Online reviews are the lifeblood of small businesses. 93% of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase decision, and businesses with positive reviews see an average revenue increase of 31%.
But managing reviews across Google, Yelp, Facebook, Trustpilot, and dozens of other platforms is overwhelming. That's where review management software comes in. I've tested and analyzed 20 of the best platforms to help you find the perfect solution for your small business.
Whether you're looking for affordable automation, AI-powered features, or comprehensive multi-location management, this guide covers everything from free options to enterprise solutions.
Quick Comparison: Top 20 Review Management Tools
| Rank | Platform | Starting Price | Best For | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HiFiveStar | Free | Budget-conscious businesses | Forever free plan |
| 2 | Podium | $399/mo | Service businesses | SMS review requests |
| 3 | Prompt Reviews | $17/mo | Review quality & SEO | AI-assisted review generation |
| 4 | Birdeye | Custom pricing | Multi-location businesses | All-in-one platform |
| 5 | Yotpo | $79/mo | E-commerce stores | Product review integration |
| 6 | ReviewTrackers | $89/location | Analytics-focused teams | 100+ platform monitoring |
| 7 | Trustpilot | Free - $599/mo | Building brand trust | Public review showcase |
| 8 | Broadly | $299/mo | Local service businesses | Webchat integration |
| 9 | Grade.us | Custom pricing | Marketing agencies | White-label solution |
| 10 | Reputation.com | Custom pricing | Franchises & chains | Enterprise reputation suite |
| 11 | NiceJob | $75/mo | Home services | Job-based review requests |
| 12 | EmbedReviews | $29/mo | Website widget display | Social proof widgets |
| 13 | Reviewflowz | Free - $49/mo | Small teams | Simple automation |
| 14 | Yext | $199/mo | Location data management | Listings sync |
| 15 | Chatmeter | Custom pricing | Multi-location brands | Local SEO + reviews |
| 16 | Vendasta | $359/mo | Agencies & resellers | White-label platform |
| 17 | Womply | $49/mo | Very small businesses | Affordable basics |
| 18 | SOCi | Custom pricing | Social + reviews combo | Social media management |
| 19 | Shopper Approved | $149/mo | E-commerce verification | Verified buyer badges |
| 20 | BirdEye Lite | $299/mo | Growing businesses | Simplified Birdeye |
Detailed Platform Reviews
HiFiveStar stands out with its genuinely free forever plan that includes unlimited reviews, all integrations, and review widgets for one location. It's perfect for small businesses just starting their review management journey.
Key Features:
- Connects to 30+ review platforms in one dashboard
- AI-powered review response generation
- Automated review request campaigns
- Customizable review widgets for your website
- Sentiment analysis and reporting
Pricing: Free for 1 location. Paid plans start at $49/month for multiple locations.
Podium
Podium excels at conversational review management through SMS and messaging. It's built for businesses that want to engage customers directly and convert conversations into reviews.
Key Features:
- SMS-first review request system
- Text-to-pay capabilities
- Webchat integration for your website
- Automated follow-up sequences
- Team collaboration inbox
- Video chat functionality
Pricing: Starts at $399/month. Custom pricing for enterprise features.
Note: While powerful, Podium's pricing may be steep for very small businesses or those just starting out.
Prompt Reviews 🌟
What Makes Prompt Reviews Unique
Unlike traditional review platforms that just collect reviews, Prompt Reviews revolutionizes the review creation process itself. It's designed to make writing reviews easier for customers while ensuring businesses get high-quality, keyword-rich reviews that boost SEO.
Prompt Reviews takes a fundamentally different approach to review management by focusing on the customer's review-writing experience. Rather than just sending review requests and hoping for the best, it actively helps customers create detailed, authentic reviews.
