G2 Is Buying Capterra, GetApp, and Software Advice. That's... Interesting.

TL;DR

• G2 has announced intent to acquire Capterra, Software Advice, and GetApp from Gartner
• Those three are already unified under Gartner Digital Markets—so this is really G2 + Gartner's ecosystem becoming one company
• They're promising "unified taxonomy," "pay-per-lead," and AI recommendations
• For vendors: this is interesting... but probably not good news
• When there's only one place to be found, the stakes get higher (and so do the prices)

Wait, All Four? In One Place?

G2 just announced they intend to buy Capterra, Software Advice, and GetApp from Gartner.

Quick context: those three are already one family. Gartner has owned them as "Gartner Digital Markets" since 2014-2015. They share a backend, a vendor dashboard, and reviews sync across all three automatically. One review shows up on Capterra, Software Advice, and GetApp.

So really, this is G2 + Gartner Digital Markets becoming one company. Two ecosystems merging, not four separate platforms.

Still—that's the two biggest B2B software discovery ecosystems combining. That's a lot of eggs in one basket.

For anyone managing their SaaS listings across these platforms, this is worth paying attention to. Not because it simplifies anything (yet), but because when four competitors become one owner, the dynamics change. Your directory strategy needs to adapt to this new reality.

What G2 Is Promising

The announcement is full of exciting language. Let me translate what they're saying:

"200+ million annual buyers and 6 million verified reviews in one place"

That sounds impressive! It's also another way of saying: there's nowhere else to go. When a platform controls access to this many buyers and reviews, vendors have limited alternatives.

"Aligned taxonomy" and "single, market-leading taxonomy"

This is interesting. Right now, Capterra has 900+ categories. G2 has its own category structure. Software Advice and GetApp have theirs. They all organize software differently based on their own taxonomy systems.

G2 is promising to unify this. One category system to rule them all.

Here's the thing though: Gartner has owned Capterra, GetApp, and Software Advice for almost a decade. They unified the reviews—one review shows up on all three sites automatically. They built a shared vendor dashboard. But they never fully unified the taxonomies. Each platform still has different categories, different ranking systems (Shortlist, Category Leaders, FrontRunners), different badge programs.

So when G2 promises they'll unify taxonomies across four platforms when Gartner couldn't fully do it across three... that's ambitious. On the other hand, this kind of work is much simpler now with AI than it was five years ago. They might actually pull it off.

"3x more Buyer Intent signals" and "pay-per-lead"

Translation: as a vendor, you will pay. G2 is promising more buyer intent data—signals showing which companies are actively researching your software.

Not that anything is free now. But at least today you have options. You can choose where to invest—G2 or Capterra or both, depending on what works for your market. You can compare results and shift budget accordingly.

With what G2 is building, those options shrink. One platform, one pricing model, one set of rules.

(That said, there are plenty of other B2B software directories that still exist and still matter. The big two review platforms becoming one doesn't mean there's nowhere else to be found.)

"G2.ai" and "Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)"

This is where it gets genuinely interesting. G2 is explicitly positioning themselves as "the primary source of truth for LLMs and agents."

They want to be what AI cites when someone asks "what's the best project management software?"

There's just one small detail: G2 also sells placement to software vendors. So G2.ai recommends software... and G2 makes money from software vendors wanting to be recommended.

Hmm.

There's also the question of execution. We recently wrote about why we don't recommend G2's AI-powered reviews yet—the technology isn't quite there.

Building genuinely useful AI products requires serious talent and serious investment. We're hoping G2 has budget left over—after acquiring four platforms—for the people who need to make all this come true.

The Monopoly Question (Let's Just Say It)

I'm not going to pretend this is obviously great news for vendors.

When two ecosystems become one company, prices tend to go up. That's just how it works. Competition keeps prices in check. Remove competition, and... well.

G2's announcement literally says they're reaching "200+ million buyers" through "a single, market-leading taxonomy." When there's only one taxonomy, one ranking system, one gatekeeper—that gatekeeper has a lot of power.

Right now, if G2's pricing gets too aggressive, vendors can focus on Capterra instead. If Capterra's lead quality drops, there's G2. The two ecosystems compete for vendor dollars.

After this deal? There's G2. And then there's... not much.

TrustRadius exists. A few others. But G2 absorbing Gartner Digital Markets is significant concentration.

Will This Deal Even Happen?

