Thinkific Mobile App • Generic vs Branded (2023 Review)

Thinkific has two mobile apps. One app is a generic Thinkific app, and the other is a branded app.

Both apps allow learners to access courses and communities on the go.

The branded white-label app allows you to personalize your app store listing and accept in-app purchases.

Key Takeaways:

The branded app costs $199 per month and is available on all paid plans
The generic Thinkific app is included in the Start plan and above
The apps are a secondary learning resource for students
Not all course and community features are available on mobile yet

Branded and Generic Mobile App Features and Comparison

Thinkific offers two apps.

The page structure of the apps is the same, and both allow students to access content on the go.

The main difference between the apps is branding. The branding differences are as follows:

Generic App – The generic app is a Thinkific app. Learners download the Thinkific app and use their login details to access your courses and communities. They also can access courses and communities that they own from other Thinkific creators.
Branded App – The branded app is a white-label app that uses your brand’s name. Learners search for your brand in the app store and can download your branded app. You can design elements of the app to suit your brand, like colors, button style, text, brand name, icons, and more.

As well as the branding differences, the branded app is an additional cost but also includes additional features.

	Branded Mobile App	Generic Mobile App
Cost	$199/month	Free with Thinkific Start plans and above
Access Courses	✅	✅
Access Community	✅	✅
Drip Lesson Release Notifications	✅	✅
Push Notification for Community Activity	✅	✅
In-App Notifications for Community Activity	✅	✅
In-App Purchases	✅	❌
Branding	✅	❌
Automatic App Updates	✅	❌

Warning! The branded app doesn’t allow you to create a truly custom app, as it has the same page layout as the generic app.

Top Tip We recommend starting with the generic app and switching to a branded app later. Trying the free generic app allows you to see how your users like mobile learning. Based on this, you can decide whether you pay to launch a branded app.

What Is the Branded Thinkific App?

The Thinkific branded app allows you to create and launch an app with your branding.

The app will have your brand name and your own app store listing. You can manage the app store listing and respond to the app reviews.

The Thinkific team builds the app for you and manages the maintenance.

You cannot change the page structure of the app from Thinkific’s standard structure. However, you can change the main colors, text colors, and button styles and add your logo.

Pros of the Branded Thinkific App

You can create more than one branded app if required.
Thinkific builds and maintains the app for you.
Creates brand continuity, as you can create a custom app store listing.
It is quicker to launch than creating your own mobile app. Thinkific can launch a branded app in one month, whereas launching an app yourself can take over a year.
If you’re not getting on with the app, you can cancel your app subscription at any time.
An app can increase student retention, as studies have shown students prefer consuming digital content on mobile.
There is the ability to push notifications for community activity and course lesson releases, which can increase engagement.
You can manage your brand’s app listing, boosting your social proof with positive reviews and comments.

Cons of the Branded Thinkific App

Monthly cost of $199.
Not fully customizable.
Need to pay an Apple and Google store set-up fee.
Apple and Google limit the value of in-app purchases ($1000 for Apple and $400 for Google).
Thinkific only allows in-app purchases for one-time payment courses. For subscriptions, memberships, or bundles, users need to purchase through the web page.
Not all lesson types are available, which means a student needs to switch between the app and the website.

How Much Does the Thinkific Branded App Cost?

The branded app costs $199 per month, on top of your existing subscription.

You can add the branded app to any of the paid plans.

The total cost will depend on the plan you have and whether you have a monthly or annual subscription.

The only plan that includes a branded app is the Plus plan. This plan requires you to contact the sales team for pricing and more information.

	Free	Basic	Start	Grow	Expand	Plus
Monthly Plan Cost	Free	$49/month	$99/month	$199/month	$499/month	Not published
Annual Plan Cost	Free	$36/month	$74/month	$149/month	$374/month	Not published
Addition Branded App Cost	❌ N/A	$199/month	$199/month	$199/month	$199/month	✅ Included
Total Monthly Plan Cost	❌ N/A	$248/month	$298/month	$398/month	$698/month	Not published
Total Annual Plan Cost	❌ N/A	$235/month	$273/month	$348/month	$573/month	Not published

As well as the monthly app costs, there is also a set-up fee for the Apple App Store and Google Play Store:

The Apple App Store – $99 USD per year
The Google Play Store – $25 USD one-time fee

Warning! Thinkific doesn’t charge any in-app purchase fees. However, Google and Apple charge a fee, which can be anywhere from 15 - 30%. There is also a limit on the product offers. Apple has a limit of under $1000, and Google has a limit of under $400.

