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Software · head to head

Open edX vs Podia

Open edX logo

Open edX

Software

Open-source platform powering online learning

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 Open edX has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Open edX open edX has no licensing fee as open source software, but the vendor's own site states that hosting and infrastructure costs are the operator's responsibility, so there is no bundled managed-hosting price to compare against SaaS competitors.; Podia mover tier charges 5% transaction fees on all sales; higher tiers offer fee-free processing
  • They diverge on capability: Open edX covers Course authoring, Podia covers Course hosting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Open edX and Podia actually diverge.

Attributes where Open edX and Podia differ
AttributeOpen edXPodia
Starting priceFree$42/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidWeb
Founded20122014

Identical on both: 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 Open edX

  • Course authoring
  • Interactive videos
  • Assessments
  • Discussions
  • Certificates
  • Analytics
  • Mobile apps
  • xBlocks

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.

Open edX

  • MOOC creationnot Podia
  • Corporate trainingnot Podia
  • Blended learningnot Podia
  • Degree programsnot Podia

Podia

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

Where each one falls short

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

Open edX

  • Open edX has no licensing fee as open source software, but the vendor's own site states that hosting and infrastructure costs are the operator's responsibility, so there is no bundled managed-hosting price to compare against SaaS competitors.

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

Open edX

Free
  • Self-HostedFree
    • Full platform
    • Community support
    • All features
  • Managed Hosting$undefined/month
    • Hosted solution
    • Support
    • Maintenance

Podia

$42/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Podia review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Open edX if

  • You need course authoring.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want interactive videos.
Open edX review

Choose Podia if

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

Questions people ask

Is Open edX or Podia better?
Neither clearly leads. Open edX 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, Open edX or Podia?
Open edX has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Open edX and $42/month for Podia.
Does Open edX or Podia run on more platforms?
Open edX runs on Web, IOS, Android. Podia runs on Web.
Can I use Open edX for free?
Yes. Open edX has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Podia starts at $42/month.
What is Open edX best used for?
Open edX is most often used for mooc creation, corporate training, blended learning, degree programs. Of those, mooc creation and corporate training are not what Podia is typically brought in for.
What can Open edX do that Podia cannot?
Open edX covers Course authoring, Interactive videos, Assessments, Discussions. Podia covers Course hosting, Digital downloads, Memberships, Email marketing. Both handle Web support.
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