Capterra review: how its software reviews and category lists work for small businesses, how vendors get a free profile, and how pay-per-click works.
Researched and fact-checked by Bartu Cavusoglu · Updated November 12, 2026
Capterra is a software review and comparison site aimed largely at small and midsize businesses. Buyers browse by category, filter by features and pricing, compare products and read user reviews. Its product pages state that Capterra is free for users, and it publishes buyers guides and Shortlist reports for many categories.
Capterra says it earns money through referral fees from software providers that buy sponsored profiles or sales lead qualification, and that its reviews and editorial content are independent of those payments. Sponsored profiles can appear first in listings and carry link-out buttons to the vendor's site, while buyers can re-sort and filter results.
For vendors, a basic product profile is free and lets you collect reviews. Paid programs include pay-per-click, where vendors pay for visitors who click through, and pay-per-lead for qualified leads. Click and lead prices are not published. Capterra was part of Gartner Digital Markets for years; G2 announced in January 2026 that it was acquiring Capterra, and now refers to it as part of G2 Digital Markets.
Yes for buyers; Capterra's product pages say it is free for users. Vendors can also create a basic profile for free.
Capterra says it earns referral fees from software providers that buy sponsored profiles or sales lead qualification.
Sponsored profiles may appear first in listings, but buyers can re-sort and filter. Capterra says its reviews and editorial content are independent of payments.
Capterra does not publish click or lead prices on a public price page.
Capterra was part of Gartner Digital Markets. G2 announced in January 2026 that it had agreed to acquire Capterra, Software Advice and GetApp, and now refers to them as G2 Digital Markets.
They are sister sites with overlapping catalogs and vendor programs. Capterra centers on category lists and reviews; GetApp leans on filtering and quick shortlists.