# Thinkific vs Alison

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Alison at 79% against Thinkific's 13%. Alison also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.1) and ratings volume (12K vs 115). Thinkific's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Alison sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.00 per month. Thinkific asks for nothing beyond the download.

Alison holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Alison has 12K ratings behind it against 115, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 13% of Thinkific's written reviews are positive against 79% of Alison's.

Thinkific ships an update every 8 days, Alison every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Thinkific | Alison |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.1 (115 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thinkific/id1557573471/reviews) | **[4.8 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alison-online-education-app/id1558468968/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 115 | **12K** |
| Positive reviews | 12.9% of reviews | **79.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 9 days |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 81 MB | 118 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Thinkific](https://appshunter.io/developer/1557573473) | [Alison (Capernaum Limited)](https://appshunter.io/developer/1558468970) |

## What reviewers say

### Thinkific

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thinkific/id1557573471)

Access your courses, engage with your community, and learn on the go. Track progress, shop for new materials, and connect with peers. Features an AI assistant for instant answers and personalized learning.

**Highlights:** Automatic progress tracking, In-app course browsing and purchasing, Personalized home screen, Community discussions and live events, AI-powered learning assistant, Discover new learning opportunities

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and clean interface design
- 🚀 Fast performance when working properly
- 📱 Convenient on-the-go learning capability
- 💡 Branded app option available
- 🎓 Good for course content delivery when functional

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing
- 🔐 Persistent login and authentication issues
- 📵 Poor customer support and unresponsive team
- 📱 Severe iPad/tablet compatibility problems
- 🎬 Video playback issues and constant buffering

**Reported bugs**

- Login failures and constant sign-outs
- App crashes on startup or when searching for courses
- Gray/blank screen appearing on launch
- Video playback freezing and buffering
- Complete button missing or not clickable

**Requested features**

- Unified dashboard for multiple courses from different creators
- Ability to manage multiple courses without logging out
- AirPlay and casting support for videos
- Offline download capability
- PDF annotation and highlighting tools


### Alison

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alison-online-education-app/id1558468968)

Access over 4,000 free, CPD-accredited courses to upskill or change careers. Earn diplomas and certificates from anywhere, anytime, with flexible, self-paced learning. Join a global community of millions and build job-ready skills.

**Highlights:** 4,000+ free CPD-accredited courses, Earn diplomas and certificates, Mobile-friendly course content, Personalized course recommendations, Flexible self-paced learning, Track progress and schedule reminders, Synced coursework across devices

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Alison offline learning monthly sub | $5.00 | per month |
| Alison offline learning lite | $3.00 | one-time |
| Alison digital certificate | $17.49 | one-time |
| Alison digital certificate | $18.49 | one-time |
| Alison digital certificate | $22.99 | one-time |
| Alison digital certificate | $23.00 | one-time |
| Alison digital certificate | $29.49 | one-time |
| Alison digital certificate | $39.00 | one-time |
| Alison digital diploma | $75.00 | one-time |
| Alison digital diploma | $100.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💥 Excellent learning platform
- 🎓 Useful certifications and diplomas
- 🤓 Informative and educational content
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 🌟 Great for personal and career growth

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Paid certificates after free courses
- 🐛 Occasional glitches and bugs
- 🔍 Limited course selection in some areas
- ⏱️ Lack of progress saving and resume options

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing during assessments
- Inconsistent course progress tracking
- Login issues with Apple credentials

**Requested features**

- Offline mode for courses
- More language options
- Improved search and filtering
- Ability to favorite/save courses
- Downloadable course materials


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Thinkific free?

Thinkific is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Alison free?

Alison is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Thinkific or Alison?

Alison is rated higher. Thinkific averages 2.1 out of 5 from 115 ratings, while Alison averages 4.8 from 12K ratings.

### Do Thinkific or Alison have ads?

Alison shows ads; Thinkific does not.

### Which is updated more often, Thinkific or Alison?

Thinkific ships an update every 8 days, and Alison every 9 days. Most recently, Thinkific was updated on November 7, 2026 and Alison on November 8, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*