Teachable is the cheaper home for a small catalog that earns more than about $800 a month, while Podia is the cheaper home for a creator earning $400 to $800 a month or one who wants courses, downloads, community and email under one bill.
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Table of Contents
- Why This Comparison Matters
- Quick Verdict: Choose Teachable or Podia
- Teachable Overview
- Podia Overview
- Head-to-Head: Pricing and Fees
- Worked Costs at Four Revenue Levels
- Head-to-Head: Features
- Head-to-Head: Ease of Use
- Product Caps, Email Lists and Other Limits
- Who Should Choose Teachable?
- Who Should Choose Podia?
- Migration Guide: Moving Between Teachable and Podia
- Key Takeaways
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The Bottom Line
Why This Comparison Matters
Teachable and Podia both sell online courses, both charge a percentage fee on their cheapest plan, and both drop that fee once you pay for the second tier. That makes the two look interchangeable on a quick scan of their pricing pages.
Look closer and the gaps are large. The entry fees differ (7.5% on Teachable Starter, 5% on Podia Mover), the product caps differ by a factor of ten or more, and Podia bundles email marketing and community spaces into every plan while Teachable reserves more of its tools for higher tiers.
This guide works through the published US prices for both platforms as of November 11, 2026, shows where each plan becomes the cheaper choice, and gives a clear recommendation for each type of seller. If you already read our Kajabi vs Podia cost breakdown or our Teachable vs Thinkific comparison, the same method applies here: plan price plus platform fee, at fixed revenue levels.
Quick Verdict: Choose Teachable or Podia
Choose Teachable if:
- You sell 10 or fewer courses and earn more than about $800 a month, where Teachable Builder at $89 a month with a 0% platform fee is the cheapest plan in this comparison.
- Your students want a mobile app, since Teachable lists iOS and Android student apps on every plan.
- You earn under about $400 a month and want the lowest possible bill, where Teachable Starter at $39 a month comes out ahead.
Choose Podia if:
- You earn roughly $400 to $800 a month, where Podia Mover at $49 a month plus 5% beats both Teachable plans.
- You want to sell courses, downloads, coaching and a community from one account without stacking extra tools.
- Your catalog is large: Podia Shaker allows 150 products, versus 10 on Teachable Builder.
Teachable Overview
Teachable is a course platform built around a “school” that hosts your courses, memberships and digital products. According to Teachable’s pricing page, more than 150,000 creators, experts and businesses use it.
Key strengths:
- 0% platform fee from Builder upward. Builder, Growth and Custom plans carry no Teachable transaction fee when you use Teachable Payments.
- Mobile student apps on every plan. The pricing page lists iOS and Android student apps on Starter, Builder and Growth.
- Daily payouts. Teachable lists daily payouts for Teachable Payments and monthly payouts for the monthly payment gateway option.
Key weaknesses:
- Tight product caps. Starter allows 5 products, Builder allows 10 and Growth allows 50.
- High entry fee. Starter charges a 7.5% transaction fee on every sale, the highest percentage fee in this comparison.
- No free plan. Teachable describes itself as a paid service with a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pricing summary: Starter costs $39 a month billed monthly or $29 a month billed annually. Builder costs $89 a month or $69 a month annually. Growth costs $189 a month or $139 a month annually, and a Custom plan is quoted by sales. Annual billing saves 22% versus paying month to month, per Teachable’s plan comparison.
Podia Overview
Podia is an all-in-one creator platform that sells online courses, digital downloads, coaching, community memberships and events from a single website. Podia’s pricing page says more than 15,000 creators run their business on it.
Key strengths:
- Everything on every plan. Podia’s pricing page lists courses, downloads, coaching, community, events, a website with a blog, a custom domain and built-in checkout on all three plans.
- Bundled email marketing. Every plan includes Podia Email up to a set number of subscribers: 100 on Mover, 500 on Shaker and 1,000 on Earthquaker.
- Larger product allowances. Mover allows 50 products, Shaker allows 150 and Earthquaker has no product limit.
Key weaknesses:
- Small included email lists. A list of 1,000 subscribers is the most any plan includes, so a larger list means paying for extra subscribers.
