Your WooCommerce store’s built-in review system is fine for collecting a star rating. It is not fine for sending automated review-request emails, displaying photo UGC, adding verified-buyer badges, or generating the rich snippets that put gold stars next to your listings in Google Search. That gap is exactly what WooCommerce review plugins are built to fill.
According to a 2023 BrightLocal survey , 98% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses, and 46% say they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
This article covers five verified, currently maintained WooCommerce review plugins across three distinct types: native WooCommerce plugins, hosted SaaS platforms, and Google/social display tools.
Every plugin has been checked for current pricing, active maintenance, and honest pros and cons.
Ask customers to review the products on your WooCommerce store and reward them using WPLoyalty’s loyalty program.
Why Product Reviews Matter for WooCommerce Stores
Reviews do four distinct jobs for a WooCommerce store. Understanding all four helps you choose the right plugin for your situation.
- Trust and conversion. Shoppers who read reviews convert at a measurably higher rate than those who do not. A Spiegel Research Center study found that displaying just five reviews can increase purchase likelihood by up to 270% compared to a product with no reviews.
- SEO and rich snippets. When a review plugin outputs proper schema markup, Google can display star ratings directly in search results. Those gold stars increase click-through rates without any change in ranking position. For WooCommerce stores running Google Shopping or Google Ads, verified seller ratings can appear in ad units, reducing cost per click.
- Photo and video UGC. A written review says “great product.” A photo review shows it. Shoppers treat image and video reviews as significantly higher-trust proof because they are harder to fabricate. Stores in visual categories (fashion, home goods, beauty, food) see the biggest lift from photo UGC.
- Authenticity and legal protection. Genuine, verified reviews tied to real orders protect your store legally and commercially. The FTC’s 2024 rule on fake and AI-generated reviews carries real penalties. Authentic reviews also outperform manufactured ones in the long run because shoppers are increasingly good at spotting inauthentic patterns.
Also Read:
- Ask for Reviews from Customers – practical strategies for getting more genuine reviews
- Effective Strategies to Increase WooCommerce Sales – broader conversion tactics that pair with reviews
Types of WooCommerce Review Plugins (Pick the Right Kind)
Before comparing specific plugins, you need to know which category of tool you actually need. Conflating these types is the most common mistake store owners make when choosing a review plugin for WooCommerce.
WooCommerce-native plugins enhance or replace the built-in WooCommerce review system. They collect first-party product reviews from your customers, store them in your WordPress database, and display them on your product pages.
Examples: CusRev, ReviewX, Photo Reviews by VillaTheme, Site Reviews. Choose this type if your primary goal is collecting and displaying product reviews on your own store.
Hosted SaaS review platforms are external services. You embed a widget on your store, but the review data lives on the vendor’s servers. These platforms typically offer verified review collection, multi-channel reputation management, and Google seller ratings.
Examples: Yotpo, Trustpilot. Choose this type if you need verified reviews across multiple channels, Google seller ratings for ads, or a managed review program at scale.
Google and social display plugins pull in your existing Google Business reviews (via the official Google Places API) and display them on your WooCommerce site. They do not collect new product reviews.
Examples: Plugin for Google Reviews, WP Social Ninja. Choose this type if you already have strong Google reviews and want to surface that social proof on your store without building a separate product-review system.
Most stores need one native or SaaS plugin. Some add a Google display plugin on top to show business-level reputation alongside product-level reviews.
Quick Comparison: 5 Best WooCommerce Review Plugins
| Plugin | Type | Best For | Free Version | Starting Price | Rating / Installs |
| CusRev | WooCommerce-native | Best free first-party reviews | Yes | $59.99/year | 80,000+ installs |
| ReviewX | WooCommerce-native | Multi-criteria and visual reviews | Yes | $79/year | 7,000+ installs |
| Photo Reviews by VillaTheme | WooCommerce-native | Visual product categories | Yes | ~$59/year | 10,000+ installs |
| Site Reviews | WooCommerce-compatible | Flexible, verifiable reviews | Yes | ~€89/year | 60,000+ installs |
| Plugin for Google Reviews | Google display | Surfacing Google reputation on-site | Yes | ~$85/year | 100,000+ installs |
Note on pricing: All prices are starting figures confirmed at time of writing. Verify current pricing on each vendor’s official page before purchasing, as vendors update pricing regularly.
5 Best WooCommerce Reviews plugins
1. CusRev
Type: WooCommerce-native Best free first-party review system with automated collection
CusRev is the strongest free WooCommerce review plugin in this category. It extends WooCommerce’s built-in review system with automated review-request emails, verified-buyer badges, photo and video support, and rich snippets, all without requiring a paid plan for the core functionality.
The free version handles the most important part of the review problem: getting customers to actually leave a review.
Automated post-purchase emails go out after an order is delivered, and the plugin supports aggregated one-page review forms so customers can review multiple products from a single purchase in one step. That single feature alone meaningfully increases review submission rates.
