BTS vs Podia: Why We Built It Differently (2026)

If you're reading this, you've probably already done some research. You've looked at Podia. Maybe you've even tried it. And somewhere along the way, you stumbled across BTS and wondered: what's the difference?

Here's the honest answer: Podia is a solid platform. They've been around longer than us, and they've helped thousands of creators sell courses and digital products. We respect what they've built.

But we built BTS differently. Not because we wanted to be contrarian, but because we saw a problem that existing platforms weren't solving. The creator economy is fragmented. Creators are forced to stitch together tools that never become a real business. And most platforms optimise for transactions, not ownership.

At BTS, we believe creators deserve to own what they build. That's why BTS is where creators turn content and community into real businesses—not just another storefront for selling courses.

In this comparison, we're going to be transparent about where Podia shines, where we think we're better, and who should choose which platform. We're not here to trash-talk. We're here to help you make the right decision for your creator business.

Let's get into it.

Quick Comparison Table

Why We Built BTS Differently

When we started building BTS, we weren't trying to create another course platform. We weren't trying to compete with Podia or Teachable or Kajabi on their terms. We were trying to solve a fundamentally different problem.

The creator economy is fragmented. And we mean properly fragmented.

Here's what we kept seeing: talented creators with real audiences, genuine expertise, and valuable content—stuck. Not because they lacked ambition or ideas, but because the tools available to them were designed for transactions, not for building lasting businesses.

Think about what a creator has to do today to build a sustainable business. They need a platform for their community (maybe Circle or Discord). They need a place to host courses (Teachable, Thinkific, Podia). They need an email list (ConvertKit, Mailchimp). They need a landing page (Carrd, Webflow). They need to manage payments (Stripe, PayPal). They need analytics. They need a scheduling tool. They need, they need, they need.

And after all that stitching and patching? It never becomes a real business. It's just a collection of tools held together with duct tape and Zapier automations.

From our experience: "We've seen creators spending more time managing their tech stack than actually creating content. That's backwards."

When we built BTS, we started with a different question: What if creators had one place to build something they own?

Not just a storefront. Not just a course platform. Not just a community space. But actual infrastructure—the foundation for a creator business that can grow with you.

BTS is the creator business infrastructure. Everything runs behind the scenes in one space. You bring your audience. We help you turn them into a real business.

This isn't about having more features than Podia or any other platform. It's about having the right structure. We focus on structure and momentum, not algorithms. We give creators the foundation to build something durable, owned, and scalable.

What we've learned: "The most successful creator businesses aren't the ones with the most tools. They're the ones with the clearest structure and the strongest relationship with their audience."

We saw the frustration firsthand. Creators were paying for five, six, seven different subscriptions every month. They were losing hours to integration problems. Their audience data was scattered across platforms that didn't talk to each other. And at the end of the day, they didn't own any of it.

BTS is not a social network or a marketplace. We're not trying to build the next Instagram or Etsy for creators. We're building infrastructure—the foundation that lets creators focus on what they're actually good at: creating, connecting, and growing something they own.

That's why we built it differently.

Where Podia Shines

Let's be honest about Podia's strengths. We're confident in what we've built, and confidence means we can acknowledge when competitors do things well.

Simplicity

Podia has built their entire brand around simplicity, and they deliver on it. If you're a creator who just wants to upload a course, set a price, and start selling, Podia makes that straightforward. Their interface is clean (if a bit dated), and they've stripped out a lot of complexity that other platforms add.

For creators who are overwhelmed by options and just want something that works out of the box, Podia is a legitimate choice. They've intentionally limited features to reduce decision fatigue.

All-in-One Basics

Podia covers the basics well: courses, digital downloads, memberships, and coaching. They've added email marketing with their newer plans, which means you can technically run everything from one dashboard. For creators who don't need advanced functionality, this covers most use cases.

Established Track Record

Podia has been around since 2014. They have years of refinement, documentation, and a proven track record. They're not going anywhere, and for risk-averse creators, that stability matters.

Pricing Transparency

Their pricing is straightforward. Mover plan at $39/month with 5% transaction fees, Shaker at $89/month with no transaction fees. What you see is what you get. No hidden charges.

Our honest take: If all you want is a simple storefront to sell a few courses, and you don't need community features, advanced customisation, or a modern brand experience, Podia can get the job done. We're not going to pretend otherwise.

