FaveCard
Start for free

Podium alternatives for cafés, salons and small shops (2026)

Podium brings texts, calls, payments and reviews together in one inbox, from $399 a month, sold by its sales team, with a 12-month term unless your order says otherwise. If you run a café, salon or small shop and mostly want more Google reviews or more regulars, a smaller app can do that part for less. Which one depends on your till, your budget and whether you need texts.

We make FaveCard. It is one of the eight alternatives on this page, which are listed by what each does best, not ranked.

Last verified: 22 October 2026, by the FaveCard team

Is Podium a fit for a café or salon?

Podium puts texts, calls, emails, social media messages and web chat in one shared inbox, with payments, review requests and a phone system on top. On its pricing page it names the businesses it is made for: furniture, appliance, mattress and jewelry shops, home services, car dealers, med spas and dental practices. It has no page for restaurants, cafés or salons.

Price. Core is $399 and Pro $599 a month; Signature is priced by its sales team, and every plan is bought through a sales call. Business texting adds $5 a month per US location, and its phone system $30 or $25 per person a month plus a $500 network fee per location (Podium's pricing page).

Terms. Unless your order says otherwise, the first term is 12 months and renews by itself unless either side gives 30 days' notice, fees are paid yearly in advance, and leaving early still means paying for the whole term (Podium's terms of service, version 7.0).

Where it sells. The United States, Canada and Australia, in US dollars by default. Its chat, text and phone support is for US businesses.

Loyalty. Its "Customer Loyalty Automation" sends customers a text with a coupon or discount. We found no stamp card, points or Wallet card on its pages.

So for a café, salon or small shop, the question is which part of Podium you need. If it is mostly Google reviews, or regulars coming back, the apps below do that part on their own.

The best Podium alternative for each need

Find the line that sounds like your business. Each card takes you to the details below.

Podium and eight alternatives side by side

Compared on what a café, salon or shop owner asks first: the price for one location, how each one asks for reviews and on which sites, texting, and whether there is a loyalty card. There is no overall winner.

Podium, for reference

NameBest forPrice to start (one location)How it asks for reviewsReview sitesTextingLoyalty card
PodiumTexts, calls, payments and reviews in one shared inboxCore $399; every plan through its sales teamTexts after a visit, with reminders; staff can also send by hand or in bulkGoogle, Facebook and 22 other connected sites; replies to Google and FacebookTwo-way and bulk texts; a phone system as an add-onNo card: an automatic text with a coupon or discount

The alternatives, A to Z

NameBest forPrice to start (one location)How it asks for reviewsReview sitesTextingLoyalty card
BirdeyeSeveral locations in one placeNot published; each business gets a quoteEmail and text requests, with remindersMonitors 200+ review sitesAn inbox for texts, email and web chatNo card; referrals
BoomerangmeA Wallet card that asks for a review after a stampBusiness $199, or $164 billed yearlyA push message from the card some hours after a stamp; a star rating firstGoogle, and the review links you addTexts and emails through your own Twilio and Mailgun or SendGrid accountsStamp and seven other card types in Apple and Google Wallet
BroadlyUS service businesses that want calls, texts and reviews handledReputation AI from $79; automatic requests in Premium (call for pricing) or the $999 package + $350 setupA text after each service, in PremiumGoogle and FacebookAI receptionist and two-way texts from the Pro packageNone found
FaveCardWe make thisA stamp card that brings regulars back and asks for Google reviewsThe Business plan; price on our pricing pageOn the customer's card page right after a reward, then by email if they agreed to emailsGoogle onlyNone; messages go to the Wallet cardStamp cards in Apple and Google Wallet
GatherUpReviews on food and beauty sites beyond Google, plus surveys$124, or $99 billed yearlyTexts and emails, QR codes and feedback linksGoogle, OpenTable, Tripadvisor, Mindbody, Treatwell and moreUp to 300 texts a month; two-way texts in betaNone
NiceJobA review text after every job closed in Square, Jobber or QuickBooksStarter $75A text and an email when a job closes in the app you use for jobs or paymentsGoogle, Facebook and moreRequest texts only; no inboxNone; referrals and rebooking reminders on Pro
SquareCafés and shops that already take payments with SquareSquare Plus $49 per location (US)Email and text to regulars or after positive feedback; by hand tooGoogle onlyText marketing, 500 texts a month on PlusPoints at Square's till; Apple Wallet only
TrustindexFree review requests by email or QR code, and reviews on your websiteFree; Single $65 a yearEmails (by hand or automatic) and QR codes; NFC cards are paidGoogle; shows reviews from 133 review sites and apps on your websiteNoneNone

Prices and what each one does, as shown on each company's own pages on 22 October 2026: US dollars, one location, per month and billed monthly unless stated. Sources are linked in each section below.

