HissingKitty vs.
G2 Alternatives: HissingKitty vs. G2
G2 is the biggest place to read reviews of well-known tools. HissingKitty is the place to check whether you are overpaying and what replacing the tool would take.
G2 is the largest B2B software review site, and in January 2026 it agreed to buy Capterra, Software Advice and GetApp from Gartner. HissingKitty is a small, free, independent record of what teams pay and whether they keep, switch or build.
Scorecard: G2 vs. HissingKitty
Six questions every buyer should ask a review site. Checks favor buyers; X marks favor vendors.
G2
0 / 6
checks that favor buyers
HissingKitty
6 / 6
checks that favor buyers
Who pays them
Can vendors pay for visibility?
Are reviewers paid or rewarded?
Can buyers post anonymously?
Shows what teams actually pay?
Compares building your own?
Checked November 2026 against public pages, linked as Source. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.
Who Pays Whom
Follow the money and you know whose interests a site serves first.
How money moves at G2
- Software vendors
- Premium profiles, ads, review campaigns, data on which companies are shopping
- Buyers read reviews and grids for free
How it works at HissingKitty
- Buyers share ratings and prices, unpaid
- A person checks every review
- Anyone reads it free; no vendor can pay
How G2 Makes Money
Listing a product on G2 is free and so is reading it. Revenue comes from vendors who buy brand packages, add-ons for ads and demand, and buyer intent data that shows which companies are researching their category. (G2 plans for vendors)
G2's CEO has said vendors cannot buy their rank, and gives Slack as an example of a top-rated product that never paid. Rankings on G2 Grids are based on reviews and market presence. Paid features sit around the ranking: profile upgrades, ad placements and data. (Interview with G2's CEO)
How G2 Gets Its Reviews
Vendors can run review campaigns that invite their customers to write a review, with a gift card for each one. G2 keeps a catalog of the gift cards on offer. (G2 review campaign rewards)
Paid campaigns are disclosed and common in the industry. The trade-off is that vendors who run more campaigns collect more reviews, and reviews drive Grid position. A tool with an active marketing team can look more popular than one without.
G2 Now Owns Capterra, GetApp and Software Advice
On January 29, 2026, G2 announced an agreement to acquire Capterra, Software Advice and GetApp from Gartner. That puts four of the largest software review sites under one owner. Checking G2 against Capterra is no longer checking two independent sources. (G2 announcement)
Where HissingKitty Is Different
HissingKitty takes no money from vendors, sells no intent data and pays no reviewers. Nobody can buy a better spot, a badge or a profile upgrade.
Instead of a grid of the most-reviewed tools, each company page asks one question: keep paying, switch to an AI-native alternative, or build your own. It shows list prices with their date, anonymous bills with their count, and real buyer quotes.
G2 has millions of reviews. We have far fewer, and we say so. If you want breadth, start with G2. If you want to know whether the tool on your renewal is still worth it, start here.
The HissingKitty record, live
213
software companies
43
published reviews
181
price reports
"Originally bought perpetual lifetime license only to be forced into a monthly subscription that cost half what I paid for the previous full product. Now spend 10x as much yearly what I paid for full lifetime use. Will switch when I have the opportunity."
"Logic and user-friendliness are non-existent. Too slow. Expensive."
"Spying on users. Ads in the OS. Killing off windows 10. Where do I start?"
Unpaid reviews, checked by a person. Nobody paid to be here.
When to Use Which
Use G2 for
- Shortlisting well-known tools in a busy category
- Reading many reviews in one place
- Feature-by-feature comparison grids
Use HissingKitty for
- Checking whether you are overpaying before renewal
- Reviews no vendor paid to collect
- Comparing AI-native tools and custom builds side by side
Common Questions
Is G2 legit?
Yes, G2 is a real company with real reviews, and it checks reviewers. Keep in mind that vendors pay G2 for profiles, ads and data, and many reviews come from vendor-run campaigns with gift card rewards.
Can vendors pay for G2 rankings?
G2 says no: Grid rank comes from reviews and market presence. Vendors can pay for premium profiles, ads and review campaigns, which can raise the number of reviews they get.
What is the best alternative to G2?
For broad review volume, TrustRadius and PeerSpot. For candid threads, Reddit. For what teams pay and whether to keep, switch or build, HissingKitty, which takes no vendor money.
Does G2 own Capterra?
G2 agreed to buy Capterra, Software Advice and GetApp from Gartner in January 2026.
Other Alternatives to G2
HissingKitty vs. Gartner
Enterprise buying committees that need analyst sign-off.
HissingKitty vs. Capterra
Small businesses browsing many tools in a category.
HissingKitty vs. Reddit
Candid back-and-forth with people who have been there.
HissingKitty vs. TrustRadius
Long, structured reviews of complex B2B tools.
PeerSpot
Enterprise IT reviews from verified users.
Trustpilot
Consumer brands; thin on business software.
Vendr
Help negotiating a software contract, for a fee.
Paying for software you have opinions about?
Anonymous, unpaid, 30 seconds. It helps the next team decide.
Write a Review