ThriveCart vs ClickFunnels: Key comparisons and a low-cost alternative

Looking for a solution to convert visitors into paying customers and feeling curious about how ThriveCart and ClickFunnels compare?

While the platform's goals are almost identical (convert visitors into paying customers), their scope is not: they cater to different business needs, complexity, and budgets.

ClickFunnels is an end-to-end sales funnel.

Below, we will compare each platform's features, pros, cons, and costs to help you make the best choice.

We’ll also introduce you to Checkout Page, our no-code Checkout Page builder that helps you create high-converting checkout pages at a fraction of the cost of many other platforms.

But first things first…

ThriveCart vs ClickFunnels: What you need to know

🕡 Short on time? Let’s start with the no-nonsense headlines on each platform's features and limitations. We'll then dive into the details further down the article.

ThriveCart's features

✅ Acts as a specialized shopping cart and checkout page builder.
✅ Optimizes sales conversions for digital product sellers by streamlining the checkout process.
✅ Features powerful upsells, downsells, cross-sells and order bumps to increase average order value.
✅ Flexible payment options are available, including subscriptions and installment plans and more.
✅ Includes essential affiliate management to track and reward referrals.

ThriveCart's limitations

➖ It does not provide extensive marketing automation features or email marketing capabilities.
➖ It lacks comprehensive sales funnel management tools, as its primary focus is on the checkout phase.
➖ It does not have a website creation feature (although it can be embedded on existing sites).

ClickFunnels' features

✅ Serves as an all-in-one sales funnel builder that creates complete online sales strategies.
✅ Enables building of website, sales pages, and complex sales funnels.
✅ Integrates email marketing and automation, allowing for detailed follow-up sequences with leads.
✅ Offers advanced features for managing membership sites and hosting online courses.
✅ Includes a range of analytics tools for tracking customer behavior and funnel performance.

ClickFunnels' limitations

➖ It will likely be too complex and feature-heavy for small businesses with more straightforward sales needs.
➖ It has a higher price point and ongoing monthly fees, which can add up compared to Thrivecart's one-time payment model.
➖ It can lock users into its ecosystem, making it challenging to migrate away from the platform in the future.

ThriveCart vs ClickFunnels: Feature comparison chart

Let’s take a look at things side-by-side and see how ThriveCart and ClickFunnels measure up against each other in terms of their features, costs, support, and free trial status:

ThriveCart vs ClickFunnels: Key comparisons

Having got an overview of how the features compare, let's explore three areas that will be key to many of you who are deciding what kind of platform your business needs.

We'll look at which platform we think performs best in each of those areas: ThriveCart or ClickFunnels?

Cost

Regarding the all-important topic of cost, ThriveCart’s one-time payment option of $495 for lifetime access makes it the more cost-effective solution. This cost includes all essential features, such as customizable checkout pages, upsells, and affiliate management, without recurring fees.

On the other hand, ClickFunnels operates on a subscription model, with the basic plan starting at $97 per month and escalating to $297 per month for the more advanced features.

Over time, these monthly fees can add up significantly, with yearly costs exceeding $2,300. Yikes.

Ultimately, for most entrepreneurs—especially those with more straightforward sales needs—ThriveCart emerges as the more economical choice, providing essential functionality without ongoing costs.

🏅Winner on cost: ThriveCart

Sales funnel features

When it comes to sales funnel capabilities, ClickFunnels—the OG sales funnel builder—clearly leads the way. Its comprehensive, multi-step funnels guide customers through every stage of the buying process, from awareness to conversion, and are top-notch.

By comparison, ThriveCart offers basic and straightforward sales funnel functionalities. While it does allow users to create simple sales flows, such as a product page followed by checkout and a thank-you page, it lacks the depth that ClickFunnels provides.

🏅Winner on sales funnel: ClickFunnels

Sales-boosters

When it comes to boosting sales at checkout, ThriveCart shines with its streamlined approach to the checkout process. Its key features, such as one-click upsells and order bumps, allow users to present additional offers seamlessly during checkout, increasing the average order value.

ThriveCart also supports flexible payment options, including subscriptions and installment plans, catering to various customer preferences and encouraging more purchases. In focusing on checkout rather than the entire sales journey, ThriveCart does less, but it does it very well.

By contrast, ClickFunnels offers a broader set of marketing tools, but its checkout-related features can be more complex to set up and are less slick.

