About Thrive Apprentice
Let me take you through my experience with Thrive Apprentice, so you can decide if it’s right for you.
Let’s find out what Thrive Apprentice is, what company (and people) run this platform, and what you can do with it.
What Is Thrive Apprentice?
Thrive Apprentice is a WordPress learning management plugin that lets you create lesson content with a drag-and-drop editor and completely customize your course environment.
This WordPress plugin gives you complete control over all your course’s visual elements.
It makes it easy to customize any section of your course you need. As a result, you don’t have a rigid framework limiting you.
Company Details
Company: whitesquare GmbH
Address: c/o Patrizia Melaugh Beckengässchen 1 Schaffhausen, SCHAFFHAUSEN, 8200 Switzerland
Phone: Unknown
Founded: 2011
The company is founded by Shane Melaugh and Paul McCarthy.
How Does Thrive Apprentice Work?
Thrive Apprentice works as a separate WordPress plugin that makes it easy to create online courses from scratch.
It lets you customize every aspect of your course, from the lesson and module pages to the navigation sidebar.
However, it is not a Learning Management System (LMS).
There are no tests, grades, or anything else like that included.
Methodology: How Has Thrive Apprentice Been Tested?
This tool was tested using my 11-step review process involving hours of tests and performance evaluation.
To thoroughly test Thrive Apprentice and its possibilities, I signed up for Thrive Apprentice and bought a paid subscription to evaluate the platform’s capabilities.
Following this, I began using the plugin and evaluating it based on metrics like:
- Flexibility and limitations: What are the platform’s features, how do they work, and what advantages can you expect? What are the drawbacks?
- Management and User Experience (UX): I consider the platform’s ease of use and functionality
- Security: How does the platform protect users’ personal information and keep them safe
- Affordability: I assessed the affordability of this tool depending on its price and the different plans it offers
- Communication and Support: What are the support options, how does support respond to your queries, and how do they solve them?
- User Ratings and Reputation: What is the feedback from real Thrive Apprentice users on other review platforms
I spent hours testing and examining Thrive Apprentice to provide you with a 100% objective and unbiased review.
Everything written in this review is 100% real and on the basis of my personal experience.
Thrive Apprentice Review: What Does It Look Like in Reality?
In this Thrive Apprenbtice review, I will look deeper into this WordPress plugin. Among the many questions I will answer are:
- How easy is it to install Thrive Apprentice?
- Is it simple to operate?
- How fast is it?
- And plenty of other pressing queries.
I will also try to explain my thoughts on various performance areas and assign a star rating to each review category.
So, let’s dive in.
FLEXIBILITY AND LIMITATIONS: What Can You Do With Thrive Apprentice?
Selecting such a WordPress online course builder plugin requires first finding out:
- How flexible is the tool?
- How does it work?
- Are there any limitations to its capabilities?
Let’s look at the flexibilities and limitations of the Thrive Apprentice plugin.
What Are the Key Features of Thrive Apprentice?
Thrive Apprentice offers an array of features geared towards automating your business and sales process.
Some of these features include:
- Drag and drop membership site builder
- Advanced drip features
- Content personalization features
- Modules, chapters, lessons
- Login and registration flow builder
- Classroom customization
- Course bundles
Let’s take a closer look at each of them.
1. Membership Site Builder
Thrive Apprentice differs from other, more expensive LMS platforms because it gives you complete creative control over the platform’s look and feels.

As a result of the builder’s improved flexibility, the options are practically unlimited.
For example, by dragging pieces next to each other, you can build flexible column layouts.
It’s also simple to change the design.
You can add, resize, or remove any element using the WYSIWYG editor.
Any component of your course page can have a backdrop image with text overlays. You can make the text more readable by using image gradient overlays, which the builder supports.
The creator will also have complete control over the font of your course website. There are over 700 bespoke fonts to choose from.
Thrive Apprentice supports full-screen background widths that are fully mobile-responsive.
The best part is that you don’t need any technical knowledge to create course pages on Thrive Apprentice.
2. Advanced Drip Features
The online course setting relies heavily on the drip-fed content function.

Without this safeguard, students will cheat the system by jumping between courses to complete the final exam.
Unless you break up your content into smaller, more digestible portions, visitors to your website won’t get much out of it.
Drip-feeding prevents overwhelming students from an excessive amount of course material.
For courses that cover various topics, drip-fed content is effective. Drip-feeding is distributing course material in little, manageable chunks at regular intervals.
3. Content Personalization Features
If you’re teaching an online course with WordPress, you’ve got all the tools you need to create a unique menu for each of your students. To help you grow your course-based business, here are three critical features:
- Menu items for logged-in and logged-out users
- Display user profile images
- Show user names

It’s possible to use these elements separately or in combination to create a professional and customized membership-style environment for every customer.
For both course publishers and students, dynamic personalization has significant benefits:
- It immediately conveys a professional approach to content for members
- Students and members will probably feel at ease when they see their names and profile pictures
- It enhances usability by making it clear whether a user signs in
- Users can use a profile image to access their account page, settings, and billing information
4. Modules, Chapters, Lessons
With Thrive Apprentice organizing and arranging your online course is very easy.

