G2 Research Scoring Methodologies

G2 scores products and vendors based on reviews gathered from our user community, as well as data aggregated from online sources and social networks. We apply a unique algorithm (v3.0) to this data to calculate the customer Satisfaction and Market Presence scores in real time.

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The Satisfaction rating is affected by the following:

  • Customer satisfaction with end user-focused product attributes based on user reviews
    • For services providers: Satisfaction with client-focused provider attributes based on client reviews
  • Popularity and statistical significance based on the number of reviews received by G2
  • Quality of reviews received (reviews that are more thoroughly completed will be weighted more heavily)
  • Age of reviews (more-recent reviews provide relevant and up-to-date information that is reflective of the current state of a product or services provider)
  • Customers' satisfaction with administration-specific product or provider attributes based on user reviews
  • Overall customer satisfaction and Net Promoter Score® (NPS)* based on ratings by G2 users

Note: The customer Satisfaction score is normalized for each Grid®, meaning the scores are relative.

G2's Market Presence score is a combination of 15 metrics from G2's user reviews, publicly available information, and third-party sources.

Both the software vendor and the individual product are measured on various criteria. The criteria are listed below in order of importance. Product metrics receive greater weight than vendor metrics.

Each input is normalized by category and segment. This means that scores are relative to other products in the category/segment and may change from segment to segment. The scores are then scaled from 0–100.

Grid® Report Inclusion Criteria

For a category to be data ready for a Grid® Report, it requires:

  • 6+ products with 10+ reviews in the category
  • 150+ reviews in the category overall
  • All key players in that category included

Market Presence Scoring Criteria

Criteria Measured For Metrics
  Product Vendor  
Number of Employees X X Employee Count (based on social networks and public sources)
Reviews X   Review Count (weighted by recency)
Web Presence X X  
Social Presence X X  
Growth X X Employee Growth, Web Presence Growth
Vendor Age   X  
Employee Satisfaction and Engagement   X  

Grid® Decay

To keep G2's algorithms fresh and up to date, a decay is applied to reviews based on their last updated date. Reviews are worth less toward both the Satisfaction score and the Market Presence score as they age.

The exponential decay is compounded daily. The rate roughly equates to -3% per month or -30% per year.

Reviews also receive bonus weight based on the source and quality of the review. Bonus weights are internal to G2.

Grid Decay

Additional Report Scoring Methodologies

Segmented Grid® Scoring Methodology

When viewing Grids® by segment size, the same Grid® scoring methodology applies. However, the review data used is only from reviewers who are employed by a company within a particular company segment. G2 uses the following definitions for company segments:

  • Small-Business review: A review from someone who works at a company with 50 or fewer employees
  • Mid-Market review: A review from someone who works at a company with 51–1,000 employees
  • Enterprise review: A review from someone who works at a company with 1,001+ employees

Segmented Market Presence scores measure both the scale of a product within a category as well as the degree to which the product focuses on a given segment.

Usability Scoring Methodology

G2 rates products and vendors based on reviews gathered from our user community, as well as data aggregated from online sources and social networks. We apply a unique, patent-pending algorithm to this data to calculate the product's Usability score. The information shown reflects scores calculated using the G2 usability algorithm v1.0 BETA in real time.

The Usability score is affected by the following (in order of importance):

  • Customer satisfaction with the ease of use for each product based on reviews by G2 users
  • Customer satisfaction with the ease of admin for each product based on reviews by G2 users
  • Customer responses to the Meets Requirements question on G2
  • User adoption percentage based on reviews and by G2 users
  • The number of reviews received on G2; buyers trust a product with more reviews, and a greater number of reviews indicates a more representative and accurate reflection of the customer experience

Usability Index Inclusion Criteria

For a category to be data ready for a Usability Index Report, it requires:

  • 6+ products with 10+ reviews and 5+ answers to the following questions
    • Ease of Use
    • Ease of Admin*
    • Meets Requirements
    • What percentage of users adopted the product?*
  • 150+ reviews in the category overall
  • All key players in that category included

Results Scoring Methodology

G2 rates products and vendors based on reviews gathered from our user community, as well as data aggregated from online sources and social networks. We apply a unique, patent-pending algorithm to this data to calculate the product's Results score. The information shown reflects scores calculated using the G2 results algorithm v1.0 BETA in real time.

The Results score is affected by the following (in order of importance):

  • Customers' estimated ROI for the product based on reviews by G2 users
  • Customers' reported time to go live with the product based on reviews by G2 users
  • Customers' satisfaction with the product's ability to meet their requirements based on reviews by G2 users
  • Customers' likelihood to recommend each product based on reviews by G2 users
  • User adoption percentage based on reviews and by G2 users
  • The number of reviews received on G2; buyers trust a product with more reviews, and a greater number of reviews indicates a more representative and accurate reflection of the customer experience

Results Index Inclusion Criteria

For a category to be data ready for a Results Index Report, it requires:

  • 6+ products with 10+ reviews and 5+ answers to the following questions
    • Meets Requirements
    • What percentage of users adopted the product?*
    • Estimated ROI*
    • How likely are you to recommend this product to a friend?*
  • 150+ reviews in the category overall
  • All key players in that category included

Implementation Scoring Methodology

G2 rates products and vendors based on reviews gathered from our user community, as well as data aggregated from online sources and social networks. We apply a unique, patent-pending algorithm to this data to calculate the product's Implementation score. The information shown reflects scores calculated using the G2 implementation algorithm v1.0 BETA in real time.