- 5% fee on the entry plan. Mover charges a 5% transaction fee on top of payment processing.
- Short refund window. Podia refunds a payment only if you ask within 72 hours of it, and it does not give partial refunds on annual plans.
Pricing summary: Mover costs $49 a month billed monthly or $42 a month billed annually ($504 a year). Shaker costs $99 a month or $84 a month annually ($1,008 a year). Earthquaker costs $179 a month or $150 a month annually ($1,800 a year). Podia offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.
Head-to-Head: Pricing and Fees
The table below lists each platform’s published US prices and fees. Both platforms show prices in US dollars.
| Fee Type | Teachable | Podia |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan (monthly billing) | Starter, $39/mo | Mover, $49/mo |
| Entry plan (annual billing) | $29/mo | $42/mo |
| Entry plan platform fee | 7.5% per sale | 5% per sale |
| Second plan (monthly billing) | Builder, $89/mo | Shaker, $99/mo |
| Second plan (annual billing) | $69/mo | $84/mo |
| Second plan platform fee | 0% with Teachable Payments | 0% |
| Top listed plan (monthly billing) | Growth, $189/mo | Earthquaker, $179/mo |
| Top listed plan (annual billing) | $139/mo | $150/mo |
| US card processing | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ (Stripe or PayPal) |
| Chargeback fee | $15 | Set by Stripe or PayPal |
| Free trial | 7 days | 14 days, no card |
| Refund policy | 30-day money-back guarantee | Within 72 hours of a payment |
Pricing as of November 11, 2026, taken from teachable.com/pricing and podia.com/pricing. Fees change. Always verify current rates on each platform’s official pricing page before you commit. This article is general information, not financial or tax advice.
Payment processing
Teachable lists its own processing fees for Teachable Payments: 2.9% + 30¢ for US credit and debit cards, 3.9% + 30¢ for international cards, 3.49% + 49¢ for US PayPal sales and 4.99% + 49¢ for international PayPal sales. It also lists a $15 chargeback fee and an optional BackOffice fee of 2% to 2.8%.
Podia does not process payments itself. Its FAQ says Stripe or PayPal charges a standard fee of 2.9% + 30¢, which may vary based on your location, and that this fee is not a Podia charge.
For US card sales, processing costs the same on both platforms, so the plan price and the platform fee decide which one is cheaper.
Break-even points
The break-even math on monthly billing works out like this:
- Teachable Starter vs Teachable Builder: the 7.5% fee costs more than the $50 price gap once monthly sales pass about $667.
- Podia Mover vs Podia Shaker: the 5% fee costs more than the $50 price gap once monthly sales pass $1,000.
- Teachable Starter vs Podia Mover: Starter is $10 cheaper on price but charges 2.5 points more in fees, so Mover wins once monthly sales pass $400.
- Podia Mover vs Teachable Builder: Mover stays cheaper until monthly sales reach $800, where $49 plus 5% equals $89.
Put together, the cheapest plan on monthly billing is Teachable Starter below $400 in monthly sales, Podia Mover from $400 to $800, and Teachable Builder above $800, as long as you fit inside Builder’s 10-product cap.
Worked Costs at Four Revenue Levels
This table shows the monthly platform cost (plan price plus platform transaction fee) at four sales levels on monthly billing. Card processing is left out because it is 2.9% + 30¢ on both platforms for US cards.
| Monthly sales | Teachable Starter | Teachable Builder | Podia Mover | Podia Shaker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $300 | $61.50 | $89 | $64 | $99 |
| $1,000 | $114 | $89 | $99 | $99 |
| $3,000 | $264 | $89 | $199 | $99 |
| $8,000 | $639 | $89 | $449 | $99 |
At $300 a month, Teachable Starter is the cheapest plan by $2.50. At $1,000 a month, Teachable Builder is $10 cheaper than either Podia plan. At $3,000 and $8,000 a month, the gap between Teachable Builder and Podia Shaker stays at $10 a month, because neither charges a platform fee.
The entry plans get expensive fast: at $3,000 a month, Teachable Starter costs $175 more than Teachable Builder.
