GatherUp vs Podium
We give GatherUp a 2.4 GPA and Podium a 2.0, out of 4.0. GatherUp grades higher on value for money, the free plan and features. Podium grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
GatherUp
Review requests, NPS surveys and review monitoring per location
Podium
Google review requests by text, plus a lead inbox for local businesses
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAGatherUpFair | 2.0GPAPodiumFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CSmall Business is $99 a month billed yearly ($124 monthly) for one location, with 300 texts and 3,000 emails a month. Set against its listed rivals, the local review tools, that's the middle. Two to ten locations are $60 each, and Listings Hub is $40 on top. | DCore is $399 a month, and Podium doesn't show whether that's billed monthly or yearly; it says the final cost depends on industry, integrations, volume and carrier fees, plus $5 a month for 10DLC. Set against its listed rivals, that's the dear end, though it buys a lead inbox and texting too. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan. There's a 14-day free trial, and the listing doesn't say whether it needs a card. Enough to send a first batch of requests, not to stay on. | FNo free plan and no trial on record. Plans are bought through Podium's sales team, so there's no way in without a call. |
| Features | BThe whole job: email and text requests with QR codes, NPS surveys, monitoring of 100+ review sites, AI replies, topic tags, widgets, a pop-up and automatic social sharing. Fake-review defense and listings on 125 directories are add-ons. | CText review requests to Google, Facebook and industry sites, reminders, a leaderboard and AI drafted replies, which post on their own from Pro. That's the basics: no website review widgets or wider review monitoring are on record, and most of the money goes on the inbox, texting and phones. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You load customers or connect a system, set up the request and survey flow, and choose widgets. Multi-location and agency setups go through a demo. | A4.74 from about 31,800 App Store ratings, the best score in this category by far. Sending a review link by text is about as simple as asking gets. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with Salesforce, Mailchimp, Constant Contact, QuickBooks Online, Google Sheets, Zapier, Toast and athenahealth, plus an API. No phone or desktop app is listed. | BWeb, iPhone, Android and a browser extension, with Google, Facebook and Instagram. That's a short list of connections, and there's no desktop app, which keeps it off an A. |
| Best for | review requests with NPS surveys per location | Google reviews by text, inside a lead inbox |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: GatherUp and Podium. How we grade
Price against what you get
GatherUp starts at $99 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Podium starts at $399 a month and scores 3.0.
Podium scores higher, and starts $300 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other customer review tools on the chart, none scores higher than GatherUp for less, and none scores higher than Podium for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- GatherUp starts at $99 per month for 1 location, billed annually ($124 monthly). Podium starts at $399 per month; billing basis not shown.
- Only Podium lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Podium lists a browser extension.
- GatherUp also covers surveys and reports.
- Podium also covers AI agents, live chat, business phone line, business texting and sMS marketing.
At a glance
| GatherUp | Podium | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $99 per month for 1 location, billed annually ($124 monthly) | $399 per month; billing basis not shown |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | GatherUp | Podium Corp Inc. |
| Price read from | gatherup.com | podium.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
GatherUp
- Multi-location businesses that want a set price per location
- Agencies that resell review management under their own brand
- Businesses that want NPS surveys tied to review requests
Podium
- Car dealers, home services and med spas that work by text
- Local businesses that want more Google reviews from a text link
- Teams that want leads, reviews and payments in one inbox
Worth knowing
GatherUp
- There is no free plan; after the 14-day trial the cheapest plan is $99 a month on annual billing.
- Each location gets up to 300 SMS and 3,000 email credits a month.
- Listings Hub is an add-on listed at $40, and Review Defense is sold separately in three plans.
- Agency pricing and white-label options are by quote only.
Podium
- Plans are bought through sales; Podium says the final monthly cost depends on industry, integrations, volume and carrier fees.
- Bulk texts are capped at 250 credits a month on Core and 500 on Pro, and US locations pay a $5 monthly 10DLC carrier fee.
- Phone seats cost extra: $30 per user a month for 1 to 4 users, $25 for 5 or more.
- Automatic AI review replies, review response templates and surveys start at Pro.
Key features
GatherUp
- Email and SMS review requests
- Up to 300 SMS and 3,000 email requests per location each month, with QR codes, custom feedback links and customer uploads.
- NPS and surveys
- Asks customers a Net Promoter Score question and other survey questions before or alongside the review request.
- Review monitoring and AI replies
- Monitors 100+ review sites, writes replies with AI, lets you respond in the app and tags reviews by topic and keyword.
- Widgets and social sharing
- Review widgets and a badge for your site, a conversion pop-up and automatic posting of good reviews to social media.
- Review Defense
- An add-on in three plans that flags suspicious or fake reviews, watches competitors and helps dispute fraudulent ones.
- Listings Hub
- An add-on that syncs business details to 125 directories, including Google, Apple Maps, Yelp and Facebook.
Podium
- Review requests by text
- Texts customers a link to review the business on Google, Facebook or industry review sites, with review reminder automations and a reviews leaderboard.
- AI review replies
- Every plan drafts replies to Google and Facebook reviews with AI; Pro posts them automatically, which is an add-on on Core.
- Lead inbox
- Texts, calls, website chat, contact forms, third-party leads and Facebook, Instagram and Google messages arrive in one inbox.
- Text marketing and automations
- Bulk text campaigns with images, plus automations for payment reminders, appointments, referrals, birthdays and after-hours replies.
- Phones
- Podium Phones adds calling from the same number as texts, call routing, phone menus, recordings and AI call summaries.
- AI Employee
- An AI agent called Jerry, added to any plan, that sells, schedules and talks with customers day and night.
Plans
GatherUp
Small Business$99
per month for 1 location, billed annually ($124 monthly)
One location with up to 300 SMS and 3,000 email credits a month, review monitoring, NPS surveys, AI replies and widgets.
Multi Location$60
per location / month, billed annually ($75 monthly)
For 2 to 10 locations; the rate falls with volume, to $25 per location at 101+ on annual billing. Sold through a demo.
AgencyCustom
White-label reputation software for agencies to resell to clients, priced by quote.
Podium
Core$399
per month; billing basis not shown
Lead inbox, website chat, Google and Facebook review requests with AI replies, 250 bulk message credits and 5 numbers. Sold through sales.
Pro$599
per month; billing basis not shown
Adds automatic AI review replies, review response templates, lead routing, text surveys and 500 bulk credits. Sold through sales.
SignatureCustom
Custom plan with AI scheduler, salesperson and marketer agents, multi-location tools and discounts on phones and bulk messages.
Ways to pay less
GatherUp
- Annual discount
Save 20% with annual billing
GatherUp's pricing page offers 20% off on annual billing: Small Business is $99 a month billed annually against $124 billed monthly.
Podium
No public discounts listed.