Where Podia Fits Best

Podia works particularly well for creators who are just getting started and want to test whether they can sell their knowledge. If you have a single course idea, a small email list, and you're not sure if this creator thing is going to work out, Podia's straightforward approach makes sense.

They've also built good integrations with common marketing tools, so if you already have a tech stack you love and just need a course delivery platform, Podia can slot in without disrupting everything else.

Where We Think We're Better

Now let's talk about why we built BTS differently and where we believe our approach serves creators better.

Modern Design and Brand Experience

Unlike Podia's template-based interface, BTS is designed to look and feel like a modern brand, not an online course portal from the early 2000s.

We obsess over design. Not because it's nice to have, but because your brand experience matters. When a fan lands on your BTS space, they should feel like they're entering your world—not a generic platform that looks like everyone else's.

Podia's storefronts are functional, but they look like storefronts. BTS looks like a creator brand. That distinction matters when you're building a real business.

BTS's take: "Design isn't decoration. It's communication. How your space looks tells your audience whether you're serious about what you're building."

True Ownership Philosophy

Most creator platforms optimise for transactions. They want you to sell more courses, so they can take their cut. BTS optimises for ownership.

BTS gives creators one place to build something they own. Your audience data is yours. Your content is yours. Your business logic is yours. We're infrastructure, not a landlord.

With Podia, you're building on their storefront. With BTS, you're building your business on infrastructure designed to grow with you.

Getting Started Without Risk

Podia discontinued their free plan in 2024. To even try the platform, you need to commit to a 14-day trial and then start paying $33-39/month.

BTS offers a completely free Starter plan. You can launch, start earning, and build your audience without paying us a cent. Our Starter plan has a 10% transaction fee, which means we only make money when you make money. When you're ready to scale, you can upgrade to Pro.

Our recommendation: "Based on working with 1,600+ creators, we suggest starting free and upgrading when your revenue justifies it. Don't pay platform fees before you've validated your offer."

Flexible Monetisation

Podia focuses on courses, downloads, and basic memberships. That covers a lot, but it's limited.

BTS supports subscriptions (monthly and annual), pay-per-view, one-off payments, free trials, tips, custom requests, and bundles. All within one ecosystem. No third-party integrations needed.

Global Payouts

We've built payment infrastructure that works globally. Creators get paid in 1-5 days (same-day in the US). We support creators everywhere except Africa, Spain, Venezuela, North Korea, Iran, and Russia.

Our data shows: "Faster payouts mean healthier creator businesses. $1,400,000+ has been paid out to creators on BTS since launch."

Creator Success Support

Podia offers support. We offer creator success partnership.

Our team isn't just answering tickets—we're helping creators build better businesses. Real humans who understand what you're trying to build, not just how the software works.

One of our ambassadors, George Mirosevich, put it well: "I was already sharing a lot online... BTS just helped me turn it into something much more tangible." That's the kind of transformation we're focused on—not just answering how-to questions, but helping you build something real.

Community as Core, Not Add-On

Community features on most platforms feel bolted on. They're an afterthought—a checkbox feature so marketing can say "includes community."

At BTS, community is foundational. We built it as core infrastructure because we know that the strongest creator businesses are built on relationships, not just transactions. Your community isn't a nice-to-have; it's the engine of your business.

Podia's community features exist, but they're limited compared to dedicated community platforms. With BTS, you don't have to choose between a great community experience and great content delivery. You get both, integrated.

Who Should Choose Podia

We mean this genuinely. Some creators are better served by Podia, and we'd rather you choose the right platform than choose us and be disappointed.

Choose Podia if:

• You only want to sell courses and digital downloads
• Simplicity is your top priority and you don't need advanced features
• You're a beginner who wants the most straightforward setup possible
• You don't need community features
• You're not concerned about modern design or brand experience
• You're comfortable paying monthly fees from day one
• You don't have an existing audience yet and are building from scratch

Podia's strength is simplicity for course sellers. If that's all you need, it's a legitimate option.

Be honest with yourself about what you're building. If it's a few courses and some digital downloads, Podia might serve you fine. If you're building a creator business with community, recurring revenue, and long-term audience relationships, that's different.

Who Should Choose BTS

If a creator has an audience but no structure, BTS is the answer.

