SamCart vs Thinkific: Checkout Tool or Course Platform?
SamCart and Thinkific both let you sell an online course, but they start from different places. SamCart is a checkout and sales tool that added course hosting. Thinkific is a course platform that added selling tools. Pick the one that matches your weak spot: if teaching is the hard part, Thinkific; if selling is the hard part, SamCart.
Quick comparison
| SamCart | Thinkific | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Checkout and conversion | Course delivery |
| Entry plan | Core, $79/month | Basic, $54/month ($40 billed annually) |
| Mid plan | Pro, $199/month | Start, $109/month ($82 annually) |
| Free trial | 7 days | 30 days |
| Courses | Courses app and members area | Unlimited courses on all plans |
| Community | No | 1 community on Basic and Start |
Prices checked on each company’s pricing page, October 2026. SamCart lists 25% off for yearly billing.
Pricing
Thinkific is the cheaper way in. Basic is $54 per month, Start is $109 and Grow is $219, each lower when billed annually. There is no free plan now, but the 30-day trial is generous.
SamCart starts at $79 per month for Core and $199 for Pro. Its pricing page lists one-click upsells, order bumps, A/B testing and the affiliate center on Pro, not Core. So the features SamCart is famous for sit on the more expensive plan. Payments through SamPay are charged at 2.9% plus 30 cents.
Course features
Thinkific wins this clearly. You get unlimited courses, video lessons, quizzes and student discussions on Basic. Start adds live cohorts, completion certificates, assignments, memberships and payment plans. Grow adds group orders, API access and removes Thinkific branding.
SamCart’s Courses app covers the basics: host lessons, gate them behind a purchase and give buyers a members area. It is fine for a straightforward video course. It is not built for certificates, cohorts or graded assignments.
Selling features
This is where SamCart earns its price. Checkout pages are the product: templates built for conversion, one-click upsells, order bumps, split testing and an affiliate center on Pro.
Thinkific has closed part of the gap. Basic includes checkout, order bumps, coupons and abandoned-cart emails, and Start adds bundles and upsells. For most course creators that is enough.
Using both together
You do not have to choose. SamCart has a documented Thinkific integration, so a SamCart checkout can enroll the buyer in a Thinkific course automatically. This suits sellers with several products and serious funnel testing, but you pay for two subscriptions.
Which should you choose?
- Choose Thinkific if the course itself is your product and you want quizzes, certificates, cohorts and a community.
- Choose SamCart if you sell several digital products and conversion rate is where you make your money.
- Use both only when your sales volume justifies two tools.
Related: Teachable vs SamCart and Thinkific alternatives.