Migration
Moving from LearnDash to Podia
The common trigger is wanting one simple hosted tool instead of a WordPress stack to maintain. Podia bundles a website builder, custom domain and email marketing into every plan; LearnDash gives you none of that, only course delivery inside WordPress. The trade is Podia's transaction fee on Mover and its email subscriber caps, against LearnDash's flat license and no caps. The move is still a migration project: inventory, written export answers, a reconciliation test, then cutover.
Why creators consider this move
Two registry facts drive most of these switches. Neither is about export tooling, which we do not claim either way.
- Operational load. LearnDash is self-supported by default: you or your host manage WordPress, backups and updates. Podia hosts everything, with a website builder and email marketing bundled in.
- What you give up. LearnDash's license does not cap courses or learners and charges no transaction fee. Podia caps email subscribers per plan and takes a 5% transaction fee on Mover, dropping to 0% on Shaker and Earthquaker.
Plan mapping and the cost delta
Map your LearnDash license to the Podia tier that matches your subscriber list and product count.
| Platform | Entry plan | From (annual billing) | Platform fees on the entry plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thinkific | Basic | $40/mo | 5% only with your own gateway | Hosted (SaaS) |
| LearnWorlds | Starter | $24/mo | $5 per course sale | Hosted (SaaS) |
| Teachable | Starter | $29/mo | 7.5% transaction fee | Hosted (SaaS) |
| Podia | Mover | $42/mo | 5% transaction fee | Hosted (SaaS) |
| LearnDash | Essentials | $259/year license | No platform fee | Your WordPress site |
LearnDash Essentials is $259 a year for the license, plus your current WordPress hosting cost. Podia Mover is $504 a year, hosted, with a website builder and email marketing included, but a 5% transaction fee. Run your numbers in the cost calculator, including your list size against Podia's subscriber caps.
Apply the checklist to your LearnDash site
Follow the full LMS migration checklist and adapt it here.
- Inventory. Count courses, learners, certificates issued and active payment plans on your WordPress site, plus your current email subscriber count against Podia's caps.
- Ask both vendors in writing. Request a sample export from your LearnDash install and ask Podia what it imports and in what format.
- Run the reconciliation test. Build a fictional dataset, export it, import it into a Podia trial, and compare object counts before and after.
Cutover order
Rebuild and verify before touching anything live. Recreate the catalog in Podia, set up the website builder and email marketing, and run the reconciliation test on fictional data. Keep your WordPress site live throughout.
Only when the destination is proven do you migrate learners, redirect your domain, and decide what happens to the WordPress install and its hosting contract afterward.
Frequently asked questions
Will Podia charge me a transaction fee LearnDash did not?
Do I still need to manage WordPress after moving to Podia?
Will my LearnDash courses import into Podia?
Keep deciding
LMS migration checklist: what really moves, and what you rebuild
A migration matrix by object type, courses, learners, progress, subscriptions, with what to inventory and what to demand from each vendor in writing.
Podia vs LearnDash: hosted simplicity or WordPress ownership
Podia is a hosted all-in-one storefront from $42 a month with a transaction fee on the entry plan. LearnDash is a WordPress plugin from $259 a year. Compare cost and fit.
Hosted LMS vs WordPress LMS: ownership and total cost
SaaS subscription versus a LearnDash license plus hosting, updates and backups. The yearly cost, the responsibility split, and who owns your data.
Course platform pricing calculator: Thinkific vs LearnWorlds vs Teachable, Podia and LearnDash
Selling courses? Compare the yearly cost of Thinkific, LearnWorlds, Teachable, Podia and LearnDash from your sales, students, admin seats and transaction fees.