# Podium Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Podium the right Customer Communications Management solution for you? Explore 522 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/164285/Podium/reviews --- Podium 4.3 (522) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/164285/Podium/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated June 3rd, 2026 # Reviews of Podium Ease of use 4.3 Customer Service 4.0 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews Automated review collection tools 81% positive reviews out of 160 Most reviewers describe review management as efficient, automating requests, centralizing feedback, and improving online reputation. H D Installed Sales Manager, 51 - 200 employees. "Easy to communicate with customers, request reviews and get payments either at the jobsite or from the office. " High and inflexible pricing 78% negative reviews out of 45 Most reviewers find pricing expensive, especially for small businesses, with limited value compared to similar alternatives. Simple onboarding and setup process 84% positive reviews out of 38 Most reviewers find setup straightforward, with easy training, user-friendly interface, and minimal technical barriers for teams. Frequent software glitches 74% negative reviews out of 43 Most reviewers indicate bugs and issues disrupt workflow, mentioning app glitches, delays, and inconsistent platform reliability. brandon B Owner, 1 employee. "They will make HUGE mistakes like porting away your personal number with NO accountability or concerns for your business." Centralized client communication platform 90% positive reviews out of 29 Most reviewers indicate client communication is streamlined, enabling quick, monitored, and multi-channel interactions with clients. Rick A Attorney, 2 - 10 employees. "All in one interface, mostly seamless communication portal, partial functionality standalone app." Difficult cancellation process 100% negative reviews out of 25 Most reviewers report cancelation is challenging, citing unresponsive support, ongoing charges, and complicated contract termination. Tyler Q Director of Business Development, 11 - 50 employees. "It took 2 billing cycles and a few calls to finally cancel." ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 522 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Kevin C. VP of Marketing Real Estate Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Love it but don't always love paying for it!" November 10, 2020 5.0 Overall, it's really good. I'm a big fan of feeling valued as a customer, and I don't feel valued, I feel like a number. I rarely get check-ins from the company. On top of that, I think the ability to get reviews could be a little better. Our customers just don't really react when we ask them for the review. They are always willing, but then seem to have some difficulty completing the process. Pros The ease of use is great, I love taking the conversation from the website to texting, and it's great for that. It also makes it pretty easy to request reviews, and so that is great. Cons It feels really expensive to me. At this point I might be able to get similar functionality for significantly less money, but nonetheless, because we've made the investment in it and trained our team on it, I selfishly don't want to have to deplore another program and do another batch of training. Alternatives considered [Birdeye](https://www.capterra.com/p/152997/BirdEye/)[Intercom](https://www.capterra.com/p/134347/Intercom/) Reason for choosing Podium It had the components of Intercom I liked, but also gave us the ability to hopefully simply get reviews. I also liked that the conversation moves from the web to the phone. Switched from [Intercom](https://www.capterra.com/p/134347/Intercom/) I think about 2 or so years ago, maybe a year and a half Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Director of Institutional Sales Retail Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Podium--Reliable and Easy to Use" October 19, 2022 5.0 As explained, I have been a Podium customer for quite a while. My company actually dropped Podium for a hot minute and used a program called Swell. The employees and I complained so much about the glitch issues of Swell that our company returned to Podium. That's not to say Podium is "glitch-free," but it far outways the issues we had with Swell. I will note that something has changed with Podium's customer service. When I first began using Podium, the customer service chats almost felt like you were talking to a friendly developer, eager to help. Now the customer service help feels like I'm chatting with overworked, underpaid, and uninterested grumpy teenagers. Pros Podium is incredibly user-friendly. Our store has a wide range of computer knowledge--from advanced to those who struggle to find the back button. Podium has been a good fit for all levels. Cons I'm not a fan of pulling the photos from my photo album or seeing that the pictures I take through the app are stored in my phone's photo album. I take many photos of products for customers and am very busy, so I often forget that they are there. I've used Podium for so long that when I look back at my years of personal photos I still find a picture of some random product that I forgot to delete. Switched from [Swell](https://www.capterra.com/p/196277/A-more-creative-way-sell-and-ship-your-products-more-efficiently/) Swell may have been less expensive, but the glitchiness of the product became too frustrating. Everything from conversations not loading to pictures posting several times in a row. Eventually, the "powers that be" heard the employees' moans and moved us back to Podium. Review Source JS Julie S. Owner Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Better options are available" January 2, 2025 3.0 We used Podium as a start-up company, but as we grew, we found that it did not have enough features to meet our needs Pros It was the most cost-effective option at the time we purchased Cons Did not like the features, felt like customer service was lacking Alternatives considered [Lighthouse 360](https://www.capterra.com/p/141843/Lighthouse-360/) Reason for