LiveAgent vs Podium
Converge Team
Side-by-side comparison for 2026
| Feature | LiveAgent | Podium |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $49/seat/mo | From $399/mo |
| Best For | Traditional customer service teams needing comprehensive help desk functionality with phone support | Local businesses needing integrated messaging and payments |
| Standout Feature | Comprehensive all-in-one platform combining help desk, live chat, and call center in a single solution | Integrated payment collection through messaging |
| Free Plan | ✓ | ✗ |
| G2 Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.3 |
LiveAgent and Podium serve different segments of the customer communication market. LiveAgent is a traditional help desk solution with comprehensive multi-channel support, while Podium focuses specifically on local business messaging and lead generation through text-based interactions.
The choice between them often depends on whether you need a full-featured support platform or a specialized messaging solution for customer acquisition and retention.
Feature Comparison
LiveAgent provides a comprehensive support suite including ticketing system, live chat, phone support, social media integration, and a robust knowledge base. Its strength lies in consolidating all customer interactions into a unified workflow.
Podium specializes in text messaging for local businesses, offering features like review management, payment collection via text, and lead capture from websites. Its focus is narrow but deep in the messaging space.
The fundamental difference is scope - LiveAgent covers the entire customer support lifecycle, while Podium excels specifically at text-based customer acquisition and engagement for local businesses.
Pricing Comparison
LiveAgent offers predictable per-agent pricing starting at $15/month for basic ticketing, scaling to $49/month for all features. This model works well for traditional support teams.
Podium uses a different approach with plans starting around $89/month for basic messaging features, often requiring higher-tier plans ($289+/month) for full functionality. Pricing is based on business size rather than agent count.
For traditional support teams, LiveAgent typically offers better value. For local businesses prioritizing text messaging and lead generation, Podium's specialized features may justify the higher cost.
LiveAgent
Pros
- ✓ Extensive feature set with 188+ capabilities
- ✓ Strong call center functionality with unlimited recordings
- ✓ Mature platform with robust reporting and analytics
Cons
- ✗ Per-agent pricing can become expensive for larger teams
- ✗ Complex interface may overwhelm users focused on messaging
- ✗ Social media integrations require additional fees on lower tiers
Podium
Pros
- ✓ Strong local business focus
- ✓ Integrated payment processing
- ✓ Comprehensive review management
Cons
- ✗ Expensive pricing structure
- ✗ Limited international messaging
- ✗ Complex setup process
Verdict
Choose LiveAgent if you need a complete customer support solution with ticketing, knowledge base, and multi-channel management. Choose Podium if you're a local business focused on text messaging for lead generation and customer engagement.
Choose LiveAgent if: You need a complete customer support platform with ticketing, knowledge base, and want predictable per-agent pricing for your support team.
Choose Podium if: You're a local business that prioritizes text messaging for lead generation, review management, and customer engagement over traditional support features.
For businesses wanting modern messaging capabilities without Podium's local business focus, Converge at $49/month flat rate provides flexible customer communication tools with transparent pricing.
Looking for more options? Browse all 750+ platform comparisons, or see all LiveAgent comparisons and all Podium comparisons.