Thinkific is still free, but the free plan has stricter limitations that make it suitable only for beginners or testing. The platform has not removed its free plan, but it now functions more like a starter tier than a scalable solution.
Thinkific still offers a free plan, but it includes limited features, restricted customization, and reduced scalability.
Users can start without upfront payment, but growth features, branding control, and advanced tools are locked behind paid plans, which changes how “free” the platform feels, especially when compared to alternatives that offer savings like a Teachable coupon code to save 22%.
The free plan functions as a trial-level setup rather than a long-term business solution.
The Thinkific free plan includes 4 core features: course hosting, payment processing, basic pages, and essential tools.
You can:
Create and host 1 or more courses
Accept student payments
Build a basic landing page
Use core course-building tools (videos, PDFs, quizzes)
These features support idea validation and initial course launches.
Thinkific feels less free because key business features are restricted to paid plans.
The free plan excludes advanced tools, such as memberships, subscriptions, and marketing automation, which limits business scalability.
Thinkific branding appears on free-plan sites, which reduces professional presentation and brand control.
Advanced integrations, such as email marketing tools, CRM systems, and analytics platforms, are restricted on the free plan.
Design control is restricted, which limits layout flexibility and brand identity customization.
Paid Thinkific plans unlock 4 major improvements: advanced features, branding control, integrations, and scalability.
Paid plans provide:
Advanced course features (drip content, memberships, bundles)
Enhanced student engagement tools
Full branding and white-label control
Expanded marketing and automation capabilities, which can offset costs similarly to using a $600 off Teachable promo code on competing platforms.
The platform shifts from basic hosting to a full business system after upgrading.
The free plan is useful for testing ideas but not for scaling a business.
Use the free plan if you:
Validate a course idea
Launch a first digital product
Avoid upfront costs
Test platform usability
Avoid relying on it if you:
Build a scalable course business
Require branding control
Use marketing automation
Need advanced customization
The confusion comes from comparing Thinkific with platforms like Teachable, which use different pricing models.
Some platforms charge transaction fees, while others restrict features, which creates different interpretations of what “free” means in practice, especially when users evaluate value alongside offers like a Teachable discount code to save $600 on first order.
Thinkific is still free to start, but it is not fully functional without upgrading.
The free plan supports basic course creation, while paid plans enable growth, branding, and monetization at scale.
Choose the free plan for testing and initial launches, and plan to upgrade for scaling and professional growth.
Long-term success depends on features, flexibility, and revenue potential, not just zero upfront cost.
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No, Thinkific no longer offers a permanent free plan. It now uses a time-limited free trial instead.
The free plan has been replaced with a trial period on paid plans. After the trial ends, you must subscribe to continue using it.
Thinkific phased out its free plan around 2025, fully transitioning to a trial-based model by 2026.
The change helps focus on premium features and encourages users to commit to paid plans for long-term growth.
Only during the free trial period. To keep courses active and selling, a paid subscription is required afterward.