Podia keeps it simple: Mover at $33/month (annual) with a 5% transaction fee, or Shaker at $75/month (annual) with 0% fees. Both plans include courses, coaching, webinars, community, payment plans, certificates, and email marketing (free up to 100 subscribers). The real differences between the two: the 5% fee, affiliate marketing, PayPal payments, and Zapier actions.
Podia's Plans at a Glance
All plans with monthly and annual pricing, limits, and key features.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Tx Fees | Courses | Students | Key Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mover | $39/mo | $33/mo | 5% | Unlimited | Unlimited | 5% transaction fee on every sale |
| ShakerPopular | $89/mo | $75/mo | 0% | Unlimited | Unlimited | No native live session tools (embed Zoom links manually) |
Mover
- Unlimited products
- Online courses, coaching, webinars
- Digital downloads
- 5% transaction fee on every sale
- No affiliate marketing
Shaker
Popular- Everything in Mover
- 0% transaction fees
- Affiliate marketing
- No native live session tools (embed Zoom links manually)
- No quizzes or graded assignments
What Podia's Pricing Page Doesn't Make Obvious
Hidden fees, gotchas, and costs that aren't clear until you're already committed.
5% transaction fee on Mover plan
At $3,000/mo revenue on the $33/mo plan (annual), you pay $150/mo in transaction fees — over 4x the plan cost
Email marketing becomes a paid add-on beyond 100 subscribers
Both plans include email free up to 100 subscribers. Beyond that, you pay extra — scaling with list size. A 5,000-subscriber list adds a meaningful monthly cost
No PayPal on Mover (Stripe only)
If your audience prefers PayPal, you need the Shaker plan at $75/mo annual. Mover only supports Stripe
No native live session integration on any plan
Unlike platforms with built-in Zoom, Podia requires manual Zoom link sharing — no scheduling, attendance tracking, or recording integration
How Does Podia's Simpler Pricing Compare in Practice?
Podia's two-plan structure is straightforward compared to the 3-4 tier pricing of most competitors. The decision is binary: pay $39/month with a 5% transaction fee (Mover), or pay $89/month with 0% fees (Shaker).
The breakeven calculation is simple: the Shaker plan saves money once your monthly revenue exceeds $1,000. At $1,000/month, the Mover plan costs $89 ($39 + $50 in fees) — exactly matching the Shaker plan. Above $1,000, every dollar makes the Mover plan more expensive.
What Podia Does Well for the Price
Podia includes built-in email marketing on both plans — a genuine differentiator. Most course platforms require a separate email tool (Mailchimp, ConvertKit, etc.). If you'd otherwise pay $29-49/month for email marketing, Podia's effective cost drops significantly.
Digital downloads work seamlessly alongside courses, making Podia strong for creators who sell a mix of products — ebooks, templates, workshops, and courses.
What's Missing at Both Tiers
Podia's course features are intentionally simple. There are no quizzes, no graded assignments, no drip content scheduling, and no completion tracking. If you're teaching a structured program where student progress matters, you'll find these gaps significant.
There's also no native live session integration. You can embed Zoom links, but there's no built-in scheduling, attendance tracking, or recording integration.
What Real Podia Users Say
What Users Appreciate
"Super user friendly. The thing I am most impressed with though is their support."
Podia's support quality and simplicity are the two most consistently praised qualities. A five-star Trustpilot reviewer described it as "amazing for small time creators." Users on r/OnlineBusiness describe it as the platform you can set up in a weekend — low learning curve, minimal configuration, professional-looking results quickly.
Common Complaints
"The same simplicity that feels freeing at first eventually becomes a ceiling."
Quizzes are limited to basic multiple choice — no randomization, grading, or question banks. Students can skip content and still mark lessons complete, making progress tracking unreliable. Course structure is limited to two levels (sections and lessons) with no submodules.
A Trustpilot reviewer in January 2026 noted the platform was "lacking the simplest features for content creators" — including affiliate link tracking and no way to know when a student finished a course. Another long-time user in September 2024 reported that Podia suddenly limited the number of hosted videos, forcing a migration of 1,000+ videos to Vimeo with just 10 additional videos as compensation.
The removal of the free plan in October 2024 also generated backlash. One Trustpilot reviewer called it a "bait and switch," noting the cheapest option jumped from around $4/month to $39/month overnight.
