★★★★★Trustpilot · September 2024
Reviewer said they got marketing emails from the sales team without signing up and called it a GDPR problem; noted an unsubscribe link exists.
We ran GWI through the same market research case we use for every tool in our market research platforms group, over 14 days. Of 200 responses in our standard ten-question case, 128 were usable and 72 were rejected by quality rules. The case took 441 minutes, and setup took 4 days with 12 hours of help.
That gave GWI 2.5 out of 5 overall and sixth place of seven tools. It passed 3 of 5 connector checks, 3 of 5 export checks and 7 of 10 compliance checks, so there were gaps at nearly every stage.
GWI suits agencies and brand teams that want to profile consumer audiences across many markets and are happy to go through sales. If you're a small business that wants a quick poll or to see prices first, it isn't built for you.
How we scored it
GWI scored 2.5 out of 5 overall. Value for money was its best part at 3, ease of use its weakest at 2, and features, implementation and compliance each scored 2.5.
Features2.5
Ease of use2.0
Implementation2.5
Compliance2.5
Value for money3.0
Overall score: 2.5 / 5, the average of the five parts, rounded to the nearest half point.
- Features (2.5/5): The data is broad, but only 128 of 200 responses in our case were usable after quality checks.
- Ease of use (2/5): The case took 441 minutes and needed several review steps.
- Implementation (2.5/5): Setup took 4 days and 12 hours of assisted help before we could work properly.
- Compliance (2.5/5): It passed 7 of our 10 compliance requirement checks.
- Value for money (3/5): This was its best score, but with no public prices you only learn the real cost after talking to sales.
Best of 2026
See the ranking →
The best market research platforms
Before you pick GWI, see how all 7 tools ranked in the same test.
GWI in plain terms
GWI, formerly GlobalWebIndex, sells audience data. It surveys consumers around the world and lets you slice their answers by attitudes, interests, media habits and the brands they use. You might use it to build a profile of, say, young parents who shop online, and compare them with the wider market.
It's aimed at agencies, media owners and brand teams. That makes it different from survey tools like Pollfish, where you write your own questions and send them to a panel. GWI gives you an existing dataset, plus bespoke research projects if you need something custom.
GWI was founded in 2009 by Tom Smith and lists London and New York as its headquarters. It raised a $180 million Series B in 2022. In January 2026 it launched Agent Spark, which lets customers ask questions of GWI data from ChatGPT, Claude and Microsoft Copilot.
What happens after you sign up
GWI is a data platform you explore rather than a survey you send, and working with it follows four steps.
1. Pick an audience. Build a custom audience from the survey questions inside the platform.
2. Explore the data. Cross-tabulate, chart and compare your audience against the wider market.
3. Present it. Export charts or use the presentation tools built into the platform.
4. Connect other tools. Pull data through GWI's APIs, MCP or the Agent Spark assistant in AI tools.
What you get
GWI's features centre on its survey dataset. Some parts come with your seat, and others are sold separately by project or usage.
Audience analytics platform
Build audiences and compare them across survey questions. This needs a Pro seat.
Agent Spark
Ask questions of GWI data from ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Copilot or the GWI platform. Integrations are charged by usage.
APIs and MCP access
Pull GWI data into your own systems, charged per call at a rate agreed with GWI.
Bespoke research
Custom studies such as brand tracking, ad effectiveness, segmentation and concept testing, priced by scope.
Simulated data
Modelled audience data, sold per project.
Who gets the most out of GWI
GWI works best for teams that need to understand audiences in depth across markets and have a budget agreed with sales. It's a poor match for anyone who wants to test a quick idea with their own questions, or who needs to know the price before the first call.
A good fit for
- Agencies building audience profiles for pitches
- Brand and media teams comparing markets
- Teams that want survey data inside AI assistants
- Researchers who need respondent-level data
Not a good fit for
- Solo founders wanting a cheap, self-serve poll
- Anyone who needs to see prices before talking to sales
- Teams that want to field their own survey in days
- Buyers who need a published panel size
GWI vs Statista, Attest and free sources
Statista won our test with 5 out of 5, far ahead of GWI. It sells published statistics and reports with public prices, while GWI sells interactive audience data by quote. Attest scored the same 2.5 as GWI, but it lets you run your own consumer surveys rather than explore an existing dataset.
