Podium vs Endorsal (2026)
How Podium and Endorsal stack up — plus where VideoTestimonials fits as a third option.
Podium
Podium is a customer interaction platform for local businesses combining messaging, reviews, and payments. It focuses on helping local businesses manage customer communications.
All-in-one platform
Video + text testimonial collection, 55 image studio templates, 10+ Wall of Love widgets, REST API, multi-space.
Endorsal
Endorsal automates testimonial collection with email and SMS sequences, FOMO popups, and smart routing. It supports video testimonials on paid plans and offers a Wall of Love on its Professional tier.
Podium vs Endorsal at a glance
Each figure was read off the vendor’s own pricing page on the date shown under the table.
| Feature | Podium | Endorsal |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Review platform | Testimonial tool |
| Free plan | No free plan | 100 total contacts and 1,000 monthly visitors |
| Entry paid plan | Core: $399/month | Starter: $39/month |
| Unlimited video from | Not offered on published plans | Advanced, $349/month |
| Recording limit | Not stated | 2 minutes on Starter, 5 on Professional |
| Best for | Local businesses that want messaging, lead capture and reviews in one tool | Automated review requests plus social-proof popups |
| Not for | A small testimonial budget | Video volume on a small budget |
| Checked | 2026-11-01 on podium.com | 2026-11-01 on endorsal.io |
Which to choose
- They are different kinds of product: Podium is a review platform, Endorsal a testimonial tool.
- Only Endorsal has a free plan (100 total contacts and 1,000 monthly visitors); Podium has none.
- Endorsal costs less to start: its Starter plan is $39/month, against Podium's Core at $399/month.
- Only Endorsal lists unlimited video testimonials on a published plan, from Advanced, $349/month. Podium does not.
- Podium does not state a recording limit; Endorsal caps recordings at 2 minutes on its lowest video plan.
Choose Podium for
Local businesses that want messaging, lead capture and reviews in one tool
Not the pick for
A small testimonial budget
Choose Endorsal for
Automated review requests plus social-proof popups
Not the pick for
Video volume on a small budget
For reference, VideoTestimonials (our product): a free plan with 20 text testimonials and 10 video testimonials, then unlimited video testimonials from Starter at $24/month; recording length is set per form, up to 5 minutes. Compare plans.
Pricing across all three plans
Each row is a tier — Starter, Pro, etc. — with real prices from each platform’s pricing page.
| Plan | Podium | VideoTestimonials | Endorsal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | No free plan | Free | Free (100 total contacts and 1,000 monthly visitors) |
| Starter | $399/month (Core) | $24/mo | $39/month (Starter, 10 videos max) |
| Pro | $599/month (Pro) | $49/mo | $79/month (Professional, 25 videos max) |
Each one against VideoTestimonials
Our head-to-head posts compare Podium and Endorsal with VideoTestimonials feature by feature, including where each is the better choice.
More on each platform
Common questions
Is Podium or Endorsal cheaper?
Podium's Core plan is $399/month; Endorsal's Starter plan is $39/month. Read from each vendor's own pricing page on 2026-11-01.
Do Podium and Endorsal have free plans?
Podium: No free plan. Endorsal: 100 total contacts and 1,000 monthly visitors.
Which has unlimited video testimonials, Podium or Endorsal?
Only Endorsal lists unlimited video testimonials on a published plan, from Advanced, $349/month. Podium does not.
Can VideoTestimonials send SMS review requests like Podium?
We focus on email-based and link-based testimonial collection rather than SMS. Our shareable collection links can be sent via any channel including SMS apps.
Does VideoTestimonials help get Google reviews?
Our focus is on collecting first-party testimonials for your own website. For Google review generation specifically, a dedicated review platform may complement our tools.
Why switch from Podium for testimonials?
If you are paying Podium's enterprise pricing mainly for testimonials and reviews, VideoTestimonials offers dedicated testimonial tools starting at $24/mo with no contract.
Does VideoTestimonials have automated email collection like Endorsal?
Yes. You can send automated testimonial request emails and follow-ups, just like Endorsal, with added AI features and a broader widget library.
Can I keep using text testimonials if I switch?
Absolutely. VideoTestimonials supports both text and video testimonials. You can use either or both depending on your needs.
Is there a free plan?
Yes. The free plan includes 20 text and 10 video testimonials, the Wall of Love and embed widgets, with no time limit and no credit card required.
Weighing Podium against Endorsal?
Try the third option free.
VideoTestimonials collects video and text testimonials through one link, imports the reviews you already have, and embeds them anywhere. Free plan includes 10 videos, 20 text testimonials and a Wall of Love — no credit card, nothing expires.