# 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 March 13th, 2026 # Reviews of Podium Ease of use 4.3 Customer Service 4.0 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews JA Jhovanny A Receptionist- New Client LiaisonLaw Practice, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “What i liked most about Podium was the all in one communication found in the application. Whether it was direct messages, attachment requirements, easily accessible and editable contact information and automatic formulas for messaging: all was found in Podium.“ December 21, 2025 IS Ilayda S Marketing DirectorApparel & Fashion, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “It’s obviously designed with service businesses in mind, so some features that are common in retail, like inventory integration or product-oriented messaging aren’t exactly on point.“ April 23, 2025 CJ Céline J Social Media ManagerConsumer Services, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “It works well with our setup — we can send payment links and bulk SMS to clients quickly and securely.“ August 12, 2025 JL Jessica L Dispatcher, Project manager, Purchasing managerConstruction, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “The typed transcripts are not always accurate.“ February 18, 2026 IS Ilayda S Marketing DirectorApparel & Fashion, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I love that I can respond to customer inquiries via SMS quickly, while not switching between platforms including sending reviews requests directly after making a sale while the luster of excitement is still there.“ April 23, 2025 RM Rowena M online sellerRetail, 501 - 1,000 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “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.“ May 31, 2023 EB Eli B CEOMarketing and Advertising, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “From the Podium dashboard, you are able to connect with your past customers via email or text to prequalify their experience with your business was good prior to sending them a link to leave a review.“ November 20, 2023 CW Casey W Office ManagerMedia Production, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “The anayltics dashboard is not very deep and there are times where i didnt receive alerts.“ September 23, 2024 ## 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 TG Tiffany G. Operations Manager Consumer Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "If you aren't using Podium, what are you waiting for? " March 18, 2021 5.0 The podium has been instrumental in the overall growth of our company. From google reviews to sales, to collections, Podium has been part of the experience every step of the way. Also as we were growing Podium was also growing and their innovations consistently kept the fire in us to push ourselves beyond our own limits and become the paperless, and digital company that we are today :) Pros What I like most about Podium is its ease of not only use but training anybody new. We are a growing company hiring annually now more and more and Podium is by far the easiest trained software that we use. It's not only self-efficient but training is clean, straight-forward, and it's beyond user-friendly. Cons There are at this stage in the game a lot of add on's that you can certainly do with Podium. It goes from a very low cost to mid-range cost quickly as you realize you really do need and want all the bells and whistles that Podium can offer. It's not so much that it is a negative, but it does become a challenge sometimes when having to pitch a wonderful new feature of Podium to your decision-makers when the words "and it cost ---- extra" comes into play. Alternatives considered [Captivated](https://www.capterra.com/p/152912/Captivated/) Reason for choosing Podium The cost being unlimited text vs other companies were charging for a threshold of texts coming inbound and outbound. So although other companies gave you a package deal with the bells and whistles the true cost was in the inbound and outbound text, and when your business is 95% text-based for communication thousands of text per month can break the bank when you charge per text. Podium being on an unlimited text made it an easy decision and makes it understandable when sometimes the bells and whistles are add-on cost. Review Source KC Kaitlin C. Social Media Analyst Automotive Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "All In One Place!" March 2, 2021 5.0 I have really enjoyed using Podium and feel that it has been well worth the investment. We have looked at other forms of software that are similar but we continue to feel confident in Podium because of the variety of services that they offer. It has been awesome that our young tech savvy employees are comfortable with this software but that it is easy enough for our older employees to use as well. I am sure that we will continue to use podium for years to come! Pros I love that all of our messaging either from different social media sites or from our own website comes to one location! It is really nice that all of our employees have access to this site and because of that, we are able to reply very quickly to messages that come in. I also like that our reviews show up here and we are able to respond to them through the Podium platform rather than needing to go to Google, Facebook, Yelp etc. to find the reviews. Cons I wish that somehow we were able to consolidate the review notifications so that if we invite someone to review us on google and they write a review, we don't get two separate messages/notifications about it. Alternatives considered [Meta for Business](https://www.capterra.com/p/213257/Facebook/)[Weave](https://www.capterra.com/p/141842/Weave/) Reason for choosing Podium Podium encompasses the messaging aspect of our website, inquiries from Facebook, text messages to our company phone number and reviews from multiple websites. There was no other software that offered an encompassing package like Podium for the price that we are paying. Review Source MH Michaela H. Marketing Manager Automotive Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Good product, shady development" December 6, 2023 4.0 They do offer a great product, but due to their shady sales tactics, we chose to discontinue our partnership with them. Since discontinuing, they have continued to contact me and pitch me regularly despite our lack of interest. Pros They offer a good product, and have a lot of services that are beneficial to a dealership. Cons Their sales team is relentless and a little on the shady side. They call both my work phone and my cell phone constantly, and have even gone so far as to spoof a local area code to get me to answer my personal cell phone to pitch me on more products we don't want/need. Switched from [SureCritic Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/124445/SureCritic-Reviews/) It