It can be difficult to decide which platform is best for hosting and selling your online courses in 2025. Given the abundance of tools available, Kajabi and Podia are frequently the most popular names.
Kajabi provides a high-end, comprehensive suite of marketing and automation tools. For those who are just starting out, Podia offers a more straightforward and affordable experience. However, how do these platforms compare in terms of user experience, cost, and features?
In the pricing section, we'll introduce Learnyst, an India-first alternative for creators aiming to reach global especially Indian learners, to help you determine which platform best fits your objectives.
There is now more to online education than just posting videos. Course designers today require the following tools:
Podia and Kajabi take distinct stances on these demands. We've broken down the advantages and disadvantages of each platform below so you can choose with confidence.
Kajabi is a high-end, comprehensive business platform. It is designed for coaches and professionals who desire sophisticated automation, integrated sales funnels, and complete control over their digital business, including email, communities, and content.
Best for: Global educators, coaches, agencies, and advanced users.
Podia is designed to be simple. Without requiring a technical background, it assists creators in selling digital downloads, webinars, courses, and memberships. It excels in simplicity and user experience even though it lacks sophisticated marketing tools.
Best for: Novices, independent business owners, and digital artists seeking a hassle-free solution.
The course builder offered by Kajabi is reliable and adaptable. You can drip schedule your lessons, make multi-level modules, and even use triggers to automate progress. Quizzes, tests, video hosting, and certificates are all supported by its interface. You can give your students a guided experience from beginning to end by using pipelines to connect learning journeys to email and sales automations.
Podia emphasizes simplicity. Although its features are more beginner-friendly, you can upload audio files, PDFs, videos, and embed links. It does not have sophisticated grading systems or comprehensive progress tracking, but it does support simple quizzes and drip content. Podia is a simple option if you want to create courses quickly and without a steep learning curve, but it is less scalable for intricate course ecosystems.
A comprehensive drag-and-drop website builder with editable landing page, blog, and homepage templates is included with Kajabi. It is intended for business owners who wish to have a single platform for all of their online presence, including their website, blog, and product catalog. Additionally, it facilitates blog creation, analytics pixel integrations, and SEO settings.
Podia provides a simple yet elegant website builder. It enables you to use pre-built blocks to create sales and landing pages. Although there is less customization than with Kajabi, it is sufficient for creators who do not require intricate designs or blog publishing. One potential drawback for content marketers is that Podia does not provide a comprehensive blogging platform like Kajabi.
A robust integrated email marketing system is offered by Kajabi. You can segment your audience, use behavior-based triggers (such as link clicks or course completions), set up automated sequences, and monitor engagement metrics. Third-party email tools like ConvertKit or Mailchimp are no longer necessary.
Although they are less sophisticated, Podia also offers native email marketing tools. You can schedule emails, create drip campaigns, and send newsletters. It does not, however, have segment filters or sophisticated automation triggers. It works well for straightforward communication but isn't the best for intricate funnels or audience segmentation.
"Pipelines," a visual funnel builder included with Kajabi, enables you to create marketing flows, such as product launches, email nurture sequences, free lead magnets, and upsells. Every step can be tailored to the user's behavior and is automated. For creators who prefer a conversion-driven marketing strategy, this feature is fantastic.
There isn't a funnel builder integrated into Podia. Although landing pages can be created and manually linked to email campaigns, the automation does not have the same visual pipeline interface as Kajabi. This could be a major drawback for marketers or companies that depend on intelligent automation.
Kajabi has a community feature that functions similarly to a private social network and built-in membership site functionality. Students can be grouped, discussion threads can be made, and your products can be directly linked to the community. It's great for increasing long-term retention and engagement.
Memberships are available through Podia's Shaker and higher plans. Its community functionality is limited, but you can set up paywalls and create tiered content access. There are no threaded discussions or a strong forum. Although it covers the essentials, it is devoid of the native engagement tools offered by Kajabi.
Beginning with its Growth plan, Kajabi provides affiliate tools. From the dashboard, you can create custom links, invite affiliates, track performance, and control payouts. Building a network of partners to market your courses is a smooth experience.
Affiliate marketing is also supported by Podia, starting with the Shaker plan. Commission rates, promotional materials, and referral tracking are all within your control. Although helpful, the features are not as extensive as those of Kajabi, particularly when it comes to reporting and integrating with other marketing workflows.
Deep insights into learner engagement, sales, email open rates, and video watch behavior are all available through Kajabi. It even provides user interaction heatmaps in visual form. For creators looking to maximize their marketing and content strategies, these tools are indispensable.
Standard reports for sales information, email performance, and course progress are included in Podia. Although it lacks sophisticated segmentation and behavioral insights, it is sufficient for fundamental decision-making. Scaling may necessitate the use of third-party tools or integrations.
For the majority of plans, Kajabi provides live chat assistance around-the-clock in addition to a comprehensive knowledge base. Additionally, they offer Kajabi University, a resource center with tutorials, training courses, and webinars.
Podia is renowned for providing prompt, amiable email customer service. Only higher-tier plans offer live chat. They also have an easy-to-use help center, but if you're on the basic tier, you might not be able to access real-time support.
This is where Learnyst comes into play in terms of pricing. Learnyst provides a cost-effective substitute for Indian educators or creators looking for plans with robust features at an affordable price.
|
Platform |
Plan |
Monthly Price |
|
Kajabi |
Kickstarter |
$89/month |
|
Basic |
$149/month |
|
|
Growth |
$199/month |
|
|
Pro |
$399/month |
|
|
Podia |
Mover |
$33/month (5% Transaction fee) |
|
Shaker |
$75/month |
|
|
Learnyst |
Essential |
₹3,499/month (~$42) |
|
Professional |
₹8,999/month (~$108) |
|
|
Premium |
₹14,999/month (~$180) |
|
|
Business |
₹49,999/month (~$584) |
Note: Learnyst is a fantastic substitute for Indian educators because it offers features like branded mobile apps, a quiz builder, and video encryption, and its prices are in Indian rupees.
Despite being effective tools, Kajabi and Podia might not be the best choice for everyone, particularly for Indian educators. Learnyst is unique for the following reasons:
Accept INR payments through Net banking, Razor pay, Instamojo, and UPI. PayPal or Stripe setup is not required.
Keep all of your earnings. One feature that really helps creators at scale is Learnyst's lack of transaction fees.
protects your content from piracy with features like dynamic watermarking, DRM (Digital Rights Management), and single-device login.
Without knowing any code, create your own Android or iOS apps to connect with students who are constantly on the go.
Learnyst provides features comparable to or better than Kajabi at a fraction of the cost, with plans starting at ₹3,499 ($42).
Learnyst caters to local requirements, including tax invoice compliance, customer service in Indian time zones, and a user interface with a Bharat focus.
Make sure the platform you select fits your audience, budget, and growth objectives. Additionally, Learnyst provides all the resources you require to teach, develop, and safeguard your content in one location if you are based in India.
Kajabi provides four primary plans:
- Kickstarter: $89 a month ($71 a month billed annually)
- Basic: $149 a month ($119 a month billed annually)
- Growth: $199/month ($159/month billed annually)
- Pro: $399/month ($319/month billed annually)
Podia is frequently commended for being straightforward and user-friendly, which makes it perfect for novice creators. Despite its greater power, Kajabi's sophisticated features come with a higher learning curve.
For educators who value control, privacy, and personalization, Learnyst stands out with its branded mobile apps, DRM-level content security, and sophisticated learner analytics.