We used Oden to analyze over the last six months public data from G2 comparison pages, vendor pricing docs, official “about” pages, and real user feedback on Trustpilot and Reddit. If you’re trying to decide where to invest time (and budget) for software reviews, it’s hard to see past the marketing noise. In this guide we’ll look at how G2, Capterra, TrustRadius, and Gartner Peer Insights actually perform on ratings, scale, cost, and fit for different teams, so you can pick the right platform for your use case.

Which software review platform has the best ratings and coverage?

Scope: Here we’re comparing how users rate each platform itself on G2, plus how many reviews those ratings are based on.

At the site-wide level, G2 reports more than 3 million software reviews across over 180,000 products and services in 2,000+ categories, with around 100 million buyers visiting annually. Source: G2 – 3 Million Reviews announcement, G2 – Review Managed Services news.

Gartner Digital Markets (Capterra, GetApp, Software Advice, UpCity) cites over 2 million verified reviews and 9–10 million monthly buyers across its network, though not all of those sit on Capterra alone. Source: Gartner Digital Markets – 2 Million Verified Reviews, Capterra – For Vendors.

TrustRadius says more than 12 million visitors a year engage with its ~470,000+ in‑depth reviews, emphasizing quality and review length over raw volume. Source: TrustRadius Review Quality Report 2025, TOPdesk press release citing 470,000+ reviews.

Gartner Peer Insights highlights 780,000+ free Gartner‑verified ratings and reviews, focused on enterprise technology markets aligned to Magic Quadrants. Source: Gartner Peer Insights home.

Takeaways

• G2 has the strongest combination of rating and volume on G2 itself. A 4.7/5 rating across 4,000+ reviews is a much more robust signal than similar scores based on tens of reviews. Source: G2 – Capterra vs G2 Profile and Reviews.
• Peer Insights looks excellent on G2, but the sample is tiny. A 4.6/5 from 11 reviews is directionally positive, yet not statistically reliable for platform-wide conclusions. Source: G2 – G2 Profile and Reviews vs Peer Insights.
• Capterra and TrustRadius have adequate but not stellar ratings on G2. Both sit in the mid‑3s, with repeated comments about review incentives, support responsiveness, and trust in moderation. Source: G2 – Capterra product page, G2 – TrustRadius product page.
• At the marketplace level, G2 clearly leads in scale; Capterra and TrustRadius trail, while Peer Insights focuses on depth in specific enterprise categories. Source: G2 – Review Managed Services news, Gartner Peer Insights home, TrustRadius Review Quality Report 2025.

How much do software review platforms really cost?

All four platforms are free for buyers to browse. The big differences show up in how vendors pay.

What this means in practice

• G2 offers the clearest published price points and a true free tier, but meaningful visibility and data usually require moving into paid plans that start in the low‑thousands per year and can climb significantly with add‑ons. Source: G2 Plans.
• Capterra is effectively an advertising channel. You can list for free, but competitive visibility is driven by PPC bids and budgets; exact CPCs and minimums are opaque and negotiated, and real‑world spend can vary widely by category. Source: Capterra – For Vendors, Capterra – Wikipedia.
• TrustRadius is positioned as a premium, high‑touch partner. The public $30k/product/year anchor makes sense if you’re an established B2B vendor in a high‑ACV category, but it’s likely overkill for early‑stage or SMB tools. Source: TrustRadius Vendors Pricing page on TrustRadius.
• Gartner Peer Insights is structurally “free” but selective. There’s no listing fee, yet you must qualify as an enterprise vendor in a covered market, and many vendors still maintain separate paid Gartner research relationships. Source: Getting Started with Peer Insights.

Pricing and contract terms change frequently and may vary by region, category, and negotiation history. Always double-check current prices with each vendor's calculator or sales team.

What are the key features of each platform?

G2

Core positioning: “The world’s largest and most trusted software marketplace,” connecting 100M+ annual buyers with authentic peer reviews across 180,000+ products. Source: G2 – innovations for vendors, G2 – 3 Million Reviews.

