9 Best Podium Alternatives For Your Business Growth

Podium is a popular choice for businesses looking to manage reviews and customer messaging, but it’s not always the best fit for every business. From pricing limitations to lack of flexibility, some businesses need a more tailored solution.

If you are one of those businesses exploring Podium alternatives that offer more flexibility, clearer pricing, and features tailored to your needs. You are in the right place.

In this blog, I have compared 9 top rated platforms like DemandHub that will help you manage reviews, engage customers, and simplify communication. Whether you are in healthcare, retail, or any services, you will find a tool here that fits your needs and budget.

Each platform includes a quick summary, core benefits, key features, pros and cons, and user reviews so you can easily compare and decide which solution is right for you.

What is Podium?

Podium is a communication and reputation management platform for local businesses that helps manage customer interactions, collect reviews, and drive more leads through automation and messaging.

What are the features of Podium?

Here is a quick overview of its key features:

Podium Pros and Cons

Positive and Negative Podium Customer Feedback

Some readers might be interested to read REAL reviews about Podium. So I have included genuine feedback pulled from trusted review platforms (G2, Capterra, Gartner, TrustPilot etc) to help you get a clearer picture.

Note: All the reviews are from 2025.

✅ Positive Feedback

1. “Podium has been a great partner for our business and has increased our sales. Alyssa is responsive and super knowledgeable! Highly recommend!” - G2 Review (source)

2. “Multiple features to utilize all we need to use Podium for.” - Capterra Review (source)

3. “The template feature they have is amazing to be able to keep resending information.” - GetApp Review (source)

❌ Negative Feedback

1. “It is not what they say that it is. YOU CANNOT EXPORT YOUR OWN DATA - G2 Review (source)

2. “the worst company I’ve ever dealt with! They don’t connect to Shopify, fail to send abandoned cart texts as promised, and never notify when an order ships. When you need help, they’re MIA! But they have no problem Charging $635 per month. stay away, or you’ll regret it!” - Capterra Review (source)

3. “I’ve been trying to cancel my contract, and even when my business is closed, they don’t answer back with the steps to proceed with the contract cancellation. Scammers. Don’t sign with them.” - Trustpilot Review (source)

On Trustpilot, I also noticed that there has been a noticeable increase in recent negative reviews this year. With many users voicing frustrations about Podium’s pricing, support, and long-term contracts. See all reviews here

Why People Look for Podium Alternatives

Based on user feedback, reviews, and industry comparisons, here are some of the most common reasons that I personally think people look for alternatives:

Top 9 Podium alternatives

So far, I have covered what Podium is, its key features, pros and cons, and also shared real customer feedback to give you a clear understanding of the platform.

Now, let’s dive into nine of the best Podium alternatives available today. This list is not ranked, and while it highlights top choices, it is not exhaustive. This is just a helpful starting point for finding the right fit for your business.

1. DemandHub
2. Birdeye
3. NexHealth
4. Weave
5. Review Wave
6. Chekkit
7. NiceJob
8. Thryv
9. Textedly

1. DemandHub | DemandHub vs Podium

Best For:

Healthcare, dental, chiropractic, physiotherapists and service-based businesses looking for a modern, AI-driven alternative to Podium.

Overview:
DemandHub is an AI-powered growth platform that helps local businesses generate more leads, book more appointments, and boost online reviews, all through text messaging and automation. Designed for ease of use and transparency, the tool brings everything into one inbox and eliminates the need to juggle multiple tools.

Key Features:

• AI Suite: Automate front-desk tasks like reactivation, reviews, and lead follow-ups
• One Inbox: : Centralized chat hub for SMS, Web Chat, Google, Facebook, and Instagram
• Web Chat: Convert website visitors into leads even after they leave your site
• Re-Engagements AI: Bring back lost or inactive customers with automated recall campaigns
• Online Scheduling: Let customers book appointments straight from your site
• Payments: Request and receive payments via text
• AI Reviews: Get more Google and Facebook reviews through automated SMS
• Team Chat & Lead Manager: Internal collaboration + smart lead assignment
• Insights & Benchmarking: Track ROI, review growth, and lead response performance

REAL Customer Reviews:

Here is what people say about DemandHub.

