Yapper as a Podium alternative
Podium is a lead conversion platform for local businesses in the US, such as auto dealers and repair shops, home services, medical spas, dental offices and retailers. It brings texts, calls, website chat, email and social messages into one inbox, collects reviews on Google and Facebook, takes payments, and offers AI Employee, an AI that answers customers and books appointments, as an add-on to any plan.
Yapper is an AI assistant for service businesses on WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and their website. The assistant answers every conversation in your voice and in the language each customer writes in, follows your phases and business rules, and hands the conversation to your team when it needs a person, all on one published monthly plan with unlimited teammates.
Build my assistant free →Try it from your phone before you pay.
Podium and Yapper compared
| Topic | Podium | Yapper |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Local businesses in the US: auto dealers and repair shops, HVAC and plumbing, medical spas, dermatology and dental offices, and furniture, mattress and jewelry stores. | Service businesses that answer customers on WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and their website. |
| Pricing | Core $399/mo, Pro $599/mo and Signature at custom pricing, all through their sales team. Podium notes that pricing can vary by industry, partnerships, integrations, volume and carrier fees. | $399/mo. One plan with unlimited teammates, senders and customers. |
| AI | AI review responses on every plan; Pro adds AI Concierge, AI Reputation Specialist and AI phone call summaries. AI Employee, which answers, books appointments and sends confirmations and reminders, is an add-on to any plan with no published price. | The assistant is the product: it answers, follows your phases, escalates and follows up. |
| Channels | Text messages, phone calls, a website chat widget, email, and Facebook, Instagram and Google messaging. WhatsApp is not among the channels on its pricing page. | WhatsApp, Instagram DMs and comments, Facebook Messenger and a website chat widget. No text messages (SMS) or phone calls. |
| Messaging and phone fees | A $5/mo 10DLC fee per US location; carrier-verified messaging is $15/mo on Core and included on Pro. Phone seats are $30 per user/mo (1 to 4 users) or $25 (5 or more), plus a $500 network optimization fee per location. | WhatsApp message fees are charged by Meta; you add a payment method in Meta's Billing Hub. |
| Team | Unlimited team members and contacts. 5 phone numbers on Core and 15 on Pro; each extra number is $5/mo. | Unlimited teammates, with roles and access you set. |
| Reviews and payments | Review requests by text for Google, Facebook and industry review sites, and Podium Payments. | Not part of Yapper. Your assistant can share your review or payment links from your Handbook. |
| Setup | 1-on-1 personalized onboarding and a dedicated customer success manager on every plan. | A setup assistant builds your assistant with you in a chat, from your website, documents, a voice note or typed answers, and fills your Handbook of business facts. |
| Human handoff | AI Employee follows escalation rules for when a person needs to step in; Pro adds automatic lead routing. | Escalates when a customer asks for a person or it cannot help: it stops replying, alerts your team and tells the customer someone will follow up. You can also take over any conversation. |
Checked . Details about Podium come only from its public pages:
When Podium is the better pick
- Your customers text and call your business number, and you want texts and calls in one inbox.
- You want to collect reviews on Google, Facebook and industry review sites and answer them with AI.
- You want to take payments in the same platform with Podium Payments.
- You run several locations and want multi-location management (Signature plan).
- You want 1-on-1 onboarding and a dedicated customer success manager included.
- You want AI on phone calls too: Podium's usage terms include Voice AI minutes.
Switching from Podium to Yapper
- Build your Yapper assistant: share your website, documents, a voice note or typed answers, and paste in the answers and message templates you use in Podium. Text the draft from your phone before you pay.
- Activate your plan and finish the setup chat. The setup assistant fills your Handbook and your business rules with you.
- Turn off Podium's Instagram and Facebook messaging so each customer gets one answer, then connect your Instagram account, Facebook Page and WhatsApp number in Yapper under Settings, Senders.
- Replace Podium's website chat widget with the Yapper chat widget. Keep Podium for texts, calls or reviews if you still use them.
Frequently asked questions
Does Yapper work with WhatsApp?
Yes. Yapper connects to the official WhatsApp Business Platform, and your assistant answers customers on WhatsApp alongside Instagram, Messenger and your website chat.
Does Yapper send text messages or answer phone calls?
No. Yapper answers on WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and your website chat. If your customers reach you by text message or phone, keep those on the tools you use today.
Can Yapper answer customers who write in Spanish or Portuguese?
Yes. It replies in the language each customer writes in, and the dashboard and setup assistant work in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Do I need to talk to sales to start?
No. You build your assistant yourself in a chat and text it from your phone before you pay, then activate one published monthly plan.
Can my team still answer chats?
Yes. Your team can take over any conversation from the Inbox, and the assistant escalates on its own when a customer asks for a person or it cannot help.
Monthly plan
$399 /mo
Unlimited teammates, senders and customers.
Plus applicable tax. Checkout shows the final total for your billing address before payment.Tax included. Checkout shows the final total for your billing address before payment.
Build my assistant free →