Softwr

Telecommunications · head to head

Five9 vs Podium

Five9 logo

Five9

Telecommunications

Intelligent cloud contact center

From
$149/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: Five9 a 50 seat minimum applies to the published rates, so the entry cost on the $119 Digital plan is $5,950 a month; Podium no transparent pricing published online
  • They diverge on capability: Five9 covers Intelligent routing, Podium covers Text messaging.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Five9 and Podium actually diverge.

Attributes where Five9 and Podium differ
AttributeFive9Podium
Starting price$149/month$249/month
PlatformsWeb, DesktopWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryTelecommunicationsCustomer Support
Founded20012014

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 Five9

  • Intelligent routing
  • IVR
  • ACD
  • Dialer
  • WFM
  • Quality management
  • Analytics
  • ServiceNow

Only in Podium

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

Both cover

  • Salesforce
  • SOC2
  • PCI DSS
  • GDPR
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Five9

  • Cloud contact centre across voice, chat, email and social messagingnot Podium
  • Routing and managing high volume customer interactionsnot Podium

Podium

  • Managing customer messages and reviews for local businessesnot Five9
  • Converting inbound leads through text and web chatnot Five9

Where each one falls short

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

Five9

  • A 50 seat minimum applies to the published rates, so the entry cost on the $119 Digital plan is $5,950 a month
  • Prices are per concurrent user rather than per named agent, which changes what a seat means when shifts overlap
  • Voice is excluded from the Digital plan and requires a quote
  • Usage based charges apply on top of the per seat rate
  • Three of the five tiers publish no price at all

Podium

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Five9

$149/month
  • Core$149/month
    • Inbound/outbound
    • IVR
    • Basic CTI
  • Premium$169/month
    • Core + Chat/email
    • Quality management
  • Optimum$199/month
    • Premium + WFM
    • Proactive chat
  • Ultimate$229/month
    • Full suite
    • Advanced analytics

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 Five9 if

  • You need intelligent routing.
  • You work on Web, Desktop.
  • You also want ivr.
Five9 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 Five9 or Podium better?
Neither clearly leads. Five9 starts at $149/month and Podium at $249/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Five9 or Podium?
Five9 starts at $149/month and Podium at $249/month.
Does Five9 or Podium run on more platforms?
Five9 runs on Web, Desktop. Podium runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is Five9 best used for?
Five9 is most often used for cloud contact centre across voice, chat, email and social messaging, routing and managing high volume customer interactions. Of those, cloud contact centre across voice, chat, email and social messaging and routing and managing high volume customer interactions are not what Podium is typically brought in for.
What can Five9 do that Podium cannot?
Five9 covers Intelligent routing, IVR, ACD, Dialer. Podium covers Text messaging, Review management, Webchat, Payments. Both handle Salesforce, SOC2, PCI DSS, GDPR.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Five9: What is the minimum team size required to use Five9?

Five9 requires a minimum commitment of 50 seats for any subscription plan.

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
Five9: How is Five9 pricing calculated, per user, flat rate, or usage-based?

Five9 offers flexible pricing models: per concurrent user, per named agent, or pay-per-use. The pricing structure varies depending on the chosen bundle.

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
Five9: What does the entry-level Digital bundle include, and what does it cost?

The Digital bundle costs $119 per month per seat and supports digital channels only. Higher tiers (Core at $159, Plus, Pro, and Enterprise) are available, with Plus/Pro/Enterprise requiring contact with sales for pricing.

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
Five9: Are there additional charges beyond the base subscription?

Yes. All bundles include 3000 AI minutes per seat, but additional AI usage incurs charges. SMS messaging also has usage-based charges applied separately.

Source
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