G2 Market Research is passionate about helping buyers find the software solutions that can best solve their business problems. Our goal is to represent software to buyers based on the way they are sold. Below is a breakdown of what qualifies as a product to be listed on G2 as well as how different types of products are represented with profiles on G2.
Products on G2 are categorized into at least one category based on the functionality of the software or service, i.e., the product’s features, and not based on what it is used for or who uses it. Many products could be used for purposes other than those they were specifically designed for, but that subsequent use does not change the categorization of the product.
This page explains how G2 categorizes products and services, what qualifies for listing, and answers common questions about our approach.
1. Basic product guidelines: What is included and excluded
a. What is included
At the G2 marketplace, the following products qualify to be listed and reviewed:
- Products that are a business-to-business (B2B) software product or service.
- Products associated with a specific software or services vendor or an open-source project.
b. What is excluded
At G2, we do not represent the following products on the site:
- Products that are only sold to individual consumers.
- Those with both a business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) component or use case can be included and reviewed on G2, but only for the B2B product and use case.
- Different tiers or editions of the same product.
2. Types of products
Our goal is to represent software products to buyers as accurately as possible, based one ach product's functionality and how it is sold.
a. Individual software products
Software products that can be purchased individually are represented with a single G2 profile for each product.
Generally speaking, the term product is used to describe any software system with a singular unified code base that is sold on its own. Individual products are categorized based on the product’s native functionality and not functionality that is accessible through integrations.
Products sometimes offer multiple levels of functionality or add-ons based on the same code base — these tiered-edition products are represented with a single G2 profile that is categorized based on the native features of the highest tier offered.
The name of the G2 profile should match the name of the software product on the seller’s website. It should contain no additional keywords, marketing language, or copyright/trademark symbols.
b. Platforms
Products that have the capability to be used in several different categories can either be treated as a platform on which custom solutions, or modules, are developed. A platform is represented as a single G2 profile, categorized by its most commonly recognized set of features into a single category or multiple categories at G2’s discretion.
c. Add-ons
Add-ons, sometimes known as plug-ins, are products that only work in conjunction with, or for the enhancement of, another specific software product (core product). Add-ons are primarily sold by third-party developers, but software companies may also acquire and sell new technologies as add-on features or upgrades to a core product.
On G2, third-party add-ons are listed as separate products because they are sold by different vendors. Such add-ons will be categorized based only on the functionality of the add-on, and not based on the features of the product it is added onto. The core product retains its own profile on G2 and does not qualify for additional categories solely due to the presence of the add-on.
An add-on that is developed by the same vendor as the core product will not be listed separately on G2. Instead, the functionality of the add-on may be represented by the core product's inclusion in the relevant categories.
d. Discontinued products
A product’s G2 profile will be removed from the site upon confirmation from the vendor that a product is no longer being sold or that a sunset date has been set and there are no new sales being made. All reviews for invalidated products are removed from G2 along with the product.
In order to ensure that the B2B software and services market is accurately represented, G2 will not remove a product that is currently being sold. G2 cannot omit these products completely, even if requested to do so, nor, under First Amendment principles, prohibit users from posting comments which comply with G2’s terms of use and otherwise comply with applicable law.
3. Services
A service provider is any business offering where there is majority of human intervention or involvement in completing projects to support the business.
Making G2 relevant and easy for people to use as they evaluate and select service providers is one of G2’s most important goals. In support of that goal, it is a critical part of the research process to organize services firms and agencies in a well-defined structure that makes capturing, evaluating, and displaying reviews and other research orderly.
Each service provider gets one profile on G2, and it is categorized based on all services they provide. The following methodology is used to manage the process of categorizing service providers and the related reviews in the G2 community:
a. Basic provider guidelines
On the G2 marketplace, the following service providers qualify to be listed and reviewed:
- Service providers must be associated with a specific public or private company (i.e., vendor).
- The provider should offer services through direct contact with the client’s representative or as a hosted service accessible through an online portal.
- Depending on the individual service, it may be available in a one-time or ad hoc agreement or part of an extended contract with the terms agreed upon before executing said services.
- The service provider must be categorized into at least one category or subcategory heading based on the services provided and not based on who uses it.
- The provider must be selling a full service to clients and/or offering an accompanying online platform, and not simply a for-cost product for clients to install within their organization’s infrastructure or deploy on a cloud (i.e., software).
b. Variety of services
Service providers are listed under the service provider’s name with a single G2 profile that is categorized in as many services categories as the company qualifies for, based on the services it provides.
