editor and decent marketing support, Teachable is a worthy option for single creators only starting their journey, yet it may not be enough for advanced online courses.

Read more: Best Teachable Alternatives

Platforms like Thinkific that are not typical LMS

• #9. Kartra: Lead gen platform with online course builder
• #10 Maven: Platform for creators with a strong following 

We have reviewed solid LMS that can compensate for Thinkfic limitations with either focus on collaboration, flexibility, or marketing power.

However, the market shows that creators find uncommon solutions as alternatives to Thinkfic. Kartra and Maven are unusual platforms that happen to answer the specific needs of former Thinkific users.

#9. Kartra: Lead gen platform with online course builder

Yes, Kartra is a lead generation platform that allows the use of the membership model to create and sell online courses and basic digital downloads. 

As Kartra is not LMS, it implies that creators will use the platform's content creation features to develop an online course. Under the membership section, you can create categories and subcategories to post content.

That way, you can share different formats and types of content. Learners can leave comments, while creators can add quizzes.

Moreover, being the lead gen platform, it offers multiple and pretty powerful ways to promote the products: 

• Use drag-and-drop webpage builders with alert bars and popups.
• Create an affiliate program.
• Launch email campaigns and use landing pages.

Importantly, Kartra’s engagement, management, and reporting are not enough for quality and efficient learning.

Pricing: Starter Plan costs $119/mo (2 Membership sites, 20 products, 1 custom domain); Silver Plan costs $229/mo (unlimited products and sites, 3 custom domains); Platinum costs $559//mo (10 custom domains)

💡Highlight: Kartra’s membership model works well for course creation process, while lead gen features offer significant marketing capabilities. If you are a creator, coach, or entrepreneur prioritizing sales, then it may be your choice. 

#10 Maven: Platform for creators with a strong following 

Maven is an online platform that combines course creation features, a marketplace, and a community of creators or influencers. 

It is different from common Thinkific competitors because of the learning business model. The main focus here is on networking, offering a community that can help you create and promote online courses. There, you can have great support and access to a course template library.

Simultaneously, the marketplace is a powerful way to showcase your course. It works well with Maven’s email marketing tool, a builder for landing pages, and a lead magnet feature. 

In terms of course creation, this Thinkific alternative offers:

• Simple cohort-based editor. You can add and embed content, organize events, online classes, and tasks. 
• Basic communication tools. The channels are enough for engagement and can be backed by integrations. 

Maven has poor integrations and course management. Also, it may not be the best choice if you have no audience.

Pricing: 10% of the price paid by the learner, excluding any additional costs.

💡Highlight: If you are a creator with a significant number of followers and want to create a cohort-based course, the Maven will help you by offering a marketplace and community.

Conclusion: Which alternative to Thinkific to pick?

As a result, we can divide Thinkific alternatives into three groups that focus on different things: 

• engagement and user management for the sake of effective learning 
• marketing tools for better sales
• simply uncommon solutions.

Regarding the first one, EducateMe is the best Thinkific alternative for advanced course creation. Just look at its management, engagement, and reporting tools. You should try this platform if you seek to provide quality and deep knowledge.

On the other hand, Disco and Mighty Networks are decent options as well. They offer more for building online communities. 

In terms of marketing power, Podia and Kajabi have the most powerful email marketing and website-building capabilities, while LearnWorlds provides excellent content diversity and interactive online course development.

What about uncommon solutions? Katra and Maven may be reasonable solutions, especially for a membership model or a creator with a good following.