Worth asking. "Formally agreed" means signed, but deals this size need regulatory approval before they actually close. G2 expects to close in Q1 2026—so in the next couple of months.

The FTC blocked CoStar's acquisition of RentPath in 2020—a very similar situation where two dominant online listing platforms tried to merge. The FTC said it would "eliminate price and quality competition."

This is the two dominant B2B software discovery ecosystems merging.

The EU blocked Booking.com from acquiring eTraveli because Booking already had too much market power and adding another platform would strengthen their "ecosystem."

G2 is building exactly that kind of ecosystem: reviews + intent data + lead gen + AI recommendations. All in one.

My read: this isn't a slam dunk. There's a real chance of regulatory pushback. But deals often find ways through—divestitures, concessions, timing. And the Q1 timeline suggests they're confident.

We'll know soon enough.

What This Actually Means For Your Listings

Here's the practical reality:

Short term (next few months): If the deal closes in Q1 as planned, nothing changes immediately. Even after closing, integration takes years. Gartner Digital Markets already has unified reviews and a shared backend—but merging that with G2's separate ecosystem is a whole different project.

You still need to manage G2 separately from Capterra. The logins aren't going away overnight.

Medium term (1-3 years): Expect backend integration between G2 and the Gartner properties. Reviews might eventually sync across all four. Maybe a truly unified vendor dashboard. Taxonomy alignment across G2 and the Gartner family will be the hardest part—and might never fully happen.

Long term: If they actually unify everything? Your presence on this one mega-platform becomes much higher stakes. Get it wrong, and you've got it wrong everywhere. Get it right, and... you're still at the mercy of one company's ranking algorithms and priorities.

Understanding how to get ranked on G2 will become even more critical when G2 controls the entire ecosystem.

The Uncomfortable Truth

G2 is saying all the right things: "simplifying the process," "better for buyers and sellers," "trusted data."

But let's be honest about what this is. It's consolidation. The two major B2B software discovery ecosystems becoming one dominant player.

And here's something worth noticing: read their announcement carefully. The excitement is about buyers, reviews, and AI. "6 million verified reviews." "200 million annual buyers." "The primary source of truth for LLMs and agents." "G2.ai."

The vendor experience? It gets a mention—"simplified for sellers," "reach buyers through a single taxonomy"—but it doesn't feel like the priority. Maybe I'm wrong. But if I had to guess where they're investing their energy after this deal closes, it's probably not in making life easier for the companies paying them.

The priority seems to be: collect more reviews, attract more buyers, feed it all into G2.ai, become the thing AI trusts.

Vendors are the ones paying for all of this. But vendors might not be the ones this is being built for.

They're not doing this to make things easier for you. They're doing this to control more of the market. That's fine—that's business. But vendors should understand the dynamics.

When there's only one game in town, you have to play it. And the house sets the rules.

What To Do Now

Diversify while you can. The major platforms aren't the only places buyers find software. Niche directories, industry-specific sites, AI search optimization across multiple sources—these matter more when the big players consolidate.

Get your current listings right. If G2 eventually becomes the single source of truth, your G2 presence matters a lot. Same with Capterra. Now's a good time to make sure your listings are complete, current, and optimized. Understanding the G2 and Capterra review guidelines is essential for maintaining a strong presence.

Watch the pricing. If this deal closes, expect "new opportunities" (read: more expensive packages) over the next 18 months. Budget accordingly.

Don't put everything in one basket. Your visibility posture should include third-party platforms, but also direct channels, content, community, and anywhere else buyers might discover you. Depending entirely on G2-Capterra-combined isn't a strategy—it's a risk. Building a strong directory strategy as a competitive moat means diversifying your presence across multiple channels.

Recommended Reading

Stay ahead of the changes in B2B software discovery with these essential guides:

How to Get Ranked on G2: The Complete Guide

Master the G2 algorithm before this merger makes your G2 presence even more critical. Learn the scoring system, grid placement, and systematic approach to climbing category rankings.

G2 & Capterra Review Guidelines for SaaS Growth

As these platforms merge, understanding the review process becomes essential. Learn what reviewers must prepare and how to guide customers through successful reviews on both platforms.

Directory Strategy as a Competitive Moat

Don't let consolidation catch you unprepared. Learn how to build a resilient directory strategy that protects your business when major platforms merge.

B2B Software Directories for AI SEO Strategy

With G2 positioning itself as "the primary source of truth for LLMs," understanding how directories feed AI discovery is more important than ever.