A focused, transparently-priced Birdeye alternative.
Birdeye is enterprise-grade reputation management. Starvo is the small-business version: faster to set up, transparently priced, and built for owners who do not have a marketing department.
Why people switch
Birdeye is one of the most feature-rich reputation platforms in the market — surveys, listings management, competitor benchmarking, social monitoring, and reviews all under one roof. That capability is the right answer if you run a multi-thousand-location chain with a reputation team.
For a single owner or a small group of locations, Birdeye is over-built and priced for a different buyer. Starvo gives you the review funnel that matters — QR collection, AI replies, Google sync, multi-location dashboards — at a price you can pay on a credit card.
Starvo vs Birdeye at a glance
| Dimension | Starvo | Birdeye |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free forever for 1 location. Paid plans from $9/month. | Public pricing is not listed. Sales-led; typically quoted at enterprise tier. |
| Free plan | Yes — 1 location, 50 scans/month, 20 AI replies/month. | No free plan. |
| Sign-up flow | Self-serve. Credit card, no sales call. | Demo + sales process. |
| Scope | Review management. Focused. | Reputation suite: reviews, listings, surveys, social, competitor benchmarking, BI. |
| Multi-location | 1 (Free/Starter) / 3 (Pro) / 10 (Pro Max) / Custom (Enterprise). | Built for many-location operators; scales high. |
| AI review replies | Included on every plan. 20 → 2,000/month. | AI features available on higher tiers. |
| Google review sync | OAuth connect, daily sync, reply from Starvo. Included on Pro and above. | Yes, part of the reputation suite. |
| Contract | No contract, cancel anytime, monthly billing. | Annual contracts common. |
| Setup time | Minutes — sign up, add location, download QR. | Typically a guided onboarding over days or weeks. |
Comparison reflects publicly available information at time of writing. Competitor pricing and features change — verify on their site before deciding.
Who each is best for
Starvo is best for
- Single locations and small chains (up to 10 on Pro Max, custom beyond)
- Owners who want to start free and upgrade only when they outgrow the limits
- Businesses that do not need listings management, surveys, or competitor benchmarking
Birdeye is best for
- Mid-market and enterprise chains needing listings, surveys, benchmarking, and social all-in-one
- Teams with dedicated reputation managers and procurement processes
Being honest about it
If you need listings management across dozens of directories, NPS-style surveys, competitor benchmarking, or a single platform for a multi-location enterprise — Birdeye does that, Starvo does not. Starvo wins on price, simplicity, and time-to-first-QR-code for everyone else.
What Starvo will not do: we will never tell you a competitor is bad just because we want your business. Pick the tool that fits your operation. If Starvo is the right fit, the free plan lets you find out without paying anything.
FAQ
What is Starvo?
Starvo is a review management platform for local businesses. Customers scan a QR code, rate the business 1 to 5 stars, and Starvo encourages 4–5 star ratings to be posted on Google while routing 1–3 star feedback privately to the owner for follow-up.
Who is Starvo for?
Starvo is built for owner-operated local businesses — restaurants, cafés, hotels, salons, gyms, and clinics — who want a simple way to collect more public reviews and catch unhappy customers before they post a one-star review online.
How does Starvo work?
You print a QR code and place it on tables, receipts, or at checkout. A customer scans it, rates you 1–5 stars, and leaves a comment. Happy customers see a one-click link to your Google review page. Unhappy customers send private feedback to your dashboard so you can fix the issue first.
Is Starvo allowed by Google?
Yes. Google’s review policy requires that you must not selectively solicit positive reviews. Starvo shows the Google review link to every customer regardless of their rating — we just make it more inviting for the ones who had a great experience. This is fully compliant.
Isn’t this review gating?
No. Review gating means hiding the option to leave a public review from unhappy customers. Starvo never hides the Google review link — every customer at every rating sees it. We simply collect private feedback in parallel so owners can address issues directly.
Is there a free plan?
Yes. The Free plan includes 1 location, up to 50 customer scans per month, and 20 AI-generated replies per month. No credit card required. Use it indefinitely if it fits your needs.
How much does Starvo cost?
Free ($0): 1 location, 50 scans/month, 20 AI replies/month. Starter ($9/month): 1 location, unlimited scans, 50 AI replies. Pro ($29/month): 3 locations, unlimited scans, 500 AI replies, Google review sync. Pro Max ($99/month): 10 locations, 2,000 AI replies, public API access. Enterprise: custom.
Do you offer annual billing?
All paid plans are billed monthly today. Cancel anytime and your plan continues until the end of the current period. We may add annual billing in the future — email us if you’d like it now.
What counts toward my monthly reply limit?
Every outbound reply counts: AI-generated replies, manually written replies, and template-based replies. The limit is per location per calendar month and resets on the 1st. Replies to Google reviews share the same pool.
What is a customer scan?
A customer scan is a single submission of the review form by a customer. Loading the page does not count; submitting a rating does. On the Free plan you get 50 scan submissions per month. Paid plans are unlimited.
Can I change plans later?
Yes — upgrade or downgrade anytime from your dashboard. Upgrades take effect immediately. Downgrades take effect at the next billing cycle so you keep what you paid for.
Do I need a Google Business Profile to use Starvo?
You need one to receive public Google reviews from customers — that is how Google works, not specific to Starvo. If you don’t have one yet, create it for free at business.google.com. Starvo works without it but you won’t be able to direct customers anywhere to leave a public review.
How do I connect my Google Business Profile?
On Pro and Pro Max plans, go to your dashboard → Google integration and click Connect. You will sign in with the Google account that owns your business listing and grant Starvo read/write access to reviews. Disconnect anytime.
Will Starvo notify me if my Google rating drops?
Yes. On Pro and above, you get an email alert whenever your Google rating drops by 0.1 stars or more in 24 hours, so you can investigate and respond fast.
Will Starvo support WhatsApp review requests?
WhatsApp review prompts and follow-ups are on the roadmap. The current MVP focuses on the QR + private/public-routing flow. If WhatsApp is critical for you, email us — that helps us prioritize.
Try Starvo free
One location, 50 customer scans per month, 20 AI replies per month — free forever, no card required. Upgrade when you outgrow the limits.