Same zero fees.
But you own the data.
Thinkific and Learnomy both charge zero transaction fees - that is a fair comparison. The key difference: Thinkific keeps your student data on their servers behind a monthly subscription. Learnomy runs on WordPress you control, with your data in your own database from day one.
Learnomy
- Self-hosted WordPress - you own it
- Zero transaction fees
- Student data on your own server
- No monthly SaaS subscription
Thinkific
- Hosted SaaS - they own the platform
- Zero transaction fees (also)
- Student data on their servers
- Monthly subscription above free plan
The short version
Where Learnomy and Thinkific actually differ
Thinkific deserves credit where it is due: zero transaction fees on all plans is genuinely good for creators, and its free starter plan lowers the barrier to entry. If you are comparing platforms on fees alone, Thinkific and Learnomy are both honest choices.
The differences that matter more over time: Thinkific is a hosted SaaS, so your student list, purchase history, and course progress all live on their servers. Above the free plan, you pay a monthly subscription that accumulates. Your academy is renting space on their infrastructure.
Learnomy runs on WordPress you own. Student data is in your own database. Pro is an annual purchase, not a monthly recurring subscription layered on top of your hosting. And you get built-in instructor revenue sharing - which Thinkific limits at most plan tiers.
Side by side
Learnomy vs Thinkific
Feature and pricing details based on publicly available information as of mid-2026. Verify current Thinkific plan pricing at thinkific.com.
| Criteria | Learnomy Self-hosted WordPress | Thinkific Hosted SaaS |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting model | Self-hosted WordPress You own the platform; runs on hosting you control | Hosted SaaS Thinkific owns the platform infrastructure |
| Transaction fees | None Processor fees (Stripe/PayPal) only - Learnomy takes nothing | None Thinkific also charges zero transaction fees on all plans |
| Monthly cost | None beyond your WP hosting Pro from $104/yr - one annual payment, not a monthly SaaS | Monthly subscription above free plan Free plan available; paid plans from ~$49/mo |
| Who owns student data and email list | You All data in your own WordPress database, exportable any time | Thinkific Student data and progress live on their hosted servers |
| Customization | Full Any WordPress theme, custom CSS, PHP hooks, block editor | Template-based Polished hosted editor; custom domain and some CSS |
| Memberships and instructor revenue sharing | Yes, built-in Recurring memberships + Stripe Connect revenue sharing in Pro | Limited Community memberships available; instructor splitting varies by plan |
| Quizzes, certificates, and verification | Yes, built-in Six question types, five players, certificates with public verification URL | Yes, hosted Quizzes and certificates included; hosted verification |
Thinkific plan details reflect publicly available information; pricing and free-plan limits change - verify at thinkific.com.
The ownership advantage
Why creators choose Learnomy over Thinkific
01
Your student list is yours, on your server
Thinkific also charges no transaction fees - that is a genuine strength. The difference is where the data lives. On Thinkific, your student email addresses and purchase history are on their servers, governed by their terms. On Learnomy, all of that is in your own WordPress database. Export it, query it, or move it at any time with no negotiation.
02
No monthly SaaS subscription
Thinkific's free plan is a real option, but paid features come with a monthly subscription that adds up over time. Learnomy Pro is an annual purchase billed once per year - not a monthly recurring fee. You use the WordPress hosting you already pay for, so there is no new monthly SaaS line item.
03
Full WordPress flexibility
Your existing WordPress theme, plugins, SEO setup, and analytics all work alongside Learnomy. Every lifecycle event fires a hook. Every data transform is filterable. You can build exactly the experience your students need - not the experience Thinkific's templates allow.
04
Instructor revenue sharing, built in
Learnomy Pro includes Stripe Connect-based instructor revenue sharing, where instructors receive a percentage of each sale automatically. This makes Learnomy a viable base for multi-instructor academies and marketplaces without additional third-party tools.
05
No platform lock-in, ever
Your academy runs on infrastructure you control. Thinkific can change its pricing, deprecate a feature, or alter its free-plan limits. When that happens to Learnomy users - nothing changes. You own the code, the database, and the server.
Honest assessment
Where Thinkific is the better choice
Learnomy is not right for every situation. Here is where Thinkific has a genuine advantage.
