LearnDash vs Podia 2026: WordPress Plugin or Hosted Storefront?
Quick verdict: Podia is our overall pick for LearnDash vs Podia.
LearnDash (3.8/5) is the low-cost self-hosted plugin with unlimited learners; Podia (4.0/5) is the hosted storefront with a free plan and 0% fees from Shaker up.
| Tool | Rating | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| LearnDash | 3.8/5 | $259/yr (Essentials, about $21.58/mo) | LearnDash is the WordPress LMS plugin: a one-time annual license you install on your own s… |
| Podia Best overall Best free Best for teams | 4.0/5 | Free $39/mo (monthly, Mover) | Podia is an all-in-one creator commerce platform for courses, downloads, memberships and c… |
Bottom line: Podia (4.0/5) for the hosted, near-free start — a standing free plan, flat unlimited products on every paid tier, and 0% fees from Shaker ($75/mo annual), with no server to run. LearnDash (3.8/5) for the cost floor at volume on the WordPress stack: a $259/yr Essentials license with unlimited courses and learners and no per-sale fee, on top of your own $10-20/mo hosting. They attack different problems: Podia is the all-in-one creator storefront (courses, downloads, webinars, coaching, community) for anyone who wants to skip operations; LearnDash is the LMS you own and host when you already live on WordPress and sell at a volume that makes SaaS bills hurt. Choose by whether you want the platform held for you.
Pricing and details
LearnDash · 3.8/5
48-hour live demo (no card) · $259/yr (Essentials, about $21.58/mo)
LearnDash is a plugin, not a SaaS: you pay a yearly license (Essentials $259, Pro $399, Elite $599) on top of your own WordPress hosting (roughly $10-20/mo). Every plan includes unlimited courses and learners and no per-sale fee. Since the Liquid Web acquisition, new customers buy the bundled Essentials/Pro/Elite plans; legacy 1-site/10-site/unlimited licenses are grandfathered. MemberDash memberships are bundled into every tier.
Essentials $259/yr · Pro $399/yr · Elite $599/yr (annual, Liquid Web bundled plans)
LearnDash is the WordPress LMS plugin: a one-time annual license you install on your own site, with unlimited courses and learners on every tier. It bills by license (Essentials / Pro / Elite per year), takes no cut of your sales, and is the only cluster member priced annually-only.
Score breakdown
Pros
- Cheapest true cost at volume: $259/yr Essentials with unlimited courses and learners, no transaction fees
- Owns your data and domain — the WordPress stack stays yours, no platform lock-in
- Pro adds AI course/quiz builders, weighted grading, report cards and cohort groups; Elite adds multi-instructor front-end creation
- MemberDash memberships bundled into every tier since the Liquid Web acquisition
Cons
- Self-hosted: hosting (roughly $10-20/mo), security and WordPress maintenance are on you
- Annual-license-only pricing — no monthly option, and the $199 entry price quoted across Google is retired
- No native mobile apps; front-end experience depends on themes and add-ons
Pricing verified 2026-09-19
Podia · 4.0/5
Free plan available · $39/mo (monthly, Mover)
Podia bills by tier, never by student or product — every plan, free included, carries unlimited students and unlimited products. The free plan takes an 8% transaction fee; Mover at $33-39/mo drops the platform fee to 5% while bundling unlimited courses, downloads, webinars, coaching and basic email; Shaker at $75-89/mo removes fees entirely (0%) and adds affiliates, memberships and community.
Mover $33/mo · Shaker $75/mo · Earthquaker $159/mo (annual)
Podia is an all-in-one creator commerce platform for courses, downloads, memberships and coaching, aimed squarely at solo sellers. It bills by tier and is the cluster's only standing free plan (1 product, 8% fee); paid tiers are flat-priced with unlimited products and 0% fees on Shaker and up.
Score breakdown
Pros
- Only standing free plan in the cluster: 1 product, unlimited students, 8% transaction fee — no card required
- Flat pricing with unlimited products and students on every paid tier — the bill never scales with catalog size
- 0% platform fees from Shaker up; Mover's 5% is the only fee in the paid ladder
- Courses, downloads, webinars, coaching, memberships, affiliates and basic email in one dashboard (ease 5/5)
Cons
- Deliberately shallow: no native mobile apps, and quizzes/certificates are lighter than Teachable or Thinkific
- Email tooling stops short of Kajabi's automation suite — serious funnels mean an add-on
- Community and memberships are capped to the Shaker/Earthquaker tiers
Pricing verified 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Which is better overall, LearnDash or Podia?
Podia is our overall pick (4.0/5 vs 3.8/5). LearnDash (3.8/5) is the low-cost self-hosted plugin with unlimited learners; Podia (4.0/5) is the hosted storefront with a free plan and 0% fees from Shaker up.
Do LearnDash and Podia offer free plans?
Podia has a free tier. LearnDash paid plans start at $259/yr (Essentials, about $21.58/mo); Podia paid plans start at $39/mo (monthly, Mover).
What does Podia cost?
$39/mo (monthly, Mover) — Podia bills by tier, never by student or product — every plan, free included, carries unlimited students and unlimited products. The free plan takes an 8% transaction fee; Mover at $33-39/mo drops the platform fee to 5% while bundling unlimited courses, downloads, webinars, coaching and basic email; Shaker at $75-89/mo removes fees entirely (0%) and adds affiliates, memberships and community. Prices were last verified on 2026-09-19.