Freshchat vs Podium
Converge Team
Side-by-side comparison for 2026
| Feature | Freshchat | Podium |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $49/seat/mo | From $399/mo |
| Best For | Large enterprises already using Freshworks products | Local businesses needing integrated messaging and payments |
| Standout Feature | Deep integration with Freshworks CRM and helpdesk | Integrated payment collection through messaging |
| Free Plan | ✓ | ✗ |
| G2 Rating | 4.2 | 4.3 |
Freshchat and Podium serve different niches in customer communication. Freshchat is a traditional live chat and messaging platform, while Podium specializes in text messaging for local businesses. This comparison examines their pricing, features, and target markets.
Freshchat focuses on comprehensive customer support across multiple channels, whereas Podium emphasizes SMS-first customer engagement for brick-and-mortar businesses.
Feature Comparison
Freshchat offers traditional customer support features including live chat widgets, ticketing, knowledge base integration, and team collaboration tools. It excels at handling complex support workflows with features like chat routing, canned responses, and detailed analytics.
Podium takes a different approach, focusing on SMS messaging, review management, and lead capture for local businesses. Its standout features include text-to-pay, automated review requests, and integration with popular local business tools like Google My Business.
The platforms serve fundamentally different use cases - Freshchat for comprehensive customer support and Podium for local business customer engagement.
Pricing Comparison
Freshchat uses per-agent pricing starting at $15/month per agent for basic features, scaling to $69/month per agent for advanced capabilities. This makes it cost-effective for smaller support teams but expensive as you scale.
Podium starts at $89/month for their basic plan and scales to custom enterprise pricing. Unlike Freshchat, Podium's pricing isn't strictly per-agent, making it potentially more economical for larger teams handling SMS communications.
For teams needing basic customer messaging, both platforms can be expensive compared to simpler alternatives.
Freshchat
Pros
- ✓ Part of Freshworks ecosystem
- ✓ Strong mobile app
- ✓ Good WhatsApp integration
Cons
- ✗ Per-agent pricing gets expensive
- ✗ Limited customization options
- ✗ Steep learning curve
Podium
Pros
- ✓ Strong local business focus
- ✓ Integrated payment processing
- ✓ Comprehensive review management
Cons
- ✗ Expensive pricing structure
- ✗ Limited international messaging
- ✗ Complex setup process
Verdict
Choose Freshchat if you need a full-featured customer support platform with live chat, email, and phone integration. Choose Podium if you're a local business prioritizing SMS marketing and customer messaging.
Choose Freshchat if: You need comprehensive customer support features, handle complex inquiries, or require detailed ticketing and knowledge base integration.
Choose Podium if: You're a local business focused on SMS marketing, review management, and simple customer messaging workflows.
For teams seeking a more affordable alternative that combines essential messaging features without the complexity, Converge at $49/month flat rate offers a compelling middle ground with unified customer communication tools.
Looking for more options? Browse all 750+ platform comparisons, or see all Freshchat comparisons and all Podium comparisons.