Is B2B Software Pricing Transparency Broken? G2's Here to Help

Software buyers turn to G2 for two key reasons: to access unbiased peer feedback from over 3 million reviews and to understand the actual cost of software solutions they’re evaluating.

Yet, an internal audit of G2’s marketplace shows that only 4% of G2 product profiles explicitly list prices and that’s still over 9,300 profiles as of March 2025. Additionally, more than 2,300 G2 product profiles include non-numerical USD pricing, with CTAs like “contact us.”

Imagine if all vendors shared pricing information. Buyers could finally escape the endless “contact sales” loop, reduce abandoned tabs, and make faster decisions without unclear cost expectations slowing them down.

According to G2’s 2025 Buyer Behavior Report, 57% of buyers expect their organizations to increase software spending over the next year. That’s a significant majority, and they need clear, upfront pricing to confidently justify those investments.

Why price transparency drives trust and conversions in B2B SaaS

Pricing acts as a gatekeeper for shortlisting products, a trust signal for buyers, and a catalyst or blocker for internal approvals. When software costs are visible and clear, buyers can quickly determine fit, loop in finance teams, and build credible business cases. Without pricing, evaluations stall, trust erodes, and vendors risk being excluded from consideration.

• Builds buyer confidence. Buyers begin their journey with constraints: budget ceilings, internal approvals, and procurement requirements. If a product doesn't show pricing, it may never be seriously evaluated. Transparency helps buyers move forward without hesitation.
• Helps with mobilizing internal support. Today’s buying committees are cross-functional by default. Finance teams expect upfront numbers to validate the budget, model ROI, and approve spend. Even high-intent buyers can’t mobilize internal support without clear pricing. Price transparency accelerates stakeholder alignment, reduces internal friction, and helps build strong business cases early.
• Hidden costs delay deals. Buyer confidence breaks down when they encounter pricing too late or when the first quote contradicts their expectations. Lack of pricing clarity adds back-and-forth, prolongs decision cycles, and forces extra approval loops.
• Transparent pricing builds trust and momentum. Buyers equate transparency with credibility. When vendors clearly communicate pricing, buyers feel respected. That sense of trust keeps them on the page, moves them through the funnel, and lowers friction across the journey.

Unfortunately, pricing remains one of the most opaque parts of the B2B SaaS buying journey.

Why software pricing transparency is still so rare in B2B

Unlike consumer products or even most SMB software, B2B SaaS rarely comes with a visible price tag. In fact, many vendors don't explicitly share pricing on their websites. While this frustrates buyers, it often reflects internal logic on the vendor side.

1. B2B software pricing models are complex by design

Software prices depend on multiple variables: number of seats, usage volume, feature access, integrations, support tiers, and even infrastructure usage like data storage or AI token consumption.

For example, generative AI tools often bill by token or API call, making it difficult to publish a predictable monthly rate without endless footnotes. Vendors often use this method to provide value-based pricing, or so they can easily adapt to changing infrastructure costs.

ERP software pricing is also notoriously opaque. 

A buyer might see an affordable price range for an ERP solution only to later uncover six-figure implementation costs. Some ERP platforms don’t publish pricing at all, requiring sales calls to get a baseline quote. This lack of transparency makes early-stage budgeting nearly impossible and puts buyers at a disadvantage from day one.

2. Sticker shock can derail a deal before sales teams can explain ROI

Software can be expensive, especially when you add in onboarding, training, integration, and internal change management. Vendors worry that publishing a full estimated cost without context may scare off potential buyers who don’t yet understand the product’s value. This is especially true for tools with high upfront costs but long-term ROI.

Take HR software pricing: while Gusto offers transparent flat pricing at $59/month plus $8 per employee, other platforms in the space may tack on implementation fees that can reach 20% of the annual contract, a detail not visible until deeper in the sales process. 

3. Competitive concerns keep pricing behind the curtain

Many vendors view their pricing as a strategic asset. If they post it online, they fear giving rivals an advantage or triggering pricing pressure from customers who discover cheaper alternatives.

The pricing grid itself can become part of the game in highly competitive categories like marketing automation or team collaboration. Not showing your hand is a form of defense.

For example, in chatbot pricing, platforms like Tidio (Lyro AI) publish clear monthly rates ($68/month), making it easier for SMBs to evaluate. Meanwhile, other platforms targeting enterprise users reveal nothing upfront. The intent is clear: control the value conversation before showing the cost.

This strategic withholding of pricing isn’t limited to competitive head-to-heads. It also plays out behind the scenes. Vendors that sell through resellers or implementation partners often avoid publishing prices to prevent undercutting their channel or exposing inconsistent offers across regions.