Key Features:

• Massive catalog with more than 3 million verified reviews across 2,000+ software and services categories, giving strong coverage of both mainstream and long‑tail tools. Source: G2 – 3 Million Reviews, G2 Review Managed Services news.
• Sophisticated category and product taxonomy, plus high user ratings for Review Search (9.3/10) and Product Content (9.2/10), making it easier to filter and compare options. Source: G2 – Technology Review Platforms category.
• AI‑powered discovery (G2.ai / “Monty”) for natural‑language search and personalized recommendations across the catalog. Source: G2 – 3 Million Reviews, G2 – AI‑powered innovations.
• Deep vendor tools: buyer intent data, review syndication, competitive intelligence, and integrations (e.g., Buy with AWS) to connect research directly to procurement. Source: G2 – AWS integration, G2 – innovations to build brand visibility.
• Strong review verification and moderation, including identity checks, multi‑point fraud analysis, and participation in the Coalition for Trusted Reviews. Source: G2 – Coalition for Trusted Reviews.

Best For:

• B2B SaaS vendors who need broad category coverage and visibility across many geographies. Source: G2 – 3 Million Reviews.
• Buyers who want dense review volume, granular filters, and AI search to shortlist tools fast. Source: G2 – Technology Review Platforms category.
• Marketing and sales teams that value buyer intent data, competitive benchmarks, and review‑driven social proof. Source: G2 – innovations for vendors.

Capterra

Core positioning: “The #1 destination for organizations to find the right software,” emphasizing verified user reviews and objective, independent research, especially for SMB buyers. Source: Capterra – Reviews program, Capterra – comparison tool guide.

Key Features:

• Large multi‑category software directory with hundreds of categories and millions of visitors, backed by the broader Gartner Digital Markets network. Source: Capterra – For Vendors, Gartner Digital Markets – 2M Reviews.
• Side‑by‑side comparison tool that lets buyers compare up to four products by features, deployment, training, and pricing. Source: Capterra – software comparison tool.
• Review verification processes using human moderation and tooling to detect plagiarism and AI‑generated content, with over 2.5M+ verified reviews cited. Source: Capterra – How we verify reviews.
• Free access for users; vendors can get free listings plus paid sponsored profiles that drive traffic via PPC, clearly labeled as sponsored. Source: Capterra – Reviews program, Capterra – Software Comparison Chart.
• Editorial content and research reports (e.g., Tech Trends, SMB buying behavior) that contextualize review data with survey‑based insights. Source: Capterra – Software Comparison Chart article, Capterra – 4 Tips on Using Reviews.

Best For:

• Small and midsize businesses that want a straightforward way to compare mainstream tools and see high‑level pricing. Source: Capterra – comparison tool guide.
• Vendors comfortable with PPC advertising and wanting exposure across the Gartner Digital Markets network. Source: Capterra – For Vendors, Capterra – Wikipedia.
• Teams who like pairing user reviews with light analyst‑style content without paying for full analyst research. Source: Capterra – 4 Tips on Using Reviews.

TrustRadius

Core positioning: A “most trusted research and review platform” focused on detailed, vetted reviews and buyer intelligence for business technology decisions. Source: TrustRadius – various “About TrustRadius” blurbs, TrustRadius Best Software List PR.

Key Features:

• Long‑form, structured reviews designed to capture in‑depth pros/cons, use cases, and ROI context, often used in complex B2B evaluations. Source: TrustRadius – Best Software List PR, TrustRadius buyer‑behavior blog.
• Proprietary trScore rating methodology and market‑size segmentation (enterprise, mid‑market, SMB) for its Best Software and Top Rated awards. Source: TrustRadius – Best Software List PR.
• Strong focus on review quality: in 2024, only 51.6% of submitted reviews were published after moderation, with many rejected for poor quality or suspicious behavior. Source: TrustRadius Review Quality Report 2025.
• Vendor solutions (Customer Voice, intent data, premium content) geared toward using review content in marketing, sales enablement, and ABM. Source: TrustRadius – Vendors pricing.
• Recognized “Top Rated” and “Best Of” award programs widely cited by vendors as credible social proof. Source: e.g., Sage Intacct – TrustRadius Top Rated press release.

