The $300/month platform trap
If you sell courses online, you are probably overpaying. Here is what most course creators actually spend:
- Course platform — $39-159/month
- Email marketing — $15-50/month (separate tool)
- Community hosting — $30-99/month (Circle, Discord premium, etc.)
- Transaction fees — 5-10% of every sale
That hidden math matters. If you sell a $100 course on Teachable Basic, they take $5-10. After Stripe fees ($2.90), you keep $87.10. On Podia, you keep $97.10.
Podia bundles courses + email + community + downloads into one plan with zero transaction fees. Here is how all three compare in 2026.
What is Podia?
Podia is an all-in-one platform launched in 2014. It started as a course host and grew into a full creator stack:
- Course builder — video, text, quizzes, drip content, certificates
- Digital downloads — PDFs, templates, spreadsheets, media files
- Email marketing — built-in unlimited emails with automation
- Community — native discussion boards (no separate Circle bill)
- Webinars — live and evergreen (on higher plans)
Unlike Thinkific and Teachable, Podia owns more of the stack — you do not bolt on separate tools for email and community.
Feature comparison table
| Feature | Podia | Thinkific | Teachable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $39/mo | $49/mo | $59/mo (Basic) |
| Transaction fees | 0% | 0% (Pro) | 5-10% (Basic) |
| Free plan | Limited features | 3 courses, unlimited students | Basic ($1 + 10% fees) |
| Email marketing | Built-in ✓ | Integrations only ✗ | Integrations only ✗ |
| Community | Built-in ✓ | Add-on (+$99/mo) | Add-on |
| Affiliate management | Built-in ✓ | Built-in ✓ | Built-in ✓ (+$80/mo Pro) |
| AI course features | Basic | Limited | Advanced (AI quiz gen) |
| Blog | ✗ (landing pages only) | ✓ | ✗ |
| SCORM support | ✗ | ✓ (Pro) | ✗ |
| Affiliate commission | 30% recurring up to 12mo | 20-30% recurring | 30% recurring 12mo |
| Cookie duration | 30 days | 60 days | 30 days |
Podia — deep dive
Best for: Solo creators who want one platform for everything — courses, downloads, email, and community — with zero transaction fees.
Pricing breakdown
- Free: 1 course, limited features, Podia branding
- Mover ($39/mo): Unlimited courses, 0% fees, email marketing, digital downloads
- Shaker ($89/mo): Community, affiliate management, webinars, 0% fees
- Earthquaker ($199/mo): 10 team members, onboarding, priority support
Pros
- Zero transaction fees on every plan — keep 100% of sales
- Built-in email marketing saves $15-50/month on separate ESP
- Built-in community saves $30-99/month on Circle or similar
- Simplest UX of all three — set up a course in under 30 minutes
- Free migration from other platforms (support team handles it)
Cons
- No native blog — you need separate WordPress or GH pages
- Limited quiz types (multiple choice only)
- No SCORM/TinCan support
- No advanced gamification or certificates beyond basic
Affiliate opportunity
Podia pays 30% recurring commissions for up to 12 months on all referrals. A $89/month Shaker referral earns you $26.70/month for a year — $320.40 total lifetime. With a 30-day cookie and automatic approval, it is one of the most affiliate-friendly course platforms available.
Thinkific — deep dive
Best for: Course creators who need advanced assessments, SCORM compliance, and certification automation.
Pricing breakdown
- Free: 3 courses, unlimited students, basic quizzes
- Basic ($49/mo): Unlimited courses, 0% transaction fees, quizzes, surveys
- Pro ($99/mo): SCORM, assignments, graded quizzes, certificates, 2 admin users
- Premier ($199/mo+): 10 admins, onboarding, API access
When to choose Thinkific over Podia
- You need SCORM compliance (corporate training, regulated industries)
- You want advanced assessment types (fill-in-blank, surveys, assignments)
- You need certificate automation for compliance
- You want a native blog on the same domain
Teachable — deep dive
Best for: Creators who value AI features, strong affiliate management, and a well-known brand.
Pricing breakdown
- Free: $1 per sale + 10% transaction fee (not truly free)
- Basic ($59/mo): 5% transaction fees, basic affiliate management
- Pro ($159/mo): 0% fees, advanced affiliate management + community
- Business ($249/mo): Bulk enrollment, custom roles, integrations
The hidden cost
At $59/month with 5% fees, Teachable costs a $500/course seller $25/month in fees — bringing the effective cost to $84/month. At $159/month (Pro with 0% fees), you cross Podia Shaker's $89/month by $70. Podia wins on price at every tier.
Real cost calculator (selling 100 courses at $50 each)
| Platform | Monthly plan | Transaction fees | Total fees | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Podia Mover | $39 | $0 (0%) | $39 | $4,961 |
| Thinkific Basic | $49 | $0 (0%) | $49 | $4,951 |
| Teachable Basic | $59 | $250 (5%) | $309 | $4,691 |
| Teachable Pro | $159 | $0 (0%) | $159 | $4,841 |
Podia saves you $270/year compared to Teachable Basic on just the first 100 course sales. At scale, the gap widens.
Who should choose what?
Choose Podia if...
- You want one tool for courses, email, community, and downloads
- Zero transaction fees matter to your margins
- You prefer simple UX over feature depth
- You are a solo creator or small team (1-5 people)
Choose Thinkific if...
- You need SCORM compliance or advanced assessments
- Corporate training / certification is your core offering
- You want unlimited free students on your free plan
Choose Teachable if...
- You want the best built-in affiliate management for students promoting your courses
- AI-powered course creation is important to you
- You already have a following and transaction fees don't bother you
Frequently asked questions
Is Podia really free?
Podia has a Free plan with limited features (1 course, Podia branding). For full features, the Mover plan is $39/month.
Can I use my own domain with Podia?
Yes. All paid plans support custom domains. You can use courses.yourdomain.com or a subfolder.
Does Podia support memberships?
Yes. You can create subscription-based memberships with recurring billing.
How does Podia compare to Kajabi?
Podia starts at $39/month vs Kajabi's $149/month. Both are all-in-one, but Kajabi has stronger marketing automation and pipelines. Podia wins on price.