Are you struggling to choose between GoHighLevel and Thinkific for your online business?
It’s a common dilemma! Both platforms offer powerful tools but cater to different needs.
Choosing the wrong one can mean wasted time and money.
In this post, we’ll explain the key differences between GoHighLevel and Thinkific, helping you decide which platform best suits your goals.
We’ll explore features, pricing, and who each platform best serves so you can make an informed decision and confidently move forward.
Overview
We’ve spent considerable time exploring GoHighLevel and Thinkific, diving into their features and testing them.
Our hands-on experience and extensive research have allowed us to create this comprehensive comparison.
It gives you the inside scoop on which platform meets specific needs.
Unlock the power of an all-in-one marketing platform. GoHighLevel gives you everything to manage your marketing. Check it out now!
Pricing: 14-day free trial available. Paid plan starts at $97/month
Key Features:
- Marketing Automation
- Sales Funnels
- Client Management
Ready to join the 50,000+ creators already using Thinkific to sell their courses? See how easy it is to build your online empire.
Pricing: No free plan is available. Paid plan Starts at $74/month
Key Features:
- Course Creation
- Marketing Tools
- Community Features
What is GoHighLevel?
GoHighLevel is an all-in-one marketing platform.
It’s designed for agencies and marketers. Think of it as a Swiss Army knife for your online business.
It combines many tools into one platform. This makes it convenient and potentially cost-effective.
Unlock the power of an all-in-one marketing platform. GoHighLevel gives you everything for manage your marketing. Check out now!
Key Benefits
GoHighLevel is packed with features. Here are a few standouts:
- Complete marketing suite: Automate email campaigns, SMS messages, and social media posts.
- Sales funnels: Build high-converting landing pages and sales funnels with their drag-and-drop builder.
- Built-in CRM: Track leads, manage contacts, and automate your sales pipeline.
- Website builder: Create professional websites without needing any coding skills.
- White-label capabilities: Offer GoHighLevel’s features to your clients under your brand.
Pricing
- Starter Account: $97/month
- Unlimited Account: $297/month
Pros
Cons
What is Thinkific?
Thinkific is a platform specifically designed to create and sell online courses.
It’s focused on making it easy for anyone to share their knowledge. If your main goal is to build and sell courses, Thinkific is a strong contender.
Ready to join the 50,000+ creators already using Thinkific to sell their courses? Start your free Thinkific trial today and see how easy it is to build your online empire.
Key Benefits
Thinkific really shines when it comes to course creation. Here’s what makes it stand out:
- Robust Course Builder: You get a lot of control over how your courses look and function. Thinkific lets you add videos, quizzes, downloads, and more.
- Marketing Tools: They offer tools to help you promote your courses, like email integrations and sales page templates.
- Customization: You can tailor the look and feel of your course platform to match your brand.
Pricing
Thinkific offers a range of plans to fit different needs. Their Basic plan starts at $36/month. Here’s a quick breakdown of what you can expect as you upgrade:
- Start: $74/month for 1 Community.
- Grow: $149/month for 3 Community.
Pros
Cons
Feature Comparison
Let’s dive into a detailed comparison of GoHighLevel and Thinkific’s features.
This breakdown will help you compare the two platforms and determine which suits your online business needs best.
Course Creation & Builder
- GoHighLevel: While not its primary focus, GoHighLevel does offer course creation tools. It’s more about building sales funnels around your courses. Think of it as a way to package and deliver your online learning content rather than a dedicated course builder like Thinkific. It’s less intuitive than dedicated online course platforms and more about sales and marketing.
- Thinkific: Thinkific excels in this area. It’s built specifically for course creators. The drag-and-drop course builder is user-friendly and easy to organize your content. Similar to platforms like Teachable or Kajabi, Thinkific is focused on creating the best course experience for your students.
Marketing Automation
- GoHighLevel: GoHighLevel excels at marketing automation. You can automate nearly every aspect of your sales and marketing, from email marketing to follow-ups. It’s a powerful tool for building complex funnels and nurturing leads.
- Thinkific: Thinkific offers some marketing features, but they’re not as robust as GoHighLevel’s. You can integrate with other email marketing platforms, but the built-in automation is more essential.
Sales Funnels & Landing Pages
- GoHighLevel: This is where GoHighLevel truly stands out. The site builder and landing page builder are top-notch. You can create high-converting funnels to drive sales. It gives you complete control over the entire checkout process.
- Thinkific: Thinkific provides tools for creating landing pages, sales, and marketing materials, but they are not as advanced or customizable as GoHighLevel.
Integrations
- GoHighLevel: GoHighLevel offers many integrations, including popular payment gateways and other marketing tools. Integrating with other platforms like Zapier opens up a world of possibilities.
- Thinkific: Thinkific integrates with various payment gateways and marketing platforms. However, the integration ecosystem is not as extensive as GoHighLevel’s.
