Which choice is right for you? Thinkific or Podia?
Choosing a course platform can be overwhelming. To help you in your research, we’ve broken down the key differences between the most important features and functionality for you.
Trusted by over 35,000 customers
Thinkific vs. Podia
| Top Features | Thinkific | Podia |
|---|---|---|
| Create courses with any content type | ||
| Host Coaching sessions or Webinars (free and paid) | On Mover or Shaker plan | |
| Build and deliver Digital Downloads | – | |
| Learning Communities | – | |
| Easy to use landing pages, powered by AI | ||
| Email and chat support | Email and Live chat only | |
| Student course reviews | – | |
| App integrations | 90+ in the Thinkific App Store | |
| Automated tax collection | ||
| Publish Courses | Need to upgrade to paid plan to publish |
Pricing & plans
Thinkific plans give experts, academies, and companies the tools and features they need to grow their business end-to-end.
| Plans | Thinkific | Podia | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thinkific Basic vs. Podia Mover | $36/mo $432 billed annually | $33/mo $396 billed annually | -8.33% |
| Thinkific Start vs. Podia Shaker | $74/mo $888 billed annually | $75/mo $900 billed annually | 1.33% |
| Thinkific Grow vs. Podia Earthquaker | $149/mo $1,788 billed annually | $166/mo $1992 billed annually | 10.24% |
Why Thinkific? Watch Diamond’s Story.
“I started selling courses two years ago and have tried many platforms – LearnWorlds, Kajabi, Kartra – but when I found Thinkific, it completely transformed my entire business.
The day I signed up for Thinkific, I reached out to support and received a response in less than 30 minutes – something I never experienced with other platforms.
The Bulk Import feature made transitioning from Kartra a breeze. With just a click, I was able to upload all my content seamlessly, saving me time and hassle.”
What’s important to online learning educators?
The right tool can help you build, market, and sell an unforgettable course experience worth paying for. Let’s take a look at some of the differences between Thinkific and Podia.
Course Creation
A user-friendly course builder is key to delivering engaging learning experiences.
Podia is built for solopreneurs and small teams, offering the basics to create a standard course. However, those seeking more advanced tools to build and sustain engaging learning experiences may hit limitations.
Thinkific is designed for growing education businesses and corporate teams. It’s simple to use and offers the ability to build, launch, and sell an entire course without a big learning curve.
| Course Creation | Thinkific | Podia |
|---|---|---|
| No design or technical experience required | ||
| Create courses with any content type | ||
| Downloadable content | ||
| Embed 3rd party tools and sites | ||
| Student surveys | – | |
| Embed many types of multimedia content, including Storyline, Captivate & More | – |
Learning Experience
A great learning experience is vital to your success as a training business. It helps students learn more effectively and encourages them to share it with others, helping you grow.
Podia delivers a basic learning experience typical of most online course platforms.
Thinkific goes beyond with advanced features that elevate the student experience from standard to exceptional. Plus, students can leave reviews that you can share publicly, helping attract more buyers to your offering.
| Teaching and Student Experience | Thinkific | Podia |
|---|---|---|
| Sell memberships to a learning community | – | |
| Easy course navigation | ||
| Multiple Instructors | $20/mo per user | |
| Student progress tracking | At the individual student level, but don’t offer aggregate reporting. | |
| Student course reviews | – | |
| Student engagement survey | – | |
| Quizzes | Limited |
Sales and Marketing
Once your course is live, you need the right tools to reach your audience and drive revenue.
Podia provides a number of sales tools needed and a few basic marketing features to help you earn revenue from your course.
Thinkific provides everything you need to grow: build high-converting landing pages with AI, automate email marketing, and choose from 90+ no-code integrations – including ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp, Shopify, and Salesforce.
Thinkific also provides access to an expert marketplace where you can hire marketing consultants who are experts on the Thinkific platform to help you launch your course and generate more sales.
| Sales & Marketing | Thinkific | Podia |
|---|---|---|
| Create free, paid, and time-limited courses | ||
| Email automation | Priced as an add-on | |
| Coupons and promotions | ||
| Subscriptions | ||
| Advanced Marketing Integrations (ie: Mixpanel, InfusionSoft, Segment.io etc.) | – | |
| Abandoned cart emails | – | |
| Currencies | 135+ | 29 |
| Affiliate program |
1M+
courses published
35K+
businesses supported
$3.7B
earned by customers
Start selling quickly & easily with your free trial
Increase your impact and revenue through courses, communities, and digital downloads.
