Podia vs. Teachable – Comparing Course Creation Features

Both very popular online course platforms, Podia and Teachable tend to get pitted against each other. This is since these platforms have unique benefits that stand out to their users.

In this Podia vs. Teachable review, we discuss the useful features that these two learning management systems offer. Their similarities and differences will ultimately help you decide which one is right for you.

Overview of Podia

First, we have Podia. As already mentioned, it’s a popular online course platform for both learners and creators.

Podia helps course creators design complete courses and websites in a few simple steps. The interface is straightforward enough for novice creators to navigate.

For every course that you create, you can upload added files and materials. Content like videos, PDFs, and webinars will greatly help the students understand the lessons better as they study.

You can also add quizzes and assessments at the end of every course to check up on your students.

And once you’ve finished designing a fully-working course, you can advertise it right on Podia as well. Podia gives you tools to customize your sales pages to make the courses more appealing to potential students.

Plus, on Podia, you’re not limited to just creating online courses, but also digital downloads and memberships. Digital downloads are content that you can prepare offline before uploading to Podia.

Files like eBooks, audiobooks, and PDFs can be transformed into digital downloads. You just have to upload them to Podia and then set a standard price. You earn a profit for every download.

Memberships, on the other hand, are basically subscriptions to a certain website that has exclusive content. Instead of just one file, you get to access an entire database of files through a website.

Other features that Podia has are affiliate and email marketing tools. They’re effective ways to speed up the growth of your subscribers and students.

Podia offers a free trial for first-time users of the platform. Once that ends, users can choose from two paid plans to subscribe to so that they can continue getting access to premium features.

Also, Podia is proud to say that it asks for no transaction fees during payment.

Standout Features of Podia

Digital Product Creation

As an online course platform, Podia lives up to its name. The course creation tools available on it make it one of the best platforms for creators.

You can create unlimited courses with Podia, as well as upload unlimited content and files. Podia also has unlimited bandwidth for whichever paid plan you get.

For the courses, you can add various lessons and sections to make them more organized.

The drag-and-drop course builder on Podia makes it easy to rearrange how they look on your website. You can also add a quiz at the end of every lesson with it.

And you’re not only limited to online courses with Podia. You can also create digital downloads and memberships.

Digital downloads can be video lessons, audiobooks, or eBooks. It’s any type of content that you create offline before uploading and then publishing on Podia.

A membership is a subscription to a website that you create. On the website, you can add premium content like exclusive ebooks, readings, and videos that your subscribers can access for a set period.

You can set a standard price for all of your online courses, digital downloads, and memberships when putting them up for sale on Podia.

Drip Content

The Drip Content option lets course creators set intervals for releasing new content to the students.

For example, students will only be able to access a new lesson once they’ve accomplished a specific course and accomplished the quiz for it.

Creators can also set a specific number of days for when new content will be accessible.

Email Marketing

As for sales features, Podia has email marketing tools that enhance your reach. You can send bulk emails to all your students whenever you have new digital products.

Many creators on Podia also like to send out monthly or weekly newsletters to their students. A regular content schedule will keep your subscribers engaged.

Plus, with Podia, you can even create email funnels and drip campaigns. An email can be sent to a specific group of users upon analyzing which step of the sales funnel they’re on.

The best part is that with every email you send out, you can access its analytics. Podia offers access to the click-through rates, conversion rates, and unsubscribe rates for all your emails.

Affiliate Marketing

Podia also allows creators to partner up with affiliates to advertise their digital products. An affiliate marketing program will boost your reach and entice new audiences to subscribe.

How it works is Podia will ask you to input a standard commission rate for all of your affiliates. You can also opt to set different rates for each digital product you have.

Each affiliate will have access to Podia’s affiliate dashboard. On it, they can check their conversion rates, click rates, and commissions.

As for the creators, they can also view the progress of the affiliate marketing program right on the site. They can even choose to cancel partnerships with certain affiliates if they feel that it isn’t doing so well.

Once users start subscribing to your courses and buying your products through your affiliates, you can track conversion rates. You’ll have access to click rates and overall sales that are generated by the affiliates.

Customization Tools

Podia’s drag-and-drop builder makes it easy to add and arrange the content on your site. It also allows for a simpler course creation process.

You can also alter the color scheme of the theme, buttons, and text on your website. Built-in templates are already on Podia that you simply have to choose from.

