Podia vs Skool: Prices, Fees and What Each Is For
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Short answer
Podia is a storefront for courses, digital downloads, coaching and community, from USD 49 a month (USD 42 billed annually) with a 5% fee on Mover. Skool is a paid community with courses and classroom, at USD 9 a month (Hobby, 10% + USD 0.30) or USD 99 (Pro, 2.9% + USD 0.30) with processing included. Neither publishes a free plan; Podia lists a 14-day trial with no card needed.
On this page 3 sections
At a glance
| Plan | Podia MoverUSD 49/moVisit site (opens in new tab) | Podia ShakerUSD 99/moVisit site (opens in new tab) | Skool HobbyUSD 9/moVisit site (opens in new tab) | Skool ProUSD 99/moVisit site (opens in new tab) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Storefront: courses, downloads, coaching, email, community | Storefront: courses, downloads, coaching, email, community | Paid community with classroom, courses and live calls | Paid community with classroom, courses and live calls |
| Entry paid plan | Mover USD 49/mo (USD 42/mo billed annually) | Mover USD 49/mo (USD 42/mo billed annually) | Hobby USD 9/mo | Hobby USD 9/mo |
| Other plans | Shaker USD 99 (84), Earthquaker USD 179 (150) | Shaker USD 99 (84), Earthquaker USD 179 (150) | Pro USD 99/mo | Pro USD 99/mo |
| Platform fee on sales | Partial (5% on Mover; none on Shaker or Earthquaker) | Partial (5% on Mover; none on Shaker or Earthquaker) | Hobby 10% + USD 0.30; Pro 2.9% + USD 0.30 (processing included) | Hobby 10% + USD 0.30; Pro 2.9% + USD 0.30 (processing included) |
| Card processing | Stripe or PayPal; Podia cites 2.9% + USD 0.30 typical US cards | Stripe or PayPal; Podia cites 2.9% + USD 0.30 typical US cards | Yes (Included in the plan fee above) | Yes (Included in the plan fee above) |
| 100 / 500 / 1,000 subscribers included by plan | 100 / 500 / 1,000 subscribers included by plan | No (No built-in email marketing list product on pricing page) | No (No built-in email marketing list product on pricing page) | |
| Free plan / trial | No free plan; 14-day trial, no card needed | No free plan; 14-day trial, no card needed | No free plan on pricing page | No free plan on pricing page |
| Sources: www.podia.com (opens in new tab) · www.skool.com (opens in new tab) · help.skool.com (opens in new tab) · help.skool.com (opens in new tab). | ||||
Podia vs Skool at a glance. Prices checked 28 Oct 2026.
Podia Mover
USD 49/mo
- What it is
- Storefront: courses, downloads, coaching, email, community
- Entry paid plan
- Mover USD 49/mo (USD 42/mo billed annually)
- Other plans
- Shaker USD 99 (84), Earthquaker USD 179 (150)
- Platform fee on sales
- Partial (5% on Mover; none on Shaker or Earthquaker)
- Card processing
- Stripe or PayPal; Podia cites 2.9% + USD 0.30 typical US cards
- 100 / 500 / 1,000 subscribers included by plan
- Free plan / trial
- No free plan; 14-day trial, no card needed
Podia Shaker
USD 99/mo
- What it is
- Storefront: courses, downloads, coaching, email, community
- Entry paid plan
- Mover USD 49/mo (USD 42/mo billed annually)
- Other plans
- Shaker USD 99 (84), Earthquaker USD 179 (150)
- Platform fee on sales
- Partial (5% on Mover; none on Shaker or Earthquaker)
- Card processing
- Stripe or PayPal; Podia cites 2.9% + USD 0.30 typical US cards
- 100 / 500 / 1,000 subscribers included by plan
- Free plan / trial
- No free plan; 14-day trial, no card needed
Skool Hobby
USD 9/mo
- What it is
- Paid community with classroom, courses and live calls
- Entry paid plan
- Hobby USD 9/mo
- Other plans
- Pro USD 99/mo
- Platform fee on sales
- Hobby 10% + USD 0.30; Pro 2.9% + USD 0.30 (processing included)
- Card processing
- Yes (Included in the plan fee above)
- No (No built-in email marketing list product on pricing page)
- Free plan / trial
- No free plan on pricing page
Skool Pro
USD 99/mo
- What it is
- Paid community with classroom, courses and live calls
- Entry paid plan
- Hobby USD 9/mo
- Other plans
- Pro USD 99/mo
- Platform fee on sales
- Hobby 10% + USD 0.30; Pro 2.9% + USD 0.30 (processing included)
- Card processing
- Yes (Included in the plan fee above)
- No (No built-in email marketing list product on pricing page)
- Free plan / trial
- No free plan on pricing page
Last checked 28 Oct 2026 · Prices from podia.com/pricing and skool.com/pricing. Skool fee detail also from Skool help articles linked from its pricing page.
What you pay on USD 3,000 of membership sales
Example: 100 payments of USD 30 in a month on US cards. Annual billing on Podia where shown.
| Setup | Plan fee | Platform / processing cut | Rough total cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Podia Mover (annual) | USD 42 | 5% (USD 150) + Stripe ~USD 117 | ~USD 309 |
| Podia Shaker (annual) | USD 84 | Stripe ~USD 117 | ~USD 201 |
| Skool Hobby | USD 9 | 10% + USD 0.30 × 100 = USD 330 | ~USD 339 |
| Skool Pro | USD 99 | 2.9% + USD 0.30 × 100 = USD 117 | ~USD 216 |
Figures use each vendor’s published fee formula. Stripe figure on Podia uses the 2.9% + USD 0.30 rate Podia cites. This is arithmetic on list prices, not a live checkout.
Who each fits
This is a reading of published pages, not a hands-on test.
- Podia fits creators who want one storefront for courses, downloads, coaching and email, and who can move off Mover’s 5% fee when volume rises.
- Skool fits creators whose product is a paid community with classroom and calls, and who want processing folded into the platform fee.
See also Skool pricing, Skool vs Stan Store, Systeme.io vs Podia and Podia vs Teachable.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Podia cheaper than Skool?
On list prices, Skool Hobby at USD 9 a month is lower than Podia's Mover at USD 49. Skool Pro at USD 99 matches Podia Shaker's monthly list. Fees on member payments differ, so take-home depends on sales volume.
Does Podia or Skool take a cut of sales?
Podia charges 5% on Mover and none on Shaker or Earthquaker, plus Stripe or PayPal processing. Skool Hobby charges 10% + USD 0.30 and Pro 2.9% + USD 0.30 per transaction, with processing included.
Which is better for selling courses?
Both sell courses. Podia is built as a storefront with downloads, coaching and email. Skool centres on a paid community feed with a classroom. Pick from how you want members to show up, not from course hosting alone.
Does Skool include email marketing?
Skool's pricing page does not list a built-in email marketing product. Podia includes email subscribers on every plan (100, 500 or 1,000 by tier).
Which has a free plan?
Neither lists a free plan. Podia lists a 14-day trial with no card needed. Skool's pricing page does not publish a trial length.
Can I run a community on Podia?
Yes. Podia's pricing page lists community spaces on every plan (25 / 100 / unlimited by plan). Skool's product is the community itself.