When to choose each one

What each one does well, what to keep in mind, and its price on the day we checked.

Birdeye: best for several locations in one place

Reviews, messages and AI helpers for businesses with many locations. It calls itself "AI Coworkers for Multi-location Brands".

Choose it when

  • You run several salons, spas or shops and want reviews, texts, email and web chat for all of them in one place.
  • You want requests by email or text with reminders, reviews from more than 200 sites in one view, and AI replies.
  • You run spas or salons: it says more than 1,900 of them use it, and its wellness page lists referrals and payments too.

Keep in mind

  • No prices on its site: the pricing page is a form, and its smallest band is 1 to 3 locations.
  • Its own article on pricing says plans are custom, usually on yearly agreements, and that its buyers typically run 100 to 10,000 locations.
  • No loyalty card.

Price: Not published: you fill in Birdeye's pricing form. Checked on 22 October 2026. More in our Birdeye alternatives.

Boomerangme: best for a Wallet card with a review request by push

A loyalty app with eight card types in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, for growing businesses, agencies and franchises.

Choose it when

  • You want a loyalty card and review requests in one app: some hours after a stamp, the card sends a push message asking the customer to rate you, and then shows your review links.
  • You want more than stamps: points, cashback, memberships, gift and discount cards too.
  • You run up to 10 locations: the Business plan includes 10 locations and 50 manager logins.

Keep in mind

  • In its help centre's words, the customer gives a star rating first, and a rating lower than 5 opens a box for written feedback.
  • No free plan; a 14-day trial without a credit card.
  • Texts and emails go through your own Twilio and Mailgun or SendGrid accounts.

Price: Business $199 a month, $179 a month billed quarterly or $164 a month billed yearly. Checked on 22 October 2026 on Boomerangme's pricing page. More in our Boomerangme comparison.

Broadly: best for calls, texts and reviews handled for you, in the US

Reviews, an AI receptionist and texting for US service businesses, set up by its team. Its FAQ names salons, barbershops, nail spas and massage studios among the businesses that use it.

Choose it when

  • You want a text asking for a review after every service, sent for you.
  • You want calls and texts answered: its AI receptionist and two-way texts start with the Pro package.
  • You want to pay month to month: it says there is no long-term contract.

Keep in mind

  • Automatic review requests come with Reputation AI Premium (call for pricing) or the Premium package at $999 a month plus $350 for setting it up. Reputation AI at $79 a month manages your Google and Facebook reviews.
  • The same page also shows a $799-a-month package with no setup fees, without saying how it relates to the other packages.
  • Its pages name no country but the US, and its FAQ calls it built for U.S. service businesses.

Price: Reputation AI Standard $79 and Pro $89 a month; packages Standard $399, Pro $699 and Premium $999 a month, each plus $350 for setting up, billed monthly. Checked on 22 October 2026 on Broadly's pricing page.

FaveCard: best for bringing regulars back, with a Google review request

We make FaveCard. A stamp card your customers keep in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, with no app to download. On the Business plan it also asks for Google reviews.

Choose it when

  • You want regulars to come back: a stamp card with rewards at the stamp counts you choose.
  • You want Google reviews without extra work: right after a reward, the customer's card page shows a request with one tap to your Google review page, and an email follows about two hours later if they agreed to emails.
  • You want to ask fairly: every customer gets the same request, with no rating step and nothing given in return, at most once every 6 months.
  • On every plan, Free included, your business page can show your Google review link, and its printable QR code opens that page.

Keep in mind

  • Google only: no Facebook, Tripadvisor or other sites.
  • No texts at all: no text requests, no inbox, no phone system and no payments.

Price: Review requests come with the Business plan; see our pricing page. Cancel anytime, with no long-term contract.

GatherUp: best for reviews on food and beauty sites beyond Google

Review requests, surveys and review monitoring for small businesses, multi-location brands and agencies. It names restaurants among its industries.

Choose it when

  • You want reviews on the sites your customers read: requests can point to OpenTable, Tripadvisor, Mindbody, Treatwell and more, as well as Google.
  • You want to hear from customers first: NPS and surveys are on every plan.
  • You want one flat price: up to 300 texts and 3,000 emails a month for one location.

Keep in mind

  • Two-way texting runs through a web-to-text chat widget marked as beta, and texts cannot be used during the free trial.
  • Yelp is not on its list of sites for requests.
  • No loyalty card.

Price: $124 a month billed monthly, or $99 a month billed yearly, for one location; $75 or $60 a month per location for 2 to 10. 14-day trial, no contract. Checked on 22 October 2026 on GatherUp's pricing page.

NiceJob: best for a review text after every job

Review requests by text and email that start when a job is closed in the app you already use. It is made mainly for trades and home services.

