Thinkific has recently undergone a series of upgrades, adding new features to the platform and improving existing ones.
Can it now compete with the likes of Kajabi or LearnWorlds?
Unfortunately not, but that still doesn’t mean the platform should be overlooked.
Key Takeaways:
- Standout features include the course builder, TCommerce, and the community tool
- Thinkific now includes an automated email feature
- The website editor, funnel builder, and coaching tools are Thinkific’s worst features
6 Thinkific Features I Think Are Decent
Let’s start with the good stuff. Thinkific is by no means the best platform out there, but for the price, some features stand out.
1. The Course Builder
Thinkific’s course builder is decent and gives you enough features to create interesting and engaging learning products.
While I wish there were a choice of course templates (there’s only one design), you can switch up the color and font of the course player to match your brand.
Additionally, you get a good range of options to build in a variety of learning exercises.
For instance, you can add video and audio lessons, upload files and PDF documents, set up surveys and presentations, and create links to other multimedia content.
I like the quiz builder, even though you can only add single or multiple-choice questions.
However, you can add different types of content and format the questions beyond simple text. So if you want to add a picture or video round, you can.
Thinkific also allows you to control the learning path by setting completion rates for content like videos and audio files. You can also drip the content over a series of days or weeks so it’s rolled out gradually for students.
As for pricing, courses can be offered for free, as a one-time payment, subscription, or monthly payment plan.
There’s also a feature available that allows you to send after-purchase communications, such as upsells, which can be a good way to increase your revenue.
Overall, it’s got good functionality, and I’d say it’s a great option for beginners because it’s so easy to use.
However, advanced course builders will probably find the features too basic and may prefer a more advanced platform like LearnWorlds.
2. TCommerce and Sales Tools
Thinkific has its own native payment gateway (called TCommerce), which is really handy because it means you don’t have to go through the hassle of integrating a third-party provider.
Better yet, it uses Stripe’s infrastructure, which means it’s robust, secure, and reliable.
Once you’ve set it up, your customers can pay in a variety of ways, including credit cards, Klarna, and Google Pay.
Offering multiple payment methods at checkout is important because it reduces friction for the buyer. If their most convenient method is listed, they can pay swiftly and easily, which means they’re less likely to abandon the purchase.
Another feature that caught my eye was the ability to add revenue partners. Anything that limits the amount of accounting I have to do is great in my books!
Essentially, if your learning product was a joint effort, you can set it up so a portion of the product sales revenue goes straight to them.
If all the revenue goes straight to you but you have to distribute it to your business partners, this can create complications regarding tax declarations and accounting.
However, if the money is paid directly to the person it is owed to, this issue is eliminated entirely.
Also, very handily, Thinkific will handle sales tax collection and payment on your behalf. Again, this lessens the accounting burden significantly.
Other sales tools to help you increase revenue include:
- Order bumps
- Product bundles
- Coupons
An automated abandoned cart email feature is also available to help you catch and convince customers to buy before they go off the idea.
No additional transaction fees (beyond the standard ones) are applied to sales facilitated via TCommerce.
3. Communities (Basic but Okay)
Thankfully, Thinkific has caught up with the times and now has a community feature.
While it’s still pretty basic, it gives you the opportunity to move your audience away from free tools like Facebook, where there are plenty of distractions.
This dedicated space can be used to build engagement through chat posts. You can create separate threads (called “spaces”) for specific topics and even set up events.
Events have two options: in-person or livestream. Unfortunately, Thinkific does not have a livestream tool, so you have to connect with a third-party app like Zoom. So, keep this in mind if you plan to run live online sessions.
Communities can be offered as a standalone product or offered as part of a course or product bundle.
The same payment options are available as they are for courses.
4. Email Automation
Finally!
Thinkific has introduced email capabilities to its platform—it’s been a long time coming. However, since this is still a new feature, don’t expect all the bells and whistles just yet.
However, what you can do is build and send automated email sequences based on a trigger.
The workflow screen shows you the path, and you can control when and what time each email gets sent.
The AI content creator is pretty neat, too. Just tell it what your email sequence is for and what you want it to achieve, and the AI will whip up the emails for you.
The actual email editor is still a bit of a letdown. Since it’s text-based, adding images and multimedia isn’t possible, which makes the emails look dull and unappealing.
Besides using the custom prompts (personalizing emails with the recipient’s name, etc.), it’s hard to make your emails eye-catching and stand out in a person’s inbox.
Still, it’s a promising start. As I said, this is a new feature, so let’s hope it improves over time.
5. SCORM Compliance
I think this is worth mentioning because the only other platform that offers SCORM compliance (without using a full-blown learning management system [LMS]) is LearnWorlds.
However, the caveat is that it’s only available on Thinkific Plus—a plan with bespoke pricing (in other words, it’s expensive).