Free sources such as Google Trends and public reports cost nothing, but they don't let you dig into a specific audience. GWI does, at a price you'll only learn from sales. Our best market research list compares all seven tools.
| Option | Price | How it compares |
|---|---|---|
| GWI | No public price | Interactive audience data from a global consumer survey, sold by seat. |
| Statista | Free plan; paid from $199 a month, billed yearly | A library of ready-made statistics, charts and reports. |
| Attest | No public price | Self-serve consumer surveys sold as yearly credit packs. |
| Free sources | Free | Google Trends and public reports give broad trends but not audience-level detail. |
How we tested GWI over 14 days
We tested GWI from October 10 to October 23, 2026, 14 days in all, using a trial, a demo and our own research. Every tool in this group goes through the same case for a made-up online store: a ten-question survey with 200 responses, followed by checks on cost, speed and data quality. The full method is in how we test.
Getting started was slow. Setup took 4 days and 12 hours of assisted help. For a small team, that's a real time cost before you see anything useful.
Of the 200 responses in our case, 128 were usable and 72 were rejected by quality rules. That means more than a third of what we got couldn't be used. The case took 441 minutes and needed several review steps, which is why ease of use scored only 2.
We then checked how GWI fits with other tools. It passed 3 of 5 connector checks and 3 of 5 export checks, so getting data into your own files and systems won't always work the way you expect. It also passed 7 of 10 compliance requirement checks, leaving gaps a careful business would need to ask about.
None of these results was a disaster on its own. But together they add up to a tool that asks a lot of time and help for a middling outcome.
| What we measured | Result | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Our standard case: usable responses and time taken | 128/200 responses usable; 441 min | More than a third of responses failed quality checks, and the work took over seven hours. |
| Setup time and help needed | 4 days setup; 12 h assisted | Expect most of a working week and plenty of support before you're productive. |
| Integrations and data export | 3/5 connectors; 3/5 export checks | Some connections and export formats didn't work, so check the ones you rely on. |
| Compliance checks | 7/10 requirement checks | It met most but not all of our requirements, so ask GWI about the gaps that matter to you. |
GWI gave us a lot of data to work with, but getting there was slow and the results were uneven. Only 128 of 200 responses were usable, setup took 4 days, and it fell short on connectors, exports and compliance. That's why it finished sixth of seven.
Tested October 10, 2026 to October 23, 2026.
The good and the bad from our test
Value for money was its best part
GWI scored 3 out of 5 for value for money, its highest score. For teams that need audience data across many markets, the depth of the dataset is what you're paying for.
Data inside AI assistants
Agent Spark, launched in January 2026, lets customers query GWI data from ChatGPT, Claude and Microsoft Copilot. APIs and MCP access let you pull data into your own systems too.
Most checks passed
It passed 7 of 10 compliance checks and 3 of 5 connector and export checks. Not perfect, but most of what we needed worked.
Many responses were unusable
72 of the 200 responses in our case were rejected by quality rules, leaving 128. That's more cleaning and checking than most buyers want to do.
Slow to set up
Setup took 4 days with 12 hours of assisted help. Implementation scored 2.5 as a result.
No public prices
Every part of GWI is priced by quote, from seats to API calls. You can't compare costs without talking to sales first.
Pros
- Deep consumer data across many markets
- Value for money scored 3 out of 5
- Agent Spark works inside ChatGPT, Claude and Copilot
- APIs and MCP access for your own systems
- Bespoke research available when you need it
Cons
- Only 128 of 200 responses usable in our case
- 4 days of setup and 12 hours of help
- Passed only 3 of 5 connector and export checks
- No public prices for any part
- No free plan or trial mentioned
How much GWI costs
GWI doesn't publish prices. It sells access by seat. A Pro seat gives full control of the platform and lets you manage Team seats. A Team seat gives access to selected features managed by a Pro user, and you need at least one Pro seat before you can add Team seats.
Everything else is quoted too. API and MCP calls are charged per call at a rate agreed with GWI, bespoke research is priced by scope, and simulated data is priced per project. These can be bundled into one agreement. To get a price, you'll need to contact GWI's sales team. Prices were checked on November 3, 2026.
Pro seat
No public price
per seat
- Full platform control
- Can manage Team seats
Team seat
No public price
per seat, needs a Pro seat
- Selected features managed by a Pro user
There is no free plan, and the pricing pages don't mention a free trial. Instead, you're asked to talk to the company.
We couldn't find GWI's refund or cancellation terms. Contracts are agreement-based, so ask about notice periods and renewals before you sign.
Prices checked November 3, 2026. Prices can change, so check before you buy.
Is GWI safe to sign a contract with?
GWI's contracts are agreement-based, and the terms aren't public on its pricing pages. That isn't unusual for enterprise data tools, but it means you should read the agreement carefully, especially on renewal and cancellation.