Game-Changing Features:
- AI-Assisted Review Generation with Keyword Integration: AI automatically incorporates business owner-suggested keywords into generated reviews for better SEO value
- Review Inspiration Feature: Customers can browse and select from suggested keywords/phrases they want to include in their review, making it easier to write detailed feedback
- Full Google Business Integration: Seamless connection with Google My Business featuring:
- Instant review posting
- Scheduled posting for automated campaigns
- AI-assisted review responses
- Bulk updates for multi-location businesses
- Customizable Review Campaigns: Create targeted campaigns for products, services, employees, or specific events
- Schema-Optimized Review Widgets: SEO-friendly review displays that boost search rankings
- Easy Review Flow: Simplified "prompt page" system that guides customers through writing better reviews
- Multi-Platform Support: Google, Yelp, Facebook, TrustPilot, BBB, and more
Why This Matters for Small Businesses:
Most customers want to leave reviews but struggle with what to write. Prompt Reviews solves this problem through its innovative inspiration feature - customers can browse suggested keywords and phrases, selecting the ones that resonate with their experience. When using AI generation, these selected keywords are automatically woven into the review naturally, resulting in more detailed, authentic reviews that actually help your business rank better in local search results.
This dual approach (manual keyword selection + AI integration) is particularly powerful for SEO. You can guide customers to mention specific services, locations, or benefits that help your business show up for relevant searches, while maintaining authentic, natural-sounding reviews.
Learn More About Prompt Reviews →Pricing: Starts at just $17/month, making it one of the most affordable platforms with advanced AI features.
Birdeye
Birdeye is a comprehensive all-in-one platform that goes beyond reviews to include listings management, social media, and customer experience features. It's powerful but can be complex and expensive for smaller operations.
Key Features:
- 150+ review site integrations
- AI-powered review insights and responses
- Business listings management across 60+ directories
- Social media management tools
- Appointment scheduling integration
- Referral program functionality
- Customer surveys and feedback collection
Pricing: Custom pricing, typically starting around $299-$399/month per location. Can reach thousands monthly for enterprise features.
Important Note: While feature-rich, Birdeye may be overkill (and over-budget) for single-location small businesses or startups.
Yotpo
Yotpo is specifically designed for e-commerce businesses, with deep integrations for Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and other platforms. It focuses on product reviews and user-generated content.
Key Features:
- Product review collection and display
- Photo and video review capture
- SMS and email review requests
- Social curation and display
- Loyalty and referral programs
- Google Shopping integration
- On-site SEO optimization
Pricing: Free plan available with basic features. Paid plans start at $79/month. Custom pricing for enterprise.
ReviewTrackers is analytics-focused, monitoring reviews from over 100 platforms with powerful sentiment analysis and competitive benchmarking tools.
Key Features:
- 100+ review platform monitoring
- Real-time review alerts
- Advanced sentiment analysis
- Competitive benchmarking
- Custom reporting dashboards
- Team collaboration tools
- API access for integrations
Pricing: Starts at $89 per location monthly. Can become expensive for multiple locations.
Trustpilot is both a review platform and management tool. It's particularly powerful for building brand trust through public, verified reviews that can be displayed across your digital presence.
Key Features:
- Public review platform with high visibility
- Verified purchase review collection
- TrustBox widgets for your website
- Google seller ratings integration
- Product review functionality
- Review invitation automation
- Strong brand recognition and trust
Pricing: Free basic plan. Paid plans from $279/month to $599/month depending on features.
Broadly
Broadly combines review management with webchat, lead generation, and payment processing, creating an all-in-one solution for local service businesses.
Key Features:
- SMS and email review requests
- Webchat with lead capture
- Review monitoring and response
- Payment request via text
- Local SEO optimization
- Customizable review landing pages
- Strong customer support
Pricing: Starts at $299/month. All-inclusive pricing with no per-location fees.
Grade.us
Grade.us is designed for marketing agencies and businesses that need white-label review management solutions they can offer to clients.
Key Features:
- White-label platform capabilities
- Automated review requests (email & SMS)
- Multi-platform review monitoring
- Customizable review widgets
- Client reporting dashboards
- Review funnel optimization
- Social media integration
Pricing: Custom pricing based on number of locations and features needed. Generally higher-end pricing.
