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The Google Business Profile Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about Google Business Profile in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.

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ToolGPAOctober 2026

Google Business Profile

The Insider’s Guide

Free listing that sets how a business shows on Google Maps and Search

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among local SEO tools, read from Google Business Profile’s own pages.

Made by Google · checked Oct 23, 2026 · toolgpa.com

3.0GPA

Contents

  1. 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
  2. 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
  3. 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
  4. 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
  5. 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
  6. 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
  7. 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from Google Business Profile’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Google Business Profile’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 23, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

3.0

GPA, above 60 of the 61 other local SEO tools we grade

Google Business Profile is Google's free listing for businesses that meet customers in person, such as shops, restaurants and service-area trades. Once the owner verifies the business, they can edit its hours, contact details, photos and services on Google Search and Maps, reply to reviews, publish posts and offers, and see how people found the profile. Chains with 10 or more locations can upload and verify them in bulk, and an API is available at no charge.

To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Google Business Profile, taken from its own pages and our grades.

A profile has to be verified before you can edit it, and Google picks the method: phone, text, email, video or mail.
From our grade for ease of use
  1. 1

    Best for a free listing on Google Search and Maps

    It covers Google only, and online-only businesses can't have one.

  2. 2

    It is free

    Google Business Profile has no paid plan at all. Free with a Google account for any eligible business you verify: profile editing on Search and Maps, reviews, posts, performance data, bulk tools and the API.

  3. 3

    It runs on 3 platforms

    Web, iOS and Android.

  4. 4

    Profile on Search and Maps

    Set hours, phone, website, booking and social links, and a street address, service area or place marker, and add photos, videos, products, services or a menu.

  5. 5

    Reviews

    Read and reply to customer reviews from the profile, and report reviews that break Google's policies, including review extortion scams.

  6. 6

    Posts and offers

    Publish updates, offers and events with photos, video and an action button; they show in the Updates or From the owner section of the profile.

  7. 7

    A 3.0 GPA, above 60 of 61

    That is against the other local SEO tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.

  8. 8

    Keep it

    Google Business Profile is free, so making your own would save you nothing.

Google Business Profile at a glance

Pricing
Free
Free plan
Yes
Free trial
None stated
Runs on
Web, iOS, Android
Made by
Google
Category
Local SEO Tools
Our grade
3.0 GPA, very good

The report card

Best for a free listing on Google Search and Maps

Google Business Profile is Google's free listing: once verified, you set your hours, photos and services on Search and Maps, reply to reviews, post offers and see how people found you, and chains get bulk tools and an API at no charge. It covers Google only, and online-only businesses can't have one.

ToolGPA report cardGoogle Business ProfileGraded Oct 23, 2026
SubjectGradeComment
Value for moneyAFree outright for any eligible business you verify. Editing, reviews, posts, performance reports, bulk tools and the Business Profile APIs all cost nothing.
Free plan and trialAEverything is free with a Google account, with no paid tier to run into. The limit is who qualifies, not a cap: only businesses that meet customers in person.
FeaturesCProfile editing on Search and Maps, review replies, posts and offers, performance data, bulk locations and a Gemini connection. The gaps are in the listing: it covers Google only, with no rank tracking or other directories.
Ease of useCNo rating on record. A profile has to be verified before you can edit it, and Google picks the method: phone, text, email, video or mail.
Platforms and integrationsBWeb, iPhone and Android, with no desktop app. It links to Google Analytics, Google Ads, Merchant Center, Gemini and WhatsApp, and the Business Profile APIs are free.
Grade point averageVery good, out of 4.03.0

An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.

Who Google Business Profile is for

  • Fits if you run a shop, restaurant or trade that serves customers in person
  • Works for chains managing 10 or more locations in bulk or through the API

Who it is not for

  • Not for you if you're online only or list properties for rent or sale, as neither can have a profile
  • Watch out: nothing can be edited until the profile is verified, and Google chooses how
  • Skip it if you need Bing, Apple Maps or Yelp too, as those are claimed separately
  • Tight if you want the Gemini connection, which works only for a personal account with one verified profile

Good to know

Good for

  • Shops, restaurants and trades that serve customers in person
  • Any local business that wants its hours, photos and reviews correct on Google
  • Chains managing 10 or more locations in bulk or through the API

Worth knowing

  • Only businesses that meet customers face to face qualify; online-only businesses and properties for rent or sale cannot have a profile.
  • A profile must be verified before it can be edited or shows performance data, and Google chooses the method: phone, text, email, video or mail.
  • It covers Google Search and Maps only; listings on Bing, Apple Maps and Yelp are claimed and managed separately.
  • The Gemini connection works only with a personal account that manages a single verified profile, and chat by WhatsApp or text is limited to select regions.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

Free

No paid plan at all

Google Business Profile is free to use.

Free outright for any eligible business you verify.
From our grade for value for money

  • Free

    $0

    Profile on Search and Maps, review replies, posts and offers, performance reports, bulk location management and the Business Profile APIs.

The free plan

Free with a Google account for any eligible business you verify: profile editing on Search and Maps, reviews, posts, performance data, bulk tools and the API.

