{"id":10839,"date":"2026-05-12T15:36:47","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T15:36:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myengineeringbuddy.com\/blog\/?p=10839"},"modified":"2026-05-12T15:36:47","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T15:36:47","slug":"thinkific-pricing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myengineeringbuddy.com\/blog\/thinkific-pricing\/","title":{"rendered":"Thinkific’s Pricing Is $36, $74, or $149 Per Month – Unless You Use Your Own Stripe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thinkific’s pricing page lists four numbers: $36, $74, $149, and “custom.” It also states 0% transaction fees. Both claims are accurate. Neither tells you what you will actually pay.<\/p>\n

The $36 monthly price applies only if you pay annually. The 0% transaction fees apply only if you use Thinkific Payments. If you use your own Stripe account which many course creators prefer for reconciliation, payout timing, or existing infrastructure Thinkific adds a surcharge on top of Stripe’s standard processing rates. On the Basic plan, that surcharge is 5%. At $3,000 in monthly revenue, it costs $150 per month. Combined with the plan fee, your real monthly cost is $186 not $36.<\/p>\n

Here is the full picture of what Thinkific actually costs in 2026, by plan and revenue level.<\/p>\n

Check Out: Get Personalized Online Tutoring<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Thinkific Plans and Advertised Pricing in 2026<\/h2>\n

Thinkific currently offers four plans. The prices below reflect monthly billing (what you pay if you choose month-to-month) and annual billing (paid upfront as a lump sum, billed at the lower per-month equivalent). The 0% transaction fee claim on every plan applies exclusively when using Thinkific Payments as your payment processor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Plan<\/th>\nMonthly Billing<\/th>\nAnnual Billing<\/th>\nStripe Surcharge<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Basic<\/td>\n$49\/mo<\/td>\n$36\/mo<\/td>\n5%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Start<\/td>\n$99\/mo<\/td>\n$74\/mo<\/td>\n2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Grow<\/td>\n$199\/mo<\/td>\n$149\/mo<\/td>\n1%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Plus<\/td>\nCustom<\/td>\nCustom<\/td>\nNegotiated<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The Stripe surcharge column is not displayed on Thinkific’s main pricing page. It appears in Thinkific’s support documentation and on third-party comparisons. The surcharge applies per transaction when you connect your own Stripe account instead of using Thinkific Payments (TCommerce). It is waived entirely once you exceed $1 million in annual sales volume.<\/p>\n

The Stripe Surcharge: Real Cost at Each Revenue Level<\/h2>\n

The 5% surcharge on the Basic plan exceeds the monthly plan fee itself above $720 in monthly revenue. At that revenue level, the surcharge equals $36 the same as the plan cost. Above $720\/month, the surcharge is the larger of the two line items. By $3,000 in monthly revenue, the surcharge costs $150 per month. By $5,000, it costs $250.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Monthly Revenue<\/th>\nBasic ($36 + 5%)<\/th>\nStart ($74 + 2%)<\/th>\nGrow ($149 + 1%)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
$500\/mo<\/td>\n$61\/mo<\/td>\n$84\/mo<\/td>\n$154\/mo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
$1,000\/mo<\/td>\n$86\/mo<\/td>\n$94\/mo<\/td>\n$159\/mo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
$3,000\/mo<\/td>\n$186\/mo<\/td>\n$134\/mo<\/td>\n$179\/mo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
$5,000\/mo<\/td>\n$286\/mo<\/td>\n$174\/mo<\/td>\n$199\/mo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
$10,000\/mo<\/td>\n$536\/mo<\/td>\n$274\/mo<\/td>\n$249\/mo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
$20,000\/mo<\/td>\n$1,036\/mo<\/td>\n$474\/mo<\/td>\n$349\/mo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Note: These figures show plan fee plus Thinkific’s Stripe surcharge only. Stripe’s own standard processing rate (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction) applies separately on top of these figures, regardless of whether you use Thinkific Payments or your own Stripe account.<\/p>\n

Total effective processing cost using your own Stripe on Basic is approximately 7.9% of revenue plus $0.30 per transaction.<\/p>\n

The table also reveals a crossover point: at $3,000 in monthly revenue, the Start plan ($134\/mo total) is cheaper than the Basic plan ($186\/mo total) even though it costs $38\/mo more as an advertised plan fee.<\/p>\n

Course creators processing above $2,100 in monthly revenue save money by upgrading from Basic to Start, because the 3-percentage-point surcharge reduction offsets the higher plan fee.<\/p>\n

The Ultimate Guide to Online Tutoring 2026: Expert Tips, Pricing & Platform Reviews<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Thinkific Payments vs. Your Own Stripe: Which to Use<\/h2>\n

If you have no existing Stripe infrastructure and no strong preference for a specific payment processor, Thinkific Payments is the cost-optimal choice on every plan.<\/p>\n

It carries no Thinkific surcharge and processes at the same standard rate as Stripe directly (2.9% + $0.30 for US card transactions). Payouts land in your Thinkific account and transfer on a standard schedule.<\/p>\n

Use your own Stripe account if you need consolidated payment processing across multiple platforms or tools, custom payout timing that differs from Thinkific’s default schedule, PayPal as an additional checkout option for your customers, or an existing Stripe setup already integrated with your accounting, CRM, or fulfillment tools.<\/p>\n

In those cases, the surcharge is the cost of that operational flexibility. At lower revenue levels, it may be acceptable. At higher revenue levels, it makes the upgrade math worth running.<\/p>\n

