Hazel Ryan
Why Capterra reviews matter: the short answer
Capterra reviews matter because review sites are now the top source shaping software shortlists, and Capterra turns each verified review into proof that buyers read on three comparison sites. Reviews also decide whether a product qualifies for the Capterra Shortlist and the Best lists, so a profile with few recent reviews is easy to pass over.
A listing on its own does little. Setting up a product profile is free, according to Capterra's page on how it ensures transparency, but buyers judge a profile by what users have written on it. A product with three reviews from two years ago tells a buyer very little, however good the software is.
That is why software teams treat Capterra reviews as ongoing work. Most ask every customer at fixed points themselves, and some choose to increase Capterra reviews with a managed campaign that runs with their own customers through Capterra's review link, where each customer decides whether to review and what rating to give. If buyers also compare you on G2 or Trustpilot, all our review services follow each site's rules in the same way.
Who uses Capterra to choose software
Capterra's readers are business buyers comparing software for their teams, and Capterra writes much of its buyer research for small and midsize businesses. Its January 2026 SMB guide on how successful software buyers use reviews draws on a 2026 survey of 3,385 people involved in software purchases, 1,676 of them from small businesses with 5 to 249 employees. In a smaller company, the person reading the reviews is often the same person who signs off on the purchase.
The same research shows why reviews carry weight with these buyers. Only 34% of software buyers succeed in adopting new tools, according to Capterra's 2026 Software Buying Trends Report, and the successful adopters prioritize information from industry specialists and user reviews, while disappointed buyers overrely on AI.
Review sites also lead B2B research more widely. In G2's 2026 Buyer Behavior Report announcement, published on 22 July 2026 and based on a survey of more than 1,000 B2B software buyers and decision makers, review sites (38%) became the top source shaping which vendors make a buyer's shortlist, ahead of AI chatbots (37%). For the other sites buyers check alongside Capterra, see our guide to software review sites.
How one review reaches Capterra, GetApp and Software Advice
A Capterra review does not stay on Capterra. GetApp's reviews FAQ says reviews collected are displayed across the network of Capterra, GetApp and Software Advice, so one verified review can reach buyers on three comparison sites. For a small team, that is three chances to be seen for the effort of one request.
The same FAQ explains the timing. Reviews from vendor programs or approved vendor links are generally processed within five business days, while other reviews can take up to two weeks. Vendors can flag a review for investigation, but only the reviewer can ask for their own review to be removed.
This shared display is also why vendors must tell customers where a review may appear. That disclosure and the other request rules are covered in our guide to the capterra review guidelines.
How reviews shape Capterra category pages and the Shortlist
Capterra category pages list the products in a category, and reviews decide how each one looks next to the others. Capterra's transparency page says sponsored profiles may appear first on product listings, while buyers can use sorting and filtering options to change the order. Paying can buy position, but the rating and review count beside each product come from users.
Reviews matter even more for Capterra's research reports. Capterra's research methodologies page says a product needs at least 20 unique reviews published on Capterra within 24 months to enter a Capterra Shortlist report. The Shortlist then combines a ratings score and a popularity score, each scaled from 1 to 50, and reviews feed both of them.
Here is what each placement asks of a product:
| Where buyers see you | What it needs | Role of reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Category pages | A free product profile | Star rating and review count shown beside every product |
| Capterra Shortlist | At least 20 reviews in 24 months and a minimum normalized rating | Ratings score from star ratings, weighted for recency and volume; popularity score counts the number and recency of reviews |
| Best lists | A place in the latest Shortlist for the category | Feature and attribute distinctions need 10 or more reviews on that feature in two years and a rating of 4 out of 5 or higher |
The same page says sponsorship has no bearing on which products the Shortlist and Best lists include, though it may affect the order on the Best lists. Reviews older than 24 months drop out of the window, whatever a vendor spends.
Is Capterra legit? How Capterra checks reviews
Yes, Capterra is a legitimate review site, and the question "is Capterra legit" usually comes from vendors who wonder whether paying advertisers get better treatment. Capterra says it makes money through referral fees from software and service providers, and that its reviews are independent and unaffected by whether providers choose to pay. It adds that payment never affects its methodology or providers' placement in ranking reports.
Reviews are checked before they go live. GetApp's reviews FAQ, written for the same shared network, says the verification process validates the actual identity of the reviewer before a review is approved. Capterra's transparency page says its published reviews reflect real people's experience with a product and counts more than 2 million reviews collected from verified software and service users.
What G2's acquisition of Capterra may mean for reviews
On 29 January 2026, G2 announced that it had agreed to acquire Capterra, Software Advice and GetApp from Gartner. G2's acquisition announcement says the combined network of four software discovery platforms will reach more than 200 million annual software buyers and holds nearly 6 million verified customer reviews. Capterra's own pages now describe it as part of the G2 ecosystem.