Read from business.google.com on Oct 23, 2026.

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

3

Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android

Free listing that sets how a business shows on Google Maps and Search. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, reports, review collection, local listings.

Profile editing on Search and Maps, review replies, posts and offers, performance data, bulk locations and a Gemini connection.
From our grade for features
Profile on Search and Maps
Set hours, phone, website, booking and social links, and a street address, service area or place marker, and add photos, videos, products, services or a menu.
Reviews
Read and reply to customer reviews from the profile, and report reviews that break Google's policies, including review extortion scams.
Posts and offers
Publish updates, offers and events with photos, video and an action button; they show in the Updates or From the owner section of the profile.
Performance report
Views, the searches people used, calls, website clicks, direction requests, messages and bookings over a chosen date range, downloadable for several profiles at once.
Bulk locations and API
Businesses with 10 or more locations can upload them by spreadsheet and request bulk verification; the Business Profile APIs manage listings and reviews at scale.
Gemini connection
Connected to the Gemini web app, it can update hours and links, draft review replies and posts, summarize reviews and report performance and search keywords.

Where it runs

  • Web
  • iOS
  • Android

What it works with

  • Google Analytics
  • Google Ads
  • Google Merchant Center
  • Gemini
  • WhatsApp

Google Business Profile is made by Google.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

60/61

Other local SEO tools it is graded above

Google Business Profile's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 60 of the 61 other local SEO tools we grade, and level with 1.

It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 59 of 61) and worst on ease of use (C, above 1).

Google Business Profile has no paid plan.

On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 62 local SEO tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Google Business Profile’s own letter is outlined.

  • AValue for moneyAbove 56 of 61
  • AFree plan and trialAbove 59 of 61
  • CFeaturesAbove 2 of 61
  • CEase of useAbove 1 of 61
  • BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 13 of 61

Price against what you get

Each dot is one of 51 local SEO tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Google Business Profile is the marked dot.

C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$1$5$20$50$200$500$2kMore for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessGoogle Business Profi…WhitesparkBrightLocalLocalo

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

Keep it, or make your own?

Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.

Keep it

Google Business Profile is free, so making your own would save you nothing.

And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 60 of the 61 other local SEO tools we grade.

What you could make

  • Review collection and reports: an app builder makes these well.

What you could not

  • Listings sent to dozens of directories and map apps, which takes an agreement with each.
  • A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
  • It plugs into other products, Google Analytics, Google Ads and Google Merchant Center among them, and has an API.
  • AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.

What this rests on. Google Business Profile’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.

Part 05 · Alternatives

The alternatives

The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side

Bing Places for Business, Apple Business, Yelp for Business, BrightLocal and Whitespark

The 5 tools Google Business Profile is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

Part 06 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

13

Questions, each answered in a line or two

The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.

Is Google Business Profile free?

Yes. Google Business Profile is free to use.

How much does Google Business Profile cost?

Google Business Profile lists one plan. Free: $0.

What platforms does Google Business Profile work on?

Google Business Profile is available on Web, iOS and Android.

Does Google Business Profile have a Windows app?

No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. Google Business Profile is listed for Web, iOS and Android.

Does Google Business Profile have a macOS app?

No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. Google Business Profile is listed for Web, iOS and Android.

Is Google Business Profile open source?

Google Business Profile is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 23, 2026.

Does Google Business Profile have an API?

Yes. Google Business Profile offers a public API, according to its own site.

What does Google Business Profile integrate with?

Google Business Profile's listing names Google Analytics, Google Ads, Google Merchant Center, Gemini and WhatsApp.

Who makes Google Business Profile?

Google Business Profile is made by Google.

What are the alternatives to Google Business Profile?

The closest alternatives to Google Business Profile in our directory are Bing Places for Business, Apple Business, Yelp for Business, BrightLocal and Whitespark.

How does Google Business Profile compare with other local SEO tools?

Google Business Profile's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 60 of the 61 other local SEO tools we grade, and level with 1.

Is Google Business Profile good value for money?

ToolGPA grades Google Business Profile A for value for money. Google Business Profile has no paid plan.

Could I make my own version of Google Business Profile?

Google Business Profile is free, so making your own would save you nothing.

Where this guide comes from

The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Google Business Profile’s own pages on Oct 23, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 23, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Google's own pages on 23 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.

Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Google. Prices change, so check business.google.com before you buy.

Part 07 · About

About ToolGPA

Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

3,189

Tools graded, in 94 categories

ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.

Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.

  • 3,189

    tools graded

  • 94

    categories

  • 426

    price changes on record

  • 579

    apps priced in 12 countries

What else is on toolgpa.com

Scan for the live page

Prices and grades as they are today

Quoting this guide?

Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:

ToolGPA, "Google Business Profile: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 23, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/google-business-profile

Know someone choosing between local SEO tools?

Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/google-business-profile/guide

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See our other guides

The best-graded local SEO tools after Google Business Profile, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

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Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Google Business Profile’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Google Business Profile is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Google. Prices and plans change: check business.google.com before you buy.