Software · head to head
Podium vs Help Scout
The short version
- Only Help Scout has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Podium no monthly price, contact limit or message allowance is published anywhere on the pricing page; Help Scout the free plan caps contacts at 100 a month, so it is a volume trial rather than a standing free tier
- They diverge on capability: Podium covers Text messaging, Help Scout covers Shared inbox.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Podium and Help Scout actually diverge.
| Attribute | Podium | Help Scout |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $249/month | Free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Founded | 2014 | 2011 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Podium
- Text messaging
- Review management
- Webchat
- Payments
- Team inbox
- Automation
Only in Help Scout
- Shared inbox
- Knowledge base
- Live chat
- Customer profiles
- Workflows
- Reporting
- Slack
- Jira
Both cover
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- SOC2
- GDPR
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Podium
- Managing customer messages and reviews for local businessesnot Help Scout
- Converting inbound leads through text and web chatnot Help Scout
Help Scout
- Shared inbox and help desk for customer support teamsnot Podium
- Publishing a knowledge base alongside email and chat supportnot Podium
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Help Scout
- The free plan caps contacts at 100 a month, so it is a volume trial rather than a standing free tier
- Inboxes are rationed by plan, at 1 on free, 5 on Plus and 10 on Pro
- Each plan also caps users, at 25 on Standard and 50 on Plus
- The Pro plan at $75 per user per month carries a 10 user minimum, so the entry cost is $750 a month
- SSO, SAML and HIPAA compliance are Pro only
- AI Answers is billed separately at $0.75 per resolution on top of the seat price
Pricing, plan by plan
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
Help Scout
Free- Standard$20/month
- 2 mailboxes
- 1 Docs site
- Email & live chat
- Plus$40/month
- 5 mailboxes
- Custom fields
- Advanced permissions
- Pro$65/month
- 25 mailboxes
- Enterprise security
- HIPAA compliance
Which should you pick?
Choose Podium if
- You need text messaging.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want review management.
Choose Help Scout if
- You need shared inbox.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want knowledge base.
Questions people ask
- Is Podium or Help Scout better?
- Neither clearly leads. Podium starts at $249/month and Help Scout at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Podium or Help Scout?
- Help Scout has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $249/month for Podium and Free for Help Scout.
- Does Podium or Help Scout run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Help Scout for free?
- Yes. Help Scout has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Podium starts at $249/month.
- What is Podium best used for?
- Podium is most often used for managing customer messages and reviews for local businesses, converting inbound leads through text and web chat. Of those, managing customer messages and reviews for local businesses and converting inbound leads through text and web chat are not what Help Scout is typically brought in for.
- What can Podium do that Help Scout cannot?
- Podium covers Text messaging, Review management, Webchat, Payments. Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Knowledge base, Live chat, Customer profiles. Both handle Salesforce, HubSpot, SOC2, GDPR.