Podium vs Text Request

Trustpilot

Birdeye

Twilio

Broadly

SimpleTexting

EZ Texting

Compare Podium and Text Request based on features, pricing, verified reviews, integrations & more on GetApp. Find out which software is best for your business in 2026.

Text Request

Text Request is crafted to cut through the noise, so you can connect with customers anytime, anywhere.

Twilio offers an API for phone services enabling companies to make and receive phone calls and send and receive text messages. It allows programmers to integrate various communication methods and to use existing web development skills and codes to solve communication problems.

Omnisend

Omnisend is an email marketing software designed specifically for ecommerce businesses. It combines email, SMS, and web push notifications in a single platform with pre-built automations for cart abandonment, welcome series, and post-purchase campaigns. The platform features advanced segmentation capabilities that update in real time based on customer behavior and integrates with multiple eCommerce tools.

Podium's AI-powered communication platform helps you attract more leads, convert them faster, and keep your customers coming back by consolidating your communication into a single inbox.

2-Way Messaging

Access Controls/Permissions

ACH Payment Processing

Activity Dashboard

Activity Tracking

AI/Machine Learning

Alerts/Notifications

Appointment Management

Automated Responses

Autoresponders

Batch Communications

Before & After Pictures

Billing & Invoicing

Call Recording

Campaign Analytics

Campaign Management

Campaign Scheduling

Canned Responses

Chat/Messaging

Client Management

Commenting/Notes

Communication Management

Complaint Monitoring

Compliance Management

Consent Management

Contact Database

Contact Management

Content Management

Credit Card Processing

Customer Database

Customer Experience Management

Customer History

Customer Segmentation

Customizable Fields

Customizable Forms

Customizable Reports

Customizable Templates

Dashboard

Data Import/Export

Data Security

Debit/Credit Card Processing

Electronic Payments

Electronic Signature

Email Management

Engagement Tracking

Feedback Management

File Sharing

For Medical Spas

Forms Management

HIPAA Compliant

Inbox Management

In-Person Payments

Interaction Tracking

Lead Capture

Lead Engagement

Lead Generation

Lead Management

Lead Qualification

Marketing Automation

Mass Texting

Message Personalization

Mobile Access

Mobile Payments

Monitoring

Multi-Channel Communication

Multi-Channel Data Collection

Multi-Location

Multiple Payment Options

Negative Feedback Management

Offline Form

On-Demand Communications

Online Payments

Partial Payments

Payment Fraud Prevention

Payment Processing

PCI Compliance

Performance Metrics

Personalization

Predictive Analytics

Proactive Chat

Promotions Management

Quotes/Estimates

Ratings/Reviews

Real-time Consumer-facing Chat

Real-Time Notifications

Receipt Management

Recurring/Subscription Billing

Reminders

Reporting/Analytics

Reporting & Statistics

Reputation Management

Response Management

Review Monitoring

Review Notification

Review Request

Scheduled Messaging

SEO Management

SMS Messaging

Reviewers indicate that Podium is expensive compared to similar platforms, and some users say costs rise quickly with added features. Some reviewers feel pricing is prohibitive for small businesses, and they report basic plans can be unaffordable.

Value for money

By industry, Podium reviewers are most commonly professionals in automotive (23%). The most frequent use case for Podium cited by reviewers is review management (40% of reviewers).

Podium

Web-based

Android

iPhone

iPad

Core 

Signature

They refused to cancel our plan citing 4 year old contract for auto renewal signed by an employee no longer with the company and absolutely refused to do the right thing and terminate the contract.

Dispatcher, Project manager, Purchasing manager

Including if capturing the phone number of who is calling so if there is a disconnection we can call back.

Marketing Director

Podium assisted us in being able to touch base with shoppers; very much on a personal level, particularly for reviews and text messaging.

It helps getting more details that you may miss while actively on the call.

Receptionist- New Client Liaison

My least favorite detail about Podium may be the occasional glitch and lag.

Insurance Agent

We all have access to see customer reviews and see any incoming information regarding the agency I work for.

