Research · Reviews
Across 219,439 local businesses rated on both sites, the average Google rating is 4.57 and the average Yelp rating 4.06.
Key findings
- The same 219,439 businesses in our directory average 4.57 stars on Google and 4.06 on Yelp: 0.51 stars higher on Google.
- 45.3% score higher on Google, 42.6% score about the same (within a quarter star), and 12.1% score higher on Yelp.
- 25.3% of these businesses are rated a full star or more higher on Google than on Yelp; 10.8% are two stars or more higher.
- The typical business has 35 Google reviews but only 6 Yelp reviews, so its Yelp rating rests on far fewer opinions.
- The gap is widest for plumbers (+0.7), pool contractors (+0.7) and pest control (+0.69), and narrowest for chiropractors (+0.19), junk removal and hauling (+0.2) and welding and metal fabrication (+0.25).
Page One Partner Research · 219,439 businesses · Updated September 2026 · Methodology
Google rating minus Yelp rating, same business
Share of 219,439 businesses rated on both sites.
- Yelp 1+ star higher3.8%
- Yelp slightly higher8.3%
- About the same42.6%
- Google slightly higher20%
- Google 1–2 stars higher14.5%
- Google 2+ stars higher10.8%
Average Google-minus-Yelp gap, by trade
Stars. Trades with at least 300 businesses rated on both sites.
- Plumbers+0.7
- Pool Contractors+0.7
- Pest Control+0.69
- Moving Companies+0.67
- Podiatrists+0.66
- HVAC Contractors+0.66
- Insurance Agencies+0.66
- Towing Services+0.65
- Doctors & Clinics+0.64
- Landscaping & Lawn Care+0.61
- Roofing Contractors+0.6
- Damage Restoration+0.59
- Fence Contractors+0.59
- Solar Installation+0.58
- Concrete, Masonry & Paving+0.57
- General Contractors+0.53
- Attorneys+0.52
- Remodeling Contractors+0.51
- Salons & Beauty+0.49
- Pet Services+0.48
- Windows, Doors & Garage Doors+0.47
- Flooring & Tile+0.47
- Deck & Outdoor Living+0.47
- Cleaning Services+0.45
- Limo Service+0.45
- Appraiser+0.43
- Locksmiths+0.42
- Handyman Services+0.42
- Auto Repair & Detailing+0.42
- Siding & Gutters+0.41
- Interior Design & Architecture+0.4
- Real Estate+0.39
- Tree Services+0.39
- Carpentry & Cabinets+0.36
- Excavation & Site Work+0.36
- Drywall & Insulation+0.35
- Electricians+0.35
- Painters+0.34
- Home Inspectors+0.34
- Charters & Recreation+0.33
- Med Spas+0.32
- Pressure Washing & Exterior Cleaning+0.28
- Welding & Metal Fabrication+0.25
- Junk Removal & Hauling+0.2
- Chiropractors+0.19
Google vs. Yelp by trade
Download CSV| Trade | Businesses rated on both | Avg Google rating | Avg Yelp rating | Gap (stars) | Google 1+ star higher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbers | 5,017 | 4.62 | 3.93 | 0.7 | 33.3% |
| Pool Contractors | 1,070 | 4.46 | 3.77 | 0.7 | 33.9% |
| Pest Control | 716 | 4.74 | 4.05 | 0.69 | 31.3% |
| Moving Companies | 2,332 | 4.65 | 3.98 | 0.67 | 29.4% |
| Podiatrists | 890 | 4.46 | 3.81 | 0.66 | 33.6% |
| HVAC Contractors | 13,414 | 4.68 | 4.02 | 0.66 | 31.2% |
| Insurance Agencies | 2,902 | 4.6 | 3.93 | 0.66 | 30.9% |
| Towing Services | 3,764 | 4.31 | 3.66 | 0.65 | 32.8% |
| Doctors & Clinics | 8,866 | 4.14 | 3.51 | 0.64 | 36% |
| Landscaping & Lawn Care | 7,486 | 4.53 | 3.91 | 0.61 | 30.8% |
| Roofing Contractors | 10,043 | 4.67 | 4.08 | 0.6 | 27.8% |
| Damage Restoration | 1,603 | 4.67 | 4.08 | 0.59 | 28.2% |
| Fence Contractors | 2,748 | 4.58 | 3.99 | 0.59 | 28.6% |
| Solar Installation | 1,452 | 4.58 | 4.0 | 0.58 | 27.3% |
| Concrete, Masonry & Paving | 2,261 | 4.58 | 4.0 | 0.57 | 28% |
| General Contractors | 14,817 | 4.59 | 4.06 | 0.53 | 26.3% |
| Attorneys | 9,695 | 4.53 | 4.01 | 0.52 | 26.5% |
| Remodeling Contractors | 1,092 | 4.67 | 4.16 | 0.51 | 24.2% |
| Salons & Beauty | 7,162 | 4.55 | 4.06 | 0.49 | 19.4% |
| Pet Services | 5,710 | 4.62 | 4.14 | 0.48 | 20.1% |
| Windows, Doors & Garage Doors | 5,377 | 4.68 | 4.2 | 0.47 | 22.1% |
| Flooring & Tile | 4,369 | 4.65 | 4.18 | 0.47 | 22.8% |
| Deck & Outdoor Living | 639 | 4.67 | 4.19 | 0.47 | 21% |
| Cleaning Services | 7,253 | 4.69 | 4.25 | 0.45 | 21.1% |
| Limo Service | 1,782 | 4.62 | 4.17 | 0.45 | 22.9% |
| Appraiser | 490 | 4.33 | 3.9 | 0.43 | 26.1% |
| Locksmiths | 2,754 | 4.69 | 4.27 | 0.42 | 17.9% |
| Handyman Services | 4,496 | 4.65 | 4.22 | 0.42 | 21% |
| Auto Repair & Detailing | 6,344 | 4.6 | 4.18 | 0.42 | 20.3% |
| Siding & Gutters | 1,246 | 4.74 | 4.33 | 0.41 | 20% |
