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Podia vs Substack fees
How Podia and Substack fees compare, using each vendor's public pricing. Best plan = highest net at that size.
50 members at $19.00/month
| Platform (best plan) | Gross | Platform plan + fees | Processing | Net / month | Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Podia (Shaker) | $950.00 | $84.00 | $42.55 | $823.45 | ✓ verified |
| Substack (Paid subscriptions) | $950.00 | $95.00 | $49.20 | $805.80 | ✓ verified |
200 members at $29.00/month
| Platform (best plan) | Gross | Platform plan + fees | Processing | Net / month | Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Podia (Shaker) | $5,800.00 | $84.00 | $228.20 | $5,487.80 | ✓ verified |
| Substack (Paid subscriptions) | $5,800.00 | $580.00 | $268.80 | $4,951.20 | ✓ verified |
1,000 members at $29.00/month
| Platform (best plan) | Gross | Platform plan + fees | Processing | Net / month | Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Podia (Shaker) | $29,000.00 | $84.00 | $1,141.00 | $27,775.00 | ✓ verified |
| Substack (Paid subscriptions) | $29,000.00 | $2,900.00 | $1,344.00 | $24,756.00 | ✓ verified |
Try your own numbers in the calculator → · Full details: Podia pricing, Substack pricing.
Podia plans
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Platform fee | Payment processing | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mover | $42.00/mo ✓ verified | $49.00/mo ✓ verified | 5% ✓ verified | 2.9% + $0.30 ✓ verified | 100 email subscribers |
| Shaker | $84.00/mo ✓ verified | $99.00/mo ✓ verified | 0% ✓ verified | 2.9% + $0.30 ✓ verified | 500 email subscribers |
| Earthquaker | $150.00/mo ✓ verified | $179.00/mo ✓ verified | 0% ✓ verified | 2.9% + $0.30 ✓ verified | 1,000 email subscribers |
Sources and notes
Notes
- Email subscriber limits are 100, 500 and 1,000 on the three plans; larger lists cost more (not included).
- Podia says Stripe and PayPal charge a standard 2.9% + $0.30, which may vary by location.
- Mover: Listed as $49.00 per month billed monthly.
- Payment processing: Per Podia's FAQ, the payment processor charges 2.9% + $0.30.
- Shaker, Earthquaker: Taken from the price Podia lists for this plan.
Sources
- https://www.podia.com/pricing · verified 2026-10-18 · ✓ verified
- https://stripe.com/pricing · verified 2026-10-18 · ✓ verified
Substack plans
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Platform fee | Payment processing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paid subscriptions | $0.00/mo ✓ verified | $0.00/mo ✓ verified | 10% ✓ verified | 3.6% + $0.30 ✓ verified |
Sources and notes
Notes
- Processing is Stripe's card fee (2.9% + $0.30) plus Stripe Billing (0.7%), or 3.6% + $0.30 per payment on US cards.
- Subscriptions bought in the iOS app may cost readers more to cover Apple's fees. This is not included.
- Payment processing: Stripe card fee of 2.9% + $0.30 plus 0.7% for Stripe Billing.
Sources
- https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/360037607131-How-much-does-Substack-cost · verified 2026-10-18 · ✓ verified
Frequently asked questions
Which keeps more at 50 members paying $19.00/month, Podia or Substack?
Podia (Shaker) keeps about $823.45 per month, versus about $805.80 for Substack (Paid subscriptions), using the best plan of each. This follows the assumptions on the method page.
Which keeps more at 200 members paying $29.00/month, Podia or Substack?
Podia (Shaker) keeps about $5,487.80 per month, versus about $4,951.20 for Substack (Paid subscriptions), using the best plan of each. This follows the assumptions on the method page.
Which keeps more at 1,000 members paying $29.00/month, Podia or Substack?
Podia (Shaker) keeps about $27,775.00 per month, versus about $24,756.00 for Substack (Paid subscriptions), using the best plan of each. This follows the assumptions on the method page.