Thinkific is one of the most well-known learning management systems (LMS) on the web today.
People are drawn to this powerful cloud-based platform to share their knowledge through online courses.
Entrepreneurs and teachers who are enthusiastic about their subject matter focus on educating others or using this platform to earn a full-time living or as a side hustle.
As incredible as Thinkific is and as wonderful as its features are, there are several Thinkific alternatives that you should know about. You should know about these Thinkific alternatives because analysis of options improves decisions.
Better decisions lead to better choices, which could see you using a different platform to pursue your entrepreneurial passion.
1. Ruzuku
Ruzuku is definitely a contender as a Thinkific alternative because it is easy to use, and Ruzuku also allows you to create an affiliate program.
Both programs offer affordable pricing models, although Thinkific has a free trial plan which is a strong drawcard. Ruzuku does not provide users a free trial plan, and Thinkific’s basic plan option is more affordable than Ruzuku.
Thinkific provides a multiple language feature, unlike Ruzuku, and offers more payment gateways than Ruzuku. Where Ruzuku has the upper hand over Thinkific is that its platform includes webinar software.
Thinkific users must access other webinar software such as Zoom if they plan to establish a stronger connection with potential customers.
2. Podia
Podia is more of an indirect competitor but is still a viable Thinkific alternative for the sale of membership and digital format downloads.
Podia sells various e-books that users can learn from but is not an e-learning platform in the traditional sense. Despite this difference in the platforms,
Podia still offers significant course creation tools which create a satisfying user experience. Where Thinkific’s focus is on membership and courses, Podia provides the same opportunities but bundles its offerings differently.
Despite differences, inexperienced lecturers value the easy-to-use course creation functions, making Podia a viable Thinkific alternative.
3. Kajabi
Kajabi has built a powerful reputation as one of the best (if not the best) course-building platforms on the internet.
Kajabi offers a robust platform as an inclusive site to build courses, market your business and improve conversion rates with its marketing automation campaign tools. As a Thinkific alternative, the benefits of the Kajabi platform exceed Thinkific’s features and functionality.
On the downside, Kajabi is much more expensive than Thinkific, but with good reason. On the upside, Thinkific is considered a better platform if you’re starting with course building. Thinkific also has better functionality for online course delivery as its features are one up on those of Kajabi.
Kajabi is an all one solution to getting started!
Get you new Idea or Course online today.
4. Canvas LMS
Canvas LMS is best suited for professional educational institutions and massive companies for its course creation abilities.
Canvas LMS provides an advanced teaching and learning experience in comparison to Thinkific.
Users will appreciate the extensive uptime provided by Canvas LMS, which enables a streamlined user experience. You can also import loads of course materials and grade assignments on this platform.
Overall, Canvas LMS is superior to Thinkific as an LMS platform, but Thinkific is more appropriate for beginners in this field as the site is also more affordable.
5. LearnWorlds
Some people boast about SCORM compliance on LMS sites, but this compliance is fast becoming outdated.
Shareable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) is a package interchange file (PIF) that contains all the necessary data to allow for file transfers on an LMS site.
Essentially, SCORM improves the user experience, and LearnWorlds is SCORM compliant, whereas Thinkific is not.
Not many LMS sites are SCORM compliant these days, as other technology allows for seamless file transfers.
Despite this difference between the platforms, LearnWorlds is the better option for progressive teaching methods, whereas Thinkific offers superior functionality for selling your courses online.
6. LearnDash
LearnDash is an excellent Thinkific alternative for anyone who already has a WordPress site because LearnDash is a WordPress plugin.
If you want LMS functionality for course creation and delivery, it is an effortless process to transform your site and enable video hosting for teaching.
However, slow speeds may challenge video training, and you will also need external files and web hosting if you choose to go with LearnDash. Similarly, analytics and reporting also rely on third-party sites with this Thinkific alternative.
If all this sounds too complicated, then stick with Thinkific if you don’t already have a site. If you’re concerned about Thinkific lacking SCORM, remember this issue is easily rectified with a third-party add-on.
7. Skillshare
Skillshare does things a little differently than Thinkific.
If you want to share your creative talents like drawing or creative writing, then
Skillshare is a strong contender as a Thinkific alternative in the creative arts but is also a platform for typical e-learning courses.
Thinkific is better than
Thinkific is also the better option when you need to develop your courses from the ground up. Also, Thinkific is more beneficial than
8. Teachable
Teachable is another e-learning platform that has earned its stripes.
As a viable Thinkific alternative, Teachable offers users an intuitive platform for course creation, enabling student data management and a free plan for up to ten students.
However, Thinkific is superior in terms of membership course bundling and a better interactive online class experience.
Thinkific also has advanced features to create surveys, deliver presentations, SEO site mapping, a WordPress plugin and can integrate with various other valuable teaching and learning apps.
Another area where Thinkific wins out over Teachable is that it has an unlimited free plan for student use. Although Teachable is a Thinkific alternative, it doesn’t live up to the performance and functionality of Thinkific.
