In February 2026, G2 closed its acquisition of Capterra, Software Advice, and GetApp from Gartner. This wasn't a small tuck-in. G2 now controls roughly 55 to 58 percent of the global software-review influence and manages approximately 6 million verified reviews across its portfolio. For any B2B software vendor managing review platform investment, this consolidation changes the math entirely.
Until last month, Capterra G2 acquisition strategy meant deciding how to split budget between two independent, competing platforms. That arbitrage is gone. Capterra still captures a broader SMB audience and ranks strongly for 'best [category] software' Google searches, while G2 attracts mid-market and enterprise buyers. But both now sit under one owner. That owner is facing no serious horizontal competitor and will have pricing power in 18 to 24 months. Your current investment split, whatever it is, probably needs rethinking.
The question isn't whether to stay on these platforms. It's how to reallocate your effort and budget to maximize review platform ROI after G2 Capterra acquisition closes its grip.
Why your 50-50 or 70-30 split no longer makes sense
Most vendors historically split review investment between G2 and Capterra for a simple reason: they were independent platforms competing for traffic and seller attention. You could negotiate differently with each. You could prioritize based on where your buyer persona actually shopped. If one demanded premium features you didn't need, you could threaten to concentrate spend on the other.
That leverage is gone. G2 owns both. Pricing pressure is expected to rise as network effects deepen and the competitive set shrinks. Industry analysis suggests premium tier costs will climb 18 to 24 months out as the only meaningful alternative platforms lose negotiating power.
The practical consequence: consolidating your Capterra G2 investment into a single platform under G2's roof doesn't save you money now, but it will expose you harder when prices move. Spreading risk across independent platforms suddenly matters much more than it did.
Where to diversify while G2 still feels stable
If you want to hedge against rising G2 pricing and maintain real choice in the review ecosystem, you need to move some budget off the G2-owned portfolio now. The goal isn't to abandon G2. It's to build visibility on platforms where you have genuine alternatives to negotiate with.
TrustRadius focuses on long-form enterprise reviews and attracts serious buyers running evaluation processes. It doesn't try to rank for 'best [category]' lists the way Capterra does. It's a different buyer journey, which means it attracts a different set of reviews and feedback. If your buyer is running a structured procurement workflow, TrustRadius carries real weight.
SourceForge reaches 20 million monthly visitors and ranks highly in AI-generated answers. It's become visible in new search patterns and still maintains strong organic positioning for software categories. For vendors selling into technical teams or buyers using AI-powered research tools, SourceForge offers reach you can't get on G2 or Capterra anymore.
Gartner Peer Insights carries weight with large enterprise procurement teams precisely because it's attached to Gartner's analyst credibility. It's not a volume play, but if your revenue depends on enterprise deals, being on Peer Insights affects how procurement teams shortlist vendors.
None of these platforms will replace what you get from G2 and Capterra combined. The point is to build a base of reviews and visibility on platforms where you have choice, before G2's pricing leverage becomes inescapable.
How to manage free tiers strategically during the transition
Here's one concrete thing you should do immediately, regardless of your long-term allocation: list your product on G2 and Capterra for free. Both platforms still offer free vendor profiles. Get on them now if you aren't already. Network effects are deepening, and free real estate on G2-owned platforms is still valuable.
But don't pay for premium G2 tiers yet. That's the hard part to communicate internally. It feels wrong to ignore the platform, but premium pricing is coming. You'll get better ROI investing in paid presence on TrustRadius or SourceForge right now, when those platforms still need vendor participation and are offering competitive rates. Once G2 raises prices, your margin to spend on those independent platforms shrinks.
After 18 to 24 months, when G2 pricing has stabilized at its new level, you'll have a clearer picture of where your actual buyers cluster and which independent platforms moved your needle. Then you can make a sustainable, long-term allocation decision from a position of knowledge rather than panic.
The one platform allocation principle that still works
Forget the idea that you need an even split or that each platform deserves proportional investment. What matters is where your buyer actually goes and what happens after they read your review.
If your buyer is an SMB operations manager running a 'best project management tools' Google search, Capterra wins. If they're a mid-market procurement team with a formal evaluation process, G2 wins. If they're an enterprise chief technology officer whose team uses Gartner research, Peer Insights matters. If they're a technical founder looking at developer platforms, SourceForge moves the dial.
The acquisition changed the competitive structure, but it didn't change buyer behavior. Your job is to follow the buyer, not the ownership chart. Spend on the platform where your buyer shops, with extra weight on independent platforms so you're not betting your entire review strategy on one owner's pricing decisions.