Payhip is a checkout platform for creators. Podia is an all-in-one solution to sell digital courses and memberships with built-in email marketing. Both cancel your existing customer subscriptions if you leave.
The Recurring Income Hostage
You spent months building a membership. Customers trust you enough to pay every month. That subscription revenue feels like yours.
But here’s what most creators don’t realize until it’s too late.
If you use Payhip or a platform like Podia and decide to switch, those paying subscribers don’t come with you. The recurring payments stop. You have to start over.
“But I connected my own Stripe account,” you might think. Doesn’t matter. The billing relationship lives on their platform, not yours. When you leave, that relationship breaks.
Your customers signed up through their system. Even with your own payment processor connected, you’re locked in.
Breaking Free from Platform Lock-In
The question isn’t just “which platform offers better features?” It’s “who owns the customer relationship?”
You earned those subscribers. You created the online course or digital downloads they pay for. You handle customer support when things go wrong. Why should a platform hold that revenue hostage?
I think creators deserve better. A platform should help you sell digital products, not trap you.
That’s why CartMango exists. When you use CartMango with your Stripe or PayPal account, you keep your recurring payments if you leave. No hostage situation.
CartMango is free until 2027. Zero monthly fees. Zero commission. And if you email support, a real person responds in 2+ hours. No backend complexity, just an intuitive interface to manage your sales.
Payhip vs Podia vs CartMango
If you want to compare Podia and Payhip with a third option, here’s a comparison:
| Feature | Payhip | Podia | CartMango |
|---|---|---|---|
| Do you lose recurring revenue when leaving the vendor? | ❌ Subscription payments vanish if you leave, even with your own Stripe or PayPal connected | ❌ Subscription payments vanish if you leave, even with your own Stripe or PayPal connected | ✅ Your recurring revenue stays with you |
| Completely free? (Stripe/PayPal fees apply everywhere) | ❌ 5% per sale (free tier). $29/mo plus 2% (Plus). $99/mo with 0% (Pro). | ❌ $39/mo plus 5% cut. No PayPal on this tier. $89/mo for zero commission. | ✅ Zero monthly cost, zero commission. Every feature included (through 2027). |
| Course hosting (LMS) for online learning | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ Coming later |
| Post-purchase upsells and downsells | ❌ No upsell or downsell support | ⚠️ Limited to 3 upsells. No downsells. | ✅ Yes |
| Customer support quality | Helpful email support with positive feedback from real users, no live chat. | ⚠️ Mixed experiences. Trustpilot: 3.6/5 (delays, AI bot issues). Capterra: 4.6/5. | Founder answers emails directly, no bots. Response time 1hr+. |
| True buy now, pay later (paid upfront) | ❌ Not real BNPL: Payment plans pay you gradually. Customers who quit mean lost income. | ❌ Not real BNPL: Payment plans pay you gradually. Customers who quit mean lost income. | ✅ |
| Checkout order bumps | ✅ | ❌ Order bumps unavailable | ✅ |
| Subscription support with trials | ⚠️ Subscriptions require Stripe only, PayPal excluded. | ✅ | ✅ |
| Flexible coupons and discounts | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Fast, optimized checkout pages | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Guest checkout without account creation | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Immediate payouts to Stripe/PayPal | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Protected download links | ✅ Secure download links | ✅ Secure download links | ✅ Secure download links |
| Third-party integration options | ✅ WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, Shopify, Calendly, Zoom, Zapier, more. | ✅ 10 email tools, Google Analytics, Zoom, YouTube Live, Discord. Zapier on some plans. No API. | ⚠️ Fewer native connections. Make.com opens 3,000+ apps. Kit, ActiveCampaign, Beehiiv, BirdSend native. |
| Affiliate program management | ✅ | ✅ On $89/mo tier | ❌ Future |
| Ideal user profile | Sellers wanting VAT management and quick setup, aware percentage fees compound as revenue climbs. | Sellers seeking a complete ecommerce platform with email marketing. Works if advanced features aren’t required. | Independent sellers who refuse platform hostage, want human support and zero platform costs (free through 2027). |
| Migration assistance | ❌ Not included | ⚠️ Post-trial: migration for 20-30 products depending on plan. | ✅ Included |
These are the links for each platform: Payhip, Podia, CartMango.
CartMango Works Best for a Specific Kind of Seller
CartMango isn’t for everyone.