Creators can quickly add banners, descriptions, and specific sections in just a few clicks. Other aspects like font type, font size, and font color can also be set with the page builder.

We should also add that Podia offers free migration to all its subscribers. Free migration entails the transferring of all your old content from a different platform to be uploaded on Podia instead.

In-App Messaging

If there’s one thing that Podia is most famous for, it’s the messaging feature available right on the platform. Students and creators can communicate with each other in real-time.

It’s helpful when students have questions about their lessons. Their instructors can answer them right away and also give other tips as to how they can improve the learning process.

Course creators can also use the messaging feature to offer new content to their students. They can even ask for suggestions and feedback regarding unpublished content.

Customer Support

Finally, Podia’s customer support is highly commendable. The team is available 24/7 to respond via live chat and email. Responses for the live chat are almost instantaneous while email replies can be as fast as just 5 minutes!

The Podia website also has its own database of guide articles and answers to FAQs. If you’re looking for general course creation tips, copywriting guidelines, and even design techniques, you can just go through the site.

Other content that Podia offers on the official site are video tutorials and training. They’re all geared for first-time users that need help on how to navigate the Podia interface.

But before we forget, you do have to know that Podia doesn’t have a live call feature for its users. You can only reach out to the Podia team via chat or email. Anyway, the response is still quick and efficient.

Podia Pricing

Before we delve into the two payment plans you can choose from on Podia, we must reiterate that there are absolutely no transaction fees for whichever one you get.

When you sign up for a Podia account, you receive a 14-day free trial. All of Podia’s premium features will be made available for perusal.

Podia Mover Plan

The Podia Mover Plan costs $39 per month. If you choose to get billed annually, it only costs $390 per year.

When you’re subscribed to this plan, you’ll get to create two types of digital products: an online course and a digital download. You can also personalize the website that you’ll upload them to.

Webinars and videos can also be hosted with the Mover Plan. Plus, you can upload as many files as you want because you get unlimited bandwidth. From audio files, PDFs, to images, you can add them all with this plan.

And once you’re done customizing and creating your digital products, you can market them with Podia as well. Email marketing tools are already available with this plan.

The platform’s in-app messaging feature is accessible with the Mover Plan, as well as 24/7 live chat support and email responses.

Podia Shaker Plan

The Podia Shaker Plan costs $79 per month. If you choose to get billed annually, it only costs $790 per year.

When you’re subscribed to the Podia Shaker Plan, you receive all the same benefits that you would with the Mover Plan.

The main difference with the Shaker Plan is that you can add memberships to the list of digital products you get to create and sell on Podia.

Creators can also integrate their Zoom account to use for webinars. It makes for easier live streaming and video broadcasting to your students.

You can also embed a “Buy” button to your digital products displayed on your website. And speaking of the website, you can make a blog with Podia as well to enhance your branding.

As for marketing features, you’ll have the option to partner with affiliates to advertise your products. Podia lets creators run an affiliate program with this plan.

Installing third-party codes from applications like Olark, Pixel, and Facebook is possible with this plan too.

Overview of Teachable

Teachable is an online course platform used by many creators and learners. Its popularity grew because of the useful e-learning features it has.

The Teachable course builder simplifies and speeds up course creation, whether you’re a novice or an expert. In just a few simple clicks, you can set create a course, customize it, and then market it.

Creators can even design their own web pages to serve as sales pages for their courses. There are built-in templates and customizable layouts right on Teachable for them to use.

Other features like analytics tracking, file embedding, and email marketing are also available when you sign up for a Teachable account.

Students on Teachable love that there is a wide array of course subjects to choose from on the platform. All the lessons are engaging because they can be accompanied by supplemental materials like videos and images.

Teachable offers a free trial for all first-time users. Once it ends, you can then choose from three paid plans, depending on your budget and needs.

Standout Features of Teachable

Easy-to-Use Interface

The first thing that will stand out when using Teachable is its interface. Since it’s easy to use, the course creation process is simpler and faster.

After successfully registering and verifying your Teachable account, you can begin course creation right away. Different sections, elements, and files can be added to enrich your course.

The drag-and-drop Teachable builder simplifies the creation process because all you have to do is select what you need and then add it to the page.

Everything you’ll need will also be right on your dashboard each time you sign in. You can monitor your payout reports and revenues in real-time.

Customization Options

Teachable offers different customization options for your website. For starters, there are already pre-made templates on the platform for you to choose from.

You’ll be able to create a unique color scheme for every course you make as well. And to enhance the branding of your site, you can also add your own logos, images, and graphics.

