TLDR: This article compares Thinkific with Getly, plus Lemon Squeezy, Payhip, and Etsy, for creators selling digital courses and downloads in 2026. If you already built an audience and you want a fully-branded, self-hosted school, Thinkific can fit well. If you want both fiat and crypto payouts in one place, plus marketplace discovery, Getly usually matches better. Use the tables below to compare the deal on fees, payout options, marketplace discovery, VAT/MOR handling, and account-suspension risk (based on the platform model).
Why creators are looking for Thinkific alternatives in 2026
Thinkific gives course creators a clear path to run a branded learning experience. It supports a model where you keep control of the “school” look and feel, and it can charge 0% platform or transaction fee when you use Thinkific Payments (with processing coming from the payment rails). For many educators, that structure fits their operating style because they already know where their students come from.
The friction starts when you want extra monetization mechanics beyond checkout. Thinkific does not offer a buyer-facing marketplace or marketplace discovery surface. That means you bring the traffic, and your conversions rely on your own marketing.
Creators also run into a budgeting mismatch: Thinkific includes fixed subscription costs with no free plan, and those costs can feel high if your catalog stays small. Some creators end up paying a predictable monthly fee while they test course demand.
Finally, if your sales happen in more than one payment preference, you may find Thinkific limiting. Getly supports Stripe Connect (fiat) and USDT/USDC stablecoin payouts via NOWPayments, while Thinkific does not offer crypto payouts in the way Getly does. That difference matters if you sell to international buyers who prefer stablecoins or if your audience already operates on crypto.
The alternatives ranked by use case
| Platform | Creator keeps | Listing fee | Monthly fee | Marketplace | Crypto payouts | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Getly | 80% creator take ($8 net on $10, $40 on $50, $160 on $200) or 90% during the 3-month early-seller promo | No listing fee | No monthly fee | Yes — internal browse/search/recommendations | Yes — USDT/USDC via NOWPayments | Creators in non-Stripe countries, sellers wanting marketplace discovery in addition to a checkout, anyone who wants both fiat and crypto payouts in one account |
| Thinkific | Effective fee: ~6% on a $10 sale (~$9.41 net), ~3.5% on $50, ~3% on $200 via Thinkific Payments | No listing fee (not stated) | Basic ~$49/mo, Start ~$99/mo, Grow ~$199/mo, Plus custom (cheaper billed annually) | No marketplace discovery | No crypto payouts | Course creators and educators who want a fully-branded, self-hosted school with 0% revenue share (keep everything minus processing) and already have their own audience to drive to it |
| Lemon Squeezy | Effective fee: ~10% on $10 sale ($9 net), ~6% on $50 ($46.50 net), ~5% on $200 ($189.50 net) | No listing fee (not stated) | Free | No marketplace discovery | No crypto payouts | SaaS, developer tools, and digital downloads sold to global (especially EU) customers — Lemon Squeezy handles VAT MOSS, US sales tax nexus, and similar compliance as Merchant of Record |
| Payhip | Effective fee: ~8% on $10 sale ($9.20 net), ~8% on $50 ($46.20 net), ~8% on $200 ($183.70 net) on free plan | No listing fee (not stated) | Free / $29 / $99 | No marketplace discovery | No crypto payouts | Creators with their own audience who want the cheapest possible per-sale percentage on the free plan, especially for ebooks, PDFs, and simple downloads |
| Etsy | Effective fee: ~17% on $10 sale (~$8.30 net), ~15% on $50 (~$42.30 net), ~16% on $200 (~$167 net) | $0.20 listing + transaction + payment fees | Free (Etsy Plus optional at $10/mo) | Yes — Marketplace discovery | No crypto payouts | Sellers whose digital products fit a handmade/craft buyer base and who want exposure to Etsy's established marketplace traffic |
Choose Thinkific if
- You want a fully-branded, self-hosted school and you already drive traffic to your own enrollment pages.
- You can work with subscription-based costs (Basic ~$49/mo, Start ~$99/mo, Grow ~$199/mo, Plus custom) because your catalog has consistent monthly demand.
- You do not need crypto payouts and you prefer the Thinkific Payments flow for payout simplicity.
Choose Getly if
- You want both fiat and crypto payouts in one account: Stripe Connect (fiat) plus USDT/USDC stablecoins via NOWPayments.
- You value marketplace discovery (internal browse/search/recommendations). You get a buyer-facing surface in addition to your checkout.
- You want lower starting pressure on revenue share. Getly offers 90% revenue share for the first 3 months for new sellers as an early-seller promo.
- You prefer predictable payouts on a fixed calendar: 1st and 15th of each month (half-monthly).
The real fee math at $10, $50, and $200
| Price point | Getly | Thinkific | Lemon Squeezy | Payhip (free plan) | Etsy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | Effective fee: 80% creator take ($8 net on $10) or 90% during the 3-month early-seller promo ($9 / $10) | Effective fee: ~6% on a $10 sale (~$9.41 net) | Effective fee: ~10% on $10 sale ($9 net) | Effective fee: ~8% on $10 sale ($9.20 net) | Effective fee: ~17% on $10 sale (~$8.30 net) |
| $50 | Effective fee: 80% creator take ($40 on $50) or 90% during the 3-month early-seller promo ($45 / $50) | Effective fee: ~3.5% on $50 | Effective fee: ~6% on $50 ($46.50 net) | Effective fee: ~8% on $50 ($46.20 net) | Effective fee: ~15% on $50 (~$42.30 net) |
| $200 | Effective fee: 80% creator take ($160 on $200) or 90% during the 3-month early-seller promo ($180 / $200) | Effective fee: ~3% on $200 via Thinkific Payments | Effective fee: ~5% on $200 ($189.50 net) | Effective fee: ~8% on $200 ($183.70 net) | Effective fee: ~16% on $200 (~$167 net) |
Assumption note: the Thinkific, Lemon Squeezy, Payhip, and Etsy “effective fee” figures come from the verified lines in the facts block and include their respective processing and fee components as described there. The comparison uses only those published effective-fee numbers, not any additional estimates or add-on costs.
How to migrate from Thinkific to Getly
- Export from Thinkific. Create a CSV export of your products from Thinkific so you have your catalog data ready.
- Import into Getly. Use the importer at /dashboard/import. Getly accepts CSV exports in the same format as Gumroad/Etsy/Envato CSV.
- Finish assets and publish. Map the imported products to your final sales setup. For a 20-product catalog, migration typically takes around 5 minutes.