Ever feel overwhelmed trying to choose the right platform to sell your online courses?
Disco and Thinkific are two popular options, but how do you know which is the perfect fit for your needs?
You need a platform that’s easy to use, offers the features you need, and won’t break the bank.
This post will break down Disco vs Thinkific, comparing their features, pricing, and overall user experience.
Overview
We rigorously tested Disco and Thinkific, examining their features, user experience, and community engagement capabilities.
Our hands-on approach, from course creation to community interaction, revealed key differences that will help you choose the right platform for your needs.
Ready to experience the future of learning? Explore Disco’s AI-powered platform and see how it can transform your learning journey.
Pricing: 14-day free trial available. Paid plan Starts at $359/month
Key Features:
- Member Management
- Engagement Tools
- Integrations
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: 30-day free trial available. Paid plan Starts at $74/month
Key Features:
- Course Creation
- Marketing Tools
- Community Features
What is Disco?
Disco is a platform for creators. It helps build thriving communities.
Think courses, memberships, and live events all in one place. It’s designed to make community engagement easy.
Ready to experience the future of learning? Explore Disco’s AI-powered platform and see how it can transform your learning journey.
Key Benefits
- All-in-one platform: Integrates course hosting, community forums, and live events, streamlining your community management.
- Customization: Offers branding and design options to reflect your unique style.
- Engagement tools: Provides features like direct messaging, group challenges, and member directories to foster interaction.
Pricing
Disco’s pricing starts at $359/month. They also offer higher tiers with additional features and increased capacity. Here’s a quick look at the upgrade options:
- Organization: $359/month
- Enterprise Plans: Custom Pricing
Pros
Cons
What is Thinkific?
Thinkific is a popular platform. It’s focused on creating and selling online courses.
It offers tools to build, market, and manage classes effectively. Thinkific is a solid choice for course creators.
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
- Grow: $149/month
Pros
Cons
Feature Comparison
Let’s dive into a detailed comparison of Disco and Thinkific, examining their key features side-by-side to help you choose the best platform.
To build and sell your digital products and foster engaging learning experiences.
Core Functionality
- Disco: Designed as an all-in-one platform, Disco helps you build vibrant communities around your courses, memberships, and live events.1 It blends the functionality of an LMS with social learning aspects.
- Thinkific: Primarily focused on being an LMS, Thinkific excels at creating and selling self-paced courses. While it offers some community features, they are not as central to the platform as with Disco.
Community Building
- Disco: Disco’s strength lies in its community features. It’s built to foster interaction and connection, offering tools for discussions, groups, and direct messaging. It aims to create a “school” environment within your branded space.
- Thinkific: Thinkific offers some basic community features. While helpful, they don’t have the same level of depth or integration as Disco.
Course Creation
- Disco: Disco allows creators to sell courses as part of a more extensive community experience. While robust, its course creation might not be as specialized as a dedicated LMS.
- Thinkific: Thinkific shines in its course creation tools. It provides various features for building engaging, structured, self-paced courses.
Membership Options
- Disco: Disco seamlessly integrates memberships into its platform, allowing you to offer exclusive content and benefits to paying members.
- Thinkific: Thinkific also offers membership features, providing a way to monetize access to content and community.
Live Events
- Disco: Disco includes built-in live event functionality, making it easy to host webinars, workshops, and other interactive sessions.
- Thinkific: Thinkific offers some live event integrations, but it’s not a core feature of the platform.
Marketing and Sales
- Disco: Disco provides tools to promote your community and digital products, focusing on community-driven growth.
- Thinkific: Thinkific offers a range of marketing tools, including integrations with popular marketing platforms, to help you sell your courses.
Onboarding and Support
- Disco: Disco focuses on a smooth onboarding experience, especially when setting up a community hub. It often offers dedicated support channels for community builders.
- Thinkific: To help users get started, Thinkific offers various resources and support options, including documentation and community forums. It also has an accelerator program to help creators sell more.
What to Look for When Choosing a Community Platform?
- Scalability: Can the platform grow with your community?
- Customization: Can you brand the platform to your liking?
- Moderation: Does it offer tools to manage community behavior?
- Integrations: Does it connect with your existing tools?
- Analytics: Does it provide data to track community health?
- Mobile Experience: Is the platform accessible and user-friendly on mobile devices?
- Pricing Transparency: Are the pricing plans clear and understandable?
- Support Quality: Is customer support responsive and helpful?
- Ease of Use: Is the platform intuitive for both admins and members?
- Community Features: Does it offer the specific features you need (e.g., forums, live chat, events)?
Final Verdict (Our Pick)
Choosing between Disco and Thinkific depends on your priorities.
Disco is the clear winner if building a thriving community is your primary goal.
Its strong social features, combined platform approach, and focus on engagement make it ideal for creating virtual academies.
Thinkific is better if your primary focus is selling self-paced courses.
It has excellent course creation tools and good marketing features.
We’ve tested both platforms extensively, so we understand their strengths and weaknesses.
Our experience shows Disco is best for community-driven businesses, while Thinkific is a solid choice for course-focused creators.
Consider what’s most important for your success.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Disco, and how does it compare to other learning platforms?
Disco is a social learning platform designed to help creators build and engage communities around their courses, memberships, and events. Unlike Teachable’s primary focus on course sales, Disco emphasizes community interaction. It’s a platform designed for those who want to foster deeper connections with their audience.
Is Disco a good alternative to Thinkific?
Whether Disco is a better alternative depends on your needs. Though Thinkific is a strong LMS, Disco excels at community building. If your learning business thrives on community, Disco is a great choice. Our comparison chart highlights the key differences between Disco and Thinkific.
How does Disco’s pricing compare to Thinkific’s?
Both platforms offer tiered pricing. Though Thinkific’s basic plan is cheaper, Disco’s pricing reflects its all-in-one nature. When comparing Disco vs. Thinkific pricing, consider what features you need most.
What are the key features of Disco?
Disco’s key features include a unified platform for courses, memberships, and live events. It prioritizes community building and offers robust tools for engagement. It’s designed to help creators build vibrant, interactive communities.
Which is the best learning platform for building a community?
While there are many top platforms, Disco stands out for its community focus. It’s designed specifically to create engaging experiences and foster social learning. If community is your priority, Disco is a strong contender among the world’s top platforms.
