We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. It never changes a score or a ranking. How we make money
Swell is positioned for multi-location healthcare groups routing patient feedback and tracking employee NPS. The problem is that its pricing and limits are opaque, making it harder to judge fit before switching. The published Reddit material does not give reliable feedback about this healthcare product: it refers to unrelated uses of “Swell,” including a discontinued podcast app and a browser project. We’ve compared alternatives by fit and listed starting prices, where available; verify plan details directly before signing.
01Why people leave Swell
Pricing is hard to assess
Swell’s pricing is described as opaque, so teams may struggle to compare its cost with alternatives before speaking with sales.
Limits are unclear
The available information flags unclear limits but does not specify which plans or workflows are capped. Confirm the exact limits you need.
Comparison takes extra work
With both pricing and limits unclear, healthcare teams have less information to judge whether Swell fits their locations and feedback workflows.
02The alternatives, ranked by fit
- Clinic communications
DemandforceDemandforceFor practices that want feedback requests alongside patient communications, Demandforce is the closest healthcare-oriented alternative in this list. It covers communication and marketing, with automated review requests, phone, texts and booking in its stated use cases. Pricing is not available in our comparison, so get a quote and check what the review workflows include.
Trade-off: Quote-only pricing makes costs hard to compare.
5.0/10from
Custom - Multi-location reviews
ReputationReputationReputation suits organizations coordinating reviews, listings and customer feedback across locations. That makes it worth comparing with Swell if the priority is managing feedback across a healthcare group. Its listed starting price is $80, but pricing transparency stops at that rate; confirm which features and location needs are covered before switching.
Trade-off: The starting rate does not clarify full plan costs.
6.5/10from
$80/mo - Location marketing
BirdeyeBirdeyeBirdeye is a broader option for multi-location brands that want to consolidate marketing tasks, manage listings and use AI-assisted review generation. It may suit teams comparing Swell with a wider local-marketing toolkit, rather than a feedback-focused workflow alone. Pricing is listed as unavailable, so ask for a per-location quote and confirm the limits.
Trade-off: Per-location pricing is opaque.
5.8/10from
Custom - Messaging and follow-up
PodiumPodiumPodium combines messaging, reviews and lead follow-up, with after-hours inquiries and booking among its stated use cases. Consider it if patient or customer contact matters alongside review management. The listed starting price is $399, and the comparison flags contract risk, so check the commitment and total cost before replacing Swell.
Trade-off: The $399 starting price and contract risk need scrutiny.
6.0/10from
$399/mo - Local business toolkit
BroadlyBroadlyBroadly is aimed at local businesses, including home-service and pet businesses, and brings local marketing tools together. It is a less healthcare-specific option, but could suit a smaller local operation comparing review management with a broader toolkit. The listed starting price is $166; account for the annual commitment and setup fees when weighing a switch.
Trade-off: Less healthcare-focused; annual commitment and setup fees raise cost.
6.8/10from
$166/mofree plan - Public review profile
TrustpilotTrustpilotTrustpilot is a better fit if the goal is building a public review profile, automating review invitations or showcasing customer feedback. It is not presented as a healthcare-specific feedback workflow, so compare it only if public reviews are the main need. A free plan is listed, with paid plans from $99 per domain monthly on an annual commitment.
Trade-off: Not positioned around healthcare-specific workflows.
6.0/10from
$99/mofree plan
03Side by side
| Tool | Score | From | Free plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Swell Swell (current) | 6.0 | Custom | No | Multi-location healthcare groups |
| Demandforce Demandforce | 5.0 | Custom | No | Practices combining communication and marketing |
| Reputation Reputation | 6.5 | $80/mo | No | Multi-location brands managing local reviews |
| Birdeye Birdeye | 5.8 | Custom | No | Multi-location brands consolidating marketing tasks |
| Podium Podium | 6.0 | $399/mo | No | Local businesses managing leads and reviews |
| Broadly Broadly | 6.8 | $166/mo | Yes | Home service businesses missing calls |
| Trustpilot Trustpilot | 6.0 | $99/mo | Yes | Businesses building a public review profile |
Questions people ask
What is the opposite of swell?
If “swell” means good or going great, an opposite would be bad or not going well. But this page is about Swell, the healthcare feedback platform—not the general slang term. The Reddit results provided discuss unrelated meanings and do not establish why customers leave the healthcare product.
What are the different types of swell?
“Swell” can refer to different things: the published Reddit results mention a discontinued podcast app and an open-source browser project, as well as the slang word. This comparison concerns the healthcare feedback product described as serving multi-location groups and patient-feedback workflows.
What is another word for swell?
As slang meaning good or going great, “good” or “great” can work as alternatives. If you mean the healthcare software, there is no useful synonym: search for Swell healthcare feedback or patient feedback software to avoid results about unrelated products and the slang term.