Key Features:
- Automated and manual review-request emails (including WhatsApp click-to-chat for manual invites)
- Aggregated one-page review form for multiple purchases
- Verified-buyer badges tied to real orders
- Photo and video review support
- Coupon incentives for leaving reviews
- Q&A section on product pages
- Rich snippets and schema markup
- Google Shopping feed support
- Import and export of reviews
Pros:
- Strong free tier that covers most small-store needs
- 80,000+ active installs signals a stable, well-maintained plugin
- Automated collection is genuinely effective at increasing review volume
Cons:
- The UI feels dated compared to newer plugins; the admin experience is functional but not polished
Pricing: Free version available on WordPress.org. Pro pricing: $59.99/year
Best For: Stores that want a solid, free, first-party review system with automated collection and do not need multi-criteria ratings or a hosted platform.
2. ReviewX
Type: WooCommerce-native Multi-criteria ratings and visual reviews, with reliability caveats
ReviewX adds multi-criteria ratings (rate quality, value, delivery separately), photo and video reviews, and multiple display layouts (list, grid, masonry) to WooCommerce product pages. The multi-criteria feature is the main differentiator: it gives shoppers more detailed feedback and gives store owners richer data about what customers actually think.
That said, ReviewX has a notable reliability caveat that honest comparison requires mentioning. Multiple 2025 and 2026 reviews on WordPress.org and Reddit threads report stability issues, performance slowdowns, and JavaScript conflicts with certain themes. Some users have migrated away to CusRev specifically because of these issues. The plugin is feature-rich, but the setup friction and occasional conflicts are real.
Key Features:
- Multi-criteria ratings (customizable criteria per product or category)
- Photo and video reviews
- Automated review-request emails and reminders
- Schema markup for rich snippets
- List, grid, and masonry display layouts
- Import and export
Pros:
- Multi-criteria ratings are genuinely useful for stores where detailed feedback matters (electronics, software, courses)
- Visual display layouts are more modern than CusRev’s default
- Schema markup is included in the free version
Cons:
- Reported stability and performance issues in 2025 and 2026 user reviews
Pricing: Free version on WordPress.org. Pro pricing: $79/year.
Best For: Stores that specifically need multi-criteria ratings and are willing to invest setup time, and whose theme is confirmed compatible.
3. Photo Reviews for WooCommerce by VillaTheme
Type: WooCommerce-native Best for visual product categories that want image-rich UGC
Photo Reviews for WooCommerce by VillaTheme is built around one specific goal: getting customers to upload photos with their reviews. If you sell products where visual proof matters (fashion, home decor, beauty, food, plants, crafts), this plugin is purpose-built for your use case.
The plugin sends review-reminder emails and thank-you emails, supports WooCommerce smart coupon plugins as discount code incentives for photo reviews, and is compatible with WPML and Polylang for multilingual stores. The free version covers the basics; the premium version adds the full automation and incentive toolkit.
Key Features:
- Photo upload with reviews (the core feature)
- Review-reminder and thank-you emails
- Discount codes as incentives for photo reviews
- WPML and Polylang compatibility
- Review moderation
- Rich snippets support
Pros:
- Purpose-built for photo UGC, which is the highest-trust review format for visual products
- Discount incentive for photo reviews is a practical conversion tool
- WPML and Polylang support makes it suitable for multilingual stores
Cons:
- Focused almost entirely on photo reviews; fewer automation and layout options than CusRev or ReviewX
Pricing: Free version on WordPress.org. Premium: $59/year
Best For: Stores in visual product categories (fashion, home, beauty, food) that want image-rich UGC as their primary review strategy.
4. Site Reviews
Type: WooCommerce-compatible (not WooCommerce-specific) Best for flexible, verifiable reviews across products and pages
Site Reviews is a general-purpose WordPress review plugin that works with WooCommerce but is not built exclusively for it. That distinction matters. It gives you more flexibility (you can collect reviews on any page, not just product pages) but requires more configuration to create a polished WooCommerce product-review flow.
The plugin’s standout features are spam protection (reCAPTCHA and Honeypot), pinned reviews, custom review forms, and strong Elementor integration. If you need a review system that spans product pages, landing pages, and service pages, Site Reviews handles all of them from one plugin.
Key Features:
- Pin top reviews to display them first
- Custom review forms (add or remove fields)
- Review verification requests
- Summaries and filtering
- Spam protection via reCAPTCHA and Honeypot
- Elementor and page-builder integration
- SEO schema markup
- Multi-plugin integration support
Pros:
- Extremely flexible: works across product pages, landing pages, and custom pages
- Strong spam protection is a genuine differentiator
- Pinned reviews let you surface your best social proof prominently
- Active development and a strong support track record
Cons:
- Less suited to stores that need photo/video reviews or multi-criteria ratings
Pricing: Free version on WordPress.org. Premium add-ons: €89/year.
Best For: Stores or sites that want flexible, verifiable reviews beyond just product pages, and are comfortable with more initial configuration.
5. Plugin for Google Reviews
Type: Google/social display Best for surfacing existing Google Business reputation on your WooCommerce store
Plugin for Google Reviews displays your Google Business reviews on your WooCommerce store using the official Google Places and Business API. This is not a product-review collection tool. It is a reputation display tool that surfaces the reviews you already have on Google.
