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Software · head to head

Microsoft Teams Live Events vs Podia

Microsoft Teams Live Events logo

Microsoft Teams Live Events

Software

Enterprise live event and webinar platform by Microsoft

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Podia logo

Podia

Software

Sell online courses, memberships, and digital downloads

From
$42/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Microsoft Teams Live Events has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Microsoft Teams Live Events teams live events retired on June 30, 2026, and only events scheduled before that date remain supported through February 28, 2027; Podia mover tier charges 5% transaction fees on all sales; higher tiers offer fee-free processing
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft Teams Live Events covers Live Q&A, Podia covers Course hosting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Microsoft Teams Live Events and Podia actually diverge.

Attributes where Microsoft Teams Live Events and Podia differ
AttributeMicrosoft Teams Live EventsPodia
Starting priceFree$42/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Mac, IOS, Android, WebWeb
Founded19752014

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Microsoft Teams Live Events

  • Live Q&A
  • Attendee engagement
  • RTMP support
  • Recording
  • Microsoft 365 integration
  • Microsoft 365
  • Azure
  • SharePoint

Only in Podia

  • Course hosting
  • Digital downloads
  • Memberships
  • Email marketing
  • Webinars
  • Community
  • Affiliate marketing
  • Custom website

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Microsoft Teams Live Events

  • One to many broadcast of company town halls to large internal audiencesnot Podia
  • Streaming an externally produced RTMP feed from a hardware encoder to Teams viewersnot Podia

Podia

  • Content creators selling digital courses with email marketing integrationnot Microsoft Teams Live Events
  • Coaching businesses managing memberships and community spacesnot Microsoft Teams Live Events
  • Newsletter publishers monetising subscriber base with events and digital productsnot Microsoft Teams Live Events

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Microsoft Teams Live Events

  • Teams live events retired on June 30, 2026, and only events scheduled before that date remain supported through February 28, 2027
  • Microsoft directs users to the separate unified Teams events experience instead
  • Organizers must use the Teams web client to schedule a live event; scheduling is not available in the desktop client
  • Users cannot schedule meetings or live events when offline or running with limited bandwidth
  • Keeping internal broadcast traffic off the corporate network requires an eCDN, either Microsoft's own or a certified partner such as Hive, Kollective or Ramp

Podia

  • Mover tier charges 5% transaction fees on all sales; higher tiers offer fee-free processing
  • Mover plan capped at 50 products maximum; Shaker at 150 products; only Earthquaker offers unlimited
  • Video storage limited by plan: 500 videos (Mover), 1,000 (Shaker), unlimited (Earthquaker)
  • Email subscriber limits tiered: 100 (Mover), 500 (Shaker), 1,000 (Earthquaker); overage model not stated
  • Annual billing required for all plans with 72-hour refund window; partial refunds excluded

Pricing, plan by plan

Microsoft Teams Live Events

Free
  • Microsoft Teams FreeFree
    • Up to 300 participants
    • Live events
  • Microsoft 365 Business Basic$6/month
    • Enhanced live events
    • 10000 attendees
  • Microsoft 365 Business Standard$12.5/month
    • Advanced features
    • Unlimited events

Podia

$42/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Podia review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Microsoft Teams Live Events if

  • You need live q&a.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, IOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want attendee engagement.
Microsoft Teams Live Events review

Choose Podia if

  • You need course hosting.
  • You also want digital downloads.
Podia review

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Teams Live Events or Podia better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Teams Live Events starts at Free and Podia at $42/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Teams Live Events or Podia?
Microsoft Teams Live Events has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Microsoft Teams Live Events and $42/month for Podia.
Does Microsoft Teams Live Events or Podia run on more platforms?
Microsoft Teams Live Events runs on Windows, Mac, IOS, Android, Web. Podia runs on Web.
Can I use Microsoft Teams Live Events for free?
Yes. Microsoft Teams Live Events has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Podia starts at $42/month.
What is Microsoft Teams Live Events best used for?
Microsoft Teams Live Events is most often used for one to many broadcast of company town halls to large internal audiences, streaming an externally produced rtmp feed from a hardware encoder to teams viewers. Of those, one to many broadcast of company town halls to large internal audiences and streaming an externally produced rtmp feed from a hardware encoder to teams viewers are not what Podia is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Teams Live Events do that Podia cannot?
Microsoft Teams Live Events covers Live Q&A, Attendee engagement, RTMP support, Recording. Podia covers Course hosting, Digital downloads, Memberships, Email marketing. Both handle Web support.
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Related pages

More on Microsoft Teams Live Events

More on Podia

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