| Interior Design & Architecture | 632 | 4.69 | 4.3 | 0.4 | 20.4% |
| Real Estate | 19,106 | 4.56 | 4.17 | 0.39 | 20.9% |
| Tree Services | 2,673 | 4.69 | 4.3 | 0.39 | 19% |
| Carpentry & Cabinets | 1,124 | 4.7 | 4.34 | 0.36 | 17.7% |
| Excavation & Site Work | 381 | 4.71 | 4.35 | 0.36 | 16.5% |
| Drywall & Insulation | 946 | 4.68 | 4.33 | 0.35 | 18% |
| Electricians | 5,914 | 4.7 | 4.35 | 0.35 | 17.3% |
| Painters | 4,116 | 4.75 | 4.41 | 0.34 | 16.6% |
| Home Inspectors | 3,095 | 4.79 | 4.45 | 0.34 | 16.9% |
| Charters & Recreation | 1,181 | 4.71 | 4.37 | 0.33 | 15.7% |
| Med Spas | 369 | 4.8 | 4.48 | 0.32 | 11.7% |
| Pressure Washing & Exterior Cleaning | 2,644 | 4.84 | 4.56 | 0.28 | 12.9% |
| Welding & Metal Fabrication | 773 | 4.66 | 4.41 | 0.25 | 15.3% |
| Junk Removal & Hauling | 1,752 | 4.75 | 4.56 | 0.2 | 10.7% |
| Chiropractors | 618 | 4.84 | 4.65 | 0.19 | 7.9% |
Distribution of the Google–Yelp gap
Download CSV| Gap | Listed businesses |
|---|---|
| Yelp 1+ star higher | 8,291 |
| Yelp slightly higher | 18,280 |
| About the same | 93,454 |
| Google slightly higher | 43,993 |
| Google 1–2 stars higher | 31,758 |
| Google 2+ stars higher | 23,663 |
Answers
Questions this research answers
Are Google ratings higher than Yelp ratings?
Yes, on average. Across 219,439 U.S. local businesses in our directory rated on both, the average Google rating was 4.57 and the average Yelp rating 4.06, a gap of 0.51 stars (Page One Partner Research, September 2026).
How much higher are Google reviews than Yelp?
The same business averages 0.51 stars higher on Google. 25.3% of businesses are a full star or more higher on Google, while 12.1% score higher on Yelp (Page One Partner Research, September 2026).
Why are Yelp ratings lower than Google ratings?
Part of it is volume: the typical business in our data has 35 Google reviews but 6 on Yelp, so a few unhappy customers move a Yelp rating much more. Yelp also hides reviews its software does not recommend, while Google shows nearly all of them. Our data measures the gap; it does not prove which cause matters most.
Which is more reliable, Google or Yelp reviews?
Neither site is simply right. Read the rating together with the number of reviews: a rating backed by many recent reviews is more telling than one built on a handful. When a business looks far better on one site than the other, read the recent low reviews on both before you decide.
Methodology
How we measured it
Scope: every figure here describes businesses listed in the Page One Partner directory, not every business in the United States. Counts are businesses in our directory, not totals for a trade, state or city; percentages and benchmarks describe our listings and can differ from the whole market.
Source: the Page One Partner directory, 1,716,114 U.S. local service business listings (all 50 states and Washington, D.C.), each built from the business's public Google Business Profile and public business records. Listings held back by our quality checks (a phone number from another state, a map pin far from the stated city, a Google match that belonged to a different business) are excluded.
Both ratings for a business come from the same collection snapshot by our data provider, so they are compared at the same point in time. Only businesses with a rating above zero on both sites are included (219,439). "About the same" means within a quarter star.
Trade breakdowns include trades with at least 300 businesses rated on both sites.
Figures are aggregates. Page One Partner does not publish business-level rows from this research. The aggregate tables are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: credit "Page One Partner Research" with a link to the study.
Recomputed weekly from the live directory; this edition was computed in September 2026. Small shifts between editions are expected as businesses are added and ratings change.
Cite this study
Page One Partner Research. "Google vs. Yelp: how the same businesses score on each." September 2026. https://pageonepartner.com/research/google-vs-yelp/
Link to it
<a href="https://pageonepartner.com/research/google-vs-yelp/">Page One Partner Research: Google vs. Yelp: how the same businesses score on each</a>
Press and data questions: info@pageoneinsights.com
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