Thinkific vs. LearnDash: Which Platform is Right for You?

How do Thinkific and LearnDash compare as learning management systems (LMS)? 

We’ll break down the differences between a fully-hosted platform (Thinkific) and Wordpress plugin (LearnDash). Let’s discuss top features, course creation, learning experience, sales and marketing, support, pricing, and mobile app offerings.

Looking for a B2B solution? Talk to our team to see if Thinkific is right for you.

The logos of Thinkific and LearnDash, with a blue backdrop.

Topics

Thinkific is rated "Excellent" based on 781 reviews on Trustpilot

4.5

Thinkific is rated "Excellent" based on 781 reviews on Trustpilot

4.5

How do Thinkific and LearnDash compare?

The right tool can help you build, market, and sell an unforgettable course experience worth paying for. Let’s take a look at some of the differences between Thinkific and LearnDash so you can decide which tool is right for your specific needs.

Top Features: Thinkific vs Learndash

Top FeaturesLearnDash
Starting price

Starts at $49/mo

Starts at $29/mo

Create courses with any content type
Unlimited students
Learning communities
Host coaching sessions or webinars
Offer Digital Downloads
Landing pages powered by AI
Email automation tools
App integrations

90+ in the Thinkific App Store

29

Mobile app
Automated tax collection
Email and chat support

Course creation

A course builder should be easy to use and allow you to create an engaging learning experience for students — something that both Thinkific and LearnDash achieve. However, there are some core differences between the two. 

While LearnDash operates as a learning management system (LMS) plugin for WordPress, Thinkific operates as a single, integrated platform. LearnDash relies on plug-ins and add-ons, and involves merging with your existing website — something that might fragment the user experience from purchasing to learning. Because of this, LearnDash could require the help of a developer during the setup phase. 

In contrast, Thinkific offers an intuitive course builder designed for creators who have their students’ learning experiences in mind. You’re able to make your audience’s experience better with additional tools such as Live Lessons with Zoom, assignments, and a built-in presentation builder. Thinkific also supports the building of Communities to complement your course, or to sell access to on their own. By linking your course to your community, you’re able to create a holistic learning experience all on one platform that goes beyond simple course creation.

Preparing course (and other educational) materials is made even simpler with Thinkific’s advanced AI technology. For example, creators can build course outlines and quizzes in a few clicks. Thinkific’s AI Course Outline Generator instantly creates a detailed course outline tailored to your audience's needs and Thinkific's AI Quiz Generator creates quizzes that keep learners engaged, test comprehension, and identify knowledge gaps.

A screenshot of course creation features over a blue backdrop.
Course CreationLearnDash
No design or technical experience required
Create courses with any content type
AI course outline generator
Multiple content types per lesson
Live lessons
Quizzes
Assignments
Bulk import

Learning Experience

A great learning experience will help students learn more effectively and make them want to stick around longer and share it with others — ultimately, driving retention and helping you grow your business.

LearnDash provides a good learning experience for students by pulling from traditional educational sources. While high-quality, these might differ from the expectations of today’s users, who are more familiar and comfortable with online, micro, and mobile learning experiences. 

When it comes to the learning experience, Thinkific offers robust functionality that translates to powerful learning experiences for students. As a creator educator, you can provide your students with quizzes, exams, surveys, and the option to participate in your learning community. Your students are also given the option to leave reviews that can be shared publicly — something that helps more potential students find and sign up for your course. 

Thinkific also does more than just courses — they offer helpful digital learning experiences like Digital Downloads and Coaching & Webinars. With Digital Downloads, students can find value in quickly-downloadable guides, templates, exclusive resources, and more. With Coaching & Webinars, students can schedule coaching sessions and other forms of dedicated one-on-one time, attend workshops, and register for webinars. 

Teaching and learning experienceLearnDash
Interactive community
Easy course navigation
Course insights and analytics

With paid add-on

Course assignments
Student certificates
Student course reviews

Through an integration

Optimized for all devices
Third-party app integrations

Sales and Marketing

Get your course in front of the right audience with sales and marketing tools that help creators gain visibility and earn revenue.

While Learndash offers several tools to help build a custom course offering, it does not offer native tools to help creators market and sell their digital learning products.

Thinkific offers sales and marketing features to enable any course creator to get started. On Thinkific, you can build high-performing landing pages for your digital learning products leveraging AI tools to help you personalize and optimize your content.

