Podia is the cheaper way to start selling courses and downloads. Kajabi costs more up front but includes a far bigger email list, and the gap closes as your audience grows.
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Table of Contents
- Why This Comparison Matters
- Quick Verdict: Choose Kajabi If / Choose Podia If
- Kajabi Overview
- Podia Overview
- Head-to-Head: Pricing and Fees
- What a Month Costs: Worked Examples
- Head-to-Head: Features
- Head-to-Head: Ease of Use
- Email Lists: The Cost That Flips the Math
- Who Should Choose Kajabi?
- Who Should Choose Podia?
- Migration Guide: Switching Between Podia and Kajabi
- Key Takeaways
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The Bottom Line
Why This Comparison Matters
Kajabi and Podia sell the same promise: one subscription for your courses, downloads, community, website, and email. Both let you take payments on your own domain. The price tags are far apart, though. Podia’s cheapest plan costs $42 a month on annual billing, while Kajabi’s cheapest costs $143.
The sticker price leaves out two costs. Podia’s entry plan takes 5% of every sale, and its plans include a much smaller email list than Kajabi’s. Depending on your revenue and list size, the “cheap” option can end up costing more.
This guide compares both platforms on their published US pricing pages, checked November 10, 2026. You’ll get three worked monthly cost examples, a feature table, a “choose this if” verdict, and a migration checklist.
Here’s how the numbers break down.
Quick Verdict: Choose Kajabi If / Choose Podia If
Choose Kajabi if:
- Your email list is already past 1,000 subscribers, or you plan to grow it fast. Kajabi Basic includes 2,500 contacts.
- You want a mobile app for your customers on every plan, plus a branded App Store app on Pro.
- You run more than one brand. Kajabi Pro includes 3 websites and 3 communities.
- You want live cohort courses, comment-to-DM automation, or your own affiliate program (Growth and up).
Choose Podia if:
- You want the lowest possible monthly bill. Mover costs $42 a month on annual billing.
- You sell many products. Podia Shaker allows 150 products, against 5 on Kajabi Basic.
- Your email list is small, or you already pay for an outside email tool.
- You want to try the platform without entering a credit card. Podia’s 14-day trial doesn’t ask for one.
Kajabi Overview
Kajabi is an all-in-one platform for selling courses, coaching, memberships, and communities. Every plan includes a website, built-in checkout, and unlimited marketing emails, according to Kajabi’s pricing page. Kajabi says experts on the platform have earned more than $12 billion since 2010.
Key strengths:
- Large email allowance. Basic includes 2,500 contacts, Growth 25,000, and Pro 100,000, all with unlimited email sends.
- No revenue share. Kajabi states it takes 0% of your sales on every plan. You pay card processing only.
- Customer app included. Every plan includes the Kajabi app, so customers can watch courses and join your community on iPhone and Android.
- Team seats. Basic allows 2 admins, Growth 11, and Pro 26, with no per-seat charge.
Key weaknesses:
- High entry price. Basic costs $179 a month billed monthly, or $143 a month billed annually ($1,716 a year).
- Tight product cap on Basic. Basic allows only 5 products. Growth raises that to 50, and only Pro is unlimited.
- Outside processor penalty. If you use a third-party processor other than Kajabi Payments or PayPal, Kajabi adds 2% on Basic, 1% on Growth, and 0.5% on Pro.
Pricing summary: Basic $179/month (or $143 billed annually), Growth $249/month (or $199), Pro $499/month (or $399). Each plan includes a 14-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee, per Kajabi’s pricing page.
Podia Overview
Podia is an all-in-one platform for online courses, digital downloads, coaching, communities, and events. Every plan includes a website and blog, a custom domain, landing pages, built-in checkout, and email, according to Podia’s pricing page. Podia says more than 15,000 creators run their business on it.
Key strengths:
- Low entry price. Mover costs $49 a month billed monthly, or $42 a month billed annually ($504 a year).
- Generous product limits. Mover allows 50 products, Shaker 150, and Earthquaker unlimited.
- No card needed to try it. The 14-day free trial gives full feature access without a credit card.
