How much does Thinkific charge?
Thinkific plans start at $109/month for Start, then $219/month for Grow and $499/month for Expand, or $82, $164 and $374 a month billed yearly. Thinkific Payments charges 2.9%. If you use Stripe instead, Thinkific adds a gateway fee of 0.5–2%.
Last verified 1 November 2026 · Feebite Editorial · Independent fees calculator
Review target: thinkific.com
Quick Verdict
Rating: 4.2/5
Best for: Creators, coaches, and small education businesses that want predictable platform costs and no platform transaction fee on paid plans.
Not ideal for: Sellers who need the absolute cheapest path to scale, or anyone who wants a highly advanced learning-business stack without moving up plans or adding extra tools.
Fees & Pricing — The Full Picture
Thinkific sits in a relatively straightforward part of the creator-platform market: subscription pricing instead of taking a cut of each sale on paid plans. That matters because transaction-based pricing can become painful once course revenue increases.
Thinkific’s pricing has moved up since our May 2026 review, and its old “0% transaction fees” line no longer tells the whole story.
Plans
| Plan | Monthly billing | Yearly billing | Stripe gateway fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start | $109/mo | $82/mo | 2% |
| Grow | $219/mo | $164/mo | 1% |
| Expand | $499/mo | $374/mo | 0.5% |
| Plus | Through sales | Through sales | None at this time |
Payment fees
| How you take payment | What you pay |
|---|---|
| Thinkific Payments | 2.9%, no gateway fee. Other payment methods such as Apple Pay and Google Pay can differ. |
| Stripe | Stripe’s own fees, plus the gateway fee above on your first $1M in sales each calendar year |
Thinkific’s support article says the gateway fee applies to Stripe, and will apply to other third-party processors in future. Legacy Basic plans pay 5%. Thinkific also says a small cross-border fee, usually under $1, can appear on your card statement because it is a Canadian company.
What this means in practice
On $5,000 a month in sales on Start, using Stripe would add about $100 a month in gateway fees. That is the amount to weigh against any reason you have for staying on Stripe.
Key Facts
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Category | Creator economy |
| Pricing | Start $109/mo; Grow $219/mo; Expand $499/mo on monthly billing |
| Free plan Y/N | Not listed on the pricing page |
| Best feature | No gateway fee when you use Thinkific Payments |
| Worst limitation | Higher entry price, at $109/mo on monthly billing |
How It Compares
Thinkific competes in a crowded online-course market, so pricing alone is not enough. The real question is whether you prefer fixed monthly costs or a platform that may bundle more features, audience tools, or simplicity in exchange for a different fee structure.
| Name | Fee | Best For | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teachable | Varies by plan | Creators comparing major hosted course platforms | Strong alternative, but compare transaction-fee rules carefully |
| Kajabi | Higher all-in-one subscription model | Creators who want courses plus broader marketing tools in one stack | Better for “all-in-one” buyers, but often harder to justify on price |
Thinkific’s position is fairly clear: it is attractive if your top priority is avoiding platform transaction fees once you move onto a paid plan. If your top priority is an all-in-one creator operating system, some competitors may look more compelling despite costing more.
Pros
- No gateway fee on Thinkific Payments keeps platform costs predictable as sales increase.
- Free trial available, so you can test the platform before you pay.
- Yearly billing saves 25%, bringing Start down to $82/month.
- Straightforward plan structure is easier to understand than some creator tools with layered fee logic.
- Built specifically for online courses, which is usually a better fit than trying to force a generic site builder into a learning product.
Cons
- The $109/month entry price is high for a first course.
- Monthly subscription pricing can feel inefficient for low-volume or inconsistent sellers.
- Using Stripe adds a 0.5–2% gateway fee on top of Stripe’s own fees.
- Some creators may still need extra tools for a broader business stack, which can raise total software spend.
Who Should Use Thinkific
Perfect for: Course creators, coaches, educators, and niche knowledge businesses that want a hosted platform and are happy to use Thinkific Payments.
Skip it if: You only want to publish a casual side-project course and keep software costs near zero indefinitely, or you want a broader all-in-one marketing suite more than a dedicated course platform.
How to Get Started
- Start with the free trial and build your first course to see whether Thinkific’s workflow fits your teaching style.
- Map your likely monthly sales volume so you can judge whether $109/month or $219/month makes economic sense.
- Check your payment setup carefully and factor in processor fees separately from Thinkific’s platform fees.
- Upgrade only when needed—especially if you have outgrown the 1-course limit or need more room for a real course business.
Sources checked (November 2026)
- Thinkific pricing: plan prices, Thinkific Payments rate and payment FAQs
- Third-Party Payment Gateway Fee FAQ: fee by plan and $1M cap (updated October 2026)
- How much does Thinkific cost?: cross-border and processing fees (updated October 2026)
- Checked on 1 November 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Thinkific have a free plan?
Thinkific’s pricing page now lists paid plans with a free trial: Start, Grow, Expand and Plus. Its support articles and terms still refer to a Free plan, which must use Thinkific Payments, so ask Thinkific whether a new account can join it.
What are Thinkific’s paid plans?
The plans on Thinkific’s pricing page are Start at $109/month, Grow at $219/month and Expand at $499/month on monthly billing, or $82, $164 and $374 a month billed yearly. Plus is sold through its sales team.
Does Thinkific charge transaction fees?
It depends on your payment processor. Thinkific Payments charges 2.9%, with no gateway fee. If you use Stripe, Thinkific adds a third-party gateway fee of 2% on Start, 1% on Grow and 0.5% on Expand, on your first $1M in sales each calendar year. Stripe’s own fees are on top.
Final Take
Thinkific is not the cheapest possible way to put a single course online, and it is not the most all-inclusive creator stack either. But it does hit a practical middle ground that many course sellers want: clear monthly pricing, a genuine free starting point, and 0% transaction fees on paid plans.
That combination makes it especially appealing for creators who already know they want to sell education products and would rather pay a fixed platform subscription than lose a percentage of every sale. The catch, as always, is utilization. If you are not actively selling, even a reasonable monthly fee can feel wasteful.
For the right user, though, Thinkific remains one of the more sensible online-course platform options in 2026.
This review was last updated November 2026. Fees and availability may change — always check Thinkific's website for the latest information.