Kajabi vs Podia
Verdict. Podia is the better pick for most creators selling a mix of smaller products. Shaker at $99 a month takes 0%, Kajabi Basic costs $179, and our math has Podia at $304 against Kajabi's $384 on $5,000 a month. Podia also sends sales straight to your own Stripe or PayPal account. Email is Podia's weak spot. Shaker includes 500 email subscribers and even Earthquaker only 1,000, while Kajabi Basic covers 2,500 contacts with unlimited funnels and marketing emails. If your list is already big, Kajabi can save you a separate email bill.
Pick Kajabi if
your email list already passes 1,000 people and you want funnels, landing pages and marketing emails on the same bill as your courses.
Pick Podia if
you sell courses, downloads and coaching from one storefront and want 0% fees from $99 a month, with sales landing in your own Stripe or PayPal account.
Side by side
| Compared | Kajabi | Podia |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 5.4 / 10 | 6.6 / 10 |
| Best for | Established course sellers who want one paid tool | Creators selling several small products from one storefront |
| What it costs | Plans cost $179 to $499 a month billed monthly, Kajabi takes no cut of sales, and Kajabi Payments charges 2.7% to 2.9% plus 30¢ per US card sale. | Plans cost $49 to $179 a month billed monthly, Mover takes 5% of each sale, Shaker and Earthquaker take 0%, and Stripe or PayPal charge about 2.9% + 30¢ on top. |
| Keep from $1,000 | $762 (Basic) | $842 (Mover) |
| Plans from | $179/month | $49/month |
| Payouts | Kajabi Payments pays out daily, weekly or monthly. New accounts start on a monthly schedule with a 7 business day hold on each sale, and faster schedules can open after your first sales. Instant payouts arrive in about 30 minutes for a fee shown before you confirm. | Sales go straight to your own Stripe or PayPal account, so payout timing and minimums follow their schedules. Podia never holds your money. On Mover, Podia deducts its 5% from each sale before the money reaches you. |
| Who can join | Open to anyone who pays for a plan. Kajabi Payments needs a business registered in the US, Canada, Australia, the UAE, the UK or select European countries. Elsewhere you connect a third-party processor and Kajabi adds no extra fee. | Open to anyone who can open a Stripe account or a PayPal business account. Podia offers a 14-day free trial and no free plan. |
| Founded | 2010 | 2014 |
Scorecards
| Criterion | Possible | Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Fees$238 on $1,000 a month | 3.0 | 0.03 |
| FeaturesDepth for its category | 2.0 | 1.80 |
| EaseSignup to first sale | 1.5 | 0.90 |
| OwnershipExport, domain, own payments | 2.0 | 1.60 |
| PayoutsSpeed, methods, countries | 1.5 | 1.05 |
| Total | 10.0 | 5.4 |
| Criterion | Possible | Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Fees$158 on $1,000 a month | 3.0 | 1.23 |
| FeaturesDepth for its category | 2.0 | 1.40 |
| EaseSignup to first sale | 1.5 | 1.20 |
| OwnershipExport, domain, own payments | 2.0 | 1.60 |
| PayoutsSpeed, methods, countries | 1.5 | 1.20 |
| Total | 10.0 | 6.6 |
Where Kajabi falls short
- The cheapest plan is $179 a month billed monthly, several times the price of Teachable or Skool.
- Basic caps you at 5 products and 2,500 contacts.
- Skipping Kajabi Payments for Stripe adds up to 2% per sale.
- Prices rose for existing customers on January 13, 2026.
- New Kajabi Payments accounts wait 7 business days per sale and start on monthly payouts.
Where Podia falls short
- Mover's 5% plus Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢ takes about 8% of each sale.
- Email limits are tiny. Mover includes 100 subscribers and Earthquaker only 1,000.
- Mid-2026 changes raised prices and cut Mover from unlimited products to 50.
- PayPal, affiliates and Zapier need Shaker at $99 a month.
- The pricing page shows only annual rates, so you have to hunt for monthly prices.
Still deciding? See every option in course and community platforms.