BrightLocal vs Reviewshake (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick BrightLocal: it is second in our ranking of local SEO tools, and it grades higher too, 2.4 against 2.2.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
BrightLocal grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, 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
Reviewshake
Review collection, replies and monitoring for businesses and agencies
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 Reviewshake if
- Fits if you have one location and want more Google reviews
- Works for agencies that want to resell it under their own brand
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay on Starter: 3 review profiles and 250 email invites a month
- Watch out: SMS invites work in the US and selected countries and are not in Starter
- Pricey if you add locations, at $30 a month each on the business plans
- Watch out: competitor tracking and API access need Ultimate at $79
- Not for you if you want a free plan, as there isn't one
How we grade them
| 2.4GPABrightLocalFair | 2.2GPAReviewshakeFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | C$23 a month on annual billing for 1 location, inside this category's range of $16 to $59. Every extra location on the business plans costs $30 a month. |
| 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. | C14 days free with no card, and no free plan after. |
| 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. | CReview inbox, requests by email, SMS and QR, AI reply drafts, widgets. Replies post only to Google and Facebook, and SMS, competitors and the API are not on Starter. |
| 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 store rating on record. You connect profiles and set up request campaigns. |
| 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. | BWeb only, with Google Business Profile, Facebook and a list of integrations, plus an API on Ultimate. |
| Best for | local rankings, listings and reviews in one account | collecting and showing customer reviews for one location |
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 Reviewshake. 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. Reviewshake starts at $23 a month and scores 2.3.
BrightLocal scores higher, and starts $8 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 4 score higher than Reviewshake 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 rank tracking, AI search visibility and local listings.
At a glance
| BrightLocal | Reviewshake | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $31 per month for 1 location, billed annually ($41 billed monthly) | $23 per month for 1 location, billed annually ($29 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial with full access, no credit card required | 14-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| Made by | BrightLocal Ltd | Reviewshake, Inc. |
| Price read from | brightlocal.com | reviewshake.com |
| Checked | Oct 23, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
Reviewshake
- There is no free plan; every plan starts with a 14-day trial.
- Every extra location on the business plans costs $30 per month; Starter has 1 location and 3 review profiles.
- SMS invites work only in the US and selected countries and are not in Starter; email invites work everywhere.
- Replies post from the tool only to Google Business Profile and Facebook; competitor tracking and API access need Ultimate.
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.
Reviewshake
- Review inbox
- Pulls reviews from Google Business Profile, Facebook and more than 100 other sites into one place. New reviews are imported every 12 to 24 hours depending on the source.
- Review requests
- Sends requests by email, SMS and QR code, with reminders and drip timing. A review funnel can route private feedback away from public sites.
- AI reply drafts
- Drafts replies and tags sentiment. Replies can be posted from inside the tool for Google Business Profile and Facebook; on other sites you post the draft yourself.
- Widgets
- Website, email and social widgets display collected reviews. Video reviews from customers are available from the Growth plan.
- Competitor tracking
- On the Ultimate and Agency plans, it follows competitors' review ratings alongside your own.
- White label for agencies
- The Agency plan runs the app on the reseller's own domain with its logo and sender email addresses, plus branded client dashboards and scheduled reports.
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.
Reviewshake
Starter$23
per month for 1 location, billed annually ($29 billed monthly)
1 user, up to 3 review profiles and 250 email invites per month, with AI reply drafts, sentiment and scheduled reports.
Growth$47
per month for 1 location, billed annually ($59 billed monthly)
3 users, unlimited review profiles, 1,000 email and 500 SMS invites per month, widgets and video reviews.
Ultimate$79
per month for 1 location, billed annually ($99 billed monthly)
5 users, 2,000 email and 1,000 SMS invites per month, two-way SMS chat, competitor tracking and API access.
Agency$159
per month for 25 locations, billed annually ($199 billed monthly)
10 client accounts, 15 users, white-label domain, logo and sender emails, 30,000 email and 1,000 SMS invites per month. Extra client seats cost $8 to $15 per month.
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.
Reviewshake
- Annual discount
20% off with annual billing
The pricing page shows each plan about 20% cheaper when billed annually, for example Starter at $23 a month instead of $29.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, BrightLocal or Reviewshake?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Reviewshake is cheaper to start with: $23 a month, against $31 a month for BrightLocal. BrightLocal starts at $31 per month for 1 location, billed annually ($41 billed monthly), and Reviewshake starts at $23 per month for 1 location, billed annually ($29 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, BrightLocal or Reviewshake?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither BrightLocal nor Reviewshake has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
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.