Podia vs Teachable
Both are course platforms aimed at creators, coaches and educators. They differ most on community features, value for money and selling products.
At a glance
| Podia | Teachable | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 81/100 Higher | 64/100 |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Paid from | $49/mo monthly; $42/mo billed annually; 5% transaction fee | $39/mo monthly; $29/mo billed annually; 5 products, 7.5% transaction fee |
| Positioning | all in one | course first |
| Launched | 2014 | 2014 |
| Best for | Creators selling a mix of courses, downloads and coaching who want it all in one simple storefront. | Course creators who want a proven, course-first platform and will outgrow Starter quickly. |
Where each one leads
| Dimension | Podia | Teachable | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 5/5 | 4/5 | Podia |
| Value for money | 4/5 | 3/5 | Podia |
| Course hosting | 4/5 | 5/5 | Teachable |
| Low transaction fees | 3/5 | 3/5 | Tie |
| Breadth of features | 4/5 | 3/5 | Podia |
| Built-in email | 3/5 | 3/5 | Tie |
| Selling products | 5/5 | 4/5 | Podia |
| Community features | 4/5 | 1/5 | Podia |
Scores are 1–5 per dimension. Podia leads on 5 dimensions, Teachable on 1. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Teachable | Starter | $39 | monthly; $29/mo billed annually; 5 products, 7.5% transaction fee |
| Builder | $89 | monthly; $69/mo billed annually; 10 products, no transaction fee | |
| Growth | $189 | monthly; $139/mo billed annually; 50 products, no transaction fee |
Pricing checked 23 September 2026 against each vendor's own pricing page. Podia: Billed in USD. Annual billing saves about 15%. 14-day free trial. Teachable: Billed in USD. Annual billing saves 22%. 7-day free trial and 30-day guarantee.
Verdict
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.
Teachable
- +Student apps for iOS and Android are included on every plan.
- +Handles US sales tax, VAT and GST on global sales for you.
- +Builder and above charge no transaction fees and include an affiliate programme for your own affiliates.
- −The $39 Starter plan takes a 7.5% transaction fee on every sale.
- −Starter caps you at five products and one admin user.
Common questions
Is Podia cheaper than Teachable?
Podia starts at $49/mo (monthly; $42/mo billed annually; 5% transaction fee), and Teachable starts at $39/mo (monthly; $29/mo billed annually; 5 products, 7.5% transaction fee) — so Teachable is the cheaper entry point. Compare what each includes at that tier, and what it renews at, rather than the headline figure alone.
Which is better, Podia or Teachable?
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
- podia.com — checked 23 September 2026No free plan; a 14-day free trial instead.
- teachable.com — checked 23 September 2026No free plan listed; a 7-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee instead.