Valian vs Podium
Short answer: Valian scores higher (59 vs 33). Both are Level 1 desk reviews from public sources; accuracy is untested for both. Scores are out of 85 (tested so far); hands-on accuracy testing (15 points) is pending.
| Criterion | Valian | Podium |
|---|---|---|
| Category | AI receptionist | Patient messaging / scheduling |
| Preliminary score | 59/85 | 33/85 |
| BAA | BAA stated “BAA signed with your practice before launch.” | BAA stated “If Client is a Covered Entity or Business Associate, as defined in HIPAA, Podium and Client agree to the terms of Podium’s BAA” |
| Pricing as shown | At 120 appointments a month: Full System '$769 a month' month to month or '$692 a month' paid every 3 months; Communications '$589' / '$530'; overage '$1.00 a minute, $0.25 a text or email, $2.50 a check'; phone lines '$10 a month each' [1][2]. The price scales with appointments. | No figures shown on the pricing page when we checked [1] (unverified). |
| HIPAA / BAA availability (20) | 16 Vendor: 'BAA signed with your practice before launch' [1]; privacy policy confirms [3]. Text not public. | 16 Terms incorporate a BAA for covered entities [2]. Plan restrictions unverified. |
| Integrations (dental PMS / EHR) (25) | 13 Names Open Dental, Dentrix, Dentrix Ascend, Eaglesoft, Curve and Denticon, but says 'Today Amy books into your Valian schedule and your team enters each booking in your PMS. A direct connection that writes bookings in for you is in development' [1]. No write-back today. | 5 '200+ integrations' claimed [1]. Dental PMS integrations not confirmed. |
| Pricing transparency (12) | 11 Plans, included usage and overage rates are public [1][2]; the price slides with appointment volume, so a quote is still needed for an exact figure. | 2 No numbers shown. |
| Accuracy / output quality (15) | 0 Not tested yet. Accuracy needs a Level 3 hands-on test with synthetic data. 0/15 until then. | 0 Not tested yet. Accuracy needs a Level 3 hands-on test with synthetic data. 0/15 until then. |
| Setup effort (8) | 6 Documented onboarding: '30 minutes of your time. Amy live the same day'; SMS 'unlocks in 2 to 3 weeks once carrier approval clears' [1]. | 4 'Step-by-Step Onboarding' [1]. |
| Support (8) | 3 Help Center and 'Seats and support $0' [1]; hours not stated. | 3 Vendor: 'customer support is included in every plan' [1]. |
| Contract terms (7) | 6 Vendor: 'You can cancel any time'; month-to-month option [1]. | 1 Terms not reviewed for length or renewal (unverified). |
| Specialty fit (dental) (5) | 4 Dental and medical practices [1]. | 2 General multi-industry. The dental page was thin when fetched. |
| Last checked | 2026-10-15 | 2026-10-14 |
Source numbers like [2] refer to each tool's own source list on its review page.
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