9. Coursera
Coursera is another famous e-learning platform that gives Thinkific a run for its money.
However, Coursera differs significantly from Thinkific because it provides courses at the university level. Coursera also offers many courses with recognizable certifications since it works in close collaboration with over two hundred formal educational institutions.
Thinkific doesn’t come close to Coursera in this aspect, but not everyone wants to upgrade their knowledge and earn accreditations for new learning.
You also won’t find the relaxed course creation environment on Coursera that is a prominent feature on Thinkific.
Because Coursera provides accreditation for most, if not all, its courses, the stakes are higher. But Coursera provides another valuable feature which is that it focuses on SEO to attract interest in your courses, whereas this is your responsible on Thinkific.
Coursera also caters more to course creation by recognizable higher learning institutions, so, in this respect, Thinkific is more suitable for the entrepreneur.
10. Academy of Mine
Academy of Mine contains a unique feature that highlights personalization.
Personalization is particularly valuable as it attracts and converts single buyers, giving platform users access to lifelong customer retention. Although this system isn’t foolproof, it is definitely a massive plus in the e-learning arena.
With this personalization feature, users have the chance to build their brands quicker with high-level course offerings.
With over 10,000 students that vie for knowledge in a broad range of subject matter from healthcare to tech, and finances, and many other topics, this platform is a winner as a Thinkific alternative.
11. Udemy
Udemy is a content management system in contrast to Thinkific, which is a learning management system.
The primary difference is that users can offer courses on the Udemy platform, whereas Thinkific concentrates on giving you the tools to create and market courses.
Udemy also prevents users from removing their courses from the platform. They can charge a whopping fee of 50% if they market your course and it becomes popular. This commission model prevents you from profit maximization.
With Thinkific, you get to chop and change your courses as you see fit. You also get to maximize your profits for your benefit.
Neither Thinkific nor Udemy have SCORM. Thinkific is definitely more scalable than Udemy since you can bundle courses for anyone who purchases a membership.
This site is also better for branding, and its teaching functions outstrip Udemy by providing classroom settings, among other functions. However, Udemy is cost-effective for course sellers, and they do a lot of the marketing for you.
12. iSpring Market
iSpring Market is an excellent LMS platform that is SCORM compliant.
You can create your website in minutes and build your courses as you progress to reach huge markets. You can categorize your courses and sell these singly or in bundles to tailor learning for customers.
You can offer courses for free and charge for your work, and even offer coupons and other discounts to attract customers.
There are various teaching functions available to train big business employees. This platform offers multiple tracking methods for students, course completion, quizzes, and other data. It also provides several payment gateways, customization of branding for your store, and many other attractive features.
The downside is that this platform is quite pricey at over $400 yearly for five hundred users. The upside is that you don’t pay any commissions on the courses you sell. Although iSpring Market is costly, it is an excellent Thinkific alternative for serious users.
13. Teachery
Teachery has one cover-all plan that allows users to build an unlimited number of courses.
You can create as many pages as you want for as many students as you want. You can only choose from two templates, and the site does not host course material as with other cloud-based formats.
You must store your own files. Also, the platform does not cater to multimedia teaching functionality, which is a considerable disadvantage.
Teachery also allows you to include affiliate links and supply promotion codes. This site is excellent for branding, although you will need to use other resources to support marketing endeavors.
It also only allows Stripe as a payment processor. You don’t need to pay transaction fees on course offerings. Despite its pros and cons, this Thinkific alternative is best for anyone wanting to sell single, simple online courses.
14. Efront
Efront is another LMS course platform that features high-level security features for a niche market that values this functionality.
The combination of top security functions and mass training capabilities makes this site ideal for corporate customers who need to protect their other assets.
You control all your online training data and much of the environment that delivers your courses. The platform is flexible, is scalable, and integrates well with many other resources.
eFront is a powerful course building site, but it costs over $1,000 monthly to use the basic plan. This LMS also doesn’t offer free trials. As a Thinkific alternative, eFront is best for established course providers with massive markets.
15. TalentLMS
TalentLMS enables user customization across its site.
Users will find this platform easy to manage and support training large corporate groups. TalentLMS offers a free trial period to evaluate the site’s capabilities.
Once you’re satisfied with the performance of this platform, the pricing structure is genuinely affordable at around $60 per feature per month.
This site was also voted in the top twenty for its training software and LMS capabilities in 2020, making it a viable Thinkific alternative.
TalentLMS is seen by many as the best platform for learning as it serves more than 70,000 teams across the world. Entrepreneurs can confidently use this platform to tailor training to match the needs of groups no matter what area of study they wish to pursue.
Conclusion
Thinkific alternatives abound in the marketplace of e-learning.
Whether your preference is for course building LMS sites or you simply wish to focus on offering your courses on CMS platforms, you have an abundance of choices.
Explore all your options before settling on one that will generate the most value for you and your students.
Resources:
