Stan vs ThriveCart
We give Stan a 2.4 GPA and ThriveCart a 2.6, out of 4.0. ThriveCart grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Stan
Link-in-bio store for creators selling downloads, courses and calls
ThriveCart
Checkout, funnel and course platform with a lifetime licence option
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAStanFair | 2.6GPAThriveCartGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CCreator is $300 billed yearly with no cut of sales, so $1,000 a month in sales costs $300 a year, inside this category's usual range. Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 comes on top and isn't counted. Discount codes, upsells and email need Creator Pro at $948 a year. | BThe lifetime Standard licence is $495 once, with no cut of sales. Spread over two years, as we do for one-off prices, that's well under the yearly plan's $888 for the same two years ($444 + $444) and under two years of this category's middle price. Processor fees aren't counted. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan. There's a 14-day trial of either plan, you can sell during it, and the listing doesn't say it needs a card. | CNo free plan, but a 30-day free trial on the monthly and yearly plans, longer than most here. The listing doesn't say whether it needs a card. |
| Features | BDownloads, unlimited courses, coaching calls and webinars with booking, memberships, a community and Instagram auto-replies. The whole job is here, though discount codes, upsells, funnels, affiliates and email all wait for Creator Pro. | BCheckouts, order bumps, one-click upsells, A/B tests, subscriptions with retention offers, buy now pay later, sales tax, and courses and communities through Academy. Nothing's missing from the job; affiliates and custom domains need Pro+. |
| Ease of use | CNo App Store rating on record. The store is built for a phone screen and a bio link, but you're still setting up products, calendars and Stripe or PayPal. | CNo App Store rating on record. A visual editor helps, but you're building checkouts, funnels and courses and linking Stripe, PayPal or Authorize.net before anything sells. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb and iPhone, with Stripe, PayPal, Zapier, Zoom, Google Meet, Google Calendar, Afterpay and Klarna. There's no Android app and no desktop app. | BWeb, with Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, Zapier, ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit, Mailchimp and HubSpot. No phone or desktop app is listed. |
| Best for | creators selling from a link in their bio | paying once for checkouts, funnels and courses |
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: Stan and ThriveCart. How we grade
Price against what you get
Stan starts at $29 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. ThriveCart starts at $37 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Stan starts $8 a month lower. Of the other tools for selling digital products on the chart, 2 score higher than Stan for less, and 2 score higher than ThriveCart 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
- Stan starts at $29 per month ($300 billed yearly). ThriveCart starts at $37 per month, billed annually ($47 monthly).
- Only Stan lists an iOS app.
- Stan also covers email campaigns and appointment booking.
- ThriveCart also covers a/B testing.
At a glance
| Stan | ThriveCart | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $29 per month ($300 billed yearly) | $37 per month, billed annually ($47 monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of either plan, and you can sell during the trial | 30-day free trial on the monthly and yearly plans |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Stan | ThriveCart |
| Price read from | help.stan.store | thrivecart.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Stan
- Social media creators who sell from a link in their bio
- Coaches selling calls, courses and downloads in one place
- Creators who want a flat fee with no cut of sales
ThriveCart
- Course sellers who want checkout, funnels and course hosting together
- Creators who would rather pay once than pay every month
- Sellers who run affiliate programs and upsell funnels
Worth knowing
Stan
- No free plan; Stan takes 0% of sales, but Stripe charges US sellers 2.9% + $0.30 a sale, plus 1.5% for buyers abroad.
- Discount codes, upsells, funnels, affiliates, email broadcasts and email flows all need Creator Pro at $99 a month.
- Physical products have no shipping or stock tools: sellers collect addresses at checkout and fulfill by hand.
- The mobile app is on iPhone and iPad only; there is no Android app.
ThriveCart
- ThriveCart takes 0% of sales, but payments run through your own Stripe, PayPal or Authorize.net account, whose processing fees apply.
- The affiliate center, multiple order bumps, dunning and custom domains all need Pro+ at $87 a month or $804 a year.