Zero server responsibility and fully managed hosting
Thinkific handles all server infrastructure, uptime, backups, and platform updates. You never think about PHP versions or security patches. If you have no existing website and no interest in server management, Thinkific removes that layer completely. Learnomy requires WordPress hosting - most managed hosts handle this well, but the responsibility is yours to delegate.
Free starter plan with no server or hosting cost
Thinkific's free plan lets you publish one course with no monthly payment and no server to set up. If you want to test selling a course with literally zero upfront cost and no technical decisions, Thinkific's free tier is a genuine no-barrier entry point. Learnomy Free is also free of charge but requires a WordPress hosting account.
Polished purpose-built course editor
Thinkific's hosted course editor is purpose-built for course creation with a focused, opinionated interface. Learnomy uses the WordPress block editor, which is flexible but requires more familiarity with WordPress. If you have never used WordPress and want a course editor with a gentler learning curve, Thinkific's editor is easier to start with.
If you already run WordPress, or are willing to set it up once - and you want your student data on your own server with no ongoing monthly SaaS subscription - Learnomy is the better long-term choice.
What you get
A complete LMS on hosting you own, with no monthly SaaS
Free includes everything you need to run a real academy. Pro adds what growing operations need.
Unlimited courses and students
No cap. No seat fee. No per-course charge.
Built-in Stripe and PayPal
Direct checkout, no WooCommerce required. One-time and recurring memberships.
Quizzes and auto-grading
Six question types, five player templates, partial credit, essay grading inbox.
Certificates with verification
Auto-issue on completion. Permanent public URL, QR code, PDF download.
166 REST API endpoints
Every data type accessible over learnomy/v1 with JWT auth.
GDPR export and erase
Full compliance tools built in. Your data, your server, your responsibility.
Pro adds cohorts, learning paths, content drip, advanced analytics, Stripe Connect instructor revenue sharing, and 16 more modules.
Common questions
Thinkific also has no transaction fees - so why choose Learnomy?
You are right that Thinkific is one of the few hosted platforms that also charges zero transaction fees - that is a genuine strength of theirs. The key difference is data ownership: your student email list, course progress, and purchase history all live on Thinkific's servers. With Learnomy, all of that is in your own WordPress database on your own server. You also avoid the ongoing monthly subscription cost that comes with Thinkific's paid plans above the free tier.
Does Thinkific's free plan make it better than Learnomy Free?
Thinkific's free plan lets you publish one course with no monthly cost - a genuine advantage if you want zero upfront commitment and no server. Learnomy Free has no course limit, but it requires a WordPress hosting account (typically $3-10/month depending on your host). If you already have WordPress hosting, Learnomy Free is the stronger option with no cap on courses or students.
Who owns my student data with Learnomy vs Thinkific?
With Learnomy, every student record, email address, course-progress entry, and transaction lives in your WordPress database on your own server. With Thinkific, that data lives on their infrastructure. You can export from Thinkific, but the data's primary home is theirs - subject to their terms, their retention policies, and their platform availability.
Can Learnomy match Thinkific's course-building experience?
Learnomy uses the WordPress block editor for course and lesson creation, which gives you full block-level flexibility. Thinkific has a purpose-built hosted course editor that is polished and requires no WordPress knowledge. If you are not familiar with WordPress at all, Thinkific's editor has a shallower learning curve. Learnomy's block editor is more flexible but assumes some WordPress comfort.
Does Learnomy support instructor revenue sharing?
Yes. Learnomy Pro includes Stripe Connect-based instructor revenue sharing, where instructors can be paid automatically as a percentage of each sale. Thinkific supports multiple instructors but revenue splitting requires additional setup or plan tiers.
What happens to my Thinkific courses if I want to migrate?
Thinkific allows data and student exports, but there is no automated importer for Learnomy. You would re-create your course structure using Learnomy's block editor and import your student list into your WordPress database or your email marketing tool. A large catalog takes more time, but the upside is that once migrated, the data is fully yours with no ongoing lock-in.
Own your academy. Skip the monthly subscription.
Download Learnomy free. Your student data stays on your server, not Thinkific's. Upgrade to Pro when you need instructor revenue sharing, cohorts, and learning paths.