Courses
Sell showstopping courses that boost business growth
- No design or technical experience required
- Engage your audience with quizzes and surveys
- Upload video and other file formats to create an exciting course
- Save time and sell more with fully integrated e-commerce
Communities
Complement your course with an interactive learning community that your students will stay for, and pay for – all in one place.
- Create dedicated Spaces (virtual rooms) to host discussions, post updates and more
- Engage your community members through live events, Q&A, office hours, coaching and more
- Drive community engagement with in-app and mobile push notifications
- Access 2 Spaces with your Free Trial
Digital Downloads
Offer eBooks, PDFs, guides, templates, and more to attract new leads and quickly boost your revenue
- Upload your content in a few easy clicks
- Offer your digital download as a free lead magnet or as a sellable resource
- Create an enticing landing page with our AI-powered builder
- Launch once and sell repeatedly, maximizing your income with minimal effort
Scalable solutions to drive business growth
Thinkific plans give experts, academies, and companies the tools and features they need to grow their business end-to-end.
Basic
Get the foundational features and support to start your learning business.
$49/mo
Save $156
by billing annually
$36/mo
$49/mo
Save $156
by billing annually
Key Features
Unlimited Courses
1 community
5 Digital Downloads
5 Coaching & Webinar sessions
Sales tools
Abandoned Cart
Most Popular!
Start
Unlock features to drive customer engagement and grow revenue, for those ready to scale up.
$99/mo
Save $300
by billing annually
$74/mo
$99/mo
Save $300
by billing annually
Key Features
Unlimited Live Lessons
Unlimited Memberships
Unlimited Digital Downloads
Unlimited Coaching & Webinar sessions
Edit HTML & CSS
Sell Bundles and Add-ons
Grow
Level up your learning business with more support, pro-level limits, and advanced commerce features to help you sell more.
$199/mo
Save $600
by billing annually
$149/mo
$199/mo
Save $600
by billing annually
Key Features
3 communities
Remove Thinkific branding
Thinkific Analytics
Group Orders
All prices are in USD and charged per site with applicable taxes added at checkout.
Curious how Thinkific compares to alternative platforms?
We’ve broken down the key differences and features below to help guide your research.
Thinkific vs. Teachable
Thinkific vs. Learnworlds
Thinkific vs. Kajabi
Frequently asked questions
Can I cancel or change my account at any time?
Yes. You can cancel, upgrade or downgrade your account at any time from within your site dashboard.
Do I need a web host?
Your site is fully hosted with Thinkific; you don’t need anything else. Secure hosting and e-commerce are included.
Do I own my own content?
Absolutely! You always own your student data and your content. We’ll never market to your students, and you can export your data at any time.
How are payments processed?
Full e-commerce payment processing is included. Accept all major credit cards with a simple and secure checkout, and receive instant access to your funds in your account. We provide an SSL certificate to help ensure that all your data and customer information is secure. Note that transaction fees may apply if third party payment processors are used.
What is a Community?
A Thinkific Community is an online learning environment where students can engage in an interactive, communal learning experience. It shifts learning from a ‘one-sided’ experience to a collaborative, ‘two-way’ exchange.
Thinkific Communities allow you and your audience to connect globally, build trust and loyalty, and collaborate socially. You can build a community around your existing content to add even more value to your online courses, or create a community as a stand-alone, sellable product!
You can create a dedicated space for students to share knowledge and foster relationships while keeping the focus on your brand. Each community is a dedicated page on your Thinkific site where students and instructors can interact through posts and comments.
What are Digital Downloads?
Build a new lead and revenue stream with Digital Downloads! Drive leads or launch a new revenue stream by showcasing your unique genius and expertise. Upload or repurpose existing content – common digital downloads include eBooks, PDFs, templates, workbooks, guides, and spreadsheets.
Digital Downloads can also help you get started and earn more, faster. Whether you are just starting with Thinkific or already have existing products, setting up digital downloads is quick and easy – upload your file, price your product, and create a beautiful landing page using AI within minutes, not hours or days.
What are Coaching & Webinars?
Forge deeper connections and drive leads and revenue with Coaching & Webinars! Elevate engagement with your audience while boosting your bottom line.
With Coaching & Webinars, you can create and offer access for your 1:1 or 1:many live offerings for your leads and existing customers. Coaching sessions, webinars, or office hours – it can be just about anything you can think of!
“Thinkific offers exceptional scalability, enabling businesses to grow their course offerings and student base without any limitations. It can handle unlimited courses, students, and bandwidth, ensuring businesses can expand their e-learning offerings without worrying about technical constraints.”
Guy Marion
Chief Marketing Officer
Ready to create exceptional courses that scale?
Join thousands of professional educators who trust Thinkific to power their online businesses.