- The lifetime Standard licence costs $495 once; Pro+ bought outright costs $790 and then $295 a year from year two.
- Checkout pages offer paid add-ons, such as $69 courses and a $19 one-time offer, which are optional.
Key features
Stan
- Bio-link storefront
- A mobile-first store built for a social media bio link, with digital downloads, custom products and links out to other sites.
- Courses, calls and webinars
- Unlimited password-protected courses, 1:1 or group coaching calls and webinars run through Zoom or Google Meet with calendar booking.
- Memberships and community
- Charge members daily, weekly, monthly or yearly, and run a community space with admins and moderators inside Stan.
- Email marketing on Creator Pro
- Import contacts, send broadcasts and build automated email flows with unlimited sends, all on the Creator Pro plan.
- Sales tools on Creator Pro
- Discount codes, limited-quantity offers, upsells, order bumps, funnels, payment plans with Afterpay or Klarna, and an affiliate program.
- Stan AutoDM
- Sends automated replies to Instagram messages and comments, included on both plans.
ThriveCart
- Checkouts and funnels
- Modal, single-page or multi-step checkouts, order bumps, one-click upsells and downsells, and a visual page editor for whole funnels.
- Payment options
- Cards, PayPal, buy now pay later through Afterpay, Klarna, Affirm or ThrivePay Installments, multi-currency pricing and crypto on Pro+.
- Subscriptions
- Trials, renewals, upgrades and cancellations, a fixed monthly billing date, subscription bumps at checkout and retention offers before cancelling.
- ThriveCart Academy
- Courses with drip content, quizzes and certificates, plus branded communities, included with every subscription; limits rise from Starter to Growth.
- Affiliates on Pro+
- Recruit affiliates, set commissions, track referrals and pay affiliates automatically, with joint venture contracts for partners.
- Digital delivery and tax
- Instant delivery with expiring download links, plus sales tax calculation and collection with tax-inclusive pricing.
Plans
Stan
Creator$29
per month ($300 billed yearly)
Storefront, unlimited courses, calendar booking, recurring subscriptions, lead magnets, community, analytics and Stan AutoDM for Instagram. No transaction fee.
Creator Pro$99
per month ($948 billed yearly)
Adds discount codes, payment plans, upsells, order bumps, funnels, Afterpay and Klarna, affiliate management, email broadcasts and flows, and ad pixels.
ThriveCart
Standard$37
per month, billed annually ($47 monthly)
Unlimited products and funnels, 1 order bump, upsells, A/B tests, cart recovery, sales tax tools, and Academy Starter for 2,000 community members.
Pro+$87
per month ($804 billed yearly)
Adds multiple order bumps, the affiliate center with automatic payouts, dunning, custom domains, team permissions and the Academy Growth plan.
Standard lifetime$495
one-time
A ThriveCart Standard account for a single payment with no subscription, offered beside the monthly and yearly plans.
Pro+ hybrid$790
one-time, then $295 a year from year 2
Pro+ bought on its own page for a one-time $790, followed by a $295 yearly subscription from the second year.
EnterpriseCustom
For high-volume sellers: volume-based processing rates, unlimited team seats, a dedicated account manager, migration and white-glove setup.
Ways to pay less
Stan
- Annual discount
Lower price with yearly billing
Stan sells Creator at $300 a year instead of $29 a month ($348 over a year), and Creator Pro at $948 a year instead of $99 a month ($1,188).
ThriveCart
- Annual discount
Save 20% on Standard with yearly billing
ThriveCart's checkout lists Standard at $444 a year ($37 a month) as a 20% saving on $47 a month; Pro+ is $804 a year instead of $87 a month.
- Lifetime license
Lifetime Standard licence for $495
ThriveCart sells a Standard account for a one-time payment of $495 instead of a monthly or yearly subscription.
- Nonprofit
Special pricing for schools and charities
Schools and registered charities can fill in a form on ThriveCart's site, and its support team will be in touch about special pricing.
