GMB Crush vs Local Viking (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 23, 2026, GMB Crush grades higher than Local Viking: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 by ToolGPA
GMB Crush grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
GMB Crush
Google Business Profile toolkit with geogrids, audits and training
Local Viking
Google Business Profile manager for agencies, with posts and geogrids
Which one is for you
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
Pick Local Viking if
- Fits if you're an agency posting to dozens of Google Business Profiles every week
- Works for spotting unwanted edits to client listings, including Google's own
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want to try it first, as no free plan or trial is listed
- Watch out: rank checks and geogrid scans spend credits, and keyword credits don't roll over
- Tight if you want white-label reports or the geogrid widget, which start at Pro ($99)
- Skip it if you need listings kept right beyond Google, as it manages Google Business Profiles
- Watch out: the site still says Local Viking, but sign-up, pricing and help run under the LocalOptics name
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAGMB CrushFair | 1.8GPALocal VikingWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CSingle is $39 a month for one listing, with 1,600 keyword credits and 7,500 geogrid credits, between this category's middle ($31) and dearer quarter ($59). Up to 10 listings is $59, which is where agencies start. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | FNothing free. The pricing page lists no free plan and no trial, so you pay before you see your own profiles in it. |
| Features | 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. | CBulk post and photo scheduling, profile edits with a change log and alerts, local and organic rank tracking, geogrids, review replies and white-label reports. It does Google Business Profile work fully, but that's one platform: no other directories or review requests. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo rating on record. You connect Google accounts and budget keyword and geogrid credits, where each rank type and each grid point uses one. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BWeb only, with no desktop or phone app. It links to Google Business Profile, Search Console, GA4, Looker Studio, ServiceTitan, CompanyCam and Zapier, with a public API, webhooks and MCP. |
| Best for | agencies working on Google Business Profiles | posting to many 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: GMB Crush and Local Viking. How we grade
Price against what you get
GMB Crush starts at $30 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Local Viking starts at $39 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and GMB Crush starts $9 a month lower. Of the other local SEO tools on the chart, 5 score higher than GMB Crush for less, and 6 score higher than Local Viking 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
- GMB Crush also covers backlink analysis and AI search visibility.
At a glance
| GMB Crush | Local Viking | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $30 per month, billed annually ($39.99 billed monthly) | $39 per month for 1 listing |
| Free plan | 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. | None |
| Free trial | 14 days of full access for $9.99; it does not turn into a paid plan by itself | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | SEO Heroes Bangkok Co., Ltd. | LocalViking |
| Price read from | gmbcrush.com | app.localoptics.com |
| Checked | Oct 23, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Local Viking
- No free trial or free plan is listed on the pricing page.
- Rank checks and geogrid scans spend credits: 1 keyword credit per rank type per check, 1 geogrid credit per grid point. Keyword credits do not roll over.
- White-label reporting and the geogrid widget start at the Pro plan.
- The marketing site still says Local Viking, but sign-up, pricing and the help center use the LocalOptics name.
Key features
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.
Local Viking
- Post scheduling
- Schedules standard, offer, event and alert posts to many profiles at once, with recurring posts, Spintax and location variables, and CSV bulk upload.
- Listing management and protection
- Edits profile details in one place, keeps a change log that includes Google's own edits, and alerts by email or SMS when anything changes.
- Rank tracking and geogrids
- Tracks keywords in the local pack, organic desktop and organic mobile, and runs live or scheduled geogrid scans with competitors at every point.
- Photo scheduling
- A media library that drip-schedules photos to profiles over weeks, with control over image metadata and file names.
- Reviews, audits and reports
- Reply to Google reviews across locations, run competitive audits against up to five rivals and send scheduled white-label reports.
- API, webhooks and MCP
- A public API, webhooks for new reviews and finished scans, a Looker Studio connector, and MCP connections for ChatGPT and Claude.
Plans
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.
Local Viking
Single$39
per month for 1 listing
Unlimited posts and Google accounts, 1,600 keyword credits and 7,500 geogrid credits a month.
Starter$59
per month for up to 10 listings
3,200 keyword credits and 8,100 geogrid credits a month.
Pro$99
per month for up to 20 listings
5,600 keyword credits and 16,200 geogrid credits a month, white-label reporting and the geogrid widget.
Agency$149
per month for up to 40 listings
17,700 keyword credits and 24,300 geogrid credits a month, white-label reporting and the geogrid widget.
Enterprise$200
per month for up to 70 listings
26,600 keyword credits and 32,400 geogrid credits a month. Custom pricing for more than 70 locations.
Ways to pay less
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%.
Local Viking
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, GMB Crush or Local Viking?
As of Oct 23, 2026, GMB Crush is cheaper to start with: $30 a month, against $39 a month for Local Viking. GMB Crush starts at $30 per month, billed annually ($39.99 billed monthly), and Local Viking starts at $39 per month for 1 listing.
Which has a free plan, GMB Crush or Local Viking?
As of Oct 23, 2026, only GMB Crush has a free plan. Local Viking does not.
Which platforms do GMB Crush and Local Viking 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.