Choose it when

  • Your payments or bookings run through Square, Jobber, QuickBooks or Housecall Pro: a request goes out when the job closes.
  • You want texts and emails sent for you, and your reviews shown on your website.
  • You want referrals and rebooking reminders too: the Pro plan.

Keep in mind

  • Requests start from a connected app, and there is no inbox for two-way texts.
  • Texts work in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand; elsewhere, email only.
  • Its own industry list is led by trades, though cafés, restaurants and salons can pick their trade at sign-up.

Price: Starter $75 and Pro $125 a month in US dollars, no contract, 14-day trial without a card. Checked on 22 October 2026 on NiceJob's pricing page.

Square: best if you already take payments with Square

Square's till, online store and marketing. In the US, its Plus plan adds loyalty points and automatic Google review requests.

Choose it when

  • You sell with Square: a Google review request goes by email and text when a customer becomes a regular (3 purchases in a year) or leaves positive feedback, and you can send one by hand (Square's help).
  • You want loyalty in the same till: customers join with their phone number and earn points.
  • You want texts: Plus includes 500 texts a month, then 3¢ each.

Keep in mind

  • It works only with Square's own till, online store or invoices.
  • The loyalty pass is Apple Wallet only; there is no Google Wallet pass.
  • Review requests and loyalty are not in Square Free, and the US price is per location.

Price: US: Square Plus $49 a month per location (Square's pricing). Canada: Loyalty from $60 and Marketing from $20 a month per location (Square Canada). Australia: Loyalty from $49 and Marketing from $20 (Square Australia). Those pages show "$" without naming the currency. 30-day trial. Checked on 22 October 2026. More in our Square Loyalty comparison.

Trustindex: best for free review requests and reviews on your website

Review widgets and review collecting, with a free plan that has no time limit.

Choose it when

  • You want to start for free: the Free plan sends review request emails, by hand or automatically, and makes a QR code for your Google review page.
  • You want your reviews on your own website: its widgets show reviews from 133 review sites and apps.
  • You want something customers tap at the counter: an NFC review card for $29.

Keep in mind

  • No texts, no inbox and no loyalty card.
  • Automatic AI replies cost $29 a year per review source.
  • Some widget layouts are paid.

Price: Free forever; Single $65 a year for one business, Pro $125 a year for five, Ultimate $349 a year. 7-day trial of the paid plans. Checked on 22 October 2026 on Trustindex's pricing page.

When to stay with Podium

Podium does a lot that a review or loyalty app does not. It may still be the right choice if you want:

  • one shared inbox for texts, calls, emails, social media messages and web chat, for your whole team;
  • a business phone system that texts back after a missed call;
  • payments by text, card readers and tap to pay;
  • review requests to Google, Facebook and 22 other connected sites, with replies to Google and Facebook reviews from inside Podium, and AI-written replies;
  • texts sent for you on birthdays, before appointments and after a purchase;
  • customer success managers, step-by-step help getting set up and more than 200 apps it connects to, as its pricing page describes.

How to ask for Google reviews the right way

Whatever you pick, Google's rules are the same (Google's contribution policy, checked on 22 October 2026):

  • Ask every customer, not only the ones you expect to be happy.
  • Give nothing in return: no payment, discount, free goods or services for a review.
  • Don't press anyone to write a review while they are with you, and don't tell them what to write.

Three common ways to ask at a counter: a QR code by the till or on the table that opens your Google review page (make one for free with our Google review QR code maker); a link on the receipt or in the booking confirmation; or an automatic request after a visit or a reward, which Square, NiceJob, GatherUp, Boomerangme and FaveCard each send in their own way.

How to choose by business type

Café, coffee shop or bakery

Customers come back often and spend a little each time. If you take payments with Square, Square Plus asks your regulars for a Google review and runs points in the same till. If not, a stamp card brings them back, and FaveCard and Boomerangme also ask for a review from the card. GatherUp can point requests to Tripadvisor or OpenTable as well as Google.

Hair salon, barbershop, nail or beauty salon

If you book in Fresha, its plans already send review invites after checkout by text, WhatsApp or email, and its paid Google Rating Boost add-on shows a Google review prompt to clients whose rating reaches a minimum the salon sets (Fresha's help centre). If you take payments with Square, NiceJob can text a review request after each appointment. GatherUp can ask for reviews on Treatwell and Mindbody too. In the US, Broadly says salons and barbershops use it.

Small shop or boutique

Square fits if it is already your till. Trustindex is the cheapest way to ask by email or QR code and to show your reviews on your website. For a card that brings regulars back, look at FaveCard or Boomerangme.

Several locations

Birdeye is made for many locations. GatherUp charges $60 to $75 a month per location for 2 to 10 locations, and Boomerangme includes 10 locations in its Business plan. FaveCard's Free, Pro and Business plans each cover one location.