The Implementation score is affected by the following (in order of importance):

  • Customer satisfaction with the set-up process for each product based on reviews by G2 users
  • Amount of time (in months) required for each product to go live based on reviews by G2 users
  • User adoption percentage based on reviews and by G2 users
  • Implementation method used by customers according to answers by G2 users
  • The number of reviews received on G2; buyers trust a product with more reviews, and a greater number of reviews indicates a more representative and accurate reflection of the customer experience

Implementation Index Inclusion Criteria

For a category to be data ready for a Implementation Index Report, it requires:

  • 6+ products with 10+ reviews and 5+ answers to the following questions
    • How long did it take you to go live?*
    • Ease of Setup
    • How did you implement?*
    • What percentage of users adopted the product?* 
  • 150+ reviews in the category overall
  • All key players in that category included

Relationship Scoring Methodology

G2 rates products and vendors based on reviews gathered from our user community, as well as data aggregated from online sources and social networks. We apply a unique, patent-pending algorithm to this data to calculate the product's Relationship score. The information shown reflects scores calculated using the G2 relationship algorithm v1.0 BETA in real time.

The Relationship score is affected by the following (in order of importance):

  • Customer satisfaction with the ease of doing business with each product based on reviews by G2 users
  • Customer satisfaction with the quality of support based on reviews by G2 users
  • Customer response to the Likely to Recommend question on G2
  • The number of reviews received on G2; buyers trust a product with more reviews, and a greater number of reviews indicates a more representative and accurate reflection of the customer experience

Relationship Index Inclusion Criteria

For a category to be data ready for a Relationship Index Report, it requires:

  • 6+ products with 10+ reviews and 5+ answers to the following questions
    • Ease of Doing Business With*
    • Quality of Support*
    • How likely are you to recommend this product to a friend?*
  • 150+ reviews in the category overall
  • All key players in that category included

Momentum Grid® Methodology

Momentum Methodology

Each variable is normalized by category and aggregated to create a Momentum score. The inputs impacting G2's Momentum score are as follows:

  • Employee Growth, Review Growth, Social Growth, and Web Growth
  • Year-over-year change

Satisfaction Methodology

The Satisfaction rating is affected by the following (in order of importance):

  • Customer satisfaction with end user-focused product attributes based on user reviews
  • Popularity and statistical significance based on the number of reviews received by G2
  • Quality of reviews received (reviews that are more thoroughly completed will be weighted more heavily)
  • Age of reviews (more-recent reviews provide relevant and up-to-date information that is reflective of the current state of a product)
  • Customers' satisfaction with administration-specific product attributes based on user reviews
  • Overall customer satisfaction and Net Promoter Score® (NPS) based on ratings by G2 users

Review Sorting Methodology

G2 puts logic in place to ensure the reviews shown on product pages are the most helpful to buyers. When the page is sorted by default, the sort is calculated with a custom algorithm that includes the following data points.

  • Recency of the review
  • Amount of feedback provided in the review
  • Attribution (Did the reviewer keep their name and company public)
  • Whether the reviewer is a current user of the solution (Included a screen shot)
  • Community engagement with the review

G2 Star Rating Methodology

The G2 Star Rating is calculated by aggregating reviewers' answers to our Likely to Recommend question (1–10 scale) and dividing the average in half.

You will see half stars because the visual is rounded up to the nearest half.

Top 100 Scoring Methodology

General Criteria

A vendor must have at least 100 reviews in aggregate for products and categories for the year being evaluated to be eligible for inclusion in G2’s Best Of lists. Scoring includes only reviews left on G2 from January 1 to December 31 of the year being evaluated. Business partner reviews will count toward the 100 reviews, but will not be calculated into the final score. All scores reflect variations of our core Satisfaction and Market Presence algorithms, with the following adjustments for each set of lists:

Top Vendors

  • Satisfaction is an aggregate of vendor’s products with 5 or more reviews in 2018 and 10 or more reviews overall
  • Market Presence is normalized across categories and products

Top Product Lists

  • Satisfaction scores are normalized across products and categories
  • Market Presence scores are normalized across all products
  • Normalization incorporates the product’s performance within its category as well as the category’s density
  • “Products for Sales” applies this methodology within G2's Sales software listings
  • “Products for Marketing” applies this methodology within G2's Marketing software listings
  • The SMB, Mid-Market, and Enterprise lists also factor in frequency that a category is reviewed by users within the segment
  • “Fastest Growing” is based on G2's Momentum algorithm
  • Broadly defined “Other” categories such as “Other Marketing Software,” “CMS Tools,” and “Other IT Security Software” were excluded to ensure we were evaluating products with relevant comparative scoring

* Question only asked to reviewers who select "Admin" as their role