was a more modern and up to date company with advancements in their program. Review Source TC Troy C. Marketing Manager Telecommunications Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Very good at what it does" June 3, 2020 5.0 Overall I'm very pleased with Podium. Despite the few shortcomings it alowed us to acheive our goals in a relatively short time frame and within budget. Pros The ability to send Google review requests directly to customers via SMS was amazing. It was exactly what we needed to get our review score up to, and past, our target score within the space of only a few months. The interface is incredibly user friendly and managing teams is about as simple as it gets. Cons I found that a lot of the time it wouldn't correctly tag who within our team was resposible for receiving reviews. There's also no ability to customise reports. It owuld be great if there could also be more integrations with additional review platforms, as we were stuck with only being able to provide the option for Google reviews as we don't accept Facebook Reviews. This caused us to miss a few reviews as customers didn't have Google accounts. Alternatives considered [Broadly](https://www.capterra.com/p/161326/Broadly-Reviews/)[Birdeye](https://www.capterra.com/p/152997/BirdEye/)[Trustpilot](https://www.capterra.com/p/169618/Trustpilot/) Reason for choosing Podium Price and features best matched our needs and staff were incredibly helpful. 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 RK Ruslan K. CFO Construction Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Pointless application with non-customer-friendly service" May 18, 2022 1.0 Pros Good Sales Team and that's all. Don't trust them Cons I signed the contract, having listened to the beautiful promises of the sellers that everything would work perfectly and make it easier for me to communicate with clients. As a result, you can only interact with clients within this platform, you will never receive a notification that the client is waiting or the client has sent you a message. Only within the platform. If you missed the message - that's your problem. Given that my call center is still accepting messages from customers via phone, email, and Yelp, keeping another platform open is extremely inconvenient. As a result - a bunch of missed messages and dissatisfied customers. I was promised free text messages included in the price. As a result, I have to pay more than $1000 for mailings. When I tried to stop the service, the manager informed me that I had a contract for a year and I was obliged to pay for this year, even if the service did not perform its functions and promises. Review Source RH Robert H. Owner Sporting Goods Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Anti Gun Business" September 27, 2023 1.0 Never gives you the same rep, they constantly change people you talk to, customer service never follows up on anything, and they change their policies even though you have been paying for their services. Pros The program worked great and did it's job as advertised Cons This company is anti-gun. They suddenly changed this policy after 2 years of use and now we have to find another company to offer these service. They gave us 1 week to get off their platform with no notice of the change in their policy, or retro active support since we have been using their product for years.Would not recommend a company that will just kick you off with the level of integration this company has with your systems. Reason for choosing Podium Big mistake will only user OtterText now Review Source JT Jacqueline T. csr Retail Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "podium review " September 26, 2022 5.0 Overall i think Podium is a great app to use. Its very user friendly as well as reliable and has alot of useful features for small and big businesses. Pros Podium is very easy to use and access, especially via the convenient app. we personally really like the ease of sending out review links as well as how hassle free the payment processing is. Cons The app has alot of features and even options for different users on the same app, however it can sometimes get confusing when trying to switch profiles. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Sales and Finance Manager Automotive Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Excellent chat software with review integration" December 10, 2019 5.0 Podium allows us to connect with shoppers as they are browsing the site to answer questions immediately and secure more deals. Pros The review integration with facebook and google is excellent. We are able to send review invitations via text and respond to them within the app. We can also assign them to the various salespeople who actually worked the deal so they can respond accordingly. We also have podium on our homepage to engage with browsing customers and answer any questions they may have. Cons It doesn't integrate with some of our third party advertising sources like other options do. Sometimes there are glitches with the software and messages do not send properly. Review Source KC Katie C. Director of Operations Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Podium" August 9, 2023 5.0 Pros We used it daily to send out links to make leaving a review easier for our customers. Cons Not being able to pin point exactly where the issues were coming from. Review Source MC Mikey C. VP Marketing Apparel & Fashion Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Loved in the beginning" April 27, 2023 3.0 In the beginning it was awesome then the support became lacking Pros Loved their software and initially their support was amazing, we saw this as worthy of the price tag. Cons Eventually support dropped off and no longer saw the value in the pricing Review Source AM Atendi M. IT Manager Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "My Expereince With Podium" February 12, 2024 5.0 Pros It comes wit SMS marketing and mass messaging capabilities It supports live chat and makes meeting customer satisfaction easy It makes handling customer experience easy Cons Podium has really helped and no issues yet. Review Source Jordan B. VP Retail Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Very expensive but worth it depending on your model" June 5, 2021 5.0 Fantastic, We collect customer payments via the text payment feature. It is expensive but allows us to reach our clients and accept payments the way that they want to and in a secure way. Pros It is always on the forefront of new technology and they will keep you up to date on when new features come out as well as sometimes let you beta test. Cons It is extremely expensive for what it is. The personnel also don't coordinate very well so often you will get a marketing solicitation call and email even though you already use the product. 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.