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Customer Support · head to head

Podium vs Scratchpad

Podium logo

Podium

Customer Support

Messaging platform for local businesses

From
$249/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Scratchpad logo

Scratchpad

CRM

Faster workspace over Salesforce for sales reps to update pipeline, take notes and manage deals

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Scratchpad has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Podium no transparent pricing published online; Scratchpad scratchpad works with Salesforce and nothing else, with no HubSpot support, so it is off the shortlist entirely for any company on a different CRM regardless of how good the interface is.
  • They diverge on capability: Podium covers Text messaging, Scratchpad covers Spreadsheet pipeline views.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Podium and Scratchpad actually diverge.

Attributes where Podium and Scratchpad differ
AttributePodiumScratchpad
Starting price$249/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per month
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Chrome extension
CategoryCustomer SupportCRM
Founded2014Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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
  • Google
  • Facebook

Only in Scratchpad

  • Spreadsheet pipeline views
  • Call recorder and notetaker
  • AI field updates
  • Deal and account agent
  • Hygiene monitor
  • Notes linked to records
  • Custom prompts
  • Kanban and forecast views

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 Scratchpad
  • Converting inbound leads through text and web chatnot Scratchpad

Scratchpad

  • A 60-rep Salesforce team whose forecast is unreliable because opportunity fields are updated once a week in a panic before the pipeline callnot Podium
  • A rep who wants to update twenty opportunities in a grid rather than opening twenty Salesforce recordsnot Podium
  • A sales manager wanting stale and incomplete pipeline records flagged automatically instead of chased by emailnot Podium
  • A revenue operations lead trialling AI notetaking that writes back to CRM fields before committing budget, using the free tiernot Podium

Where each one falls short

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

Podium

  • No transparent pricing published online
  • 10DLC base fee amount not specified
  • Bulk Messages credits and limits not quantified

Scratchpad

  • Scratchpad works with Salesforce and nothing else, with no HubSpot support, so it is off the shortlist entirely for any company on a different CRM regardless of how good the interface is.
  • AI credits are metered per user per month at 400 on Solo and 800 on Team, which means heavy notetaking use pushes teams towards Enterprise for capacity rather than for features.
  • There is no proper native mobile application, so representatives who wanted to update records from a car park between meetings are back in a mobile browser.
  • Sync with Salesforce and call processing can lag, and a pipeline view showing yesterday state during a forecast call undermines the exact meeting the tool was bought to improve.
  • It creates a second notes surface alongside native Salesforce notes, so organisations end up with deal history split across two places unless they explicitly ban one of them.

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

Scratchpad

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Workspace limited to 3 views
    • 10 hours a month of call recording and notetaking
    • AI field updates
  • Solo$19/month
    • Unlimited views with sheets and notes
    • Call recorder and notetaker
    • AI field updates
  • Team$49/month
    • Everything in Solo
    • 800 AI credits per user per month
    • Gong integration
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Unlimited AI credits
    • White-glove agent services included
    • Enterprise security and administration

Which should you pick?

Choose Podium if

  • You need text messaging.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want review management.
Podium review

Choose Scratchpad if

  • You need spreadsheet pipeline views.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Chrome extension.
  • You also want call recorder and notetaker.
Scratchpad review

Questions people ask

Is Podium or Scratchpad better?
Neither clearly leads. Podium starts at $249/month and Scratchpad at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Podium or Scratchpad?
Scratchpad has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $249/month for Podium and Free for Scratchpad.
Does Podium or Scratchpad run on more platforms?
Podium runs on Web, Ios, Android. Scratchpad runs on Web, Chrome extension.
Can I use Scratchpad for free?
Yes. Scratchpad 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 Scratchpad is typically brought in for.
What can Podium do that Scratchpad cannot?
Podium covers Text messaging, Review management, Webchat, Payments. Scratchpad covers Spreadsheet pipeline views, Call recorder and notetaker, AI field updates, Deal and account agent.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Podium: How do I find out Podium pricing for my business?

Podium requires contacting their sales team directly at 1-801-438-4425 or visiting http://podium.com/getpricing for a custom quote based on your business needs.

Source
Scratchpad: Does Scratchpad work with HubSpot?

No. It is Salesforce-only.

Podium: What messaging features might incur additional costs?

10DLC messaging has a base fee (amount unspecified) and Bulk Messages credits are available with limits that are not detailed on their public pricing page.

Source
Scratchpad: Is the free plan usable in production?

Yes for an individual: full workspace with three views, 10 hours of recording and 100 AI credits a month. Teams outgrow it on views and credits.

Podium: Does Podium publish pricing tiers online?

No. Podium states plans are designed to fit specific business needs and requires sales team consultation instead of displaying standard public pricing.

Source
Scratchpad: Does it replace Salesforce licences?

No. Every user still needs their own Salesforce licence; Scratchpad is an interface on top.

Scratchpad: What are AI credits spent on?

Notetaking, summarisation, field update suggestions and agent queries. Enterprise removes the cap.

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