Top Tip We recommend directing your customers to purchase your products on the web rather than on mobile, as it’ll save you a considerable amount in fees. If you do want to sell through the app, make sure to factor in the fees when you price your products.

How to Set Up the Thinkific Branded App

The branded Thinkific App can be set up within your Thinkific dashboard.

To do so, follow these steps:

Click Mobile App from the left-hand menu of your Thinkific dashboard.
Choose “Your Branded App.”
Select “Add to My Plan for $199 per Month.”
Confirm that you want Thinkific to build your app.

A Thinkific Technical Support Specialist will then email you with everything you need to get started.

Your branded app will be built by experts, and usually, you can launch your app within 30 days.

Before you get started, you will need the following:

D-U-N-S Number – This is a number that identifies your business, and you can apply for free through Dun and Bradstreet. It usually takes around 30 days to complete the process. A D-U-N-S number is required to create an Apple developer account.
Apple Developer Account – Once you have your D-U-N-S number, you can apply for your Apple developer account. Apply for an organization account so you can grant Thinkific permission to upload the app for you.
Google Play Console Account – Apply for a Google Play Console account. You can apply either for an organization or a personal account. Thinkific recommends joining as an organization if possible. Once you have your Google Play Console account, you can grant Thinkific access to upload your app.

Thinkific Branded App: In-App Purchases

If you want to set up in-app purchases, you will need to accept Apple App store agreements and create a payments profile in Google Play. The Thinkific team will help you work out if in-app purchases are right for you and, if they are, how to set them up.

There are a few considerations before setting up in-app purchases:

The purchases are processed by Google or Apple, so the money will not enter the Thinkific checkout and instead will be sent directly to your bank account.
As the purchases are processed by Google and Apple, there is up to a 30% fee. You can apply to reduce the rate to 15% if you meet Google and Apple’s criteria.

Thinkific Branded App: Student Set Up

Students can search for your app in the app store using your brand’s name.

They can then download the app and log in with their email address and password.

They will be greeted with a custom-branded welcome screen. Once they open the app, they will see all the courses and communities they have access to.

What Is the Generic Thinkific Mobile App?

The generic Thinkific mobile app refers to the Thinkific app.

If you have a Start plan or above, it’s a free way for students to access your courses and community on the go.

Warning! Students cannot download course content or use the app offline.

Students can find the Thinkific app in the app store. They then use their email and password details to log in to your school.

Pros of the Generic Thinkific App

Included for the Start plan and above.
Easy to launch and manage.
Allows users to access your courses and community on the go.
It is simple for students to switch between different Thinkific creators’ courses and communities.
Available on Android and iOS.
A mobile app can increase student retention, as studies have shown students prefer consuming digital content on mobile.
Ability to push notifications for community activity and course lesson releases, which can increase engagement.

Cons of the Generic Thinkific App

Users download a Thinkific app rather than a branded app, which can be confusing since users likely won’t know your course and community are built on Thinkific. Only once a user logs into the app will they see your branding.
Limited customization is available.
Must have the Start plan or above to access the generic app.
Not all lesson types are available, which means a student needs to switch between the app and the website.

How Much Does the Generic Thinkific Mobile App Cost?

The generic Thinkific mobile app is free for users with a Start plan or above.

	Free	Basic	Start	Grow	Expand	Plus
Monthly Plan Cost	Free	$49/month	$99/month	$199/month	$499/month	Not published
Annual Plan Cost	Free	$36/month	$74/month	$149/month	$374/month	Not published
Generic App Included	❌ N/A	❌ N/A	✅ Included	✅ Included	✅ Included	✅ Included

Warning! If you have a free or Basic plan, you’ll need to upgrade to a Start plan to access the generic app.

How to Set Up the Thinkific Generic App

It’s super easy to allow students to access your content on the Thinkific app. You just need to activate the app, and your students will be able to discover your store on Thinkific.

To do so, follow these steps:

Click “Mobile App” from the left-hand menu of your Thinkific dashboard.
Choose the Thinkific App.
Toggle the app status to active.
Your school will now be visible on the Thinkific app.