What the Basic Plan Locks Out<\/h2>\n

The $36\/month Basic plan (annual billing) excludes several features that are standard on competing platforms and that many course creators consider baseline requirements. The following are absent on Basic and unlock at Start ($74\/mo annual) or above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Feature<\/th>\nBasic<\/th>\nStart<\/th>\nGrow<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Certificates of completion<\/td>\nNo<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Assignments<\/td>\nNo<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Payment plans for students<\/td>\nNo<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Memberships \/ subscriptions<\/td>\nNo<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Zoom live lesson integration<\/td>\nNo<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Advanced analytics<\/td>\nNo<\/td>\nNo<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
API access \/ webhooks<\/td>\nNo<\/td>\nNo<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Group orders<\/td>\nNo<\/td>\nNo<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The Basic plan is functional for a single course or small catalogue where students pay once and access the content. It becomes a constraint if your business model involves subscriptions, cohort-based learning with assignments, corporate sales requiring group enrollment, or live instruction via Zoom. None of those are available at the $36\/month tier.<\/p>\n

How Online Tutoring Enhances Test Prep for Standardized Exams<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Thinkific’s Free Plan Status in 2026<\/h2>\n

Thinkific removed its free plan. As of 2026, there is no permanently free tier. The platform previously offered a free plan that allowed one published course with limited students, but that plan no longer exists for new signups.<\/p>\n

New users can access a 14-day free trial with no credit card required, which provides full platform access during the trial period. After 14 days, payment is required to continue using the platform or to keep existing content accessible to students. The trial is available on the Basic, Start, and Grow plans and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee on the first billing period.<\/p>\n

If you are comparing Thinkific against platforms that retain a functional free tier such as Teachable’s limited free plan or Podia’s trial structure the Thinkific model now requires a paid commitment from day 15. For courses creators who want to validate their content before paying, the 14-day window is shorter than some alternatives offer.<\/p>\n

Also Read: 24\/7 Premium 1:1 Tutoring For Standardized Tests<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Which Plan Is Right for Your Business<\/h2>\n

Basic ($36\/mo annual, $49\/mo monthly)<\/strong> is appropriate if you are launching your first course with a simple one-time payment model and no need for assignments, certificates, or subscriptions. It becomes expensive quickly if you use your own Stripe as shown in the table above, the cost exceeds the Start plan at $2,100 in monthly revenue.<\/p>\n

Start ($74\/mo annual, $99\/mo monthly)<\/strong> is the realistic entry point for most established course creators. It unlocks certificates, assignments, payment plans, and memberships the features that most course businesses depend on and reduces the Stripe surcharge from 5% to 2%. At revenue above $2,100\/month, it is also the cheaper plan after accounting for surcharges.<\/p>\n

Grow ($149\/mo annual, $199\/mo monthly)<\/strong> makes sense when you need advanced analytics, API integrations, Zapier access, or group ordering for corporate clients. The 1% Stripe surcharge makes the cost math favorable at higher volume. At $20,000\/month in revenue, the Grow plan costs $349\/month all-in versus $474\/month on Start.<\/p>\n

Plus (custom pricing)<\/strong> is the enterprise tier, requiring a sales conversation. It removes Stripe surcharges entirely, adds SCORM compliance, single sign-on, a dedicated customer success manager, and a branded mobile app on select configurations. It is relevant for companies running customer education or partner certification programs at scale.<\/p>\n

Frequently Asked Questions About Thinkific Pricing<\/h2>\n

Is Thinkific’s Basic plan really $36 per month?<\/h3>\n

The $36\/month price applies when you pay annually (billed as $432 upfront). Month-to-month billing on the Basic plan is $49\/month. If you use your own Stripe account instead of Thinkific Payments, a 5% surcharge applies to each transaction, which adds $150\/month at $3,000 in monthly revenue, bringing the real cost to $186\/month at that level.<\/p>\n

What is Thinkific’s Stripe surcharge and how does it work?<\/h3>\n

Thinkific charges a percentage surcharge on each transaction when you use an external payment processor (such as your own Stripe account or PayPal) instead of Thinkific Payments. The surcharge is 5% on Basic, 2% on Start, 1% on Grow, and negotiated on Plus. It applies until you reach $1 million in annual sales, after which Thinkific waives it entirely. Using Thinkific Payments instead avoids the surcharge entirely.<\/p>\n

Does Thinkific still have a free plan in 2026?<\/h3>\n

No. Thinkific removed its free plan. New users receive a 14-day free trial with full platform access and no credit card required. After the trial, a paid plan is required. The Basic plan is the entry-level paid option at $36\/month (annual billing) or $49\/month (monthly billing).<\/p>\n

At what revenue level does it make sense to upgrade from Basic to Start?<\/h3>\n

If you use your own Stripe account, upgrading from Basic to Start saves money at revenue above approximately $2,100 per month. At that level, the 3% surcharge reduction (from 5% to 2%) saves $63\/month, which more than offsets the $38\/month price increase. If you use Thinkific Payments (no surcharge on either plan), the upgrade decision is based entirely on feature requirements rather than cost math.<\/p>\n

How does Thinkific compare to other course platforms on pricing?<\/h3>\n

Thinkific’s advertised prices are competitive, but the Stripe surcharge structure makes direct comparison require additional calculation. Platforms like Kajabi ($69\/mo basic annual) have no transaction surcharges regardless of processor. Teachable charges 5% on its free plan and has a paid tier at $39\/mo. Podia has no transaction fees on any plan. For course creators with established payment infrastructure who prefer their own Stripe, the surcharge difference is the primary pricing variable when comparing Thinkific against alternatives.<\/p>\n