“We love that the chatbot converts to text messages so our clients do not need to stay on our website in order to chat or book an appointment with us.” - Wendy Y. - Director of Operations - Mental Health Care - Capterra (source)

“If you’re a JaneApp user, there’s no other reputation management software I felt was most advantageous. I’ve looked at all the competitors, in fact, I had a trial with a direct competitor who tried to strong-arm me into a year-long contract after canceling within the guidelines of their offer. DemandHub was who I pivoted to afterwards and they were not only patient with me while I was getting charged 450+ dollars from the other company for two months but they also helped me navigate the process of canceling with the other group. DemandHub has all the tools you need and it’s very easy to use. I use it all the time to communicate with clients and respond to reviews.” - Jesse R. - Small-Business Owner - G2 (source)

2. BirdEye | BirdEye vs Podium

Best For:
Multi-location businesses and enterprises looking to manage online reputation, reviews, and digital customer engagement at scale.

Overview:
Birdeye is an all-in-one platform that helps businesses attract, convert, and retain customers by managing reviews, listings, messaging, and social media with the help of AI. The tool is popular among \legal, automotive, and retail industries, and is trusted by large brands like Aspen Dental, Sono Bello, and Black Bear Diner.

Key Features:

• Reviews AI: Collect and respond to reviews across platforms automatically
• Social AI: Create, schedule, and publish content with AI-generated posts
• Messaging AI: Central inbox for texts, chat, web, and social media
• Listings Management: Keep all business info updated across 150+ sites
• Surveys & Insights AI: Collect feedback and get sentiment analysis in real time
• Google Seller Ratings & Referrals: Boost trust and acquire more customers

REAL Customer Reviews:

Here is what people say about BirdEye.

“I had a very frustrating experience with Birdeye. I contacted their billing department to cancel my service, but they continued to charge me for another month anyway. The cancellation process was made unnecessarily difficult, with poor communication and no clear path to resolve the issue. It felt like they were doing everything possible to delay or prevent cancellation. I regret signing up—this is not how a customer-focused company should operate. I strongly recommend avoiding Birdeye.” - Joe Jesuele - Trustpilot (source)

“The WORST COMPANY I have dealt with in over 30 years as an attorney. They got less than 5 reviews in 12 months & refused to let me out of their 12 month contract after grossly failing to deliver reviews. JUST AWFUL. Buyer beware!!” - Verified User in Accounting - G2 (source)

3. NexHealth | NexHealth vs Podium

Best For:
Dental, medical, and healthcare practices that want to fully automate patient scheduling, reminders, and communications.

Overview:
NexHealth is a patient experience platform built specifically for healthcare providers. It streamlines appointment booking, messaging, payments, forms, and insurance verification. Its real-time sync with practice management software helps practices save hours in admin work and reduce no shows without adding to front desk workload.

Key Features:

• Online Scheduling: Let patients book 24/7, integrated directly with your PMS
• Automated Messaging: Send reminders, recalls, and confirmations
• Digital Forms: Paperless intake synced to your patient records
• Payments: Request and process payments quickly and securely
• Insurance Verification: Automatically check patient eligibility
• The Synchronizer: Real-time, no-code sync with EHR/PMS systems like Dentrix, Open Dental, Eaglesoft

REAL Customer Review:

Here is what people say about NexHealth.

“Nexhealth was super helpful and makes things very easy and seamless. I would recommend this to colleagues.” - Cambrai W. - Medical Receptionist - G2 (source)

“We initially met with a NexHealth salesperson and were excited about the features, which seemed like a great fit for our practice. We waited a week to meet with their engineer, [sensitive content hidden], to discuss our specific needs. During that meeting, we discovered that their financial feature does not allow patients to make partial payments unless the balance is over $1,000 -an immediate dealbreaker for our workflow. We clearly informed [sensitive content hidden], and subsequently the NexHealth team, that the software would not meet our needs. Over the next three weeks, we repeatedly requested a refund. Instead, we were strung along by [sensitive content hidden], their Client Retention Manager. His solution? To schedule another meeting - this time with their engineering team -so they could better understand why their product didn’t work for us. As much as I appreciate the gesture, asking an already overwhelmed office manager to help troubleshoot their product limitations is simply not practical. [sensitive content hidden] framed it as an “honor” to be asked, which felt disingenuous. Now, three weeks later, they not only refuse to refund our initial payment, but intend to charge us two more times - citing the three-month contract we agreed to. While we were aware of the contract term, we could not have known at the outset that their software would lack a critical function our practice requires. We identified this issue immediately -before any implementation work began -and informed their team. The honorable course of action would have been to release us from the contract under these circumstances. Their refusal to do so, and their intention to charge us for services we cannot use, is both disappointing and, frankly, dishonorable. I do not recommend NexHeath, and I would avoid them at all costs.” - Ahava L. - Managing Co-Founder - Medical Practice - Capterra (source)

4. Weave | Weave vs Podium

Best For:
Dental and medical practices that want a modern VoIP phone system combined with AI tools for messaging, payments, and patient engagement.

