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Apple Business vs Yelp for Business (2026): which should you pick?

As of Oct 23, 2026, Apple Business grades higher than Yelp for Business: 2.8 against 2.2 out of 4.0.

Checked Oct 23, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 by ToolGPA

Apple Business grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Yelp for Business grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.

Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.

Apple Business

Free Apple portal for a business's place card on Apple Maps

Free
Full detailsbusiness.apple.com

Yelp for Business

Free Yelp business page, with paid ads and page upgrades

Free plan · from $150/mo
Full detailsbusiness.yelp.com

Which one is for you

Pick Apple Business if

  • Fits if you want your Apple Maps place card correct and complete
  • Works for brands that want their name and logo in Apple Mail, Wallet and Tap to Pay

Look elsewhere if

  • Skip it if you need Google, Bing or Yelp too, as it covers Apple's apps only
  • Watch out: Actions need Apple's approval, up to three working days, and show only on iOS or iPadOS 17.4 or later
  • Watch out: features vary by country, and ads on Apple Maps are open only in the US and Canada

Pick Yelp for Business if

  • Fits if you run a restaurant or local service whose customers look you up on Yelp
  • Works for owners who want to answer reviews and quote requests from their phone

Look elsewhere if

  • Pricey if you want rivals' ads off your page, as that's in the $180-a-month Upgrade Package
  • Watch out: a claimed page can show as unclaimed again after 90 days without a login
  • Watch out: Yelp says its minimum ad budgets are subject to change
  • Pricey if you run a restaurant, as Guest Manager is from $129 a month yearly and Host AI from $249
  • Skip it if you need Google, Apple Maps or Bing listings too, as it manages the Yelp page only

How we grade them

2.8GPAApple BusinessGood2.2GPAYelp for BusinessFair
Value for money
AFree to start, with place cards, showcases, Actions, insights and brand tools at no cost. The paid extras, iCloud storage and AppleCare+ for Business, are for the device side and not needed for Maps.
DThe page is free, but the paid parts are dear: the Upgrade Package is $180 a month, in this category's dearest tenth ($99 and up), and Yelp Ads are a budget from $150 a month. Both together start at $270.
Free plan and trial
AEverything a business needs for its Apple Maps place card is free, with nothing to pay unless you want more iCloud storage or AppleCare+ for devices.
BThe free page has 20+ features: details, unlimited photos, review and message replies, quote requests and page activity. One business could live on it, but rivals' ads stay on your page unless you pay.
Features
CPlace cards with holiday hours and details, showcases, Actions such as Reserve or Order, insights against competitors and brand logos in Mail and Wallet. The gap: it covers Apple's apps only, with Google, Bing and Yelp claimed separately.
CPage details, photos, review and message replies, quote and call requests and activity counts, with ads and upgrades on top. The gap: it covers the Yelp page only, with Google, Apple Maps and Bing claimed separately.
Ease of use
CNo rating on record. You claim each location and fill in its place card, and Actions need Apple's approval, which can take up to three working days.
CNo rating on record. You claim or create the page, which is usually approved within 24 hours, and log in at least every 90 days or it can show as unclaimed.
Platforms and integrations
CA web portal that publishes only to Apple's own apps: Maps, Siri, Wallet and Mail. Actions show only on iOS or iPadOS 17.4 or later.
BWeb, plus the Yelp for Business app on iPhone and Android, with no desktop app. No integrations are on record.
Best foryour place card on Apple Mapsrunning your business page on Yelp

The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Apple Business and Yelp for Business. How we grade

Price against what you get

Apple Business has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Yelp for Business starts at $150 a month and scores 2.3.

Yelp for Business scores higher, and starts $150 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other local SEO tools on the chart, none scores higher than Apple Business for less, and 10 score higher than Yelp for Business for less.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$1$2$5$10$20$50$100$200$500$1k$2kMore for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessApple BusinessYelp for Business

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

  • The best score at each price
  • Has a free plan
  • No free plan
The full chart of local SEO tools, and the best at every price

Where they differ

    In commonFree planWebReportsLocal listings

    At a glance

    Apple BusinessYelp for Business
    PricingFreeFree plan
    Starts atFree$150 per month and up for Yelp Ads
    Free planFree to start: place card customization on Apple Maps, showcases, Actions, insights and brand tools, with device management and 5GB of iCloud storage per user.Yelp Business Page: claim or create a page, edit details, upload unlimited photos, reply to reviews and messages, take quote requests and track visits and leads.
    Free trialNone listed14-day free trial of the Upgrade Package
    Web
    iOS
    Android
    Made byAppleYelp Inc.
    Price read frombusiness.apple.combusiness.yelp.com
    CheckedOct 23, 2026Oct 23, 2026