The Migration Question
Podia's simplicity makes migration relatively straightforward — export your email list, re-upload your content. But there's no one-click export: quizzes can't be migrated, site pages don't transfer, and files may need format conversion. Free migration assistance is only available for Shaker annual customers.
See our complete Podia vs Ruzuku comparison and honest Podia review. You can also view Podia's official pricing page to verify current numbers.
Real-World Cost Scenarios
What Podia actually costs at three revenue levels — including fees, add-ons, and the plan you'd really need.
Solo Creator
$1,000/mo revenuePodia
$83/mo
Mover (annual): $33/mo
Processing fees: $50/mo
Annual: $996/yr
Ruzuku
$99/mo
Core ($99/mo): $99/mo
0% platform fee (standard Stripe 2.9% + $0.30)
Annual: $1,188/yr
What you get on Podia
- Unlimited products
- Courses, coaching, webinars
- Payment plans & certificates
- Built-in email (100 subscribers free)
- Community
What you'll still need
- 5% transaction fee ($50/mo on $1K)
- No affiliate marketing
- No quizzes or assignments
- No native Zoom
- No student tech support
Growing Business
$5,000/mo revenuePodia
$75/mo
Shaker (annual): $75/mo
Annual: $900/yr
Ruzuku
$99/mo
Core ($99/mo): $99/mo
0% platform fee (standard Stripe 2.9% + $0.30)
Annual: $1,188/yr
What you get on Podia
- 0% transaction fees
- Affiliate marketing
- PayPal payments
- Courses, coaching, webinars, community
- Email marketing
What you'll still need
- No quizzes or assignments
- No drip content
- No native Zoom
- No student tech support
Established Creator
$20,000/mo revenuePodia
$75/mo
Shaker (annual): $75/mo
Annual: $900/yr
Ruzuku
$199/mo
Pro ($199/mo): $199/mo
0% platform fee (standard Stripe 2.9% + $0.30)
Annual: $2,388/yr
What you get on Podia
- 0% fees at the lowest price in the market
- Affiliate marketing
- Full email and product suite
What you'll still need
- No quizzes or assignments
- No drip content
- No native Zoom
- No student tech support
- Limited reporting
Podia vs. Ruzuku: Honest Comparison
A fair, side-by-side cost comparison focused on what matters most to course creators.
| Feature | Podia | Ruzuku |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (0% fees, annual) | $75/mo (Shaker) | $83/mo (Core annual) |
| Transaction fees | 5% on Mover, 0% on Shaker | 0% on all plans |
| Courses | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Students | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Certificates | All plans | Pro ($199/mo) |
| Payment plans | All plans | All paid plans |
| Email marketing | Included (100 free, then paid add-on) | No (use separate tool) |
| Quizzes & assignments | No | Yes |
| Native Zoom integration | No | Yes, built-in |
| Student tech support | Not included | Included on all paid plans |
Choose Podia if:
You sell a mix of digital products (downloads, coaching, webinars) alongside courses and want built-in email marketing and certificates on every plan. Podia's simplicity and feature generosity on both tiers is a genuine strength if you don't need quizzes, assignments, or live session tools.
Choose Ruzuku if:
You want dedicated course features (quizzes, assignments, drip content), built-in Zoom for live sessions, student tech support, and zero transaction fees without needing the higher-tier plan.
Podia Pricing FAQ
Does Podia charge transaction fees?
Yes, the Mover plan ($33/month annual) charges a 5% transaction fee on every sale. The Shaker plan ($75/month annual) has 0% transaction fees. Standard Stripe processing (2.9% + $0.30) applies on both plans.
Is Podia worth it?
Podia is worth it if you sell a mix of digital products and courses and want built-in email marketing, certificates, and payment plans on every tier. The Shaker plan at $75/month annual is one of the best-value 0%-fee plans in the market. Podia is less ideal for creators who need structured course features like quizzes, assignments, or drip content.
What is the cheapest way to use Podia?
The Mover plan at $33/month (annual billing, $396/year). The 5% transaction fee means you're better off upgrading to Shaker ($75/month annual) once your monthly revenue exceeds about $840.
Does Podia include email marketing?
Yes. Both plans include Podia Email free for up to 100 subscribers — including newsletters, automations, segmentation, and tagging. Beyond 100 subscribers, email becomes a paid add-on that scales with your list size.
Can I switch from Podia to another platform?
You can export your contact list. Course content needs to be manually re-uploaded. Podia offers free migrations on both plans, which can help with the transition.