Best For:

• B2B vendors with complex, high‑ACV products where detailed stories and ROI context matter more than raw review counts. Source: TrustRadius Review Quality Report 2025.
• Buyers in mid‑market or enterprise who want long, narrative reviews to support formal buying committees. Source: TrustRadius buyer‑behavior blog.
• Marketing teams with budget for premium review programs and award badges to differentiate in crowded markets. Source: TrustRadius – Vendors pricing.

Gartner Peer Insights

Core positioning: An enterprise‑focused review platform of Gartner‑verified ratings and reviews, aligned to Magic Quadrant markets and used as one input into Gartner research. Source: What is Peer Insights?, Gartner Peer Insights home.

Key Features:

• 780,000+ ratings and reviews across enterprise IT software and services, tied to Gartner’s market definitions and Magic Quadrants. Source: Gartner Peer Insights home, What is Peer Insights?.
• Strict eligibility rules: products must serve mid‑to‑large enterprises and fit defined Gartner markets; SMB‑only tools are typically excluded. Source: Getting Started with Peer Insights.
• Free access to all review detail for registered users (clients and non‑clients), plus a free vendor portal for review sourcing and analytics. Source: Gartner Peer Insights Review FAQ, Technology Provider FAQ.
• Moderation guidelines focused on context, variance in ratings, and demonstrated experience, with explicit policies on incentives and conflicts of interest. Source: Gartner Peer Insights General FAQ, Technology Provider FAQ.
• Peer Insights Community: a separate but connected, vendor‑free discussion space for verified technology leaders to ask questions and run polls. Source: Gartner Peer Community, Community FAQs.

Best For:

• Enterprise buyers who already rely on Gartner research and want peer data aligned to the same market definitions. Source: What is Peer Insights?.
• Vendors selling into mid‑large enterprises that want Gartner‑branded social proof without paying an additional listing fee. Source: Getting Started with Peer Insights.
• IT leaders who value structured questionnaires including implementation and cost aspects, not just high‑level star ratings. Source: Peer Insights G2 reviews.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of each platform?

G2

Strengths:

• Scale and reach. G2 now hosts over 3 million reviews and brings ~90–100M buyers annually, including employees at all Fortune 500 companies. Source: G2 – 3 Million Reviews, BetterCloud–G2 partnership release.
• High user satisfaction with core UX. G2’s own ratings show 9.3/10 for Review Search, 9.2/10 for Product Content, and 9.2/10 for Quality of Support—consistently above category averages. Source: G2 – Technology Review Platforms category.
• Powerful vendor tooling. Vendors can layer in intent data, review syndication, AI visibility dashboards, and integrations like Buy with AWS to connect research to purchase, which many enterprise marketers cite as a differentiator. Source: G2 – innovations for vendors, G2 – AWS integration.
• Global and multilingual. G2 has invested heavily in localization and multilingual reviews (e.g., Spanish, German, French, Portuguese), which has driven meaningful international traffic growth. Source: G2 – 3 Million Reviews.

Weaknesses:

• Perceived bias and moderation friction. G2’s own pros/cons summary lists “Review Issues,” “Biased Reviews,” and “Lack of Clarity” among the top negative themes, and external reviews on Trustpilot also complain about rejected reviews and confusion over gift card incentives. Source: G2 – Technology Review Platforms pros/cons, Trustpilot – G2 page.
• Incentive complaints. Several Trustpilot reviewers report writing detailed incentivized reviews but not receiving promised gift cards, calling campaigns “misleading” or “scammy.” Source: Trustpilot – G2 page.
• Cost for smaller vendors. While a free tier exists, SaaS founders in r/SaaS report that meaningful paid packages often run into the $10k–$15k+/year range, making it hard for early‑stage companies to justify. Source: Reddit – “Let’s say goodbye to G2 free plan benefits”.