Owner

They don’t connect to Shopify, fail to send abandoned cart texts as promised, and never notify when an order ships. When you need help, they’re MIA! But they have no problem Charging $635 per month.

They love your credit card when the bill come through, hate customer service and doing the right thing.

Customers can tell as soon as they call that they are speaking to an AI agent.

Podium is still very much a product in development and not suited for mid-sized businesses (it may work for a small business or corner shop).

Vice President

The multiple challenges with getting this service on line, and the expectation to pay for the full year payment without the service being full filled in our contract.

I love the fact that you can go back in and listen to the calls.

Social Media Manager

It’s a software that helps us respond efficiently to our clients’ requests.

The review tracking was especially helpful.

We used Podium as a start-up company, but as we grew, we found that it did not have enough features to meet our needs

President

There are features missing from the software that are sold on the site and discussed in their support videos/tutorials.  

Service Advisor 

Podium is a great and effective program that allows you to effectively communicate with customers, receive feedback from them, and get reports on your communication.

Business Development Manager

Keeps track of who sent out the most and places them in 1-3 winnings.

Assistant General Manager

Small glitches which make some tasks harder to use.

The lack of communication when the system was not working properly but yet still taking our payments.

I will keep reviewing and posting until I see podium doing a deep dive and understand from our point of view

The tech support is virtually non-existent.

Marketing Manager

They call both my work phone and my cell phone constantly, and have even gone so far as to spoof a local area code to get me to answer my personal cell phone to pitch me on more products we don't want/need.

Paralegal

There explanations always had to do with changes in management so it took even longer for issues to be addressed and resolved.

director

Our customer service and communication has improved drastically.

President and Physician

However, problems, server disconnects, software glitches occur from time-to-time, and customer service contacts cannot be reached, are unreliable, and human customer service is lacking!

Wasted countless hours during set up and after trying use their platform all while being charged for services not used.

sensitive content hidden], the sales rep, promised the world just to close the deal but clearly didn’t understand his own product.

Sales Consultant

A very straightforward and easy POS device, simple and clean GUI, and an overall great way to message customers.

Their support was not available 24/7 to address time sensitive issues.

Getting client information as well as responding to their inquiries is a breeze

Not as efficient at getting our messages to patients

Easy to manage customer reviews and overall relationship, whether calls or texts

Office Manager

Introduced us to the potential of automating our review process.

I love that fact that you can motivate the salesman to get reviews done.

Did not like the features, felt like customer service was lacking

The only thing is that you can reply to reviews easy. But for a cost.

Director

They offered to move me to a more basic plan with a lower price point which, as I felt locked in, was willing to look at after I got back from vacation. Upon my return from vacation I reached out twice but that was the last I heard from [sensitive content hidden].

They started out great, but at the onset I told them that most of the features they offered we wouldn’t use. And they didn’t have a Chrome extension, which we used a lot. But we needed a new text service as ours was going away.

It was the most cost-effective option at the time we purchased

Attorney

It feels like they need to trap customers instead of providing a quality product at a price that would make me want to stay with them after 3 years.

They gave us 1 week to get off their platform with no notice of the change in their policy, or retro active support since we have been using their product for years.

Jewellery Claims Advisor

The platform works well and there are some specific features that others do not have employed, such as the ability for the platform to identify landlines in advance when attempting to initiate SMS  messaging, whereas others simply allow the message to go out and you wait for the failure..

Things weren't set up, and nobody told us, or how to do it.

Sales Associate

Easy to use and was very useful to determine which rep was dealing with who.

As a result, I have to pay more than $1000 for mailings. When I tried to stop the service, the manager informed me that I had a contract for a year and I was obliged to pay for this year, even if the service did not perform its functions and promises.

Installed Sales Manager

Reviews increase, we get paid faster using card readers or text to pay.  

Increased Google reviews exponentially and messaging transparency made it more effective.

Podium vs Text Request Comparison (2026)

Podium

Text Request

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives