What is a review management platform?
It is the system behind your reviews. It sends review requests, gives customers somewhere to write a review, publishes the reviews on a profile page, puts them on your website with a widget, and lets you answer each one. Some platforms collect reviews themselves; others only display reviews collected elsewhere, such as on Google.
Review management platform or review management tool?
The names are used for the same kind of software. "Platform" tends to mean a broader product: reviews plus listings, surveys, messaging or loyalty, often sold together. "Tool" often means a narrower one, such as a widget that displays reviews from another site. What matters is which of the jobs below it does, and how it charges.
The three jobs: collect, show, reply
| Job | What it covers | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Collect | Review invites by email, a review link and QR code, reminders | Does it ask every customer the same way? Can it record an order reference? |
| Show | A public profile, a badge or widget on your site, product reviews on product pages | Does it show every review, newest first, or let you hide the bad ones? |
| Reply | Public replies, flagging reviews that break the rules | Are the moderation rules published, and the same on every plan? |
How to collect reviews
- Ask every customer. Build the request into every order or job, so no one picks who is asked.
- Ask when the experience is complete. After delivery, the appointment, or the end of a support case.
- Send a direct link. One tap to the review form; a QR code for people you serve in person.
- Include the order reference where your platform can store it, so the review can be tied to a purchase.
- Follow up once, with the same message for everyone.
- Offer no reward, and never one that depends on the rating.
These are not just good habits. UK law treats publishing reviews "in a misleading way" as unfair in all circumstances (DMCC Act, Schedule 20), and the CMA says cherry-picking can happen "by encouraging just those who are satisfied to leave reviews" (CMA208, para 4.5). The US FTC rule bans incentives conditioned on "a particular sentiment, whether positive or negative" (16 CFR 465.4). Our guide on how to get more Google reviews applies the same steps to Google.
How to show reviews on your website
Put reviews next to the decision they support: a badge near your price or sign-up button, product reviews on each product's page, and a link to your full profile so visitors can read all of them. Show them fairly. UK law names "giving greater prominence to positive consumer reviews over negative ones" as misleading (Schedule 20), so a widget that lets you show only five-star reviews puts that risk on you. Our review widget guide covers types, installation and SEO, and Google review stars explains which pages can earn stars in search.
How to reply to reviews
- Reply to good and bad reviews. Google calls it best practice: "reply to reviews and share your perspective" (Google).
- Answer the point. Fix what you can, and say what you did.
- Do not sell in a reply. Google advises: "avoid using your response to offer deals or promotions."
- Keep private details private. Google: "Never share a reviewer's private information or engage in personal attacks."
- Report, do not remove. Flag a review that breaks the platform's rules. Removing negative reviews while publishing positive ones is misleading under UK law.
What to look for in a review management tool
- Honest labels. Whether each review shows how it arrived: invited, matched to an order, or unprompted. Our verified reviews guide explains the labels.
- Fair display. No filter that shows only high ratings, and no paid option to hide or reorder reviews.
- Published rules. Moderation rules you can read, the same on every plan.
- Product reviews, if you sell more than one thing: each product's reviews on its own page, with markup Google can read.
- The pricing basis, in the table below, and the price at your own volume.
- Contract terms. Monthly or annual, how much notice to leave, and whether the price changes at renewal.
- A way out. Whether you can export your reviews if you leave.
How review management platforms charge
| Pricing basis | Example, from the vendor's own page | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Per domain | Trustpilot: "Each domain priced separately" | Several websites mean several prices |
| Monthly orders | Yotpo: "Reviews and Loyalty pricing scales with your store's monthly order volume" | The price rises as you sell more |
| Review invites | Reviews.io: plans set by invites a month | Fine if you ask every customer once |
| Locations, by quote | Birdeye: a pricing form asking for your number of locations | No price until you talk to sales |
| Widget views | Elfsight: Free covers 200 views a month; over the limit the app is "temporarily deactivated" | A busy page can switch the widget off |
| Flat monthly price | GoldStarred: Free, then Growth at $17 a month | Limits are set by invites and products |
Sources: Trustpilot plans, Yotpo Reviews pricing and Reviews.io pricing, read on 24 October 2026; Birdeye pricing and Elfsight pricing, read on 29 October 2026. Our comparisons set each vendor's prices out in full.
Where GoldStarred fits
GoldStarred does the three jobs for reviews of your business and, on paid plans, of your products. The Free plan gives you a public profile Google can list once it holds 3 published reviews, a badge for your site, honest labels on every review, 75 review invites a month, an unlimited review link and QR code, replies and flagging. Growth, at $17 a month, adds reviews for up to 25 products, apps or courses, each with its own widget and its own review page, and 250 invites a month with automatic reminders. Pro, at $37 a month, makes products and invites unlimited. Plans are monthly with no annual contract; prices exclude VAT and sales tax.
Replying, flagging, moderation and ranking are the same on every plan, and no business can hide, edit or reorder a review. We make GoldStarred, so weigh this section with that in mind; see GoldStarred plans and our moderation rules.
FAQ
What is a review management platform?
Software that helps a business collect reviews from its customers, show them on its own website and reply to them, from one place. Some also gather reviews from other sites, send review requests by text as well as email, or add listings and messaging.
Is a review management tool the same as a review management platform?
In practice, yes. Both names are used for software that collects, shows and answers reviews. Tools sold as platforms usually bundle more, such as listings, surveys or messaging, so compare what each one actually includes.
How do I collect reviews from customers?
Ask every customer at the end of the experience with a direct link to the review form, follow up once, and offer nothing in return. Do not choose who is asked by how you expect them to rate you.
Can a review management platform remove bad reviews?
It should not remove a review because it is negative. In the UK, removing negative reviews while publishing positive ones is one of the law's examples of publishing reviews in a misleading way. Reviews that break a platform's published rules are a different matter.
How much does a review management platform cost?
It depends on how the vendor prices: per domain, by monthly orders, by review invites, by location, by widget views or at a flat monthly price. Compare the price at your own volume, not the entry price, and check the contract term.
Do I need a review management platform if I only use Google reviews?
Not necessarily. Google gives you a review link and QR code and lets you reply on your Business Profile for free. A platform helps when you want reviews on your own website, reviews of individual products, or invites and reminders sent for you.
Sources and check dates
Laws, guidance and prices change, so confirm on the linked page before you rely on them. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
- Google: 1tips to get more reviews, checked 29 October 2026
- UK: 2DMCC Act 2024, Schedule 20 and 3CMA fake reviews guidance, CMA208, checked 29 October 2026
- US: 4FTC rule, 16 CFR Part 465, checked 29 October 2026
- Vendors: 5Trustpilot plans, 6Yotpo Reviews pricing and 7Reviews.io pricing, checked 24 October 2026; 8Birdeye pricing and 9Elfsight pricing, checked 29 October 2026
- GoldStarred: 10plans and 11moderation rules