# Podium Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Podium the right Customer Communications Management solution for you? Explore 524 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/164285/Zendesk/reviews --- Podium 4.3 (524) [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 David 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 524 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 CJ Céline J. Social Media Manager Consumer Services Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Podium SMS Manager " August 12, 2025 5.0 Pros Podium is a good tool, easy to use and offers an ergonomic space. It works well with our setup — we can send payment links and bulk SMS to clients quickly and securely. It’s a software that helps us respond efficiently to our clients’ requests. Cons I didn’t notice many downsides with Podium, but I wish it added some features like being able to offer a phone number so people can reach us if needed or in case of urgent issues. 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 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 SW Sean W. Vice President Retail Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Inadequate software support to what was proposed" August 23, 2024 1.0 The multiple challenges with getting this service on line, and the expectation to pay for the full year payment without the service being full filled in our contract. They did provide one less month payment , but that was not even close to many months with no proper service. We would have stayed through this trouble if they would have off set the many months of no full support, but they seem concerned with getting one more payment for us> I will keep reviewing and posting until I see podium doing a deep dive and understand from our point of view Pros The data analysis is easy to use and operate Cons Continuous IT tickets that had months with inadequate service. The lack of communication when the system was not working properly but yet still taking our payments. I have multiple documents and IT tickets to support our challenges. This year cost with not the ability to get Google reviews made the experience a failure Review Source Response from Podium August 28, 2024 Hi Sean, I'm sorry to hear about your experience. My name is Whitney and I'm digging into your account. Would you be able to send an email to support@podium.com so I can assist you more quickly? I will watch for your email. CR Cheyenne R. MA Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "podium, one mans trash is another's treasure " August 27, 2024 4.0 it wasn't bad honestly! It's a super great program and they have some amazing features. However, for our company, it just didn't fit as well. For companies larger and using more payment methods, this is the program for you and it's very easy to use daily. Pros Easy to navigate and gets the job done fairly quickly Cons Not as efficient at getting our messages to patients 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 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 VR Verified Reviewer Executive Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Best Customer Management Tool" March 5, 2022 5.0 Pros I love how simple it is to navigate and how effective it is to reach out to customers and chat with them when they really need assistance Cons There were a few glitches experienced with the app Review Source DD Donna D. Chief Operations Officer Consumer Services Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "Podium - Does Not Live Up To The Hype of the Salespeople" March 24, 2022 1.0 It was extremely time-consuming to setup. It took me over 2 full weeks. There were problems every step of the way. I've worked for software companies in the past and I feel like I was BETA testing Podium. That's how many problems there were. Support reps were either foreign with little real knowledge of the platform, or young individuals in the USA who were quick to blow off problems without taking any real ownership in assisting me. Two days ago, two customers sent us payments via bank transfers. Two days later, we still don't have the funds in our bank account. Earlier today, a rep said he was escalating our problem but 12 hours later, still no word from anyone. Where is the money? It's thousands of dollars. Our customers are waiting for their services. They paid but we haven't received the funds. This is about as bad as things could be. Our company is screwed out of $7000 right now. Learn from me. Why take the risk with your business? Pros The promises that the salesrep made. That's what I liked best. Unfortunately, it didn't deliver. Cons Horrendous customer support. Never heard from our assigned Account Executive. Most other tech support is done through webchat which involves employees in foreign countries who know little about the actual product. When I finally was able to schedule one-on-one tech support, the rep didn't seem to take my needs seriously. Review Source CB Caitlin B. Payroll and Tax Coordinator Retail Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Big fan of this software!" July 21, 2022 5.0 Pros Podium has made it easy to get in touch with clients in a non-threatening way that can be easily responded to in the time a client has available. Cons There are updates often that change the layout and can make it difficult to navigate while getting used to the new layout. Review Source AG Aaron G. President/CEO Retail Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great features But At A High Price" July 20, 2023 5.0 Positive, but left for lower price Pros Podium offers a great service and lots of wonderful features. Cons They are priced significantly higher than their competitors. Further, be ready for the constant barrage of upselling. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Director Financial Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Excellent customer management software" November 8, 2021 5.0 Implementation experience was excellent Support team is great Deployment took weeks Reports and charts coming out of customer interactions is useful for review meetings Pros Many things to like about podium - Fills the gap between sending out blanked newsletters and cold calling customers - turns genuine review, conversations into real customers - Provides sms followup, mobile notifications, web chats, video chats - Team chats and collaboration feature - Deployment is easy Cons Would have benefited from a free trial plan for small businesses to try before they buy. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Web Content Manager Furniture Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "A user-to-customer messaging platform for reviews that's hooked in with Google" April 1, 2018 4.0 None Pros Direct Google integration is definitely the biggest pro here. They also are focused on having staff message customers directly for reviews one-on-one. It won't work for everyone, just depends on the business model. Cons Very limited functionality and visibility into your account. Right now, it's basically just a review solicitation platform via messaging and email. It's efficient at getting star ratings and reviews, but that's about it. If you're looking for surveys, look elsewhere. Also, when I was a customer, they didn't even have NPS Score. That's pretty basic. Reporting is very limited and it's hard to get an overview of your total account, only individual locations. Customization is little to none for both the dashboard and the actual campaigns. Oh, and it's crazy expensive. You're basically paying for the direct Google integration. Which is super nice and important, but still. I also had a very negative experience that was unique to me. I had very specific contract conditions that were not met and it was a very difficult and painful process to get rectified. I felt very misled by the company and lost any trust I had in them. It was very disappointing. Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Related categories [Customer Communications Management](https://www.capterra.com/customer-communications-management-software/)[Customer Satisfaction](https://www.capterra.com/customer-satisfaction-software/)[CRM](https://www.capterra.com/customer-relationship-management-software/) ## 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.