It is possible to use the lessons, chapters, and modules features.
You can organize your course’s lessons, chapters, and modules in various ways, making it easier for your website visitors and subscribers to follow.
5. Login And Registration Flow Builder
With Thrive Apprentice you can customize the look of your students’ login and registration forms and the pages they exist on.

With the landing page templates provided, you can create an attractive Login and registration page in no time at all.
6. Total Classroom Customization
Using The Thrive Apprentice WordPress Plugin, you have complete control over the visual appearance of your classroom.

You can customize every aspect of your online course experience. Starting with the essentials, such as fonts, colors, logos, headers, and footers, to the advanced:
- Homepage of the school with the course catalog
- Template for a program outline
- Module design template
- Lesson plans that include audio, video, and text
These options are available for each, allowing you to develop your WordPress course themes within a few minutes.
7. Course Bundles
Thrive Apprentice allows to set up course packages to sell multiple courses at a discounted rate.

Offer your customers the opportunity to save money by buying many courses in a bundle.
For example, if you have three courses, you can bundle them together and sell them for a discount price.
In addition, you can combine courses with other content categories, such as:
- Pages
- Custom content types
- And more
Marketers refer to these as “products.”
Products allow you to secure and sell content alongside your courses, enabling you to develop full membership websites.
What Are Thrive Apprentice Limitations?
- Third-party sales platforms and three other membership plugins are the sole options for integration
- If you want to make money selling paid courses, you will need to connect it to a third-party checkout platform
- It only works with WordPress websites
- There is a limit on course template customization
My Verdict And Rating
What I really liked about Thrive Apprentice is the wealth of features and the flexibility of this WordPress plugin.
True, many features of this tool are “hidden”. This means that you won’t be able to open the Thrive Apprentice control panel and see everything in the palm of your hand.
Sometimes you have to look for them, and it happened to me that I found them quite unexpectedly.
But most importantly, I think that using this plugin you should find practically everything you need to create your membership site.
Well, unless you can miss the integrated checkout function, which you will need from third-party providers.
My rating for Thrive Apprentice flexibility and limitations: 4.8 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
MANAGEMENT AND USER EXPERIENCE: How Easy Is It to Set up And Use Thrive Apprentice?
When you log in to Thrive Apprentice dashboard, the very first thing you will need to do is to set up this plugin with their Wizard tool.

How to Set up Thrive Apprentice?
So press the Get Started button while using the Thrive Apprentice Wizard.
In the next step, you will need to set up your course listing page.

You can either create a completely new page or select an existing page.
Next, you’ll need to choose a name for your design.

Enter the name of your choice and click Create new design.
You will then be taken to the Thrive Apprentice School Wizard, where you can set the basic appearance settings for your training platform.

On this page you will be able to set:
- Logo. You can upload your personal logo here.
- Brand color. Set the main color of your brand.
- Header. You can choose and set the desired Header design.
- Footer. You can choose and set the desired Footer design.
- School homepage. Choose and set the desired School homepage design. You can choose from many templates.
- Course overview. Select and set the Course overview page design.
- Art. Choose which menus you want to see in your Header and Footer (choose from already created WordPress menus)
- Module overview. Choose and set the Module overview design from a number of ready-made templates.
- Navigation sidebar. Choose how you want the navigation sidebar of your course to look.
- Text lesson. Choose a text lesson design.
- Video lesson. Choose a video lesson design.
- Audio lesson. Choose a video lesson design.
Once you’ve completed the Thrive Apprentice School Wizard settings, you can start managing your training course settings and start uploading your lessons.
Go to the Courses tab.

This is where you can create your own training course and generate training materials.
You can create as many courses as you want.
Click on Add New Course.
In the window that opens, you will need to summarize the main data of your course.

In this window, you will need to set such data as:
- Name of the course
- Author of the course
- Choose a label (eg: subscribers only, premium course, etc.)
- Setup a URL where the course will be available
- Course summary
- Cover Image
- etc.
What confused me at this point was that when I opened this window, I immediately tried to check other tabs.
However, you cannot go to other tabs until you have entered the basic required information on the Course details page.
However, it is unclear which information is necessary and which is not. So, before going to look further, I had to get a little work and find out what information was necessary to provide.
After pressing Save, we can move to the next step – Content tab.

In this window, you will be able to create the structure of your course.
Thrive Apprentice Module, Chapter, and Lesson options.
Which helps to better systematize the training material.
Here everything seemed easy enough and clearly understandable to me.
The next step is Access restrictions.

