Thinkific vs BigCommerce (2024 Comparison)
Thinkific empowers educators with intuitive course creation tools and seamless integrations, making it a top choice for online education. Its user-friendly interface and reliable support enhance the learning experience.
- User-friendly course creation tools.
- Seamless integrations with marketing tools.
- Reliable customer support.
- Limited e-commerce functionalities.
- Customization options could be improved.
Free plan?
YesStarting price
$36 per month
BigCommerce offers advanced e-commerce features and extensive customization options, making it ideal for businesses aiming to scale. Its robust marketing tools drive traffic and boost sales.
- Advanced e-commerce features.
- Extensive customization options.
- Robust marketing tools.
- Steeper learning curve for beginners.
- Higher cost for advanced features.
Free plan?
YesStarting price
$29 per monthWhat is Thinkific?
Thinkific is a comprehensive online course platform that empowers educators and entrepreneurs to create, market, and sell their courses. It offers a user-friendly interface, making it easy for anyone to design engaging courses without technical expertise. With Thinkific, you can customize your course site, manage student progress, and integrate with various marketing tools to enhance your reach. Whether you're a seasoned educator or a business owner looking to expand your offerings, Thinkific provides the tools you need to succeed in the online education space.
What is BigCommerce?
BigCommerce is a leading e-commerce platform designed to help businesses of all sizes create and manage their online stores. It offers a robust set of features, including customizable templates, advanced SEO tools, and seamless integrations with popular payment gateways. BigCommerce is ideal for businesses looking to scale, as it provides the flexibility and support needed to grow your online presence. Whether you're a small business owner or a large enterprise, BigCommerce offers the tools and resources to help you succeed in the competitive e-commerce landscape.
Pros and Cons of Thinkific vs BigCommerce
Pros & Cons of Thinkific
- Thinkific offers an intuitive interface that simplifies the process of creating and managing online courses, making it accessible for users without technical expertise.
- Thinkific integrates effortlessly with various marketing and analytics tools, enhancing its functionality and allowing users to expand their reach.
- Thinkific provides dependable customer support, ensuring users receive assistance when needed, which is crucial for maintaining smooth operations.
- While Thinkific offers basic e-commerce features, it lacks the advanced tools needed for comprehensive online store management, which may limit growth potential.
- Thinkific's customization capabilities are somewhat limited compared to other platforms, which may restrict users looking for more personalized course sites.
Pros & Cons of BigCommerce
- BigCommerce provides a wide range of e-commerce tools, including multi-channel selling and customizable checkout options, making it ideal for businesses looking to scale.
- BigCommerce offers a vast array of themes and design tools, allowing users to create unique and personalized online stores that stand out.
- BigCommerce excels in marketing features, offering built-in SEO tools and social media selling options, which are essential for driving traffic and sales.
- BigCommerce's advanced features may require a learning curve for new users, which could be challenging for those without prior e-commerce experience.
- While BigCommerce offers powerful tools, the cost for accessing advanced features can be higher, which may not be suitable for small businesses with limited budgets.
Thinkific vs BigCommerce: At A Glance
Thinkific vs BigCommerce: A Detailed Breakdown of Key Features
Course Creation
Thinkific excels in course creation, offering a user-friendly interface and a variety of templates to help you design engaging courses. You can easily upload content, create quizzes, and manage student progress. BigCommerce, while not primarily focused on course creation, provides basic tools for digital product sales. If your primary goal is to create and sell courses, Thinkific is the clear winner.
E-commerce Tools
BigCommerce is a powerhouse when it comes to e-commerce tools, offering advanced features like multi-channel selling, abandoned cart recovery, and customizable checkout options. Thinkific, while providing basic e-commerce functionalities, doesn't match the depth of BigCommerce's offerings. If you're looking for a robust e-commerce platform, BigCommerce is the superior choice.
Customization
Both Thinkific and BigCommerce offer customization options, but BigCommerce provides more flexibility with its extensive theme library and design tools. Thinkific allows for course site customization, but BigCommerce's capabilities extend to full online store customization. If customization is a priority, BigCommerce offers more comprehensive options.
Marketing Features
BigCommerce shines in marketing features, offering built-in SEO tools, email marketing integrations, and social media selling options. Thinkific provides marketing tools tailored to course creators, such as affiliate marketing and email campaigns. If you're focused on comprehensive marketing strategies, BigCommerce offers a more extensive suite of tools.
