Podia alternative
Course Catalyst vs Podia: a practical comparison
Podia is simple and friendly, and a lot of solo creators like it for exactly that reason. The catch is its email subscriber caps and the 5% fee on the cheapest plan. Here is how it compares with Course Catalyst.
Side by side
Course Catalyst vs Podia
Podia brings courses, digital products, community, email and a website builder into one simple product.
| Topic | Podia | Course Catalyst |
|---|---|---|
| Plans and price | Mover $49/month, Shaker $99/month, Earthquaker $179/month. Billed annually that is $42, $84 and $150 per month. | Lite $27/month ($270/year). Pro $97/month ($970/year). 14-day free trial. |
| Fees on your sales | 5% Podia fee on Mover. No Podia fee on Shaker or Earthquaker. Stripe or PayPal charge their own standard fees (2.9% + 30 cents, varies by location). | Lite 10% platform fee on sales. Pro 0%. Stripe processing fees are separate. |
| Courses, products and contacts | Products: 50, 150 or unlimited. Unlimited customers. | Unlimited courses, products, contacts, landing pages and funnels on both plans. Video storage: 50 GB on Lite, unlimited on Pro. |
| Email marketing | Email subscribers included: up to 100 on Mover, 500 on Shaker, 1,000 on Earthquaker. Larger lists mean upgrading or adding more. | Broadcasts and email sequences built in. 5,000 marketing emails per month on Lite, 150,000 on Pro. |
| Custom domain | Included on all plans. | Your own domain on Pro. Lite sites run on a Course Catalyst address. |
| Community | Included on all plans. Community spaces: 25, 100 or unlimited. | Community channels and threads on both plans. |
Podia details come from Podia's pricing page, read October 30, 2026. Prices and limits change, so confirm on their site before you decide. Annual prices shown per month are as they state them.
When Podia is the better choice
- You want the simplest possible setup and a small, friendly product.
- You have a small list (under 100 subscribers) and want a custom domain on the cheapest plan.
- You sell a mix of downloads, courses and community and want one flat, easy-to-read plan table.
When Course Catalyst is the better choice
- Your email list is bigger than a few hundred or a thousand people. We do not cap subscribers.
- You want sequences, broadcasts and a 5,000 or 150,000 monthly email allowance.
- You want API and MCP access.
Before you decide
Do the fee math on your own numbers
Monthly price is only part of it. On Course Catalyst, Pro costs $70 more per month than Lite and drops the platform fee from 10% to 0%. That pays for itself once you sell about $700 a month. Below that, Lite is cheaper. Podia's included email subscribers are 100, 500 or 1,000 per plan, so your list size may decide the plan for you.
Run the same test in both
Build one short course, a sales page and a welcome email in each product, then buy it yourself. Ten minutes in each tells you more than any feature list, including this one.
Moving over
If you are moving from Podia, send us your course and audience requirements first. Our import help covers Kajabi and Kit today. We will tell you honestly what we can move and what you will rebuild by hand.
See the actual course player
Our public docs run on Course Catalyst. This is the published docs course, captured from the product.
What Course Catalyst costs
Lite: $27/month
Or $270/year, billed annually. 10% platform fee on sales. Payment processing fees are separate.
Everything you need to launch and sell your first course.
Pro: $97/month
Or $970/year, billed annually. 0% platform fee on sales. Payment processing fees are separate.
For creators who sell and email at scale.
Questions before you choose
Is Course Catalyst a good Podia alternative?
It is if you want courses, a site builder, checkout, email and community in one place with simple pricing and no limit on courses or contacts. It is not the right fit for everyone, so read the section on when Podia is the better choice.
How many email subscribers does Podia include?
Per Podia's public pricing page on October 30, 2026: up to 100 on Mover, 500 on Shaker and 1,000 on Earthquaker. Course Catalyst does not cap contacts, and instead limits monthly sends (5,000 on Lite, 150,000 on Pro).
How much does Podia cost compared to Course Catalyst?
Podia's prices are in the table above, taken from their public pricing page on October 30, 2026. Course Catalyst is $27/month on Lite and $97/month on Pro, with a 10% platform fee on Lite and none on Pro. Prices change, so confirm on their site.
Can you help me migrate?
We help import from Kajabi and Kit. Email caleb@calebcurry.com with what you want to move. We will review your courses, pages, contacts and emails with you and agree on the scope before starting. This is hands-on help, not a promise that every setting or subscription transfers automatically.