--- title: "Podium Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra" description: "Is Podium the right Customer Communications Management solution for you? Explore 526 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/164285/Podium/reviews/" page_type: "reviews" language: "en" --- Podium 4.3 (526) [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 September 3rd, 2026 # Reviews of Podium Ease of use 4.3 Customer Service 4.0 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews LK Larry K IT ManagerConstruction, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “Podium offers a streamlined platform that allows you to manage your customer and call center interactions seamlessly.“ July 23, 2026 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 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 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 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 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 RG Ravin G CEOConsumer Electronics, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “Do your own research before investing your time and money here.“ August 29, 2025 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 526 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 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 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 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 AM Alondra M. Insurance Agent Insurance Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Podium use for office ;Made easy" July 28, 2025 5.0 Overall having this one number linked to all of our locations makes it easy for any one here to search a client and look at previous conversations , being able to pick up where the last employee left off also helpful to verify staff conversations with needed documents to match our Hawksoft notes and uploads. Pros At our Agency we all have access to Podium letting us send messages to clients /saving their contact info and allowing us to communicate with them efficiently when we are unable to get a hold of them over a phone call or Via email. We all have access to see customer reviews and see any incoming information regarding the agency I work for. Cons I have yet to come across something I dislike using Podium. I have worked in this industry for years and have never until now found something that helps all staff members be able to have access to all text messages being sent in and out with clients. 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 IS Ilayda S. Marketing Director Apparel & Fashion Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Professional customer messaging that feels personal." April 23, 2025 5.0 Within a matter of weeks of implementing Podium, we had doubled the amount of Google reviews for our store! That also added more visibility for our brand, especially locally. It also allowed us to make up some missed sales by answering questions about fit or availability quickly over text, something email just doesn’t do. Pros Podium assisted us in being able to touch base with shoppers; very much on a personal level, particularly for reviews and text messaging. 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. Cons 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. We had to work around that a little bit to shape it to our flow. 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 EJ Erik J. Owner Consumer Services Used the software for: 6-12 months ### ""We wish we could do more to help, but this really is as far as we can go."" February 18, 2021 1.0 Podium will use that 1-yr agreement you sign against you no matter how many issues you have with their services. They will ignore you, say they've cancelled services with the same template email over and over again, and yet your credit card will still be charged each month. We hope that everyone takes pause when signing that 1-year contract with Podium. We wish we had taken pause before signing up. Pros When the software works, it really is a nice system. Our issue is that the software never worked. My employees had consistent issues with messages not showing up in the inbox or not receiving notifications when new messages came in. I myself did not receive a single notification for a new message for over a month, and it was still not fixed by the time we finally decided we had enough and switched to another system. I also had to reach out to them weekly to see if my issues have been figured out because they will never reach back out to you about the issues you're having. Cons Trying to cancel with Podium is the worst experience we've ever had with a company. My partner had to pretend to be a new client prospect to get Podium to help us because they will dodge and outright ignore correspondences about cancelling service. They've admitted their issues, told us they are letting us out of the 1-yr contract, yet they are still charging our credit card each month. We have finally had to take the issue up with our credit card company. Alternatives considered [Birdeye](https://www.capterra.com/p/152997/BirdEye/) Reason for choosing Podium That sentence in my title was in every cancellation template email we received from Podium. We’ve received multiple “your services have been cancelled” template emails with that sentence in it, and yet we still have not had our services fully cancelled. We believe this sentence to be very fitting and a view into how Podium treats their customers. This is the first bad review I’ve ever written. We’re in customer service. We know how important reviews are to businesses, and we would rather just move on from a bad experience than write a bad review about a company. We know most companies are trying their best, and sometimes bad things just happen. I feel it necessary to write this though as to help others when making a decision about starting services with Podium. Podium will use that 1-yr agreement you sign against you no matter how many issues you have with their services. They will ignore you, say they've cancelled services with the same template email over and over again, and yet your credit card will still be charged each month. No customer should have to resort to pretending to be a new customer to get someone to help, and no customer should have to finally deal with their credit card company because Podium will not cancel your account properly no matter what they say. We hope that everyone takes pause when signing that 1-year contract with Podium. We wish we had taken pause before signing up. 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 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 KK Kat K. Owner Medical Practice Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "This company is a scam! " March 17, 2023 1.0 Absolutely the worst experience I’ve ever done with any company in my 15 years of business. Pros There’s absolutely no produce company. Other than the fact that they’re very good liars. They con you into signing up under false pretenses. They have zero communication. The only reason they have good reviews is because you can’t write -ones on any other social media accounts and I’d like to know where the reading five star reviews on Google when there’s no Google review to be found. Cons Yes, they are absolutely a con! They lied and misrepresented their business and strategies to me overcharged me. I had to dispute with my credit card company through several months, and now I’m being harassed by them for an outstanding bill of a month and a half of service that I never received. I’ve requested to speak to people and above positions with no luck and now I’m gonna have to have my attorney get involved. Do not do any business with this company. Reason for choosing Podium I consider moving to this company to lower my rate on my text Marketing only to discover that I was paying less with my current company. Was told that I wasn’t going to have to pay anything or start anything until I receive a kick off call which was in forged and then instead of being charge $350 like I was told they were building me over $900 a month. I tried to cancel several times from the very beginning of receiving emails confirming that I had signed up when I had never agreed to move forward with this company or its over priced strategies. Funny enough I was contacted .I tried to cancel several times from the very beginning of receiving emails confirming that I had signed up when I had never agreed to move forward with this company or its over priced strategies. Funny enough, I was contacted by a different sales person, and offered an unlimited amount of text Marketing for the same dollar amount, what a joke of a company! Be ware! 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 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 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 HL Holly L. Business Development Manager Automotive Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Great Way to Motivate team to get Reviews" September 7, 2024 5.0 I love that fact that you can motivate the salesman to get reviews done. Keeps track of who sent out the most and places them in 1-3 winnings. Pros Great way to get Reviews with easy text and email links to send. Cons That it is not free, would be the only thing that I didn't like. 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 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.