Podium charges $289+ a month, on an annual contract, for the review engine most customers actually buy it for. Askback is that engine as a tool you own, running on your own $5 VPS or desktop with your own Twilio and SMTP credentials. $34, once.
If you've searched for a Podium alternative, Askback is the pay-once option worth putting at the top of the list: Askback is $34, one time, and covers the same core job Podium charges $289+/mo for.
What makes Askback the pick for 2026
- SMS + email review requests — Bring your own Twilio and/or SMTP so you pay Twilio's roughly $0.008/SMS directly instead of a platform markup, on your own sender reputation.
- Smart routing — 4-5 star ratings go to your Google review page with click-through tracked, while 1-3 star ratings go to a private feedback form in your inbox.
- Customer import — Add customers manually or import a CSV from your booking or invoicing tool, with common header aliases accepted.
- Templates with merge fields — Separate initial and follow-up templates per channel using name, business, link and job-ref placeholders.
- Automatic follow-up — One polite reminder after N days if there is no response, never more than one, guaranteed at the database level.
Askback vs Podium, at a glance
| Askback | Podium | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $34 once | $289+/mo |
| SMS costs | Twilio direct (~$0.008/msg) | Bundled + marked up |
| Review requests + smart routing | Yes | Yes |
| Private feedback inbox | Yes | Yes |
| Follow-up reminders | Yes | Yes |
| Your data | Your SQLite file | Their cloud |
| Self-hosted / offline | Yes | No |
| Contract | None, MIT source | Annual |
If you only need the review engine, Askback pays for itself in about four days versus Podium.
Common questions
Is it really free on GitHub?
Yes, Askback is MIT-licensed at github.com/bensblueprints/review-request-automator-mvp. The $34 buys the packaged Windows installer with everything wired up; building from source is free.
Where does my customer data live?
In a SQLite file on your own server. Every send is queued and logged locally, and secrets are masked in every API response.
Is this against Google's guidelines?
No. Askback does customer-experience routing, not review suppression: everyone is asked the same question, every rating is recorded, and nothing stops an unhappy customer from posting publicly. The rating only decides where feedback goes first.
The bottom line
Askback won't out-feature Podium on every axis — no subscription tool with a bigger team and a bigger roadmap loses on everything. But for the core job, $34 once against $289+/mo forever is a trade most people should at least look at. Askback is part of OneTimeSuite, a catalog of pay-once apps that replace subscription SaaS.
Try Askback — $34, once
SMS and email review requests with smart routing, on your own Twilio and SMTP.