Many providers offer a multitude of services and qualify to be included in multiple services categories on G2. We approach their placement in the following ways:
- If the provider clearly offers a number of services, we will place the provider in as many relevant categories as the provider qualifies for.
- If a provider offers a service related to but not exactly matching one of our categories, they will be placed in the nearest “Other” category. Many companies are categorized as “Other” services in addition to more well-defined categories. For example, a company may feature implementation services for a variety of ecosystems, includes Salesforce, AWS, Microsoft, etc. A service provider would then be categorized in all relevant ecosystem service provider categories to properly represent the breadth of their expertise to visitors and reviewers.
4. Sellers
The name of a software seller or service provider must match the seller's legal name or the name on the product's website. A seller must exist as a legally registered business and have a unique web domain.
5. Categories
Categories are the building blocks of G2's taxonomy. In the G2 marketplace, categories are used to classify different types of business software and services.
A category is a grouping of software products or services that solve a particular business problem and provide similar features.
Components of a G2 category page
Definition: A category’s definition provides a high-level overview of what the software does, who uses it, and its benefits. This section, consisting of a paragraph or paragraphs, appears at the top of the category page. The definition also includes the feature requirements (inclusion criteria) that products must meet to be added to the category.
Feature requirements: Within the category definition, the feature requirements are a list of features that a product must have to be included in the category. The feature requirements are the bullet points listed toward the end of the definition. A product needs to meet all the feature requirements to be added into that category.
Product list: Products included in a category are listed on the category page. They are sorted by their G2 Score by default but can also be sorted by Satisfaction score or by popularity.
G2 Grid®: Eligible categories display a live Grid® to help buyers understand the competitive landscape. To learn more about G2 Grids® and what makes a category eligible for one, please refer to the Grid® reports documentation.
Buyer’s guide: A buyer’s guide is a detailed article that describes the software category in greater depth, including common features, users, benefits, potential challenges, and how it’s purchased and implemented.
Category types
Parent categories
Within the G2 taxonomy, there is a category hierarchy. Some categories, known as parent categories, have subcategories (also known as child categories) underneath them. There are high-level parent categories, such as Sales Software, which has dozens of child categories underneath it. There are also parent categories within those higher-level parent categories, such as Quote Management Software. Finally, there are child categories that contain no subcategories underneath them, such as Pricing Software.
Parent categories are designed to make G2’s taxonomy easier to understand and navigate, but they do not actually contain any G2 product profiles. Product profiles cannot be categorized within a parent category; products are placed only within child categories.
Horizontal and vertical categories
Horizontal products are designed for broad applicability and are utilized by individuals and businesses across diverse industries. For example CRM software can be used by sales teams across a wide variety of industries.
Vertical products are products that are developed for use in a specific industry vertical to execute a unique business process or set of processes, and cannot be used by companies that are not in that industry without significant customization. These products have features that are customized for the vertical industry (such as integrating with other products within that vertical) and are, in other words, unique to the respective industry. G2 distinguishes between vertical and horizontal products to ensure buyers can find products that are most relevant to their needs.
The vast majority of the time, products are categorized in either horizontal categories or vertical categories, but not both. However, at G2’s discretion, horizontal products may be considered for a vertical category if they meet all of the vertical category’s requirements, have significant customization specific to that industry, and have a substantial industry presence. See the FAQ section for specific examples.
"Other" categories
Products that do not qualify for any defined categories on G2 will be listed in a relevant "Other" software category. For example, an HR tool that is not eligible for any defined HR category will be listed in Other HR Software.
"Other" categories are designated only for products that cannot be listed elsewhere on G2. If a product qualifies for a defined software category on G2, it will not be simultaneously listed in an "Other" category.
Roll-up categories
From time to time, it is necessary to create a new category that is effectively the combination of some of the products, features, or both from an identifiable set of other categories. These new composite categories will be clearly defined and will not impact the underlying category structure. Instead, they will operate in addition to the original product categories, not as a replacement for them.
Categorization inquires
Questions and requests for changes to the categorization of a product can be submitted to G2 and will be evaluated by G2’s market research team.
Each product is evaluated based on whether it meets the feature requirements for the requested category or categories. Vendors are encouraged to submit specific evidence such as recorded demos, blog content, presentations etc of how the product meets the requirements for the desired category.
The above categorization methodology will be applied to all inquiries. The review will include a thorough evaluation of any evidence or information provided by the individual or company that submitted the request. Final categorization decisions are made at the discretion of the G2 market research team.