If you need a built-in course platform right now, CartMango isn’t ready. The LMS is in development. If you sell physical products or need enterprise features, look elsewhere.
But if you’re a solo creator selling digital downloads, memberships, or coaching services, and you care about keeping what you build, CartMango fits.
No monthly fees eating into quiet months. No losing subscribers if you leave. You manage everything from one easy-to-use storefront.
Payhip: Simple Setup with Growing Transaction Costs
Payhip is a user-friendly platform that’s easy to use. You can set up a store builder quickly and start selling a range of digital products within minutes, including ebooks and design assets.
What Payhip offers
Payhip provides tools for content creators who want simplicity:
- Built-in LMS for digital courses
- Automatic VAT handling for global sales in any currency
- Integrations with WordPress, Shopify, Wix
- Order bumps to grow your business
- Affiliate management tools
- Embed products on any website without coding
Payhip pricing plan
The free plan takes 5% per sale. The Plus pricing plan costs $29/mo with 2%. The Pro package at $99/mo removes transaction fees.
Those percentages add up. Selling $5,000/mo on the free plan means $250 goes to Payhip. You’re better off paying for their most expensive $99/mo plan.
The limitations
No upsells or downsells after purchase. Their BNPL (buy now pay later) is installment billing where you get paid over time. Subscriptions only work with Stripe, not PayPal for payment.
Best for
Creators who value simplicity and global VAT compliance. Not ideal for mid-market businesses to sell at scale.
This is the link for Payhip.
Podia: All-in-One with Inconsistent Support
Podia positions itself as everything you need to sell online courses and memberships. A complete platform with marketing tools under one roof.
What Podia offers
- Complete LMS for online learning and digital courses
- Built-in email marketing (free for 100 subscribers)
- Membership site with drip content
- Webinars and community features
- Customizable pages to manage content
Podia pricing structure
The Mover plan runs $39/mo plus 5%. No PayPal on this pricing plan.
The Shaker plan at $89/mo removes commission and adds affiliate tools and extra features.
The limitations
Just 3 upsells, no downsells, no order bumps. The user experience suffers if you want to maximize sales.
Customer support gets mixed reviews. Trustpilot shows 3.6/5 with complaints about AI bot errors. Podia vs Payhip, support comparison favors Payhip slightly. Any type of digital product with subscriptions faces the hostage issue.
Best for
Creators who want all-in-one with email marketing. Good if you don’t need advanced funnels and can afford $89/mo.
This is the link for Podia.
What You’ll Actually Pay: A Pricing Breakdown
All scenarios include Stripe/PayPal processing (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction). Assuming $50 average order.
| Monthly Revenue | Payhip (cheapest) | Podia (cheapest) | CartMango | You Save with CartMango |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000/mo | $50 platform + $35 processing = $85 | $39 platform + $50 commission + $35 processing = $124 | $0 platform + $35 processing = $35 | $600/yr vs Payhip $1,068/yr vs Podia |
| $5,000/mo | $100 platform + $175 processing = $275 | $39 platform + $250 commission + $175 processing = $464 | $0 platform + $175 processing = $175 | $1,200/yr vs Payhip $3,468 vs Podia |
| $10,000/mo | $99 Pro platform + $350 processing = $449 | $89 platform + $350 processing = $439 | $0 platform + $350 processing = $350 | $1,188/yr vs Payhip $1,068/yr vs Podia |
| $50,000/mo | $99 Pro platform + $1,750 processing = $1,849 | $89 platform + $1,750 processing = $1,839 | $0 platform + $1,750 processing = $1,750 | $1,188/yr vs Payhip $1,068/yr vs Podia |
The savings grow as your revenue increases. And with CartMango, you keep your recurring payments if you leave.
Payhip vs Podia vs CartMango: Making Your Choice
These are the links: Payhip, Podia, CartMango.
Choose Payhip if you want simple VAT handling, quick setup, and don’t need upsells. Payhip offers a user-friendly interface for selling digital downloads.
Choose Podia if you want all-in-one with email marketing. You don’t need quiz features or advanced funnels. Podia gives you everything you need to sell and manage content.
Choose CartMango if you refuse to let a platform hold your recurring revenue hostage. You want zero fees until 2027 and human support. You can wait for LMS and affiliate tools. Best choice to sell digital products without platform fees eating profits.
The best platform depends on what matters most. Features, price, or freedom.
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