The verdict
If you want to own a branded academy, and interactive video or SCORM matters to your learners, I'd pick LearnWorlds. If you want a clean home for self-paced courses or cohorts, and you sell training to companies, pick Thinkific. Look at plans before you decide. LearnWorlds charges a fee on each paid enrolment on its entry plan, and API access and webhooks sit on the third plan and above. Thinkific starts memberships and cohorts on its second plan, and branding removal, B2B sales and API access on its third. Test the trial with the exact features you plan to sell.
Side by side
| 11 points compared | ||
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $24/mo | €39/mo |
| Free plan | No | No |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| MCP server | ||
| Built-in billing | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in community | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in email marketing | Yes | Yes |
| Cohort / live courses | Yes | Yes |
| Gated content | Yes | Yes |
| No-code setup | Yes | Yes |
| Team memberships | Yes | Yes |
| Links |
Plans and pricing
LearnWorlds
- Starter$29/mo
- Pro Trainer$99/mo
- Learning Center$299/mo
Thinkific
- Basic€53/mo
- Start€107/mo
- Grow€213/mo
Who each is for
Choose LearnWorlds if…
Pick LearnWorlds if you are a course creator or training provider who wants the strongest branding and the widest set of formats. It suits you if you run programmes for several client organisations, or serve European learners who pay with iDEAL or Bancontact through Stripe. The commerce and reporting side is strong. It is more platform than a first, small course needs, so skip it if you are only testing an idea. A lighter tool will cost you less effort.
Choose Thinkific if…
Pick Thinkific if you are an expert, coach or training team who wants checkout, delivery and community in one tidy place. You can grow from one course to a programme with cohorts and memberships without switching tools. B2B selling is covered on its higher plans, which helps if companies buy for their teams. It is a focused tool, so marketing depth is limited and you will likely keep a separate email tool and CRM. You also rent the platform, and the student experience is Thinkific's, not yours.
Other options worth a look
Platform for creators to sell digital products and memberships, with Gumroad handling payments and global sales tax.
Create and sell online courses, coaching and digital downloads with built-in hosting and payment processing.