Top 6 Podia Alternatives in 2024 for Monetizing Your Audience

Here are the best 6 Podia Alternatives to create and sell online courses and digital products.

Podia is a platform that helps creators sell courses on any subject and skill. Podia provides end-to-end solutions for creators and educators on its platform.

With a simple interface that is easy to navigate and use, creators can see courses, manage events, add downloads, etc.

Podia has been around since 2014, but it is still not the best platform. It lacks many features that more modern companies offer.

Here are some Podia alternatives you may want to explore.

The top 6 Podia alternatives are:

1. FreshLearn
2. Teachable
3. Thinkific
4. Kajabi
5. LearnDash
6. Mighty Networks

Before exploring the Podia alternatives, let’s understand what Podia offers its creators and educators.

What is Podia

Podia is a platform that makes it easy for anyone to share their knowledge and create a course around it.

The platform’s robust yet straightforward interface means you can create your course, manage events with ease, and get paid while doing so.

Founded in 2014, it delivers an excellent user experience.

Pros of Using Podia:

1. With Podia, anyone can create various digital products from events and courses to downloads.
2. Podia allows you to create versatile courses. The different formats - are video, audio, or document files.
3. Podia is a platform that connects content creators to their choice of payment gateways in one place.
4. Podia’s certificate generator is a great non-technical tool that automatically generates certificates for learners who have completed the course. And its easy-to-use interface drives a quick learning curve.
5. Podia can also seamlessly move any of the creator’s previous work over via Concierge migration services.

Cons of Using Podia

1. Podia does not allow for embedded players and only includes S3 or Google Drive.
2. Podia charges an additional fee of $20 per seat
3. You can't try Podia for free. You are forced to get on to one of their paid plans even if you are still evaluating.
4. It does not provide 24x7 live chat support. Instead, they offer only email help on the Shaker plan or higher.

Podia Pricing

Podia’s pricing is pretty straightforward. Its pricing tiers are based on the

features they provide for each plan.

The different pricing plans of Podia are:

1. Free - $0 + 10% transaction fee

2. Starter- $9/month + 8% transaction fee

3. Mover- $39/month + 5% transaction fee

4. Shaker- $89/month

Customer Support and Concierge Migration

Podia is an excellent platform for creators to build their courses with a good knowledge base and documentation.

However, it does not provide 24x7 live chat support. Instead, they offer only email help on the Shaker plan or higher.

This means that your questions will likely go unanswered if you're not upgrading. Podia can also seamlessly move any of the creator’s previous work over via Concierge migration services.

Now let's look at the best podia alternatives in detail

Podia Alternative #1: FreshLearn

FreshLearn is a platform that helps you set up and sell your online course in less than 60 minutes. It's about empowering creators, allowing them to convert knowledge into different formats.

The goal is to provide impactful assessments for learners with certification of their skill sets.

FreshLearn is a comprehensive solution that provides personalized options such as customizing content based on what users want to learn instead of generic content. This is one of the main reasons for it being one of the best alternatives to podia.

Comparing the Features of FreshLearn and Podia

1. FreshLearn has it covered for any creator, from creating courses and downloading content to setting up newsletters, creating landing pages, or managing Masterclass memberships.
2. FreshLearn offers a variety of course content formats like Video, Audio, and Documents.
3. FreshLearn provides an exciting and engaging experience for learners by allowing creators to gamify their coursework.
4. With virtual currencies, participants can earn points that translate into real money when they complete tasks in prescribed ways throughout each unit on FreshLearn's platform.
5. FrehsLearn helps you generate course completion certificates automatically on the completion of any courses by your students.
6. The design principles of FreshLearn are intended to help creators go online faster and deliver superior user experiences.
7. Bulk student uploads, bulk course enrollments, and course clone-like advanced features are available in the $41/month plan.
8. Premium and advanced marketing features such as Page builder, Coupon Codes, Affiliate Marketing, and Email Marketing are available in the $29/month Pro plan itself.

Plus, FreshLearn offers simple and creator-friendly pricing plans to use the resources for an unlimited time with 24x7 customer support for all the available plans.

