If you’re comparing Podia vs. Stan Store, you’re likely looking for the best platform to monetize your digital downloads, courses, or services.
While both platforms are popular for their ability to streamline digital product sales, email marketing, and audience engagement, they differ in pricing, features, and ease of use.
Podia is known for its user-friendly interface and versatility, offering tools to sell online courses, memberships, and even ticketed live events. On the other hand, Stan Store caters to creators seeking affordability and efficiency, with built-in AI tools for content generation and a simplified pricing model.
In this article, we’ll explore the key differences between Podia vs. Stan Store, including their pricing, features, and usability. Whether you’re looking to scale your business or just starting out, this guide will help you determine which platform aligns with your needs and goals.
Spoiler alert: If what you’re really looking for is a totally free digital product store, skip ahead here.
Click here to start creating and selling digital products with The Leap. It’s free!Podia vs. Stan Store: Key differences
Podia and Stan Store are both popular online store platforms with similar feature offerings, like the ability to build and sell online courses and other digital products. However, there are some key differences that set them apart.
| Platform | Pricing and key features |
| Podia | Price: $39 – $89/month + transaction fees Digital product builder: ✅ online course builder Online store: ✅ Generative AI: ❌ Email marketing tools: ✅ Native calendar booking: ✅ Flexible payment options: ✅ |
| Stan Store | Price: $29 – $99/month Digital product builder: ✅ online courses only Online store: ✅ Generative AI: ✅ Email marketing tools: ✅ Native calendar booking: ✅ Flexible payment options: ✅ |
What is Podia?
Podia allows solo business owners to easily set up their websites and blogs, sell digital products, and create and sell online courses.
Podia’s online course builder is fairly simple to use, and offers all the basic functionality you’d hope for from a course builder, like the ability to upload videos and create quizzes. However, it lacks essential time-saving AI tools, and it can’t help you product other types of digital products.
While many Podia users enjoy the platform’s ease of use, it was most popular for its affordability. However, the platform recently removed its free plan, causing many to search elsewhere for a more affordable all-in-one online storefront.
With Podia, you can:
- Create a customizable online storefront and link-in-bio landing page.
- Sell digital products, memberships, ticketed events, webinars, and 1:1 coaching sessions or consultation calls.
- Build and sell online courses directly within the platform.
- Connect your favorite email marketing, analytics, advertising, and scheduling tools like Mailchimp, Kit, Google Analytics, and more.
- Join Podia’s Refer-a-Friend program to earn Podia account credits by referring new users to the platform.
What is Stan Store?
Stan Store is a popular creator store platform that allows creators to build an online store quickly to sell digital products, subscriptions, and digital services like one-on-one calls.
Like Podia, Stan Store also boasts itself as an “all-in-one” platform. Also similar to Podia, it doesn’t offer a free plan option. However, Stan Store’s standard plan shares many of the same monetization features as Podia and is slightly cheaper, starting at $29/month and it charges zero transaction fees.
With Stan Store, you can:
- Create a customizable online storefront and link-in-bio landing page.
- Use its AI Creator Assistant to generate text and product recommendations.
- Sell digital products, subscriptions, and 1:1 coaching sessions or consultation calls.
- Build and sell online courses directly within the platform.
- Automate your workflow by connecting to platforms like Zapier, Zoom, Mailchimp, Google Calendar, and more.
- Join Stan’s affiliate marketing program to earn a commission by promoting other creators’ products.
- Track analytics on your audience including demographics, engagement rates, and more.
Podia vs. Stan Store: Comparison
Now that you know the basics behind Podia and Stan Store, let’s dive in a little deeper and see how the two platforms compare and differ.
1. Pricing
Podia previously offered a free plan, which made the platform accessible to creator entrepreneurs just getting started. However, the platform has recently removed its free plan, which means you’ll have to pay either $39/month with a 5% transaction fee on all sales, or $89/month with 0% transaction fees.
Similarly, Stan Store does not offer a free plan. Its basic plan costs $29/month with zero transaction fees, while its premium plan costs $99/month.
Ultimately, Stan Store’s basic plan is the cheaper option. However, Podia’s basic plan may have slightly more robust features, like email marketing.
2. Native calendar booking
Both Podia and Stan Store offer appointment booking features that allow creator entrepreneurs to monetize their expertise via coaching or consulting calls.
Podia requires you to integrate with an appointment scheduling platform to schedule and sell one-on-one appointments. On the other hand, Stan Store’s calendar booking tool is built into the platform.
Stan Store also offers more extensive calendar booking features, like the ability to add breaks between meetings, set a maximum number of attendees, and the option to block off specific dates.
