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CRM · head to head

Capsule vs Podium

Capsule logo

Capsule

CRM

Visual CRM for small teams

From
$19/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Podium logo

Podium

Customer Support

Messaging platform for local businesses

From
$249/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Capsule the free plan is capped at 2 users, 250 contacts, 5 custom fields and a single pipeline; Podium no transparent pricing published online
  • They diverge on capability: Capsule covers Contact management, Podium covers Text messaging.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Capsule and Podium actually diverge.

Attributes where Capsule and Podium differ
AttributeCapsulePodium
Starting price$19/month$249/month
CategoryCRMCustomer Support
Founded20082014

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Capsule

  • Contact management
  • Deal tracking
  • Task management
  • Email sync
  • Activity timeline
  • Slack
  • Zapier
  • Google Apps

Only in Podium

  • Text messaging
  • Review management
  • Webchat
  • Payments
  • Team inbox
  • Automation
  • Google
  • Facebook

Both cover

  • GDPR
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Capsule

  • Simple contact and pipeline CRM for a small teamnot Podium
  • Tracking deals and follow-up tasksnot Podium
  • Linking emails and notes to contact recordsnot Podium
  • Multiple sales pipelines on the paid tiersnot Podium

Podium

  • Managing customer messages and reviews for local businessesnot Capsule
  • Converting inbound leads through text and web chatnot Capsule

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Capsule

  • The free plan is capped at 2 users, 250 contacts, 5 custom fields and a single pipeline
  • Contact ceilings gate every tier, from 30,000 on Starter to 120,000 on Advanced
  • Per-user prices are not shown as figures on the pricing page, only as tier names
  • Ultimate is quote-only

Podium

  • No transparent pricing published online
  • 10DLC base fee amount not specified
  • Bulk Messages credits and limits not quantified

Pricing, plan by plan

Capsule

$19/month
  • Starter$19/month
    • Contact management
    • Task tracking
  • Professional$39/month
    • Everything in Starter
    • Pipeline management
    • Reporting
  • Enterprise$99/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • Custom fields
    • API access

Podium

$249/month
  • Essentials$249/month
    • Inbox
    • Reviews
    • Website chat
  • Standard$449/month
    • Essentials + Campaigns
    • Payments
    • Automation
  • Professional$undefined/month
    • Standard + Advanced analytics
    • Multi-location

Which should you pick?

Choose Capsule if

  • You need contact management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want deal tracking.
Capsule review

Choose Podium if

  • You need text messaging.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want review management.
Podium review

Questions people ask

Is Capsule or Podium better?
Neither clearly leads. Capsule starts at $19/month and Podium at $249/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Capsule or Podium?
Capsule starts at $19/month and Podium at $249/month.
Does Capsule or Podium run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Capsule best used for?
Capsule is most often used for simple contact and pipeline crm for a small team, tracking deals and follow-up tasks, linking emails and notes to contact records, multiple sales pipelines on the paid tiers. Of those, simple contact and pipeline crm for a small team and tracking deals and follow-up tasks are not what Podium is typically brought in for.
What can Capsule do that Podium cannot?
Capsule covers Contact management, Deal tracking, Task management, Email sync. Podium covers Text messaging, Review management, Webchat, Payments. Both handle GDPR, Web support, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Capsule: How long is the free trial for Capsule CRM paid plans?

Capsule CRM offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. None of the paid plan features are limited during the trial period.

Source
Podium: How do I find out Podium pricing for my business?

Podium requires contacting their sales team directly at 1-801-438-4425 or visiting http://podium.com/getpricing for a custom quote based on your business needs.

Source
Capsule: What is the maximum number of contacts included in Capsule's free plan?

The free plan allows up to 250 contacts and supports a maximum of 2 users with 1 sales pipeline.

Source
Podium: What messaging features might incur additional costs?

10DLC messaging has a base fee (amount unspecified) and Bulk Messages credits are available with limits that are not detailed on their public pricing page.

Source
Capsule: Does Capsule CRM offer annual billing discounts?

Yes, when you choose annual billing instead of monthly, Capsule CRM offers up to 15% discount on your subscription.

Source
Podium: Does Podium publish pricing tiers online?

No. Podium states plans are designed to fit specific business needs and requires sales team consultation instead of displaying standard public pricing.

Source
Capsule: Can I cancel my Capsule CRM account anytime or are there long-term commitments?

You can cancel your Capsule account at any time, and there are zero setup fees when opening an account.

Source
Capsule: Does Capsule CRM support importing data from spreadsheets or other tools?

Yes, Capsule CRM supports data migration from spreadsheets and select integrations like Xero and Zendesk.

Source
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