LearnWorlds and. The Thinkific: Which is More Suitable for You? |
LearnWorlds was launched in 2014 and has grown into a robust learning platform geared towards institutions of learning. Thinkific began on the market in the year 2014, and has become known for pre-recorded courses for creators and online business administrators.
In this article, we'll compare LearnWorlds as well as Thinkific to create and deliver online-based courses. Let's look at what they offer you, ranking their strengths and weaknesses within the following areas:
- Online course platform
- Tools for engagement and communities
- Marketing and business features
- Access and apps
Test the site with the largest $1 million memberships
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LearnWorlds in comparison to. Thinkific Table Comparative
LearnWorlds |
Thinkific |
|
---|---|---|
Asynchronous Courses |
||
Exam Questions Types |
16 |
1 (multiple choice quiz) |
AI Quiz Generator |
||
Website Templates |
50 |
12 |
Community Forums |
Basic |
Basic |
All-In-One Communities |
||
Livestreaming Native |
||
Integrated Basic Email |
||
AI Email Marketing |
||
App included |
||
White-Label Apps |
Y (Additional Cost) |
It's Y (Additional Cost) |
Pricing
Thinkific
- $49/mo - Basic
- $74/mo - Start
- $149/mo - Grow
LearnWorlds
- $34/mo plus $5 per course - - Starter
- $79/mo - Pro Trainer
- $249/mo - Learning Center
Thinkific Vs LearnWorlds
Course Platform
LearnWorlds
LearnWorlds has developed a reputation for being a reliable platform for courses. It offers a SCORM-compliant Learning Management System (LMS) and the option to stream information, create learning pathways that are customized and incorporate a number of AI features. At the time of writing, AI tools are based on the creation and editing of the content on your website and course. The features really shine for video courses, which adds in AI transcripts, interactive elements within course videos, and of course, the option to arrange the lessons and add them to an outline of content.

One of the best functions offered by LearnWorld is the assignment builder which is able to build assessments using 16 types of questions, banks for reusable questions, customizable overview screens to provide feedback as well as testing results, and the integration of SCORM assessments. The program even comes with an instrument for surveying student feedback.
Thinkific
It is a platform for courses. Thinkific also offers a drag-and-drop course creator that includes videos, audio as well as PDF and interactivity for your the course materials. Like LearnWorlds, you can incorporate quizzes, assignments and exams. Thinkific has added AI features in the area of evaluation. This means that it is possible to generate questions for quizzes, which is quite an innovative idea.
Thinkific courses can include self-paced or scheduled classes, and you can create certificates. Course-builders also have AI tools integrated into it to generate course content and it is possible to incorporate externally hosted content, or upload large amounts of material. Additionally, Thinkific has unlimited video hosting.
Which one is superior?
Both platforms are strongest on their LMS features-specifically for asynchronous courses. Therefore, it's hard to determine which one is the winner in this particular category. It's important to look at the features below to see the advantages each has in terms of a comprehensive platform.
However, here's a short overview.
- LearnWorlds is slightly better as a course platform. It is more powerful, more customization, more features that would be suitable for learning in institutions. It is most notable, it comes with more power and flexibility for delivering exams and evaluations.
- But, the LearnWorlds platform is too much for a lot of course designers. Thinkific provides a great set of features for asynchronous learning, and many of the advanced features of LearnWorlds won't be useful to most course designers.
- To the course creators who want to comply with SCORM, both platforms are technically compatible with SCORM. The platform allows you to import SCORM-friendly documents.
Communities & Engagement
LearnWorlds
LearnWorlds is adding some capabilities around live courses. Although it isn't fully integrated with native features, LearnWorlds has 3 integrations that they claim can be used to make amazing live experiences. Zoom, WebEx, and Calendly. Adding these integrations allows for groups and 1:1 video, live sessions, as well as attendance management. Live sessions can be included in the courses to be used as learning opportunities too.

LearnWorlds is extremely weak on community-based features, despite. Discussion forum functions are unwieldy. The technical aspect is that they have spaces but the function of a community forum feels dated. This is why LearnWorlds does not really have the capacity for live course and communities. It is best as a synchronous course platform.
Thinkific
Thinkific can also be used to include basic community communities. These includes @ mentions, notification, and discussion threads. The content can be divided into areas devoted to specific themes or topics as well as an "trending post" feature that lets your users know what's trending. You can post video, image, uploading, and linking on the community.

