LearnWorlds vs Podia
Both are course platforms aimed at creators, coaches and educators. They differ most on ease of use, selling products and course hosting.
At a glance
| LearnWorlds | Podia | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 75/100 | 81/100 Higher |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Paid from | €29/mo (about $32.38) monthly; €24/mo billed annually; plus €5 per paid enrolment | $49/mo (about €43.89) monthly; $42/mo billed annually; 5% transaction fee |
| Positioning | academy platform | all in one |
| Launched | — | 2014 |
| Best for | Course businesses and training teams that want an interactive, branded academy with community built in. | Creators selling a mix of courses, downloads and coaching who want it all in one simple storefront. |
Where each one leads
| Dimension | LearnWorlds | Podia | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 3/5 | 5/5 | Podia |
| Value for money | 4/5 | 4/5 | Tie |
| Course hosting | 5/5 | 4/5 | LearnWorlds |
| Low transaction fees | 3/5 | 3/5 | Tie |
| Breadth of features | 4/5 | 4/5 | Tie |
| Built-in email | 2/5 | 3/5 | Podia |
| Selling products | 4/5 | 5/5 | Podia |
| Community features | 4/5 | 4/5 | Tie |
Scores are 1–5 per dimension. LearnWorlds leads on 1 dimension, Podia on 3. The overall figure weights these for course platforms generally — see methodology.
Pricing
Plans are listed per tool rather than paired row by row — tiers rarely line up, and putting one vendor's second plan beside another's implies an equivalence that is not there.
| Tool | Plan | Per month | Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| LearnWorlds | Starter | €29 | monthly; €24/mo billed annually; plus €5 per paid enrolment |
| Pro Trainer | €99 | monthly; €79/mo billed annually; no enrolment fees | |
| Learning Center | €299 | monthly; €249/mo billed annually | |
| Podia | Mover | $49 | monthly; $42/mo billed annually; 5% transaction fee |
| Shaker | $99 | monthly; $84/mo billed annually; no transaction fee | |
| Earthquaker | $179 | monthly; $150/mo billed annually; no transaction fee |
Pricing checked 24 September 2026 and 23 September 2026 against each vendor's own pricing page. LearnWorlds: Shown to UK visitors in euros, excluding VAT. Annual billing saves about 20%. Podia: Billed in USD. Annual billing saves about 15%. 14-day free trial. Where the two bill in different currencies, conversions use the European Central Bank reference rate.
Verdict
LearnWorlds
- +Every plan includes an AI course builder, unlimited video hosting, a built-in community and selling on your own domain.
- +Pro Trainer, at €99 a month, removes enrolment fees and allows 5 admins and 2,000 active learners a month.
- +Coupons, discounts and order bumps on every plan.
- −Starter charges €5 on every paid enrolment on top of the €29 monthly fee.
- −Prices are in euros and exclude VAT.
Podia
- +One subscription covers courses, digital downloads, coaching, community, events and email marketing.
- +Shaker and Earthquaker charge no transaction fees.
- +Annual billing brings the Mover plan to $42 a month.
- −Built-in email is capped low — 100 subscribers on Mover, and only 1,000 even on the top plan.
- −The entry Mover plan takes a 5% transaction fee.
Common questions
Is LearnWorlds cheaper than Podia?
LearnWorlds starts at €29/mo (about $32.38; monthly; €24/mo billed annually; plus €5 per paid enrolment), and Podia starts at $49/mo (about €43.89; monthly; $42/mo billed annually; 5% transaction fee) — so LearnWorlds is the cheaper entry point. Converted at the European Central Bank reference rate. Compare what each includes at that tier, and what it renews at, rather than the headline figure alone.
Which is better, LearnWorlds or Podia?
On our weighted scoring across the use cases in this category, Podia comes out ahead overall. The honest answer is that it depends on the use case — the tables above break the score down by dimension so you can weight it to your own priorities.
Other comparisons
Sources & verification
- api.frankfurter.app — checked 6 November 2026European Central Bank reference rate, published via Frankfurter.
- learnworlds.com — checked 24 September 2026No free plan; a free trial.
- podia.com — checked 23 September 2026No free plan; a 14-day free trial instead.