choosing Podium It was the most cost-effective option at the time and was recommend by a colleague Review Source Jennie Z. Marketing Manager Internet Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Interesting mesh of a review and communication service" July 21, 2021 4.0 Originally, I was looking for a reputation management service, but turns out, that's our least used feature for Podium. Instead, we've really been using Podium as a communication tool for our loan officers and new leads. I like that everything is done through SMS and allows our LOs to call the lead right away. Our business is closed mainly through phone, so Podium works well for us. However, I don't recommend for all industries. Pros \-Chats with customers are through texts -Different sales agents can answer, and there is no limit to how many sales agents are allowed on 1 account Cons \-Does not integrate to our CRM tool (Hubspot) -Not really using the review portion of Podium -No automatic chatbot integration Alternatives considered [GetMoreReviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/168691/GetMoreReviews/)[Trustpilot](https://www.capterra.com/p/169618/Trustpilot/) Reason for choosing Podium Podium had an interesting SMS chat feature that I wanted to try. Review Source Gregg T. Marketing Construction Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Podium Rocks & The Product Works " March 23, 2021 5.0 They are amazing and I am looking forward to see where the product will go in the future. Pros It is easy to use, easy to train people, and it works to get customer reviews in the right place on the internet. Google reviews are king and the Podium works great with Google Reviews. Cons The customer support could be better and more knowledgeable. The company is growing fast and they have a lot of new people who do not know the product. Alternatives considered [Broadly](https://www.capterra.com/p/161326/Broadly-Reviews/)[Birdeye](https://www.capterra.com/p/152997/BirdEye/) Reason for choosing Podium They are the best and most reliable. Also, they have the tightest partnership and integration with Google. Review Source Julie Anna E. Marketing Manager Automotive Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Very Difficult to Get Any Support or Help" March 26, 2024 2.0 If you like help, talking to a real human, and to get what you actually pay for- I would avoid. I personally don't like this platform and would like to switch to Birdeye or something else. Pros It's good for getting customer reviews (sometimes) and has lots of features Cons They throw you to the wolves. You have to get everything figured out yourself. Communication is a huge issue. We had a manager leave at our company and they continued sending emails to her email address for a year and a half! Despite me contacting support and calling in, saying I am the main point of contact. They were sending emails to a non existent inbox. Half of the things we were paying for did not work. Things weren't set up, and nobody told us, or how to do it. Today I got a 16 step instructions document from a rep, with no help. Sometimes it takes a week to hear back from anyone. Alternatives considered [Swell](https://www.capterra.com/p/196277/A-more-creative-way-sell-and-ship-your-products-more-efficiently/)[Chekkit](https://www.capterra.com/p/173154/Chekkit-Reputation/)[Birdeye](https://www.capterra.com/p/152997/BirdEye/)[Trustpilot](https://www.capterra.com/p/169618/Trustpilot/) Reason for choosing Podium It was already set up when I started this position and job Review Source JS Jerry S. Owner Construction Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "They took our money and disappeared. " May 26, 2020 1.0 they took our money. Pros They were very responsive up until they got payment. I cannot get a response, cannot login to the software, can't even see any kind of portal. Just a receipt for over $500, and the next one will be coming soon. I have left message after message, left voicemail, nothing. Do not send them your money. Cons No response from the company, they just charged our card, software does not allow login, screen just spins. Switched from [Broadly](https://www.capterra.com/p/161326/Broadly-Reviews/) Podium supposedly integrates with our new dispatch software. Review Source ZD Zach D. director Sports Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Awesome service for schools!" April 10, 2025 4.0 It has been a really positive experience. Our customer service and communication has improved drastically. Pros We are able to send bulk messages as well as easily communicate with members of our school. Cons The interface can be a little overwhelming at times. Review Source AG Alexa G. Assistant General Manager Sports Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Podium Texting" April 11, 2025 4.0 Pros Multiple features to utilize all we need to use Podium for. Cons Small glitches which make some tasks harder to use. Review Source RW Ryan W. Owner Furniture Used the software for: 2+ years ### "All in One Customer Contact" February 17, 2025 5.0 Easy to manage customer reviews and overall relationship, whether calls or texts Pros Easy to use with continually growing features and solutions Cons expensive compared to similar software providers Review Source HDD H David D. Installed Sales Manager Building Materials Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Wish we never left!" October 30, 2023 5.0 We previously used Podium and we switched to a less expensive option. Well, you get what you pay for. Podium is a far better product. Reviews increase, we get paid faster using card readers or text to pay. Excellent customer service! Pros Podium works so well. Easy to communicate with customers, request reviews and get payments either at the jobsite or from the office. Cons Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing. Alternatives considered [Birdeye](https://www.capterra.com/p/152997/BirdEye/) Reason for choosing Podium Used Podium previously, more impressed by their product and their people. Switched from [Swell](https://www.capterra.com/p/172802/Swell/) Swell was awful in every phase! Review request failed to send. The did away