Two of the more notable knowledge commerce platforms are LearnWorlds and Podia.
We compared the candidates and noted that they displayed distinctive and compelling features.
- Great Student Engagement
- Excellent Site Builder
- Top customer support
- More detailed information
- Downloadables
- Video and content hosting
- Simplistic UX and UI
In recent years, the delivery of online education has become increasingly popular. For this reason, there are now many reputable platforms available to launch and market course content.
So, how do you decide which one to use for your business? Should you go for LearnWorlds’ supreme course creation and scalability? Or, conversely, are you drawn in by Podia’s simplicity, affordability, and marketing excellence? Let’s take a closer look.
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LearnWorlds
LearnWorlds is uniquely suited to launching online content. Educators, professional trainers, and corporates create a community and sell subscriptions to distribute and access your content.
Unique features comprise:
- Live and interactive webinar creation (Zoom)
- SCORM and HTML5
- Video transcription
- Certificates and grade book utilization
- Interactive ebook
- Customizable course player
- Copyright protection
- Social interaction via messenger and study group creation
- WordPress plugin
- Custom domain
- One-click sales funnel
- Several payment gateways (Stripe, 2Checkout, PayPal, Shopify)
- Customized reporting and invoicing
- Custom mobile app
Podia
Podia lets you sell access to downloadable content and courses. This option enables you to generate extra income – recurring or residual income, in the case of memberships. Content types include online courses and webinars.
Podia downloadables feature:
- Video and content hosting
- Drip course content
- Embedding of units
- Quizzes
- Basic course player
- Default template
- Custom domain
- Integration with marketing- and analytics tools
- Payment gateways (Stripe/PayPal)
- Manual enrolment of students
- Customizable user roles
LearnWorlds vs. Podia at a Glance
| LearnWorlds | Podia | |
|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Yes, 30 days. | Yes, 14 days. |
| Pricing Range | Starter – $29/month Pro Trainer – $99/month (-20% if paid annually) Learning Centre – $299/month (-20% if paid annually) High Volume/Corporate (custom) | Mover – $39/month Shaker – $79/month Earthquaker – $179/month |
| Best For | Selling and marketing online content for educators | Downloadables for digital creators and entrepreneurs |
| User Interface Features | Student progress tracking Events log School dashboard overview on enrollment and performance Customizable settings | Mobile-friendly website Messaging Socially interactive on online community |
| Online Courses | Video hosting IBM Cloud or Webex assisted webinars Customizable course player Manual enrolment of students Exams and graded quizzes | Video hosting Webinars Basic course player Manual enrolment of students Quizzes Drip content/standalone courses/bundle courses Third-party embeds |
| Monetization Options | Promotions, discounts, and coupons Affiliate marketing Online social learning management One-click sales funnel | Promotions, discounts and coupons Affiliate marketing Zoom/YouTube Live integration Upsells Online course payment options |
| Marketing Options | Membership and subscriptions Stripe/2Checkout/ PayPal/Shopify payment gateways E-mail marketing White label branding Scalable | Membership and subscription PayPal/Stripe payment gateways E-mail marketing Branding Lead magnets Automated campaigns |
Podia undoubtedly offers a wide variety of notable features at affordable price points.
Particular benefits include:
- Built-in webinar hosting
- Drip content capability
- Course bundling
- Integration with Zoom/YouTube
- Superb e-mail marketing via extensive marketing tools
LearnWorlds displays a much more extensive range of functionalities at higher premiums:
- Interactive dashboard
- Customizable course player/domain/branding
- Multiple payment gateways
- White label branding
- Scalability
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LearnWorlds vs. Podia: Pricing Comparison
Keeping an eye on the budget is essential when buying or subscribing to a platform to deliver online course content. Therefore, we compared the pricing structures of both services to determine the best value for money.
In addition to this, we considered the relevance of features to cost and any hidden fees or additional costs.
LearnWorlds Pricing
LearnWorlds pricing plans cater to anyone from business start-ups to corporate enterprises, with subscription plans payable monthly or annually. Annual payments attract substantial cost reductions.
- Starter – $24 per month (-$60 if paid annually)
- Custom domain
- Unlimited paid courses and learners
- Unlimited video hosting
- 4 Payment gateways
- Pro trainer – $79 per month (-$240 if paid annually)
- Unlimited landing pages
- Subscription and membership
- Customizable course player
- Customizable checkout
- Live classes/webinars (Zoom and Webex)
- Advanced integrations
- Learning Center – $249 per month (-$600 if paid annually)
- White-label options
- Auto transcripts
- Automated course insights and reports
- Advanced affiliate management
- High volume/Corporate – contact sales
LearnWorlds premiums are markedly higher for access to advanced features. In addition, if billing is processed annually, it can potentially be a problem for start-ups.
Although no extra fees are applicable on Pro Trainer and Learning Center pricing plans, the Starter plan incurs a $5 surcharge on every course sold.
LearnWorlds does not support automatic replay of recorded webinars.
