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Project Management · head to head

Podio vs Square Appointments

Podio logo

Podio

Project Management

The flexible team collaboration platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square Appointments logo

Square Appointments

Scheduling & Booking

Free scheduling for beauty businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Square Appointments has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Podio the free plan stops at 5 users and 100 items across the whole organisation; Square Appointments the free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • They diverge on capability: Podio covers Workspaces, Square Appointments covers Online booking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Podio and Square Appointments actually diverge.

Attributes where Podio and Square Appointments differ
AttributePodioSquare Appointments
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierNoYes
CategoryProject ManagementScheduling & Booking

Identical on both: platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), founded (2009).

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 Podio

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

Only in Square Appointments

  • Online booking
  • Client management
  • Point of sale
  • Payment processing
  • Automated reminders
  • Instagram booking
  • Google booking
  • Mobile app

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Podio

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

Square Appointments

  • Online appointment booking for salons, barbers and personal servicesnot Podio
  • Taking card payments and deposits at the time of bookingnot Podio
  • Managing staff calendars, waitlists and no-show policiesnot Podio

Where each one falls short

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

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

Square Appointments

  • The free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • Cancellation policies, no-show fees and waitlists require the Plus plan
  • Resource management, service cost tracking and the future bookings report require the Premium plan
  • Custom processing rates are reserved for Square Pro, which is aimed at businesses processing over $250,000 a year
  • Card processing fees are charged on top of the plan fee on every tier including the free one

Pricing, plan by plan

Podio

On request
  • FreeFree
    • 5 employees
    • Basic features
  • Basic$7.2/month
    • Unlimited employees
    • User management
    • Automations

Square Appointments

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited appointments
    • Online booking
    • Client management
  • Plus$29/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Multiple staff calendars
    • No-show protection
  • Premium$69/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Multi-location
    • Staff management

Which should you pick?

Choose Podio if

  • You need workspaces.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want apps.
Podio review

Choose Square Appointments if

  • You need online booking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want client management.
Square Appointments review

Questions people ask

Is Podio or Square Appointments better?
Neither clearly leads. Podio starts at On request and Square Appointments at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Podio or Square Appointments?
Square Appointments has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Podio and Free for Square Appointments.
Does Podio or Square Appointments run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Square Appointments for free?
Yes. Square Appointments has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Podio starts at On request.
What is Podio best used for?
Podio is most often used for building custom workspaces and apps without code, project and task management for a small team, client collaboration with external users on the paid plans, simple workflow automation between apps. Of those, building custom workspaces and apps without code and project and task management for a small team are not what Square Appointments is typically brought in for.
What can Podio do that Square Appointments cannot?
Podio covers Workspaces, Apps, Workflows, Tasks. Square Appointments covers Online booking, Client management, Point of sale, Payment processing. Both handle Web support.
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