It can also be linked to live lessons or the coaching of a course. Like LearnWorlds, Thinkific is missing native livestreaming. The program suggests a variety of options such as Zoom or YouTube for integrating livestreams into the course. This could lead to complications.
Finally, Thinkific has added some basic community statistics as well as an evangelist program to encourage your supermembers to promote the community.
Which is better?
Neither of these platforms were specifically designed to support communities or live engagement. Neither have native livestreaming and both require numerous integrations in order for live instruction and online communities work.
When it comes to groups, Thinkific is a bit in front. It does have more to provide for building community, however the forum functions, along with other spaces and mentioning tools are still a far cry from the software that was designed to function as a community platform.
If you want the community aspect and learning courses, neither of these options is a great option. We'll get to this more down below.
Business & Marketing
LearnWorlds
LearnWorlds provides you with the ability for creating your course using your own branding. You can also develop a course site using drag-and-drop layouts or with more than 400 templates to choose from. In case this isn't enough, you can also incorporate custom design code. The landing pages can be constructed to include pop-ups or forms. LearnWorlds offers a simple email system for managing sales.

It has support for providing your own affiliate programs (and monitor with an affiliate dashboard as well as several pre-made courses funnels to sell sequences). It is possible to bundle your courses along with other products to offer subscriptions, memberships as well as other digital items, and even sell in-app purchases.
Thinkific
Like LearnWorlds, Thinkific also has numerous customizable website themes and a landing page builder. You can build several types of pages into your course, and like LearnWorlds, Thinkific has the ability to create custom domains and support for advanced HTML/CSS customisation.
To make money, bundle sales of courses with subscriptions, memberships or any other digital downloads, like eBooks. There's support for 100+ currencies and Thinkific's payment processing. It is possible to include affiliate programs in conjunction with Thinkific and also include coupons, gifts, and orders for groups.
A unique feature in marketing added by Thinkific has added is AI email tools. AI prompts to help with the marketing of emails. This is an interesting option that could help scale your email outreach.
Which one is more effective?
The tie is in the details. Both platforms provide similar tools to build landing pages. In terms of technical features, LearnWorlds includes greater website templates, better connections, more administration options (on the more expensive plans) as well as a couple of additional features. However, whether or not it affects you is dependent upon what you want.
- Thinkific is simpler, but still has lots of power for running your own marketing and business. The tool for email is more effective.
- LearnWorlds is a step up with respect to marketing tools (while being incredibly user-friendly) that may include particular integrations or features for some teachers.
Apps and Access
LearnWorlds
LearnWorlds offers a DIY approach to app design, using a drag-and-drop editor for apps which works in conjunction with the website editor. Create a custom course-based app using the LearnWorlds.
However, there are a couple downsides to LearnWorlds' approach to apps to be aware of:
- LearnWorlds' doesn't have a native application under the brand. There's no LearnWorlds' app included. If you'd like to create your own course on an app, you'll need to pay extra for your own branded app. The app is an upsell but prices aren't publically available.
- The apps aren't well assessed by G2, with users reporting slow apps, which have disappeared comments as well as photos.

Thinkific
In the past, Thinkific had no mobile applications. In the last year, however, they have launched Thinkific apps under their own brand. They are applications that are for every Thinkific educator. But, the reviews aren't great. In the App Store, the Thinkific apps are given 1.9 stars. On Google Play, a slightly higher 3.2 stars at the time of this writing. This is a very low rating for apps designed for an online platform for courses.