FreshLearn also offers a seamless experience for both students and instructors by letting you integrate your payment gateway so that money hits their account the moment they pay.

Additionally, Freshlearn provides 24/7 live chat for any questions about your account. In addition, they offer one of the most comprehensive support systems in the industry.

The best part is that if you are moving from a learning management system to FreshLearn or vice-versa, FreshLearn will help transition with our concierge service at no cost.

FreshLearn vs Podia: Pricing Comparison

FreshLearn offers simple and creator-friendly pricing plans to use the resources for an unlimited time with 24x7 customer support for all the available plans.

The different pricing plans for FreshLearn are:

1. Free Forever Plan = $0 ( $1 + 9% commission for every sale)
2. Pro Plan = $29/month (0% commission)
3. No Brainer Plan = $49/month (0% commission)
4. No Brainer Plus = $119/month (0% commission)

FreshLearn vs Podia: Quick Comparison

Customer Support and Concierge Migration

Freshlearn provides 24/7 live chat for any questions about your account. In addition, they offer one of the most comprehensive support systems in the industry.

This is reflected in the round-the-clock assistance offered on every plan, regardless of level or type.

And when it comes to living chat and support, FreshLearn outshines Podia’s customer support in the long haul!

FreshLearn also has a dedicated YouTube channel with excellent course-creation videos that are perfect for beginners.

The academy also provides a detailed step-by-step process of online course creation, which will help you get started with your first tutorial.

If you are moving from a learning management system to FreshLearn or vice-versa, FreshLearn will help transition with our concierge service at no cost.

On the other hand, FreshLearn needs to improve its knowledge base and add better search functionality to it when compared to Podia.

Podia Alternative #2: Teachable

Teachable is another one of the popular alternatives to podia. It is a platform that provides an all-inclusive service for selling online courses.

It handles everything from web hosting to payment processing, giving course creators complete control over their content and online business models without worrying about any technical stuff such as database management or website design.

In addition, teachings can be customized with various options, including video backgrounds or course page designs.

Benefits of Choosing Teachable over Podia

1. Teachable's intuitive interface allows learners to explore the course at their own pace and easily navigate content.
2. Teachable's Email Marketing is an affordable and effective way to keep in touch with your students. It allows you the opportunity for one-on-one communication, providing them clarity on what they need from their learning experience while also helping you stay updated on the student's progress.
3. Teachable’s course content can be accessed in different formats such as video, audio, and document.
4. The platform is a powerful, flexible, and feature-rich online course platform that can be freely tested.

However, Teachable offers a course builder that can be difficult and confusing for first-time creators.

The lack of monetization features for creators such as Masterclass, Newsletters, or Digital downloads is a significant fault for Teachable.

The company also does not provide white-label solutions for content creators, and the checkout page has Teachable’s branding.

Teachable does not promote the creators bringing their payment gateways like Stripe or PayPal.

The advanced features are present only in the high-end plans costing $119/per month and $199/per month.

Additionally, Teachable’s knowledge base differentiates between creators based on what plan type they subscribe to.

Another big letdown is that Teachable does not provide live chat support and there is no concierge migration available with the site.

Podia vs Teachable: Pricing Comparision

Teachable has 4 different pricing plans that are differentiated based on the features provided and commissions.

1. Free: $0/month ($1+10% transaction fee)
2. Basic: $39/month (5% transaction fee)
3. Pro: $119/month
4. Pro+: $199/month

Customer Support and Concierge Migration

Teachable's support team is constructive and knowledgeable, but it does have a few issues with its knowledge base.

One of the most notable ones is differentiating between creators based on what plan type they subscribe to.

This can be surprising for those who just want help getting started or answering general questions about their product line.

Another big letdown is that Teachable does not provide live chat support, as it would be helpful for creators who are looking to move their courses from one platform or even just have some questions about how things work.

There is no concierge migration available with the site, so creators will need to perform this manually.

Alternative to Podia #3: Thinkific

Thinkific is a platform for instructors who want to take their teaching skills from basic knowledge into an industry they can be proud of.

