Choosing a platform to host your first online course can be a little overwhelming. The prices and features vary wildly, and if you’re brave enough to ask for advice online, you’re sure to get 1,000 different opinions. I did a TON of research for my first course launch, and hands down, Thinkific was the best choice for me. If you’re a new course creator too, or even a seasoned pro looking for a change, here is precisely why I chose Thinkific.

1. Thinkific’s free version is fantastic for beginners!

With Thinkific’s free version, you can try out the platform before you commit to it long term. I loved being able to play around with it before making my final decision. The free version allows you to create up to 3 courses with unlimited students. You still have access to all of their core features, including:

• • Instant access to funds
  • Full e-commerce Built-in SSL Certificates
  • Upsell offers
  • Discussion forums
  • Email and phone support

That is a whole lot of value for free! Eventually, most people choose to upgrade to one of their paid plans, but in the beginning, this is a fantastic way to get started.

2. It’s very user-friendly, even for the tech-challenged among us.

No coding skills needed, thank goodness! I found Thinkific to be very easy to use. Their simple drag-and-drop feature allows you to customize your course content in seconds. Don’t like the order? Not sure where to place a button? Drag, drop, and redesign. Choose from premade themes designed specifically for online education businesses. You can also add custom branding to make sure it looks unique and stands out to attract your ideal students.

3. There are tons of multimedia options to showcase your work.

One of the most significant selling points for me was the massive variety of ways to share content within the platform.

• • • Video
    • Text
    • Quizzes
    • Typeform
    • Google Docs
    • Surveys
    • Text
    • Discussion Forums
    • Downloads
    • and MORE!

I have been disappointed in the past by courses that only offer a short video and maybe a printable workbook to follow along. Have you experienced that too? Not good.
Thinkific allows you to actually differentiate learning materials (huge for me as a classroom teacher!) to engage all sorts of learners. It makes content come alive more clearly and helps students interact in a meaningful way.

4. Thinkific’s Pro Plan has excellent marketing tools designed to boost sales.

There is an excellent affiliate program with the pro plan, so your students can promote your course to their own audiences. It’s an awesome way for them and you to earn some extra income. Generous affiliate programs can be one of the best ways to get the word out about your course. You also have the option to offer special coupon codes and discounts to your potential students. It’s all integrated within Thinkific itself, so you don’t have to worry about invoicing or collecting payments.

Click HERE to get one month FREE with your Thinkific Pro Plan purchase!

5. Seamless integration with tons of products like Mailchimp and Google Analytics

Thinkific has a huge list of email marketing, e-commerce, automation, and other web products that they integrate with.
Mailchimp and Google Analytics were both huge for me. I found Thinkific’s help section and step-by-step instructions to be super easy to understand. I love that they include screenshots and videos to walk you through the process! Get Thinkific’s Pro Plan FREE for one month!