Podia vs Substack
A side-by-side look at Podia and Substack. On our scoring, Podia comes out ahead — but the right pick depends on your priorities.
| Platform | PodiaCreator & digital | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| SellingScene score | 4.2/5 | 4.0/5 |
| User rating | 4.2 | 4.2 |
| Reviews | 760 | 1,320 |
| Pricing | ||
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| Pricing model | free plan + paid tiers | no monthly fee, revenue share |
| Transaction fees | 8% on free plan, 0% on paid plans | 10% of subscription revenue (plus processing) |
| Hosting & setup | ||
| Hosting type | Fully hosted (SaaS) | Fully hosted (SaaS) |
| Free trial | Free plan available | Free to start |
| Staff accounts | By plan | Multiple authors |
| Product limit | Unlimited | N/A (subscriptions) |
| Payments & security | ||
| Payment gateways | Stripe, PayPal | Stripe |
| SSL included | Yes | Yes |
| PCI compliant | Yes | Yes |
| Gift cards | No | Yes |
| Catalog & content | ||
| Themes / templates | Customizable storefront | Publication styling |
| App marketplace | Integrations & embeds | Limited integrations |
| Multi-currency | No | No |
| Multi-language | No | No |
| POS included | No | No |
| Abandoned cart recovery | Yes | No |
| Built-in blog | Yes | Yes |
| Tools & flexibility | ||
| Drag-and-drop editor | Yes | No |
| API access | No | No |
| Mobile app | No | Yes |
| Support channels | Live chat & email | Email & help center |
| 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 Substack?
Substack makes launching a paid newsletter effortless, bundling publishing, email, payments, and a discovery network at no upfront cost. The flat 10% revenue cut is significant once you scale, and you build on their network, not your own.
Best for: Writers monetizing newsletters and subscriptions
Read the full Substack review