Google reviews comparison
Common Ninja Alternative: Google Reviews
Common Ninja lets you approve every review before it shows. VerifiedWidget shows new reviews by default and lets you hide or group them.
Updated October 2026
Quick verdict
Common Ninja suits a team that wants sign-off on each review. Its Google Reviews widget queues new reviews in a dashboard and shows only the ones you approve. It also has keyword and rating filters, custom CSS, and slider, grid, list and badge layouts. Essentials is $24 a year for one widget.
VerifiedWidget suits a team that wants reviews to appear without a sign-off step, with hiding, filters and named collections for curation. Paid Reviews adds automatic sync, unlimited widgets and up to 20 businesses. Free gives one widget and 10,000 views a month, with 20 reviews refreshed monthly.
VerifiedWidget vs Common Ninja at a glance
| Need | VerifiedWidget | Common Ninja |
|---|---|---|
| Google review display | Google Maps link | Google Business Profile reviews; a separate All-in-One Reviews widget covers other sources |
| Sync frequency | Free: monthly. Reviews: automatic | Refreshes periodically, plus a manual refresh button |
| Layouts | Grid, masonry, carousel, slider, badge, list, review pop-up, editorial wall, photo story, video spotlight, service proof | Slider, grid, list, badge, skins and custom CSS |
| Post owner replies to Google | Not offered; reply in Google Business Profile itself | Reads reviews only; its Google widget page says it does not post to your profile |
| Free plan | 1 widget, 1 business, 20 reviews, branding shown | One Google Reviews widget with a view limit; no card needed |
| Starting paid price | $99/year, 100,000 monthly views | Essentials $24/year, Pro $38.40/year, Ultimate $62.40/year, per widget |
| View limits | Free 10,000/month; paid 100,000 to 1 million | Free plan has a cap; Common Ninja does not publish the number |
Sources: Common Ninja Google Reviews page, pricing, All-in-One Reviews page. Plans change, so confirm on their site before you buy.
Where Common Ninja is stronger
The approval queue is a real fit for strict editorial control. Nothing appears until a person says so. Star and keyword filters help keep a service page on topic.
It is also cheap for a single block. At $24 a year for one widget it undercuts our $99, though price scales with the number of widgets, and the features differ.
Where VerifiedWidget is stronger
More ways to present reviews: layouts such as editorial wall, photo story and service proof, themes, a public reviews page and business identity schema. Neither tool posts replies to Google.
Hiding, filtering and named collections give you curated pages without approving every new review one by one. Paid Reviews also has unlimited widgets rather than per-widget pricing.
Before you decide
An approval queue needs an owner. If nobody checks it, the public block goes stale even though Google has newer reviews. Common Ninja doesn't publish its free view cap, so if your page is busy, ask them before you rely on the free plan.
Neither product can earn you review stars in Google search for your own reviews on your own site. Here is why.
Switching from Common Ninja
- Write down the reviews you approved in Common Ninja and any custom CSS.
- Recreate the selection in VerifiedWidget with hide and filter controls, or a named collection.
- Keep Common Ninja's other widgets, such as forms or FAQs. Only the Google review embed changes.
- Test the new script on one page and compare it with the old block before removing it.
Frequently asked questions
Does Common Ninja approve each review?
Its Google Reviews page describes a manual approval queue for the public widget.
Does its widget post owner replies?
Its Google widget page says the connection reads reviews and does not post to your profile.
How many free views does Common Ninja include?
It doesn't publish a number for the free Google Reviews widget. Ask them if traffic matters.
Can VerifiedWidget curate selected reviews?
Yes. You can filter, hide and group reviews into named collections.
Try VerifiedWidget next to Common Ninja
Connect your Google listing, preview the layout, and test the embed on one page.