Capterra

Strengths:

• Strong SMB orientation and traffic. Capterra positions itself as the #1 destination for organizations to find the right software and is part of a network that sees 9M+ in‑market buyers monthly. Source: Capterra – For Vendors, Reviews: How We Got Here.
• Verified reviews at large scale. Capterra cites verifying over 2.5M+ reviews using human moderators and tooling, and promotes itself as offering “objective, independent research and verified user reviews.” Source: Capterra – Reviews program.
• Simple buyer experience. G2 reviewers frequently praise Capterra’s straightforward layout and ease of comparing tools, calling it “effortless” and “user friendly” for discovering and evaluating options. Source: G2 – Capterra product page.

Weaknesses:

• Pay‑per‑click incentives create perceived bias. Capterra publicly states that software providers pay for sponsored profiles and traffic, and Wikipedia notes that vendors bid for position via a pay‑per‑click model; some G2 reviewers say the platform feels “more like a CPC platform than a genuine review site.” Source: Capterra – Reviews program, Capterra – Wikipedia, G2 – Capterra product page.
• Vendor frustration with transparency and support. Multiple G2 reviewers complain about reviews being removed or not published without clear explanation, and about slow or unhelpful customer service. Source: G2 – Capterra product page.
• Rising PPC costs. A recent Reddit thread from a long‑time Capterra advertiser reports a new $200 minimum monthly PPC spend and concerns about being charged for “bogus” clicks, underscoring budget risk for smaller vendors (though this is anecdotal, not official policy). Source: Reddit – Capterra PPC concerns.
• Data accuracy concerns. A ClickUp survey of review sites notes user feedback that some Capterra pricing and feature details can be outdated or incorrect, requiring buyers to validate directly with vendors. Source: ClickUp – Best software review sites.

TrustRadius

Strengths:

• Depth over breadth. TrustRadius emphasizes long, highly structured reviews and has become known as a source of detailed product feedback used in award programs like Top Rated and Best Software Lists. Source: TrustRadius Best Software List PR.
• Strict moderation and quality focus. In 2024, TrustRadius published 17,796 reviews out of all submissions, rejecting nearly half—mostly due to poor quality or suspected inauthenticity, signaling a strong stance on review quality. Source: TrustRadius Review Quality Report 2025.
• Trusted in specific enterprise niches. Many enterprise vendors (e.g., Procore, Sage Intacct, Infosec) highlight TrustRadius awards as evidence of strong customer satisfaction and market presence. Source: Procore – TrustRadius Top Rated press release, Sage Intacct press release.

Weaknesses:

• Smaller footprint vs G2/Capterra. TrustRadius hosts ~470k+ reviews and 12M annual visitors—substantial, but materially smaller than G2’s millions of reviews and Gartner Digital Markets’ 2M+ review network. Source: TOPdesk press release, G2 – Review Managed Services, Reviews: How We Got Here.
• User complaints about incentives and negative reviews. On G2, several TrustRadius reviewers report “bait and switch” around gift card incentives and frustration that critical reviews were rejected without clear justification. Source: G2 – TrustRadius product page.
• UX and coverage gaps. Some G2 reviewers describe the interface as time‑consuming and note that many niche or less common products are missing, limiting usefulness for certain categories. Source: G2 – TrustRadius product page.
• High price point for vendors. The widely cited $30k/product/year Customer Voice package places TrustRadius firmly in the “enterprise marketing budget” bracket. Source: TrustRadius Vendors Pricing page on TrustRadius.

Gartner Peer Insights

Strengths:

• Enterprise credibility and alignment with Gartner research. Peer Insights data is explicitly used as one input (among many) into Magic Quadrant and Critical Capabilities research, giving it outsized influence in enterprise buying. Source: What is Peer Insights?.
• Rigorous vetting and structured questionnaires. Gartner describes detailed moderation criteria focusing on context, variance, and demonstrated experience, and reviewers often highlight the depth of questions as a plus. Source: Gartner Peer Insights General FAQ, Peer Insights G2 reviews.
• Free for buyers and vendors. Reading reviews, listing eligible products, and using the vendor portal are all free, including access to some review sourcing support and limited Gartner‑funded incentives for new vendors. Source: Gartner Peer Insights Review FAQ, Technology Provider FAQ.
• Focused community for senior IT leaders. The associated Peer Insights Community targets director‑level and above leaders and is vendor‑free, which some executives value for candid conversations. Source: Gartner Peer Community, What is Peer Insights?.

