Thinkific Pricing 2026
Complete pricing guide with plans, hidden costs, and negotiation tips
Thinkific pricing varies by team size and features, ranging from $49 to $499 per month in 2026. Your actual cost depends on the tier you choose, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: No free tier available
- Billing: Monthly and annual (save 15-20%)
- Hidden costs: Add ~35% for implementation, support, and training
Thinkific offers 5 pricing tiers: Basic, Start, Grow, Expand, Plus. Standard paid plans include Basic at $49/month, Start at $99/month, Grow at $199/month. The Start plan is creators offering live lessons, memberships, and multiple course formats.
Compared to other lms & e-learning software, Thinkific is positioned at the mid-market price point.
Thinkific is a leading online course platform headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, enabling creators, educators, and businesses to create, market, and sell online courses and learning communities. Founded in 2012 by Greg Smith, Thinkific went public on the TSX in 2021 and serves over 50,000 course creators worldwide. The platform emphasizes ownership and control, giving creators full branding customization and zero platform transaction fees through its TCommerce payment system.
In 2026, Thinkific offers four paid plans ranging from $36 to $499 per month (billed annually), plus a custom Plus plan for enterprises. A notable change is the discontinuation of the free plan and the introduction of a 5% commission on the Basic plan for users not using TCommerce. All plans include unlimited courses and students, making Thinkific competitive for creators who want no artificial caps on their content library.
All Thinkific Plans & Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic communities: 1spaces: 5 | $49 /month | $36 /monthSave 27% | Solo creators launching their first courses with no transaction fees |
| Start communities: 2spaces: 10 | $99 /month | $74 /monthSave 25% | Creators offering live lessons, memberships, and multiple course formats |
| Grow communities: 3spaces: 20 | $199 /month | $149 /monthSave 25% | Established educators scaling to multiple communities and needing white-label |
| Expand communities: 5spaces: 50 | $499 /month | Custom | Teams and organizations running large-scale training operations |
| Plus | Contact | Contact | Enterprise organizations with complex training and compliance needs |
View all features by plan
Basic
- Unlimited courses and students
- 1 community with 5 spaces
- Live chat support
- Custom domain
- Coupons and promotions
- Drip content scheduling
- Course completion certificates
- Instant payouts via Stripe
Start
- All Basic features
- Live lessons and webinars
- Memberships and bundles
- Payment plans for students
- Assignments and quizzes
- 2 communities with 10 spaces each
- Course compliance tools
- Priority email support
Grow
- All Start features
- 3 communities with 20 spaces each
- Remove Thinkific branding
- Bulk student emailer
- Bulk enrollments
- API access
- 2 admin accounts
- Phone and priority email support
- Downloadable student data
Expand
- All Grow features
- 5 communities with 50 spaces each
- 5 admin accounts
- Advanced team collaboration
- Dedicated onboarding support
- Custom user roles
- Enhanced analytics and reporting
Plus
- All Expand features
- Unlimited admin accounts
- Dedicated Customer Success Manager
- Enterprise-grade SSO
- Custom onboarding and migration
- Advanced API integrations
- White-glove support
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Frequently Asked Questions
01 How much does Thinkific cost in 2026?
Thinkific offers four paid plans: Basic at $49/month ($36 annual), Start at $99/month ($74 annual), Grow at $199/month ($149 annual), and Expand at $499/month. There is also a Plus plan with custom enterprise pricing. Annual billing saves approximately 25% across all tiers.
02 Does Thinkific have a free plan?
No, Thinkific discontinued its free plan in 2024. The platform now offers a 14-day free trial with full access to features. The most affordable paid option is the Basic plan at $36/month when billed annually.
03 Does Thinkific charge transaction fees?
Thinkific charges 0% platform transaction fees on all plans when using their TCommerce payment system. However, Basic plan users who opt for Stripe or PayPal directly instead of TCommerce now face a 5% commission. Standard payment processing fees (Stripe 2.9% + $0.30) apply on all plans regardless.
04 Is Thinkific better than Teachable?
Thinkific is better for creators who want zero transaction fees and more customization. Teachable is better for those who want a polished mobile app experience and built-in email marketing. Thinkific starts at $36/month (annual) with 0% fees via TCommerce, while Teachable starts at $29/month but charges 7.5% transaction fees on the cheapest plan.
05 What is Thinkific TCommerce?
TCommerce is Thinkific's in-house payment processing system that eliminates the 5% platform commission on the Basic plan. It handles payments, taxes, and payouts directly. Using TCommerce is recommended on the Basic plan to avoid the 5% commission that applies when using third-party Stripe or PayPal.
06 Does Thinkific include email marketing?
No, Thinkific does not include built-in email marketing tools. You need to integrate a third-party email service like Mailchimp, ConvertKit, or ActiveCampaign, which adds $13-$259/month to your costs depending on list size and provider. Thinkific does offer basic student notifications but not full email campaigns.