90% cheaper than Podium · $29/mo

The Podium alternative
local businesses actually afford.

Podium charges $249+/month. Stello gives you the same AI review response power for $29/month. Same results, no contract, no sales call required.

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Feature comparison

Stello vs. Podium vs. Birdeye

Feature Podium Birdeye Stello
Starting price $249/mo $299+/mo $29/mo
Free trial ✕ Sales call required ✕ No free trial ✓ 14 days free
AI review responses ✕ Manual only ✕ Manual only ✓ Fully autonomous
Responds in under 5 min ✕ Hours to days ✕ Hours to days ✓ <5 minutes
Learns your brand voice ✕ Generic templates ✕ Generic templates ✓ Trained on your tone
Google + Yelp + Facebook ✓ ✓ ✓ All three
Morning briefing emails ✕ Dashboard only ✕ Dashboard only ✓ Delivered to inbox
Smart escalation for complaints ✕ Manual tagging ✕ Manual tagging ✓ Auto-detected
Multi-location support ✓ (extra cost) ✓ ✓ Included
Contract required Annual required Annual required ✓ Month-to-month
Setup time Weeks of onboarding Weeks of onboarding <5 minutes
$29/mo
Same features as $249/mo Podium. Stello auto-responds to every review across Google, Yelp, and Facebook — in your brand voice, in under 5 minutes. No setup fees. No contracts. No sales team.
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Everything you need. Nothing you don't.

🔌

2-Minute Setup

Connect your Google Business Profile and start getting AI responses in minutes. No onboarding calls, no implementation consultants.

💡

Responds While You Sleep

Reviews don't follow business hours. Stello responds at 2am on a Sunday just as fast as Monday morning — 24/7, always on.

🎯

Your Voice, Not a Robot's

Stello studies how you talk — your tone, your style, your personality. Every response sounds like you wrote it.

⚡

<5 Minute Response Time

Most review management tools let reviews sit for hours. Stello acts in under 5 minutes — before your competitors even see the notification.

📈

Morning Briefings

Wake up to a daily email: every review, every response, sentiment trends, and what needs your attention today.

🛑

Escalates Only What Matters

Stello knows the difference between a 3-star complaint and a 1-star crisis. It handles the easy ones and flags only the serious issues for you.

The math is simple.

Stello

Stello

$29/mo
  • ✓ AI auto-responds to every review
  • ✓ Responds in under 5 minutes
  • ✓ Learns your brand voice
  • ✓ Morning briefings to your inbox
  • ✓ Smart escalation for complaints
  • ✓ 14-day free trial, no credit card
  • ✓ Cancel anytime, no contract
Start Free Trial →
Podium / Birdeye

The Others

$249+/mo
  • ✕ Manual review response
  • ✕ Hours to days response time
  • ✕ Generic copy-paste templates
  • ✕ Check dashboards yourself
  • ✕ You manually tag complaints
  • ✕ Sales call required to start
  • ✕ Annual contract required
$2,880+ more per year

Common questions

How is Stello so much cheaper than Podium?
Podium is built for enterprise franchises with large budgets and sales teams to maintain. Stello is built specifically for small, local businesses who need one location working well. We cut the bloat and pass the savings to you.
Will the AI responses sound like my business?
Yes. Stello can study your past responses (if you have them) or your website and social media to learn your tone. If you're starting from scratch, Stello defaults to a warm, professional voice that works for most local businesses and adapts over time.
What happens if a review is really negative?
Stello flags it for your personal attention and holds off on auto-responding. You'll get an alert with a suggested response you can edit and send yourself. We never auto-respond to a serious complaint without your sign-off.
What platforms does Stello work with?
Google Business Profile, Yelp, and Facebook. We sync new reviews automatically as they come in. You can also connect additional locations at the same price — no per-location add-ons.
Do I need a credit card to start?
No. Start with a 14-day free trial. You'll be asked to add payment info to continue after the trial, but there's no charge during the trial and you can cancel any time before it ends.
Can I try Stello before committing?
Every new account gets a built-in demo with sample reviews pre-loaded so you can see exactly how the AI responses work before connecting your real business. Get a free reputation audit to see where you stand first.
⚡ Save $2,640 per year vs. Podium

Stop paying $249/mo
to manage your reviews.

14-day free trial. See your first AI response in 5 minutes.

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