with text to pay. Review Source CW Casey W. Office Manager Media Production Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Enhances Customer Engagement" September 23, 2024 5.0 overall positive eperience, it's obvious their team genuinely wants to help businesses thrive. Pros User friendly platform, easy to navigate, easy to connect with dcustomers and manage communications. The messaging function allows for real-time conversations that are personal and direct Cons The anayltics dashboard is not very deep and there are times where i didnt receive alerts. Review Source WS Whitney S. Paralegal Law Practice Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Great Platfrom for Text Messaging, but for a VOIP, not reommended" July 18, 2024 3.0 Pros I like the platform for messaging to our clients. The text templates are customizable and easy to select. The interface is user friendly and very easy to navigate. Cons Podium phones is the worst. I think it is fairly new system for Podium therefore there are kinks form them to fix. We had several outages, and it was the worst because our clients could not get ahold of us. Their support was not available 24/7 to address time sensitive issues. There explanations always had to do with changes in management so it took even longer for issues to be addressed and resolved. We are happy we switched to Kenect for messaging and Nextiva for VOIP. Switched from [Intermedia Unite](https://www.capterra.com/p/181373/Unite/) Customer Service and Support was terrible. Review Source AA Amanda A. Insurance Claims Manager Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Podium is an absolute small business must have!!" January 11, 2022 5.0 Our company's customer service has far exceeded expectations since implementing Podium. It has helped give our customers a way to reach us literally 24/7. It has helped get our company reviews up 1000%. It has also helped communications between our employees. Pros Podium is AWESOME!! We use it daily to text with our customers who love to communicate via text messages. With every employee having it up throughout the day any one of us can quickly respond to our customers texts and if it's after hours you can set an automatic reply text message that says we are not open at this time so they know someone will get back with them ASAP. It makes it so much easier texting on the PC than on your phone and it uses your company's phone number so you can just tell your customers to call OR text our number. For those who do prefer using their phone to text, Podium has an app that is absolutely awesome too! You will get push notifications on your phone whenever a customer texts or notifications for anything else in the app. You can send customer links and photos easily with Podium. Another great tool is you can direct message or have group chats with your coworkers in Podium. Podium has helped us tremendously with our company reviews too!! Allowing us to set up templates that text our customers once their project is completed asking them to rate us on a scale of 1-10 and texting them links to where they can leave a review online if they wish too. I know Podium also has a function where you can send an invoice amount text to your customers and have them pay via that link but we have not used this feature yet. Podium is awesome and has definitely made operations A LOT easier for our company. Cons There isn't really anything we don't like about Podium! Review Source DP Dana P. Brand Ambassador Construction Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Good Software, lacking customer service" May 9, 2023 4.0 After my contract was up, I switched to Birdeye which was cheaper. Birdeye said I would get everything Podium offered for $100 per month less. Well, I didn't get the competitive they promised me, but I love their automated posts for a 4 star and above rating. Pros I liked the ease of templates and that it works with lots of CRMs Cons Customer service. Had lots of issues that took forever because customer service was so bad. Reason for choosing Podium Open API, worked with other software, good ratings. I dropped Podium and went to Birdeye when my contract was up. So I did not Integrate with any other software. Review Source LA Lisa A. Owner Real Estate Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Great if you want Google Reviews " June 19, 2023 3.0 Google reviews Pros Increased Google reviews exponentially and messaging transparency made it more effective. Cons Quickbooks lack of integration and sane for PestRoutes Review Source TQ Tyler Q. Director of Business Development Transportation/Trucking/Railroad Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Good but expensive" December 11, 2023 4.0 Podium was a great tool for us and it really change the landscape of how we interact with new and existing clients. Once we cancelled the service we kept getting billed from Podium. It took 2 billing cycles and a few calls to finally cancel. Overall it was awesome. We found a more robust cost effective solution for our company with Sinch MessageMedia. Pros Ease of deployment for our web chat box and google review management. This platform really helped our Sales team with response times with new and existing customers. Which in turn captured more business. Podium also made it really easy for new clients to leave us a google review. Cons We no longer using Podium due to price. We moved over to Sinch MessageMedia for all of our SMS and review needs. Review Source jM jerry M. owner Automotive Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great until you want to cancel it!" October 10, 2019 3.0 The experience was good but so far overshadowed by their lack of letting us cancel with proper notice that the entire experience is lost. Like an amazing meal with a crap server. All you remember was the final service and it is horrible. Pros Mostly worked well and had pretty good interface with website for chat as well Cons Tried to cancel this and was not allowed. Went through all kinds of hoops including a mandatory "screen share" by our account rep trying to keep us which made it worse. You CANNOT call or write in and cancel ever! They have their methods and basically won't let you out of a contract. We canceled ours finally after the screen share, the hard close from two different people to keep paying and then still got billed since they had our credit card. I would never recommend such a company. I have NEVER heard of someone NOT taking written notice well in advance to close a monthly contract. We did finally get it resolved to only pay an additional 9 days past when we asked for it to be closed, but its 9 days of our money. One of the poorest experiences i have had in 32 years of the retail business trying to cancel something. Mandatory screen share and hard sell to stay - Simply unbelievable Review Source RM Rowena M. online seller Retail Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Overall Contentment of Podium" May 31, 2023 4.0 Pros \+   Customers appreciate the payment features since they are simple to use.