Tool Choices
systeme.io vs Podia for a first digital product or course
systeme.io vs Podia: contact-based pricing with a free plan vs plan-based pricing with a 14-day trial, platform fees per sale, lock-in, and which suits a first product.
The flow
- Estimate contacts and monthly sales
- Compare platform fees per sale
- Check the free plan or trial limits
- Plan how you'd leave
- Start on the cheapest fit
systeme.io vs Podia is a choice between two ways of paying for the same job: selling a first digital product or course with a page, checkout, delivery and email. systeme.io has a free plan and prices by contacts. Podia has no free plan, prices by plan, and on its cheapest plan takes a cut of each sale.
Prices checked 9 Oct 2026 on systeme.io/pricing and podia.com/pricing, in US dollars.
Some links to tools are affiliate links: if you sign up or buy through one, Slizzy OS may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. systeme.io has an affiliate link on its tool page; Podia, Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy and Kit don't. That doesn't change the advice here. Read the affiliate disclosure for details.
Pricing at a glance
| systeme.io | Podia | |
|---|---|---|
| Free option | Free plan with no expiry and no card: 2,000 contacts, 3 funnels, 1 course, unlimited emails | 14-day free trial, no card. No free plan. |
| Entry plan | Startup: US$17 a month for 5,000 contacts | Mover: US$42 a month billed yearly (US$504 a year) |
| Mid plan | Webinar: US$47 a month for 10,000 contacts | Shaker: US$84 a month billed yearly (US$1,008 a year) |
| Top plan | Unlimited: US$97 a month | Earthquaker: US$150 a month billed yearly (US$1,800 a year) |
| Platform fee per sale | 0% | 5% on Mover, none on Shaker or Earthquaker |
| Payment processor fees | Charged by Stripe or PayPal | Charged by Stripe or PayPal. Podia quotes a standard 2.9% + 30¢, varying by location. |
| Unlimited emails on every plan | Included up to 100, 500 or 1,000 subscribers depending on plan |
Two gaps in what we could verify: systeme.io advertises "2 months free" on annual billing, but the annual amounts didn't load, and Podia's page only showed yearly billing, so its month-to-month prices are unverified.
What drives the cost
systeme.io's price follows your contact list. Going past 2,000 contacts moves you from free to US$17, and past 5,000 from US$17 to US$47. The free plan's limits of 1 course and 3 funnels also mean a second product needs an upgrade.
Podia's price follows the plan, not your list size for products. Mover is the cheapest, but its 5% fee grows with your sales. Shaker removes Podia's fee and adds affiliate marketing, upsells, PayPal and Zapier.
An illustrative month
This is illustrative and simulated. Say you sell 20 copies of a US$50 course in a month, US$1,000 in sales, with fewer than 2,000 contacts. Platform costs only, before processor fees:
- systeme.io Free: US$0 plan + 0% fee = US$0
- Podia Mover: US$42 + 5% of US$1,000 (US$50) = US$92
- Podia Shaker: US$84 + no Podia fee = US$84
At this level, Shaker costs less than Mover once monthly sales pass about US$840, the point where 5% equals the US$42 difference.
Lock-in and leaving
- systeme.io: if you cancel with more than 2,000 contacts, contacts above the limit are archived until you pay again. Funnels, courses and automations all live in one platform, so moving takes work.
- Podia offers migration help into Podia (up to 50 products on Mover, 150 on Shaker and Earthquaker). It refunds a payment if you ask within 72 hours, but doesn't do partial refunds on annual plans.
Pick systeme.io if
- You want to start at US$0 and your list is under 2,000 contacts.
- You want funnels, email, a course and an affiliate program in one account.
- You don't want a platform fee on each sale.
Pick Podia if
- You want one storefront for courses, downloads, coaching, events and a community, and you're happy to pay from the start.
- Your sales are high enough that Shaker's flat price beats a free plan's limits.
- You want migration help bringing products in from another platform.
You may need neither if
- You're selling one download and don't need a course area. A checkout like Gumroad or Lemon Squeezy, or the commerce features in Kit, may be enough. See Best free-plan tools to sell your first digital product.
The Digital Product Storefront and Short Course Production Service blueprints show how to test demand before you commit to a platform.