Choosing the right platform to sell your online courses can feel overwhelming, right?
There are so many options. Two popular contenders often pop up: Thinkific vs LearnWorlds.
But which one is the best for you in 2025?
This significant decision impacts your course creation, student experience, and, ultimately, your income.
In this post, we’ll examine the key differences between Thinkific and LearnWorlds, focusing on their ease of use and student engagement features.
Overview
We’ve spent considerable time exploring Thinkific and LearnWorlds, getting hands-on with their features, building sample courses, and even experiencing them from a student’s perspective.
This in-depth testing has allowed us to create a practical, side-by-side comparison to help you make the best choice for your online course needs.
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
Ready to create and sell your online course? LearnWorlds’ powerful platform makes it easy. It builds a thriving online learning business.
Pricing: Free trial available. Paid plan Starts at $24/month
Key Features:
- Course creation
- Marketing tools
- Assessments
What is Thinkific?
Thinkific is a popular platform for creating and selling online courses.
It’s designed to be user-friendly, even if you’re not a tech whiz.
Think of it as your all-in-one shop for building, marketing, and managing online courses. It’s a solid choice for beginners and experienced course creators alike.
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
What is LearnWorlds?
LearnWorlds is another popular platform. It’s known for its focus on creating engaging learning experiences.
Think interactive videos, gamification, and assessments.
It’s a good choice if you want to create highly interactive courses. It’s designed to make learning fun and effective.
Ready to create and sell your online course? LearnWorlds’ powerful platform makes it easy. See how you can build a thriving online learning business.
Key Benefits
- Interactive Video: LearnWorlds excels at engaging learners with interactive video features. Think quizzes and annotations right inside your videos.
- Assessments: You can create assessments, from quizzes to assignments, to test your students’ knowledge.
- Marketing Tools: LearnWorlds provides marketing tools to help you promote and sell your courses.
Pricing
LearnWorlds offers a range of pricing plans. The lowest tier starts at $24 monthly and gives access to core features like course creation and hosting. Higher-tier plans unlock more advanced features, such as marketing automation and white-labeling.
- Starter: $24/month
- Pro Trainer: $79/month
- Learning Center: $249/month
- High Volume & Corporate: Contact Sales
Pros
Cons
Feature Comparison
Let’s compare LearnWorlds and Thinkific in detail, examining their key features side-by-side to help you determine which online course platform best suits your needs for creating and selling online education.
Course Creation and Structure
- Thinkific offers a drag-and-drop course builder. It is easy to organize course content with sections and chapters, and it supports various media types.
- LearnWorlds: This provides a more interactive course player with multimedia support. It offers advanced features like interactive videos and assessments.
Marketing and Sales Funnels
- Thinkific: Has built-in tools like sales funnels and email marketing integrations. It helps you promote your online school.
- LearnWorlds offers features like customizable landing pages, sales funnels, and marketing integration to drive sales.
User Experience and Interface
- Thinkific: Known for its user-friendly interface. Easy to navigate and manage your online course platform. Great user experience.
- LearnWorlds Can be more complex but offers more advanced features. The user experience can be more challenging for some.
Student Engagement and Interactivity
- Thinkific: Supports quizzes and assignments. The focus is on precise course content delivery.
- LearnWorlds: Excels in interactive learning with features like gamification, interactive videos, and assessments.
Website and Site Builder
- Thinkific offers a site builder with templates for creating an online school website. It integrates with Google Analytics.
- LearnWorlds: Provides a fully customizable site builder, allowing you to create a unique learning experience.
Affiliate Program and Marketing
- Thinkific: Has a built-in affiliate program. It helps you get access to affiliate marketing.
- LearnWorlds: Offers affiliate marketing tools. It helps you manage your affiliate program.
Learning Management System (LMS) Features
- Thinkific: A robust LMS with features like course pages, student management, and progress tracking.
- LearnWorlds: A powerful LMS with advanced features like interactive learning, gamification, and detailed analytics.
What to Look for When Choosing a Community Platform?
Beyond the features and pricing we discussed, here are some additional factors to consider:
- Scalability: Can the platform grow with your community?
- Integrations: Does it connect with your other tools?
- Mobile Experience: Is the mobile app user-friendly?
- Community Moderation: Are there tools to manage members?
- Analytics & Reporting: Can you track community activity?
- Support & Documentation: Is help readily available?
- Security: How secure is the platform?
Final Verdict (Our Pick)
So, which platform wins? It’s a tough call because Thinkific and LearnWorlds are great LMS platforms.
If you’re just starting and want something easy to use, like Thinkific, with solid marketing tools, Thinkific might be your best bet.
They even have a free plan and free trial to get you going.
But if you’re serious about creating super engaging online learning experiences with interactive videos and gamification, LearnWorlds is the clear winner.
Ultimately, the best choice depends on your needs. We’ve spent hours testing both platforms.
We hope this breakdown gives you everything you need to make the right decision for your eLearning business.
Consider the most essential features, like webinars, marketing integrations, or course design, and choose the platform that ticks the most boxes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which platform is easier to use?
Thinkific generally has a reputation for being more user-friendly, especially for beginners. LearnWorlds also offers a good user experience, but some find the interface a tad more complex.
Which platform is better for interactive courses?
LearnWorlds excels in interactive learning features. Thinkific offers some interactivity, but LearnWorlds’ unique features, like interactive video and gamification, give it an edge.
What are the pricing options for each platform?
Both platforms offer various pricing options. It’s crucial to compare the plans and see which plan allows you to get access to the main features you need.
What kind of support do they offer?
Both Thinkific and LearnWorlds have a help center and a support team. They also offer features like live chat. The quality and responsiveness of support can vary.
Can I sell unlimited courses on these platforms?
Both platforms typically offer plans that allow for unlimited courses, but it’s always best to double-check the specifics of each plan before you commit.