They offer a single dashboard that provides access to everything to create courses - including branding opportunities & marketing tools. And the process is pretty straightforward and efficient.

The tool allows you to assess what your students know and customize their experience so that they get more out of each session.

Benefits of Choosing Thinkific over Podia

1. Thinkific is a course builder that offers many features. Creators can create surveys, polls, etc., as part of the chapter creation for their online courses.
2. Thinkific also connects the creators with a payment gateway of their choice.
3. The Thinkific course builder allows for various content types, including videos and audio recordings.
4. Thinkfic automatically generates completion certificates for every learner.

However, Thinkific's lack of other monetization features for creators is a missed opportunity.

They could continue to grow their community by adding newsletter and download options and Masterclass courses.

Thinkific does not provide complete white-label services. You must be on their highest plan to get it, i.e., the Premier Plan., which costs $399/month.

Thinkific is limited when it comes to the video player that can be embedded. The only option is very simple and basic - S3 or Google Drive.

Although the platform includes advanced features like bulk Member uploads and course enrollments, they are available only for the creators on the costly Premiere Plan of $399/month.

Therefore, if creators want more features, they must pick a higher-paid plan. Plus, it charges for the number of active students.

Additionally, Thinkific does not provide live chat support or Concierge migration in its base plans.

Podia vs Thinkific: Pricing Comparision

Thinkific pricing plans:

1. Basic - $36/month
2. Pro - $74/month
3. Grow- $149/month

Customer Support & Concierge Migration

Thinkific's documentation and support are excellent for those new to the platform. Still, it falls short in terms of depth compared to other platforms, and discouragingly, it differentiates support based on the plan type.

Thinkific does not provide live chat support or Concierge migration in its base plans. As a result, creators are on their own when porting over courses from other platforms because there is no automated way for them to do this without manually moving all of the course content themselves.

Podia Alternative #4: Kajabi

Kajabi was founded in 2010 and is one of the oldest platforms to start in this online course platforms segment.

It is an all-in-one platform that allows creators and educators to build and launch learning businesses on different topics and fields.

Benefits of Choosing Kajabi over Podia

1. Kajabi creates courses that include different content formats like videos, audio files, and documents.
2. The automated course completion certificate generation ensures that a creator has an easy time completing the courses.
3. Kajabi offers a variety of monetization features for its creators. These include many features such as podcasts, website builders, and coaching.
4. Kajabi's marketing automation feature makes it easy for users to create, send, and track their emails without complicated coding or technical skills.
5. Kajabi also connects creators with their choice of payment gateways.

Now, a major letdown is that the platform does not support the embedding of different video players. It only lets creators include content from S3 or Google Drive.

Moreover, Kajabi has a long way to go when it comes down to monetization. They lack many essential features such as Masterclass, newsletters, digital downloads, etc.

Kajabi pricing tiers are based on usage limits. Therefore, the pricing is rather high for LMS platforms for the features Kajabi provides.

Plus, Kajabi has many limitations in its pricing plans. It does not offer a free plan and limits the pricing plan based on the products, pipelines, contacts, and several active students.

To top it all off, it lacks live chat support and does not provide Concierge migration from other platforms in any of its plans.

Podia vs Kajabi: Pricing Comparision

The different pricing plans are:

1. Kickstarter: $55/month
2. Basic: $119/month
3. Growth: $159/month
4. Pro - $319/month

Customer Support & Concierge Migration

Kajabi is an excellent tool for knowledge base creation, but it lacks live chat support. Instead, you can use email to get help with your questions and inquiries from the team.

Kajabi is an education-focused platform that does not provide Concierge migration from other platforms in any of its plans. So to move your courses over, you have to do it yourself.

Podia Alternative #5: LearnDash

Learndash is a plugin that lets you launch courses through your WordPress website. Thus, transforming it into an easy-to-use learning management system for creators.

They can create and sell their course content while tracking learner development and certificates based on their performances.

