2 Best Thinkific Alternatives in 2025
Last updated: February 2026 • 7 min read
Thinkific is a popular tool for course creators wanting balance of features and affordability. While it offers a free tier (Free plan with basic features), its paid plans start at $49/mo. Whether you're looking for a cheaper option, better features, or an open-source solution, we've compiled the 2 best Thinkific alternatives to help you find the right fit.
📋 Quick Summary
- Total alternatives: 2
- Free alternatives: 1 (Teachable)
- Best overall: Teachable
- Best free: Teachable
Why Look for Thinkific Alternatives?
People commonly look for Thinkific alternatives for several reasons:
- Cost: While Thinkific has a free tier, its paid plans starting at $49/mo can add up quickly for growing teams.
- Feature gaps: Limited customization and transaction fees on free are common complaints.
- Simplicity: Some users find Thinkific overly complex for their needs and prefer simpler solutions.
- Data ownership: Organizations wanting data sovereignty prefer open-source, self-hosted alternatives.
- Better fit: Different tools excel at different use cases — you may find a tool that's specifically built for your workflow.
📊 Quick Comparison Table
| Tool | Free Tier | Starting Price | Rating | Open Source | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thinkific | ✓ Free plan with basic features | $49/mo | ⭐ 4.3 | No | Course creators wanting balance of features and affordability |
| Teachable | ✓ Free plan available | $39/mo | ⭐ 4.4 | No | Course creators wanting simple, effective platform |
| Kajabi | ✗ No | $149/mo | ⭐ 4.3 | No | Established creators wanting comprehensive business platform |
Detailed Reviews of Each Alternative
Teachable
All-in-one platform for creating and selling online courses.
Teachable is a comprehensive platform for creating, marketing, and selling online courses. It provides course creators with all the tools needed to build educational content, manage students, process payments, and scale their online education business.
Pros
- ✓ Easy to use
- ✓ No transaction fees on paid plans
- ✓ Good marketing tools
- ✓ Mobile app
Cons
- ✗ Limited customization
- ✗ Transaction fees on free
- ✗ Basic free plan
- ✗ Limited integrations
Kajabi
All-in-one business platform for knowledge entrepreneurs.
Kajabi is an all-in-one platform that combines course creation, website building, email marketing, and sales funnels for knowledge entrepreneurs. It's designed for creators who want to build and scale their online business with a single platform.
Pros
- ✓ All-in-one platform
- ✓ Beautiful templates
- ✓ Strong marketing features
- ✓ No transaction fees
Cons
- ✗ Very expensive
- ✗ Overkill for simple courses
- ✗ Learning curve
- ✗ Limited customization
🏆 Our Recommendations
❓ FAQ
What is the best free alternative to Thinkific?
The best free alternative to Thinkific is Teachable, which offers Free plan available.
Is there an open-source alternative to Thinkific?
There are no widely-used open-source alternatives to Thinkific at this time, but several affordable options exist.
What is the cheapest alternative to Thinkific?
The cheapest alternatives are the free options: Teachable. For paid alternatives, prices start from as low as $39/mo.
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