Reputation.com is an enterprise-grade platform designed for large franchises and multi-location brands. It's comprehensive but overkill for most small businesses.
Key Features:
- Enterprise-scale review management
- Business intelligence and analytics
- Customer experience surveys
- Social listening and monitoring
- Location-based insights
- Competitive benchmarking
- Dedicated account management
Pricing: Custom enterprise pricing only. Typically thousands per month. Not suitable for small businesses.
NiceJob
NiceJob focuses on job-based review requests, making it perfect for service businesses that complete projects or jobs for customers.
Key Features:
- Job completion-triggered review requests
- Photo review collection
- Social media posting automation
- Marketing automation
- Referral request campaigns
- Review monitoring and responses
Pricing: Starts at $75/month for basic features.
EmbedReviews
EmbedReviews specializes in collecting and displaying reviews through customizable widgets. Great for showcasing social proof on your website affordably.
Key Features:
- Customizable review widgets
- Social media review aggregation
- Google and Facebook review imports
- Auto-updating review displays
- Multiple widget styles and layouts
- No coding required
Pricing: Starts at $29/month. Very affordable for basic widget features.
Reviewflowz
Reviewflowz offers simple, affordable review automation perfect for small teams and startups.
Key Features:
- Automated review request workflows
- Email-based review collection
- Basic review monitoring
- Simple dashboard interface
- Review widgets
Pricing: Free plan available. Paid plans from $49/month.
Yext
Yext is primarily a location data management platform that also includes review management features.
Key Features:
- Business listings sync across 200+ directories
- Review monitoring and response
- AI-powered review insights
- Knowledge graph management
- Local SEO optimization
Pricing: Starts at $199/month per location.
Chatmeter
Chatmeter combines local SEO with review management, offering comprehensive local presence management.
Key Features:
- Multi-location review monitoring
- Local SEO and listings management
- Social media monitoring
- Competitive analysis
- Custom reporting
Pricing: Custom pricing based on number of locations.
Vendasta
Vendasta is a white-label platform designed for agencies and resellers to offer review management to their clients.
Key Features:
- White-label review management
- Reputation reporting
- Review generation campaigns
- Marketplace of additional tools
- Client management dashboard
Pricing: Starts at $359/month for agency plans.
Womply
Womply offers affordable basic review management combined with customer intelligence insights.
Key Features:
- Automated review requests
- Review monitoring
- Customer insights dashboard
- Listing management
- Basic reporting
Pricing: Starts at $49/month.
SOCi
SOCi combines social media management with review management for multi-location brands.
Key Features:
- Review and social media in one platform
- Multi-location social publishing
- Review response templates
- Localized content distribution
- Performance analytics
Pricing: Custom enterprise pricing.
Shopper Approved focuses on verified buyer reviews and trust badges for e-commerce.
Key Features:
- Verified purchase reviews
- Trust badge certifications
- Product and seller reviews
- Google Seller Ratings
- Review collection automation
Pricing: Starts at $149/month.
BirdEye Lite
A simplified version of Birdeye designed for smaller businesses that don't need the full enterprise suite.
Key Features:
- Essential review management features
- Automated review requests
- Review monitoring
- Basic reporting
- Simplified interface
Pricing: Starts at $299/month per location.