ThriveCart's dedicated approach to checkout optimization is the standout choice for businesses focused on maximizing immediate sales conversions.

🏅Winner on sales-boosts: ThriveCart

ThriveCart vs. ClickFunnels: Which one is right for you?

Overall, unless you need broad and complex sales funnel capabilities, we believe ThriveCart will be the better-suited platform for many of our readers, especially those selling digital products.

If you want to see these platforms in action through a couple of use cases, we'll do that in the next section to help you put things in context.

If you know that ThriveCart’s features are overkill for you and want to explore how our platform, Checkout Page, offers competitive checkout page functionality at a low and flexible price, jump ahead! 🦘

ThriveCart use case: Sophia, the creative writing enthusiast

👋 Meet Sophia.

She runs an online course focused on helping enthusiasts develop their creative writing skills. She also sells various related products, including coaching sessions and e-guides.

While she has an established website and social media following, she wants to enhance her checkout process to improve sales conversion rates.

How ThriveCart supports Sophia:

• Streamlined checkout pages: ThriveCart allows Sophia to create user-friendly, customizable checkout pages that can be embedded directly on her website. This streamlined process minimizes distractions and encourages quick purchases from her customers.
• Upsell opportunities: As Sophia sells her online course, ThriveCart enables her to offer relevant upsells during checkout. For example, she can present an e-guide on "Creative Writing: Mistakes I made, so you don’t have to!" when someone purchases the course, adding more value and increasing her average order value.
• Order bumps: ThriveCart’s order bump feature lets Sophia suggest additional services, like a coaching session, right on the checkout page. This increases both engagement and revenue without complicating the purchasing experience.
• ThriveCart Learn: Sophie uses this free feature to create, manage, and deliver online courses efficiently and can view learner progress using the student management features.
• Analytics and monitoring: Sophia can monitor her sales performance through real-time analytics, identifying which e-guides and coaching offers are most popular. This data enables her to adjust her offerings to make them as enticing as possible for her audience.

ClickFunnels use case: Nathan, the fitness training entrepreneur

👋🏼 Meet Nathan.

He is an entrepreneur who provides business training for personal trainers. He is developing a platform featuring a range of courses and membership options, including a community platform, premium fitness training packages, and exclusive webinar sessions.

How ClickFunnels supports Nathan:

• Comprehensive sales funnel creation: With ClickFunnels, Nathan can turn his social media following and email lists into sales using multi-step funnels explicitly designed for his industry. This helps him create detailed sales processes that guide his audience from awareness to conversion. For example, Nathan can start with a targeted landing page that captures leads from his social media promotions. Once visitors opt in, follow-up emails are triggered to nurture the leads and offer various upsell and down-sell offers based on their interactions.
• Membership platform: With ClickFunnels, Nathan can easily set up membership sites for subscribers. This allows him to deliver exclusive content, host discussions, and create a community space for personal trainers to interact, share experiences, and gain insights that help him shape his sales funnels.
• Webinar funnels: If Nathan hosts live webinars as part of his marketing strategy, ClickFunnels provides the necessary tools to create and manage these events. He can capture leads via registration pages and follow up to convert attendees into paying customers.

Checkout Page as a ThriveCart alternative

We hope we have shown the differences in each platform's overall functions, helping you narrow down your options.

If you are leaning toward ThriveCart because your focus is optimizing your customer’s checkout experience and boosting sales, but you feel the search for the right platform is not over yet…🫱

…Allow us to introduce Checkout Page - an innovative platform designed to optimize your sales process with simplicity and efficiency.

At Checkout Page, we focus on helping you build high-converting, no-code checkout experiences, featuring an array of sales-boosting features and the ability to craft funnels.

Our platform supports the sale of various products, including digital goods, subscriptions, and even event tickets, making it a versatile choice for various online sellers - all at a low and flexible cost.

ThriveCart vs Checkout Page: Feature comparison chart

Conclusion

As you can see, Checkout Page is a strong contender as an alternative to ThriveCart and ClickFunnels.

It matches many of its features and its low monthly subscription costs with zero hidden fees, making it extremely flexible and budget-friendly.

The flexible billing option is perfect for those who want to test product ideas, sell event tickets, retreats, conferences and more.

If you’d like to try it, our 7-day free trial requires no card and allows you to try out all of our features, which we know you’ll find user-friendly and intuitive.

Visit our features page to learn more about the full suite of features that Checkout Page offers.

We wish you a smooth search for the right platform and hope that we can support you along the way.