Hotmart vs Thinkific
9.9% per sale forever versus $49/month with no commission. The second one wins sooner than you'd think.
The verdict
Thinkific charges $49/month on its Basic plan with 0% commission; Hotmart charges no monthly fee but takes 9.9% + $1. The breakeven point is just around $500/month in revenue. Almost any creator with steady sales pays less with Thinkific. Hotmart only makes sense if you depend on its affiliate network to drive sales.
Hotmart
Free
Commission: 9.9% + R$1
Thinkific
$49/mo
Commission: 0%
LearnBase
$97/mo
Commission: 0%
What each one wins on
Hotmart wins on
- No fixed cost while you're not selling
- An affiliate network that can bring in sales without your own marketing
- Local checkout and buyer trust across Brazil and Latin America
Thinkific wins on
- 0% commission starting at the $49/month plan
- Your own brand and domain, not a marketplace checkout
- Serious course tools: quizzes, certificates, and drip content
Hotmart vs Thinkific vs LearnBase
| Feature | Hotmart | Thinkific | LearnBase |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0% transaction commission | Not included | Included | Included |
| Unlimited students | Included | Included | Included |
| Unlimited courses | Included | Limited | Included |
| AI course generation from video | Not included | Not included | Included |
| AI-generated quizzes | Not included | Not included | Included |
| AI video transcription | Not included | Not included | Included |
| White-label branding | Not included | Limited | Included |
| Custom domain | Limited | Included | Included |
| Certificates | Included | Included | Included |
| Live sessions | Included | Included | Included |
| Multi-language support | Limited | Limited | Included |
| Analytics dashboard | Included | Included | Included |
| All features in one plan | Not included | Not included | Included |
What each one costs you per year
Total 12-month cost at your monthly sales volume, including flat fees and commissions. The cheapest option in each row is green.
| Monthly sales | Hotmart | Thinkific | LearnBase |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000/mo | $1,188 | $588 | $1,164 |
| $5,000/mo | $5,940 | $588 | $1,164 |
| $10,000/mo | $11,880 | $588 | $1,164 |
Based on public list pricing. Excludes payment processing fees, which vary by method and country.
What if neither Hotmart nor Thinkific fits?
Thinkific is genuinely cheaper than LearnBase at low volume: $49/month versus $97/month. We'll say it plainly. The difference is what each one includes: Thinkific's Basic plan limits courses, reserves white-labeling for the $199/month Grow plan, and the platform is English-only. LearnBase includes white-labeling, unlimited courses, native ES/PT/EN multi-language support, and AI that generates the course from your videos, all for $97/month.
Frequently asked questions
- Which is cheaper, Hotmart or Thinkific?
- It depends on how much you sell. Below roughly $500/month in revenue, Hotmart is cheaper because it has no fixed cost. Above that, Thinkific wins: at $5,000/month, Hotmart costs you about $5,940 a year and Thinkific costs $588.
- How many courses does Thinkific's Basic plan allow?
- The entry plan is built for a small catalog and caps the number of published courses. If you're planning several programs, check the current limit before signing up.
- Is Thinkific available in Spanish?
- The admin interface is in English. You can write your content in Spanish, but the dashboard and much of the student experience aren't natively translated.
Agustin Garcia
Founder & CEO, LearnBase
Sources
- Hotmart pricing page — verified July 2026
- Thinkific pricing page — verified July 2026
- LearnBase pricing page
Comparison data is based on publicly available pricing and feature information as of July 2026. Features and pricing may change. LearnBase is the creator of this comparison.
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