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Podia looks simple. But the fees add up.
Podia's Mover plan costs $33/mo (billed annually) - but takes 5% of every sale. On €2,000 in monthly revenue, that's €100 in fees on top of the subscription. The Shaker plan (no transaction fees) costs $75/mo. And in both cases, no SEPA and invoicing that doesn't meet European compliance requirements.
At the same revenue level, PayFacile costs ~3× less than Podia Mover - and includes EU-compliant invoicing and SEPA.
Built to sell subscriptions in Europe. Not just courses.
EU-Compliant Invoicing
Invoices that meet European standards, full VAT handling, automatic numbering. Podia lets you add a VAT number, but doesn't offer EU-compliant invoicing (required legal mentions, specific formats).
SEPA & Direct Debit
Accept SEPA direct debit via GoCardless - essential for the European market. Podia only supports Stripe and PayPal, and explicitly excludes SEPA.
Subscription-Focused Customer Portal
Your customers manage their own subscription, download compliant invoices, update their payment method - in a portal dedicated to management. Podia's member area is designed around content, not subscription management.
Advanced Workflows & Dunning
Create custom retry scenarios with triggers, filters, and conditions. Podia offers basic dunning (3 retries over 3 days), but no customizable workflows.
Multi-Gateway Payments
Stripe, GoCardless, and Braintree connected natively. Podia is limited to Stripe and PayPal - no alternative for direct debit.
Lower Transaction Fees
1% from the Business plan (€24/mo). Podia charges 5% on its entry plan - a significant difference as your revenue grows.
Podia is an excellent platform - for course creators
If you're a content creator, you mainly sell online courses and digital products, and your audience pays by card - Podia is an excellent choice. The interface is clean, the course builder is well-made, email is built in, and everything is designed for creators.
But if you sell subscriptions in Europe, you need EU-compliant invoices, SEPA direct debit, advanced dunning workflows, and a subscription-focused customer portal - PayFacile is the better choice. It's not a course platform with subscriptions bolted on. It's a subscription platform built for Europe.
Frequently asked questions
No. Podia removed its free plan in late 2024. The entry plan (Mover) costs $33/mo (annual) with 5% transaction fees. The Shaker plan (no fees) costs $75/mo (annual).
Yes. Your Stripe subscriptions can be imported. Contact us for assisted migration.
Podia generates basic invoices and lets you add a VAT number. But its invoicing doesn't meet European compliance standards (required legal mentions, specific formats). For compliant invoicing, PayFacile is a better option.
No. Podia only supports Stripe and PayPal. SEPA direct debit via GoCardless is not available on Podia.
Yes. PayFacile lets you sell courses, digital files, and members-only content - on top of standard subscriptions.
Sell subscriptions, simply.
EU-compliant invoicing, SEPA, customer portal - everything included. Create your account in 2 minutes.
No credit card. No lock-in. Cancel anytime.