6. FAQs
Q. How and when do we create a category?
A: Software markets are constantly evolving. Products are added to when submitted on G2, when a new category is created, and when a category cleaning occurs (i.e., a review and audit of the products in a specific category). Continuous monitoring of the products in existing categories ensures that our real-time taxonomy is reflective of any emerging and developing market trends that could create new business opportunities or a more accurate representation for software buyers.
When evaluating a new category, G2 evaluates the number of products in the space (10 at minimum) in order to ensure that the space is established to some degree. In addition, G2 first looks to see how they can improve existing categories before creating new ones.
Q. What is the difference between software and services?
A: As the number of B2B solutions continues to grow year after year, the distinction between software and services is becoming increasingly nuanced. At G2, we continuously evolve our definitions and category structure to accurately reflect how solutions are delivered and experienced by users.
Software generally refers to digital products accessed through a platform or interface that enable functionality via technology, regardless of whether they are deployed in the cloud, installed locally, or accessed through a mobile or web application.
Services, on the other hand, are offerings where the core value is delivered by people—such as through consulting, implementation, or managed service support—rather than through software functionality alone.
In some cases, service-based providers also offer a web or mobile platform to enhance the user experience. In such instances, G2 encourages reviewers to assess the solution based primarily on the quality, impact, and reliability of the service itself, rather than their satisfaction with the software interface. Our aim is to represent providers in the most accurate and useful way possible for buyers making informed decisions.
Q. How can one distinguish between horizontal and vertical products?
A: G2 distinguishes between vertical and horizontal products to ensure buyers can find products that are most relevant to their needs.
Examples of vertical products:
- MediaShout
- Category: Church Presentation
- Why this is a vertical product: This product is designed exclusively to create, edit, and display presentations during church services. While this product has features that are common with presentation software, it would not be used outside of the church or religious industry, and is marketed to be used solely for church presentations. Therefore, this software belongs in the church presentation vertical category.
- Category: Church Presentation
- Ellucian Banner Finance
- Category: Education Finance and Accounting
- Why this is a vertical product: This product is designed to manage financial processes, budgets, and grants at colleges and universities. While this product has much in common with general-purpose budgeting and accounting tools, it would not be used outside the education industry, and thus belongs within the education vertical.
- Category: Education Finance and Accounting
Examples of horizontal products:
- Salesforce CRM
- Category: CRM
- Why this is a horizontal product: Salesforce CRM is designed to manage sales processes for a wide variety of businesses. Its base functionality, including tracking leads, managing accounts, and recording customer interactions, can be used by sales professionals in multiple industries. Their website describes customers in several different industries.
- Category: CRM
- Xero
- Category: Accounting
- Why this is a horizontal product: Xero is built for any business that needs to manage its accounting processes, such as invoicing, expenses, and financial reporting. Companies from any industry can benefit from this software because per its website, it's designed to be used by all small businesses, accountants, and bookkeepers.
- Category: Accounting
Q. Do application programming interfaces (APIs), extensions, and plug-ins get categorized as products on G2?
A: APIs that exist as offerings targeting a B2B use case may qualify as products on G2. For example, G2’s Communication Platform as a Service (cPaaS) category houses API offerings exclusively. Individual APIs with niche use cases are less likely to be approved for listing than those which solve broad business problems. Ultimately, the decision for whether an API is suitable to be listed on G2 is made at the discretion of the G2 market research team.
Extensions and plug-ins that are sold separately (i.e.,have their own SKUs) from the product they work with, as long as they git a category's inclusion criteria, are listed on G2.
Q. Can I remove categories from my G2 profile?
A: A product should only be removed from a category when the product does not meet the category’s feature requirements or otherwise is not a good fit.
Occasionally, vendors request to remove their products from certain categories even though they appear to meet the requirements for those categories. This can be due to the vendor feeling that they will not be able to compete with bigger vendors in the space (which is not an appropriate rationale for removal), or their product is pivoting to a specific vertical or updating its features (might be an appropriate rationale).
Our stance on the Research team is that we do not remove products from categories if they still meet the feature requirements. Doing so would misrepresent the product’s full capabilities to buyers who use G2 and would also limit the quality of reviews that users can leave. We categorize products in all relevant categories that they meet the requirements for, even if that category does not represent the product’s primary or core use case.
Change log
Future changes and updates to this policy will be made in the body text, and a change note will be included in the notes footer.
5/13/16 – Added definition for all-in-one products.
10/5/20 - Modified the definition for Pre-Integrated Product Suites to reflect two different product types: Product Suites and Bundled Suites.
1/26/23 - Modified the definition for Add-ons, and added definition for "Other" categories.
7/9/25 - Made updates throughout, including adding details on individual software products and removing product suites section.