Podia plans as published
Podia's pricing page states that Stripe or PayPal charge 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction on all plans, separate from Podia's fee. Courses and digital downloads are included on every plan, custom domains are included, there is no free plan, and each plan has a 14-day free trial with no card required.
| Plan | Annual billing | Podia transaction fee | Products | Videos | Email subscribers included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mover | $42/mo ($504/yr) | 5% | 50 | 500 | Up to 100 |
| Shaker | $84/mo ($1,008/yr) | None | 150 | 1,000 | Up to 500 |
| Earthquaker | $150/mo ($1,800/yr) | None | Unlimited | Unlimited | Up to 1,000 |
The Mover vs Shaker break-even
Shaker costs $504 a year more than Mover. Mover's 5% fee equals $504 when annual sales reach $10,080. Below that, Mover is cheaper; above it, Shaker is cheaper, before considering Shaker's higher product, video and email limits.
Watch the email limit too. Mover includes Podia Email for up to 100 subscribers. If your list is larger than that, factor in either a higher Podia tier or a separate email tool.
Worked example: $8,000 a year from one course and downloads
Assumptions: 50 sales of a $100 course plus 150 sales of a $20 download, so 200 transactions and $8,000 revenue, US cards, renewal-year prices. Card processing at 2.9% + 30 cents is about $292 on every option.
Podia Mover: $504 plan plus $400 Podia fee plus $292 processing, about $1,196.
Podia Shaker: $1,008 plan plus $292 processing, about $1,300.
WordPress: SiteGround StartUp at its renewal price of $17.99 a month ($215.88), LearnDash for the course ($350), Easy Digital Downloads free version for downloads ($0 licence, but its Stripe documentation says a 3% application fee applies to Stripe payments, renewals included, unless an Extended or higher pass is active: $90 on $3,000 of download sales), Kit's free plan for email ($0) and Stripe processing ($292), about $948.
The WordPress saving here is about $250 a year against Mover. Two or three hours a month of updates and fixes at any reasonable hourly value cancels it.
Where each option bites
| Concern | Podia | WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Handled by Podia | You run plugin, theme and PHP updates and backups |
| Video | Included up to 500 or 1,000 videos on lower plans | Host storage is small (SiteGround StartUp lists 10 GB); usually needs a separate video service |
| Transaction fees | 5% on Mover, none above | Processor fees, plus 3% on Stripe payments with the free Easy Digital Downloads version |
| 100 to 1,000 subscribers included by plan | Separate tool; Kit's free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers | |
| Leaving later | Rebuild on the new platform | Move files and database to another host |
Who should choose which
- Choose Podia Mover if you sell under about $10,000 a year, have a small list, and want to spend zero time on site upkeep.
- Choose Podia Shaker once annual sales pass about $10,080 or you need more than 100 email subscribers inside Podia.
- Choose WordPress if you already run a WordPress site, enjoy or outsource maintenance, or need features no hosted plan offers.
- Skip WordPress if a broken plugin update on launch day would cost you more than the annual saving.
Questions before you decide
Does Podia charge transaction fees?
Mover charges a 5% Podia transaction fee; Shaker and Earthquaker list none. Stripe or PayPal processing of 2.9% + 30 cents applies on all plans.
Is there a free Podia plan?
Podia's pricing page lists no free plan; each plan has a 14-day free trial with no card required.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Podia: Pricing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- SiteGround: WordPress hosting plans Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- LearnDash: Pricing on liquidweb.com Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Easy Digital Downloads: Pricing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Kit: Pricing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Stripe: Pricing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Easy Digital Downloads: Stripe setup documentation Accessed 29 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.