Podium vs. Weave
Business owners of all types use customer or patient engagement software to improve communication with customers and grow their businesses. There are several customer engagement solutions in the market, which can make it tough to determine the best solution for your business.
However, if you're reading this article, then you're on the right path. Podium and Weave are the two very popular customer engagement solutions used by tens of thousands of businesses. This guide will explore the differences between the two vendors, including a deep dive into their unique features, and make it simpler for you to decide which tool is best for you.
Comparison Summary
Podium and Weave are both popular customer engagement platforms. Each company has tens of thousands of customers in various industries, including dental, optometry, podiatry, retail, auto services and professional services.
In terms of features, Weave offers more features built specifically for dental and medical practices. This includes call pops, appointment reminders and integrated VoIP phones. On the other hand, Podium is stronger for reputation management, and offers tools for webchat and customer surveys that Weave does not. Both solutions offer two-way texting, review management, payment processing and analytics.
Podium and Weave are priced similarly. Both charge monthly subscriptions that start at $399, with some features available for an additional $100 per month.
When comparing the two, it's important to focus on the specific tools offered by each vendor, and their subscription prices. Here's a quick test to determine which solution is best for you:
- You require a webchat tool to engage customers who visit your website
- You want to run customer surveys and calculate your Net Promoter Score
- You already have a tool for appointment reminders and email marketing
- You want VoIP phones integrated with your patient engagement system
- You need a platform that offers appointment reminders and quick fills
- You don't need a solution for webchat or customer surveys
Table of Contents
Podium & Weave Price Comparison
Podium and Weave are both priced as a monthly subscription. The solutions are comparably priced, starting at $399 per month for a single location. In addition, some tools on their platforms are priced as add-ons for an additional $100 per month.
Podium Pricing Details
Podium is priced on a per month basis. Total cost depends on your number of locations and the products you purchase.
- $399 per month for the core product for a single location
- $100 per month for webchat add-on
- Podium requires an annual contract for new customers
Weave Pricing Details
Weave is priced on a per month basis with a one-time setup fee. Here's the cost of Weave's phone system plus other features:
- $399 per month for core product
- $100 per month for reviews service add-on
- $750 one-time setup fee
Podium & Weave Feature Comparison
Podium and Weave are both useful solutions that include the core set of features to help you better engage your customers. Both platforms include two-way texting, review management, payment processing and analytics.
Although there is an overlap between the two solutions, Weave is the more feature-rich option for dental and medical practices. As you can see in the table below, only Weave offers features built for practices like an integrated VoIP phone, call pops, appointment reminders, and appointment quick fills. However, if you require a platform that offers webchat and a customer survey tool, then you'll prefer Podium.
For a full analysis of their features, read our Podium and Weave reviews.
| Feature | Podium | Weave |
|---|---|---|
| VoIP Phones | No | Yes |
| Call Pops | No | Yes |
| Appointment Reminders | No | Yes |
| Appointment Quick Fill | No | Yes |
| Email Marketing | No | Yes |
| Two-way Texting | Yes | Yes |
| Payment Processing | Yes | Yes |
| Analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Patient Reviews | Yes | Yes |
| Webchat | Yes | No |
| Customer Surveys | Yes | No |
Podium's Unique Features
Podium offers two unique tools, for webchat and customer surveys, that are not found in Weave.
Webchat
For an additional $100 per month, Podium offers a webchat tool that integrates with its platform. As you can see below, the webchat tool pops up when customers visit your website. Customers can send you a message, and are asked for their cell phone number. From there, all conversations can be managed via two-way text messaging.
If you invest in online marketing to drive traffic to your website, then it might be worth the $100 per month investment for the webchat tool. It creates another channel for new and existing customers to contact your business, and will increase your website conversion rate.
Customer Surveys
Podium also includes a tool for customer surveys. This tool allows you to monitor customer satisfaction with your business, and find opportunities to improve your operation.
The Podium platform can be used to calculate and Net Promoter Score (NPS) for your business. NPS is a common customer satisfaction metric used by thousands of businesses. It provides a quantitative measure of customer satisfaction, as well as qualitative responses that uncover the sources of customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
Weave's Unique Features
Weave offers several features not found in Podium. Many of these are built for customers in the dental and medical industries.
VoIP Phones
One of Weave's most unique features is its integration with VoIP phones. Each subscription comes with 10 Yealink phones. This has two benefits – it eliminates the need to work with a separate phone vendor, and your phones and software work together more seamlessly.
Other features included in the subscription are:
- Call recording, tracking and forwarding
- Unlimited rollover lines
- Unlimited long distance calls
- Visual voicemail
- Mobile app to take and manage calls when you’re out of the office
Call Pops
Weave's platform also includes a call pop feature. When a customer calls in, Weave's call pop will show your front office who’s calling along with important information for that customer or patient. When a customer calls, the call pop shows:
- Customer name
- Upcoming appointment info for each family member
- Overdue balances
- Any tasks for the customer
- Any special notes or follow ups
Appointment Reminders, Quick Fill & Email Marketing
If your business requires you to manage a calendar with appointments, then Weave's platform offers unique value. In includes tools for appointment reminders, quick fills, and general email marketing. These help you reduce no-shows, increase utilization and generate more sales.
Appointment reminders are one of the best ways to reduce no-shows. Weave's platform includes a message editor that allows you to customize the messages that are sent automatically to all customers prior to their appointments.
The quick fill feature is valuable for increasing your utilization rate. This feature allows you to keep customers or patients on a quick fill list. When an appointment slot unexpectedly opens up, these customers will be contacted and asked if they would like to book the open time for themselves.
Bottom Line
Podium and Weave are both extremely popular, high-quality solutions. Both have tens of thousands of customers and are growing rapidly.
When choosing between the two solutions, it's most important to understand the features each platform offers, and compare that to the features you need most. If you want a solution that includes VoIP phones, call pops, and appointment reminders, then you'll prefer Weave. If you want a software tool for webchat and customer surveys, then Podium is the better option.
If you’re interested, visit Podium or Weave today to get started.