ThingLink Education Accounts and Pricing Update

Louise Jones August 15, 2022

ThingLink has come a very long way since it was launched in 2011!  The experience,  features and functionality have enabled millions of creators to publish their interactive content with positive outcomes. This is particularly so in the education landscape, where educators and students have created an abundance of clever ThingLink-based learning experiences.

We have implemented some changes as part of our overall strategy to make ThingLink the best possible product for our communities of educators. As always, we appreciate your feedback; our track record of developments shows we listen and care. 

Here are four key points which explain, and should help understand, why our changes have come about.

Improved Experience and Accessibility for All

ThingLink today is a vastly improved experience for all thanks to new accessibility features, editor enhancements and partner integrations. We are particularly proud of our developments which have enabled creators to produce ever more varied, professional-looking and inspiring content.

Ad-Free and Transparent

As we have developed, we have ensured the highest standards and have not sought alternative ways to secure revenue as many ‘freemium’ services do. To that end, ThingLink is and will remain Ad-Free. Despite this, we have not applied any price increases to education licenses since 2017.

Meeting Standards and Security

We also have stepped up security and compliance, meeting global standards. We wish to ensure that student accounts are part of a school or district organization license where they are appropriately managed in-line with school procedures.

Managing our Data Footprint 

Free unlimited-time trial accounts for educators can sometimes lead to unused and forgotten accounts. This may sometimes include very old unused student accounts where the student has actually left education. To be helpful we are providing you with the tools to remove / delete students.

We have structured our ThingLink Education Licenses to take into account the above and to be aware of the need to manage students appropriately. Free time-limited trial accounts help to ensure we are optimizing our data footprint.

It’s time for a change. There are two main changes we wish to alert you to.

1. New Free 60-Day Trial Education Account instead of an Unlimited-Time Free Trial Education Account

*Please note this is for NEW ThingLink accounts only. If you already have a free ThingLink Education trial account you will remain on a free account. 

From the 15th August 2022 we will be moving to a free 60-Day trial for educators rather than a free time unlimited account. This free 60-Day trial, with access to the ThingLink Certified Creator Course, will enable educators to experience the functionality and learn the creation process. The free 60-Day Trial includes access to all the ThingLink features and new ThingLink Scenario Builder.

2. New Paid Professional Teacher License*

*Please note this applies to New Professional Teacher License Accounts only.  If you already have a $35 Professional Teacher License with students you will remain and renew on the $35 license and up to 60 student seats will still be available. We are providing you with the tools to delete student seats that are no longer required.

From August 15th 2022, new Professional Teacher Licenses will be priced at $60 a year. The new Professional Teacher Licenses do not have student seats but will include new features such as unlimited media uploads. From August 15th 2022 student seats will need to be part of a school / district organization account. This is to ensure compliance with security legislation and appropriate practice for student account management. Full features of all accounts here.

Our Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy

If you have any concerns or questions about these changes please do let us know. Please contact education@thinglink.com or reach out to us on our social media channels. Any support queries please contact support@thinglink.com 

Frequently Asked Questions FAQ (updated as questions arise)

Q. What happens to a free trial account at the end of 30 days? 

Answer: After the free 60-Day period trial accounts will see a pop up ‘Upgrade to continue to use ThingLink’, you’ll still be able to login or delete the account. Please see our support link here.

Q. Do existing free teacher account holders keep their free unlimited time trial teacher account?

Answer: Yes they can. 

Q. What happens if students wish to keep their content after leaving their school?

This is one of the reasons why students need to be managed appropriately as part of a school organization. Students wish to keep the links of their content, e.g An Interactive / Visual CV can do so, they can contact ThingLink support to ensure their content is transferred.