Overview:
Weave is a communication platform built for healthcare practices, combining phone, texting, reviews, payments, scheduling, and AI-powered automation in a single interface. It helps practices attract new patients, improve efficiency, and boost case acceptance rates through intelligent tools like call intelligence, missed-call texts, and AI-generated responses.

Key Features:

• VoIP Phone + Texting: Manage calls and texts from one platform
• AI Call Intelligence: Analyze call sentiment, transcribe voicemails, and detect missed opportunities
• Online Scheduling & Reminders: Reduce no-shows with smart confirmations
• Payments Suite: Buy Now Pay Later, card on file, terminals, and text-to-pay
• AI Response Assistant: Generate professional replies to online reviews
  Email Assistant: Compose branded emails quickly with AI support
• Analytics Dashboard: Real-time performance insights across your practice

REAL Customer Review:

Here is what people say about Weave.

“Weave has a great feature that can be easily understood and can be easily navigated without a step by step instruction. The features are friendly to a person who is not techy.” - trisha c. - Admin and billing officer - G2 (source)

“Disappointing and unprofessional way to handle customers.” - Diane A. - Front Desk Coordinator - Health, Wellness and Fitness - Capterra (source)

5. Review Wave | Review Wave vs Podium

Best For:
Chiropractic, optometry, and healthcare practices looking to automate reviews, scheduling, and patient engagement in one platform.

Overview:
Review Wave is a fully automated patient communication platform designed for healthcare providers. It helps clinics attract new patients, manage online reviews, schedule appointments, and retain existing patients, all while syncing seamlessly with EHR systems. Review Wave’s core strength is putting reviews, reminders, texting, and scheduling on autopilot so clinics can focus on care, not admin.

Key Features:

• Automated Review Collection: Trigger 5-star review requests post-visit
• Online Scheduling: Convert leads into booked patients automatically
• Best-In-Class Texting: High-deliverability business SMS for reminders and updates
• Digital Forms: Eliminate paperwork and sync forms directly to your EHR
• Local SEO Tools: Boost rankings with more reviews and better online presence
• EHR Integrations: Seamlessly syncs with major practice software
• New Patient Campaigns: Nurture and convert leads through follow-up automation

REAL Customer Review:

Here is what people say about Review Wave.

“Its very easy to use and convenient for a daily use software.” - Verified User in Executive Office - Small-Business - G2 (source)

“I have had feedback that the scheduling app is hard to get to use, while others (most of my patients) rave about it.“ - Shelley L - Owner/Chiropractor - Hospital & Health Care - Capterra (source)

6. Chekkit | Chekkit vs Podium

Best For:
Local businesses and retail/service providers looking for a cost-effective way to manage texting, reviews, payments, and website chat in one dashboard.

Overview:
Chekkit is a user-friendly, all-in-one platform that helps businesses attract new leads, convert them with fast communication, and drive repeat sales. It brings together texting, review generation, live website chat, AI assistance, and video chat - geared especially toward local businesses who want results without enterprise-level pricing.

Key Features:

• Business Texting: Auto-replies, group messaging, and scheduled texts
• Textchat: Convert website visitors into customers via real-time messaging
• AI-Powered Responses: Instantly reply to inquiries using website AI
• Review Generation: Automate Google review requests and manage reputation
• All-in-One Inbox: Centralized communication across all channels
• Chekkit Pay: Request and collect payments via text
• Video Chat: Connect face-to-face with customers remotely
• Campaigns: Send promotional texts for holidays or deals
• Group Chat: Internal team messaging for faster customer service
• Integrations: Google, Instagram, ServiceTitan, Shopify, Zapier, and more

REAL Customer Review:

Here is what people say about Chekkit.

“Overall, the experience with Chekkit was great, however, our organization wasn’t ready to fully commit to using the software to the best of its ability. In an ever changing world where online reviews will likely make or break a decision for someone to walk in your door, Chekkit certainly assists in getting the reviews required to promote your business.” - Mike W. - Chief Operating Officer - Hospital & Health Care - Capterra (source)

“Fairly simple to use. Easy to communicate with clients” - Verified User in Retail - Small-Business - G2 (source)

7. NiceJob | NiceJob vs Podium

Best For:
Budget-conscious small and local business owners who want to grow their reviews, referrals, and online presence without managing complex marketing tools.

