BestReviews
BestReviews is a US consumer product review platform operating a Testing Lab, 40,000+ reviews across 27 categories, and an AI assistant called Bestie, monetizing through affiliate commissions to Amazon, Walmart, and Target.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What BestReviews does
BestReviews is a San Francisco-based consumer product review platform founded in 2014 that publishes more than 40,000 expert-written reviews across 27 product categories and 435 subcategories, spanning electronics, home and garden, kitchen, beauty, automotive, and other consumer verticals. The company operates a dedicated Testing Lab in which products are evaluated hands-on in real-world environments (kitchens, backyards, home offices) by a team that includes PhDs, professional bakers, and other subject-matter specialists. Its core deliverable is editorial content — buying guides, top-pick lists, deal roundups, and now weekly video "Epic Discounts" segments — surfaced primarily through organic search and a twice-weekly email newsletter. The company is operationally affiliated with Nexstar Media Group, a publicly traded diversified media conglomerate, as indicated by the use of Nexstar-hosted Privacy Policy and Terms of Service on the site.
The platform's business model is affiliate-driven commerce content: BestReviews is free to consumers and earns revenue primarily through affiliate commissions on purchases made when readers click through to retailers, with Amazon as the dominant partner and Walmart and Target as secondary partners. The company also operates a 2x weekly newsletter that drives repeat engagement and includes newsletter-exclusive coupons. Recent product investments include an AI-powered assistant called "Ask Bestie" for natural-language product discovery, a Top Deals / Prime Day commerce vertical, and curated Gift Guides organized by recipient and occasion. The customer base is horizontal — general consumers researching purchases — and distribution is concentrated in the United States. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed, and the company is privately held with 51–100 employees.
BestReviews firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BestReviews
- Legal name
- BestReviews
- Website
- https://bestreviews.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- BestReviews is a US consumer product review platform operating a Testing Lab, 40,000+ reviews across 27 categories, and an AI assistant called Bestie, monetizing through affiliate commissions to Amazon, Walmart, and Target.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BestReviews industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Consumer Product Reviews
- NAICS
- Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (519290), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- E-commerce & Retail Recommendation Engines (HDAAAGAA)
Keywords
Where BestReviews is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
BestReviews business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Affiliate Marketing: BestReviews earns commissions through affiliate links to retailers such as Amazon, directing readers to purchase products after reading reviews.
- Newsletter Subscription: The company offers a newsletter subscription (2x weekly) delivering exclusive deals and expert picks to subscribers.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
BestReviews product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BestReviews publishes in-depth, expert-written reviews and recommendations of consumer products across 27 categories and 435 subcategories, supported by a proprietary in-house Testing Lab that evaluates products in real-world environments. The platform is free for consumers and monetizes via affiliate links to retailers like Amazon. It also offers an AI assistant ("Ask Bestie"), a twice-weekly newsletter, curated gift guides, a top deals section, and a video series ("Epic Discounts") that drive purchasing decisions across home, electronics, kitchen, beauty, and outdoor categories.
Product overview
BestReviews is a consumer product review platform offering a unified ecosystem of review content, AI-powered assistance, and deal aggregation. The core offering is the product review platform featuring over 40,000 reviews across 27 categories, complemented by the 'Ask Bestie' AI assistant for product queries, a twice-weekly newsletter, and 'Epic Discounts' video series. Additional modules include curated Gift Guides and a Top Deals section. The platform also operates a Testing Lab where products receive hands-on evaluation in real-world settings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- BestReviews Product Review Platform
- Ask Bestie
- BestReviews Newsletter
- BestReviews Testing Lab
Companies that use BestReviews
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
BestReviews technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
BestReviews partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
BestReviews competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Popular Mechanics: Hearst-owned science, technology, and product review publication covering tools, home, and outdoor. Comparable to BestReviews on product recommendation and affiliate content, but operates as a broad science/tech title rather than a dedicated product review platform.
- Good Housekeeping: Hearst's flagship home and lifestyle magazine and digital site, which includes product reviews and recommendations across home, kitchen, and beauty. Comparable to BestReviews on categories and consumer trust, but operates as part of a much larger magazine media portfolio rather than specializing in product reviews.
Direct peers
- Consumer Reports: Iconic independent product testing organization that publishes in-depth, lab-tested reviews across consumer categories. Direct peer to BestReviews on testing methodology, content depth, and consumer pre-purchase research use case, though it is a non-profit and does not monetize via affiliate links.
- Reviewed: USA Today/Gannett's product review site with hands-on testing across home, kitchen, tech, and lifestyle categories. Direct competitor to BestReviews in mission, content format, and affiliate-driven revenue model.
- Wirecutter: The New York Times' product review and recommendation site, the most prominent direct competitor to BestReviews. Wirecutter and BestReviews both publish expert-driven, hands-on product reviews and monetize via affiliate links to retailers — making them closely aligned in product, business model, and target audience.
- CNET: Major consumer technology and product review publisher (owned by Red Ventures) that covers many of the same categories as BestReviews (Electronics, Home, Appliances). Both operate a content + affiliate commerce model targeting pre-purchase consumers.
- Tom's Guide: Future plc's consumer technology and product review site covering electronics, home, and lifestyle. Operates an affiliate commerce model very similar to BestReviews', with overlapping categories and a strong SEO presence.
- PCMag: Ziff Davis-owned consumer technology review and buying-advice publisher. Comparable to BestReviews' Electronics category, monetizing through affiliate links to retailers and using a mix of editorial and lab-based testing.
Emerging players
- Gear Patrol: Independent men's-lifestyle and product review publisher covering outdoor, tech, home, and style. Comparable to BestReviews on affiliate commerce and review format, with a more curated, brand-driven positioning and smaller scale.
- The Strategist: New York Magazine's product recommendation vertical covering home, beauty, and lifestyle. Overlaps with BestReviews on review content and affiliate monetization, with a sharper lifestyle/cultural angle and smaller testing operation.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BestReviews social profiles
Digital presenceBestReviews financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BestReviews leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
BestReviews funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BestReviews M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BestReviews
What does BestReviews do?
BestReviews publishes in-depth, expert-written reviews and recommendations of consumer products across 27 categories and 435 subcategories, supported by a proprietary in-house Testing Lab that evaluates products in real-world environments. The platform is free for consumers and monetizes via affiliate links to retailers like Amazon. It also offers an AI assistant ("Ask Bestie"), a twice-weekly newsletter, curated gift guides, a top deals section, and a video series ("Epic Discounts") that drive purchasing decisions across home, electronics, kitchen, beauty, and outdoor categories.
Is BestReviews a public or private company?
BestReviews is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was BestReviews founded?
BestReviews was founded in 2014. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is BestReviews based?
BestReviews is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does BestReviews make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Affiliate Marketing is the primary driver. The others are newsletter Subscription.
Who are BestReviews's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Popular Mechanics and Good Housekeeping. Direct peers are Consumer Reports, Reviewed, Wirecutter, CNET, Tom's Guide and PCMag. Emerging players are Gear Patrol and The Strategist.
Does BestReviews have an API?
No public API is recorded for BestReviews.
What industry is BestReviews in?
BestReviews's product category is Consumer Product Reviews. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAAAGAA, E-commerce & Retail Recommendation Engines. Its NAICS code is 519290 and its SIC code is 7311.