When it comes to online reviews, Trustpilot has long been one of the biggest names in the industry. But in 2025, more and more businesses and consumers are questioning whether Trustpilot reviews can truly be trusted.
This has created an opportunity for new review platforms like Rated Stores to step in with a different approach — one built on transparency, fairness, and unbiased scoring.
In this in-depth comparison, we’ll explore:
- What makes Trustpilot unique (and where it falls short)
- How Rated Stores works differently
- Key features, pros, and cons of each platform
- Which platform may be the better fit for your business in 2025
🏢 What is Trustpilot?
Trustpilot is one of the oldest and most recognized review platforms. Founded in 2007 in Denmark, it has grown into a global brand with millions of reviews across countless industries.
Businesses can set up a free profile, but most of Trustpilot’s features — including the ability to display reviews on your website — are gated behind paid subscription plans.
Key Features of Trustpilot
- Large global consumer base and recognition
- Free company profile (but limited functionality)
- Paid plans with features like widgets, review invitations, and analytics
- TrustScore rating system based on 1–5 stars
- Review flagging and reporting system
⭐ What is Rated Stores?
Rated Stores is a next-generation review platform built in 2025 with one clear mission:
to make online reviews fair, transparent, and trustworthy again.
Unlike older platforms that have come under fire for bias towards paying customers, Rated Stores uses a unique scoring algorithm and open company listings to ensure a level playing field for all businesses.
Key Features of Rated Stores
- Free for consumers — anyone can leave reviews for any company
- Advanced scoring algorithm that looks beyond raw star averages
- Tools like the Review Score Calculator for businesses and consumers
- Transparent approach — no pay-to-remove or pay-to-bury reviews
- Modern design and SEO-focused company pages
🔍 Rated Stores vs Trustpilot: Feature Comparison
| Feature | Trustpilot | Rated Stores |
|---|---|---|
| Free Company Profiles | ✅ Available but limited | ✅ Fully available |
| Review Invitations | ✅ Unlimited only with higher plans | ✅ Standard & transparent |
| Review Removal | ❌ Negative reviews can sometimes be flagged or disputed, especially by paying customers | ❌ Reviews may be flagged for abuse but no bias towards paid accounts |
| Scoring System | TrustScore (average-based, influenced by timing & volume) | Weighted score algorithm accounting for review distribution & credibility |
| Transparency | Mixed — concerns about bias towards subscribers | High — no preferential treatment |
| Pricing | Free basic, paid plans for features (can get expensive) | Simple, transparent pricing for businesses |
| Consumer Trust | Recognized globally, but some question fairness | Emerging, but built on transparency-first principles |
🚩 Common Criticisms of Trustpilot
Trustpilot has helped make online reviews mainstream — but with that scale has come criticism. Some of the most common concerns include:
1. Pay-to-Play Concerns
Many businesses and consumers believe that Trustpilot favors companies who pay for subscription plans.
For example:
- Paying customers often have more tools to flag or challenge negative reviews.
- Free users have fewer options for displaying or managing their reviews.
While Trustpilot states that it enforces fairness, the perception of bias has been growing, particularly in recent years.
2. Review Removal
There are countless online discussions suggesting that negative reviews sometimes “disappear” from Trustpilot, often for companies with paid accounts. While Trustpilot has policies against review manipulation, the system leaves room for doubt — and once consumer trust is questioned, it’s hard to rebuild.
3. Legal PR Moves
Trustpilot frequently references its legal action against fake review sellers, highlighting it as proof of legitimacy. However, critics argue this is more of a PR move than a day-to-day safeguard. After all, fake review marketplaces still exist, and enforcement is rare.
✅ How Rated Stores Does It Differently
Rated Stores was designed to learn from these shortcomings.
1. No Preferential Treatment
Whether a business pays for premium features or not, reviews are treated equally. There’s no ability to “bury” or “disappear” negative reviews.
2. Advanced Scoring
Instead of relying only on averages, Rated Stores uses a weighted scoring algorithm. For example:
- A business with 95% five-star reviews and 5% one-star reviews may still raise red flags (possible manipulation).
- A balanced distribution across ratings may be more trustworthy.
This makes it harder for companies to game the system.
3. Transparency as a Core Value
Rated Stores publishes clear explanations of how scores are calculated and makes tools like the Review Score Calculator available for free.
4. Fair Business Model
Rather than gating trust behind expensive subscriptions, Rated Stores focuses on long-term credibility. The business model is not built on letting companies “pay away” bad publicity.
📊 Which Platform is Better for Businesses?
Trustpilot Advantages
- Huge brand recognition
- Millions of existing consumer users
- Global visibility
Rated Stores Advantages
- Fair scoring and transparent rules
- No perception of bias towards paying companies
- Fresh, modern platform designed for 2025 SEO
- Tools for both businesses and consumers to validate reviews
If your goal is brand recognition alone, Trustpilot may still carry weight. But if your goal is long-term trust and credibility, Rated Stores may be the smarter choice.
🧭 Which Platform is Better for Consumers?
Consumers want reviews they can actually trust.
- On Trustpilot, reviews are plentiful but some worry about fairness.
- On Rated Stores, reviews may be newer and fewer in number (for now), but the algorithm is designed to protect transparency from the start.
For consumers who value genuine experiences over manipulated averages, Rated Stores provides a clearer picture.
🌍 SEO & Visibility: A Hidden Advantage of Rated Stores
One area where Rated Stores stands out is SEO optimization. Each business page is structured to rank on Google for “[Company Name] reviews,” making it easier for consumers to find authentic feedback.
For example, compare this blog post: 50 Online Review Statistics Every Business Owner Should Know in 2025.
It demonstrates how Rated Stores leverages content + tools + reviews together to increase visibility — something Trustpilot’s older, less agile platform struggles with.
🏆 Final Verdict: Rated Stores vs Trustpilot
Trustpilot has history, scale, and global recognition. But in 2025, trust in Trustpilot itself is being questioned.
Rated Stores may not have the same size yet, but it has something more valuable in today’s market: credibility and transparency.
For businesses tired of feeling pressured into expensive review plans, and for consumers who want unbiased reviews, Rated Stores is built for the future of trust.