Free Google reviews widgets: what "free" actually gets you
A free Google reviews widget usually gets you one widget, a capped number of reviews or views, slower refreshes and visible branding. That is enough for many small sites. Compare view caps, review limits, refresh speed and branding before you choose, because those decide what visitors actually see.
What "free" usually means for a Google reviews widget
Almost every review widget company offers a free plan, because it is the easiest way to get you started. Free plans are real, but each one limits something. The five limits that matter most are:
- Views. Monthly caps can hide your widget on a busy month.
- Reviews shown. A handful of recent reviews, not your full history.
- Refresh speed. New reviews may take days to appear.
- Sources. Often Google only; Trustpilot or Facebook sit on paid plans.
- Branding. A credit link or logo on the widget.
Free Google reviews widgets compared
Here is how the free plans of popular tools compare, based on each vendor's published pricing at the time of writing. Plans change, so check the linked pricing pages before deciding.
| Tool | Free plan headline limits | Branding |
|---|---|---|
| Elfsight | 1 widget, 200 views a month | Elfsight branding |
| EmbedSocial | 500 widget views a month | Branding on free |
| Tagembed | 1 feed, 500 views a month, refresh every 4 days | Tagembed branding |
| Trustindex | Limited free feature set | Trustindex branding |
| Reviews Widget | 1 widget, 6 Google reviews, unlimited views, refresh every 3 days | Small Powered by credit |
What the Reviews Widget free plan gets you
Our free plan is permanent and needs no card. You get one widget with live Google reviews, the grid and list layouts, up to 6 reviews on show, unlimited views and automatic refresh every 3 days. A small "Powered by Reviews Widget" credit appears on free widgets.
Reviews with no written text are left out, and the rating and total count match your Google profile. See the full breakdown on the pricing page or the Google reviews widget overview.
Create your free widget
Connect your Google Business Profile, pick a grid or list and paste one snippet.
Is there a free Trustpilot widget?
Trustpilot provides its own TrustBox widgets for businesses with a Trustpilot account, and some are free. They show Trustpilot only. If you want Trustpilot and Google side by side in one widget, that needs a multi-source tool; on Reviews Widget those sources start on the Pro plan.
How to embed Google reviews on your website for free
- Sign up for a free plan and connect your Google Business Profile.
- Pick a layout and match your fonts and colours.
- Copy the embed snippet.
- Paste it into an HTML, Code or Embed block on your site.
- Publish and check the live page on a phone.
Builder-specific steps are in our guides for Framer and Webflow, Squarespace and Wix.
When free is enough, and when to upgrade
Free is usually enough if
- You only collect reviews on Google.
- A small grid of recent reviews on one page does the job.
- A credit link on the widget doesn't bother you.
Consider a paid plan if
- You want every review on show, not just the latest few.
- You also collect reviews on Trustpilot, Facebook or other platforms.
- You want carousels, badges, floating ribbons or other layouts.
- You need daily refresh or no branding.
Comparing paid tools too? Our alternatives comparisons cover pricing and limits side by side.
Free "widgets" to avoid
Screenshots of reviews go stale and are hard to read on phones. Copy-pasted quotes cannot be verified. And free review generators that promise reviews break Google's policies; read what to do instead.
Sources & further reading
- Elfsight — Pricing — Free plan view and widget limits
- EmbedSocial — Pricing — Free plan view limits
- Tagembed — Pricing — Free plan feeds, views and refresh frequency
- Trustpilot Business — TrustBox widgets — Trustpilot's own free widgets
- Free widgets
- Google reviews
- Trustpilot
- Pricing