A single $50 course sale
On a $50 course bought with a US card, processing at 2.9% + 30¢ costs $1.75 on either platform. Here is what you keep from that sale:
- Teachable Starter: $1.75 processing plus $3.75 platform fee, so you keep $44.50.
- Podia Mover: $1.75 processing plus $2.50 platform fee, so you keep $45.75.
- Teachable Builder or Podia Shaker: $1.75 processing only, so you keep $48.25.
Annual billing changes the gaps
On annual billing, Teachable Starter drops to $29 a month, Builder to $69, Podia Mover to $42 and Shaker to $84. Teachable Builder’s annual price is $15 a month below Podia Shaker’s, which adds up to $180 a year in Teachable’s favor for a creator who has outgrown both entry plans.
Annual billing locks you in, though. Teachable’s 30-day money-back guarantee gives you a month to change your mind, while Podia’s policy covers only the 72 hours after a payment and excludes partial refunds on annual plans.
Head-to-Head: Features
Both platforms host courses with drip content, quizzes and certificates, and both handle sales tax. The differences sit in what else comes in the box.
| Feature | Teachable | Podia |
|---|---|---|
| Online courses | Yes, all plans | Yes, all plans |
| Digital downloads | Yes (counts as a product) | Yes, all plans |
| Coaching sales | Yes (counts as a product) | Yes, all plans |
| Community | Listed from Builder up | Yes, all plans (25 to unlimited spaces) |
| Live events | Not listed on pricing page | Yes, all plans |
| Website and blog | School and sales pages | Website, blog and landing pages on all plans |
| Built-in email marketing | Yes (listed in feature table) | Podia Email, 100 to 1,000 subscribers included |
| Affiliate program | Builder and up | Shaker and up |
| Upsells | All plans (“Upsells & cart recovery”) | Shaker and up |
| Mobile student apps | iOS and Android, all plans | Not listed on pricing page |
| Certificates | Listed in feature table | Included with courses |
| Sales tax handling | US sales tax, global VAT and GST | Sales tax in 230 countries |
| Zapier | Listed in feature table | Shaker and up |
| AI tools | “Create with AI” on all plans | Podia AI tools and Podia Agent |
Where Teachable is stronger
Teachable is the more course-focused product. Its pricing page lists auto-graded quizzes, short answer assessments, course compliance tools and bulk student imports, and every plan includes iOS and Android student apps. Upsells and abandoned-cart recovery appear on the Starter plan, which Podia holds back until Shaker.
Teachable also publishes developer-facing limits, including a public API with 10,000 requests a month and 100 requests a minute. Most course sellers will never touch it, but it matters if you run custom reporting.
Where Podia is stronger
Podia covers more product types from one checkout. A creator who sells a course, a template pack, one-to-one coaching sessions and a paid community can run all four on Mover. Teachable sells courses, coaching and downloads too, but each one uses a slot in a 5- or 10-product cap, community is listed only from Builder up, and live events are not listed on its pricing page.
Podia’s website builder is also broader. Every plan includes a website with a blog, landing pages, a custom domain and more than 1,900 embeds, so a creator can skip a separate site builder. If that is your main need, our Podia vs Shopify comparison covers when a full store makes more sense.
Head-to-Head: Ease of Use
Neither platform asks you to install software, manage hosting or write code. Both are hosted services that you set up in a browser.
Podia’s trial is easier to start. It runs 14 days, requires no credit card and gives full access to every feature before you pick a plan. Teachable’s trial runs 7 days and starts from one of the plan cards.
Teachable is simpler once you know you only sell courses. The plan cards are built around products, students and admin seats, so the decision is mostly about how many courses you will publish. Podia asks you to think about email list size, community spaces and video counts as well as products.
Short version: Podia is easier to try, and Teachable is easier to scope if you only sell courses.
Support also differs by plan. Teachable lists email support on all plans and real-time support from Builder up. Podia lists email and chat support for everyone.