In this tab, you can set access restrictions to your course (for example, unrestricted access, subscribers only or paying customers only).
Finally, there is the Drip tab.

You can use this tab to set up a drip feed of your course and increase retention.

This function allows unlocking your course content with time delays, user actions, or any other trigger you can think of.
Here are the main features of the Courses tab.
Next, let’s go to the Customer tab.

In this tab, you will be able to see all your customers, edit their information, and, if necessary, provide separate access to your courses.
It is also possible to quickly and easily add new users or even import a large number of users at once and give them separate access to your courses.
As you can see from the picture above, everything is very clear and simple.
Next, let’s take a look at the Products tab.

To tell the truth, this section was not clear to me at first, what and how should be determined here.
So I had to look for information in the Thrive Apprentice documentation articles.
Generally speaking, this tab allows you to build products out of your courses and website content and control how your members get access to them.
The function seems to be clear, but when it needs to be implemented, there is a lot of uncertainty.
In this example, I put two different courses into one bundle, but I couldn’t have done it without the online guides.
Therefore, I still need to learn how to use this function.
And finally, there is the Settings tab.

This section is grouped into 6 separate sub-sections where you can set general Thrive Apprentice settings.
- General Settings. In this section, you will be able to set the main page where you can access the course and individual settings for WordPress accounts.
- Email Templates. In this section, you can upload email templates that the system will send automatically after certain actions (for example: when the user creates a new account).
- Labels & Translations. This section also has 6 separate sub-sections (such as Access restrictions, Call to action buttons, Course content types, etc.) with the help of which you can determine general changes in the appearance and structure of the course.
- Login & Access Restriction. In this place, it is possible to determine what content to show to different types of users (for example: logged in, not logged in, those who have not yet purchased your training, etc.).
- Logs. Here you will find all your Thrive Apprentice activity logs.
- API Keys. Create API Keys that help you connect Thrive Apprentice to other products (such as ThriveCart, SendOwl, etc.).
That’s all. This is what the entire Thrive Apprentice dashboard looks like.
My Verdict And Rating: Is Thrive Apprentice Easy to Use?
So, as you can see, overall, Thrive Apprentice is not very difficult to manage.
However, some functions may not be completely clear to use without additional help.
Nevertheless, after mastering this WordPress plugin, everything should go much more smoothly.
And the abundance of functions should meet the expectations of many users.
My rating for Thrive Apprentice management and UX: 3.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
SECURITY: How Safe Is It to Use Thrive Apprentice?
Security is another very important aspect to look out for.
Therefore, in this review, we will also review how safe the Thrive Apprentice plugin is.
How Has Thrive Apprentice’s Security Been Measured?
Because WordPress plugins are on personal hosting, the security of websites usually depends on how quickly the plugin developers resolve the security vulnerabilities discovered. Also, how the WordPress website owners take care of their security.
Of course, at least plugin developers fix these security vulnerabilities pretty quickly. So in this section, I will look at how often this WordPress plugin has encountered security issues.
And I will use the publicly available data from the WPScan vulnerability database to extract this information.
Thrive Apprentice Vulnerability Results
The most recent versions of Thrive Apprentice undergo thorough security tests and are now certified as secure.

