Thinkific vs. Podia: Which platform is right for you?

Without an easy-to-use course builder, you won’t be able to create an engaging and memorable learning experience for your learners. 

Podia offers the features necessary to build a standard course. Customers have all the basic functionality such as adding videos and creating quizzes, but anyone looking for deeper learning tools may want to check out Thinkific, which offers more features and customization options. 

Thinkific offers a course builder designed for customers who have the students’ learning experience in mind. Thinkific includes tools that enhance the experience such as Live Lessons with Zoom, assignments, and a built-in presentation creator — all features that help boost engagement and make learning enjoyable for your audience.

Preparing course (and other educational) materials is made simple with Thinkific’s advanced AI technology. For example, customers can build course outlines and quizzes in a few clicks. Thinkific’s AI Course Outline Generator instantly creates a detailed course outline tailored to your audience’s needs and Thinkific’s AI Quiz Generator creates quizzes that keep learners engaged, test comprehension, and identify knowledge gaps.

Your learning experience is your product. It’s what learners judge you on, what they tell colleagues about, and what determines whether they come back for the next course, the next certification, or the next renewal.

Podia has all the basics you need to build an online course.Thinkific treats it as the thing your business is built on.

Everything a learner has access to — courses, communities, downloads, live sessions — lives in one branded space designed to keep them moving forward, not hunting for what’s next. Our Learner Hub makes progress obvious and the next step easy. Thinker AI answers questions from your own content, in the moment, so learners get unstuck without waiting on your team.

The result is the thing that actually shows up in your numbers: learners who finish, come back, and buy again.

Thinkific has two mobile app options for you to choose from: Thinkific Mobile and Branded Mobile. If you’re looking for a white-labeled app that spotlights your brand with your own App Store listing and logo, Branded Mobile ($199/month) has what you need. 

Thinkific also offers Thinkific Mobile (included with Start plans and higher) which gives your audience access to your material in a more flexible, convenient way. While Branded Mobile reflects your own branding, Thinkific Mobile includes Thinkific branding.

In comparison, Podia doesn’t offer a dedicated mobile app. However, Podia is a mobile-friendly platform as both course creators and students can access Podia the same way they would on desktop — by using a browser. As a course creator, you can also preview what your site looks like on mobile with their “Site Editor” tool.

Both Thinkific and Podia offer excellent customer support for their users, but there are some differences to keep in mind when deciding on your LMS. 

Podia offers chat support that’s available seven days a week, plus a creator community and on-demand articles and videos.

In addition to chat support, an active creator Facebook community, and a resource center, Thinkific also offers phone and 24/7 chatbot support. Whether you’re looking for a network of experts, a community of peers, or a responsive support team, Thinkific has you covered with best-in-class service. When your business grows, Thinkific offers more security and support options to ensure your continued success.