Product Caps, Email Lists and Other Limits
Limits decide which plan you actually need, and they often push creators up a tier before revenue does.
| Limit | Teachable Starter | Teachable Builder | Teachable Growth | Podia Mover | Podia Shaker | Podia Earthquaker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Products | 5 | 10 | 50 | 50 | 150 | Unlimited |
| Admin users | 1 | 1 | 5 | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Students or customers | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Video storage | Up to 1TB | Up to 1TB | Up to 1TB | 500 videos | 1,000 videos | Unlimited |
| Included email subscribers | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | 100 | 500 | 1,000 |
Teachable counts each published course, coaching offering or digital download as one product, regardless of how many videos or quizzes it contains. Memberships, bundles and unpublished drafts do not count toward the cap, according to Teachable’s pricing FAQ.
The 10-product cap on Teachable Builder is the single biggest reason a growing creator would pick Podia Shaker instead. If you plan to sell 11 to 50 products, Teachable’s next step is Growth at $189 a month, while Podia Mover already allows 50 products and Shaker allows 150 for $99 a month.
Podia’s email caps cut the other way. A creator with 2,000 subscribers will exceed even Earthquaker’s 1,000 included subscribers and must add more, which Podia says you can do at any time. Podia never upgrades you automatically when you reach the limit. If email is central to your business, our Kajabi vs Podia breakdown compares a platform built around larger lists.
Who Should Choose Teachable?
- Course sellers with a small catalog earning over $800 a month. Builder at $89 a month (or $69 annually) with no platform fee is the cheapest option in this comparison at that level.
- Creators whose students learn on phones. Teachable lists iOS and Android student apps on every plan.
- Beginners earning under $400 a month who sell only one or two courses. Starter at $39 a month keeps the fixed cost lowest, even with the 7.5% fee.
- Schools that want certificates, compliance tools and graded assessments. Teachable’s feature table goes deeper on course delivery than Podia’s.
- Creators who want a month to change their mind. The 30-day money-back guarantee is longer than Podia’s 72-hour refund window.
Who Should Choose Podia?
- Creators earning $400 to $800 a month. Mover at $49 plus 5% is cheaper than both Teachable plans in that range.
- Sellers with more than 10 products. Mover allows 50 products and Shaker allows 150, versus 10 on Teachable Builder.
- Creators who mix courses with coaching, downloads, events and a paid community. Every Podia plan includes all of them.
- Anyone who wants one website instead of two tools. Podia includes a website, blog and landing pages on every plan.
- Creators who want a long, no-card trial. Podia’s 14-day trial needs no credit card.
Migration Guide: Moving Between Teachable and Podia
Switching course platforms takes planning more than technical skill. Here is a realistic sequence for a move in either direction.
- List every product and its price. Count courses, downloads, coaching offers and memberships. Check the result against the target plan’s product cap (10 on Teachable Builder, 50 on Podia Mover).
- Export your student and customer list. Students need access on the new platform, so you will need their email addresses and the products they own.
- Ask about migration help. Podia offers migration help on every plan, moving up to 50 products on Mover and up to 150 on Shaker and Earthquaker. It moves course content, downloads, customer emails and free community and membership subscribers. Teachable lists migration assistance on its Custom plan and imported students on Growth.
- Rebuild sales pages and checkout. Set prices, coupons and upsells again, then run a test purchase with a live card.
- Move subscriptions with care. Recurring payments are tied to the payment processor, so check how active subscriptions will transfer before you announce the switch.
- Redirect old URLs. Point your old course and sales page URLs at the new ones to keep search traffic and bookmarks working.
- Run both platforms for one billing cycle. Keep the old account open until every student confirms access, then cancel.
A small school with five courses and a few hundred students can usually move in one to two weeks. A large catalog with active subscriptions takes longer, mainly because of payment migration.
Key Takeaways
- Teachable Starter costs $39 a month plus 7.5%. Podia Mover costs $49 a month plus 5%.
- Teachable Builder ($89) and Podia Shaker ($99) both charge 0% platform fees, so Teachable is $10 a month cheaper at that tier on monthly billing and $15 cheaper on annual billing.
- On monthly billing, the cheapest plan is Teachable Starter below $400 in sales, Podia Mover from $400 to $800, and Teachable Builder above $800.
- Teachable Builder caps you at 10 products. Podia Shaker allows 150.
- Podia includes email marketing for 100 to 1,000 subscribers, a website, coaching and community on every plan.
