Is G2 free to use?

G2 is free for buyers — reading reviews, comparing products and downloading reports costs nothing (registration unlocks some content). The money comes from the vendor side: software companies pay for enhanced profiles, competitive intelligence, buyer-intent data and lead generation, with subscriptions commonly running thousands to tens of thousands of dollars per year.

Why that matters to you as a reader: the reviews themselves are written by (verified) users, but what gets surfaced, badged and promoted has a commercial layer on top. 'Leader' grid positions weight review volume — which well-funded vendors actively farm through review campaigns — and sponsored placements sit alongside organic results.

Use G2 for what it's genuinely good at (volume of real user opinions), and pair it with sources where visibility can't be bought for the ranking side of your research.