Software program patrons flip to G2 for 2 key causes: to entry unbiased peer suggestions from over 3 million critiques and to grasp the precise price of software program options they’re evaluating.
But, an inner audit of G2’s market reveals that solely 4% of G2 product profiles explicitly listing costs and that’s nonetheless over 9,300 profiles as of March 2025. Moreover, greater than 2,300 G2 product profiles embrace non-numerical USD pricing, with CTAs like “contact us.”
Think about if all distributors shared pricing info. Consumers might lastly escape the infinite “contact gross sales” loop, scale back deserted tabs, and make quicker choices with out unclear price expectations slowing them down.
In keeping with G2’s 2025 Purchaser Habits Report, 57% of patrons anticipate their organizations to extend software program spending over the subsequent 12 months. That’s a big majority, they usually want clear, upfront pricing to confidently justify these investments.
Why worth transparency drives belief and conversions in B2B SaaS
Pricing acts as a gatekeeper for shortlisting merchandise, a belief sign for patrons, and a catalyst or blocker for inner approvals. When software program prices are seen and clear, patrons can shortly decide match, loop in finance groups, and construct credible enterprise instances. With out pricing, evaluations stall, belief erodes, and distributors danger being excluded from consideration.
- Builds purchaser confidence. Consumers start their journey with constraints: price range ceilings, inner approvals, and procurement necessities. If a product does not present pricing, it could by no means be severely evaluated. Transparency helps patrons transfer ahead with out hesitation.
- Helps with mobilizing inner help. Right this moment’s shopping for committees are cross-functional by default. Finance groups anticipate upfront numbers to validate the price range, mannequin ROI, and approve spend. Even high-intent patrons can’t mobilize inner help with out clear pricing. Value transparency accelerates stakeholder alignment, reduces inner friction, and helps construct robust enterprise instances early.
- Hidden prices delay offers. Purchaser confidence breaks down after they encounter pricing too late or when the primary quote contradicts their expectations. Lack of pricing readability provides back-and-forth, prolongs choice cycles, and forces additional approval loops.
- Clear pricing builds belief and momentum. Consumers equate transparency with credibility. When distributors clearly talk pricing, patrons really feel revered. That sense of belief retains them on the web page, strikes them by way of the funnel, and lowers friction throughout the journey.
Sadly, pricing stays one of the vital opaque components of the B2B SaaS shopping for journey.
Why software program pricing transparency continues to be so uncommon in B2B
Not like client merchandise and even most SMB software program, B2B SaaS not often comes with a visual price ticket. Actually, many distributors do not explicitly share pricing on their web sites. Whereas this frustrates patrons, it usually displays inner logic on the seller aspect.
1. B2B software program pricing fashions are complicated by design
Software program costs rely upon a number of variables: variety of seats, utilization quantity, function entry, integrations, help tiers, and even infrastructure utilization like information storage or AI token consumption.
For instance, generative AI instruments usually invoice by token or API name, making it tough to publish a predictable month-to-month price with out infinite footnotes. Distributors usually use this technique to offer value-based pricing, or to allow them to simply adapt to altering infrastructure prices.
ERP software program pricing can also be notoriously opaque.
A purchaser would possibly see an inexpensive worth vary for an ERP answer solely to later uncover six-figure implementation prices. Some ERP platforms don’t publish pricing in any respect, requiring gross sales calls to get a baseline quote. This lack of transparency makes early-stage budgeting almost not possible and places patrons at a drawback from day one.
2. Sticker shock can derail a deal earlier than gross sales groups can clarify ROI
Software program will be costly, particularly whenever you add in onboarding, coaching, integration, and inner change administration. Distributors fear that publishing a full estimated price with out context could scare off potential patrons who don’t but perceive the product’s worth. That is very true for instruments with excessive upfront prices however long-term ROI.
Take HR software program pricing: whereas Gusto affords clear flat pricing at $59/month plus $8 per worker, different platforms within the area could tack on implementation charges that may attain 20% of the annual contract, a element not seen till deeper within the gross sales course of.
3. Aggressive considerations maintain pricing backstage
Many distributors view their pricing as a strategic asset. In the event that they put up it on-line, they worry giving rivals a bonus or triggering pricing strain from clients who uncover cheaper alternate options.
The pricing grid itself can change into a part of the sport in extremely aggressive classes like advertising and marketing automation or group collaboration. Not displaying your hand is a type of protection.
For instance, in chatbot pricing, platforms like Tidio (Lyro AI) publish clear month-to-month charges ($68/month), making it simpler for SMBs to judge. In the meantime, different platforms concentrating on enterprise customers reveal nothing upfront. The intent is obvious: management the worth dialog earlier than displaying the price.
This strategic withholding of pricing isn’t restricted to aggressive head-to-heads. It additionally performs out behind the scenes. Distributors that promote by way of resellers or implementation companions usually keep away from publishing costs to forestall undercutting their channel or exposing inconsistent affords throughout areas.
