BrightLocal vs GMB Crush (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 24, 2026, we pick BrightLocal: it is second in our ranking of local SEO tools, and it grades higher too, 2.4 against 2.0.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 by ToolGPA
BrightLocal grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
BrightLocal
Local SEO platform for rankings, listings, reviews and AI visibility
GMB Crush
Google Business Profile toolkit with geogrids, audits and training
Which one is for you
Pick BrightLocal if
- Fits if your business is in the US, UK, Canada or Australia and you want rankings and listings in one account
- Works for agencies sending white-label local ranking reports for many client locations
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if your business is outside the US, UK, Canada and Australia, where only citation building works
- Tight if you're on Track, as listing sync starts at Manage ($40) and review replies at Grow ($49)
- Watch out: Citation Builder is paid per site, from $3.20 or $2 with bulk credits, on top of any plan
- Not for you if you want a free plan, since after the 14-day trial you can only look at old data
- Watch out: above 100 locations prices are on request, and a downgrade takes effect at once with no refund
Pick GMB Crush if
- Fits if you're a freelancer or agency whose work is mostly Google Business Profiles
- Works for agencies that prospect for clients from Maps rankings
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want to try it free, as the 14-day trial costs $9.99
- Skip it if you need listings pushed to other directories, as it covers Google Business Profile only
- Tight if you scan a lot, as Sidekick has 50 GeoGrid and 25 general credits a month and a 9x9 grid costs 3
- Watch out: on monthly billing several training courses stay locked
- Watch out: GBP Guard, which locks profile fields against outside edits, is still in beta
How we grade them
| 2.4GPABrightLocalFair | 2.0GPAGMB CrushFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CTrack is $31 a month for one location on yearly billing, $41 monthly. That's right at this category's middle ($31). Listing sync needs Manage at $40, reviews need Grow at $49, and the price climbs with every location you add. | CSidekick is $30 a month billed annually ($359.99 a year), $39.99 monthly, about this category's middle ($31), for 25 synced profiles. The bigger plans are $70.83 and $116.67 a month on annual billing. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan, but a 14-day trial with full access and no card. When it ends you can still log in and see your data, but you can't run new reports until you pay. | DThe free account only gets you the Chrome extension for checking Maps results from any address. The app's tools need a plan or a 14-day trial that costs $9.99. |
| Features | BRank tracking for 100 keywords, a geogrid, audits, citation tracking and AI answer checks on every plan, then listing sync, Google post scheduling and review requests higher up. It covers the whole job, with citation building bought per site. | CGeogrid scans, profile and website audits, backlink and People Also Ask research, AI Overview and LLM checks, post scheduling, review replies and a lead finder. The gap is in the listing: it covers Google Business Profile only, with no sync to other directories. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. You add locations, keywords and competitors and connect Google Business Profile before the reports fill in, and the plans split the tools three ways. | CNo rating on record. Every scan, audit and lookup spends credits split by feature, so you budget them across your connected Google accounts and profiles. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with no desktop or phone app. It links to Google Business Profile, Google Analytics, Data Axle, Neustar Localeze and Foursquare, and has local SEO APIs and an MCP server for ChatGPT and Claude. | BA web app and a Chrome extension, with no desktop or phone app. It connects to Google Business Profile, Google Analytics, Search Console, Claude and Skool. |
| Best for | local rankings, listings and reviews in one account | agencies working on Google Business Profiles |
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: BrightLocal and GMB Crush. How we grade
Price against what you get
BrightLocal starts at $31 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. GMB Crush starts at $30 a month and scores 2.3.
BrightLocal scores higher, and starts $1 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 BrightLocal for less, and 5 score higher than GMB Crush for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
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
Where they differ
- BrightLocal also covers review collection.
- GMB Crush also covers backlink analysis.
At a glance
| BrightLocal | GMB Crush | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $31 per month for 1 location, billed annually ($41 billed monthly) | $30 per month, billed annually ($39.99 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | Free account with the free Chrome extension, which shows Google Maps results from any zip code or address; the web app's tools need a paid plan or the trial. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial with full access, no credit card required | 14 days of full access for $9.99; it does not turn into a paid plan by itself |
| Web | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | BrightLocal Ltd | SEO Heroes Bangkok Co., Ltd. |
| Price read from | brightlocal.com | gmbcrush.com |
| Checked | Oct 23, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 |
Worth knowing
BrightLocal
- The platform works in the USA, UK, Canada and Australia; citation building alone reaches more countries.
- Citation Builder is paid per site, from $3.20 or as low as $2 with bulk credits, on top of any plan.
- Prices rise with the number of locations, and above 100 locations they are on request.
- Downgrades take effect at once and the unused part of the old plan is not refunded.