Benefits of Choosing LearnDash over Podia

1. Learndash is an excellent tool for instructors who want to offer their courses in different formats. Using this system, you can include video, audio, and documents with ease.
2. Learndash makes it easy for you to get your certificate on a timely basis. It is a quick and simple process.
3. Learndash is a platform that connects to your choice of payment processing services.

Now, Plugins are a great way to extend and enhance your WordPress site, but too many can slow download times or cause stability issues.

Maintaining plugins is essential for keeping the plugins you use most up-to-date with all updates.

If you want to use this plugin, be prepared for tech support because it's not perfect and sometimes creates compatibility issues with other plugins.

Learndash is a video player that cannot embed different videos and includes content from S3 or Google Drive.

It is not the best choice for creators who are just getting started because it isn't an intuitive or user-friendly experience like some other platforms offer.

Plus, Learndash does not offer a free plan for creators who want to test the platform.

It also has many vulnerabilities because it relies on other plugins for its functioning. Hosting, security, and backup are all extra costs you have to pay on Leardash.

Additionally, it does not currently offer live chat support or special services for course migration to its creators.

Podia vs LearnDash: Pricing Comparision

The different pricing plans of Learndash are:

1. LearnDash LMS:

• For 1 site: $199/year
• For10 sites- $399/year
• Unlimited- $799/year

2. LearnDash Cloud:

• Starter: $25/month
• Growth: $41/month
• Pro:$83/month

3. MemberDash:

• 1 Site: $199/year
• 10 Sites: $399/year
• Unlimited: $799/year

Customer Support & Concierge Migration

Learndash provides extensive documentation and a knowledge base, but it does not currently offer live chat support for its creators. However, email functions allow you to contact the team with any questions or problems.

Learndash does not provide any special services for course migration. As a result, creators have to migrate their courses from other platforms manually.

Podia Alternative #6: Mighty Networks

Mighty Network is a platform that allows creators to customize and monetize their content. In addition, it offers various features like online communities, live streaming events courses, etc.

It was founded in 2017 to drive community innovation while providing people with an alternative type of business.

Benefits of Choosing Mighty Networks over Podia

1. The app is optimized for both iOS and Android devices.
2. The interface is feature-rich.
3. You can have as many members on your Mighty Network. This does not depend on the tier, and there is no volume-based pricing for their service.
4. Mighty Networks offers a free trial for creators to experience the platform.
5. Mighty Networks offers priority support to Business and Community Plan Hosts and works 7 days a week with them.
6. It provides the convenience of automatically moving your courses from one stream to another without any additional work on your part.

What can be a con, however, is that the website is not friendly to navigate. This makes the user experience complex and overwhelming.

Uploading videos on MN is a tedious process that requires the user to embed links from other platforms.

However, streaming or providing live streaming is possible when using embedded codes in various shapes and sizes.

Mighty Networks is also missing some essential monetization features such as Masterclass, Newsletters, or Digital downloads.

The platform also needs to include more common payment gateways. 

Podia vs LearnDash: Pricing Comparision

Mighty Networks’ plans start at $39/month and scale with each tier.

1. The Courses Plan: $99/month
2. The Business Plan: $179/month
3. The Path-to-Pro Plan: $360/month
4. The Mighty Pro Plan: Contact for a quote

And their Mighty Pro Plan, which gives your app Listings in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, Branded App Notifications, Account Management, and Strategy Support

Customer Support & Concierge Migration

Mighty Networks offers priority support to Business and Community Plan Hosts and works 7 days a week with them. In addition, it provides the convenience of automatically moving your courses from one stream to another without any additional work on your part.

Final Thoughts

When creating content as an online teacher, it is vital to have a well-thought-out business plan.

Podia has been a platform that provides competitive features for their plans among the numerous LMS platforms.

However, creators today yearn for more comprehensive platforms, next-gen user experiences, and 24x7 live customer support at creator-friendly pricing.

Such demands make FreshLearn the best alternative for Podia.

One of the best parts about Freshlearn is 24x7 live chat support. Also, there are no hidden or additional charges as you grow.

In addition, the pricing is creator-friendly and very competitive compared to other platforms out there on the market today.

The road to monetization is just a click away! So get started with FreshLearn today.

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