Choose BTS if:

• You're an education-focused creator with a clear niche and 10k+ audience
• You want to build a real business, not just sell products
• You value design and brand experience
• You want to start free and scale when ready
• You need flexible monetisation beyond just courses
• Community is core to your offering
• You're tired of stitching together multiple platforms
• You want to own your audience data and business infrastructure
• You're ready to take your creator business seriously

Our target creators are education-focused individuals in a clear niche with an existing audience of 10,000+ and a digital product offering—whether that's content, courses, coaching, or community.

We also work with entertainment-focused creators who have 100,000+ audiences wanting to provide behind-the-scenes access to their lives.

What we've learned: "The creators who thrive on BTS are the ones who've already proven they have something valuable to offer. We help them turn that into a structured, scalable business."

BTS is not for everyone. We're not a marketplace that finds customers for you. We're not a social network with feeds and algorithms. We're not for hobbyists or casual experimenters. We're for creators ready to build something real.

If that's you, we built this for you.

The Real Cost Comparison

Let's talk numbers, because pricing matters when you're building a business.

Podia Pricing Breakdown

• Mover Plan: $39/month ($33/month annual) + 5% transaction fee
• Shaker Plan: $89/month ($75/month annual) + 0% transaction fee
• Earthquaker Plan: $199/month ($166/month annual) + 0% transaction fee

Note: Podia no longer offers a free plan. They discontinued it in 2024.

BTS Pricing Breakdown

• Starter Plan: $0/month + 10% transaction fee
• Pro Plan: $149/month + 3.5% + 30c per transaction

Which Is Actually Cheaper?

It depends on your revenue. Here's how it breaks down:

Our take: If you're making under $1,000/month, our free Starter plan lets you keep more of your earnings without any monthly commitment. As you scale past $3,000-4,000/month, our Pro plan becomes more economical than both of our options.

But here's the thing we always tell creators: don't optimise for platform fees when you're starting out. Optimise for the platform that helps you earn more in the first place. A platform that helps you double your revenue is worth way more than one that saves you 2% on fees.

Making the Switch

Already on Podia and considering BTS? Here's what the migration process looks like.

What Transfers Easily

• Your content (courses, digital products)
• Your member email list
• Your pricing structure
• Your domain (if using custom domain)

Our Migration Support

We don't just give you an import tool and wish you luck. Our team helps creators migrate from platforms like Podia, Patreon, Teachable, and others.

How BTS Approaches Migration:

1. Audit your current setup – We review what you have on Podia and plan the transition
2. Content migration – We help move your courses and products
3. Member communication – We provide templates for notifying your audience
4. Parallel running – Some creators run both platforms briefly during transition
5. Full cutover – Complete the switch and close your old platform

Our recommendation: "Based on working with hundreds of migrating creators, we suggest running both platforms for 2-4 weeks during transition. It's worth the temporary overlap to ensure no one falls through the cracks."

Most creators complete their migration within a week. The longest part isn't technical—it's communicating the change to your audience.

Our Honest Take

Let's summarise what we've covered.

Podia is a straightforward, all-in-one platform for selling courses and digital downloads. It's been around for years, prioritises simplicity, and works well for creators who just want a basic storefront. Their weakness is limited features, dated design, and no free entry point.

BTS is creator business infrastructure. We built it for creators who want to own what they build—not just rent a storefront. We're modern, flexible, and designed for creators with existing audiences who are ready to build something real. Our weakness is that we require you to bring your own audience; we're not a discovery platform.

The fundamental difference: Podia helps you sell products. BTS helps you build a business.

If you're a creator with an audience, a clear niche, and a desire to build something you own, we built BTS for you. BTS is where creators turn content and community into real businesses.

We offer a free Starter plan, so there's no risk in trying. Build your space, launch your first offer, and see if our philosophy resonates with how you want to work.

You bring your audience. We help you turn them into a real business.

FAQ: BTS vs Podia

How much does BTS cost?

BTS offers a free Starter plan with a 10% transaction fee—you only pay when you earn. Our Pro plan is $149/month plus a 3.5% + 30c transaction fee, designed for serious creators ready to scale. Check our pricing page for current details.

Is BTS free to use?

Yes. Our Starter plan is completely free to launch and start earning. Unlike Podia, which requires paid subscriptions from day one, BTS lets you validate your offer before committing to monthly fees.