    Worth knowing

    Apple Business

    • It covers Apple Maps and other Apple apps only; Google, Bing and Yelp listings are claimed separately.
    • Actions need Apple's approval, which can take up to three working days, and show only on iOS or iPadOS 17.4 or later.
    • Feature availability varies by country, and ads on Apple Maps are open only to businesses in the US and Canada.
    • The paid extras, iCloud storage from $0.99 per user a month and AppleCare+ for Business from $6.99 a month, are for the device side and not needed for Maps.

    Yelp for Business

    • A claimed page can be shown as unclaimed again if the owner has not logged in to Yelp for Business for 90 days.
    • Yelp says its minimum ad budgets are subject to change; self-serve ads have no term contract and can be cancelled at any time.
    • Restaurant tools are sold separately: Yelp Guest Manager from $129 a month billed annually ($159 monthly) and the Yelp Host AI phone service from $249 a month.
    • It manages the Yelp page only; listings on Google, Apple Maps and Bing are claimed separately.

    Key features

    Apple Business

    Place cards
    Set the name, category, hours including holiday hours, phone, website, photos, logo and details such as payment types, Wi-Fi and parking for each physical location.
    Showcases
    Publish seasonal items, offers or events on a location's place card, with a call-to-action button that links to the business's app or website.
    Actions
    Add buttons such as Menu, Reserve, Order or Tickets to a place card, created in the portal or through the brands API and approved by Apple first.
    Insights
    See how customers search for the business, how they interact with its place card, showcases and Actions, and how it compares with competitors.
    Brand identity across Apple apps
    Register a brand, including online-only businesses, and show its name and logo in Maps, Wallet, Siri, Branded Mail and Tap to Pay on iPhone.
    Ads on Apple Maps
    Paid ads that place a business in Apple Maps search results, with buttons to call or get directions, sold separately in the US and Canada only.

    Yelp for Business

    Free business page
    Claim an existing page or create one, then keep the phone number, address, website, hours and services current; most new pages are approved within 24 hours.
    Reviews and messages
    Reply to reviews in public and answer messages and requests for quotes, calls or consultations from people who found the page.
    Page activity
    Track page visits, leads and other customer activity from the web account or the Yelp for Business app on iOS and Android.
    Yelp Ads
    Pay for placement in Sponsored Results and on rival pages, choose whether the ad button calls, messages, opens the website or gives directions, and pause or cancel at any time.
    Upgrade Package
    Up to seven page features depending on eligibility, including badges, a logo, a chosen photo order, a call-to-action button and removal of competitor ads.
    Multi-location pages
    Each page can be claimed and managed on its own; businesses with 11 or more locations get custom solutions and a dedicated team for bulk updates.

    Plans

    Apple Business

    • Apple Business$0

      Locations and place cards on Apple Maps, showcases, Actions, insights and brand identity, plus built-in device management and 5GB of storage per user.

    Yelp for Business

    • Yelp Business Page$0

      20+ free features: business details, photos, replies to reviews and messages, quote and call requests, and page activity.

    • Yelp Ads$150

      per month and up, as an ad budget

      Ads in Sponsored Results and on competitors' pages, targeted by location and keyword. The ads page puts the minimum at $5 a day on average.

    • Upgrade Package$180

      per month

      Business Highlights, logo, photo slideshow, call-to-action button, posts, a portfolio where eligible, and no competitor ads on your page.

    • Yelp Ads & Upgrade Package$270

      per month and up

      Both together, plus the option to show a Verified License on the page.

    Common questions

    Which is cheaper, Apple Business or Yelp for Business?

    As of Oct 23, 2026, Apple Business is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $150 a month for Yelp for Business. Apple Business is free, and Yelp for Business starts at $150 per month and up for Yelp Ads.

    Which has a free plan, Apple Business or Yelp for Business?

    As of Oct 23, 2026, both Apple Business and Yelp for Business have a free plan.

    Which platforms do Apple Business and Yelp for Business run on?

    As of Oct 23, 2026, only Yelp for Business lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.

    More comparisons

    How this page was made

    • The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
    • The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
    • Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
    • The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.
    How we review and grade