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Does Podia Offer Certificates?
Podia is a popular platform for creators looking to sell online courses, digital products, memberships, and more. However, one common question is whether Podia offers certificates for course completion. Unfortunately, Podia does not have a built-in certificate feature. This may be a drawback for creators who want to provide their students with a sense of accomplishment after completing a course.
Certificates play an important role in boosting student motivation, validating their efforts, and providing them with credentials they can share. For those looking to add certificates, the good news is that you can easily integrate Podia with third-party platforms like Sertifier to offer customizable, professional digital certificates.
Read our LMS blog: Best Learning Management Systems (In-Depth Comparison)
How to Send Podia Certificates with Sertifier (Zapier)
To offer certificates with Sertifier, you can use Zapier to automate the process. By connecting Podia with Sertifier via Zapier, you can issue certificates automatically when students complete a course on Podia.
Here’s how to set it up:
Steps to Send Certificates with Sertifier via Zapier:
- Create an Account on Sertifier and Zapier: If you haven’t already, sign up for accounts on both platforms. Sertifier will handle the design and issuance of certificates, while Zapier will automate the process.
- Set Up a Zap (Automation): In Zapier, create a new Zap. Set Podia as the trigger app and choose the event “New Course Completion” as the trigger. This will prompt Zapier to take action every time a student completes a course.
- Connect Sertifier: Once the Podia trigger is set, choose Sertifier as the action app. Set the action to “Send Certificate.” This will automate the process of issuing a certificate to the student who has completed the course.
- Customize Your Certificates: In Sertifier, you can create fully customized certificates with your branding, course name, and personalized details such as the student’s name and completion date. These details will be automatically filled in when Zapier triggers the certificate issuance.
- Test the Automation: It’s always a good idea to run a test. Complete a mock course on Podia, and check if Sertifier issues the certificate as expected.
- Go Live: Once you’re satisfied with the setup, activate the Zap. Now, every time a student completes a course on Podia, a professional, customized certificate will automatically be sent via Sertifier.
Using Zapier to link Podia and Sertifier ensures that you can offer a professional certification experience without the need for manual intervention.
Does Podia Take a Percentage?
Podia’s pricing structure is one of its most appealing aspects for creators. Unlike other platforms, Podia does not take a percentage of your course or product sales. Instead, it offers flat-fee pricing with various plan tiers, allowing creators to keep 100% of their earnings.
Podia’s pricing includes three plans:
- Mover Plan: $39/month, which includes course creation, email marketing, and digital downloads.
- Shaker Plan: $89/month, which adds memberships, affiliate marketing, and third-party code.
- Earthquaker Plan: $199/month, which includes everything in the Shaker Plan plus dedicated onboarding calls, priority support, and more.
The absence of transaction fees makes Podia an attractive option for creators looking to maximize their profits.
What Are the Disadvantages of Podia?
While Podia is a great platform for many creators, it does come with a few limitations that might be important to consider:
- Limited Customization: Podia offers fewer customization options compared to some competitors like Kajabi or Thinkific. For creators looking to heavily modify the appearance of their courses or membership sites, Podia’s simpler templates may feel restrictive.
- No Built-In Certificates: As mentioned earlier, Podia lacks a built-in feature for issuing certificates. While this can be resolved with integrations like Sertifier, it still requires extra steps and may be a drawback for some users.
- Fewer Advanced Features: Podia is designed with simplicity in mind, which means that while it’s easy to use, it lacks some of the more advanced features like funnel builders, quizzes, or assessments that are offered by platforms like Kajabi.
- Basic Community Features: While Podia does offer membership and community functionality, the options are more basic compared to platforms like Mighty Networks or Kajabi, which have more robust community-building tools.
These disadvantages might not be dealbreakers for all creators, but they are worth considering depending on your needs.
Which Is Better: Kajabi or Podia?
When comparing Kajabi and Podia, the decision ultimately depends on what you need from your course platform. Here’s a breakdown of how they stack up against each other:
1. Features
- Kajabi: Kajabi offers more advanced features, including marketing funnels, built-in automation, in-depth course customization, quizzes, and a broader range of tools for building communities.
- Podia: Podia focuses on simplicity and ease of use. It offers core features like course creation, membership sites, email marketing, and digital downloads, but lacks advanced tools like funnels or comprehensive community features.
2. Pricing
- Kajabi: Kajabi’s pricing is significantly higher, starting at $149/month, and going up to $399/month for more advanced plans. However, the higher price includes a broader range of tools.
- Podia: Podia’s pricing is more affordable, starting at $39/month, and Podia does not take a percentage of sales. This makes it an attractive option for creators on a budget.
3. Ease of Use
- Kajabi: While Kajabi offers more advanced features, it can have a steeper learning curve, especially for creators new to online course platforms.
- Podia: Podia is built for simplicity, which makes it easier for beginners or those who prefer a more streamlined approach to creating and selling courses.
4. Best For
- Kajabi: Kajabi is better suited for established businesses or creators who need all-in-one tools and are willing to invest in a premium platform.
- Podia: Podia is ideal for smaller creators, those just starting, or those who prefer a more budget-friendly, easy-to-use platform with essential features.
Conclusion
While Podia doesn’t offer built-in certificates, it’s easy to integrate third-party tools like Sertifier using Zapier to issue customizable certificates. Podia’s flat-fee pricing model without taking a percentage of sales makes it a great choice for creators looking to maximize their earnings. However, Podia does have limitations in terms of customization and advanced features.
If you’re looking for a straightforward, budget-friendly platform to sell courses and digital products, Podia might be the perfect fit. However, for those needing more advanced features or tools for scaling a larger business, Kajabi might be the better option.