ThriveCart vs ClickFunnels (2026): Checkout Specialist or Full Funnel Builder?
One perfects the checkout. The other builds the whole funnel.
On This Page
The Short Answer
ThriveCart focuses on checkout: branded cart pages, order bumps, one-click upsells, payment plans and subscriptions, plus courses and communities, from $47 a month or $495 one time. ClickFunnels is a full funnel builder with landing pages, sales pages, checkout, email marketing, courses and a website builder, from $97 a month with a 14-day trial.
Choose ThriveCart if you already have pages and email and want a better checkout at a lower cost. Choose ClickFunnels if you want to build your whole funnel, pages and emails in one place.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| ThriveCart | ClickFunnels | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $47/month or $495 lifetime | $97/month (Launch) |
| Free trial | 30 days | 14 days |
| Checkout pages, bumps and upsells | Core strength | Yes |
| Landing and sales page builder | Limited | Yes, drag and drop |
| Email marketing | No | Yes |
| Courses and communities | Yes (Academy) | Yes |
| Affiliate management | Yes (Pro+, reported) | Yes |
| Lifetime option | Yes | No |
Checkout and Upsells
Both handle order bumps and one-click upsells. ThriveCart is known for flexible checkouts, payment options and pricing tests at a lower cost, while ClickFunnels builds checkout into each funnel step alongside your pages.
Pages and Funnels
ClickFunnels wins. Its editor builds opt-in pages, sales pages, webinar funnels and full websites. ThriveCart's funnels focus on the purchase flow, so most ThriveCart users pair it with a website or page builder such as Leadpages.
Email Marketing
ClickFunnels includes email broadcasts and sequences on its plans. ThriveCart doesn't, so you'd connect a tool such as AWeber or Moosend.
Courses and Communities
Both include course hosting. ThriveCart Academy adds communities, with plan limits by tier. ClickFunnels includes courses and membership areas, with course limits by plan; see our ClickFunnels pricing.
Which Should You Choose?
| Choose ThriveCart If… | Choose ClickFunnels If… |
|---|---|
| You already have a website and email tool | You want pages, email and checkout together |
| You want the lowest long-term cost | You'll build many funnels and pages |
| You sell courses and digital products | You want Russell Brunson's training ecosystem |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ThriveCart Cheaper Than ClickFunnels?
Yes. ThriveCart starts at $47 a month or $495 lifetime; ClickFunnels starts at $97 a month.
Can ThriveCart Replace ClickFunnels?
For checkout and upsells, yes; for page building and email, no.
Which Has the Longer Free Trial?
ThriveCart's 30 days, versus ClickFunnels' 14.
Can I Use Both?
Yes, some sellers build pages in ClickFunnels and use ThriveCart for checkout.
Try ThriveCart Free
Start ThriveCart's 30-day free trial and build your first checkout.