The short answer
Choose Allied Tribes if you want to start free or for $11 a month and keep your group, courses, events, live video and paid one-to-one sessions in one place, guided by Freya. Choose Thinkific if you run formal training at scale and need LMS features more than a social home for learners.
People search for a "Thinkific alternative" when they want lower starting costs or a livelier group around their courses.
Price and fees at a glance
| Allied Tribes | Thinkific | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Paid Tribes, Lessons (courses), events, live video, digital products and paid expert sessions, with Freya, a built-in AI guide | Online course platform and LMS |
| Price | Free $0, Pro $11 a month, Leader $111 a month | Start $109, Grow $219, Expand $499 a month ($82, $164, $374 billed yearly). No free plan; 30-day trial. |
| Platform fee on sales | 11% on Free, 5% on Pro, 3% on Leader | No platform fee; Thinkific Payments charges 2.9% card processing. |
| Card processing | Stripe's fee, paid separately (2.9% + $0.30 for US cards) | See fee row |
| Free plan | Yes, no card needed | No |
| Free trial | Not needed: the Free plan does not expire | 30 days |
What it costs to sell $1,000, $5,000, $20,000 a month
At $1,000 a month in sales, Allied Tribes costs less: $96 against $138 on Thinkific. At $5,000 a month in sales, Thinkific costs less: $254 against $436 on Allied Tribes. At $20,000 a month in sales, Thinkific costs less: $689 against $1,411 on Allied Tribes. These are all-in monthly costs on each platform's cheapest plan for that revenue.
| Sales per month | Allied Tribes | Thinkific |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | $96 on Pro | $138 on Start |
| $5,000 | $436 on Pro | $254 on Start |
| $20,000 | $1,411 on Leader | $689 on Start |
Assumes US card payments, an average sale of $50, and the cheapest plan on each platform at that revenue. Where a platform adds card processing on top of its own fee, Stripe's standard 2.9% + $0.30 is used. Member limits, taxes, currency conversion, payout fees and add-ons are not included.
Where Thinkific wins
- LMS depth for structured training, assessments and business academies.
- No platform fee, so high-revenue course businesses pay less.
- Enterprise options for employee and customer training.
Where Allied Tribes wins
- A free plan with no monthly fee. Thinkific's cheapest plan is $109 a month. Allied Tribes Pro is $11 a month for 11 Tribes.
- Tribes: a home for a group, with its own feed, members, chat, events and Lessons.
- Lessons: online courses built from lessons and quizzes, sold through Stripe Checkout or gated by tier.
- Live video rooms built in, with no separate meeting tool.
- Events and webinars with RSVPs and paid tickets.
- Freya, a built-in AI guide that sets up your Tribe, drafts posts and course content, and answers questions on every page.
- Child Tribes under a parent Tribe, so one organization can run a Tribe per team, cohort or office.
- Adepts: sell paid one-to-one help as written answers or scheduled video calls, with payment held until you deliver.
Moving from Thinkific to Allied Tribes
There is no automatic import from Thinkific today, so the move is a fresh setup. Freya does most of it with you:
- Create a free account and tell Freya what your Tribe is for.
- Freya sets up the Tribe and its first posts.
- Add your Lessons, events and paid membership tiers.
- Connect your own Stripe account so payouts go straight to you.
- Share your invite link with your Thinkific members.
Frequently asked questions
Is Allied Tribes cheaper than Thinkific?
It depends on how much you sell. At $1,000 a month in sales, Allied Tribes costs less: $96 against $138 on Thinkific. At $5,000 a month in sales, Thinkific costs less: $254 against $436 on Allied Tribes. At $20,000 a month in sales, Thinkific costs less: $689 against $1,411 on Allied Tribes. These are all-in monthly costs on each platform's cheapest plan for that revenue.
How much does Thinkific cost in 2026?
As of October 2026: Start $109, Grow $219, Expand $499 a month ($82, $164, $374 billed yearly). No free plan; 30-day trial. No platform fee; Thinkific Payments charges 2.9% card processing. Check thinkific.com for current prices.
Does Allied Tribes have a free plan?
Yes. Allied Tribes Free has no monthly fee and needs no card: 1 Tribe of up to 100 members, Lessons, events, live video rooms, digital products and Adepts, with an 11% platform fee on sales. Pro is $11 a month and Leader is $111 a month, with lower fees.
Can I move from Thinkific to Allied Tribes?
Yes, though there is no automatic import from Thinkific today. You create your Tribe, add your Lessons and paid tiers, connect Stripe for payouts, and invite members with a link. Freya, the built-in AI guide, walks you through each step.
Sources
Start your Tribe free
No card, no trial clock. Upgrade to Pro or Leader only when the lower fees pay for themselves.
Other comparisons
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Allied Tribes vs Whop
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Discord has no monthly fee and takes about 15.4% of each server subscription.