How Beacons and Podia compare
Beacons is more than a link page. A link-in-bio, digital product store, email marketing, media kit, brand-deal invoicing, and AI tools give a creator a mini back office without leaving the app. For someone monetizing social attention with sponsors and downloads, it is a clever, generous bundle.
Podia is the all-in-one that stays friendly. Courses with drip and quizzes, digital downloads delivered the second someone pays, coaching products, events, a community with paid plans, a website with a real blog, and Podia Email with broadcasts and campaigns, all under one login and one bill. Sales tax across 230 jurisdictions, 20 plus currencies, coupons, bundles, and payment plans come standard, and Shaker and Earthquaker drop the transaction fee to zero. For a creator selling digital products, Podia removes a lot of glue.
Where they are different
Beacons
- Beacons is a profile with tools.
- Beacons emails from its platform.
- Beacons sells downloads and links.
Podia
- Podia's coaching product takes payment and then hands booking to Calendly, SavvyCal, Acuity, or YouCanBookMe.
- Podia Email sends from Podia and includes 100 to 1,000 subscribers by plan.
- Podia's chat inbox gathers chat.
- Podia gives one assistant on Shaker with full access.
Choose Beacons when you are monetizing a social audience with sponsors, downloads, and a bio link.
Choose Podia when courses, downloads, and paid memberships are what you sell and you want checkout, tax, and delivery handled for you.
Compare features
What's on Beacons and Podia
A check means that capability is available. Beacons and Podia are marked only when the offer is comparable, not the same product.
Site and brand
- Workspace siteBeacons: IncludedPodia: Included
- Custom domainBeacons: IncludedPodia: Included
- Editor ModeBeacons: IncludedPodia: Included
- Theme and fontsBeacons: IncludedPodia: Included
- Brand kitBeacons: IncludedPodia: Not included
Public content
- BlogBeacons: Not includedPodia: Included
- Reader engagementBeacons: Not includedPodia: Included
- Shop pagesBeacons: IncludedPodia: Included
Audience and email
- AudienceBeacons: IncludedPodia: Included
- Marketing emailsBeacons: IncludedPodia: Included
- Campaign workflowsBeacons: IncludedPodia: Included
Commerce
- Shop paymentsBeacons: IncludedPodia: Included
- Orders and fulfillmentBeacons: IncludedPodia: Included
- Scheduling and bookingsLink to external scheduling available on Starter.Beacons: IncludedPodia: Not included
Team
- Admin usersBeacons: IncludedPodia: Included
* Note: This table does not capture every feature of Beacons or Podia, and is not intended as a comprehensive list. We keep this page current, but Beacons or Podia may add or remove features that are not shown here.
Beacons vs Podia pricing
Compare plans, prices, and what it costs to get started.
Beacons
Current plans and prices
See what Beacons charges on their pricing page.
Podia
Current plans and prices
See what Podia charges on their pricing page.
Cardel: An alternative to
Beacons and Podia
You don't pay until you publish.
Cardel provides a home for your craft. Share and sell your work, grow your audience, and bring your community together on a site of your own.
Common questions
Is Cardel an alternative to Beacons or Podia?
Cardel is a home for your craft: a site of your own with a blog, newsletter, shop, community, and one inbox. It can replace Beacons or Podia when you want your work, audience, and sales in one place. The feature list on this page shows where Beacons and Podia are marked.
Can I use Cardel with Beacons or Podia?
Yes. Cardel pages can link out to other products, so you can keep Beacons or Podia for what it does best and bring the rest of your work to Cardel.
How much does Cardel cost compared with Beacons and Podia?
You don't pay for Cardel until you publish. Choose Starter, Pro, or Studio when your site goes live. Beacons and Podia set their own prices, so check their pricing pages on this page for current plans.
How do I switch from Beacons or Podia to Cardel?
Start with Build Your Site, set up your home, and bring your work over at your own pace. You do not have to move everything on day one.