Podia alternative for paid live classes and workshops
Podia gives you a store for courses, downloads, coaching and events. For a paid live class, you still connect a separate video service. Masterclass.tv sells the seat, runs the live room, organizes questions on air and keeps selling the replay, from 49 USD a month billed yearly.
Run one test class with a room of 100 before you pick a plan.
LIVE CLASS
Short answer
The best Podia alternative for paid live classes is one where the class runs inside the platform. Podia sells event tickets and hosts the replay, but the live session itself runs on Zoom, Google Meet or YouTube Live that you connect. Masterclass.tv runs the room for up to 1,000 people on Pro, sells single tickets and the replay, and lists the class in a public schedule where viewers browse, from 49 USD a month billed yearly.
Why experts who teach live look for a Podia alternative
Podia already handles registration, checkout, reminders, post event emails and replay hosting. Those are useful event tools. The reasons to move are about where you teach, how questions work and how people discover the class, rather than whether Podia can sell a ticket.
01
The live room belongs to another tool
Podia connects Zoom, Google Meet or YouTube Live. If you choose Zoom, you manage a separate account with its own attendee cap and cost. A Podia subscription does not replace that video plan. Masterclass.tv Pro includes the room for up to 1,000 viewers.
02
Questions depend on your video service
Podia Events does not provide a built in on air Q&A queue. You handle questions through the connected video tool. Here attendees post and upvote questions, you answer them live, and the answers remain attached to the replay for later buyers.
03
Every buyer starts with your traffic
Podia gives you your own registration page and store, without a public class marketplace bringing people who did not already find you. Masterclass.tv has a public schedule and replay library where viewers browse. Discovery creates another route to a sale, without guaranteeing attendance.
04
Mover adds a fee to each ticket
Mover costs 42 USD a month billed yearly and takes 5 percent on top of payment processing. Shaker and Earthquaker remove the Podia fee. Our 25 percent ticket share is higher, so switching should earn its place through discovery and the included live workflow.
05
Attendance certificates need a separate check
Certificates of attendance are not listed among Podia Events features. If clients need proof for professional development or reimbursement, confirm how you will provide it. On Masterclass.tv every attendee gets a certificate with a public verification page, alongside the class and replay.
06
A full storefront may exceed your needs
Every Podia plan includes a website, email, community, courses, coaching and events. That breadth is a strength if you sell several kinds of products. If your business centers on live teaching, an event page, a ticket and a room may be the tools you use most.
Podia vs Masterclass.tv for paid live classes
Podia details below come from its pricing page and Events page, checked in October 2026. Plan prices shown for Podia use yearly billing. Check current terms before choosing a plan.
| Masterclass.tv Pro | Podia | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | 49 USD a month billed yearly, or 99 USD billed monthly | Mover at 42 USD a month billed yearly |
| Fee on ticket sales | 25 percent of each ticket, expert keeps 75 percent | 5% on Mover, 0% on Shaker and Earthquaker, plus Stripe or PayPal processing of 2.9% plus 30 cents |
| Where the live class runs | Built in room for up to 1,000 people on Pro | Zoom, Google Meet or YouTube Live that you connect |
| Q&A | Upvoted queue answered on air, kept on the replay page | Handled in the connected video tool, no built in on air queue in Events |
| Replay | Hosted on the same class page and sold to late buyers | Replay hosting, with the option to turn recordings into a paid product |
| Discovery | Public schedule and replay library where viewers browse | Your own traffic to your store and registration page |
| Certificates | For every attendee, with a public verification page | Attendance certificates not listed in Events features |
| Website and email marketing | Event pages, not a website builder. Email sequences are on Studio | Yes, included in all plans, with email subscriber limits by plan |
| In person events | Online only | Yes, alongside online events |
| Best for | Experts selling live classes who want the room and public discovery together | Creators selling courses, downloads, coaching and events from their own store |
Podia wins on the amount you retain per ticket at volume with Shaker and Earthquaker, and on running a full website, email marketing, courses and downloads in one store. It also supports in person events. Masterclass.tv brings the live room, upvoted questions, replay sales, certificates and public discovery into the class workflow.
Podia Mover is 504 USD a year, including up to 100 email subscribers and 50 products. Shaker is 84 USD a month billed yearly, or 1,008 USD a year, with 500 email subscribers and 150 products. Earthquaker is 150 USD a month billed yearly, or 1,800 USD a year, with 1,000 email subscribers and unlimited products. All plans include Events, and Podia offers a 14 day free trial.
What a paid workshop costs on each platform
Consider a worked example, not a forecast. Selling 40 seats at 49 USD produces 1,960 USD gross. Use the same seat count and ticket price on both platforms so the comparison shows the fees rather than assuming extra buyers.
