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Software · head to head

Freshservice vs Podium

Freshservice logo

Freshservice

Software

Modern IT service management

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Podium logo

Podium

Software

Messaging platform for local businesses

From
$249/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Freshservice change, problem and release management require the Pro plan at $99 per agent per month, so core ITIL processes sit two tiers up; Podium no monthly price, contact limit or message allowance is published anywhere on the pricing page
  • They diverge on capability: Freshservice covers Incident management, Podium covers Text messaging.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Freshservice and Podium actually diverge.

Attributes where Freshservice and Podium differ
AttributeFreshservicePodium
Starting price$19/month$249/month
Founded20102014

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

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 Freshservice

  • Incident management
  • Asset management
  • Change management
  • Knowledge base
  • Reporting
  • Slack
  • Microsoft Teams
  • AWS

Only in Podium

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

Both cover

  • Automation
  • SOC2
  • GDPR
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Freshservice

  • IT service management and internal help desk ticketingnot Podium
  • Asset management and change control for IT teamsnot Podium

Podium

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

Where each one falls short

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

Freshservice

  • Change, problem and release management require the Pro plan at $99 per agent per month, so core ITIL processes sit two tiers up
  • Every plan includes only 100 ITAM asset units, with more sold separately regardless of tier
  • Orchestration transactions are metered monthly, from 1,000 on Starter to 20,000 on Enterprise, with extra packs at $250 per 1,000
  • The Freddy AI copilot is a $29 per agent per month add on on top of Pro or Enterprise
  • Sandbox and audit logs are Enterprise only, which carries no published price

Podium

  • No monthly price, contact limit or message allowance is published anywhere on the pricing page
  • The page carries a heading asking what Podium costs monthly and does not answer it
  • The AI Employee is an add on across all tiers rather than being included

Pricing, plan by plan

Freshservice

$19/month
  • Starter$19/month
    • Incident management
    • Knowledge base
    • Self-service portal
  • Growth$49/month
    • Asset management
    • Approval workflows
    • SLA management
  • Pro$95/month
    • Problem management
    • Change management
    • Release management
  • Enterprise$119/month
    • Freddy AI
    • Audit logs
    • Custom SSL

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 Freshservice if

  • You need incident management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want asset management.
Freshservice 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 Freshservice or Podium better?
Neither clearly leads. Freshservice 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, Freshservice or Podium?
Freshservice starts at $19/month and Podium at $249/month.
Does Freshservice or Podium run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Freshservice best used for?
Freshservice is most often used for it service management and internal help desk ticketing, asset management and change control for it teams. Of those, it service management and internal help desk ticketing and asset management and change control for it teams are not what Podium is typically brought in for.
What can Freshservice do that Podium cannot?
Freshservice covers Incident management, Asset management, Change management, Knowledge base. Podium covers Text messaging, Review management, Webchat, Payments. Both handle Automation, SOC2, GDPR, Web support.
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