Circle vs Podia
Circle and Podia are both online courses & LMS tools. Circle is aimed at creators and small businesses, while Podia is aimed at creators. Podia costs less, from $49/mo versus $89/mo for Circle.
All-in-one community platform for creators and brands
Simple storefront for courses, downloads and communities
| Pricing | Paid · $89 | Paid · $49 |
| Starting price | $89/mo | $49/mo |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days |
| Built for | Creators, Small businesses | Creators |
| Platforms | web, ios, android | web |
| Country | US · 2020 | US · 2014 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Circle if
Creators and companies who want a premium, branded community with courses and payments.
- Polished, flexible community experience
- Courses, events and payments in one
- Strong for creators and B2B communities alike
Look elsewhere if: Budget communities (Skool, Discord) or knowledge-heavy forums (Discourse).
Choose Podia if
Creators wanting simple all-in-one selling.
- Simple and friendly
- Email included
- 0% fees on Shaker
Look elsewhere if: Advanced funnels (Kajabi).
Circle vs Podia pricing
Circle
- Professional$89/moBilled annually; unlimited members, 3 admins, 2% transaction fee
- Business$199/moBilled annually; 5 admins, 1% transaction fee, workflows, API
- Scale$419/moBilled annually; 10 admins, 1% transaction fee, AI agents
- Circle PlusCustomBranded mobile apps, unlimited admins, 0.5% transaction fee
Podia
- Mover$49/mo$42/mo billed annually; 5% fees, 50 products
- Shaker$99/mo$84/mo billed annually; no fees, affiliates, 150 products
- Earthquaker$179/mo$150/mo billed annually; no fees, unlimited products
Circle · Key features
- Spaces for posts, chat, events and courses
- Live streams and video rooms
- Paid memberships, tiers and gated spaces
- Workflows for automation and member journeys
- Branded mobile apps (Plus)
- AI agent, analytics and API
Cons
- Price plus transaction fees
- Branded app is a significant add-on
- Search and threading can be weaker than forums
Podia · Key features
- Courses, downloads, webinars, coaching
- Community and memberships
- Email marketing included
- Website and landing pages
- Affiliate program
- Checkout and payments
Cons
- Fewer advanced features than Kajabi
- Design customization limited
- Transaction fees on lower tiers
Circle vs Podia: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Circle or Podia?
Podia starts at $49/mo and Circle at $89/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Circle and Podia have a free plan?
Circle has no free plan, a 14-day free trial. Podia has no free plan, a 14-day free trial.
Which is better for small businesses, Circle or Podia?
Circle lists small businesses as a core audience, while Podia is aimed more at creators.