How Cardel and Thinkific compare
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.
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. Cardel is not a course platform and does not host lessons, students, or communities on your domain.
Where they are different
Thinkific pages exist to sell courses. Cardel pages exist for everything you make: blog, Showcase, Shop, video catalog, with SEO and accessibility standards built in.
Thinkific broadcasts to students and sends abandoned-cart email. Cardel has an audience list, campaign workflows, and email on your own domain.
Thinkific books coaching calendars on Start and up. Cardel books time with calendar sync and gathers chat, forms, and mail in one Messaging Center.
Choose Thinkific when courses, assessments, and student communities are the business.
Choose Cardel when you want your site, audience, shop or bookings, and inbox in one place on your domain, and you are not selling hosted courses.
You are the Forgemaster. Cardel is your forge. What you build is yours.
Common questions
Is Cardel a Thinkific alternative?
Cardel is a home for your craft: a site of your own with a blog, newsletter, shop, community, and one inbox. It can replace Thinkific when you want your work, audience, and sales in one place. The feature list below shows where the two overlap and where they part.
Can I use Cardel and Thinkific together?
Yes. Cardel pages can link out to other products, so you can keep Thinkific for what it does best and bring the rest of your work to Cardel.
How much does Cardel cost compared to Thinkific?
You don't pay for Cardel until you publish. Choose Starter, Pro, or Studio when your site goes live. Thinkific sets its own prices, so check their pricing page below for current plans.
How do I switch from Thinkific to Cardel?
Choose Start for Free, set up your home, and bring your work over at your own pace. You do not have to move everything on day one.
Compare features
What's on Cardel and Thinkific
A check means that capability is available. Thinkific is marked only when the offer is comparable, not the same product.
Site and brand
- Workspace siteCardel: IncludedThinkific: Included
- Custom domainUse your own domain with HTTPS. Cardel includes the DNS records for the site and for sending and receiving email.Use your own domain with HTTPS. Cardel includes the DNS records for the site and for sending and receiving email.Cardel: IncludedThinkific: Included
- Theme and fontsCardel: IncludedThinkific: Included
- Brand kitCardel: IncludedThinkific: Not included
Public content
- BlogCardel: IncludedThinkific: Not included
- Showcase pagesCardel: IncludedThinkific: Included
- Shop pagesCardel: IncludedThinkific: Included
Reach and quality
- SEOCardel: IncludedThinkific: Included
- AccessibilityWCAG 2.2 AA is a common accessibility standard. Cardel public pages are designed so readers can navigate with a keyboard, use a screen reader, and read text at a comfortable contrast.WCAG 2.2 AA is a common accessibility standard. Cardel public pages are designed so readers can navigate with a keyboard, use a screen reader, and read text at a comfortable contrast.Cardel: IncludedThinkific: Not included
Audience and email
- AudienceGroups, tags, and import so you can organize contacts and bring in an existing list.Groups, tags, and import so you can organize contacts and bring in an existing list.Cardel: IncludedThinkific: Included
- Marketing emailsCardel: IncludedThinkific: Included
- Campaign workflowsCardel: IncludedThinkific: Not included
Messaging
- Messaging CenterCardel: IncludedThinkific: Not included
Commerce
- Shop paymentsSell on your Shop pages with Stripe. Cardel takes a 0.5% application fee on those card sales. Stripe's own processing fees still apply, and you keep the rest.Sell on your Shop pages with Stripe. Cardel takes a 0.5% application fee on those card sales. Stripe's own processing fees still apply, and you keep the rest.Cardel: IncludedThinkific: Included
- Orders and fulfillmentCardel: IncludedThinkific: Included
- Scheduling and bookingsLink to external scheduling available on Starter.Cardel: IncludedThinkific: Included
Team
- Admin usersCardel: IncludedThinkific: Included
- Per-admin permissionsCardel: IncludedThinkific: Included
- AI AssistantCardel: IncludedThinkific: Included
Other
- User membershipsCardel: Not includedThinkific: Included
- Course outline and quiz generatorCardel: Not includedThinkific: Included
- Live lessonsCardel: Not includedThinkific: Included
- Assessments and CertificatesCardel: Not includedThinkific: Included
- Branded mobile appCardel: Not includedThinkific: Included
* Note: This table does not capture every feature of Cardel or Thinkific, and is not intended as a comprehensive list. We keep this page current, but Cardel or Thinkific may add or remove features that are not shown here.
Cardel vs Thinkific pricing
Compare plans, prices, and what it costs to get started.
Cardel
You don't pay until you publish
Build at no cost, then choose Starter, Pro, or Studio when your site goes live.
Thinkific
Current plans and prices
See what Thinkific charges on their pricing page.
Forge your community
Choose Cardel
Looking for a Thinkific alternative? Bring your work to a site of your own.
Compare Cardel
See how Cardel stacks up, or explore Thinkific comparisons.