And as you can see, so far the Thrive Apprentice WordPress plugin has not faced any major vulnerability issues.
And this is not a common cause.
My Verdict And Rating
As you can see from the information above, Thrive Apprentice is safe to use.
At least so far, this plugin has not encountered any major security vulnerabilities.
And that only proves the reliability of Thrive Apprentice in terms of security.
My rating for Thrive Apprentice security: 5.0 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
AFFORDABILITY: How Much Does It Cost to Use Thrive Apprentice?
Thrive Apprentice comes in two plans:
- Thrive Apprentice: $97.00 a year
- Thrive Suite: $299.00 a year
Unfortunately, there is no trial period.
What Are Thrive Apprentice Pricing Plans?
Thrive Apprentice
Thrive Apprentice costs $97.00 a year and comes with these perks:
- Thrive Apprentice
- 30 days money-back guarantee
- School templates for online courses
- Unlimited Support Access
- Access to Thrive University
- Thrive Automator
- Access to the Facebook Group
- Unlimited Updates
Thrive Suite
The integrated plugin, including the Thrive Apprentice, costs $299.00 a year. The plan comes with the following features:
- Thrive Apprentice
- Shapeshift
- Ommi
- Thrive Quiz Builder
- Kwik
- Lead form templates
- Thrive Architect
- 220+ landing page templates
- 1270+ smart page block templates
- The lesson, module, course overview, and school templates for online courses
- Quiz templates
- Thrive Ultimatum
- Scarcity campaign templates
- Testimonial templates
- Landing pages
- Opt-in forms
- Quizzes and surveys
- Thrive Comments
- Scarcity campaigns
- Thrive Ovation
- Unlimited site updates
- 5 site unlimited support access
- Exclusive access to Thrive University
- Thrive Optimize
- Access to the entire Thrive Suite only courses
- Thrive Suite exclusive webinars
- Access to the Facebook group
- Thrive Automator
- 30 days money-back guarantee
What Payment Methods Does Thrive Apprentice Accept?
Thrive Apprentice accepts payment through the following well-known gateways:
- Visa
- MasterCard
- American Express
- PayPal
Thrive Apprentice Refund Policy
Thrive Apprentice offers a money-back guarantee of 30 days to ensure customer satisfaction.
If you return goods after 30 days, you won’t get a refund from them.
How Affordable Is Thrive Apprentice?
Since Thrive Apprentice is based on a yearly plan pricing model which costs only $97.00 a year, it makes it an exclusively cheap option.
Because of this, Thrive Apprentice is a very cost-effective solution.
My Verdict And Rating: Is It Worth It?
Well, I personally think Thrive Apprentice is absolutely worth the investment.
Thrive Apprentice offers an annual price, and the price of the product itself is just $97.00 a year (which would be just over $8.00 a month).
Given how versatile this tool is, I think it’s certainly not an expensive product that can make your website much more versatile and appealing.
My rating for Thrive Apprentice affordability: 4.8 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
COMMUNICATION AND SUPPORT: How Helpful Is Thrive Apprentice?
Communication and support are two of the most important aspects of any platform like this.
So, let’s see how swiftly Thrive Apprentice support team handles client concerns and resolves them.
What Are the Possible Thrive Apprentice Support Options?
Support Options | Status |
Live Chat | Not Available |
Email | Available |
Phone | Not Available |
Ticket System | Available |
Facebook Group | Not Available |
Thrive Apprentice has two main support options – ticket system and email.
In fact, both of these methods are linked into one.
Sadly, neither live chat nor email is available as a support option.
What Was My Experience With Thrive Apprentice Support?
Personally, I haven’t encountered any issues with Thrive Apprentice support.
Although Thrive Apprentice doesn’t offer live chat, they took about half an hour to provide me an answer to my question.

And it’s certainly not a long time.
The answers were also very detailed and clear.
Verdict And Rating
Thrive Apprentice support does not have many contact methods.
The main way to contact Thrive Apprentice support is via their ticket system.
And as I mentioned, the big downside to me is that they don’t have a live chat option.
Overall, however, support responds fairly quickly and in detail.
So nothing very bad can be said about their support.
True, I lower my score a bit due to not having live chat.
My rating for Thrive Apprentice communication and support: 4.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thrive Apprentice Review: Final Conclusions And Overall Rating
Time for final evaluation and conclusions.
Who Is Thrive Apprentice Best For?
Thrive Apprentice is the best option if you only want a clean, organized, easy-to-use learning site builder with plenty of course and module functions.
Thrive Apprentice is available as part of the Thrive Themes package or as a standalone purchase.
Here are some businesses that can benefit from using Thrive Apprentice:
- Membership site creators who are having trouble launching their membership sites.
- Coaches and consultants with an existing online presence or selling online courses looking to grow your audience, or who are shifting their practice into the online market.
- Digital product creators who’re looking for a nice platform to sell and market their digital products.
- And any other entrepreneurs
Who Is Thrive Apprentice Not For?
Thrive Apprentice isn’t for you if you operate with websites other than WordPress.
Thrive Apprentice Pros & Cons
So let’s take a look at the pros and cons of the Thrive Apprentice WordPress plugin and what I’ve been able to figure out about it.
What I Did Like About Thrive Apprentice
- Well-optimized dashboard UX.
- It’s very cheap.
- Safe to use.
- Good support.
What I Didn’t Like About Thrive Apprentice
- For WordPress users only
- A bit overwhelming.
Final Verdict & Overal Rating
Thrive Apprentice Verdict & Rating $97.00
- Flexibility & Limitations
- Management & UX
- Security
- Affordability
- Communication & Support
Verdict
Thrive Apprentice is a powerful course management plugin for WordPress.
Choosing this plugin gives you access to a powerful set of features, combined with a good selection of conversion-focused templates.
However, some users may find it a bit overwhelming to use. Especially new users.
Pros
- Well-optimized dashboard UX
- It’s very cheap
- Safe to use
- Good support
Cons
- For WordPress users only
- A bit overwhelming
What Are My Suggestions for Those Who Are Considering Thrive Apprentice
- To get the most out of Thrive Apprentice features, you will need to consider all your options and gather as much information as possible.
- Consider taking the Thrive Suite plan. With Thrive Suite, your website will have access to many new features
- If you need help, contact the support team. The Thrive Apprentice support team is excellent at getting people up and running with their web application! If the installation is an issue for you, they can try installing it themselves or provide some pointers on how you can do this.