This makes your Thinkific learning products compatible with other LMS platforms, which is essential if you want to sell your products to businesses that use these tools.
Additionally, it allows you to import content from third-party authoring tools like Articulate Storyline and Adobe Captivate.
For instructional designers, this capability is crucial. So, if you operate in this space, SCORM is an incredibly useful feature.
6. Integrations
The platform has a huge number of native integrations available—more so than any other platform of its kind.
Its integrations range from communication tools like Zoom to marketing apps like Mailchimp and lesser-known tools like 24/7 Human Support, PlayYEAH (for in-course popups and customization), and Page Speed Booster.
This ability is super important if you feel the course builder and marketing tools are lacking. These integrations will expand your feature set and allow you to build unique products that stand out.
The only downside is that most of these apps are going to cost extra, which may significantly increase your monthly expenses.
3 Thinkific Features That Suck
1. Website/Page Builder
Without question, the website builder is Thinkific’s worst feature.
It’ll just about do if you only want a simple sales page to host your courses. But, for a main website, it’s terrible.
The themes and styles are all right, I suppose. Some are better than others, but they’re very generic and won’t set your world on fire.
The real problem is the page editor, of which there are two. Yes. It’s confusing.
First, there’s the page editor for your actual website pages. All you can really do is add a handful of prebuilt sections and then customize them.
Trust me, the editing options are very, very limited. You can’t move elements around the page or replace section elements with something different (like an image for a video).
It’s not drag-and-drop. All editing is completed in the sidebar, which, in my opinion, is an outdated way to do it.
The second tool—the landing page editor—functions a little better.
With this one, you can edit directly on the page, so it’s a less clunky experience.
And, while you still can’t play around with the section layouts, you can swap images for video and vice versa.
Again, the problem lies in the ultra-basic nature of the tool.
Like the previous page editor, you only have a few prebuilt sections to choose from. You can’t change the layout, and customization options are, again, severely limited.
For a landing page where the content has to jump out at the reader and entice them to buy, this isn’t good enough.
Big improvements are needed here.
Therefore, if you plan to use Thinkific, I highly recommend creating your website using a different tool, such as WordPress or Wix, and then connecting it to sell your Thinkific products.
2. Funnel Builder
The mantra “done is better than perfect” applies in many situations, but when it comes to software, I think tools need to be up to standard before they’re released.
The Thinkific funnels feature is a letdown. But it is pretty new, so I’ll give it some leeway and hope it improves soon.
Why is it a letdown?
Well, you only have two options—a free lesson funnel or a sales page funnel, which limits you to start with.
Then, all you can really do once you create your funnel is edit the pages (using the same sucky page editing tools as before).
There’s no automation, no opportunity to add email sequences into the mix, and no ability to add additional funnel pages.
I suppose it’s adequate for complete funnel-building beginners—maybe. However, the limitations will very quickly become frustrating.
3. Coaching and Webinars
This is another inadequate feature. Webinars and coaching sound great, but you can only schedule a single session, and you have to input the URL of a third-party livestream tool.
In my mind, a proper coaching feature should include the ability to create packages of sessions. Second, it should also include a calendar feature that makes it possible for customers to choose a date and book their preferred slot.
Thinkific offers neither of these capabilities—unless you integrate with a third-party app.
If coaching or live webinars are central to your business, you’ll be much better off with a platform that includes everything you need, such as Kajabi or Kartra.
Bottom Line: Are Thinkific Features Worth the Money?
For creating learning products or digital offers, Thinkific’s features do a pretty good job.
For building a website and marketing campaigns, I don’t think it’s up to scratch. Additionally, if you plan to offer live sessions, again, the platform’s limitations will get frustrating.
I will say that the platform’s developers seem to be hard at work, as many new features were introduced in 2024. Let’s hope that 2025 follows suit.
At the moment, I don’t think that Thinkific is in the same league as Kajabi, Kartra, or LearnWorlds. It remains to be seen if it will catch up or not.
Who Should Use Thinkific’s Features?
Beginners and those looking for a simple, uncomplicated platform should use Thinkific.
It is user-friendly and easy to navigate, and the learning curve is short and sweet.
On the other hand, seasoned pros should look elsewhere—as should anyone looking for a platform with high customization tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Thinkific’s Features Unlimited?
Thinkific’s feature limits depend on which plan you choose. Courses are unlimited on all plans. The Start, Grow, and Plus plans have unlimited features (except for communities). The Basic plan limits the number of products you can create.
Do Any of Thinkific’s Features Cost Extra?
Thinkific does not have any add-on features that cost extra. Everything is included in the subscription price.
Are Thinkific’s Features Beginner-Friendly?
Yes, Thinkific’s features are very beginner-friendly, and it is a good platform for those new to creating learning products. However, once a user becomes more experienced, they may find the platform limited.