- Migration help. Podia will move up to 50 products for Mover customers and up to 150 for Shaker and Earthquaker customers.
Key weaknesses:
- 5% fee on Mover. Podia charges a 5% transaction fee on every Mover sale, and Podia’s help center confirms it applies on both monthly and annual Mover plans.
- Small included email lists. Mover includes 100 email subscribers, Shaker 500, and Earthquaker 1,000. Larger lists cost extra.
- Key selling tools gated to Shaker. Affiliate marketing, upsells, PayPal, and Zapier start on Shaker, not Mover.
Pricing summary: Mover $49/month (or $42 billed annually), Shaker $99/month (or $84), Earthquaker $179/month (or $150). Stripe or PayPal processing applies on top, which Podia lists at a standard 2.9% + 30¢.
Head-to-Head: Pricing and Fees
The table below compares each platform’s published US plans. “Annual” means the per-month price when you pay for a year up front.
| Fee type | Kajabi | Podia |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan (monthly billing) | Basic, $179/mo | Mover, $49/mo |
| Entry plan (annual billing) | $143/mo ($1,716/yr) | $42/mo ($504/yr) |
| Mid plan (annual billing) | Growth, $199/mo | Shaker, $84/mo |
| Top plan (annual billing) | Pro, $399/mo | Earthquaker, $150/mo |
| Platform transaction fee | 0% on all plans | 5% on Mover, 0% on Shaker and Earthquaker |
| US card processing | 2.9% + 30¢ (Basic), 2.8% + 30¢ (Growth), 2.7% + 30¢ (Pro) on Kajabi Payments | 2.9% + 30¢ via Stripe or PayPal (standard rate, varies by location) |
| Third-party processor surcharge | 2% / 1% / 0.5% (excludes PayPal and Kajabi Payments) | None listed |
| Email contacts included | 2,500 / 25,000 / 100,000 | 100 / 500 / 1,000 |
| Products | 5 / 50 / Unlimited | 50 / 150 / Unlimited |
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days, no credit card |
| Refund policy | 30-day money-back guarantee | Refund if requested within 72 hours of your latest payment |
Sources: Kajabi pricing and Podia pricing, both checked November 10, 2026.
Disclaimer: Fees change. Always verify current rates on each platform’s official pricing page before you commit. This comparison is general information, not financial, legal, or tax advice.
Two details in that table matter more than the headline price.
First, Podia’s Mover plan is only cheap at low revenue. The 5% fee costs $5 on every $100 you sell. On annual billing, Shaker costs $42 a month more than Mover, so Shaker becomes the cheaper plan once you sell more than $840 a month. On monthly billing the gap is $50, which puts the break-even at $1,000 a month in sales.
Second, Kajabi’s processing rate drops as you move up plans. Growth saves 0.1 percentage points over Basic, and Pro saves 0.2. On $10,000 a month in sales, Growth’s lower rate saves about $10 a month, which doesn’t come close to covering the $56 jump from Basic to Growth on annual billing.
The real decision is list size and revenue, not the sticker price.
What a Month Costs: Worked Examples
These examples use annual billing and US card processing at the rates above. They assume every sale goes through Kajabi Payments or Stripe, and they leave out sales tax, refunds, chargebacks, and outside tools. Podia email add-on prices come from the subscriber selector on Podia’s pricing page.
Example 1: Side project, $500 a month
You sell a $50 template pack 10 times a month. Your email list is under 100 people.
| Cost line | Podia Mover | Podia Shaker | Kajabi Basic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan (annual billing) | $42.00 | $84.00 | $143.00 |
| Platform fee | $25.00 (5%) | $0 | $0 |
| Card processing (2.9% + 30¢ × 10) | $17.50 | $17.50 | $17.50 |
| Total per month | $84.50 | $101.50 | $160.50 |
Podia Mover wins clearly. Kajabi costs almost twice as much at this size.