GMB Crush
- Every scan, audit and lookup spends monthly credits, which are split by feature; general credits can be converted when one runs out.
- The trial is not free: 14 days cost $9.99, and the page shows a countdown saying that price will rise.
- On monthly billing several training courses stay locked; annual billing opens the full training library on every plan.
- It covers Google Business Profile only; there is no listing sync to other directories.
Key features
BrightLocal
- Local Rank Tracker and Local Search Grid
- Track local rankings for up to 100 keywords and 4 competitors per location, and map Google local rankings on a geogrid.
- Local AI Visibility Tracker
- Checks whether ChatGPT, Google AI Mode and Google AI Overviews recommend a business, for up to 20 prompts per location, on every plan.
- Citation Tracker and Citation Builder
- Audit listing accuracy and find gaps, then pay per site to have listings built, including the Data Axle, Neustar Localeze and Foursquare aggregators.
- Active Sync and Google posts
- From Manage up, keeps business details synced and protected on key sites and schedules Google Business Profile posts across locations.
- Reputation tools
- Grow adds review monitoring with replies across several sites, review requests by email, SMS and in-store campaigns, and a review widget.
- White-label reports, APIs and MCP
- Reports and tools can carry your own branding, and the platform offers local SEO APIs and an MCP server for ChatGPT, Claude or Mistral.
GMB Crush
- GeoGrid Pro
- Scans Google Maps rankings across a grid, using Maps or Gemini data. A 5x5 grid costs 1 credit per keyword and a 9x9 grid 3 credits.
- GBP audits and pitch decks
- Audits a Google Business Profile and its website, at 1 general credit each, and turns the audit into a sales proposal for a prospect.
- Competitor research
- Backlink gap analysis, People Also Ask extraction from Maps and AI Overviews, and sitemap comparisons against competitors.
- AI search checks
- Shows which businesses Google AI Overviews name for a keyword, and how ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity read your keywords.
- Posts, reviews and GBP Guard
- Schedule Google posts, reply to reviews, and lock chosen profile fields against third-party edits with GBP Guard, which is in beta.
- Lead finder and training
- Finds unclaimed profiles ranking in the local pack to pitch as clients, plus video courses and a Skool community.
Plans
BrightLocal
Track$31
per month for 1 location, billed annually ($41 billed monthly)
Rank tracking for 100 keywords, a geogrid for 5 keywords, audits, citation tracking and AI visibility. $62 a month yearly for 6-10 locations.
Manage$40
per month for 1 location, billed annually ($54 billed monthly)
Everything in Track plus AI Insights, Active Sync to keep listings synced and protected on key sites and a Google post scheduler.
Grow$49
per month for 1 location, billed annually ($65 billed monthly)
Everything in Manage plus review monitoring and replies, review requests by email, SMS and in store, and a review widget.
CustomCustom
Price on request for more than 100 locations, or for high-volume accounts that need only one or two report types.
GMB Crush
Free Account$0
Sign-in and the Chrome extension for checking Maps rankings by location. The premium tools, reports and training are locked.
Sidekick$30
per month, billed annually ($39.99 billed monthly)
25 synced profiles, 10 Google accounts, 50 GeoGrid and 25 general credits a month, and 750 Google posts. Yearly: $359.99.
Local Hero$70.83
per month, billed annually ($89.99 billed monthly)
75 profiles, 25 Google accounts, 150 GeoGrid and 60 general credits a month, and 2,250 posts. Yearly: $849.99.
Superhero$116.67
per month, billed annually ($139.99 billed monthly)
Aimed at white-label and larger teams: 200 profiles, 40 Google accounts, 350 GeoGrid and 150 general credits, and 6,000 posts. Yearly: $1,399.99.
Ways to pay less
BrightLocal
- Annual discount
Save 25% with annual billing
BrightLocal's pricing page lists 25% off for annual billing: Track for one location is $369 a year ($31 a month) against $41 a month billed monthly.
GMB Crush
- Annual discount
Save up to 25% with annual billing
The pricing page lists Sidekick at $359.99 a year instead of $39.99 a month, a 25% saving; Local Hero saves 21% and Superhero 17%.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, BrightLocal or GMB Crush?
As of Oct 23, 2026, GMB Crush is cheaper to start with: $30 a month, against $31 a month for BrightLocal. BrightLocal starts at $31 per month for 1 location, billed annually ($41 billed monthly), and GMB Crush starts at $30 per month, billed annually ($39.99 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, BrightLocal or GMB Crush?
As of Oct 23, 2026, only GMB Crush has a free plan. BrightLocal does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do BrightLocal and GMB Crush run on?
As of Oct 23, 2026, only GMB Crush lists a browser extension. 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.