What Podia does well
Podia's appeal is that it doesn't try to be complicated, and for a lot of creators that's exactly right.
- Easy to use. Most people have a store, a course and an email list running in a day.
- A lot in one place: courses, digital downloads, webinars, coaching, a community and email marketing, under one login.
- Friendly pricing. The plans are easy to understand, with no cut of sales above the lowest plan.
- A website included, so you don't need a separate site builder to start.
| Plan | Billed monthly | Paid a year up front | Cut of your sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Podia Mover | ~$49 a month | ~$42 a month, so ~$504 a year, up front | 5% |
| Podia Shaker | ~$99 a month | ~$84 a month, so ~$1,008 a year, up front | None |
| Podia Earthquaker | ~$179 a month | ~$150 a month, so ~$1,800 a year, up front | None |
Why people look for a Podia alternative
- The fee on the lowest plan. Mover takes 5% of each sale on top of card processing. At $3,000 a month in sales, that's ~$150 a month.
- Courses are simple. Fine for straightforward lessons; people wanting deeper quizzes, certificates and learning paths often look at course-first platforms.
- Design is limited. Podia sites tend to look alike, and you work within its layouts.
- Marketing tools are lighter than the big all-in-ones, so heavy launchers add funnel and email tools.
- It's rented. The bill runs for as long as the business does, and the platform sets the price.
Podia alternatives compared
| Option | Best for | Price shown | Who owns it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thinkific | A stronger course builder with no cut of sales | ~$109 to ~$219 a month | Thinkific |
| Teachable | A cheap start for courses, coaching and downloads | Starter ~$39 a month plus 7.5% of sales; Builder ~$89 a month | Teachable |
| Kajabi | Launches, email sequences and funnels, all in one | ~$179 to ~$499 a month | Kajabi |
| Stan Store | Selling from a link in your social bio | ~$29 to ~$99 a month | Stan |
| Skool | A community first, with a simple classroom | Pro ~$99 a month | Skool |
| Your own platform Deedmade™ | Creators who want their own website, app and member list for good | $2,499 once, 0% of your sales | You |
Each alternative, honestly
Thinkific is the upgrade for course builders: richer lessons, quizzes and certificates, communities and an app store of add-ons, with no cut of sales. It costs more than Podia each month. See Thinkific alternatives for how it compares.
Teachable is close to Podia in spirit and price. Its Starter plan takes 7.5% of sales; Builder at ~$89 a month doesn't.
Kajabi is what many Podia users move to when launches and email become the business. It's more powerful and more expensive, and it's still rented.
Stan Store is narrower than Podia: a phone-first store for your bio rather than a full website. It suits creators who sell mostly from social media. More in Stan Store alternatives.
Skool fits if the community matters more than the store: one group with a classroom, levels and a calendar, and people browsing Skool can find you.
Owning your platform keeps what people like about Podia, everything in one place, and makes it yours. With Deedmade™, you get your own website and your own members app with every feature included: courses with quizzes and certificates, downloads, a community, live sessions, booking, email marketing, funnels and a shop. You pay $2,499 once (the early-bird price until December 31, 2026; the regular price is $3,900), there's no monthly fee required, and we take 0% of your sales. It costs more on day one than a year of Podia, so it makes sense for a business that's already working.
What five years costs
| Podia Mover | Podia Shaker | Deedmade™ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1, billed monthly | ~$590 | ~$1,190 | $2,499 |
| Year 3, billed monthly | ~$1,760 | ~$3,560 | $2,499 |
| Year 5, billed monthly | ~$2,940 | ~$5,940 | $2,499 |
| Cut of your sales | 5% | None | None, ever |
| Who owns it | Podia | Podia | You |
Owning has cost less from month 26. After that, renting keeps going and owning doesn't.
Mover's 5% isn't in the totals above, so the real cost of Mover rises with every sale. Owning still has small running costs: the card fee on each sale (as anywhere), your domain, and Cloudflare hosting, which is free or about $5 a month with live features. The $49 a month care plan is optional, and so is listing your app in the App Store and Google Play ($99 a month).
How to choose
- Stay on Podia if it does what you need and simplicity is worth more to you than control.
- Choose Thinkific or Teachable if your courses have outgrown Podia's lessons.
- Choose Kajabi if launches and email are the business and the monthly price doesn't worry you.
- Choose Stan Store or Skool if you sell mainly from social media, or the community is the product.
- Own your platform if the business already works and you'd rather pay once than every month for years.
Moving is simpler than it sounds: export customers and email subscribers, rebuild products on the new platform, import members so access is waiting, and email them before the switch. See how to move your members to a new platform, compare on our Podia alternative page, or build yours free with no credit card until you approve it.
Prices of other companies are approximate, from their own pricing pages on October 11, 2026 (yearly-billing prices, add-ons and plans not in our calculator were checked on November 6, 2026), and they change. Where a page shows a monthly price that is billed a year at a time, we say so. Check their websites for today's prices.
Questions people ask
What is the best Podia alternative?
For stronger courses, Thinkific or Teachable. For launches and email, Kajabi. For selling from your bio, Stan Store. For a community first, Skool. To own your platform outright, Deedmade™ at $2,499 once (the early-bird price until December 31, 2026; the regular price is $3,900) with 0% of your sales.
How much does Podia cost?
About $49 a month for Mover, $99 for Shaker and $179 for Earthquaker billed monthly, or less a month paid a year up front. Check podia.com for today's prices.
Does Podia take a cut of my sales?
On Mover, about 5% of each sale on top of card processing. Shaker and Earthquaker take no platform cut.
Is Podia cheaper than Kajabi?
Yes, by a lot each month: Podia Shaker is about $99 against Kajabi Basic at about $179. Kajabi includes more marketing tools for the money.
Can I move from Podia without losing customers?
Yes. Export your customers and subscribers, import them into the new platform, and email them their new sign-in before you switch. Keep Podia open until active memberships have renewed on the new home.
Stop renting. Own it.
Build your platform free in early access and see it working, usually within the hour. You pay only if you approve it, once, and keep today's price.
- No card
- Pay once, no monthly fee
- 0% of your sales
- On your own accounts