Classentra vs Thinkific: live cohorts, not just self-paced libraries
Thinkific is built for self-paced course libraries. Classentra is built for live, recurring teaching with cohorts, attendance, and assignments.
Side by side
Where each platform wins
Pre-recorded course library
- Classentra
- Yes
- Thinkific
- Yes
Native live class sessions
- Classentra
- Yes (LiveKit)
- Thinkific
- Zoom add-on
Cohort management
- Classentra
- On every paid plan
- Thinkific
- Thinkific Plus only
Quizzes
- Classentra
- Yes
- Thinkific
- Yes
Communities
- Classentra
- Yes
- Thinkific
- Yes (Thinkific Communities)
Stripe Connect direct payouts
- Classentra
- Direct to your account
- Thinkific
- 5% / 2% / 1% gateway fee via Stripe
Affiliate program
- Classentra
- Yes, built-in
- Thinkific
- Yes
Pricing
- Classentra
- $0–$149 / mo + 6–9% + 30¢ all-in
- Thinkific
- $40–$164 / mo annual ($54–$219 monthly)
When to switch
Three reasons teachers move from Thinkific
Cohorts on every paid plan
Thinkific gates real cohort management behind Thinkific Plus. Classentra ships recurring cohorts on Educator at $39 / mo with attendance and recordings included.
Live video built for teaching
Bring your own Zoom, Meet, or Teams on every plan — links auto-generate and attendance is captured. Want fully in-app sessions? Add Native Video (LiveKit) for +$19/mo on any paid plan.
Direct Stripe Connect payouts
Classentra routes payments directly to your Stripe account at one all-in fee — card fees included. Thinkific's '0% transaction fees' only applies if you use Thinkific Payments; sell through your own Stripe account and a 5%, 2%, or 1% gateway fee kicks in depending on plan.
Side-by-side pricing
What you'll pay each month
Classentra Free
- Price
- $0 / mo
- Live sessions
- Yes
- Cohorts
- Yes
- Stripe txn fee
- 9% + 30¢ all-in
Classentra Educator
- Price
- $39 / mo
- Live sessions
- Yes
- Cohorts
- Yes
- Stripe txn fee
- 7% + 30¢ all-in
Thinkific Basic
- Price
- $40 / mo annual ($54 monthly)
- Live sessions
- No native
- Cohorts
- Limited
- Stripe gateway fee
- 5%
Thinkific Grow
- Price
- $164 / mo annual ($219 monthly)
- Live sessions
- Zoom add-on
- Cohorts
- Plus only
- Stripe gateway fee
- 1%
Move your Thinkific courses to Classentra
Re-upload your top courses, invite your members by CSV, and add native live cohorts without paying for the Plus tier.
Run both during transition. No commitment.
Pricing sourced from publicly available pricing pages as of July 25, 2026. Estimates shown for enterprise-priced products. All trademarks are property of their respective owners. Classentra is not affiliated with or endorsed by any named vendor.