Comprehensive Feature Comparison Matrix
| Platform | AI Features | SMS Requests | Multi-Platform | Widgets | Analytics | White Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HiFiveStar | ✓ AI Responses | ✓ | ✓ 30+ sites | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Podium | ✓ | ✓ SMS-First | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Prompt Reviews | ✓ AI Review Gen + Responses | ✓ Scheduled | ✓ Major sites | ✓ Schema | ✓ Multi-location | ✗ |
| Birdeye | ✓ Advanced AI | ✓ | ✓ 150+ sites | ✓ | ✓ Advanced | ✗ |
| Yotpo | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| ReviewTrackers | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ 100+ sites | ✓ | ✓ Advanced | ✗ |
| Trustpilot | Limited | ✗ | ✓ Own + Google | ✓ TrustBox | ✓ | ✗ |
| Broadly | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Grade.us | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Reputation.com | ✓ Enterprise | ✓ | ✓ Extensive | ✓ | ✓ Enterprise | ✗ |
| NiceJob | Limited | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| EmbedReviews | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ Display only | ✓ Focus | Limited | ✗ |
| Reviewflowz | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | Basic | ✗ |
| Yext | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ 200+ dirs | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Chatmeter | ✓ | Limited | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ Advanced | ✗ |
| Vendasta | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Womply | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | Basic | ✗ |
| SOCi | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shopper Approved | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ E-comm focus | ✓ Trust badges | ✓ | ✗ |
| BirdEye Lite | ✓ Basic | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ Basic | ✗ |
How to Choose the Right Review Management Platform
By Budget:
- Free/Under $50: HiFiveStar (free), Prompt Reviews ($17), EmbedReviews ($29), Reviewflowz ($49), Womply ($49)
- $50-$150: Yotpo ($79), NiceJob ($75), Shopper Approved ($149)
- $150-$400: Yext ($199), Podium ($399), Broadly ($299), BirdEye Lite ($299)
- Enterprise/Custom: Birdeye, Reputation.com, Grade.us
By Business Type:
- E-commerce: Yotpo, Trustpilot, Shopper Approved
- Local Service (Plumbers, Electricians): Broadly, NiceJob, Podium
- Restaurants & Retail: HiFiveStar, Prompt Reviews, Birdeye
- Multi-location Chains: Birdeye, Reputation.com, Chatmeter
- Marketing Agencies: Grade.us, Vendasta
By Priority Feature:
- Best AI Features: Prompt Reviews (AI review generation), Birdeye, HiFiveStar
- Best for SEO: Prompt Reviews (schema widgets + keyword optimization), Yext, Chatmeter
- Best SMS Integration: Podium, Broadly, Birdeye
- Best Analytics: ReviewTrackers, Birdeye, Reputation.com
- Best Value: Prompt Reviews ($17/mo with AI), HiFiveStar (free plan), EmbedReviews
Key Takeaways
- For Startups on a Budget: Start with HiFiveStar's free plan or Prompt Reviews at just $17/month with AI features
- For Review Quality & SEO: Prompt Reviews' AI-assisted generation and keyword features are unmatched at any price point
- For Service Businesses: Podium or Broadly offer the best SMS and communication features
- For E-commerce: Yotpo and Trustpilot provide the best product review integration
- For Multi-location: Birdeye or Reputation.com scale best across many locations
- For Agencies: Grade.us and Vendasta offer white-label capabilities
Final Recommendations
The "best" review management platform depends entirely on your specific needs, budget, and business type. Here's my final advice:
If you're just starting out and need to prove ROI before investing, begin with HiFiveStar's free plan. It gives you everything you need to start collecting and managing reviews without any upfront cost.
If review quality and SEO are your top priorities, Prompt Reviews stands out with its unique AI-assisted review generation and keyword optimization features. At just $17/month, it offers enterprise-level AI capabilities at a fraction of the cost. The ability to help customers write better, more detailed reviews while improving your local search visibility is a game-changer for small businesses.
If you're a service business that relies heavily on customer communication, Podium's SMS-first approach is worth the investment despite the higher price point.
If you're growing rapidly and need a platform that can scale with you, Birdeye offers the most comprehensive feature set, though it comes at a premium price.
The most important thing is to start managing your reviews actively. Even with a free or basic tool, consistent review collection and response will dramatically improve your online reputation and drive more customers to your business.
Ready to Boost Your Reviews?
Most platforms offer free trials or demos. I recommend trying 2-3 options that fit your budget and business type before making a final decision.
My top picks to trial:
- HiFiveStar - Start free, no credit card required
- Prompt Reviews - Request a demo to see the AI review generation in action
- Your industry-specific choice from the list above