G2 is a review platform formerly known as G2 Crowd, where verified users can review and rate business software to help potential buyers make the right decision. The platform works as a trust-building site, such as TripAdvisor, where real users who have experience using the software share their thoughts, pros, and cons. The most common question people ask is not what this G2 is, but whether the reviews are original or whether they should be trusted. This guide will answer everything you need to know, including the definition, how it works, and whether to trust it.
What is G2?
G2 is a b2b software review platform where potential buyers can easily research, compare, and pick the right software based on the reviews by verified users. The platform was founded in 2012 in Chicago, and back then it was known as G2 Crowd.
The platform now hosts millions of reviews for thousands of software categories- from marketing automation to CRM, niche vertical tools, project management, and so on. If a company has a SaaS and people are using it, chances are high that you will find reviews for that SaaS.
The name G2 is basically a designation for the military structure unit’s intelligence staff. The name positions itself as the intelligent layer that helps the audience make software buying decisions. It is now one of the largest and most trusted b2b software review sites in the world.
How does G2 work?
The working process of G2 is simple. It collects verified user reviews and aggregates them to score and rank against competitors for each category. So there are three things that happen for G2.
Verified reviews
The review sharing process starts with identity verification. G2 checks whether the reviewer is a real user by verifying the email address or LinkedIn account and often asks for a screenshot as proof of product use. The system has a fraud-detection algorithm and a moderation team to check the fake screenshots.
Spam reviews, competitors leaving negative reviews, and employees reviewing their own products are filtered out by the algorithm and the moderation team. That is why submitting a review on the G2 platform takes so long, and this is what makes it more trusted.
The G2 Score
Once the algorithm verifies the review, it also scores the review with a standardised number typically used to rank a SaaS within its category. The score focuses on satisfaction scores derived from real user experience and their feedback, and a market presence score based on the social signals, web presence, and company size. Reviews play a vital role in influencing the overall score.
The G2 Grid
G2 then visualises this score with a G2 grid – a quadrant chart designed for a peer-review alternative to Gartner’s Magic Quadrant. The four quadrants are leaders, high performers, contenders, and niche. Leaders are the top SaaS in the specific category with the highest customer satisfaction and market presence.
High performers are those with higher customer satisfaction but smaller market presence. Contenders are working hard to lead the market with higher market presence, but are failing to achieve higher customer satisfaction. The niche section is for those SaaS companies with lower market presence and customer satisfaction. The position tells the potential buyers about the performance and helps the audience decide which one to pick.
Who uses G2 — buyers and vendors
Since G2 is a b2b review sharing platform, it serves two audiences at once. The buyers who come here to compare software and leave their valuable feedback, and the vendors who open their G2 profiles, collect reviews from the customers, and earn a position in the grid.
The audience compares the features and pricing, reads real-world experiences, and checks the company profile before making a purchase. Vendors check their competitors, their positioning, and customer feedback to make strategies and improvements.
Since managing market presence requires complete domination on different review platforms, leaving it to the expert online reputation and review management service will change the game. And to improve ranking and protect the standing for G2, a professional review and reputation management service will come in handy.
Are G2 reviews legit? Incentives, transparency, and pay-to-play
All the G2 reviews are verified and moderated. Besides, negative and positive reviews are available with transparency. However, understanding the incentives and paid reviews will help you read the platform’s transparency properly. There are three key points you need to understand.
First of all, G2 allows vendors to reward the reviewer for the act of review. That means they offer $10-$100 worth of cash, gift, or non-cash reward to the audience who write a review – both positive and negative. The platform clearly labels this as an incentivized review so that the audience can understand and not confuse “incentivized” with “fake.”
Second, not all reviews feed the score to upgrade in the grid. Business partners, such as resellers or guest users, can leave reviews that will be displayed but excluded from scoring.
Finally, people often suspect transparency since there are free and paid plans for business profiles. However, paying the platform does not buy a higher score or a better Grid position. The paid plan offers analytics, badge display, sponsored placement, and improved profiles.
All those paid, sponsored, and rewarded reviews and badges are clearly labeled by the company that answers the question ‘Is G2 legit?’
What’s new with G2 in 2026
The biggest shift this year for G2 is that it acquired GetApp, Software Advice, and Capterra for approximately $110 million. It combines four of the largest review platforms for software. G2 is also integrating AI to answer buyer questions just like a real human. This makes the software discovery more of an answer engine game instead of a search engine game.
Frequently asked questions
What does G2 stand for?
G2 is a reference to the military designation for intelligence units. It is designed to act as an intelligent source for users to make intelligent decisions to buy software.
Is G2 free?
Yes, G2 is completely free for users and vendors, but it also offers paid plans for vendors to offer advanced features, such as intent data, badges, analytics, and promotional placement.
Does G2 pay you for reviews?
Yes, G2 pays for the reviews if you are an actual user to leave a review – positive or negative. The reward can be cash, non-cash, or gifts.
Are G2 reviews fake?
G2 reviews are original and written by original users of that software. The platform checks screenshots, users’ LinkedIn profiles, and Business emails to verify authenticity.
Who owns G2 now?
G2 is an independent company led by CEO Godard Abel, and it acquired GetApp, Software Advice, and Capterra from Gartner to make the review pool larger.
What’s the difference between G2 and Capterra?
Both platforms are software review sites owned by G2, where G2 focuses on SaaS reviews, and Capterra is famous for software directories for small businesses.
