Groove vs Podium
Converge Team
Side-by-side comparison for 2026
| Feature | Groove | Podium |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $25/seat/mo | From $399/mo |
| Best For | Small teams focused on email-based customer support | Local businesses needing integrated messaging and payments |
| Standout Feature | Simple, user-friendly help desk interface | Integrated payment collection through messaging |
| Free Plan | ✗ | ✗ |
| G2 Rating | 4.5 | 4.3 |
Groove and Podium serve different aspects of customer communication. Groove specializes in email-based customer support with team collaboration features, while Podium focuses on messaging local customers through SMS, social media, and review management.
Their pricing models differ significantly - Groove charges $16-$56 per agent monthly, while Podium starts at $89/month flat rate, making cost comparison dependent on team size.
Feature Comparison
Groove excels in email support with shared inbox functionality, collision detection, internal notes, and detailed reporting. It's designed for support teams handling high email volumes with multiple agents.
Podium focuses on local business messaging - SMS campaigns, Google My Business messaging, Facebook messaging, and payment collection through text. It includes basic review management and lead capture tools.
These platforms serve different communication channels - Groove for formal email support, Podium for casual local business messaging.
Pricing Comparison
Groove's per-agent pricing ($16-$56/month) can become expensive for larger teams but offers good value for small support teams with its collaboration features.
Podium's flat-rate pricing starting at $89/month becomes more economical as team size grows, especially for multi-location businesses.
The break-even point depends on team size - Groove is cheaper for 1-2 agents, while Podium becomes more cost-effective for larger teams.
Groove
Pros
- ✓ Clean, intuitive interface
- ✓ Good email management
- ✓ Solid knowledge base features
Cons
- ✗ Per-agent pricing gets expensive
- ✗ Limited social media integration
- ✗ Basic live chat functionality
Podium
Pros
- ✓ Strong local business focus
- ✓ Integrated payment processing
- ✓ Comprehensive review management
Cons
- ✗ Expensive pricing structure
- ✗ Limited international messaging
- ✗ Complex setup process
Verdict
Choose Groove if you need sophisticated email support management and team collaboration. Choose Podium if you're a local business prioritizing SMS communication and customer messaging.
Choose Groove if: Email is your primary support channel and you need advanced team collaboration features for handling customer inquiries.
Choose Podium if: You're a local business wanting to engage customers through SMS and social messaging with payment capabilities.
For businesses needing comprehensive customer engagement across all channels without complex pricing tiers, Converge delivers full functionality at a simple $49/month flat rate.
Looking for more options? Browse all 750+ platform comparisons, or see all Groove comparisons and all Podium comparisons.