Is Coachli really free, or are there hidden fees?

Coachli is free to use with no monthly subscription. You only pay a transaction fee on successful sales. The rate depends on currency: 4% plus a small flat fee for Naira sales, and 7.5% for USD and other Stripe currencies. There are no setup fees, no listing fees and no charges for unused months.

Can I migrate from Thinkific to Coachli?

Yes. You can export your student list and order history from Thinkific as a CSV, then import contacts into Coachli. For course content, you re-upload your video, audio and PDF files into Coachli courses. The cleanest approach for active learners is to run both platforms briefly during the migration window and notify your students of the new login URL.

Does Coachli have quizzes and certificates like Thinkific?

Coachli supports basic course delivery with chapter-based structure for video, PDF and audio content. Quizzes, assignments and certificate generation are simpler than Thinkific's LMS. If your courses depend on formal assessments with auto-grading and printable certificates, Thinkific remains stronger. If your courses are content-led with optional check-ins, Coachli handles that well.

Can my Nigerian or African clients pay me on Thinkific?

Thinkific processes payments through Stripe and PayPal. Nigerian clients without USD-enabled cards or PayPal accounts will struggle to pay. Coachli integrates Paystack and Flutterwave, which accept Nigerian bank transfers, debit cards, USSD codes and mobile money natively. If you have African clients, this is the single biggest reason to choose Coachli over Thinkific.

Does Coachli support cohort courses like Thinkific?

Yes, for the most common use cases. You can structure a course in chapters and run a cohort by enrolling students in a window, hosting live classes and using basic group communication. Thinkific has more developed cohort scheduling, prerequisites and community features. For solo coaches running lightweight cohorts, Coachli works. For large, structured cohort programmes with rigid scheduling, Thinkific is stronger.

What about communities on Coachli vs Thinkific?

Thinkific has a built-in communities product with discussion threads and spaces tied to courses. Coachli supports basic group communication and email broadcasts but does not offer a full community feature set. If a forum-style community is critical, Thinkific or a dedicated tool (Circle, Discord) paired with Coachli is the better fit.

Is Coachli safe for processing payments?

Yes. Coachli uses Stripe, Paystack and Flutterwave as payment processors, each of which is PCI DSS compliant. Coachli never holds funds directly. Your payouts come from the processor to your bank account on the schedule each processor sets.

Can I try Coachli before committing?

Coachli has a free forever plan with no time limit. You can create your account, set up products and sessions and process real sales without ever paying a monthly fee. You only pay the transaction fee when you make a sale.

How does Coachli compare to other Thinkific alternatives like Teachable or Kajabi?

Teachable starts at $29/month (with transaction fees below the Pro tier). Kajabi starts at $179/month. Both are mature LMS platforms similar in scope to Thinkific. Coachli sits below all three on monthly cost since it has no monthly fee, and is the only option that supports Naira natively. If LMS depth is your priority, Thinkific or Teachable will serve you better. If you need sessions, products and African payments in one place, Coachli is the more complete fit.

Why should I trust Coachli for my coaching business?

Coachli has 15,000+ active coaches, consultants and creators using the platform, with over ₦1 billion in transactions processed to date. The company operates through Coachli Technology Inc. (Delaware, US) and Coachli Technology Ltd (Nigeria). Payment processing is handled by Stripe, Paystack and Flutterwave, all of which are independently regulated. Your customer data and sales records belong to you and can be exported at any time.

Coachli vs Thinkific: which is right for coaches in 2026?

Thinkific starts at $36/mo (Basic, billed annually). Coachli charges no monthly fee, only a small per-sale transaction fee. Full comparison of features, pricing and best use cases.

Coachli vs Thinkific comparison for coaches and creators in 2026

Coachli is a cheaper alternative to Thinkific for solo coaches, consultants and creators processing under ~$800 in monthly revenue. Thinkific discontinued its free plan and now starts at $36/mo for Basic (billed annually), going up to $499/mo for Expand, while Coachli charges no monthly fee, taking 7.5% on USD sales (4% on Nigerian Naira sales) only when you make a sale.

For Nigerian creators paid in Naira, Coachli is significantly cheaper than Thinkific at any revenue level. For USD-paid creators earning above ~$800 per month, Thinkific Basic's flat monthly model with 0% platform fees becomes cheaper. Thinkific is also stronger for structured cohort courses, certifications and community-led training for US-based audiences.

At-a-glance comparison

See how Coachli and Thinkific stack up side by side.

