Where we stand
Four of the biggest software review sites now have one owner. We're not one of them.
In February 2026, G2 acquired Capterra, Software Advice and GetApp from Gartner in a deal reported at $110 million. The four largest B2B software review platforms became a single company, with analysts putting the combined entity at roughly 55–58% of global software-review influence.
That matters for a specific, practical reason. The standard way to sanity-check a shortlist is to look it up somewhere else. If “somewhere else” is Capterra, Software Advice or GetApp, you are no longer getting a second opinion — you are getting the same opinion from a different domain, under a commercial model where vendors pay for visibility.
We think the honest thing to say is this: we are much smaller and much narrower than G2. We benchmark publishing technology, not all software. What we can offer that they structurally cannot is an assessment nobody paid for.
3.5k publishers in our adoption data · 17k publisher–tool adoptions tracked · 1.1k implementation partners listed
How the models differ
| Criterion | Review marketplaces | Benchmark Grid |
|---|---|---|
| Who ranks the tools | Users, weighted by review volume vendors are incentivised to solicit | SODP editorial team, against published criteria |
| Can a vendor pay for position | Yes — placement, category sponsorship and PPC listings | No, at any price |
| Cost of total cost of ownership analysis | Not scored systematically | 15% of every composite score |
| Evidence of real-world use | Self-reported reviews | Observed deployments with named publishers and confidence levels |
| Vendor entry cost | $2,300–$32,000+ per year | $0 for a full independent assessment |
| Scope | Every software category | Publishing technology, in depth |
What we do and don't take money for
Never
- Inclusion in the benchmark
- A score, or a change to one
- A ranking position
- A verified badge
- Introductions to publishers
The paid tier buys
- Editorial access — a briefing with your category editor
- Faster handling of factual corrections
- Rights to syndicate your published assessment
- Anonymised demand data about publisher interest
Questions people ask
Did G2 buy Capterra?
Yes. G2 acquired Capterra, Software Advice and GetApp from Gartner in a deal reported at $110 million, completing in February 2026. The four largest B2B software review platforms are now owned by one company.
Why does the G2 and Capterra merger matter to software buyers?
Because independent-looking second opinions may no longer be independent of each other. If you cross-check a shortlist across G2, Capterra, Software Advice and GetApp, you are now checking four properties with a single owner and a shared commercial model. Analysts put the combined entity at roughly 55–58% of global software-review influence.
Does Benchmark Grid charge vendors for rankings?
No. Vendors cannot pay for inclusion, for a score, for a ranking position, or for a verified badge. Scores are set by SODP's editorial team against a published methodology. Our paid tier buys editorial access and syndication rights — never score influence. We also make no money from introductions between publishers and vendors.
How is Benchmark Grid different from a software review site?
Review sites aggregate user-submitted opinions, which vendors are often incentivised to solicit. Benchmark Grid publishes editorial assessment: each tool is scored across 12 criteria covering capability, publisher fit and total cost of ownership. We also record which named publishers are observed running each tool, rather than relying only on self-reported reviews.
What is the catch?
We cover publishing technology only — 37 categories, not thousands. If you need a benchmark for CRM software generally, we are the wrong site. If you are a publisher choosing a CMS, paywall, ad network or analytics platform, the depth is the point.
See the benchmark for yourself
453 publishing tools scored across 12 criteria, with the methodology published in full. Nothing here is gated.
Acquisition details as reported publicly in February 2026. We have no commercial relationship with G2, Gartner or any platform named on this page. If anything here is inaccurate, tell us and we will correct it.
