Missive vs Podium
Converge Team
Side-by-side comparison for 2026
| Feature | Missive | Podium |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $24/seat/mo | From $399/mo |
| Best For | Teams needing collaborative email management with basic chat features | Local businesses needing integrated messaging and payments |
| Standout Feature | Seamless team collaboration on email conversations | Integrated payment collection through messaging |
| Free Plan | ✓ | ✗ |
| G2 Rating | 4.7 | 4.3 |
Missive and Podium target different aspects of customer communication. Missive is a collaborative email and messaging platform designed for team-based customer support, while Podium focuses on local business messaging with SMS, webchat, and review management specifically for brick-and-mortar businesses.
This comparison explores how these platforms serve distinct business models - collaborative remote teams versus location-based customer engagement.
Feature Comparison
Missive excels at collaborative email workflows with shared inboxes, internal team comments, conversation assignment, and integration with existing email systems. It's built for teams that handle customer communication collectively.
Podium specializes in local business communication with SMS messaging, webchat widgets, review management, and payment collection. It's designed specifically for businesses with physical locations and local customer bases.
Missive is better for email-heavy, collaborative support teams, while Podium serves local businesses needing SMS and review management capabilities.
Pricing Comparison
Missive uses straightforward per-user pricing at $14/month per user, making it predictable for team budgeting but potentially expensive as teams grow.
Podium typically starts around $89/month for basic features, with additional costs for SMS messages and advanced features. The pricing reflects its focus on local business ROI through customer acquisition and retention.
Missive
Pros
- ✓ Excellent team collaboration
- ✓ Clean, intuitive interface
- ✓ Good email management
Cons
- ✗ Limited messaging platform support
- ✗ Per-user pricing adds up
- ✗ No WhatsApp or Telegram integration
Podium
Pros
- ✓ Strong local business focus
- ✓ Integrated payment processing
- ✓ Comprehensive review management
Cons
- ✗ Expensive pricing structure
- ✗ Limited international messaging
- ✗ Complex setup process
Verdict
Choose Missive if you need collaborative email management with shared inboxes and team communication features. Choose Podium if you're a local business needing SMS marketing, review management, and location-based customer engagement tools.
Choose Missive if: You manage email-based customer support as a team, need collaborative features for customer conversations, or work primarily with remote/distributed teams.
Choose Podium if: You're a local business needing SMS marketing, want to manage online reviews, or need tools specifically designed for location-based customer engagement and lead conversion.
For businesses needing flexible communication without industry-specific constraints, Converge at $49/month flat rate provides comprehensive messaging capabilities without per-user or per-message fees.
Looking for more options? Browse all 750+ platform comparisons, or see all Missive comparisons and all Podium comparisons.