Weaknesses:

• Limited to enterprise‑class products. Gartner explicitly excludes small‑business or consumer‑oriented IT solutions, so many modern SaaS tools used by startups or SMBs never appear there. Source: Getting Started with Peer Insights.
• ** UX and support critiques.** G2 reviewers mention that the Peer Insights site can feel slow, with navigation and search less intuitive than other platforms, and that support/community can be hard to reach. Source: Peer Insights G2 reviews.
• Vendor portal limitations. Some vendor‑side reviewers note constraints on how autonomously they can manage their profiles and data via the free portal. Source: Peer Insights G2 reviews.
• Relatively low visibility outside Gartner clients. Although traffic is meaningful, Peer Insights is primarily known within organizations already working with Gartner, unlike G2 or Capterra which are more visible to broad SMB audiences. Source: Gartner Peer Insights home, Reviews: How We Got Here.

How do these platforms position themselves?

G2 describes itself as “the world’s largest and most trusted software marketplace,” emphasizing 90–100M+ annual buyers, 2,000+ categories, and millions of reviews, with a mission to make software buying “smarter, faster, and more transparent.” Source: G2 – growth/2M reviews press, G2 – AI search era innovations.

Capterra positions itself as the #1 destination for organizations to find the right software, pairing verified user reviews with “objective, independent research,” and openly acknowledging that it’s free for users while vendors pay for sponsored traffic. Source: Capterra – Reviews program, Capterra – Software Comparison Chart.

TrustRadius repeatedly calls itself “the most trusted research and review platform for business leaders to find and select the right software,” framing its value around unbiased, vetted reviews, award programs, and buyer intelligence rather than sheer volume. Source: e.g., TrustRadius – Best Software List PR, TOPdesk press release.

Gartner Peer Insights brands itself around “Gartner‑verified” enterprise reviews and situates the platform as part of the broader Gartner research ecosystem, stressing free access, alignment with Magic Quadrant markets, and a vendor‑free peer community for senior technology leaders. Source: Gartner Peer Insights home, What is Peer Insights?.

Which platform should you choose?

Choose G2 If:

1. You need maximum coverage and data density. You want access to 3M+ reviews across 180k+ products and 2,000+ categories, especially for modern SaaS where smaller tools still show up. Source: G2 – 3 Million Reviews, G2 – Review Managed Services.
2. You care about search and UX efficiency. You value strong Review Search and Product Content scores (both around 9.2–9.3/10) so your team can filter by company size, industry, features, and integrations quickly. Source: G2 – Technology Review Platforms category.
3. You want review data integrated into your go‑to‑market stack. You plan to use buyer intent, competitive signals, and integrations like Buy with AWS or CRM connectors to generate and convert pipeline. Source: G2 – AWS integration, G2 – AI search era innovations.
4. You operate globally. You need reviews and UI localized into multiple languages and care that international buyers can research in their native language. Source: G2 – 3 Million Reviews.
5. You can justify a structured subscription. Your ACV and marketing budget are large enough that G2’s Starter/Professional/Enterprise plans make economic sense versus pure CPC models. Source: G2 Plans, Reddit – G2 pricing discussion.

Choose Capterra If:

1. Your primary audience is SMBs. You’re selling relatively straightforward tools to small and midsize businesses, where Capterra’s audience and content are heavily focused. Source: Capterra – comparison tool guide.
2. You want simple top‑of‑funnel discovery. Your goal is to get in front of buyers scanning category lists and basic comparisons rather than running deep, multi‑stakeholder evaluations. Source: Capterra – Software Comparison Chart.
3. You prefer PPC over subscriptions. You’re comfortable managing bids, budgets, and ROAS on a pay‑per‑click model rather than paying a large annual license. Source: Capterra – Wikipedia, Capterra – Reviews program.
4. Your team is light on analyst subscriptions. You want some editorial guidance and survey‑based insights to complement reviews without paying for full Gartner research. Source: Capterra – Tech Trends and review articles.
5. You can actively monitor data accuracy. You’re willing to treat Capterra pricing/feature fields as directional and validate details with vendors, given reports of occasional inaccuracies. Source: ClickUp – Best software review sites.