What makes BTS different from other creator platforms?

BTS is creator business infrastructure, not just a storefront or course platform. We focus on ownership, structure, and momentum. Everything runs behind the scenes in one place, so creators can build something they truly own.

Can I migrate my existing members to BTS?

Absolutely. We help creators migrate from Podia, Patreon, Teachable, and other platforms regularly. Your members transfer seamlessly, and our team supports you through the process.

How long does it take to set up BTS?

Most creators launch within a day. We've designed onboarding to get you earning quickly, not buried in settings and configurations. If you can use social media, you can set up BTS.

Does BTS take a percentage of my earnings?

Yes, transparently. Starter plan takes 10% (no monthly fee). Pro plan takes 3.5% + 30c per transaction (plus $149/month). We make money when you make money.

What kind of support does BTS offer?

Creator success support, not just technical help. Real humans who understand your business goals and help you build effectively. We're partners in your success, not just a help desk.

Can I use my own domain with BTS?

Yes. Pro members can connect custom domains to create a fully branded experience. Your space looks like your brand, not a generic platform.

Is BTS better than Podia?

It depends on what you're building. For creators who just want to sell courses simply, Podia works. For creators building real businesses with community, recurring revenue, and long-term audience relationships, we believe BTS serves you better.

Can I use both BTS and Podia?

Some creators do run multiple platforms during transition. But most find BTS handles everything they need in one place—which is the whole point of building infrastructure instead of stitching together tools.

Does Podia have a free plan?

Not anymore. Podia discontinued their free plan in 2024. The cheapest option is their Mover plan at $33/month (annual) or $39/month (monthly) with a 5% transaction fee.

What transaction fees does BTS charge compared to Podia?

BTS Starter: 10% (no monthly fee). BTS Pro: 3.5% + 30c ($149/month). Podia Mover: 5% ($39/month). Podia Shaker: 0% ($89/month). The right choice depends on your revenue level.

Can I sell coaching on BTS?

Yes. BTS supports coaching, community access, courses, pay-per-view content, subscriptions, tips, custom requests, and more. We're flexible by design.

Does BTS have email marketing built in?

BTS focuses on direct audience relationships through your space. For email marketing, many creators integrate their preferred tools, though we handle member communication natively.

How fast are BTS payouts?

1-5 days globally, same-day in the US. We've built payment infrastructure that doesn't make creators wait weeks to access their earnings.

What creators are on BTS?

We have 1,600+ creators across education, business, fitness, and entrepreneurship niches. Notable creators include Nick Bell (ambassador), Etienne Steven, George Mirosevich, Finlay Noorlander, Cassie Leong, and Tom Noske.

Is BTS good for beginners?

BTS works best for creators with existing audiences (10k+) and clear expertise. If you're just starting from zero, you might need to build your audience first. We don't solve audience discovery—you bring your audience, we help you build with them.

What's the main weakness of BTS compared to Podia?

We're honest: Podia has been around longer and has more established brand recognition. They also offer simpler pricing tiers for lower-revenue creators. BTS requires you to bring an audience—we don't help you find one.

Why should I trust BTS?

We've paid out $1,400,000+ to creators. We're backed by a $15,000,000 valuation. We launched in 2024 and have grown to 1,600+ creators. But ultimately, trust comes from trying—that's why we offer a free plan.

What happens if BTS shuts down?

Your content is yours. Your member data is yours. We're infrastructure, not a prison. But we're also well-funded and growing—we're not going anywhere.

Key Takeaways

• Podia is a solid, simple course-selling platform best for beginners who want straightforward functionality
• BTS is creator business infrastructure for those building something they own
• BTS offers a free Starter plan; Podia requires paid subscriptions from day one
• Design, ownership, and flexible monetisation are where BTS excels
• Simplicity and established track record are Podia's strengths
• Choose based on what you're actually building—a storefront or a business

About the Author

The BTS Team is the Product Team at BTS. We built BTS because we saw creators struggling to turn their audiences into real businesses—fragmented across dozens of tools that never connected into something whole.

We're creators ourselves, and we're building the infrastructure we wish had existed when we started.

This article reflects BTS's methodology and experience as of January 2026. For the most current pricing and features, visit our pricing page.

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