Thinkific vs Udemy
Two education & courses affiliate programs, compared field by field on verified terms. Every figure below was checked against the official program page; each profile links the source. Scoring follows our public rubric.
30% recurring for 12 months · 90 days cookie
Strong — best for course-platform comparison and tutorial content
Udemy
Course marketplace · Education
~10–15% (varies by promo) · 7 days cookie
Weak — best for high-volume tutorial and how-to content
The verdict
Thinkific — 78/100
Thinkific wins by 31 points on stronger earnings structure, a longer attribution window (90 days vs 7 days), lower payout friction. Udemy still makes sense for a specific fit: high-volume tutorial and how-to content.
Verified terms, side by side
| Field | Thinkific | Udemy |
|---|---|---|
| Commission | 30% recurring for 12 months | ~10–15% (varies by promo) |
| Model | Recurring (12 months) | Percentage of sale |
| Cookie duration | 90 days ✓ | 7 days |
| Est. $/first referral | ~$160 ✓ | ~$2.5 |
| Network | PartnerStack | Rakuten Advertising |
| Payout threshold | $5 | $50 |
| Payout methods | PayPal, Stripe | Direct deposit, PayPal, check |
| Payment terms | Monthly, ~NET 30 | NET 60 (Rakuten) |
| Geo focus | Global | Global |
| Terms verified | 2026-08 | 2026-08 |
Score breakdown
Subscores are 1–10, weighted per the methodology.
Earnings power (35%)
Attribution window (20%)
Trust & conversion (20%)
Payout reliability (15%)
Ease of entry (10%)
Why pick Thinkific
- 90-day cookie beats Teachable's 30
- PartnerStack payouts with $5 minimum
- Free plan lowers referral friction
Watch out
12-month cap
Full Thinkific profile →Why pick Udemy
- Huge course catalog covers every niche
- Perpetual $9.99–$14.99 sales convert impulse buyers
- Easy topical relevance for any tutorial site
Watch out
Deep discounting makes commissions tiny
Full Udemy profile →