Podia Pricing
Podia offers two pricing plans to accommodate its users’ needs:
- Mover – $39 per month or $390 when paid annually
- Unlimited online courses/digital downloads/webinars
- Custom website
- Unlimited e-mail subscribers
- Shaker – $79 per month or $790 if paid annually
- Third-party code integration
- Course certificates
- Affiliate marketing
- Zoom capability
- Earthquaker – $179 per month or $1,790 if paid annually)
- Dedicated account manager
- Personalized onboarding
- Five team seats
No transaction fees are applicable, but you can add teammates for $20 per month per user on the Mover and Shaker plans.
Podia does not support SCORM files or interactive video transcripts. Additionally, branding options are limited, and design templates are limited to one default offering.
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LearnWorlds vs. Podia: A Comparison of Features and Tools
To simplify the marketing and selling of online content, having the right tools can make or break the deal. Users consider mobile access, social media reach, and the manner of content release to students.
Added features include performance and analytics tracking and customization capabilities to showcase and grow your brand. In addition, supportive customer service is a bonus.
We made a side-by-side comparison to determine how our two competitors rated against each other in the following categories:
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Online Courses
Our assessment noted that both platforms offer suitable hosting of text, images, videos, and PDF course material.
Podia allows content streaming via webinar to an unlimited number of participants. In addition, streaming can be pre-scheduled and recorded for automatic replay as needed.
LearnWorlds goes a step further to facilitate video hosting of its course content. Courses may be bundled or offered on a membership or subscription basis. Advanced teaching and learning tools simplify the process and improve student-educator interaction.
However, integration with a streaming platform such as IBM Cloud is needed to facilitate this.
Assessment, grading, and prerequisite activities come standard.
Which Platform Offers Better Solutions for Hosting Online Courses?
- LearnWorlds comes out on top in this category because of more wide-ranging functionality for building and managing online learning and teaching platforms.
Sales and Marketing Features
Both Podia and LearnWorlds give users access to built-in sales and marketing features such as various payment gateways, membership, and promotional activities.
Podia software enables users to compile extensive customer lists with a valuable marketing tool. In addition, its e-mail marketing system is particularly useful in generating customer databases.
The LearnWorlds sales engine notably optimizes lead generation and resultant course sales through a one-click sales funnel. It is capable of accommodating growth and can be upscaled as needed.
Which Platform Offers Better Sales and Marketing Solutions?
- Podia wins this race by a nose because its e-mail marketing software is a cut above.
Student Experience Features
Keeping students happy is a facilitator’s primary goal. Both of our challengers allow for manual student enrolment and customizable sign-up procedures.
The Podia platform ensures courses are widely available by making them available in 11 languages and accepting 22 currencies.
LearnWorlds provides GDPR compliance with security protocols, which ensures the safekeeping of student data.
Which Platform Offers Better Student Experience?
- Students are equally accommodated on both LearnWorlds and Podia, although functionality differs. As such, there is no clear winner here; They are equal but different, and so you will need to experiment with both and determine what your students are likely to want in this area.
Analytics Features
Podia has access to advanced analytics software through a third-party integrations with the likes of Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, and Google Analytics Events. However, this function is only accessible on the Shaker and Earthquaker pricing plans.
You can install website tracking codes and conversion tracking codes to facilitate this venture.
LearnWorlds similarly integrates with Google Analytics and likened performance- and metrics trackers. Video statistics and education performance data can also be made accessible in this manner.
Which Platform Offers Better Analytics Features?
- Both platforms need integration with third parties to compute and report key metrics. However, LearnWorlds wins this race, as its internal reporting system is superior.
Customization Features
Podia Editor helps users to create websites easily without needing to be tech-savvy. User storefronts are fully customizable, with custom pages and sales procedures incorporated into your funnel. However, it lacks HTML editing and a WordPress SSO plugin as featured on LearnWorlds.
LearnWorlds’ drag-and-drop editor makes customization of web pages equally easy. In addition, a large selection of templates and themes allows for unique creativity and brand promotion.
Which Platform Offers Better Customization Features?
- LearnWorlds is better in customization features. This conclusion is simply because the drop-and-drag editor, in conjunction with the extensive library of themes and templates, allows for increased creativity and white label branding.
Customer Support
Podia has a robust customer support system with a live chat over weekdays and weekends. In addition, a help center displaying 150 articles and social media group interaction via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube are available 24/7.
LearnWorlds matches and exceeds features Podia offers, with more extensive article and video content. Also included are interactive webinars, e-mail consultations, and phone queries to address customer queries and difficulties.
Which Platform Offers Better Customer Support?
LearnWorlds is better in customer support as webinars guide users and teach better business strategies utilizing the LearnWorlds platform.
Final Thoughts
Choose LearnWorlds If
- You want a good website builder or course creator
- You want SCORM support
- You want a range of features to cover every eventuality
Choose Podia If
- You require internal e-mail marketing solution for your product
- You want a simplistic platform
- You want to have additional monetization opportunities
- You want to trade in downloadable content
LearnWorlds and Podia both make good arguments to deem them the best digital content facilitator available.
Podia is well-designed and certainly meets users’ needs wishing to conduct webinars for an unlimited number of students. Further, there’s no denying that its one-stop location and incredible marketing strategies are hard to beat.
However, in this comparison, LearnWorlds comes out as the winner for most users.
Advanced customer support and various truly usable features to market, sell, analyze and report course performance wins hands down.
