Podia review 2026: fees, plans, payouts and who it suits

Podia’s $49 Mover plan takes 5% of every sale, so on $1,000 of $10 sales you keep about $842 after Stripe’s fees and the plan. The $99 Shaker plan removes the fee and lands on exactly the same $842, which makes $1,000 a month the point where upgrading starts to pay. Podia is simpler and cheaper than Kajabi, and its money goes straight to your own Stripe or PayPal account.

How much does Podia take?

Podia takes 5% of each sale on Mover and nothing on Shaker or Earthquaker as of October 2026. Stripe or PayPal charge their own processing on every plan, which Podia’s pricing page puts at 2.9% + $0.30 per payment, varying by location.

Podia deducts its 5% from each sale before the money reaches you, rather than billing it with your subscription. The fee applies on Mover whether you pay for the plan monthly or yearly. Buyers do not see it on their invoices, and you can find it in each invoice breakdown under Sales.

Here is the arithmetic on published fees for 100 sales of a $10 product on Mover. Podia takes $50, Stripe takes $59 and the plan costs $49, which leaves $842. On Shaker the same month costs $59 in processing and $99 for the plan, which also leaves $842. Above $1,000 a month Shaker pulls ahead, and below it Mover is cheaper.

Annual billing changes the line. On yearly prices, Mover costs $42 a month and Shaker $84, so the two cost the same at $840 a month in sales.

Trial, billing and refunds

Podia’s 14-day trial gives full access without a credit card. Upgrades and switches from monthly to annual billing take effect at once, while downgrades and switches back to monthly wait until the current billing period ends.

Podia refunds its own subscription only if you ask within 72 hours of the latest payment, and it does not give pro-rated refunds. Refunds take 5 to 10 business days to arrive. Your billing date is fixed to the day you signed up or upgraded.

How do Podia payouts work?

Podia does not hold your money. Every sale goes straight into the Stripe or PayPal account you connect, and you move it to your bank on their schedule.

Podia’s help center says all sale proceeds go directly to your Stripe or PayPal balance, depending on how the buyer paid. Podia publishes no payout schedule or minimum of its own. To change where the money ends up, you edit the bank details inside Stripe or PayPal.

Stripe or PayPal may hold funds while they verify your account. Any hold comes from the processor, not Podia, and you clear it by completing their checks.

Because buyers pay into your own processor account, the processor’s fees and timing are the ones that apply. Podia quotes 2.9% + $0.30 per card for Stripe and PayPal, and says those rates vary by location.

Podia supports only Stripe and PayPal, and PayPal checkout needs Shaker or Earthquaker. Through Stripe, buyers can pay by card, Google Pay, Apple Pay, iDEAL and Stripe Link. Podia does not support SEPA debit, Bancontact, Afterpay, Klarna, Razorpay or Payoneer.

How do you make money on Podia?

Podia sells online courses, digital downloads, coaching, events and paid community access from every plan. There are no audience thresholds. You connect Stripe, publish a product and start selling.

Every plan includes a website and blog, a custom domain, landing pages, built-in checkout, sales tax handling, more than 20 currencies and Podia’s AI tools. Stripe handles one-time products, payment plans and recurring community subscriptions. Customers and community members are unlimited on all plans.

Shaker adds affiliate marketing, upsells, PayPal, Zapier, one AI assistant and the Podia Agent. Earthquaker lifts the product, video and community limits and allows unlimited assistants.

Podia enforces plan limits strictly. You cannot go over a limit, Podia does not sell single limit increases, and you cannot downgrade while you exceed the smaller plan’s limits. The email cap applies only to subscribers you send broadcasts and campaigns to, not to buyers.

If you cancel, your site goes offline at the end of the billing cycle, and Podia deletes the data after 180 days unless you resubscribe.

Who is Podia best for?

Podia is best for a creator who wants courses, downloads and a community on one tidy site and does not want to pay Kajabi prices. Shaker at $99 with a 0% fee is the plan most working creators should be on.

Mover suits creators who are starting out and selling less than $1,000 a month. Its 5% fee is the cost of a lower subscription, and that trade only works while sales are small.

The gap widens quickly. At $3,000 a month in $10 sales, Shaker leaves about $2,724, Earthquaker $2,644 and Mover $2,624, by our arithmetic on published fees. Earthquaker only earns its price once you hit Shaker’s limits on products, videos, community spaces or email subscribers.

Skip Podia if email is central to your business. Mover’s allowance of 100 subscribers is tiny, and even Earthquaker includes only 1,000. For the same $179 a month, Kajabi’s Basic plan includes 2,500 contacts. Skip it too if your buyers expect Afterpay or Klarna, which Podia does not offer.

Podia alternatives

Kajabi costs more, starting at $179 a month, but its entry plan includes 2,500 contacts and unlimited marketing emails.

Teachable takes 0% on its $89 Builder plan and pays out daily through Teachable Payments.

Payhip is free to start with a 5% fee and handles EU and UK VAT for digital products. Stan Store suits creators who sell from a social bio link. See our best platforms for educators for a ranked list.