The announcement does not say what will change for Capterra reviews. It does not say whether the brands will merge or keep running side by side, so vendors should not assume that a Capterra review will start to appear on G2 or that a G2 review will count on Capterra.
What the announcement does make clear is the direction. G2 describes the deal as building the system of record for B2B software in the age of AI, with the combined data serving both buyers and AI systems. That suggests a steady, verified review record on Capterra will carry more weight over time.
Capterra for SaaS: is Capterra worth it for your product?
For most B2B software sold to small and mid-sized teams, the honest answer to "is Capterra worth it" is yes. Capterra for SaaS costs nothing to start, since the profile is free, and the value comes from reviews that reach buyers on three sites. If you have not set up a profile yet, our guide on how to list software on capterra walks through each step.
Paid options are a separate decision. Capterra earns referral fees from vendors who pay for sponsored profiles or lead qualification, which change where a listing appears and leave reviews untouched. A sponsored profile with thin reviews still has little to show the buyer who clicks on it.
Capterra is usually worth the effort when several of these are true:
- Small and mid-sized teams buy it. Buyers compare tools before a paid plan.
- Your category is crowded. Buyers sort long category lists by what users say.
- Competitors have reviews. A thin profile stands out next to a full one.
- You can reach 20 reviews in two years. That is the bar for a Shortlist report.
It is less urgent for consumer-only apps, whose buyers tend to check app stores or Trustpilot first. Even then, a claimed profile with a few honest reviews costs little to keep.
Plan the budget first.
See our review campaign pricing to compare what a Capterra campaign costs against Capterra's own paid programs.
Why Capterra reviews matter most when they keep arriving
Capterra's reports look back 24 months, so reviews lose their value over time unless new ones replace them. A burst of reviews collected in one month helps for two years and then drops out of the Shortlist window, while a steady flow keeps the count and the ratings score current.
The simplest way to keep reviews arriving is to ask every customer at fixed points they all reach, such as day 30, day 90 and the account anniversary. Asking only the customers you expect to be happy breaks Capterra's rules and gives buyers a picture they will not trust. Reply to reviews as they arrive too, because a reply shows the next buyer that someone is listening.
Capterra review service
Grow Capterra reviews with RelikReview
RelikReview runs Capterra review campaigns for software teams with their own customers through Capterra's review link, inside the platform's rules. You get the plan, timing and price in writing before anything starts.
- Own words, own ratingCustomers decide whether to review and what to say.
- Fixed points for everyoneEvery customer at the same stage gets the same request.
- No promised placementsWe never promise ratings, Shortlist spots or a set number of reviews.
Why Capterra reviews matter, in short
Why Capterra reviews matter comes down to where small and mid-sized buyers decide. Review sites shape more shortlists than any other source, one Capterra review reaches buyers on three sites, and the Capterra Shortlist and Best lists only count products with recent reviews.
Start with a free profile, ask every customer at fixed points and keep reviews arriving each month. If you would rather hand that work to a team that runs it every day, RelikReview runs Capterra campaigns with your customers through Capterra's review link and can help you buy verified reviews on sites such as G2 and Trustpilot.
FAQs about Capterra reviews
Is Capterra legit?
Yes, Capterra is a legitimate software review site. It verifies the identity of each reviewer before a review is approved, and it says reviews are unaffected by whether vendors pay. Capterra earns money from referral fees for sponsored profiles and leads, and it counts more than 2 million reviews from verified software and service users.
Is Capterra worth it for small SaaS companies?
Yes, Capterra is worth it for most small SaaS companies that sell to business teams. The profile is free, reviews also appear on GetApp and Software Advice, and review sites were the top shortlist source in G2's 2026 research. The effort pays off most in crowded categories where competitors already have reviews.
Do Capterra reviews show on GetApp and Software Advice?
Yes, reviews collected through Capterra are displayed across Capterra, GetApp and Software Advice, according to GetApp's reviews FAQ for the shared network. One verified review can therefore reach buyers on three comparison sites. Vendors should mention in their review requests that a review may appear on these affiliated sites.
How many Capterra reviews do you need for the Shortlist?
A product needs at least 20 unique Capterra reviews published within 24 months to qualify for a Capterra Shortlist report, under Capterra's research methodology. It also needs a minimum normalized rating. The Shortlist then ranks products on a ratings score and a popularity score, and recent reviews feed both scores.
Did G2 buy Capterra?
Yes, G2 announced on 29 January 2026 that it had agreed to acquire Capterra, Software Advice and GetApp from Gartner. G2 says the combined network holds nearly 6 million verified customer reviews. Its announcement does not say whether Capterra reviews will appear on G2, so vendors should treat each site's profile separately for now.