On Podia Shaker the Podia transaction fee is 0 percent. Processing at about 2.9 percent plus 0.30 USD per ticket is 68.84 USD across those sales, leaving 1,891.16 USD before your subscription and video tool. Shaker adds 84 USD a month billed yearly. If you use Zoom, add the Zoom plan you pay for separately. Its price and attendee allowance depend on the plan you choose.
On Masterclass.tv you keep 75 percent of 1,960 USD, which is 1,470 USD before your Pro subscription. Pro costs 49 USD a month billed yearly, with no separate video tool to pay for. The live room, upvoted Q&A, replay sales and attendance certificates are part of the platform.
Podia keeps more in your pocket per ticket at volume when you bring the same buyers. Masterclass.tv earns its place when discovery brings buyers you would otherwise miss and when you do not want to run a second tool. Compare those benefits against the larger ticket share. A listing is an opportunity for discovery, not a promise of sales.
On air Q&A
Attendees post and upvote questions during the class. You can follow the queue while teaching, and answers stay with the replay. Someone buying the recording later can learn from the questions the live audience asked.
Move your live sessions from Podia in four steps
01
Create the class
Set the title, learning outcome, date and ticket price. Keep the promise clear so buyers know what they will practice during the session.
02
Connect payouts
Link your own payout account in the studio. Review the subscription and ticket share before you open registration for the paid workshop.
03
Send the class link
Share the event page with your Podia email audience or community. You can keep your existing courses and downloads in your Podia store.
04
Teach live
Go live from the browser or a streaming app. Answer the upvoted questions on air, then let the replay and certificates follow the class.
Who should switch and who should stay on Podia
Who should switch to Masterclass.tv
- Experts whose main product is a paid live class and who want checkout, the room and the replay on the same event page.
- Teachers who want an upvoted question queue so the audience can help decide what gets answered on air.
- Creators who want their classes and recordings available where viewers browse, alongside the traffic they bring themselves.
- Instructors whose attendees need a certificate and a public page for verifying attendance.
Who should stay on Podia
- Creators who rely on a full website, email marketing, courses, downloads and coaching in the same store.
- Hosts who sell in person events or bundle event access with courses and want to keep that catalog together.
- Sellers who already bring their buyers and prefer Shaker or Earthquaker with no Podia transaction fee.
- Teachers happy with their connected video service, Podia reminders, attached files and hosted replays.
Moving the live side does not require moving your whole business. Keep a Podia course or newsletter if it works for you, and test a workshop here. Podia also lets you turn a replay into a paid product and bundle events with courses, so replay sales alone are not a reason to leave.
Questions, answered
Does Podia have live classes?
Yes. Podia sells live classes through Events, with registration, checkout, reminders and replay hosting. The live session runs on Zoom, Google Meet or YouTube Live that you connect, rather than in a Podia video room. All Podia plans include Events, and you can also sell in person sessions.
Can you host webinars on Podia?
Yes. Podia handles webinar registration and payments while Zoom, Google Meet or YouTube Live carries the broadcast. The video link is shared only with registered attendees. You can attach files, send reminder and post event emails, host the replay and turn that recording into a paid product.
How much does Podia cost per month?
With yearly billing, Podia Mover costs 42 USD a month, Shaker 84 USD and Earthquaker 150 USD. Their annual totals are 504 USD, 1,008 USD and 1,800 USD respectively. All include Events, community, courses, coaching, a website and email, with different subscriber and product allowances. A 14 day free trial is available.
Does Podia charge transaction fees?
Yes on Mover, which adds a 5 percent Podia transaction fee. Shaker and Earthquaker have no Podia transaction fees. Stripe or PayPal processing of about 2.9 percent plus 30 cents still applies on top. Compare the subscription and processing together when estimating what you retain from a paid class.
Is Podia better than Kajabi?
Podia is the better fit if you want a lower starting subscription for a store with courses, email and events. Mover is 42 USD a month billed yearly. Kajabi Basic is 179 USD monthly or 143 USD with yearly billing, and includes built in live video for up to 200 people.
What is the best Podia alternative for live workshops?
For experts who want the live room inside the platform, Masterclass.tv is a strong Podia alternative for workshops. Pro includes up to 1,000 viewers, upvoted questions, replay sales, certificates and a public schedule. It costs 49 USD a month billed yearly, and experts keep 75 percent of each ticket.
FOR EXPERTS
Teach live with the room and replay on your class page
Sell the ticket, teach the session, answer questions and keep offering the replay. Start with a test class to see how the studio fits your teaching, then choose the plan that matches your live calendar.
Compare more ways to sell live classes
Compare the Kajabi alternative for live classes, the Mighty Networks alternative for paid workshops and the Luma alternative for paid online classes. Each comparison addresses a different starting point, from a course business to a community or an event registration tool.
For planning your own offer, read how to sell live classes online and how to host paid webinars. Check Masterclass.tv plans and ticket fees, or explore the guide to the best platforms to sell live classes before choosing where to teach.