In Canada and Australia

Podium sells in both, with no price page for either. NiceJob sends its review texts in both countries, and Square shows local prices for Square Loyalty and Square Marketing. FaveCard's plans for both countries are on our pricing page. Broadly names only the US.

How we checked this

We make FaveCard. We started from the names that come up most often on the pages that rank for "Podium alternative" in the US, added the ones many cafés, salons and shops already use (Square, Trustindex, Boomerangme and Fresha), and judged each on the same points: the price for one location, how it asks for reviews and on which sites, texting, and any loyalty card. Every fact about another company comes from its own website, help centre or legal pages, never from review sites or AI answers, and was checked on 22 October 2026. Podium's pricing and help pages load with JavaScript, so we also read them in a browser; we did not book a sales call or sign up anywhere. Podium shows no Canadian or Australian prices, Square's Canadian and Australian pages show "$" without naming the currency, and Fresha shows its add-on prices in the visitor's own currency, so Fresha has no amount here. FaveCard's facts come from our product as it runs today. We give no scores and no overall winner. Prices and plans change, so check the linked page before you sign up, and if you see an error, tell us through our contact page and we will correct it.

Update log

  • 22 October 2026: first version. Everything on this page checked on 22 October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Podium alternative for a small business?

There is no single best one: it depends on what you used Podium for. If you take payments with Square, Square Plus adds automatic Google review requests and loyalty points for $49 a month per location in the US. For free review requests by email or QR code, Trustindex has a free plan. NiceJob texts a review request after each job from $75 a month, and GatherUp asks on Google and on food or beauty review sites from $99 a month billed yearly. For a loyalty card that asks for a Google review after a reward, there is FaveCard, which we make. Prices from each company's own page on 22 October 2026.

Is there a cheaper alternative to Podium?

Yes, if you do not need its phone system, payments and shared inbox. On the companies' own pricing pages on 22 October 2026, Podium Core was $399 a month. Trustindex has a free plan and a paid one at $65 a year, Square Plus is $49 a month per location in the US, NiceJob Starter is $75 a month, GatherUp is $124 a month or $99 billed yearly, and Boomerangme is $199 a month or $164 billed yearly. FaveCard, which we make, asks for Google reviews on its Business plan; the price is on its pricing page. Birdeye shares its prices only through its sales team.

Does Podium have a contract?

Yes. Podium's terms of service (version 7.0, in force from 15 October 2026) set a first term of 12 months that renews for the same length unless either side gives notice at least 30 days before it ends, with fees paid yearly in advance, unless your order says otherwise. If you end it early for a reason other than a breach, you still owe the fees for the whole term. Your own order form can set different terms, so check it.

Is Podium available in Canada and Australia?

Podium's terms name the United States, Canada and Australia as where it sells, unless the order says otherwise, and they set US dollars by default. On 22 October 2026 we found no Canadian or Australian price page on its sites, and its pricing page marked chat, text and phone support as available only to US businesses.

Does Podium have a loyalty program?

Not a loyalty card. Podium's "Customer Loyalty Automation", on every plan, sends customers an automatic text with an incentive such as a coupon or discount, and its "Referral Automation" texts customers who rate you 5 stars to ask for referrals. We found no stamp card, points or Apple or Google Wallet card on its pages on 22 October 2026. Square, Boomerangme and FaveCard each have a loyalty card.

What is an easy way for a café or salon to get more Google reviews?

Ask every customer the same way, at a natural moment: a QR code by the till or on the table that opens your Google review page, a link on the receipt or in the booking confirmation, or an automatic request after a visit or a reward. Google's rules say you may not offer anything in return, ask only the customers you expect to be happy, or press people to write a review while they are with you. You can make a free QR code for your Google review page on our site.

Can I give customers a reward for leaving a Google review?

No. Google's policy for Maps reviews does not allow businesses to offer payment, discounts, free goods or services in exchange for a review, or for changing or removing a negative one. You can still ask every customer for an honest review. Checked on Google's contribution policy page on 22 October 2026.

Is there one app for loyalty and Google reviews?

A few combine them. Square Plus has points and an automatic Google review campaign, but only with Square's till, and its Wallet pass is Apple Wallet only. Boomerangme has Wallet cards and asks for a review by push message after a stamp, from $164 a month billed yearly. FaveCard, which we make, puts a stamp card in Apple and Google Wallet and asks for a Google review on the customer's card page after a reward, on its Business plan; it asks on Google only and sends no texts. Checked on 22 October 2026.

Free plan, with no app for your customers to download. Apple and Google Wallet passes on paid plans.

Create your free loyalty card

Birdeye, Boomerangme, Broadly, Fresha, GatherUp, NiceJob, Podium, Square and Trustindex are trademarks of their owners. FaveCard is not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by any of them.