Use it when checkout is the priority: order bumps, upsells and checkout tests, on a monthly plan or a lifetime license, while the course stays where students already watch.
By Marcus Reyes, Editor. Updated 27 September 2026.
Quick answer
ElasticFunnels is our top pick for most people. ElasticFunnels is the pick if you run paid ads and need to test whole checkouts under one URL while sending sales across several merchant accounts.
ThriveCart earned its following on one idea: pay once, own the checkout. For a creator or coach whose needs fit the Standard plan, the $495 one-time price is a genuine bargain next to a $79-$199 monthly cart, and the bumps, upsells and A/B testing are all there.
The catch is the word lifetime. Standard is not the full product. Affiliate management, subscription dunning, custom domains and multiple order bumps are Pro+ at $295 a year, so the honest way to price it is upfront plus annual. It is a checkout, not a store, and it routes one processor at a time.
A buyer on r/digital_marketing said a refund requested during the return window had still not been paid, and described the refund process as poor even though the software itself was fine.
“the bottom line is that maybe their software works great, but their refund policy and customer service around refunds just sucks, even having requested it during the refund period.”
Another person in that thread said they have tried a variety of platforms and keep returning to ThriveCart.
“Have tested a variety of platforms and always come back to ThriveCart”
One seller said the platform went down and customers could not pay. Another in the same thread said they stayed because they believe ThriveCart is a verified Stripe partner and SamCart is not.
“systems go down all the time and I've had a few times now where my customers couldn't even pay”
“I think thrivecart is also a verified Stripe partner, where samcart isn't”
A Capterra reviewer said a refund was processed twice, which created an accounting problem and a difficult conversation with the customer.
“There has been a few different times we've tried to issue a needed refund, and it refunded the person twice, causing complications in revenue and inconvenient conversations with users.”
A Capterra reviewer said they do not love the sales page builder, and that clients have trouble finding the coupon field.
“I don't love the salespage builder, the coupon code field for some reason is always hard for clients to find.”
A buyer wrote that affiliate management on the lifetime plan was locked behind a $295 a year paywall.
“when she tried to set up affiliate management, it turned out that it was actually locked behind the $295/year paywall.”
A buyer wrote that they paid $800 for a lifetime membership plus Learn, and that several emails brought no answer.
“Paid $800 for a lifetime membership (plus additional for Learn, etc).”
“no one has returned my emails with an answer.”
In an alternatives thread, a reader called SamCart the closest direct competitor and described its support as much more responsive.
“SamCart the closest direct competitor with Support much more responsive.”
In a Kartra versus ThriveCart thread, a buyer said the monthly bills add up.
“the monthly cost adds up”
Standard is $47 a month or $37 a month billed annually, with a 30-day trial on new monthly plans. Pro+ is $87 a month or $67 a month billed annually, with the same trial. The campaign page lists Standard lifetime at $495 one-time (was $1,995). Lifetime Standard holders can add Pro+ for $295 per year. 0% to ThriveCart on sales. On a Standard subscription the processor fees page lists 0.10% on subscription bumps, 5% of the first retained payment on retention offers, and 0.10% on Advanced Adaptive Pricing. Affiliate Center is on Pro+. Tax calculation on the existing catalog note was 0.5% per eligible transaction on Standard and 0.35% on Pro+; this refresh does not restate a card rule for the trial.
Verified against the vendor's pricing page on 2026-10-20.
11 discussions and reviews read for this page. Quotes are excerpts; open a link to read the original in context.
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Last checked 2026-10-21
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