How Gumroad and Thinkific compare
Gumroad is selling without ceremony. Upload a file, set a price, share a link, and Gumroad handles checkout, delivery, VAT, memberships, pay-what-you-want, discount codes, and customer emails, taking a cut only when you sell. For creators who want to sell today and not think about infrastructure, it remains the easy answer.
Thinkific is a reliable place to build and sell learning. Courses, assessments, certificates, communities, memberships, and a branded mobile app option let a training business grow without moving platforms, and the site builder is good enough that many creators never need another. It is steady, well documented, and built around the student.
Where they are different
Gumroad
- Gumroad is a storefront with a profile.
- Gumroad emails customers about products.
- Gumroad has no inbox or bookings.
Thinkific
- Thinkific pages exist to sell courses.
- Thinkific broadcasts to students and sends abandoned-cart email.
- Thinkific books coaching calendars on Start and up.
Choose Gumroad when you sell downloads or memberships and want zero setup and no monthly fee.
Choose Thinkific when courses, assessments, and student communities are the business.
Compare features
What's on Gumroad and Thinkific
A check means that capability is available. Gumroad and Thinkific are marked only when the offer is comparable, not the same product.
Site and brand
- Workspace siteGumroad: IncludedThinkific: Included
- Custom domainGumroad: IncludedThinkific: Included
- Theme and fontsGumroad: IncludedThinkific: Included
Public content
- Shop pagesGumroad: IncludedThinkific: Included
Audience and email
- AudienceGumroad: IncludedThinkific: Included
- Marketing emailsGumroad: IncludedThinkific: Included
- Campaign workflowsGumroad: IncludedThinkific: Not included
Commerce
- Shop paymentsGumroad: IncludedThinkific: Included
- Orders and fulfillmentGumroad: IncludedThinkific: Included
- Scheduling and bookingsLink to external scheduling available on Starter.Gumroad: Not includedThinkific: Included
Team
- Admin usersGumroad: IncludedThinkific: Included
- AI AssistantGumroad: IncludedThinkific: Included
* Note: This table does not capture every feature of Gumroad or Thinkific, and is not intended as a comprehensive list. We keep this page current, but Gumroad or Thinkific may add or remove features that are not shown here.
Gumroad vs Thinkific pricing
Compare plans, prices, and what it costs to get started.
Gumroad
Current plans and prices
See what Gumroad charges on their pricing page.
Thinkific
Current plans and prices
See what Thinkific charges on their pricing page.
Cardel: An alternative to
Gumroad and Thinkific
You don't pay until you publish.
Cardel provides a home for your craft. Share and sell your work, grow your audience, and bring your community together on a site of your own.
Common questions
Is Cardel an alternative to Gumroad or Thinkific?
Cardel is a home for your craft: a site of your own with a blog, newsletter, shop, community, and one inbox. It can replace Gumroad or Thinkific when you want your work, audience, and sales in one place. The feature list on this page shows where Gumroad and Thinkific are marked.
Can I use Cardel with Gumroad or Thinkific?
Yes. Cardel pages can link out to other products, so you can keep Gumroad or Thinkific for what it does best and bring the rest of your work to Cardel.
How much does Cardel cost compared with Gumroad and Thinkific?
You don't pay for Cardel until you publish. Choose Starter, Pro, or Studio when your site goes live. Gumroad and Thinkific set their own prices, so check their pricing pages on this page for current plans.
How do I switch from Gumroad or Thinkific to Cardel?
Start with Build Your Site, set up your home, and bring your work over at your own pace. You do not have to move everything on day one.