The best Yelp alternative — own your reviews
Yelp controls which reviews are visible and charges businesses to advertise. Gradefy puts you in control — collect first-party reviews, display them on your site, and own your data.
Yelp
Free listing + $150-600/mo ads
Gradefy
From €79/mo
Feature-by-feature comparison
How Gradefy stacks up against Yelp on the features that matter most.
| Feature | Gradefy | Yelp |
|---|---|---|
| Review ownership | You own all data | Yelp owns reviews |
| Pricing | €79/mo (annual) or €99/mo | Free listing, ads $150-600/mo |
| Review visibility | All reviews visible | Algorithm filters reviews |
| Website widgets | 6 widget types | Basic badge only |
| Review collection | Email, QR, links | Organic only (soliciting penalized) |
| Data export | Full export anytime | Limited access to own data |
| SEO benefit | Reviews on your domain | Reviews on yelp.com |
| Advertising required | No — reviews work without ads | Competitors' ads appear on your page |
Why businesses switch to Gradefy
- You own your review data — Yelp owns reviews on their platform
- No pay-to-play advertising model
- Reviews live on your website, boosting your SEO
- 6 embeddable widget types included
- No hidden review filtering algorithm
- Month-to-month billing, cancel anytime
Where Yelp wins
- Yelp has massive consumer traffic — important for discovery
- Yelp is dominant in US restaurants and local services
Best for
Gradefy is ideal for Businesses frustrated with Yelp's review filter, pay-to-play model, or lack of data ownership who want to build their own review presence.
Frequently asked questions
Why do businesses look for Yelp alternatives?
Common frustrations include Yelp's review filtering algorithm (which hides legitimate reviews), the pay-to-play advertising model (competitors' ads appear on your Yelp page), and lack of data ownership. Gradefy solves all three — you collect, own, and display reviews on your own website.
Can Gradefy replace Yelp completely?
If your customers primarily find you through Yelp search, you should keep your Yelp listing. But for collecting, managing, and displaying reviews on your own website, Gradefy is a better solution — you control the data and the display.
Does Yelp penalize businesses for asking for reviews?
Yes. Yelp discourages businesses from soliciting reviews and may filter reviews they suspect were solicited. Gradefy has no such restriction — proactive review collection is a core feature.
Compare Gradefy to other platforms
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