Analytics
Both platforms offer analytics tools, but BigCommerce provides more detailed insights into sales performance, customer behavior, and marketing effectiveness. Thinkific offers analytics focused on student engagement and course performance. If in-depth analytics are crucial for your business, BigCommerce delivers more robust reporting capabilities.
Payment Options
BigCommerce supports a wide range of payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, and Apple Pay, providing flexibility for online transactions. Thinkific offers basic payment options suitable for course sales. If diverse payment options are important for your business, BigCommerce offers a more comprehensive selection.
Pricing Comparison of Thinkific and BigCommerce
To assist you in making an informed choice, we’ve outlined the pricing plans and essential features of Thinkific and BigCommerce. This comparison will highlight the best option for creating your online courses or e-commerce store.
Thinkific Pricing Plans
- Includes 1 course and 1 community with 2 spaces per community.
- Offers 1 digital download and 1 coaching & webinar session.
- Allows unlimited students with email (30 days) and chatbot support.
- Provides 100% ownership of content and drag and drop course builder.
- Unlimited courses and 1 community with 5 spaces per community.
- 5 digital downloads and 5 coaching & webinar sessions.
- Custom domain, coupons & discounts, and affiliate selling.
- Email and live chat support with branded mobile as an add-on.
- Unlimited digital downloads and coaching & webinars.
- Assignments, bundles and add-on packages, memberships & payment plans.
- Live lessons and advanced course-building options.
- Advanced website code editing and branded mobile as an add-on.
- 3 communities with 20 spaces per community and 2 administrators.
- Phone and priority email support with branded mobile as an add-on.
- Remove Thinkific branding and access Thinkific Analytics.
- Bulk student emailer, bulk enrollments, and API access.
- Unlimited products and administrators with single sign-on (SSO).
- Advanced analytics and dedicated customer success team.
- 1:1 onboarding and launch support with CRM integration.
- Multiple separate Thinkific sites and SCORM compliance.
BigCommerce Pricing Plans
- Support access with 24/7 live agent availability.
- Major payment gateway integrations for smooth transactions.
- Support for multiple currencies to cater to global customers.
- Real-time shipping and additional features for efficient logistics.
- Abandoned shopping cart recovery to boost sales.
- Customer segmentation for personalized marketing.
- Google customer reviews integration for trust building.
- Analytics and reporting to track performance.
- Product filtering for enhanced user experience.
- Google Shopping integration to reach more customers.
- Dedicated SSL certificate for secure transactions.
- Premium support with dedicated account management.
- Unlimited API calls for high-volume operations.
- Custom pricing options for tailored solutions.
- Priority support with a dedicated account manager.
- Advanced security features including PCI compliance.
Our Rating Methodology
We thoroughly test each e-commerce platform, evaluating key features like ease of use, functionality, and scalability. We also analyze user reviews to ensure our recommendations fit your needs. Each of the seven evaluation factors is weighted by importance to provide an accurate final rating, helping you avoid poor-quality tools and make informed decisions.
Thinkific or BigCommerce: Which One Matches Your Business Needs?
Choose Thinkific If You Need ...
- User-friendly course creation
If you are a beginner or small business owner looking for an easy-to-use course creation platform, Thinkific is the ideal choice. Its intuitive interface and seamless integrations make it perfect for creating and managing online courses without technical expertise.
- Seamless integrations
If you need a platform that integrates effortlessly with various marketing and analytics tools, Thinkific is the right option. Its integration capabilities enhance functionality and allow you to expand your reach effectively.
Choose BigCommerce If You Need ...
- Advanced e-commerce features
If you are a business looking to scale with advanced e-commerce tools, BigCommerce is the superior choice. Its robust features, including multi-channel selling and customizable checkout options, make it ideal for growing your online store.
- Extensive customization options
If you want a platform that offers extensive customization options for your online store, BigCommerce is the best fit. Its vast array of themes and design tools allow you to create a unique and personalized shopping experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Martin Lunendonk
Martin Lunendonk is a senior tech writer specializing in website builders, web hosting, and ecommerce platforms. With a background in finance, accounting, and philosophy, he has founded multiple tech startups and worked in medium to large tech companies and investment banking, bringing deep expertise and reliable insights to his software reviews.
