Creating an Online Course with Thinkific

29/04/2019 by Sam Leave a Comment

I spend a lot (no really, A LOT) of time answering the question

“I want to make an online course/membership site. Which plugin should I use?”

And while there is no easy answer, and your choice will depend on a whole heap of variables, I do have some favourites. Today we are talking all about Thinkific (You can read more about my other faves, AccessAlly or Wishlist Member.)

What is Thinkific

Thinkific is an online course platform, which allows you to build and host your content, as well as building a website and sales page to sell your content. 
Unlike some of the other options we have looked at, this ISN’T a plugin for your WordPress site. It sits independently. You don’t need a website to host your content on Thinkific.

What does Thinkific do?

Thinkific allows you to upload content, build a course, sell a course, and run your course.

But… it also enables you to…

Use a range of different mediums

Thinkific allows you to easily upload videos, images and files to make create interesting and engaging course modules. All of your video is hosted directly with Thinkific, so you won’t need to pay additional fees for a video hosting service.

Create assessment and interaction 

You can add quizzes, surveys and discussion points to your modules to get your students thinking about your content, and to test their retention. These are great ways to ensure they are learning your content, not just zipping through it.

Drip feed content

Don’t want your students to have access to all of your course on day one? Set content to drip feed out on set dates, or a fixed number of days after they sign up, to control access to your content.

Build a website to sell your course

With Thinkific, you don’t have to have your own website. The platform uses a drag and drop builder, which allows you to quickly and easily create a sales page to sell your course. You can even use your own domain name, if you have one.

Charge in a range of currencies 

Thinkific’s integrated sales platform allows you to sell your course. You can choose one of over 100 currencies, accept credit card payments, and offer coupons as part of a special deal if you want to.

And a lot more… (see all of the features and functionality here)

What does Thinkific NOT do?

Thinkific is NOT a plugin and does not install directly onto your website. 

Your content will be hosted on the Thinkific platform, and you will need to log in there to upload, edit and access your course.

How much is it?

(At time of publishing) 

  • Free level – $0 per month (get access to some of their basic course building features for free)
  • Basic level – $49 per month
  • Pro level – $99 per month

Prices are in US Dollars and were current at the time of publishing this post. 

Make sure you check out current pricing and deals here

My personal opinion:

Thinkific is a solid option if you don’t want to host your course on your own website, or are looking for an easy way to get your course online. 

My first preference is always to put your course on your own site. This way you are in complete control over your content and your course. 

If Thinkific goes offline, then so does your course…

However, there are many reasons why you may not want to host your course on your own site, and if that is the case, the Thinkific could be a good option to get started. It is more expensive than the Teachable platform, but it does offer a free option so you can get started and see if it is a good fit for you. 

Disclaimer

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may be rewarded for you purchasing through my link.
This doesn’t impact the price you pay in any way.
I wouldn’t be telling you about it if I didn’t believe that it could be a good option for you. So go on, have a look, and see what you think.

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