Thinkific vs Podia Pricing (2026)

Thinkific vs Podia

LMS & E-Learning pricing comparison · 2026

Thinkific pricing ranges from $99–$499/month, while Podia ranges from $39–$89/month. Podia is typically 79% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.

LMS & E-Learning

Thinkific

$99–$499
/month
4 plans
Full pricing breakdown →
VS
LMS & E-Learning

Podia

$39–$89
/month
2 plans
Full pricing breakdown →

Thinkific and Podia both operate in the lms & e-learning category. This page compares their list pricing.

Plan-by-Plan Pricing

Plan Thinkific Podia
Start $99 /month $39 /month
Grow $199 /month $89 /month
Expand $499 /month
Plus Custom

Cost at Scale

Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.

Thinkific

7 scenarios
Start plan at $74/month (annual) with TCommerce for 0% fees + Stripe processing (~$74/mo) + external email tool ($13/mo) = ~$161/month total. Revenue: ~$2,450/mo.
First-Time Course Creator
Start plan at $74/month (annual) with 0% transaction fees + Stripe processing (~$150/mo) + email marketing ($29/mo) = ~$253/month total. Includes live lessons and memberships.
Creator with Live Workshops
Grow plan at $149/month (annual) with branding removal, API access, bulk tools + Stripe processing (~$300/mo) + email ($50/mo) = ~$499/month total.
Education Business with White-Label
See all 7 scenarios →

Podia

3 scenarios
Mover plan at $33/month (annual) + 5% transaction fee ($25/mo) + Stripe processing (~$15/mo) = ~$73/month total. Simple and affordable for low-volume sales.
Hobbyist Creator with a Side Hustle
Shaker plan at $75/month (annual) + 0% transaction fees + Stripe processing (~$90/mo) + email add-on for 500 subscribers (~$15/mo) = ~$180/month total. The 0% fee saves $150/mo vs Mover at this revenue.
Growing Creator Ready to Scale
Shaker plan at $75/month (annual) + 2 team members ($40/mo) + email for 2,000 subscribers (~$30/mo) + Stripe processing (~$236/mo) = ~$381/month total.
Course Creator with Small Team

Market Intelligence

Thinkific

Median annual cost
$35,958
Based on
20 deals

Podia

Median annual cost
$708
Based on
53 deals

Hidden Costs

Beyond the sticker price — what catches buyers off guard.

Thinkific 5 hidden costs

medium
Limited Features on Lower-Tier Plans 20-40% of license costs
high
Transaction Fees on Free Plan 10% of revenue + $1 per transaction
medium
Steep Price Jump to Higher Tiers $3,000-$6,000/year
medium
Additional Community Costs $500-$1,500/year
low
Payment Processing Fees 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
See all Thinkific hidden costs →

Podia 4 hidden costs

medium
Transaction fees on paid plans 5-8% of license costs
medium
Email sending fees 10-15% of license costs
high
Zapier integration costs for basic functionality $20-$100/month
critical
Third-party video hosting required $7-$75/month
See all Podia hidden costs →

Contract Terms

Term Thinkific Podia
Auto-renewal
Cancellation
Minimum commitment
Price escalation Users report price increases year over year