HEAD TO HEAD · CHECKED SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER 2026
GoHighLevel vs Podio: two platforms wholesalers build a CRM on
Neither is a real estate CRM out of the box. GoHighLevel is a marketing platform with calling, texting, funnels and workflow automation built in, on one price that covers every user, with usage billed on top. Podio is a general work platform priced per user, with no phone system, texting or property data of its own, so those are separate tools you connect. Both are shaped into a wholesaling CRM with templates and your own setup.
Both are set up from templates or by hand, and neither lists property data or skip tracing among its own features.
This page is published by ARIA CRM, which makes neither product. ARIA appears below as a third option, and the page says what it does not do.
GOHIGHLEVEL VS PODIO
The price, side by side.
GoHighLevel Starter is $97 a month and Podio Premium is $24, so Podio lists $73 a month lower on monthly billing.
GOHIGHLEVEL
GoHighLevel · Starter
$97a month
$80.83 a month on annual billing
plus usage
PODIO
Podio · Premium
$24a month
$19.20 a month on annual billing
per user
GoHighLevel is one part of the work. With a property data subscription and skip tracing beside it, the stack comes to $254 a month. See the line items.
Podio is one part of the work. With an e-sign tool, a dialer, a data subscription, skip tracing and a scheduler beside it, the stack comes to $351 a month. See the line items.
Published monthly-billing prices for the listed plan, checked September and October 2026 on each vendor’s own pricing page. Usage fees are extra where a vendor charges them. Prices change; confirm on the vendor’s site before you decide.
AT A GLANCE
GoHighLevel and Podio in one table.
| Row | GOHIGHLEVEL | PODIO | ARIA |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Marketing platform for agencies | Build-your-own CRM | AI CRM for wholesale real estate |
| Listed plan | Starter | Premium | Pro |
| Monthly billing | $97 a month | $24 a month | $149 a month |
| Annual billing | $80.83 a month | $19.20 a month | $119 a month |
| Billing note | plus usage | per user | 1 user |
| AI calling agent | Sold by usage, or as an add-on at $50 or $97 a month for each sub-account, with phone charges billed separately. | None. Podio has no phone system of its own. | Included: 100 calling minutes a month. |
| Built for | Agencies and businesses that want to build their own funnels, automations and client accounts. | Builders who want to design their own fields, views and automations. | Solo wholesalers and small shops who want the first call made for them. |
WHAT STANDS OUT
Where each one puts its weight.
GoHighLevel
GoHighLevel, also sold as HighLevel, is a sales and marketing platform built for agencies: pipelines, calling, two-way texting, workflow automation, booking calendars, email marketing and a website and funnel builder, with every user and contact included in the plan.
- Calling, two-way texting and booking calendars are built in and billed by usage.
- Websites, funnels and email marketing in the same subscription.
- Every user and contact is included at one price.
- Voice AI agents, sold by usage or as a monthly add-on.
Podio
Podio is a general work platform that wholesalers shape into a CRM with templates and automations. It has no phone system, texting, property data or skip tracing of its own, so each of those is a separate tool wired in.
- A blank canvas: fields, views and automations are designed by you, for any kind of work.
- A free tier for up to five users, and outside users are free on paid plans.
- Projects and approvals can run on the same platform as your deals.
DECIDE IN A MINUTE
Which one fits you?
Pick GoHighLevel if
- You want calling and texting inside the platform, not wired in from other vendors.
- You market with funnels, forms and email.
- You have many users and want one flat plan.
Pick Podio if
- You want full control over your data model and will connect the phone system yourself.
- You have a small team that fits its free or per-user plans.
- You already run a Podio build your team knows.
THE THIRD OPTION
Where ARIA fits.
Both are platforms to build on, and the building is the cost: the fields, stages, automations and the tools around them are yours to assemble and maintain. ARIA is the other choice, a wholesaling CRM that arrives built, with deal analysis, contracts with e-sign and a cash buyer finder. On Pro, at $149 a month, Aria calls the leads who asked to hear from you, with 100 calling minutes included. ARIA is not a platform: it has no funnels, websites or custom apps, and it is single-user today.
- ARIA Pro · 100 AI calling minutes a month$149 a month
- ARIA Max · 400 AI calling minutes a month$249 a month
GoHighLevel Starter is $97 a month; ARIA Pro is $149, $52 a month more, and it does a different job. ARIA vs GoHighLevel
Podio Premium is $24 a month; ARIA Starter is $79, $55 a month more, and it does a different job. ARIA vs Podio
Free for 7 days on Pro. Cancel any time.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
How do GoHighLevel and Podio prices compare?
GoHighLevel Starter is $97 a month and covers every user, with calls, texts, emails and AI billed by usage. Podio Premium is $24 a user each month, with calling, texting and data bought from other vendors.
Which is easier to set up for wholesaling, GoHighLevel or Podio?
Both start from templates. GoHighLevel installs prebuilt accounts it calls snapshots, and Podio offers a free real estate investment pack that needs its Premium plan. With either one the result is as good as the template, and the upkeep is yours.
Does GoHighLevel or Podio include calling?
GoHighLevel does: inbound and outbound calling and texting are part of the platform and billed by usage. Podio has no phone system of its own, so calling and texting come from integrations with separate vendors.
Is there a wholesaling CRM that does not need to be built?
ARIA is one. It arrives with a seller pipeline, deal analysis, contracts and a cash buyer finder, and its Pro plan at $149 a month includes 100 AI calling minutes after a 7-day free trial.
KEEP COMPARING
More comparisons.
Choosing from scratch? Read the wholesale real estate CRM guide, or see every comparison.