Discourse vs Podium Pricing (2026)
How do these two stack up on price? Here's what each one costs, what you get, and where the value sits.
Pro
- Unlimited members & chat
- Unlimited public & private categories
- Unlimited tags
- Custom groups
- Email support
- Custom & community themes
- Custom domain
- API and Webhook access
- 15+ plugins
- 5 staff seats
Business
- Advanced reporting & analytics
- Automation
- Events
- Gamification
- SSO (Open ID & OAuth2)
- 20+ additional plugins
- 15 staff seats
- Priority support
- Migration services
Enterprise
- Expert design & development services
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
- Migration services
- GDPR & CCPA compliant hosting
- 50+ plugins
- Unlimited staff seats
Core
- Consolidated Lead Conversion Platform
- Review Management with AI Responses
- Basic Automations
- Basic Reporting
- Basic Customization Options
- Podium Mobile App
- 200+ Integration with Integration Support
- Phone Systems Add-on Available
- Dedicated Customer Success Manager
- Chat, Phone, Email Support
- 1-on-1 Personalized Onboarding
Pro
Popular- AI Concierge
- AI Reputation Specialist
- AI Phone Call Summaries
- Automatic Lead Routing
- Advanced Automations
- Lead Capture Forms
- Hosted Surveys
- Text-Based Surveys
- Text Marketing with Images and GIFs
- Advanced Customer Segmentation
- High-Volume Carrier-Verified Messaging
- Lower Payment Processing Fees
Signature
- AI Scheduler
- AI Salesperson
- AI Marketer
- Advanced Multi-Location Management
- Advanced Reporting Add-on Available
- Advanced Branding and Customization
- Discount on Phones Plan
- Discount on Desk Phones
- Discount on Point of Sale Hardware
- Discount on High Volume Bulk Messages
- Comprehensive Account Migration
- Quarterly Business Reviews
- Personalized Account Plans
- Priority Phone Plan Support
- Proactive Fraud Alert System
- Custom Billing Available
- Custom Processing Rates
Discourse vs Podium FAQ
- Which one is cheaper?
- Discourse starts lower at $100/mo, compared to $399/mo for Podium.
- Can I use either one for free?
- Discourse has a free plan. Podium doesn't — you'll need to pay from day one.
- How do they charge?
- Both use a flat-rate model, so the comparison is straightforward — it comes down to features and limits at each price point.
- Which one is a better deal?
- Depends on what you need. Discourse: At $100 and $500 flat, Discourse sits mid-to-premium compared to lighter forum tools, but it undercuts enterprise community platforms that charge based on MAUs or seats. They're clearly going after teams that want forum ownership without the per-user pricing anxiety that plagues Slack-alikes. Podium: At $399-599/mo flat, Podium sits firmly in premium territory compared to scrappier review/messaging tools that start at $50-150/mo — this isn't a starter tool for a solo contractor, it's built for established local businesses with real budget. No free trial or free plan reinforces that they're not chasing self-serve, price-sensitive shoppers; they want businesses ready to commit and talk to sales.
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