Software · head to head
Hiver vs Podium
The short version
- Only Hiver has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Hiver hiver tiers as captured 28 December 2023: Lite at $15/user/month capped at 2 shared inboxes (up to 10 users each), Pro at $39/user/month capped at 5 shared inboxes and 50 shared labels, Elite at $59/user/month, all annual pricing with higher month-to-month rates of $19/$49/$69; Podium no monthly price, contact limit or message allowance is published anywhere on the pricing page
- They diverge on capability: Hiver covers Shared inbox, Podium covers Text messaging.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Hiver and Podium actually diverge.
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Hiver
- Shared inbox
- Email assignment
- Collision detection
- Email notes
- Templates
- Analytics
- Gmail
- Google Workspace
Only in Podium
- Text messaging
- Review management
- Webchat
- Payments
- Team inbox
- Automation
Both cover
- SOC2
- GDPR
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Hiver
- Shared inbox managementnot Podium
- Customer support via Gmailnot Podium
- Team email collaborationnot Podium
Podium
- Managing customer messages and reviews for local businessesnot Hiver
- Converting inbound leads through text and web chatnot Hiver
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Hiver
- Hiver tiers as captured 28 December 2023: Lite at $15/user/month capped at 2 shared inboxes (up to 10 users each), Pro at $39/user/month capped at 5 shared inboxes and 50 shared labels, Elite at $59/user/month, all annual pricing with higher month-to-month rates of $19/$49/$69
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
Hiver
Free- FreeFree
- 2 users
- Email management
- Basic analytics
- Lite$19/month
- Unlimited users
- Email templates
- Notes & @mentions
- Pro$49/month
- CSAT surveys
- SLA management
- Custom reports
- Elite$69/month
- Round-robin
- Skill-based routing
- Okta SSO
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 Hiver if
- You need shared inbox.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Chrome-extension.
- You also want email assignment.
Choose Podium if
- You need text messaging.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want review management.
Questions people ask
- Is Hiver or Podium better?
- Neither clearly leads. Hiver starts at Free and Podium at $249/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Hiver or Podium?
- Hiver has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Hiver and $249/month for Podium.
- Does Hiver or Podium run on more platforms?
- Hiver runs on Web, Chrome-extension. Podium runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- Can I use Hiver for free?
- Yes. Hiver has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Podium starts at $249/month.
- What is Hiver best used for?
- Hiver is most often used for shared inbox management, customer support via gmail, team email collaboration. Of those, shared inbox management and customer support via gmail are not what Podium is typically brought in for.
- What can Hiver do that Podium cannot?
- Hiver covers Shared inbox, Email assignment, Collision detection, Email notes. Podium covers Text messaging, Review management, Webchat, Payments. Both handle SOC2, GDPR, Web support.