Thinkific has added a white-label app feature that allows you to run your course on a white-label app with your name. The experts at Thinkific take care of the process, turning your current course into an app. We don't have any information on the quality of the app's branded version, but the fact that Thinkific's other applications are so badly rated may be a warning sign for their custom app development.
Which is the best?
It is the only way to use Thinkific includes an app in its platform. Otherwise, you need to purchase branded apps from both platforms. But, from the reviews we can see that neither platform has a great track record with apps.
The decision
Thinkific against LearnWorlds is an extremely difficult comparison due to their similarities in their strengths as well as weaknesses.
Strengths
- Both Thinkific as well as LearnWorlds are great for asynchronous classes, offering a lot of build power as well as individual websites.
- Both are pretty good at commercial and corporate features, with some limited differences in the above areas.
Insufficiencies
- Both Thinkific and LearnWorlds don't do well for live or online course involvement, but Thinkific is slightly better. But neither is a proper community site and neither comes with live streaming capabilities natively built-in.
- Neither have good apps. LearnWorlds doesn't even have a basic app; it requires you to pay extra for an official white label. If you want a course using an app, you'll be paying a significant amount. In addition, the apps launched by Thinkific do not have high ratings as well as their apps with a branded logo are unproven.
Then this is what you have to know.
- LearnWorlds can provide you with more features and a lot more power for a higher price (including apps). It could be a better choice for institutional learning or teachers that require advanced exam and assessment tools.
- Thinkific might be better for those who create their own courses since it's an all-in-one solution (that includes a basic app) and the majority of course designers would never miss the advanced tools that LearnWorlds offers.
In the case of many artists their decision comes down to a cost comparison-which gives you the features you want at the lowest price. In other words, you probably won't notice any difference in both.
Want a better alternative?
If you want anything other that synchronous classes, LearnWorlds and Thinkific aren't suitable for those who are. They're certainly not the only options.
is the top-rated G2 social platform for communities that lets you build and monetize thriving courses (live as well as recorded), communities, and events.
Mighty serves as the platform behind communities and courses of many of the top brands as well as thought leaders and influential people you know: Mel Robbins, Tony Robbins, Marie Forleo, Jim Kwik, Matthew Hussey, TED, Mindbody, and nuun.
This is what is what sets Mighty apart from both LearnWorlds and Thinkific
Mighty can handle Asynchronous learning using an educational platform built around a table of contents and all the course materials that you would like to incorporate.
However, it also provides...
Real live experiences
Mighty is a technology designed to support both synchronous as well as anasynchronous learning and it's powered by live-streamed native engagement unlike anything other.
It's possible to create your community courses and classes by using Spaces' powerful features: including those features that you need; toggle on or off activity Feed Chat, Chat Table of Contents (traditional LMS), People Explorer (Members) and recurring Events, One-time Events an article (an article) or highlighted hashtags.
This is how it appears to be:

It's a result of courses software that give you way more power in the learning opportunities that you provide. All of it is native and there's no requirement for adding-ons in order to access live streaming capabilities. The creators that have chosen to use it live streaming, it's done natively with automatic video recording.
If you can stop thinking about courses or community in general and combine the two using software designed to do it seamlessly, you'll notice the differences.
Software designed for engagement
With regards to memberships and communities it is possible to predict at 93% precision what is going to work or not. The key is whether or not members meet their counterparts.
We don't think about communities and learning experiences as being top-down. A lot of the best learning comes from the others you meet and the friends you make. Courses and communities grow more quickly due to the effect of networks.
Mighty is designed to aid members meet each other. It includes features such as:
- A customizable welcome checklist as well as profile help tools that prompt members to get engaged and create their profile.
- People explorer can show you your friends and acquaintances who share similar interests. AND AI can show similarities among members, and even begin an exchange.

Better Host Tools
The engagement features aren't just focused on members. They can also make it easier for hosts to make it easier to manage their course and community building and administration
- The Mighty Co-Host(tm) is able to create an enormous Purpose Community branding identity, course outlines, and even sales and landing pages. (Try it free)
- It can boost community engagement through the infinite Question Generator that automatically creates and approve discussion posts, thereby keeping engagement going when you're offline.
- Activity assistance helps you see who's active in the community and auto-re-engages lapsed members.
Another awesome community and course features
- Prompts for writing and enhancements using the "make-it-better" editors for text.
- Instant course outlines and suggested hashtags.
- Workflow automations and innovative gamification functions and triggers.
- A native ConvertKit integration for community/courses + email. There are thousands of integration embeds.
Excellent applications
Mighty's applications are rated higher in the App Store and Google Play Store, 4.8 stars on each. They work extremely well and give you the same level of engagement and features like the website app.

But Mighty is also able to create premium brand applications in a manner unlike Thinkific nor LearnWorlds offers, allowing the option of custom brand creation, proactive application submissions as well as support for strategy-all provided by an experienced team who have launched more than 400 branded apps. Get more information here.
If you're ready to launch your courses or community on Mighty It, give it a try! The trial is absolutely free for the first 14 weeks (no credit card needed)