For those who want more advanced customization tools, you can also toggle with HTML and CSS codes. Teachable’s Power Editor allows you to edit the codes of your website for a more personalized look.

File Management

The supplemental materials that come with the courses on Teachable greatly help the learning process of students. This is all thanks to Teachable’s uploader that’s compatible with almost any type of file.

And what’s great about Teachable is that it also optimizes viewing of all files on every device. It’ll automatically adjust the clarity of the content, whether you’re on your laptop or your smartphone.

Sales Features

When creators are done designing their courses and personalizing their sites, they can already begin selling. Teachable’s sales features make the marketing process really easy.

First, special freebies like coupons and discount codes can be sent to Teachable users. This will entice them to either renew their current subscriptions or opt to enroll in a brand new course.

Course creators can even create bundles and group every course they’ve made together. That way, interested students can purchase a subscription to everything all at once.

Second, Teachable offers a simple payment collection process for its course creators. The moment that students pay for their subscriptions, creators can access their updated revenue in real-time.

Third, running an affiliate marketing program is possible for creators on Teachable. It’s a great tactic for increasing revenue since your affiliates can advertise your online courses to new audiences.

Lastly, Teachable has a database right on their site. You can access marketing guides and checklists that will help you with your digital business.

Advanced Email Features

Adding to the sales features that Teachable offers are tools for email marketing. You can easily reach more people to advertise your online courses.

And you’re not limited to sending emails only to potential students, but also to your current students. You can introduce them to your newer online courses and lessons via email as well.

New updates, announcements, and courses can also be sent via email. That way, you can ensure steady communication with your learners.

It works the other way around too. Enrolled users can send an email to their instructor if they have questions about the lessons and online courses.

If you’re still not satisfied with Teachable’s built-in email features, then you can also integrate third-party software. ConvertKit, MailChimp, and InfusionSoft are some of the most commonly synced email apps to Teachable.

Analytics

Like any other course platform, you can view your progress on Teachable. Analytics like sales, payout, and revenue reports can be accessed via your dashboard.

Other analytics that you can view on Teachable is your enrolled students’ progress reports. You can monitor how many students are enrolled in each of your online courses and see their grades in real-time.

But if Teachable’s built-in analytics features still aren’t enough for your needs, then you also have the option to integrate other applications. Most creators like to sync Google Analytics to their account to see engagement, traffic, and conversion rates.

Customer Support

A good customer and chat support team is key to a competent online course platform. Any issues that users encounter can be quickly remedied.

On Teachable, course creators can easily place a ticket with the support team if they have problems. They can also ask for immediate help via the live chat feature when they’re subscribed to one of the paid plans.

Usually, it’ll take about 24 hours for a ticket to be resolved and as fast as a minute for live chat queries to be answered.

Teachable also has something called a Knowledge Base on their website. It’s essentially a database containing articles and guides about how to navigate Teachable.

Frequently asked questions and other common issues are solved through the articles on the Teachable Knowledge Base.

Teachable Pricing

When you sign up for a Teachable account, you get access to a free plan for one month. It’ll give you access to all of Teachable’s essential features.

But you should note that the sales features on the free plan are quite limited. You won’t be able to enjoy some of the more advanced benefits that the Teachable paid plans offer.

Nonetheless, the free plan will still help you get your course ready and fully working. You can also market it once you’re done creating it.

One more thing you should know about the free plan is that Teachable will charge a $1 + 10% transaction fee for whatever sale you make while on it.

Plus, if you opt to process the transaction via PayPal or Stripe, there’s an additional 2.9% + 30 cents transaction fee. And if you end up not using a payment processor, there’ll be a one-month payout delay.

Teachable Basic Plan

The Teachable Basic Plan costs $39 per month. If you choose to get billed annually, it’ll only cost $29 per month.

It may be the most affordable plan on Teachable but don’t let that fact make you think it’s lacking in features. The Basic Plan will give you exactly what you need to customize and create your online courses.

Course creators can upload unlimited files to enrich their modules and lessons. Their website can also be published using a custom domain name for better branding.

There’s also an option for Drip Content on this Teachable plan. You can set intervals for when to release new modules to your students so that they aren’t overwhelmed with lessons all at once.

Getting students enrolled in your courses is also a breeze with this plan because automated student sign-ups are possible.