Overview:
NiceJob is a simple, powerful reputation marketing platform that helps businesses win more reviews, boost referrals, and increase conversions. Without any paid ads or steep learning curves. With review collection, referral generation, social proof sharing, and even basic websites built-in, it’s designed to help you grow on autopilot.

Key Features:

• Review Automation: Get 4x more reviews with automatic follow-up
• Referrals: Generate word-of-mouth referrals from happy customers
• Social Proof Sharing: Automatically post reviews to Google, Facebook, and other platforms
• Reputation Insights: See how your review performance stacks up
• AI Replies: Auto-respond to customer reviews professionally
• Simple Sites: Create a conversion-focused website to show off your reputation

• NiceJob Trust Badge: Show off your 5-star reputation to boost trust

• Integrations: Syncs with dozens of platforms like Housecall Pro, Jobber, ServiceTitan, and more

Real Customer Review:

Here is what people say about NiceJob.

“It was inexpensive, so I got what I paid for. Low quality website. I was with them for over 6 months and I didn’t increase my online presence like they said would happen. Their software for getting reviews was decent but I cut my costs in half with another program that does exactly what they do. It is over priced” - Shane K. - Manager - Consumer Services - Capterra (source)

“Simple integration with Housecall Pro to automate customer outreach and request reviews.” - Shawn K. - Senior Project Manager - Small-Business - G2 (source)

8. Swell | Swell vs Podium

Best For:
Multi-location healthcare organizations seek to manage both patient and employee feedback while scaling online reviews and reputation.

Overview:
Swell offers a turnkey feedback and reputation platform tailored to healthcare. It enables practices to automatically collect reviews, send NPS surveys, and gather employee insights. With deep analytics, healthcare groups can make strategic improvements in patient satisfaction, staff engagement, and brand reputation.

Key Features:

• Automated Review Invites: SMS-based review generation with high conversion
• Patient Feedback Surveys (NPS): Learn how patients feel at each step of their journey
• Employee Experience (eNPS): Anonymous staff surveys to boost internal culture
• Online Review Monitoring: Centralized review management across Google, Facebook, and more
• 360° Dashboard: Unified insights across reputation, employee morale, and patient experience
• EHR/PMS Integration: Easy setup with automation templates
• Enterprise Scalability: Built for organizations with hundreds of locations
• HIPAA-Compliant: Designed for healthcare practices needing secure and compliant tools

REAL Customer Review:

Here is what people say about Swell.

“Please fix your app. We call your program “Not so Swell”.” - Nikki J. - Customer Service and Scheduling Supervisor - Capterra (source)

“I was amazed by the freedom of being able to develop sleek online stores for web, mobile or even virtual reality. Swell comes with a clean looking interface and claims the user is only limited by their imagination. This truly can be the defining factor when it comes to providing bespoke customer communications.” - Khaloukhaev A. - Project Support Officer - Education Management - G2 (source)

9. Textedly | Textedly vs Podium

Best For:
Small to mid-sized businesses need a powerful, flexible, and affordable SMS platform for marketing, reviews, reminders, and payments.

Overview:
Textedly is a feature-rich SMS and MMS marketing platform trusted by thousands of businesses for bulk messaging, automation, and customer engagement. In addition to mass texting, it offers text-to-pay, review generation (including Google Reviews), appointment reminders, drip campaigns, and a unified inbox for omnichannel support.

Key Features:

• Text Reviews: Request and manage online reviews (Google, etc.)
• Text-to-Pay: Collect payments securely via SMS
• AI Text Messaging: Smart, quick message writing
• Omnichannel Inbox: All conversations in one place
• Drip Campaigns & Triggers: Automated SMS workflows
• Webforms & Opt-ins: For growing subscriber lists
• Text Reminders & Appointments
• 300-character message limit (vs. standard 160)

REAL Customer Review:

Here is what people say about Textedly.

“It was fun and exciting to be able to send bulk text messages to customers all at one time. I got really good responses” - Regina C. - Credit Specialist - Capterra (source)

“I am in the middle of trying it out. The system seems simple. I like the simplicity of the program features” - Verified User in Health, Wellness and Fitness - Small-Business - G2 (source)

Conclusion: Which Platform Is Right for You?

Podium offers some useful tools for managing customer reputation and communication but it might not be the best fit for every business. It lacks some essential features that growing businesses need to streamline operations and deliver standout customer experiences.

As a Podium alternative, DemandHub stands out as the top choice. It is easier to set up, more user friendly, not too costly, and packed with powerful features built for modern service businesses.

Whether you are a dental practice, chiropractor, physio, med spa, or home service provider, DemandHub helps you grow faster and stay ahead of the competition. Book your free demo today.