Example 2: Growing course business, $4,000 a month
You sell a $200 course 20 times a month and have 2,500 email subscribers. Podia charges $22 a month (annual billing) to raise any plan’s list to 2,500 subscribers. Kajabi Basic already includes 2,500 contacts.
| Cost line | Podia Mover | Podia Shaker | Kajabi Basic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan (annual billing) | $42.00 | $84.00 | $143.00 |
| Email to 2,500 subscribers | $22.00 | $22.00 | Included |
| Platform fee | $200.00 (5%) | $0 | $0 |
| Card processing (2.9% + 30¢ × 20) | $122.00 | $122.00 | $122.00 |
| Total per month | $386.00 | $228.00 | $265.00 |
Podia Shaker is the cheapest option here by $37 a month. Mover is now the most expensive plan of the three because of its 5% fee.
Example 3: Established creator, $9,000 a month
You sell a $300 program 30 times a month and have 20,000 email subscribers. Podia’s 25,000-subscriber tier costs $108 a month on annual billing. Kajabi Growth includes 25,000 contacts and lowers card processing to 2.8% + 30¢.
| Cost line | Podia Shaker | Kajabi Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Plan (annual billing) | $84.00 | $199.00 |
| Email to 25,000 subscribers | $108.00 | Included |
| Card processing | $270.00 (2.9% + 30¢ × 30) | $261.00 (2.8% + 30¢ × 30) |
| Total per month | $462.00 | $460.00 |
At this size the two platforms cost almost exactly the same. Kajabi Growth also adds live cohort courses, advanced automations, and its own affiliate program, so the decision moves from price to features.
At $500 a month in sales, Podia costs about half what Kajabi does. At $9,000 a month with a 20,000-person list, the difference is $2.
Head-to-Head: Features
Both platforms cover the basics a course or download seller needs. The differences show up in mobile, multi-brand, and marketing tools.
| Feature | Kajabi | Podia |
|---|---|---|
| Online courses | All plans | All plans |
| Digital downloads | All plans | All plans |
| Coaching | All plans | All plans |
| Community | 1 community (3 on Pro) | 25 / 100 / unlimited spaces |
| Website and custom domain | All plans (3 sites on Pro) | All plans, plus a blog |
| Landing pages | Unlimited | Included |
| Email marketing | Unlimited sends, 2,500+ contacts | Included, 100 to 1,000 subscribers before add-ons |
| Affiliate program | Growth and Pro | Shaker and Earthquaker |
| Upsells | Not listed on pricing page | Shaker and Earthquaker |
| Customer mobile app | All plans | Not listed on pricing page |
| Branded App Store app | Pro only | Not listed on pricing page |
| Live cohort courses | Growth and Pro | Not listed on pricing page |
| Zapier | Third-party integrations on all plans | Shaker and Earthquaker |
| AI tools | Kajabi Cofounder and Kajabi MCP on all plans | Podia AI tools and Podia Agent on all plans |
| Team members | 2 / 11 / 26 admins | 1 assistant on Shaker, unlimited on Earthquaker |
Sources: Kajabi pricing and Podia pricing.
Kajabi’s edge is mobile delivery and scale. Every plan ships with a customer app, and Pro adds your own branded app, which Kajabi values at $199 a month. Growth adds live cohorts, comment-to-DM automation across social platforms, and removes Kajabi branding.
Podia’s edge is breadth on cheaper plans. Mover already allows 50 products and 25 community spaces, and every plan includes events (live and in-person), a blog, sales tax handling, and checkout in more than 20 currencies.
Neither platform publishes quiz, certificate, or assessment features on its pricing page. If you need those, test them during the free trial before you build your course.
Head-to-Head: Ease of Use
Both platforms are built for creators who don’t want to touch code. You pick a template, upload content, and connect a payment account.
Podia is easier to start. You can open a trial without a card, and the plan structure is simple: three tiers, one fee rule (5% on Mover only), and a subscriber slider for email. Podia also offers migration help, so moving an existing course library takes less manual work.
Kajabi has more to learn because it does more. Funnels, automations, the community, the customer app, and the AI assistant all live in one dashboard. Kajabi’s pricing FAQ recommends Basic for anyone who hasn’t sold anything yet, and Growth once revenue is coming in and your list is past a few thousand people.
If you want to launch this week with the least setup, Podia gets you there faster. If you plan to build funnels and email sequences from day one, Kajabi’s extra depth is worth the learning curve.
