Google Reviews Widget vs Strong Testimonials
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| Feature | Google Reviews Widget v7.2 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free · ★ 4.9/5 Visit Details | Strong Testimonials v3.3.15 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free + paid · ★ 4.8/5 Visit Details |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Active installs | 100,000+ | 80,000+ |
| Last updated | October 20, 2026 | October 20, 2026 |
| Editions | Rich Showcase for Google Reviews | Strong Testimonials · Strong Testimonials Pro ($) |
| Pros | Slider, grid, list and rating layouts; Widget, shortcode and block options; Daily review refresh once an API key is set | Front-end submission form with moderation; Views, slideshows, widget, block and shortcodes; Average rating and count shortcodes |
| Cons | Daily updates depend on a Google API key; Calls go to third-party hosts such as the theme CDN and an IP check; Support debug and feedback forms send data when used | Video testimonials, extra templates and imports need the paid version; Pulls remote notices and upsells from a vendor feed; Multiple overlapping views and templates to learn |
| Mentioned in our posts | 1 | 1 |
| More features | ||
| Other features | Slider, grid, list and rating layouts, Reviews widget, Reviews block, Scheduled review refresh, Connect to Google Places for reviews, Layout themes loaded from the vendor CDN | Front-end testimonial submission form, View shortcode to display testimonials, Gutenberg block for testimonial views, Testimonial view widget, Average rating and count shortcodes, Email notifications sent through a mail queue, Privacy hooks for stored testimonial data, Pro extensions unlocked with a licence key ($) |
| Integrations | ||
| Plugins | — | Polylang, WPML |
| Other | Google Places API, Google Maps, Rich Plugins theme CDN | — |
| Requires WordPress | 6.0 | 5.2 |
| Requires PHP | 7.2 | 5.6 |
| Tested up to | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| Phones home | No | No |
| External services | maps.googleapis.com, places.googleapis.com, app.richplugins.com, ip6.me, cdn.reviewsplugin.com, admin.richplugins.com | license.wpchill.com, wp-modula.com |
| Blocks | 1 | 1 |
| Shortcodes | 1 | — |