+ The Facebook integration makes it simple to turn messages into leads.+ It is simple to utilize for the entire crew here. Cons \- From an admin perspective, the mobile app is less enlightening than the browser version.- Monitoring conversations is frequently difficult because inboxes and where things end up are frequently confused.- Podium would be a one-stop shop if it offered document signature alternatives and surveying features. Review Source RV Robin V. Administrator Retail Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great Product/ Pricing is high" December 6, 2022 5.0 Pros Loved the fact that I could email and text on the same screen. Cons The price, we had to switch due to cost savings and response from support Review Source BG Brittney G. Marketing Manager Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Everything in one place" November 19, 2020 5.0 Have had a great experience. Set up and add-ons are easy. Easy to use. Pros One place, multiple platforms combine. Appointment Center Reps do not need to check multiple dashboards, log in to multiple sites. It is all very transparent who sent what, saw what, etc. There are sites that are cheaper but we like the simplicity of this one. We can text customers and employee, create templates for consistent messaging, request reviews, NPS, all in one place. We know there are additional products available such as payments on Podium that we choose not to use. There is more that can be done with it than we need. Cons It is not the cheapest platform for what we are doing but it is comfortable and does a great job. Would be interested to see group, mass messaging, and schedule messaging. Reason for choosing Podium Like the dashboard, ease of use, full transparently among all users. Review Source SB Samuel B. Owner Construction Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Customer Service Non Existent" March 1, 2022 2.0 Pros Podium makes managing high volumes of texts easy Cons The lack of customer service is truly boggling. It is literally impossible to get someone on the phone. The poor integration should have been my first clue. We lost three days of business and nobody cared. Podium Customer service makes your local DMV look like Chick-fil-a or some other excellent customer service organization. I will be leaving the second my contract is up. The amount of money they charge is absurd compared to other similar products. Review Source AD Andy D. President Construction Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "You cannot export your own date. Missing features." April 25, 2024 1.0 Pros I do not like much about Podium. The processing rates were pretty good. Cons You cannot export your data. There are features missing from the software that are sold on the site and discussed in their support videos/tutorials. These are important for teams. This has been an awful experience. The product does not do what it says it will do. When I decided to cancel, they gave me the run-around. It took over three months for them to release my phone number ($1800), and now they are saying that I "automatically" signed up for an additional year. I would recommend that you find a better, more user-friendly solution. They are out there. Shame on you Podium. Review Source DR Diego R. Practice Director Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Where are your reviews live - Podium" September 23, 2022 5.0 Keep track of reviews left by patients and reply to them in a timely manner. The responses would show up on our Google page within a day. Pros Podium is a great product to use if customer engagement and feedback response is a top priority for your business. You are able to see all the reviews that people leave, whether on Google or Facebook. I received a weekly email report which would detail how many reviews were received for the week. There is an option to send out a text campaign to all number in your system, this is a great option to promote an event. Also, if your business has different locations, Podium allows you to manage them separately. Cons Nothing negative to say about podium, but a mobile app would be a great addition. Review Source SM Steve M. Sales Manager Furniture Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Connectivity at its finest..." November 17, 2020 5.0 Podium has really enhanced our online presence with customers. They're seemingly more willing to send a text-based message as opposed to calling. With the current COVID-climate, we've really seen an increase in messages forwarded via this service. It also allows our associates to more easily stay in touch with their clients, even if they're out-of-the-office. Pros Simply put, the ease of use. Podium allows us to communicate with our customers across various platforms, while being able to send pictures and forward hyperlinks. It's truly a versatile program that continues to serve us well. Cons There are the occasional glitches - infrequently, we won't receive email notifications of Podium inquiries. As we typically have the software up and running at all times, this sporadic issue can be minimized. Reason for choosing Podium Value, options and functionality were quite attractive with Podium. It has performed very well for our needs. Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.