Customer Support · head to head
Podium vs HubSpot Service Hub
HubSpot Service Hub
Customer Support
Customer service software for scaling companies
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only HubSpot Service Hub 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; HubSpot Service Hub the free tier is capped at 2 users
- They diverge on capability: Podium covers Text messaging, HubSpot Service Hub covers Ticketing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Podium and HubSpot Service Hub actually diverge.
| Attribute | Podium | HubSpot Service Hub |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $249/month | Free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Founded | 2014 | 2006 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Customer Support).
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 HubSpot Service Hub
- Ticketing
- Knowledge base
- Customer feedback
- Live chat
- Conversational bots
- Reporting
- HubSpot CRM
- Slack
Both cover
- Salesforce
- 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 HubSpot Service Hub
- Converting inbound leads through text and web chatnot HubSpot Service Hub
HubSpot Service Hub
- Shared inbox and ticketing for a support teamnot Podium
- Knowledge base and customer self-servicenot Podium
- Live chat and chatbots on a websitenot Podium
- Customer feedback surveys and CSATnot Podium
- Support reporting tied into the HubSpot CRMnot 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
HubSpot Service Hub
- The free tier is capped at 2 users
- Professional carries a one-off onboarding fee of $1,500, and Enterprise $3,500, on top of the seat price
- Seats are $90 a month billed monthly against $100 billed annually on Professional, so the annual commitment is not the cheaper option per month
- AI features run on monthly credits, 500 on Starter and 3,000 on Professional, which do not roll over
- Extra credits cost $0.010 each once the monthly allocation is spent
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
HubSpot Service Hub
Free- FreeFree
- Ticketing
- Live chat
- Calling
- Starter$45/month
- Conversation routing
- Simple ticket automation
- Multiple currencies
- Professional$450/month
- Knowledge base
- Customer feedback
- Custom reporting
- Enterprise$1200/month
- Goals
- Conversation intelligence
- Custom objects
Which should you pick?
Choose Podium if
- You need text messaging.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want review management.
Choose HubSpot Service Hub if
- You need ticketing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want knowledge base.
Questions people ask
- Is Podium or HubSpot Service Hub better?
- Neither clearly leads. Podium starts at $249/month and HubSpot Service Hub at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Podium or HubSpot Service Hub?
- HubSpot Service Hub has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $249/month for Podium and Free for HubSpot Service Hub.
- Does Podium or HubSpot Service Hub run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use HubSpot Service Hub for free?
- Yes. HubSpot Service Hub 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 HubSpot Service Hub is typically brought in for.
- What can Podium do that HubSpot Service Hub cannot?
- Podium covers Text messaging, Review management, Webchat, Payments. HubSpot Service Hub covers Ticketing, Knowledge base, Customer feedback, Live chat. Both handle Salesforce, SOC2, GDPR, Web support.