You can also grow your email list, and roll out automated email flows, with Thinkific's email marketing tools. If that's not enough, Thinkific has 90+ integrations in the Thinkific App Store. Gain the extensibility and flexibility of apps like ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Shopify, Salesforce, and many more.

Additionally, Thinkific offers an entire suite of sales tools like Order Bumps, Performance Checkout, and Buy Now, Pay Later payment options that make selling easier.

If you’re looking for sales and marketing guidance, Thinkific has you covered with a best-in-class support team, countless on-demand courses and learning resources, and a blog with expert advice and tips.

LearnDash does not currently offer guidance or advice on how to market and sell your online courses.

A screenshot of course marketing solutions: Sales checkout and digital product pricing.

Sales features

Sales featuresLearnDash
Create free, paid, and time-limited courses
Customizable payment plans and offers
Subscriptions
Bundle multiple products
Order bumps
Coupons and promotions
Abandoned cart emails
Streamlined checkout
Built-in payment processor
Integration with e-commerce tools
B2B selling options

Marketing features

Marketing featuresLearnDash
Search engine optimization
AI-powered landing pages
Sales page branding and customization
Email automation
Marketing integrations
Robust affiliate marketing

Design customization features

Design customization featuresLearnDash
Customization of courses and communities
Branded mobile app

Mobile app

A mobile app is a great way for your audience to engage with your learning content from anywhere, at any time. 

LearnDash’s mobile app offering looks a little different than other brands. The LMS plugin doesn’t have its own mobile app but instead has partnered with BuddyBoss to offer the BuddyBoss LearnDash App.

The BuddyBoss LearnDash App gives LearnDash users the opportunity to create their own branded native app. Through the BuddyBoss LearnDash App, users can launch their own app for online courses, memberships, and online communities.

The app is fully customizable, allowing you to add features like push notifications or adjust configuration and appearance. There are three BuddyBoss plans available: Standard, Done For You, and Developer. 

Mobile appLearnDash
Available on iOS
Available on Android
Supports Courses
Supports Communities
White-labeled app offered
In-app purchases
Price

Thinkific mobile is included with Start plans and above $199/month for Branded Mobile

$219/month for Standard $1,999 one-time payment plus $219/month for Done For You $299 one-time payment plus $318/month for Developer *All plans require a $349 one-time payment for onboarding

Support

Choose a course platform that you can depend on. Getting help should be easy and your data should be secure. Let’s see how LearnDash and Thinkific compare when it comes to support.

LearnDash offers asynchronous customer support, which means it is only available by filling out an online form. They do not currently offer live chat or phone support.

Thinkific offers a network of experts, a growing community of peers, and a responsive support team. As you grow, and your learning platform becomes mission-critical, Thinkific offers more security and support options to ensure your success.

Customer serviceLearnDash
Dedicated onboarding
Dedicated app build
24/7 support
Guides, video tutorials, and other resources

Security

SecurityLearnDash
99.9% uptime and 24/7 monitoring
Secure cloud hosting and daily backups
Dedicated sandbox site

Site administration

Site administrationLearnDash
Single Sign On (SSO)
Multi-factor authentication
Archive courses and bundles

Pricing

Get a tool that fits your budget, but also meets your needs now and into the future. Both LearnDash and Thinkific offer a selection of plans to fit creators at any stage in their journey.

While Thinkific offers a free trial, LearnDash does not currently offer a complimentary trial of any kind. That said, LearnDash does provide a 15-day money-back guarantee.

Pricing plansLearnDash
Basic

$36/month (billed annually)

Yes ($199/year)

Start Plan

$74/month (billed annually)

Yes

Grow Plan

$149/month (billed annually)

Enterprise LMS

Custom pricing

Start your free trial

Creator educators like you have big ambitions. Why choose a platform that limits you? From 1 to 10,000+ students, Thinkific gives you complete control over your digital products and services — while remaining completely easy to use. Ready to experience Thinkific for yourself? Get your zero-risk free trial here.

Start Free 14-Day Trial

Thinkific is a learning platform that will never hold you back.

1 Million+

courses published

$340 million+

earned by creators on Thinkific

378 Million+

course enrollments

Thinkific is trusted by over 800,000 creators including:
Later
Hootsuite
Shopify
Keap
CFI