What happens when buyers can’t see software pricing

Lack of transparent software pricing introduces friction throughout the buying journey. It slows down research, increases sales cycle lengths, and undermines buyer trust. What might seem like a smart sales tactic on the vendor side often becomes a blocker for buyers trying to make fast, informed decisions.

Here’s how a lack of pricing transparency creates real-world buyer friction:

• Endless research loops and abandonment: Buyers who encounter “contact sales” CTAs are often forced to jump between vendor websites, third-party reviews, and even Reddit threads just to estimate cost.
• Longer, costlier sales cycles: Unclear pricing leads to more internal approvals, budget clarifications, and stakeholder alignment meetings.
• Loss of first-mover advantage: When pricing isn’t visible, vendors often miss out on early shortlist inclusion. 
• A trust penalty for the vendor: Vendors who hide pricing are more likely to face increased scrutiny, longer proof-of-value phases, and additional reference checks.

This is exactly the gap G2 is closing by sharing pricing on its product pages. By letting buyers unlock real pricing ranges in exchange for a verified email, G2 makes it easier for buyers to compare software, build trust, and move forward faster.

Curious to see actual software costs? G2 rolls out a pilot to show pricing on product pages

Beginning this year, G2 is doing what review sites rarely attempt: share an estimated price range backed by live contract data. This experience will live on in almost 9,000 paid and free product profiles on G2.

Here's an example of what that looks like.

G2 Marketing Solutions product page on G2 

So, here’s what you’ll get to see:

• Time to implement: How long it takes for a customer to set up, configure, and start using the software after buying it.
• Return on investment: When buyers start to see measurable business value post-purchase.
• Average discount: The percentage of discount a buyer can expect from the vendor.
• Perceived cost: It isn’t the actual cost. Instead, it shows how expensive a product feels to the buyer based on its price, value, and comparison to alternatives.
• How much a product costs: The price range of a software product. 

To see the pricing range, visitors simply need to pop in a verified work email. 

Note: At the time of writing, pricing data is live on a few hundred product profiles as part of an initial rollout. We’re continuing to test and refine the experience and plan to expand this visibility across many more profiles in the coming months.

How will the transparent pricing on G2 benefit buyers?

The new pricing section on G2’s product pages will give buyers a budget anchor without forcing a discovery call. It will help software buying committees:

• Discard out-of-range options early: Spot sticker shock early, shrink the long list of potential vendors, and de-risk stakeholder meetings.
• Conduct budget checks: Buyers can see a bracket grounded in actual invoices instead of guessing whether a tool is $5K or $50K.
• Make stronger internal business cases: A price range along with G2 reviews is ammo for CFO approval decks.
• Centralize all research in one place: With all the information buyers need (reviews, product features, alternatives, pros and cons) now in one place, G2 becomes a single source of truth. This eliminates the need to search across vendor blogs, forums, and online communities.

Got questions? G2 is here to help.

Find answers to questions you may have. 

Q1. How does the new pricing section on G2 product pages help with software cost transparency?

The new pricing section shows estimated software pricing on product pages, helping buyers see real cost ranges without needing a sales call.

Q2. Why do I need to verify my work email to view software pricing on G2?

To protect sensitive pricing data and improve accuracy, G2 requires a quick email verification before showing estimated software costs.

Q3. Which software products show pricing estimates on G2?

G2 displays price ranges on about 9,000 B2B software profiles that have non-public pricing and enough verified contract data.

Q4. What happens to my email after I unlock pricing on G2?

Your email may be shared with the software vendor as a verified lead, helping them follow up with tailored pricing or answer any questions you may have. 

Q5. Will G2’s transparent product pricing range help vendors?

Yes, transparent price brackets let buyers see whether a tool fits their budget, so they can shortlist your product and reach out with confidence.

Q6. Is the pricing info available for all software solutions on G2?

Not yet. Pricing data is available on a couple of hundred product profiles on G2. We’re refining the experience and expect to roll out this visibility to many additional profiles over the next few months.

Because no one wants to 'request a quote'

Getting pricing clarity is finally frictionless. 

Look for the new “get price estimate” button on G2 product pages. One email, one click, and you’ll have a credible ballpark figure to take into your next budget meeting. 

For vendors, this is your chance to meet buyers where they are. Replacing vague “request a quote” buttons with real pricing ranges reduces bounce rates, captures high-intent leads, and shortens sales cycles. With G2, transparency becomes a conversion tool.

Learn how G2’s Buyer Intent can help you find customers primed to purchase.