SamCart vs Thinkific: Choosing the Right Platform for Your Digital Business

If you’re looking to sell your online courses, you’ve probably come across SamCart and Thinkific. Both platforms are online course creation platforms that can help you create and sell your courses.

Samcart and Thinkific are both good options to sell your online courses but SamCart is better because you can sell all types of digital products and there are more advanced features to make more money.

[lasso ref=”simplify-your-course-delivery-with-samcart-courses-samcart” id=”1506″ link_id=”2881″]

SamCart

SamCart is an all-in-one platform that allows you to create and sell online courses, digital products, and physical products. It has a user-friendly interface and offers one-click upsells, which can help increase your sales. SamCart also integrates with many marketing tools, such as Facebook Ads and Google Analytics, which can help you track your sales and optimize your marketing campaigns.

Thinkific

Thinkific, on the other hand, is a course creation platform that allows you to create and sell online courses. It has a customizable course page feature that allows you to create a professional-looking course page. Thinkific also has a robust marketing tool that allows you to create email campaigns, coupons, and affiliate programs. Thinkific integrates with many marketing tools, such as Mailchimp and Google Analytics, which can help you track your sales and optimize your marketing campaigns.

Key Features Comparison

When it comes to choosing between SamCart and Thinkific, understanding the key features of each platform is essential. Here’s a comparison of the features that SamCart and Thinkific offer:

Course Creation and Management

Both SamCart and Thinkific offer a user-friendly interface for creating and managing online courses. Thinkific offers a drag-and-drop course builder that allows you to create unlimited courses, while SamCart’s course builder is more focused on creating sales pages for your courses.

Marketing and Upselling Features

Both SamCart and Thinkific offer robust marketing tools, including email marketing, coupons, and affiliate marketing. SamCart also offers advanced features like cross-selling and upselling, while Thinkific offers features like drip content and sales funnels.

Analytics and Reporting Tools

Both platforms offer analytics and reporting tools to track student progress, sales, and other important metrics. Thinkific offers more detailed reporting tools, while SamCart’s reporting tools are more focused on sales data.

Marketing and Upselling Features

Both SamCart and Thinkific offer robust marketing tools, including email marketing, coupons, and affiliate marketing. SamCart also offers advanced features like cross-selling and upselling, while Thinkific offers features like drip content and sales funnels.

Analytics and Reporting Tools

Both platforms offer analytics and reporting tools to track student progress, sales, and other important metrics. Thinkific offers more detailed reporting tools, while SamCart’s reporting tools are more focused on sales data.

Pricing and Payment Plans

Both SamCart and Thinkific offer a variety of options to fit your needs.

SamCart offers three pricing plans: Launch ($79/month), Grow ($159/month), and Scale ($319/month). All plans include unlimited products, customers, and orders, as well as access to features like one-click upsells, order bumps, and A/B testing. The main difference between the plans is the number of admin users and monthly sales volume allowed. SamCart accepts payments through PayPal and major credit cards.

Thinkific also offers three pricing plans: Basic ($36/month), Start ($74/month), and Grow ($149/month). All plans include unlimited courses, students, and hosting, as well as features like quizzes, surveys, and certificates. The main difference between the plans is the number of admin users and access to advanced features like priority support and onboarding. Thinkific accepts payments through PayPal, Stripe, and major credit cards.

Both platforms also offer the option to create payment plans, subscriptions, and free or paid trials. SamCart allows for monthly subscriptions and free trials, while Thinkific offers monthly and annual payment options. Both platforms also support multiple currencies and tax settings.

Third-Party Integrations

Both SamCart and Thinkific offer a wide range of options to help you streamline your business operations.

SamCart integrates with popular email marketing platforms such as Drip, Mailchimp, ConvertKit, and iContact. This means you can easily add your customers to your email list and send them targeted marketing messages. In addition to that, SamCart integrates with Zapier, which allows you to connect to over 1,000 apps, including Teachable and Kajabi.

