Headline finding · measured 2026-09-03
71% of rated MSPs sit at 4.8★ or higher. Half have fewer than 9 reviews.
When almost everyone is excellent, the star rating stops carrying information.
25th pct3 reviews
Median8 reviews
75th pct23 reviews
95th pct92 reviews
Top 5% avg212 reviews
71% 4.8★ or higher (10,219)Below 4.8★ (4,116)
Of 14,335 in-scope firms with a Google rating on file: 10,219 sit at 4.8★ or higher and the median review count is 8. as of 2026-09-03. The wider spread (p25 = 3, p75 = 23, p95 = 92, top 5% averaging 212 reviews) was last measured 2026-08-26 and was not re-run.
Limitations
- Rating stats are of the 14,335 rated firms, not all 39,351 in scope. Never read these as 'of MSPs', read them as 'of rated MSPs'.
- Firms with no Google presence are excluded entirely, and they are unlikely to be a random sample.
- The 4.8-plus share, the rated-firm count and the median review count are from 2026-09-03. The percentile spread on this card was last measured 2026-08-26 and has not been re-run.
What to do with this
- Ask for a review at ticket close, not at contract renewal. Volume compounds.
- Read a competitor's 5.0 with its review count attached before treating it as a threat.
Cite this
MSP Signal, "71% of rated MSPs sit at 4.8★ or higher. Half have fewer than 9 reviews.", measured 2026-09-03. https://mspsignal.com/msp-trends/rating-inflation
More findings
36.8The median MSP scores 36.8. Half the directory lists no services at all.2.3%98% of MSPs won't tell you what they charge.$75–$100Managed IT is advertised at $75 to $100 per user per month.$24,000At the published medians, managed IT for 25 users runs $24,000 in year one.
◂ All 91 findings