Podia vs Teachable

Podia excels at unifying your entire digital presence under one roof. It seamlessly integrates your website, online store, email marketing, and blogging. This unified system removes the headache of managing conflicting integrations and external tools. Teachable is first and foremost an excellent course creation tool. Building strong course delivery is its primary goal. It requires you to use separate platforms for deep email marketing, though basic e-commerce is covered. Podia’s centralized approach saves significant time and administrative effort daily. Teachable provides more niche course features but demands a larger, more complex tech stack. If you currently juggle five different subscriptions, Podia is designed to replace most of them immediately. You'll gain simplicity, but you might lose some specialized customization.

Podia’s entry-level Mover plan charges a 5% transaction fee on all your sales. This 5% fee is in addition to standard payment processor costs. The Shaker plan eliminates the entire 5% Podia platform fee. The Teachable Starter plan begins with a steep 7.5% transaction fee on every sale. This high cost quickly motivates users to upgrade to the Builder plan or higher. Upgrading eliminates the Teachable fee entirely (0%). Podia is cheaper at the entry level with a 5% fee compared to Teachable's 7.5%. However, Teachable offers its 0% fee on the Builder plan, which might be cheaper than Podia’s Shaker tier. Creators with high sales volume should calculate which 0% fee tier gives better overall value based on the monthly subscription price.

Podia focuses on extreme ease of use and simple workflow for content uploading. It allows rapid publishing of digital products and courses quickly. The platform doesn't use AI to assist content structuring or outline creation. Teachable integrates built-in AI features directly into the creation workflow. You can use this AI to help write course materials and speed up content development significantly. This is a huge efficiency boost for creators. For creators who need help filling pages quickly, Teachable’s AI capability is a game-changer. Podia relies on the creator uploading all content manually. If speed and creation efficiency are your top priority, Teachable provides a powerful, automated assistant.

Podia offers unlimited products across both the Mover and Shaker plans. You can sell unlimited courses, downloads, and memberships easily, ensuring maximum flexibility. This means you’ll never hit a platform ceiling if you diversify. Teachable limits published products from just one (Starter) up to 100 courses (Advanced plan). This restriction forces prolific creators into expensive high-tier plans. Exceeding 100 products requires a custom enterprise solution. This product cap is a critical difference for creators planning massive catalogs or testing many niche products. Podia offers significantly more capacity. If testing dozens of low-ticket digital downloads is key to your strategy, Podia is the hands-down winner for volume.

Podia content is accessed by students using standard mobile browsers on any device. While responsive, it lacks the dedicated features of native applications. Student engagement relies on the web experience. Teachable offers specific mobile apps for both iOS and Android students. These native applications significantly enhance the learning experience and accessibility. Mobile apps increase student retention. For modern learners prioritizing convenience, Teachable’s native apps offer a clear advantage. Podia requires an internet connection and a browser every time. Focus on Teachable if you know your audience demands high-quality, continuous learning on their phone or tablet.

Podia reserves its affiliate marketing feature exclusively for the robust, higher-priced Shaker plan. This means entry-level creators cannot use partners to promote products. Teachable includes a powerful, integrated affiliate program starting with the Builder plan. This allows creators to launch referral programs much sooner in their growth. If leveraging external promoters is essential for early growth, Teachable provides earlier access to the necessary tools. Podia forces an expensive upgrade. This makes Teachable a superior choice when relying on affiliates to quickly expand sales reach.