Learnyst vs Thinkific (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Thinkific grades higher than Learnyst: 2.4 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Thinkific grades higher on value for money, the free plan and features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Learnyst
Course platform with DRM protection, apps and test series
Thinkific
Course, community and membership platform for experts and academies
Which one is for you
Pick Learnyst if
- Fits if you sell exam prep and want DRM-protected video and mock tests
- Works for institutes that want their own branded app and can commit for a year
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you need Premium features: offline download, SCORM, 1080p video and API start there
- Watch out: branded apps need an annual commitment and are published under Learnyst's developer account
- Watch out: some listed features carry additional charges and prices are shown plus taxes
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as there is only a trial of unstated length
Pick Thinkific if
- Fits if you want a month to build your course before paying anything
- Works for academies selling seats to companies as well as to people, on Grow at $164
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you're starting small, as there's no plan under Start at $82 a month billed yearly, or $109 monthly
- Not for you if your students expect an app, unless you'll pay $199 a month more
- Skip it if you need SSO or SCORM, which only come with the custom-priced Plus plan
- Watch out: Stripe and PayPal carry an extra Thinkific gateway fee in some countries
- Tight if you're on Start, with 2 admins, 1 community and 10,000 current students
How we grade them
| 1.8GPALearnystWeak | 2.4GPAThinkificFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$135 a month billed yearly is in the dearer quarter of courses and communities tools ($82), and offline download, SCORM and API access need Premium at $224 or Business. | CStart, now the cheapest plan, is $82 a month billed yearly with unlimited courses, and Thinkific takes no fee on sales through Thinkific Payments, whose 2.9% is card processing. So $2,000 of sales costs $82 a month, just past this category's dearer quarter at $79. Stripe or PayPal can add a fee in some countries. |
| Free plan and trial | DA free trial exists, but the pricing page says only 'get started for free' and gives no length or card terms. | CNo free plan, but a 30-day trial of the whole platform, as long as any in this category. The listing doesn't say it needs a card. |
| Features | CCourses, cohorts, live classes, mock tests, DRM, marketing tools and apps. The listing's gap: offline download, SCORM, 1080p and API are on higher plans. | BDrag-and-drop courses with quizzes and drip, a community with spaces and events, a site builder, email automation, checkout with order bumps and sales tax, and B2B group orders on Grow. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core job. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You build courses and tests, and branded apps go through a publishing process. | CNo App Store rating on record. It's drag-and-drop, but you're building a course, a site and a checkout, so there's some setting up before you sell. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iOS and Android, with Google Tag Manager, GA4 and WhatsApp connections. No desktop app. | BWeb, with Zoom, Stripe, PayPal, Zapier, HubSpot and Salesforce, and an API on Grow. Students get no app unless you buy the branded one for $199 a month. |
| Best for | courses with DRM protection and test series | a course business with a 30-day trial |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Learnyst and Thinkific. How we grade
Price against what you get
Learnyst starts at $135 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Thinkific starts at $82 a month and scores 2.7.
Thinkific scores higher and starts $53 a month lower. Of the other course and community platforms on the chart, 12 score higher than Learnyst for less, and 2 score higher than Thinkific for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Learnyst also covers marketing automation.
- Thinkific also covers invoicing.
At a glance
| Learnyst | Thinkific | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $135 per month, billed annually ($149 billed monthly) | $82 per month, billed annually ($109 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free trial available; the pricing page says "Get started for free" and gives no length. | 30-day free trial of the whole platform |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Learnyst Insight Private Limited | Thinkific |
| Price read from | learnyst.com | thinkific.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Learnyst
- Branded apps need an annual commitment and are published under Learnyst's developer account.
- Offline download, SCORM, 1080p video and API access are on Premium or Business only.
- Some listed features carry additional charges, marked on the pricing page.
- Prices are shown plus taxes.
Thinkific
- There is no free plan; the 30-day trial is the only way to try it.
- Stripe and PayPal carry an extra Thinkific gateway fee in some countries that varies by plan; Thinkific Payments charges 2.9%.
- Start, Grow and Expand cap current students at 10,000, and Start allows 2 admins and 1 community.
- SSO, SCORM and the AI teaching assistant are only in the Plus plan, which is priced through sales.
Key features
Learnyst
- Courses, cohorts and live classes
- Sell recorded courses, live classes and batches, with content dripping and automated certificates.
- Mock tests and test series
- Run mock tests and test series with analysis of results, listed on every plan.
- DRM content protection
- DRM protection is on every plan. The Business plan lists L1 DRM for stronger protection.
- Marketing tools
- Email, push and WhatsApp marketing, campaigns, coupons and referrals are listed on all plans.
- Branded apps
- Professional uses a common app. Premium brands the Android app and Business brands Android and iOS.
- Admin seats and roles
- Sub-admin seats rise from 5 to 25 to 50, and custom admin roles start on Premium.
Thinkific
- Course builder
- Drag-and-drop courses with video, quizzes, drip schedules, discussions and compliance rules; assignments and certificates start on Start.
- Communities
- Standalone communities with topic spaces, live events and paid memberships: 1 community on Start, 3 on Grow and 10 on Expand.
- TCommerce checkout
- Thinkific Payments with order bumps, gifting, buy now pay later, payment plans, abandoned cart reminders and automated sales tax.
- Site builder and email
- Branded websites and landing pages on a custom domain, members-only pages, and email automation with pre-built sequences.
- B2B selling
- Grow adds group orders so companies can buy bulk seats, and invoicing to bill and collect from business buyers.
- Branded mobile app
- Your own iOS and Android app with push notifications, sold as a $199 a month add-on and included on some Plus contracts.
Plans
Learnyst
Professional$135
per month, billed annually ($149 billed monthly)
5 sub-admin seats, 0% transaction fees, DRM protection, custom domain and a common Android and iOS app.
Premium$224
per month, billed annually ($249 billed monthly)
Adds white labelling, a branded Android app, affiliates, instalment pricing and 25 sub-admin seats.
Business$719
per month, billed annually ($799 billed monthly)
Adds branded Android and iOS apps, SCORM, 1080p video, gamification, API and SSO, and 50 sub-admin seats.
EnterpriseCustom
For needs beyond the listed plans; contact the sales team.
Thinkific
Start$82
per month, billed annually ($109 billed monthly)
Live cohorts with Zoom, certificates, assignments, memberships, bundles, upsells, payment plans, an HTML and CSS editor, 2 admins.
Grow$164
per month, billed annually ($219 billed monthly)
No Thinkific branding, 3 communities, group orders and invoicing for B2B buyers, API and webhooks, phone support, 6 admins.
Expand$374
per month, billed annually ($499 billed monthly)
10 communities with 200 spaces, 1,000 GB of video a month, unlimited group sizes, email white-labeling, 15 admins, revenue sharing with 10 partners and launch support.
PlusCustom
AI teaching assistant, SSO, SCORM and learning paths, HubSpot and Salesforce integrations, 10,000+ user seats and a dedicated success team.
Ways to pay less
Learnyst
No public discounts listed.
Thinkific
- Annual discount
Save 25% with annual billing
Thinkific's pricing page lists 25% off for annual billing: Start $82 a month instead of $109, Grow $164 instead of $219, Expand $374 instead of $499.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Learnyst or Thinkific?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Thinkific is cheaper to start with: $82 a month, against $135 a month for Learnyst. Learnyst starts at $135 per month, billed annually ($149 billed monthly), and Thinkific starts at $82 per month, billed annually ($109 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Learnyst or Thinkific?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Learnyst nor Thinkific has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Learnyst and Thinkific run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Learnyst lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.