We couldn't find details on security certifications, how long GWI keeps data or how it uses customer data. GWI's own pages also give different figures for the size of its survey, so check exactly what's behind any audience you plan to rely on. The only Trustpilot review is from someone who got sales emails without signing up, though they noted an unsubscribe link was provided.
Before signing, ask GWI for the exact markets, questions and sample sizes behind the audience you need.
What GWI users say
There's very little public user feedback to go on. GWI's Trustpilot profile, checked November 3, 2026, has a single review, with none in the last 12 months. That review complained about unwanted sales emails rather than the product itself.
We couldn't read reviews on the larger business software review sites, so we can't tell you how GWI's customers rate it on balance.
What users praise
What users complain about
- Unwanted sales emails (single Trustpilot review)
Recent user reviews, in short
Summarised in our own words, not quoted. Reviewer names are left out.
With so little user feedback, our test is the best guide we have. It found a data-rich tool that is slow to set up, with more than a third of responses in our case failing quality checks. Ask GWI for customer references before you buy.
Ratings checked November 3, 2026.
GWI alternatives worth a look
Six other tools went through the same test. Four scored higher than GWI, and two tied with it. Here are the top five.
Statista
Statista won our test with 5 out of 5, far ahead of GWI on every part. It suits analysts who need quick, citable statistics, with a free plan and paid plans from $199 a month, billed yearly.
Delve AI
Delve AI scored 3 out of 5, beating GWI on ease of use. It suits marketing teams and agencies that need quick personas, and it has a free plan.
Prolific
Prolific scored 3 out of 5 and was easier to use than GWI. It suits researchers who need vetted participants for their own studies.
Helpfull
Helpfull scored 3 out of 5. It suits founders and marketers testing names, ads and packaging fast, with a free plan and Premium at $49 a month.
Attest
Attest also scored 2.5 out of 5, with easier implementation than GWI. It suits brand teams running regular consumer surveys without an agency.
2.5/5
Should you use GWI?
GWI isn't the right choice for most small businesses. In our test, only 128 of 200 responses were usable, the case took 441 minutes, setup took 4 days with 12 hours of help, and it fell short on connectors, exports and compliance. That's why it scored 2.5 out of 5 and came sixth of seven.
If you're an agency or brand team that needs to profile audiences across markets, its data depth and AI access may still be worth a conversation with sales. Ask for a demo using your own audience, and get the markets, questions and sample sizes in writing. Everyone else will be better served by Statista or a self-serve tool.
GWI suits agencies and brand teams profiling audiences at scale; small businesses wanting quick, priced research should look elsewhere.
Still deciding?
Compare market research platforms →
See how GWI compares
Every tool in our market research platforms test got the same jobs. Our ranking puts the results side by side.
Disagree with our review?
Make your case
If you use GWI, or work there, and think we got something wrong, email us. Tell us what you saw and attach screenshots if you have them. We'll take another look and update the review if it changes our findings.
review.now.team@gmail.com
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Frequently asked questions
How much does GWI cost?
GWI doesn't publish any prices. It sells Pro and Team seats by quote, charges for API and MCP calls per call at an agreed rate, and prices bespoke research by scope and simulated data per project. You can bundle these into one agreement. To get a price, contact GWI's sales team. We checked this on November 3, 2026.
How did you test GWI?
Over 14 days we used a trial, a demo and our own research to run the same case we use for every tool in this group, for a made-up online store. We counted usable responses, timed the work and the setup, and ran checks on connectors, exports and compliance requirements.
What is the difference between Pro and Team seats?
A Pro seat gives full control of the GWI platform and lets you manage Team seats. A Team seat gives access to selected features, managed by a Pro user. You need at least one Pro seat before you can add any Team seats, so a team always starts with a Pro seat.
Does GWI have a free trial?
GWI's pricing pages don't mention a free trial, and there is no free plan. Instead, visitors are asked to talk to the company. If you want to try it, ask for a demo built around an audience you actually need, so you can judge the data before signing.
What is Agent Spark?
Agent Spark is an insights assistant GWI launched on January 22, 2026. It lets GWI customers ask questions of GWI data from ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Copilot and the GWI platform. Integrations are charged by usage, so ask how calls are priced before you connect it to your team's tools.
Who founded GWI?
Tom Smith founded the company in 2009 as GlobalWebIndex, and it now goes by GWI. It lists both London and New York as headquarters. It raised its first funding round in 2018 and a $180 million Series B in 2022, and says it reached $100 million in total bookings in 2025.
Written by
Daniel Brooks
I've learned not to trust software that promises to transform your workflow in five minutes. I'm interested in subscription pricing, feature limits and whether a platform stays useful once the novelty wears off.