You can’t customize the look or feel of the app. However, the app will use your primary color to help enhance your brand identity and make it easy for students to recognize your school.

Thinkific Generic App: Student Set Up

There are two ways students can access the Thinkific app. These are either through a shared link or by searching for the Thinkific app in the app store.

Option 1: Using a Shared Link

From your Thinkific dashboard, click “Mobile” from the left-hand side and select “Thinkific App.”
Scroll down to the section titled “Unlock Mobile Learning for Your Audience Now.”
Copy the QR code or dynamic link.
Send the link to your students.
This will link to the Thinkific app in the app store.
Students can then download the Thinkific app.

After we’ve looked at option 2, we’ll show you how students can log in to view their courses and communities.

Option 2: Ask Students to Download the Thinkific App

Ask students to open their app store and search for Thinkific using the search bar.
Students can then download the Thinkific app.

Once the student has downloaded the app, they will need to search for your school by name.

They will then need to log in using the details they used to enroll in your courses and community.

Once they have logged in, they will see all of the content they have access to.

How Do Students Navigate the Thinkific App?

Both the branded app and generic app work in a similar way once the user has downloaded and logged into whichever app is applicable.

The layout of the apps is the same, and students can access almost identical features from both app types (except in-app purchases, which are only available on the branded app).

The app consists of four tabs:

Home – This is your students’ homepage. It shows the courses they are currently participating in and any community updates. They can use the homepage as a shortcut to resume a course or open a community.

There is also a button in the top right-hand corner that displays the first initial of the student’s name. When the student clicks on the button, it will open their profile. They can’t edit their profile information in the app, but it has a link that opens the right page on the web.

Learn – The “Learn” tab is where courses will show.

Warning! This tab won’t be visible if the student isn’t enrolled in any courses.

It will show all of the courses to which a student has access, and students can click on the course to continue learning.

When the user opens the course, they will see the course curriculum and can continue where they left off.

In-App Purchases for the Branded App

If you have a branded app, the “Learn” tab will also have a tab next to “My Courses,” which says “Discover.”

Students can click the “Discover” tab to see all of the courses you have available. From here, they can click on the course they’re interested in.

This will display all of the details and a “Purchase” button.

Once a user clicks “Purchase,” they can enter their payment details and complete the transaction.

After the purchase is complete, the student can start the course using the “Go to Course Overview” button.

Community – When a user clicks this tab, they will see the spaces they have access to. Within the community, students can comment, reply, post, like, mention, and much more.

Warning! Like courses, the “Community” tab will only show if the student has access to a community.

Notifications – Students will receive notifications when a lesson is released or if there is any community activity.

Both the Thinkific apps include push notifications and in-app notifications.

Top Tip Ask your students to toggle on the push notifications. Push notifications can encourage them to open and interact with your course or community.

What’s Available on the Thinkific App?

Both Thinkific apps are considered a supplementary learning resource.

All the community features and lesson types are not yet supported by the app.

Therefore, students won’t be able to complete certain lessons through the app. If these lesson types are included in your course, the students will need to log in using the web page to complete the course.

The generic app and branded app enable students to access the same course and community content.

Supported and Unsupported Course Features for App

	Supported or Unsupported for Thinkific Apps
Text Lessons	✅
Video Lessons	✅
Audio Lessons	✅
Download Lessons	✅
PDF Lessons	✅
Multimedia Lessons	❌
Presentation Lessons	❌
Live Lessons	❌
Assessment Lessons	❌
Prerequisite Lesson	✅
Drip Schedule	✅
Default Chapter Completion Message	✅
On-Lesson Discussions	❌
Access Content Offline	❌

Note! Thinkific has confirmed that the lesson types that are currently unsupported will be coming soon. Once that happens, we’ll add all the details to the article.

Supported and Unsupported Community Features for App

	Supported or Unsupported for Thinkific Apps
Spaces	✅
Post Creation	✅
Comments and Replies	✅
Post and Comment Editing	✅
Post and Threads Following	✅
Course Community Connection	✅
Likes	✅
Mentions	✅
Community Activity Notifications	✅
Profiles and Member Directory	❌
Live Events	❌
Pinning Posts	❌
Trending Posts	❌
Search	❌

Warning! The app was designed for students. Therefore, all admin updates or activity needs to be done using the browser. The only way for an admin to access the content via the app is to enroll as a student.

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Thinkific Mobile App: Generic vs Branded