Email Lists: The Cost That Flips the Math
Email is where these two platforms differ most, and it’s the line that flips the cost comparison.
Kajabi includes 2,500 contacts on Basic. Podia includes 100 on Mover, 500 on Shaker, and 1,000 on Earthquaker. Past those numbers, Podia sells add-on tiers, listed on its pricing page as follows:
| Subscribers | Podia add-on (annual billing) | Podia add-on (monthly billing) |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $14/mo | $18/mo |
| 2,500 | $22/mo | $28/mo |
| 5,000 | $36/mo | $45/mo |
| 10,000 | $56/mo | $70/mo |
| 25,000 | $108/mo | $135/mo |
Kajabi handles growth differently. Basic covers 2,500, Growth 25,000, and Pro 100,000. Past your plan’s limit, Kajabi says contacts come in blocks of 25,000 for $125 a month.
A creator with 5,000 subscribers would pay $120 a month for Podia Shaker plus email on annual billing ($84 + $36). Kajabi Basic tops out at 2,500 contacts, so that same creator would need Growth at $199 a month, or Basic plus a $125 contact block.
Podia stays cheaper on email until your list nears 25,000. If you already run email through another service, Podia’s small allowances matter less, but you’ll be paying that other bill instead.
Who Should Choose Kajabi?
- Creators with a big list. If you have 10,000 or more subscribers, Kajabi Growth’s 25,000-contact allowance makes its price competitive with Podia plus add-ons.
- Coaches and community builders who want mobile. Every Kajabi plan includes a customer app, and Pro adds your own App Store listing.
- Multi-brand operators. Kajabi Pro includes 3 websites and 3 communities under one subscription.
- Teams. Growth allows 11 admins with no per-seat charge, against a single assistant on Podia Shaker.
- Cohort course sellers. Live cohort courses start on Kajabi Growth.
Who Should Choose Podia?
- New sellers testing an idea. Mover at $42 a month is the cheapest way to sell a course and downloads from your own site.
- Download-heavy catalogs. Podia allows 50 products on Mover and 150 on Shaker, while Kajabi Basic stops at 5.
- Creators selling $840 to several thousand dollars a month. In that range, Podia Shaker usually costs less than any Kajabi plan.
- Event hosts. Live and in-person events are included on every Podia plan.
- People who want to try before paying. Podia’s trial doesn’t need a credit card.
Migration Guide: Switching Between Podia and Kajabi
Most switches go from Podia to Kajabi as a creator’s list and revenue grow, but the steps work in either direction.
- Export your customers and subscribers. Download customer lists, email subscribers, and sales records from your current platform before you cancel.
- Download every course file. Save videos, PDFs, worksheets, and lesson text locally. Don’t rely on the old platform staying active.
- Check product limits. Kajabi Basic allows 5 products. If you’re bringing 20 downloads from Podia, you’ll need Growth (50) or Pro (unlimited), or you’ll need to bundle products.
- Check email limits. Moving 3,000 subscribers to Podia means buying an email add-on. Moving them to Kajabi Basic means going over its 2,500 limit.
- Ask about migration help. Podia moves up to 50 products on Mover and up to 150 on Shaker or Earthquaker, including course content, downloads, and customer emails.
- Rebuild recurring payments carefully. Memberships and payment plans usually can’t be transferred automatically. Plan to ask subscribers to re-subscribe, or overlap both platforms until the old subscriptions end.
- Update your domain and links. Point your custom domain to the new platform and update links in emails, social bios, and ads.
- Run both for one billing cycle. Keep the old platform open for a month so existing customers keep access while you confirm everything works.
Realistic timeframe: A creator with one course and a handful of downloads can switch in a weekend. Bigger catalogs with active memberships often take two to four weeks, mostly because of recurring payments.
Key Takeaways
- Podia Mover costs $42 a month on annual billing, and Kajabi Basic costs $143.
- Podia charges a 5% transaction fee on Mover only. Kajabi charges no platform fee on any plan.
- Podia Shaker beats Mover once you sell more than $840 a month (annual billing).