- US card processing is 2.9% + 30¢ on both, so it does not change which platform is cheaper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Teachable or Podia cheaper?
It depends on your monthly sales. On monthly billing, Teachable Starter is cheapest below $400 in sales, Podia Mover is cheapest from $400 to $800, and Teachable Builder at $89 is cheapest above $800 if you have 10 or fewer products.
What transaction fees does Teachable charge?
Teachable charges a 7.5% transaction fee on the Starter plan. Builder, Growth and Custom plans have a 0% transaction fee when you use Teachable Payments, though payment processing fees such as 2.9% + 30¢ for US cards still apply.
What transaction fees does Podia charge?
Podia charges a 5% transaction fee on the Mover plan and no Podia fee on Shaker or Earthquaker. Stripe or PayPal also charges its standard processing fee, which Podia lists as 2.9% + 30¢.
Does Teachable have a free plan?
No. Teachable describes itself as a paid service with a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. The lowest-priced plan is Starter at $39 a month, or $29 a month billed annually.
Does Podia have a free plan?
Podia’s pricing page lists a 14-day free trial rather than a free plan. The trial needs no credit card and gives full access, and you need a Mover, Shaker or Earthquaker plan to keep using Podia after it ends.
Which platform is better for beginners?
Podia is easier to try because its 14-day trial needs no card. Teachable Starter has the lower monthly price at $39, so a beginner with very low sales and one or two courses may pay less on Teachable.
How many courses can I sell on each platform?
Teachable allows 5 products on Starter, 10 on Builder and 50 on Growth. Podia allows 50 products on Mover, 150 on Shaker and unlimited products on Earthquaker.
Can I sell coaching and digital downloads on both?
Yes. Podia lists coaching and digital downloads on every plan. Teachable also sells coaching offerings and digital downloads, but each one counts toward its 5, 10 or 50 product cap, so check your total product count first.
Which platform includes email marketing?
Both list built-in email marketing. Podia includes Podia Email for up to 100 subscribers on Mover, 500 on Shaker and 1,000 on Earthquaker, and you can add more subscribers at any time.
Are there hidden fees on Teachable or Podia?
Neither hides its main fees, but both have costs beyond the plan price. Teachable lists a $15 chargeback fee and international card processing at 3.9% + 30¢, and Podia users pay extra for subscribers above their plan’s included email list.
Can I get a refund if I change my mind?
Teachable offers a 30-day money-back guarantee within your first 30 days. Podia refunds a payment if you message them within 72 hours of it, and it does not give partial refunds on annual plans.
How long does it take to move from Teachable to Podia?
A small school with a handful of courses usually moves in one to two weeks. Podia offers migration help on every plan, covering up to 50 products on Mover and up to 150 on Shaker and Earthquaker.
The Bottom Line
Teachable and Podia land within $10 to $15 a month of each other once you reach their fee-free tiers, so the deciding factors are product count and what you sell. A course-only creator with 10 or fewer products who earns more than $800 a month will pay least on Teachable Builder. A creator earning $400 to $800 a month, or one who sells many products alongside coaching, downloads and a community, will get more for the money on Podia.
If you earn less than $400 a month, Teachable Starter is the cheapest bill, but plan to move up to Builder once sales pass about $667. If you sell more than 10 products, Podia Shaker at $99 is a better deal than jumping to Teachable Growth at $189.
Compare Teachable with Thinkific next if you are still choosing a course-first platform.
Related Articles
- Kajabi vs Teachable: Course Platform Costs Compared (2026): how Teachable stacks up against a pricier all-in-one platform.
- Podia vs Payhip: Which Fits Digital Creators Better (2026): Podia against a lower-cost option for downloads.
- Payhip vs Teachable: Course Seller Costs Compared (2026): when a simple checkout beats a full course school.
About This Research
Chloe Cruz has spent four years writing about eCommerce for online sellers and creators.
This comparison is based on the public US pricing pages, plan comparison tables and pricing FAQs published by Teachable and Podia, checked on November 11, 2026. All cost figures in the tables are calculated from those published plan prices and fee rates, not from account-level testing.
Content reviewed and updated: 2026-11-11
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