Softwr

Project Management · head to head

Paymo vs Podio

Paymo logo

Paymo

Project Management

Work & project management for teams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Podio logo

Podio

Project Management

The flexible team collaboration platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Paymo every advertised price rises after 3 months, with Plus going from $10.90 to $15.90 per user and Pro from $16.90 to $23.90; Podio the free plan stops at 5 users and 100 items across the whole organisation
  • They diverge on capability: Paymo covers Task management, Podio covers Workspaces.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Paymo and Podio actually diverge.

Attributes where Paymo and Podio differ
AttributePaymoPodio
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, DesktopWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20082009

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Project Management).

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 Paymo

  • Task management
  • Time tracking
  • Invoicing
  • Gantt charts
  • Resource scheduling
  • Google Workspace
  • SSL encryption
  • Desktop support

Only in Podio

  • Workspaces
  • Apps
  • Workflows
  • Tasks
  • Calendar
  • Google Drive
  • Dropbox
  • SSL

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Zapier
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Paymo

  • Time tracking for freelancersnot Podio
  • Project management for small teamsnot Podio
  • Invoice generation and client managementnot Podio

Podio

  • Building custom workspaces and apps without codenot Paymo
  • Project and task management for a small teamnot Paymo
  • Client collaboration with external users on the paid plansnot Paymo
  • Simple workflow automation between appsnot Paymo

Where each one falls short

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

Paymo

  • Every advertised price rises after 3 months, with Plus going from $10.90 to $15.90 per user and Pro from $16.90 to $23.90
  • The free plan allows 1 user, 1 client and 2 projects
  • The Solo plan is still capped at 3 clients and 5 projects
  • Gantt charts, task dependencies and scheduling require the Plus plan
  • Integrations are excluded from both the free and Solo plans

Podio

  • The free plan stops at 5 users and 100 items across the whole organisation
  • Workflow automation is capped at 25,000 actions a month even on Premium at $19.20 per user
  • API access is a paid add-on from $23 a month, and higher call rates run to $159
  • Extra automation is billed separately, from $39 up to $559 a month
  • Visual reports, email integrations and PDF generation all require Premium

Pricing, plan by plan

Paymo

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 user
    • unlimited time tracking
    • unlimited invoices
  • Solo$5.9/month
    • 1 user
    • flat rate/retainer projects
    • 3 clients
  • Plus$10.9/month
    • unlimited users
    • spreadsheet view
    • recurring tasks
  • Pro$16.9/month
    • unlimited users
    • Gantt charts
    • task dependencies

Podio

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 5 users
    • 100 items maximum per organization
    • Basic task management
  • Plus$11.2/per user/month
    • $14/user/month monthly
    • Unlimited items
    • Task automation
  • Premium$19.2/per user/month
    • $24/user/month monthly
    • Advanced automation with 25,000 actions/month
    • Enhanced API

Which should you pick?

Choose Paymo if

  • You need task management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want time tracking.
Paymo review

Choose Podio if

  • You need workspaces.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want apps.
Podio review

Questions people ask

Is Paymo or Podio better?
Neither clearly leads. Paymo starts at Free and Podio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Paymo or Podio?
Paymo starts at Free and Podio at Free.
Does Paymo or Podio run on more platforms?
Paymo runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop. Podio runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Paymo for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Paymo best used for?
Paymo is most often used for time tracking for freelancers, project management for small teams, invoice generation and client management. Of those, time tracking for freelancers and project management for small teams are not what Podio is typically brought in for.
What can Paymo do that Podio cannot?
Paymo covers Task management, Time tracking, Invoicing, Gantt charts. Podio covers Workspaces, Apps, Workflows, Tasks. Both handle Slack, Zapier, Web support, Ios support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Paymo: What is the storage limit by plan?

Free: 1GB, Solo: 5GB, Plus: 50GB, Pro: 500GB.

Source
Podio: How much does Podio cost?

Podio offers a free plan with up to 5 users and 100 items limit. Paid tiers start at $11.20/user/month (annual) or $14/user/month (monthly) for Plus, and $19.20/user/month (annual) or $24/user/month (monthly) for Premium.

Source
Paymo: Can I use Paymo with multiple users on the Free plan?

No, Free and Solo plans are limited to 1 user only. You need Plus or Pro for multiple users.

Source
Podio: Is Podio free?

Podio offers a free plan for up to 5 users with basic task management features and a maximum of 100 items per organization. Paid plans are required for more users or items.

Source
Paymo: What happens after the promotional pricing period ends?

Regular prices apply: Solo $9.90/month, Plus $15.90/user/month, Pro $23.90/user/month.

Source
Podio: What limits are on Podio's free plan?

The free plan supports up to 5 users and stores a maximum of 100 items per organization. API calls are limited to 1,000 per hour on the base tier.

Source
Paymo: Is there a discount for annual billing?

Yes, annual payment offers up to 40% discount compared to monthly billing.

Source
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