Teachable vs Podia for Astrology and Tarot Course Creators

Teachable removed its free plan in June 2025. Podia removed its free plan at the end of 2024. Both platforms still offer trials - Teachable has 7 days, Podia has 30 days without a credit card. But if you've been running a course on either free tier, that era is over. The Teachable vs Podia for astrology courses comparison now starts at $29/month (Teachable) and $33/month (Podia), and the fee structures make the real cost difference much larger than the monthly price difference.

All prices as of mid-2026, annual billing unless noted. Verify current at teachable.com and podia.com before committing.

Pricing Comparison

Payment processor fees (Stripe/PayPal: ~2.9% + $0.30) apply on all plans on both platforms, on top of any platform transaction fee.

Note: Teachable's affiliate payout system (BackOffice) adds an additional 2%-2.8% per transaction if you use it. Podia includes affiliate tools on Shaker with no extra percentage fee.

Sources: teachable.com/pricing; ruzuku.com/compare/teachable-pricing; podia.com/pricing; learningrevolution.net/podia-pricing.

Real Cost at Different Revenue Levels

At under $720/month revenue: Podia Mover ($33 + 5%) costs less than Teachable Builder ($69 flat). Above $720/month, Builder's 0% fee beats Mover's 5%.

Podia Mover vs Shaker break-even: $840/month revenue (annual billing). Below that, Mover's 5% fee + $33 is cheaper than Shaker's $75 flat. Above $840/month, Shaker pays for itself through fee savings.

Source: learningrevolution.net/podia-pricing; aifunnelinsider.com/podia-vs-teachable-2026.

Beyond Price: What Each Platform Does Better

Teachable strengths:
- Course-specific features: quizzes, completion certificates, drip content scheduling, course compliance settings
- More established for formal course academies with structured curricula
- Student experience is polished for multi-module courses with progress tracking
- Better recognized brand name for course marketplaces

Podia strengths:
- Email marketing included for free up to 100 subscribers on all plans - Teachable requires a separate tool or pays extra
- Community features and coaching/webinar support on all plans
- Better all-in-one for a solo practitioner who wants courses + email + community in one platform
- Podia Shaker includes affiliate tools without the extra 2-2.8% BackOffice fee that Teachable charges

For a tarot school or astrology academy with structured multi-module courses and certificate programs, Teachable's course infrastructure is stronger. For a solo practitioner who wants to sell courses alongside coaching, digital products, and email newsletters from one platform, Podia is the cleaner choice.

Sources: aifunnelinsider.com/podia-vs-teachable-2026; ruzuku.com/learn/articles/podia-vs-teachable.

The Free Plan Situation (2024-2025)

Both platforms removed their free plans within months of each other:
- Podia: free plan removed late 2024
- Teachable: free plan removed June 2025

Teachable offers a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Podia offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required - the more generous of the two for exploring the platform before committing.

Other platforms still offering free plans in this space: Thinkific has a free tier, as does Kajabi's limited free option. For a full market comparison, see course platforms comparison.

What This Means for Astrology and Tarot Course Creators

A practitioner launching their first course at $97-$197:

- At $97 x 10 sales/month = $970/month revenue: Teachable Builder ($69/month, 0% fee) and Podia Shaker ($75/month, 0% fee) are essentially tied. Podia's email marketing inclusion tips the comparison toward Podia if you don't already have a separate email tool.
- At $197 x 5 sales/month = $985/month revenue: same math, same conclusion.
- At $497 x 4 sales/month = $1,988/month revenue: Teachable Builder at $69/month saves $6 over Podia Shaker at $75/month. Marginal difference.

For a practitioner building toward a full school (launch-style courses, affiliate program, multiple products), see how to launch an astrology school.

For the recurring revenue alternative to one-time course sales, see membership vs courses and tarot membership programs.

FAQ

Can I migrate from Teachable to Podia (or vice versa) without losing student data? Both platforms allow CSV export of student enrollment data. Video content requires re-uploading manually. Migration is possible but time-intensive for larger course libraries. Plan for 1-2 weeks if switching with an active course catalog.

Does Teachable or Podia handle sales tax? Neither acts as Merchant of Record. You are responsible for collecting and remitting sales tax or VAT. This is a meaningful operational difference from Gumroad (which does act as MoR and handles tax globally). For digital product tax compliance, consult a tax professional familiar with digital goods.

What if I want to sell courses AND live readings from one platform? Podia is better suited to this - it supports coaching products (1:1 sessions) alongside courses on the same plan. Teachable is course-focused and doesn't natively support booking individual sessions.

Are there platforms still offering free plans in this space? Thinkific has a free tier (1 course, limited students). Kajabi does not. The trend in the course platform market has been toward eliminating free tiers in 2024-2025.

Related Reading

- Course platforms comparison - broader market view including Thinkific and Kajabi
- Membership vs courses - recurring revenue model comparison
- Tarot membership programs - how to structure a membership alongside or instead of courses
- How to launch an astrology school - full school infrastructure beyond the course platform choice