Thinkific, on the other hand, also integrates with Zapier, which gives you access to a wide range of third-party apps. Thinkific also integrates with popular email marketing platforms such as Mailchimp, ConvertKit, and Drip. Moreover, Thinkific has its own native integrations with popular tools like Shopify, Stripe, and PayPal, which can help you manage your online store and payment processing.

Customer Support and Resources

Both SamCart and Thinkific offer a variety of resources to help you get the most out of their platforms. Let’s take a closer look at what each platform has to offer:

SamCart Customer Support

SamCart offers customer support via email and live chat. They also have a comprehensive knowledge base that includes articles, videos, and FAQs to help you troubleshoot any issues you may encounter. SamCart also offers priority support to customers on their Pro and Premium plans, which includes faster response times and more personalized assistance.

Thinkific Customer Support

Thinkific offers customer support via email and live chat, as well as a phone support option for customers on their Pro and Growth plans. They also have a robust knowledge base that includes articles, videos, and FAQs to help you navigate their platform. Thinkific also offers priority support to customers on their Basic and Start plans, which includes faster response times and more personalized assistance.

In terms of resources, both SamCart and Thinkific offer a wealth of information to help you get started and succeed on their platforms. SamCart offers a range of templates and design options to help you create high-converting checkout pages, as well as integrations with popular payment gateways like PayPal and Stripe. Thinkific, on the other hand, offers a range of course creation tools, including the ability to create quizzes, surveys, and assignments, as well as customizable course player themes.

Benefits and Drawbacks

Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons of each platform:

SamCart

Benefits

• SamCart is primarily a shopping cart tool that allows you to create high-converting checkout pages. It’s ideal for entrepreneurs who want to sell digital products, including online courses.
• The platform offers a range of features that make it easy to create and manage your online course sales funnel. You can set up one-click upsells, order bumps, and other advanced features to maximize revenue.
• SamCart integrates with a wide range of payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, and Apple Pay. This makes it easy to accept payments from customers around the world.
• The platform offers detailed analytics and reporting tools that allow you to track your conversion rates, revenue, and other important metrics. You can use this information to optimize your sales funnel and increase your profits.

Drawbacks

• SamCart is primarily a shopping cart tool, so it may not be the best choice for entrepreneurs who want a full-fledged course creation platform.
• While SamCart offers a range of features, it may not be as customizable as some other platforms. If you want complete control over your checkout pages and sales funnel, you may need to hire a developer or use a more advanced platform.

Thinkific

Benefits

• Thinkific is a full-fledged course creation platform that allows you to create and sell online courses. It’s ideal for entrepreneurs who want to create and market their own courses without relying on third-party platforms.
• The platform offers a range of features that make it easy to create and manage your online courses. You can create multimedia lessons, quizzes, and assignments, and use a range of marketing tools to promote your courses.
• Thinkific offers a range of customization options, including the ability to create your own branding and design your course pages. This makes it easy to create a unique and engaging learning experience for your students.
• The platform offers detailed analytics and reporting tools that allow you to track your student engagement, revenue, and other important metrics. You can use this information to optimize your courses and increase your profits.

Drawbacks

• While Thinkific offers a range of features, it may not be as customizable as some other platforms. If you want complete control over your course design and marketing, you may need to hire a developer or use a more advanced platform.
• Thinkific may be more expensive than some other course creation platforms, particularly if you want to use advanced features like membership sites and affiliate marketing.

Who Should Use Which Platform

If you are an online business looking to sell physical or digital products, SamCart is the better option for you. It is a powerful shopping cart platform that offers a wide range of features to help you manage your online store effectively. With SamCart, you can easily create product pages, manage orders and payments, and track your sales and revenue.

On the other hand, if you are a course creator looking to provide a seamless learning experience to your students, Thinkific is the way to go. It is a comprehensive online course platform that allows you to create, market, and sell your courses online. With Thinkific, you can easily create engaging course content, manage student enrollments, and track student progress and performance.

Check out this video below for a comprehensive review of both platforms: 

Here’s a quick comparison of the key features and pricing plans of SamCart and Thinkific:

Remember that every business is different, and what works for one might not work for another. It’s essential to do your research and choose the platform that best fits your business needs and goals.