3. Online course builder
Podia and Stan Store both offer users the ability to build and sell online courses directly within the platform.
Both online course builders are easy to navigate. However, Stan Store has the added advantage of additional features like the ability to drip course content and its AI Assistant, Stanley, which can generate text for your courses based on your social media content.
While Podia is easy to use, Stan Store’s AI may prove helpful to some those looking for a time-saving content boost.
4. Email marketing tools
Both Stan Store and Podia offer features to help you grow your email list.
Podia offers its email marketing features in both paid plans. The platform makes it easy for users to automate email campaigns to reach the right audience at the right time, with segmentation options like products purchased, memberships, and revenue. It also offers several pre-made email templates, and allows you to embed your email sign-up form onto a third-party website.
On the other hand, while Stan Store allows its basic plan users to collect emails, it reserves its email marketing features — like the ability to set up automated email flows and send email broadcasts — for its premium plan users only.
Podia vs. Stan Store: Which one should you choose?
For the most part, Podia and Stan Store share very similar features: appointment scheduling, email list building, an online course builder, analytics, and a customizable online store for selling digital products.
Ultimately, the main difference between the two creator store platforms lies in how they deliver their features. Although both platforms market themselves as “all-in-one” solutions, this isn’t entirely true. For instance, some Podia features — such as calendar booking and audience analytics — are only available through integrations, meaning you can expect some platform-hopping to be involved.
Meanwhile, Stan Store has two major advantages: its AI assistant, which can generate text based on your social media content, and the fact that its basic plan only costs $29/month with zero transaction fees (vs. Podia’s standard plan at $39/month, with 5% transaction fees).
However, if Podia is still on your mind, it may be a good option for you if you’re looking to pursue income streams like ticketed live streams or an SEO-driven blog. Or, if you’re looking for an online store that will integrate with all of your existing workflows.
TL;DR
Podia is best if… |
Stan Store is best if… |
|
|
Free alternative to Podia and Stan Store: The Leap
The Leap is a free link-in-bio store with an AI-powered digital product builder that saves you both time and money. With The Leap, you can quickly build your own mobile-optimized storefront, where you can create, market, and sell digital products all in one place.
The Leap also helps you capture leads and grow your email list (aka own your audience), set up automated email flows and broadcasts, and offer one-on-one calls with clients with its Book My Time feature.
The best part? The Leap is totally free to use with zero transaction fees.
While you can build online courses with Podia and Stan Store, with The Leap’s AI-powered digital product builder you can generate ideas and customizable drafts for different types of digital products –like mini-courses, guides, tutorials, and more — in just minutes.
You can also use The Leap’s super-smart digital product builder to create effective lead magnets (aka freebies) to grow your email list, which in turn helps you grow your email list and your income.
The Leap also gives users a Creator Analytics dashboard, which provide you with the insights you need to create profitable digital products.
Looking for an affordable alternative to Podia and Stan Store? Try The Leap for free today.
Build, market, and sell digital products all in one spot with The Leap!
Podia vs. Stan Store FAQ
What is Podia used for
Podia is a platform designed for creators, entrepreneurs, and educators to build and grow their online businesses. It offers tools for selling digital products such as courses, ebooks, and memberships, as well as digital services like coaching and consulting calls. Podia also supports email marketing, enabling users to create and send campaigns to engage with their audience directly.
With Podia, creators can host webinars and build customizable storefronts. While it’s marketed as an all-in-one solution, some features — like calendar booking or advanced analytics — require third-party integrations.
Since Podia has recently removed its free plan, it may be a better option for experienced creator entrepreneurs looking to expand their business which has already proven to be successful.
How much does Stan Store cost?
Stan Store offers its Creator plan at $29/month and Creator Pro plan at $99/month, both with zero transaction fees.
Is there a free alternative to Podia and Stan Store?
Yes! The Leap is the only free alternative to Podia and Stan Store. If you’re on a budget, The Leap provides you with most of Podia and Stan Store’s features without the hefty subscription or transaction fees.
The Leap is a free link-in-bio store that comes with a robust monetization toolkit, including an AI-powered digital product builder that can create a range of digital products for you in just minutes — including mini-courses, guides, challenges, tutorials, and more.
Additionally, The Leap has calendar booking and email marketing automation tools for nurturing your leads built into the platform, so you truly can create, market, and sell your product offering all from one place.
Start monetizing your audience with The Leap, your free link-in-bio store.
Follow The Leap on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for more creator platform reviews. We also make a newsletter.
