FileFreightFileFreight vs Thinkific: the own-Stripe surcharge vs $19/month flat
Thinkific is a course platform — video lessons, quizzes, certificates, cohorts — and its pricing is built for schools. Basic is $54/month ($40 on annual billing), Start is $109/month ($82 annual), Grow is $219/month ($164 annual), and Plus is custom. The free plan was dropped in 2026. The headline is 0% transaction fees, but that only holds if you route sales through Thinkific Payments: use your own Stripe account and Thinkific adds a surcharge — 5% on Basic, 2% on Start, 1% on Grow. And Basic caps you at 5 digital downloads. FileFreight Pro is $19/month flat with 0% per-sale fees, unlimited downloads, on your own Stripe account.
The own-Stripe surcharge
Thinkific's 0% fee claim has a condition. Route $3,000 a month through your own Stripe on Basic and the 5% surcharge costs $150 a month — on top of the $54 plan and card processing. To escape it you either hand Thinkific your payments or climb to Start ($109/month) for a 2% surcharge that still costs $60 a month at the same volume. FileFreight charges no platform surcharge at all: your Stripe is your Stripe, and Pro is $19 flat.
Plan by plan
| Per month (annual) | Month-to-month | Own-Stripe surcharge | Digital downloads | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thinkific Basic | $40 | $54 | 5% | 5 |
| Thinkific Start | $82 | $109 | 2% | unlimited |
| Thinkific Grow | $164 | $219 | 1% | unlimited |
| FileFreight Free | $0 | $0 | 0% (5% flat fee instead) | unlimited |
| FileFreight Pro | $19 | $19 | 0% | unlimited |
Who should stay on Thinkific
- You sell real courses with video lessons, quizzes, certificates, and student progress — the course machinery is the product.
- You route payments through Thinkific Payments and genuinely pay 0% platform fees.
- You need cohorts, learning paths, communities, and SCORM support FileFreight will never build.
Honest caveats about FileFreight
- No courses. FileFreight delivers files and license keys; there are no video lessons, quizzes, or certificates.
- No tax or merchant-of-record handling. Sales run through your own Stripe account.
- No automatic importer. The first 20 sellers get a free white-glove migration; otherwise migration is manual, a few minutes per product.
- Newer than Thinkific. No decade of uptime history to point at yet.
Frequently asked questions
Does Thinkific really charge 0% transaction fees?
Only through Thinkific Payments, its own payment system. If you connect your own Stripe or PayPal account, Thinkific adds a surcharge: 5% on Basic, 2% on Start, 1% on Grow, dropping to 0% on Plus.
How many digital downloads can I sell on Thinkific Basic?
Basic caps you at 5 digital downloads. Start and above allow unlimited downloads. FileFreight has no download cap on any plan.
When does FileFreight beat Thinkific?
When what you sell is files, not courses: printables, templates, presets, ebooks, audio, software. If you do not use video lessons, quizzes, or certificates, Thinkific Basic at $54 a month plus a 5% own-Stripe surcharge is far more than FileFreight Pro at $19 flat.
Does FileFreight handle sales tax?
No. FileFreight is not a merchant of record. Payments go straight to your own Stripe account, so sales-tax responsibility stays with you.
Sources
- Learning Revolution: Thinkific pricing 2026 — plans and own-Stripe surcharges (checked October 2026)
- Ruzuku: Thinkific review 2026 — plan prices and transaction fees
- PM Study Circle: Teachable vs Thinkific 2026 pricing
Pricing last checked October 2026.
Ready to try FileFreight? The free plan is $0 a month with a 5% per-sale fee — no card required. Upgrade to Pro ($19/month, 0% fees) whenever the math says it pays for itself.