Podia vs Shopify
A side-by-side look at Podia and Shopify. On our scoring, Shopify comes out ahead — but the right pick depends on your priorities.
| Platform | PodiaCreator & digital | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| SellingScene score | 4.2/5 | 4.7/5 |
| User rating | 4.2 | 4.7 |
| Reviews | 760 | 5,421 |
| Pricing | ||
| Starting price | Free | $39/mo |
| Pricing model | free plan + paid tiers | per month, billed monthly |
| Transaction fees | 8% on free plan, 0% on paid plans | 2.9% + 30¢ (0% with Shopify Payments) |
| Hosting & setup | ||
| Hosting type | Fully hosted (SaaS) | Fully hosted (SaaS) |
| Free trial | Free plan available | 3 days + $1/mo for 3 months |
| Staff accounts | By plan | 2–15 by plan |
| Product limit | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Payments & security | ||
| Payment gateways | Stripe, PayPal | 100+ gateways + Shopify Payments |
| SSL included | Yes | Yes |
| PCI compliant | Yes | Yes |
| Gift cards | No | Yes |
| Catalog & content | ||
| Themes / templates | Customizable storefront | 12 free, 100+ paid |
| App marketplace | Integrations & embeds | 8,000+ apps |
| Multi-currency | No | Yes |
| Multi-language | No | Yes |
| POS included | No | Yes |
| Abandoned cart recovery | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in blog | Yes | Yes |
| Tools & flexibility | ||
| Drag-and-drop editor | Yes | Yes |
| API access | No | Yes |
| Mobile app | No | Yes |
| Support channels | Live chat & email | 24/7 live chat, phone callback, email |
| Actions | Read review | Read review |
Why pick Podia?
Podia is an approachable all-in-one for creators who sell knowledge, combining courses, downloads, memberships, and email in one tidy dashboard. It is not the most powerful course tool, but its simplicity is the point.
Best for: Educators selling courses and memberships
Read the full Podia reviewWhy pick Shopify?
Shopify remains the platform to beat. Its polished admin, best-in-class checkout, and enormous app ecosystem make it the safest choice for most merchants — provided you are comfortable using Shopify Payments to avoid extra transaction fees.
Best for: Growing brands that want everything in one place
Read the full Shopify review