The strongest Widgets for Google Reviews alternative for most sites is Reviews Block for Google, which pulls Google reviews into a native block without routing through a third-party dashboard. Rich Showcase for Google Reviews is a capable free-tier display option, while WP Business Reviews gathers reviews from Google and other platforms in one place. We ranked these from our index of 55,000+ WordPress plugins.

Why people switch from Widgets for Google Reviews

• Widgets for Google Reviews connects through a Trustindex account, so people wanting a self-contained plugin move to Reviews Block for Google or Rich Showcase for Google Reviews.
• Free-tier caps on how many reviews you can display push people toward alternatives like Rich Showcase for Google Reviews.
• Stores wanting reviews from more than Google, such as Facebook or Yelp, move to WP Business Reviews.
• Sites that want to collect their own on-site reviews move to Starcat Reviews.

Reviews Block for Google – Overall replacement, blocks

Reviews Block for Google displays your Google Places reviews through a native block, keeping everything inside WordPress. Against Widgets for Google Reviews, it does not depend on an external service dashboard to render reviews. What it does not do: it requires a Google Places API key set up in Google Cloud, which is an extra technical step some site owners would rather avoid.

Choose Reviews Block for Google if you want Google reviews in a native block without a third-party service.

Rich Showcase for Google Reviews – Free review display

Rich Showcase for Google Reviews offers ready-made layouts for showcasing Google reviews with a usable free tier. Against Widgets for Google Reviews, it is a straightforward way to get an attractive review display live quickly. What it does not do: like many display plugins, its free tier limits how many reviews you can show and reserves the richer layouts for the paid version.

Choose Rich Showcase for Google Reviews if you want an attractive Google review display with a workable free tier.

google-reviews-business – Simple Google widget

Google Reviews Business is a lightweight plugin for embedding a Google reviews widget on business sites with minimal setup. Against Widgets for Google Reviews, it aims to be a simpler, more focused way to surface your rating and recent reviews. What it does not do: it is a smaller plugin with a limited user base and sparse documentation, so support and long-term updates are less certain.

Choose google-reviews-business if you want a simple Google reviews widget and minimal configuration.

wp-business-reviews – Multi-platform reviews

WP Business Reviews, from the team behind GiveWP, aggregates reviews from Google, Facebook, and Yelp into unified, styled collections. Against Widgets for Google Reviews, it pulls from multiple platforms rather than Google alone. What it does not do: active development has slowed, and connecting each source requires its own API credentials, which adds setup work.

Choose wp-business-reviews if you want to combine reviews from Google and other platforms in one place.

starcat-reviews – First-party reviews

Starcat Reviews lets visitors submit reviews directly on your site, with multi-criteria ratings and moderation. Against Widgets for Google Reviews, it builds first-party testimonials you own rather than only mirroring Google. What it does not do: it is centered on collecting native site reviews, so automatic import of existing Google reviews is not its focus in the free version.

Choose starcat-reviews if you want to collect and display your own on-site reviews with ratings.

When to stay on Widgets for Google Reviews

Stay on Widgets for Google Reviews if its Trustindex-backed setup already suits you and you value the polished templates and automatic review refreshing it provides. For many small businesses it is a fast, low-effort way to show a strong Google rating, and if it is displaying your reviews reliably, switching to a plugin that needs your own API key adds work for little gain.

How we ranked these

Every plugin here is scored by the WPS Score, a single 0 to 10 rating built from 21 signals covering maintenance, support responsiveness, compatibility, performance, and ratings quality across our index of 55,000+ plugins. Rankings are derived from that data, not editorial preference, and no plugin author can pay to change a score. How the WPS Score works.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free plugin to show Google reviews?

Reviews Block for Google and Rich Showcase for Google Reviews both offer free tiers for displaying Google reviews on WordPress. Most free plugins cap the number of reviews shown or require a Google Places API key. WP Business Reviews can pull from Google and other platforms if you need more than one source.

Do Google review plugins need an API key?

Many do. Plugins that pull live data from Google Places, such as Reviews Block for Google, require a Google Places API key set up in Google Cloud. Others that rely on a service like Trustindex, including Widgets for Google Reviews, connect through that service instead. Check each plugin’s setup requirements before choosing.

Can I collect my own reviews instead of importing from Google?

Yes. Starcat Reviews lets visitors submit reviews directly on your site with multi-criteria ratings, rather than only importing existing Google reviews. This is useful when you want first-party testimonials. If you want both, some plugins combine on-site collection with imported Google reviews.

The verdict

The best all-round Widgets for Google Reviews alternative is Reviews Block for Google for its native block, while WP Business Reviews wins for multi-platform aggregation and Starcat Reviews for collecting your own reviews. If the Trustindex-backed setup of Widgets for Google Reviews already works for you, staying put is a valid choice.