EmbedSocial is a popular way to put Google reviews, social feeds, and other user content on a website. It has a free plan, but two limits catch people out: a cap of 500 widget views a month across your whole account, and a free Google widget that shows only a handful of reviews.
This guide compares EmbedSocial's free plan with a free alternative, so you can pick the right fit for your site. We make RepU, the alternative, so we've kept every EmbedSocial detail to what EmbedSocial publishes itself, and linked to it. All details were checked on 1 November 2026.
Quick answer: EmbedSocial's free plan includes unlimited widgets and one review source, but only 500 widget views a month across your account. When you hit the limit, your widgets stop showing until the next month. Its own FAQ says the free Google widget shows your latest 5 reviews. RepU's Google review widget is free forever, has no view limits, updates automatically, and displays your latest 30 reviews.
EmbedSocial free vs RepU free
| EmbedSocial (free) | RepU (free) | |
|---|---|---|
| Paid plans from | USD $29 a month | Widget stays free. Pro is AUD $19 a month per location |
| Platforms | Most website builders and CMS platforms | WordPress and 100+ other builders and AI tools |
| Review sources | 1 | |
| Review updates | Every 24 hours | Automatic |
| Reviews per widget | Latest 5 Google reviews | Your latest 30 |
| Views | 500 a month across your account, then widgets stop showing | No view limits |
| Widgets | Unlimited | Unlimited |
What EmbedSocial does well
EmbedSocial covers much more than Google reviews. On paid plans, you can connect Facebook reviews, Trustpilot, and social sources like Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and show them together. It offers unlimited widgets on every plan, AI tags and moderation on paid plans, and its free reviews widget page says it works with "99.9% of the popular CMS platforms and web builders."
Good for: brands that want reviews and social media feeds in one place, from several sources, and are happy to pay as they grow.
Where the free plan falls short
- 500 views a month: EmbedSocial's plan docs say a view is counted "each time someone loads a page where your widget is embedded," and the limit "applies to your whole account, not to individual widgets."
- Widgets stop at the limit: the same docs say that when you reach it, "your widget will stop displaying on your website until the next monthly reset."
- Five Google reviews: EmbedSocial's guide to its free Google widget says you can add "a maximum of five" of your most relevant reviews, and that showing all your reviews needs Pro. Its free widget page also mentions collecting up to 500 reviews, so check what you see in your own account.
- One source: the free plan connects one review or social source.
- Daily updates: the free widget page says new reviews sync every 24 hours on the free plan.
Here's what 500 views means in practice. A home page with 20 visits a day uses 500 views in under a month, and every other page with a widget draws from the same 500.
EmbedSocial's paid plans start with Pro at USD $29 a month, which adds 3 sources and 5,000 views a month, with 20% off when you pay yearly, according to its pricing page.
RepU: a free EmbedSocial alternative
RepU's Google review widget is free forever, with no credit card. It works on more than 100 website builders and AI tools, and includes:
- A floating widget, a carousel, or both
- Choose which star ratings to show
- Light or dark theme that matches your site's font
- New reviews that appear automatically
- No view limits
- Shows your latest 30 reviews
Good for: any business that wants its Google reviews on its website, without worrying about traffic or upgrading to see more than five reviews.
Watch out for: RepU shows Google reviews only, so if you want Facebook reviews or social feeds too, EmbedSocial covers more sources. The free widget shows a small "Powered by RepU" link, and you need a Google Business Profile.
If you want more from your reviews, RepU Pro adds lead capture forms, AI replies, and email review requests for AUD $19 a month per location, with a 30-day free trial. The widget stays free either way. For the full list, see what's included in the RepU free plan.
How to switch from EmbedSocial to RepU
- Sign up for RepU free with your Google account and select your Google Business Profile.
- Choose a floating widget, a carousel, or both, and copy your RepU code.
- Remove the EmbedSocial embed code from your pages, so you don't end up with two widgets.
- Paste the RepU code where the old widget was, or site-wide for the floating widget.
- Publish, then check your live site in a private window.
Our step-by-step guides show where the code goes on more than 100 platforms, including Webflow, Wix, and WordPress.
Other free alternatives
Elfsight's free plan allows 200 views a month, and Trustindex's free WordPress plugin shows up to 10 reviews and needs manual updates. See the free Elfsight alternative, the free Trustindex alternative, or compare six options in best free Google review widgets compared.
Frequently asked questions
Is EmbedSocial free?
Yes, with limits. The free plan includes unlimited widgets and one source, but only 500 widget views a month across your account, and the free Google widget shows your latest 5 reviews, according to EmbedSocial.
What happens when EmbedSocial runs out of views?
EmbedSocial says your widgets stop displaying on your website until the next monthly reset, or until you upgrade.
How much does EmbedSocial cost?
Paid plans start with Pro at USD $29 a month, with 3 sources and 5,000 views a month. Paying yearly saves 20%.
Is RepU free?
Yes. RepU's Google review widget is free forever, with no view limits, and displays your latest 30 reviews. It shows a small "Powered by RepU" link.
Ready for a widget that never switches off? Sign up free. No credit card, and no view limits.