ALTERNATIVES · PODIA

Podia alternatives when your course business needs more

Podia keeps courses, downloads, a community and email simple. When you need live batches, tests, bigger email lists or your own app, these are the alternatives worth a look. Prices checked on 25 September 2026.

Compare the options All alternatives guides

Prices from vendor pagesDate of each checkSeveral options per guideWhen to stay put

Podia in brief

Podia offers three plans, all including courses, digital downloads, coaching, a community, events, a website with custom domain support, a blog and landing pages. Billed yearly, Mover costs $42 a month with a 5% transaction fee, Shaker $84 a month and Earthquaker $150 a month, both with no Podia fees. Email is included up to 100, 500 or 1,000 subscribers depending on the plan. There is a 14-day free trial.

Source: podia.com/pricing, checked 25 September 2026. Stripe or PayPal processing fees apply separately.

Why creators look for a Podia alternative

Email list limits. Included subscribers cap at 1,000 even on the top plan, so a growing list means paying for more.
The Mover fee. 5% of every sale on the entry plan.
Structured teaching. Batches with timetables, attendance, graded tests and mock exams are outside what Podia is built for.
A branded app that carries your name on learners' phones.

Podia alternatives at a glance

Platform	Entry price (annual billing)	Fee on sales at entry	Best for
AcadifyLab	Flat plans, see pricing	None	Live classes, tests and courses under your own brand
Kajabi	$143/mo	None (processing applies)	Larger email lists and funnels
Thinkific	$40/mo	None (processing applies)	A course-first storefront with cohorts
Teachable	$29/mo	7.5% on Starter	Self-paced courses with global tax handling
Skool	$9/mo	10% on Hobby	Community-first course businesses

Prices from each vendor's pricing page, checked 25 September 2026, in US dollars before tax.

The alternatives in more detail

AcadifyLab

For creators who teach live or run tests. Recorded lessons, live classes with automatic attendance, quizzes and mock exams, certificates and payments sit together, with no fee on sales and higher plans that publish Android and iOS apps under your brand. It is not an email marketing tool, so keep a separate newsletter service if email is your main channel. See AcadifyLab for trainers.

Kajabi

The step up if marketing is the bottleneck. Contact limits start at 2,500 on Basic and reach 100,000 on Pro, with marketing emails, funnels and landing pages on every plan. See our Kajabi pricing guide.

Thinkific

Unlimited courses on every plan, communities, and on the Start plan live cohorts with attendance tracking, certificates and payment plans. See our Thinkific pricing guide.

Teachable

Low entry price, student apps on all plans and global sales tax handled. Watch the 7.5% fee on Starter. See our Teachable pricing guide.

Skool

If the community is really the product, Skool combines a community, courses and live calls with unlimited members. Hobby charges a 10% fee; Pro, at $99 a month, charges 2.9%.

Quick decision guide

If you are leaving Podia because…	Look first at
Your email list has outgrown the included subscribers	Kajabi, or keep Podia and add a dedicated email tool
You teach live batches and need tests	AcadifyLab
You want cohorts and certificates in a course storefront	Thinkific Start
You want the lowest possible monthly price	Teachable Starter or Skool Hobby, watching their fees
Your community matters more than your courses	Skool

Moving to Podia's Shaker plan removes the 5% fee, so if that is the only issue, upgrading may be simpler than switching.

How to choose

Decide whether email marketing stays in your course platform or moves to a dedicated tool.
Count how many of your sessions are live, and whether you test learners.
Compare total yearly cost including fees at your current sales.
Check how students will find and open your courses on their phones.

When you are ready, use our LMS migration checklist to plan the move.

Other alternatives guides

Skool alternatives

For communities that want their own brand or structured teaching.

360Learning alternatives

For company training when per-user pricing grows too fast.

Kajabi alternatives

For creators paying for a marketing suite they do not fully use.

All 7 alternatives guides

FAQ

Podia alternative questions

How much does Podia cost?

As of 25 September 2026, billed yearly, Podia costs $42 a month for Mover, $84 for Shaker and $150 for Earthquaker. Mover has a 5% transaction fee; the other plans have no Podia fees.

What is the best Podia alternative for live classes?

AcadifyLab is built for live classes by batch, with automatic attendance, recordings, tests and payments in one platform.

Which Podia alternative is best for email marketing?

Kajabi includes email marketing and funnels with much larger contact limits, from 2,500 on Basic to 100,000 on Pro.

Is there a Podia alternative with no transaction fees?

AcadifyLab charges no transaction fee on any plan. Thinkific and Kajabi charge no platform fee on sales, though payment processing applies.

Does Podia have a free trial?

Yes. Podia offers a 14-day free trial without a credit card, and says it refunds a payment requested within 72 hours.