What occurs when patrons can’t see software program pricing
Lack of clear software program pricing introduces friction all through the shopping for journey. It slows down analysis, will increase gross sales cycle lengths, and undermines purchaser belief. What would possibly seem to be a wise gross sales tactic on the seller aspect usually turns into a blocker for patrons attempting to make quick, knowledgeable choices.
Right here’s how a scarcity of pricing transparency creates real-world purchaser friction:
- Countless analysis loops and abandonment: Consumers who encounter “contact gross sales” CTAs are sometimes compelled to leap between vendor web sites, third-party critiques, and even Reddit threads simply to estimate price.
- Longer, costlier gross sales cycles: Unclear pricing results in extra inner approvals, price range clarifications, and stakeholder alignment conferences.
- Lack of first-mover benefit: When pricing isn’t seen, distributors usually miss out on early shortlist inclusion.
- A belief penalty for the seller: Distributors who conceal pricing usually tend to face elevated scrutiny, longer proof-of-value phases, and extra reference checks.
That is precisely the hole G2 is closing by sharing pricing on its product pages. By letting patrons unlock actual pricing ranges in change for a verified electronic mail, G2 makes it simpler for patrons to match software program, construct belief, and transfer ahead quicker.
Curious to see precise software program prices? G2 rolls out a pilot to point out pricing on product pages
Starting this 12 months, G2 is doing what evaluation websites not often try: share an estimated worth vary backed by dwell contract information. This expertise will dwell on in virtually 9,000 paid and free product profiles on G2.
This is an instance of what that appears like.
G2 Advertising Options product web page on G2
So, right here’s what you’ll get to see:
- Time to implement: How lengthy it takes for a buyer to arrange, configure, and begin utilizing the software program after shopping for it.
- Return on funding: When patrons begin to see measurable enterprise worth post-purchase.
- Common low cost: The share of low cost a purchaser can anticipate from the seller.
- Perceived price: It isn’t the precise price. As a substitute, it reveals how costly a product feels to the customer primarily based on its worth, worth, and comparability to alternate options.
- How a lot a product prices: The value vary of a software program product.
To see the pricing vary, guests merely have to pop in a verified work electronic mail.
Word: On the time of writing, pricing information is dwell on a number of hundred product profiles as a part of an preliminary rollout. We’re persevering with to check and refine the expertise and plan to develop this visibility throughout many extra profiles within the coming months.
How will the clear pricing on G2 profit patrons?
The brand new pricing part on G2’s product pages will give patrons a price range anchor with out forcing a discovery name. It can assist software program shopping for committees:
- Discard out-of-range choices early: Spot sticker shock early, shrink the lengthy listing of potential distributors, and de-risk stakeholder conferences.
- Conduct price range checks: Consumers can see a bracket grounded in precise invoices as a substitute of guessing whether or not a device is $5K or $50K.
- Toughen inner enterprise instances: A worth vary together with G2 critiques is ammo for CFO approval decks.
- Centralize all analysis in a single place: With all the knowledge patrons want (critiques, product options, alternate options, execs and cons) now in a single place, G2 turns into a single supply of reality. This eliminates the necessity to search throughout vendor blogs, boards, and on-line communities.
Bought questions? G2 is right here to assist.
Discover solutions to questions you might have.
Q1. How does the brand new pricing part on G2 product pages assist with software program price transparency?
The brand new pricing part reveals estimated software program pricing on product pages, serving to patrons see actual price ranges without having a gross sales name.
Q2. Why do I have to confirm my work electronic mail to view software program pricing on G2?
To guard delicate pricing information and enhance accuracy, G2 requires a fast electronic mail verification earlier than displaying estimated software program prices.
Q3. Which software program merchandise present pricing estimates on G2?
G2 shows worth ranges on about 9,000 B2B software program profiles which have private pricing and sufficient verified contract information.
This autumn. What occurs to my electronic mail after I unlock pricing on G2?
Your electronic mail could also be shared with the software program vendor as a verified lead, serving to them comply with up with tailor-made pricing or reply any questions you might have.
Q5. Will G2’s clear product pricing vary assist distributors?
Sure, clear worth brackets let patrons see whether or not a device matches their price range, to allow them to shortlist your product and attain out with confidence.
Q6. Is the pricing information accessible for all software program options on G2?
Not but. Pricing information is offered on a few hundred product profiles on G2. We’re refining the expertise and anticipate to roll out this visibility to many further profiles over the subsequent few months.
As a result of nobody needs to ‘request a quote’
Getting pricing readability is lastly frictionless.
Search for the brand new “get worth estimate” button on G2 product pages. One electronic mail, one click on, and also you’ll have a reputable ballpark determine to take into your subsequent price range assembly.
For distributors, that is your probability to fulfill patrons the place they’re. Changing imprecise “request a quote” buttons with actual pricing ranges reduces bounce charges, captures high-intent leads, and shortens gross sales cycles. With G2, transparency turns into a conversion device.
Learn the way G2’s Purchaser Intent can assist you discover clients primed to buy.