Feature	Coachli	Thinkific
Monthly fee	$0	$36 (Basic, annual) to $499 (Expand)
Transaction fee	4% on Naira. 7.5% on USD and Stripe currencies. No monthly fee.	0% platform fee on paid plans. Plus standard Stripe processing on every sale.
Free plan	Yes, unlimited	No (free plan discontinued; 14-day to 30-day trial)
Product limits	Unlimited	Basic: limited courses. Start and Grow: unlimited.
Quizzes, assignments, certificates	Basic course delivery	Mature LMS with quizzes, assignments, certificates
1:1 session bookings	Built in, no Zoom needed
Live classes	Built in, up to 10 co-hosts	Paid plans only, via Zoom integration
Communities	Basic group communication	Built-in communities feature
Payment processors	Stripe, Paystack, Flutterwave	Stripe, PayPal
Multi-currency (Naira, Cedi, Rand)	Yes, native	USD-centric, no Naira support
Structured cohort courses	Yes, chapter-based	Advanced cohort and drip support
Public marketplace	Public profile page per creator	No marketplace, your site only

Pricing math at every revenue level

Thinkific's $36/mo Basic plan (annual billing) is $432/year before any sales. Coachli has no monthly fee. Here is what that looks like by audience.

Nigerian creators paid in Naira

For any Nigerian coach or creator selling primarily in Naira, Coachli is dramatically cheaper than Thinkific at every revenue level. Thinkific cannot accept Naira natively. The cost difference for a Lagos-based course creator earning ₦2,000,000/month is approximately:

Thinkific Basic ($36/mo annual): ~₦55,000/mo (at current FX) plus ~3% Stripe processing on each sale, and your Nigerian clients cannot easily pay in the first place.
Coachli: 4% of ₦2,000,000 = ₦80,000/mo.

Even at the lowest Thinkific tier, your Nigerian clients struggle to pay. Coachli routes Naira through Paystack and Flutterwave so they can pay natively.

USD-paid creators

For creators selling primarily in USD (US, UK, Canada, Australia clients), the comparison is closer.

Example 1, new coach at $2,000/mo: Coachli 7.5% = $150/mo, all-in, with no contract, native Naira processing if you add it later, and 1:1 sessions plus live classes built in. Thinkific Basic $36/mo annual plus ~2.9% Stripe ≈ $94/mo for course-only scope.
Example 2, mid-tier at $5,000/mo: Coachli 7.5% = $375/mo with no contact limits and full coaching workflow. Thinkific Basic plus Stripe ≈ $181/mo for course-only scope.
Example 3, established at $15,000/mo: Coachli 7.5% = $1,125/mo with multi-currency dashboard and no commitment. Thinkific Basic plus Stripe ≈ $471/mo on USD-only course delivery (Thinkific cannot accept Naira).

What the per-sale rate buys: Coachli's 7.5% covers 1:1 paid session booking with built-in video, live class hosting for up to 10 co-hosts, digital product sales, and native multi-currency processing including Naira via Paystack and Flutterwave. Thinkific's subscription gives you a mature LMS with certificates and structured cohort tools, course-first. The two platforms address different business models beyond the rate.

Multi-currency creators

If you sell to both Nigerian and international clients, Coachli is the only platform that handles both fee structures natively. Thinkific forces your Nigerian clients through Stripe USD payments, with currency conversion friction at every step. Coachli processes Naira sales at 4% via Paystack and USD sales at 7.5% via Stripe, in the same dashboard, with the same product.

Choose Thinkific if, choose Coachli if

Choose Thinkific if

You're a dedicated course creator running structured cohorts and earning $800+/month in USD
You need formal assessments: quizzes, graded assignments, certificates
You're consistently earning $800+/month in USD
Your audience is primarily US-based and pays exclusively in USD
You want a mature LMS with prerequisites, drip schedules and communities
You don't need 1:1 session booking or live classes natively
You're comfortable adding Zoom for any live components

Choose Coachli if

You're a solo coach, consultant or creator with mixed offerings
You're paid primarily in Naira (Coachli wins at any revenue level here)
You earn under $800/month in USD and don't want a fixed monthly fee
You sell coaching sessions alongside digital products and need both built in
Your clients pay in mixed currencies (Naira, Cedis, Rand, USD, GBP) and need one platform that handles all of them natively
You want native 1:1 booking and live classes without bolting on Zoom
You prefer to pay only when you actually make a sale