The important distinction: this plugin complements a product-review plugin, it does not replace one. Use it alongside CusRev or another native plugin if you want both product-level reviews and business-level Google reputation on the same store.
Key Features:
- Displays Google reviews via the official Google Places/Business API (no scraping)
- GDPR support
- Responsive widget, slider, grid, and list layouts
- “Review us on Google” button to drive new Google reviews
- Shortcode and page-builder support
- No fake or scraped data; API-only
Pros:
- Official API means no scraping, no ToS violations, no risk of data being cut off
- GDPR-compliant
- Multiple display layouts suit different page designs
- “Review us on Google” button actively drives new Google reviews
Cons:
- Displays Google reviews only; does not collect first-party product reviews
Pricing: Free version on WordPress.org. Premium: approximately $85/year.
Best For: Stores that already have strong Google Business reviews and want to display that social proof on their WooCommerce site alongside a separate product-review plugin.
A Note on Fake and Virtual Reviews (Do Not Do This)
Some tools and services promise to auto-generate virtual reviews or bulk-import fabricated review content. Do not use them.
The FTC’s 2024 rule on fake and AI-generated reviews explicitly prohibits creating, buying, or disseminating fake reviews, including AI-generated ones. Violations carry civil penalties. Google’s policies independently prohibit fake reviews and can result in your store losing its seller ratings or being removed from Shopping entirely. Marketplaces like Amazon have sued sellers for fake reviews.
Beyond the legal risk, fake reviews backfire commercially. Shoppers are increasingly good at spotting inauthentic review patterns (identical phrasing, suspiciously clustered dates, no critical feedback). When they spot them, trust collapses.
The legitimate alternative is straightforward: collect more genuine reviews by making it easy and worth the customer’s time. Automated review-request emails (CusRev does this well), photo incentives (Photo Reviews by VillaTheme), and rewarding the act of reviewing with loyalty points or a discount (WPLoyalty’s review campaign) are all compliant approaches that actually build the trust you are trying to create.
One important compliance note: if you reward customers for reviews, disclose the incentive clearly and never condition the reward on a positive rating. Reward the act of reviewing, regardless of the star rating given. That is both FTC-aligned and commercially honest.
Also Read:
- How to Reward Points for Writing Product Reviews in WooCommerce – step-by-step guide to setting up a compliant review reward campaign
- Best WooCommerce Discount Plugins – if you want to use discount incentives alongside your review strategy
Turn Reviews into Repeat Customers
A review submission is a moment of engagement. The customer just had an experience with your product, they thought about it enough to write something down, and they interacted with your store again. That is a high-value moment that most stores let pass without doing anything with it.
A loyalty program changes that. When you reward customers for submitting a review (regardless of the rating, with clear disclosure of the incentive), you accomplish two things at once: you increase review volume, and you give the customer a reason to come back and use their reward. If you want to set up a points reward system in WooCommerce , WPLoyalty’s review campaign is one of the fastest ways to get started.
The compliant pattern looks like this. A customer places an order. Your review plugin sends an automated review-request email. The customer submits a review. WPLoyalty’s review campaign detects the approved review and awards points or a discount. The customer receives a notification about their reward. They return to redeem it.
This is the loyalty layer that complements any review plugin on this list. WPLoyalty is not a review plugin and does not collect or display reviews. It is the incentive layer that makes the review-collection process work harder for your store. For a broader look at your options, the best loyalty plugins for WordPress roundup covers the full landscape.
The compliance requirement is worth repeating: reward the act of reviewing, not a positive rating. Disclose the incentive in the review-request email. WPLoyalty’s review campaign is designed around this pattern, rewarding any approved review regardless of star rating.
Also Read:
- How to Increase WooCommerce Customer Loyalty – broader retention strategies that pair with a review program
- Best WooCommerce Points and Rewards Plugins – if you want to compare loyalty plugin options before choosing
Get started with WPLoyalty’s product review campaign and reward your loyal customers with points and discounts.
Key Takeaways
Having gone through a host of WooCommerce review plugins, select one that will help realize your goals. Note that the right review plugin should enhance or increase your store’s credibility together with social proof. Here is what to keep in mind while selecting your plugin:
- Always take a test run with the free versions or trials before you select a paid plugin;
- Choose one that integrates seamlessly with your store on WooCommerce.
- Look out for plugins that have credible customer support and strong customization options.
Frequently Asked Questions
To add reviews in WooCommerce, go to your product settings, enable reviews, and customers can leave reviews directly on the product pages.
Reviews plugins display authentic customer feedback, making your store more trustworthy. Positive reviews and ratings encourage new customers to make purchases.
Yes, most WooCommerce reviews plugins offer customization options. You can match the review layout and design to your store’s branding for a seamless look.
High-quality plugins are optimized to minimize impact on loading speed. Always choose a well-coded plugin and regularly update it to ensure optimal performance.
To add bulk reviews in WooCommerce, use a plugin like WP All Import, which allows you to upload multiple reviews via CSV file.