CRM & Community
- GoHighLevel: GoHighLevel includes a built-in CRM that allows you to manage leads and customer interactions. It’s less focused on community, although you can integrate with other platforms.
- Thinkific: Thinkific offers tools for building a community around your courses and fostering engagement among students. It also has basic CRM features.
Pros
Cons
Feature Comparison
Let’s dive deeper and compare Kajabi and Thinkific feature by feature.
This will help you see which platform best fits your needs.
Course Builder
Both Kajabi and Thinkific offer intuitive course builders that make it very easy to create online courses.
You can upload videos, add quizzes, and organize your course content with drag-and-drop ease.
However, Kajabi’s course builder is slightly more streamlined and user-friendly, especially for beginners.
Thinkific offers more customization options, which might appeal to experienced course creators.
Quizzes and Assessments
Kajabi and Thinkific offer various quiz and assessment options to help you track student progress and engagement.
You can create multiple-choice, actual/false, and even open-ended questions.
Thinkific provides more advanced quizzing features, like question banks and randomized quizzes.
Sales Page Builder
If you want to create online courses that sell, having a high-converting sales page is crucial.
Kajabi shines in this area with its built-in sales page builder and professionally designed templates.
Thinkific also offers sales page templates, but they are not as polished or conversion-focused as Kajabi’s.
Email Marketing
Kajabi has a powerful built-in email marketing tool lets you segment your audience and automate email sequences.
This is a massive plus for creators who want to nurture leads and promote their courses.
Thinkific relies on integrations with third-party email marketing providers, which can add extra costs and complexity.
Automation
Both platforms offer automation features to streamline your workflow.
For example, you can automate tasks like welcome emails, course reminders, and certificate delivery, as Kajabi does.
However, Kajabi offers more advanced automation capabilities, including sales funnels and marketing pipelines.
Mobile App
While both platforms have mobile-responsive designs, only Thinkific offers a dedicated mobile app.
This allows students to access course content on the go.
Community Features
Thinkific puts a strong emphasis on community building.
They provide features like discussion forums, private groups, and live sessions to foster interaction between students and instructors.
While Kajabi allows for some community interaction, it doesn’t have the same dedicated community-building tools as Thinkific.
Pricing Options
- GoHighLevel: GoHighLevel’s pricing options are geared toward agencies and marketers. While the price may seem higher, it can replace multiple tools, saving money in the long run. They offer a free trial.
- Thinkific: Thinkific’s pricing options are more accessible for individual course creators. There are various paid plan options, and they offer a free trial.
Mobile App
GoHighLevel: GoHighLevel offers a mobile app for managing your account and clients.
Thinkific: Thinkific has a mobile app for students to access courses, improving the online learning experience.
What to Look for When Choosing a Community Platform?
- Scalability: Can the platform grow with your community?
- Customization: How much can you tailor the look and feel?
- Moderation Tools: Does it offer robust moderation features?
- Analytics: Can you track community engagement and growth?
- Integrations: Does it integrate with your existing tools?
- Support: What level of support is offered by the platform?
- Mobile Experience: Is the mobile experience seamless for users?
- Accessibility: Does it cater to users with disabilities?
- Cost-effectiveness: Does the pricing align with your budget?
- Security: Are there security measures to protect your data?
Final Verdict (Our Pick)
Choosing between GoHighLevel and Thinkific depends entirely on your needs.
If you’re an agency or need advanced marketing automation, GoHighLevel is the better choice.
Its all-in-one dashboard and powerful features are hard to beat.
However, if your primary goal is creating and selling online courses, Thinkific is simpler and more focused.
We’ve explored both platforms extensively, so our recommendation comes from actual experience.
Remember to carefully consider your goals and budget before deciding.
Check out our frequently asked questions and privacy policy for more information.
This post contains affiliate links (see disclosure). No matter which you pick, explore the available templates to get started fast!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GoHighLevel better than Thinkific?
Neither platform is universally “better.” GoHighLevel excels at marketing automation and agency needs. Thinkific is superior for course creation and student management. The best choice depends on your specific requirements.
Can I use GoHighLevel to host my online courses?
Yes, you can. GoHighLevel has course creation features. However, it’s more focused on your courses’ sales and marketing aspects, not necessarily the most advanced course builder itself.
Does Thinkific have a free plan?
Thinkific doesn’t offer a completely free plan, but they have a free trial. They offer different paid plan options to suit various needs and budgets.
Which platform is easier to use?
Thinkific is generally considered more user-friendly, especially when creating courses. GoHighLevel, while powerful, has a steeper learning curve due to its extensive feature set.
Can I integrate other tools with both platforms?
Yes, both platforms offer integrations. GoHighLevel boasts a wider range of integrations and is often used with platforms like Zapier. Thinkific focuses on integrations relevant to course creation and marketing.
