OneTimeSuite Blog · 2026

Star Stack vs Trustpilot Business: Open Source vs Subscription

Star Stack and Trustpilot Business solve the same problem from opposite directions: one is source-available software you can own outright for $29, the other is a subscription at $199+/mo run entirely on someone else's servers.

Head to head

Star StackTrustpilot Business
Price$29 once$199+/mo
Cost after 1 year$29$2,388+
Show your existing reviews on your siteYesYes
Your data, your serverYesNo
Moderation / curationYes, full controlLimited
Widget brandingYoursTheirs
Review invitations / SEO snippet networkNoYes
Source codeMIT, on GitHubClosed

What Star Stack does well

  • Multiple sources — Google Business Profile, Facebook Page reviews, and manual or CSV import for everything else.
  • BYO API keys — You plug in your own free-tier Google and Facebook credentials, so there is no proxy service to bill you monthly.
  • Moderation first — Synced and imported reviews arrive hidden — approve, hide or feature from the dashboard, so nothing goes public without your click.
  • Embeddable widget — One script tag, shadow-DOM isolated, in grid or carousel with light, dark or auto theme and a custom accent color.

What Trustpilot Business still does better

There's a real reason Trustpilot Business costs what it does: a bigger team, broader integrations and dedicated support behind it. If that ecosystem is genuinely what you need, it's worth paying for.

Which one should you pick

If your workflow depends on Trustpilot Business's specific integrations or you'd rather not run anything yourself, stay put — that's a legitimate call. If you're comfortable owning the tool and want to stop paying $199+/mo for a job your own hardware can do, Star Stack pays for itself and then some: costs less than a single month of Trustpilot Business, then displays your stars for free.

Try Star Stack — $29, once

Self-hosted widget aggregating Google, Facebook and CSV reviews with moderation and a star badge.