Choose TrustRadius If:

1. Depth of review content is your top priority. You’re in a complex B2B category (e.g., security, infrastructure, enterprise SaaS) where long, detailed reviews and ROI narratives help move deals. Source: TrustRadius Best Software List PR.
2. You want a “quality over quantity” signal. You like that only ~52% of submitted reviews are published and that TrustRadius emphasizes trScore and strict moderation. Source: TrustRadius Review Quality Report 2025.
3. You have budget for a premium review partner. You’re ready to invest $30k+/product/year into Customer Voice and related options, and you expect to reuse review content heavily in marketing and sales enablement. Source: TrustRadius Vendors Pricing page on TrustRadius.
4. You value award‑driven social proof. TrustRadius Top Rated and Best Software badges are recognizable in certain enterprise segments; you plan to feature them on your site and in sales decks. Source: Sage Intacct press release.
5. You’re okay with smaller reach but targeted influence. You care more about persuading high‑intent enterprise buyers than about maximizing raw traffic or volume. Source: TOPdesk press release.

Choose Gartner Peer Insights If:

1. You sell into defined Gartner enterprise markets. Your product appears (or could appear) in a Magic Quadrant or Market Guide, and your buyers already read Gartner reports. Source: Getting Started with Peer Insights, What is Peer Insights?.
2. Your buyers want Gartner‑branded validation. You see Peer Insights reviews and Voice of the Customer reports being referenced in RFPs or procurement processes. Source: Gartner Peer Insights home.
3. You need a no‑fee review channel. You want to collect enterprise reviews and link them to Gartner research without paying a separate listing fee, while still leveraging Gartner‑funded incentives early on. Source: Technology Provider FAQ, Incentives FAQ.
4. You target senior IT and business leaders. Your ICP is the director/VP/C‑level audience that participates in Peer Insights Community and reads Gartner content regularly. Source: Gartner Peer Community, What is Peer Insights?.
5. You already have or plan a Gartner relationship. Peer Insights works best when integrated with a broader Gartner strategy (analyst briefings, MQ participation, etc.) rather than as a standalone review channel. Source: What is Peer Insights?.

Sources & links

Company Websites

• G2 – Home
• Capterra – Home
• TrustRadius – Home
• Gartner Peer Insights – Home

Pricing Pages

• G2 – Plans for vendors
• TrustRadius – Pricing & packaging
• TrustRadius Vendors – Customer Voice pricing entry
• Capterra – For Vendors overview

Documentation & Methodology

• G2 – Technology Review Platforms category
• Capterra – How we verify and use reviews
• TrustRadius – Review Quality Report 2025
• Gartner Peer Insights – General FAQ
• Gartner Peer Insights – Technology Provider FAQ

G2 Review Pages (Platforms as Products)

• G2 – G2 Profile and Reviews
• G2 – Capterra Reviews
• G2 – TrustRadius Reviews
• G2 – Peer Insights Reviews

Reddit Discussions

• r/SaaS – “Let’s say goodbye to G2 free plan benefits”
• r/PPC – “Capterra and other Gartner PPC concerns”
• r/SaaS – “G2/SourceForge/TrustRadius—How do they verify a reviewer has used the software?”

Trustpilot & Third-Party Commentary

• Trustpilot – G2 reviews
• ClickUp – Best Software Review Sites

Additional Resources

• G2 – 3 Million Reviews announcement
• Gartner Digital Markets – 2 Million Verified Reviews
• G2 – Software Buyer Behavior research (via PR)
• TrustRadius – How B2B buyers purchase software
• Gartner – Review-Reliant Buyers research