As for site management, Teachable lets you assign up to 2 authors when you’re subscribed to the Basic Plan. You can also run an affiliate program to promote your digital products better.

One thing to note about this plan is that there is a 5% transaction fee for whatever sale you make. An additional 2.9% + 30 cents transaction fee will be required when you use a payment processor as well.

And similar to the Teachable Free Plan, your payout will be delayed for a month if you choose to forego using a payment processor.

Teachable Professional Plan

The Teachable Professional Plan costs $119 per month. If you choose to get billed annually, it’ll only cost $99 per month.

Since it’s a midtier plan, it’s the most popular choice for course creators to subscribe to. The Teachable Professional Plan offers all the same features that the Basic package does but with a little more benefits.

Instead of having only a maximum of 2 authors, you can have up to 5 authors. There are also more advanced assessment creation features. For example, you can send certificates to students, access progress reports, and set up an automatic grading system.

Something different about the Professional Plan is that subscribers get priority responses for their customer service tickets. The same goes for the chat replies.

And unlike the Free and Basic plans, this plan won’t require you to pay an extra transaction fee. You’ll only have to pay for the payment processor’s charge (2.9% + 30 cents) if you choose to use one..

This Teachable plan doesn’t force you to follow a payout schedule either so you can easily access your revenue and earnings in real-time. No more delayed payouts.

Teachable Business Plan

The Teachable Business Plan costs $299 per month. If you choose to get billed annually, it’ll only cost $249 per month.

It’s recommended for instructors that already have or are planning to create multiple online courses. This is because it offers the same benefits that the Basic and Professional plans do but with more large-scale features. For example, you can enroll your students in bulk and have larger classes.

You also get to have a maximum of 20 authors for your site when you’re subscribed to this plan. It’s geared for teaching bigger groups.

As for the transaction fees, there aren’t any when you’re paying for the Professional Plan. You only need to be wary of the 2.9% + 30 cents fee from your payment processor, if ever.

Podia vs. Teachable

Now that you’ve seen all of the great features of both Podia and Teachable, it’s time to finally set them up against each other.

Similarities

Podia and Teachable are actually more alike than they are different. They’re both highly competent online course platforms because they have useful course creation features.

You can easily create, customize, and design an online course with both of the platforms’ easy-to-use interfaces. They both have a drag-and-drop builder which makes it convenient to add and remove elements from your site.

There’s also an option to add quizzes and assessments at the end of every lesson. You can even enrich your modules with supplemental files like PDFs, videos, and other documents.

Course and account analytics can also be monitored on both platforms. You can see your learners’ progress, overall revenue, and course conversion rates right on the sites.

Plus, both online course platforms also have excellent customer service benefits. They both have a live chat feature for a faster resolution of issues.

And lastly, the two platforms also have a free trial for first-time users. No need for an initial payment to access all of the premium features.

Differences

One difference that we noticed when pitting Podia vs. Teachable is that the latter lets creators send a certificate when a student accomplishes a task.

Teachable’s reward system seems to be more conducive to motivating learners to study harder because of positive reinforcement.

Also, Teachable has more paid plans for you to choose from. Once your free trial expires, you can opt for an affordable, mid-tier, or splurge-worthy plan.

But we also noticed while analyzing the difference between Podia vs. Teachable that the former has no transaction fees for all its plans.

Podia remains transaction fee-free for whichever plan you’re subscribed to, unlike Teachable wherein you’re only off the hook for the two more expensive plans.

With Podia, you can also create more types of digital products. Teachable only allows you to design and sell an online course. On Podia, you can make an online course, digital download, and membership.

Podia also lets you do free migration if you previously used a different platform for your products. There’s even an onsite messaging feature that creators and learners can use to talk to each other.

And lastly, we noticed that though Teachable has tools for marketing via email, they aren’t as advanced as the ones on Podia. You’ll still have to integrate a third-party application if you want more options on Teachable.

In terms of email marketing, you’ll also have to integrate a third-party application when using Teachable. The email marketing tools are still quite limited.

Conclusion

Now that we’ve reached the end of our Podia vs. Teachable review, we’re pretty sure that you can tell which of the two platforms has emerged victorious.

If we’re basing it off of features and advanced options alone, we can objectively say that Podia wins. Between the two platforms, its tools and features are more conducive to a better e-learning experience.

Teachable is still a competent online course platform though. There are different paid plans that you can choose from to match your budget.

But our final verdict for this Podia vs. Teachable battle will still have Podia emerge victoriously.

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