Thinkific alternative

A complete course academy.
For less than half of Thinkific Start.

Thinkific's cheapest plan now costs $82 per month, billed annually. Forento Start includes courses, coaching sessions, memberships, a website builder, and a community for $39 per month, billed annually, and you can begin on a free plan.

Start for free Compare plans

4.8/5 on AppSumo · Creators in 151 countries · Free forever plan

Forento and Thinkific in numbers

$516

saved per year

Forento Start vs Thinkific Start, billed annually

to get started

Thinkific has no free plan

∞

students on every plan

Thinkific's self-serve plans include 10,000 current students

Forento sales commission on paid plans

Payment processor fees still apply

Pricing comparison

Compare the plans with a website and community

Thinkific Start costs $82 per month billed annually, after Thinkific discontinued its Basic plan in October 2026. Forento Start costs $39 per month billed annually and includes the website builder, blog, and community.

Thinkific

Start plan

$82/mo

billed annually

Unlimited courses

10,000 current students

2 admin users

1 community

Forento

Start plan

$39/mo

billed annually

Unlimited products

Unlimited students

3 admin accounts

Website, blog, and community

See all Forento plans

Feature comparison

Forento vs Thinkific

Compare the capabilities that matter most when you create and sell courses.

Feature	Forento	Thinkific
Online courses	Included	Included
Digital downloads	Included	Included
Coaching sessions	Included	Included
Memberships	Included	Included
Community	Start and Scale	Included
Website builder	Start and Scale	Included
Custom domain	Basic and up	Included
Course certificates	Scale	Included
Content dripping	Scale	Included
Email marketing automation	Not included	Included
Branded mobile app	Not included	$199/month add-on
Company based in the EU	Included	Not included
Free plan	Included	Not included
Students	Unlimited	10,000 current students
Admin accounts	Basic: 1; Start: 3; Scale: unlimited	Start: 2; Grow: 6; Expand: 15

Prices checked November 13, 2026, in USD with annual billing. Thinkific shows prices in local currency in some regions. Payment processing fees apply on both platforms, and Thinkific adds a gateway fee for creators in the US, Canada, UK, and EU who use a third-party payment provider instead of Thinkific Payments. Forento Free charges a 20% sales commission. Features depend on the selected plan. Check current Thinkific pricing.

Honest verdict

Thinkific or Forento?

Thinkific is a mature learning platform with more built-in course tools. Forento covers the essentials for far less.

Choose Thinkific if you

Want certificates and content dripping on the entry plan
Need email marketing automation inside your course platform
Rely on Thinkific's app store of integrations
Want a branded app in the app stores and can budget $199 per month for it

Choose Forento if you

Want a free plan, or a full academy with a website and community for $39 per month
Don't want a limit on current students
Sell coaching sessions alongside live events and webinars
Want a platform made and hosted in the EU, with the EU right of withdrawal built into checkout

Why switch?

The core of a course business, without the premium price

💰

Pay less for the essentials

Courses, memberships, coaching, a website, and a community cost $39 per month on Forento Start, billed annually.

🚀

Start on a free plan

Build your academy on Forento Free with no monthly fee, and upgrade when your sales justify it.

🌍

Made in Europe

Forento is built by a Swedish company and hosted in the EU, and your academy can run in your students' language.

Questions about switching from Thinkific

Is Forento cheaper than Thinkific?

Yes. Thinkific's cheapest plan, Start, costs $82 per month billed annually or $109 billed monthly. Forento has a free plan, and paid plans cost $15 for Basic and $39 for Start per month, billed annually. Prices were checked on November 13, 2026.

What does Thinkific have that Forento doesn't?

Thinkific includes email marketing automation, certificates and content dripping on every plan, an app store of integrations, and a branded mobile app as a $199 per month add-on. Forento has certificates and dripping on Scale, sends automatic student emails but not marketing automations, and has no mobile apps.

Does Thinkific have a free plan?

No. Thinkific no longer offers a free plan, and it discontinued its Basic plan in October 2026, so its plans start at Start. Forento Free has no monthly fee and charges a 20% sales commission.

Which Forento plan replaces Thinkific Start?

Forento Start includes courses, memberships, coaching sessions, the website builder, a blog, and a community, with 3 admin accounts. Choose Scale if you need certificates, content dripping, bundles, multiple community channels, or Zapier.

Can I try Forento before I cancel Thinkific?

Yes. Paid plans include a 30-day free trial, so you can build and test your academy while your Thinkific site keeps running.

Ready to move from Thinkific?

Try a paid Forento plan free for 30 days, then decide whether the lower price fits your business.

Start for free

A complete course academy.For less than half of Thinkific Start.