Capabilities
Certificates versus recertification for training providers
Most platforms can print a completion certificate. Recertification, expiring credentials that learners must renew, is a different feature set that grids rarely spell out. Thinkific issues completion certificates from the Start plan; LearnDash includes a certificate builder from Essentials; LearnWorlds supports certificates with per-plan mechanics worth a check; Teachable and Podia do not itemize certificate terms in their published grids.
ThinkificPricing →
LearnDashPricing →
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TeachablePricing →
PodiaPricing →What is published, per platform
Start from the sourced facts, then treat everything else as a demo question. Thinkific lists completion certificates from the Start plan up. LearnDash includes a certificate builder from its Essentials license, the entry tier. LearnWorlds supports certificates, but expiration and recertification mechanics are not itemized per plan on the pricing page, so confirm them in a demo before relying on them. Teachable references course certificates on upper plans without clear plan gating, and Podia does not include certificates in its published plan grid.
Because Teachable and Podia do not itemize certificate terms publicly, treat both as not published, confirm in a demo, rather than assuming a yes or a no.
The four-part grid most vendors collapse into one
A certificate feature is really four capabilities. Recertification needs the last three, yet most grids only promise the first:
- PDF generation: issue a branded certificate when a learner completes a course. This is the common baseline.
- Expiration dates: stamp the credential with a validity period so it lapses, which is what makes it a recertifiable credential rather than a souvenir.
- Renewal reminders: notify learners before expiry and route them back to a renewal course or assessment.
- Exportable history: a record of who holds what, issued when, expiring when, that you can export for audits and client reporting.
Ask each vendor about all four separately. A yes on PDF generation tells you nothing about the three that recertification actually depends on.
How to verify the three that matter
In a trial or demo, issue a certificate with a short validity period, then confirm three things: that the platform records an expiration date on the credential, that it can send a renewal reminder before that date, and that you can export a history file listing holders and expiry dates. Open the export and check the columns are real, not a screen-only view.
If a platform only does PDF generation, you can still run recertification, but the tracking and reminders become your own spreadsheet and calendar work. Price that labor into the decision with the cost calculator, and cross-check what your reporting can actually export on the reporting and learner progress page.
| What you need separate | Thinkific | LearnWorlds | Teachable | Podia | LearnDash |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custom branding per client | Partial, shared school Branding removal from Grow applies to one school, one brand. Per-client branding is a Plus conversation. | Partial, shared school Full white label from Learning Center covers your school; client groups share that brand unless you go Corporate. | Partial, shared school Branding removal on Growth; no per-client branding as published. | Not published, ask in a demo Branding terms are not itemized on the pricing page. | By construction, separate installs Each WordPress install is fully the client's brand; one license covers one site. |
| Custom domain per client | Partial, shared school One custom domain per school. Per-client domains are not published below Plus. | Partial, shared school One school domain; per-group domains are not published. | Partial, shared school One custom domain from Builder. | Partial, shared school One custom domain per account. | By construction, separate installs One install per domain, so per-client domains are structural. |
| Separate catalog per client | Partial, shared school Group selling from Grow shares one catalog; you scope access, not the catalog itself. | Partial, shared school Client groups (1 on Pro Trainer, up to 10 on Learning Center) receive assigned courses from one catalog. | Not offered as published No published client portal or group concept. | Not offered as published Spaces are communities, not client portals. | By construction, separate installs Separate installs mean separate catalogs; within one install, groups share the catalog. |
| Separate user pool per client | Partial, shared school Groups segment one shared student base inside the school. | Partial, shared school Groups are segments of one user base, not separate schools. | Not offered as published One student base per school. | Not offered as published One customer base per account. | By construction, separate installs Separate installs keep user pools apart; within one install, groups share the user table. |
| Client admin rights | Not published, ask in a demo Delegated client-admin rights below Plus are not documented publicly. | Not published, ask in a demo Per-group admin delegation is not itemized publicly. | Not published, ask in a demo Only admin seat counts are published. | Not offered as published Assistants are staff seats, not client admins. | Partial, shared school Group leader role exists within one install; rights depend on tier and setup. |
| Separated client data | Not published, ask in a demo No public commitment on per-client data separation; confirm the multi-account scenario in a demo. | Not published, ask in a demo No public isolation commitment; verify cross-group access with test accounts in a demo. | Not published, ask in a demo Not documented. | Not published, ask in a demo Not documented. | By construction, separate installs Separate installs mean separate databases; one shared install does not separate data. |
On compliance, we do not assess it
We make no regulatory compliance claims. Whether a certificate or a recertification cycle satisfies a specific standard depends entirely on your professional body, industry regulator or accreditation scheme, and this site does not assess that. A platform can generate a technically perfect certificate that your governing body still does not recognize. Confirm the required fields, validity rules and record-keeping with your own regulator, then check the platform can produce them using the grid above.
Frequently asked questions
Which platforms issue certificates on their entry plan?
What is the difference between a certificate and recertification?
Does a certificate make my program compliant?
How do I test recertification before committing?
Keep deciding
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