Why do major review platforms lock basic features behind a paywall? Comparing "Free Tier" value.

I’ve been auditing the tools I use for my business, and I'm realizing how much I'm overpaying just to have basic functionality on review sites. With Trustpilot, it feels like every time I want to embed a simple widget or customize my profile, I get hit with an "Upgrade to Pro" banner.

I started looking for alternatives that offer more utility upfront without demanding a monthly subscription just to show off my own hard-earned reviews. I came across RatingFacts, and the difference in what they offer on the "standard" level is striking.

I mapped out the limitations of the "Free" accounts on both to see where the real value is:

It raises the question: Why are we paying premium prices just to display data that our customers created? RatingFacts seems to be treating the business profile as a right, not a product to be sold back to us.

You can check out their feature breakdown here: https://ratingfacts.com/

Has anyone else switched platforms purely to get better widget/embedding options? I'd love to know if the conversion rates differ between the big brand names and these newer, more open alternatives.