- Kajabi includes 2,500 email contacts on its cheapest plan. Podia includes 100.
- At around $9,000 a month in sales and a 20,000-person list, Podia Shaker and Kajabi Growth cost almost the same.
- Kajabi includes a customer mobile app on every plan. Podia’s pricing page doesn’t list one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kajabi more expensive than Podia?
Yes, on plan price. Kajabi Basic costs $143 a month on annual billing, while Podia Mover costs $42 and Shaker costs $84. Kajabi includes a much larger email list, so the total gap shrinks for creators with thousands of subscribers.
Does Podia charge transaction fees?
Only on the Mover plan. Podia charges 5% of each Mover sale, on both monthly and annual billing. Shaker and Earthquaker have no Podia transaction fee, though Stripe or PayPal processing still applies.
Does Kajabi take a cut of my sales?
No. Kajabi says it takes a 0% revenue share on every plan. You pay card processing on Kajabi Payments, which is 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic for US entities, and an extra 2% on Basic if you use an outside processor other than PayPal.
Which is better for beginners?
Podia is the easier and cheaper starting point. Mover costs $42 a month on annual billing, and the 14-day trial doesn’t require a credit card. Kajabi recommends its Basic plan for creators who haven’t made a sale yet, but it costs more than three times as much.
Do Kajabi and Podia offer free trials?
Yes. Both offer a 14-day free trial. Kajabi also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, while Podia refunds a payment if you ask within 72 hours of it.
Does Podia have a free plan?
Podia’s current pricing page lists three paid plans (Mover, Shaker, and Earthquaker) and a 14-day free trial. It doesn’t list a free plan, and you need a paid plan to keep using Podia Email after the trial.
How many email subscribers do I get on each platform?
Kajabi includes 2,500 contacts on Basic, 25,000 on Growth, and 100,000 on Pro. Podia includes 100 on Mover, 500 on Shaker, and 1,000 on Earthquaker, with paid add-ons for larger lists.
Which platform allows more products?
Podia, on the lower plans. Mover allows 50 products and Shaker 150, while Kajabi Basic allows 5 and Growth 50. Both platforms offer unlimited products on their top plans.
Are there hidden fees on Kajabi or Podia?
Neither pricing page lists a setup fee. The costs people miss are card processing on both platforms, Podia’s 5% Mover fee, Podia’s email add-ons, and Kajabi’s 2% surcharge on Basic if you use a third-party processor other than PayPal.
Can I use Kajabi and Podia at the same time?
Yes. Nothing stops you from running both, for example selling downloads on Podia while running a coaching program on Kajabi. You’d pay two subscriptions and split your email list, so most creators only do this during a migration.
Which has a mobile app for customers?
Kajabi includes a customer app for iPhone and Android on every plan, and Pro adds your own branded App Store app. Podia’s pricing page doesn’t list a customer mobile app.
How long does it take to move from Podia to Kajabi?
A single course with a few downloads can move in a weekend. Larger catalogs with active memberships usually take two to four weeks because recurring payments need to be rebuilt.
The Bottom Line
Podia is the cheaper platform for most new and mid-sized creators. Mover is the lowest-cost way to start, and Shaker becomes the better deal once you sell more than about $840 a month. Kajabi costs more up front, but its larger email allowance, customer app, and team seats close the gap as your business grows. At $9,000 a month and a 20,000-person list, the two platforms cost about the same.
If you’re starting out, sell many downloads, or keep a small list, choose Podia. If you have a large email list, want a mobile app for customers, or run a team or several brands, choose Kajabi.
Use both free trials before you commit. Build one product on each and run your real numbers through the worked examples above.
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About This Research
Chloe Cruz has spent four years writing about eCommerce and covers platforms for CartCompare (LinkedIn).
This comparison is based on Kajabi’s and Podia’s published US pricing pages and Podia’s help center article on transaction fees, all checked on November 10, 2026. The cost tables are our own calculations from those published rates, using stated sale prices, sales volumes, list sizes, and annual billing. They leave out sales tax, refunds, chargebacks, and outside tools.
Content reviewed and updated: 2026-11-10
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