Fakespot Review 2026: Is It Still the Best?

You typed “Fakespot” into Google because you want to know if it can still help you dodge fake reviews before you buy something online. Here’s the short answer: it can’t. Fakespot shut down in 2025, and this Fakespot review 2026 update will walk you through exactly what happened, and what to use instead.

If you’re a beginner online shopper or someone who just wants a quick, honest answer, you’re in the right place. We’ll cover the shutdown, what Fakespot used to do well, and the best fake review detector tools that fill the gap today.

What Was Fakespot, and What Happened to It?

Fakespot was a free tool that checked product reviews on sites like Amazon, Walmart, and eBay. It used AI to spot patterns common in fake reviews, then gave each product a simple letter grade from A to F.

Mozilla, the company behind the Firefox browser, bought Fakespot in 2023. The idea was to fold it directly into Firefox as a built-in feature called Review Checker.

The Shutdown Timeline

However, things changed fast. Mozilla announced in May 2025 that it was shutting down Fakespot completely.

Here’s how the shutdown played out:

• June 10, 2025 – Firefox’s built-in Review Checker feature went offline first.
• July 1, 2025 – The Fakespot Chrome extension, mobile apps, and website all stopped working.

So if you’re looking for the Fakespot Chrome extension today, you won’t find a working, official version. Any extension still listed under that name in a browser store is outdated or unsupported, and installing it is not a good idea.

Why Did Mozilla Shut It Down?

Mozilla said Fakespot “didn’t fit a model we could sustain.” In plain English, that means it cost too much to run and didn’t bring in enough money to justify keeping it alive.

Moreover, Mozilla wanted to focus its resources on Firefox itself, including newer AI browser features. Fakespot and the read-it-later app Pocket were both cut in the same announcement, as part of that bigger shift.

There’s also some history worth knowing. Amazon and Fakespot clashed publicly back in 2021, when Amazon had Fakespot’s iOS app pulled from the App Store for a period of time. That tension between review-checking tools and the platforms they scan is common, and it’s part of why running a service like Fakespot was never simple.

Is Fakespot Safe to Use in 2026?

This is a fair question, especially since old download links and app store listings sometimes stick around long after a service closes. So, is Fakespot safe right now? Not really, because it’s no longer maintained.

Here’s why that matters:

• No updates. An unmaintained browser extension can’t keep up with changes to Amazon, Walmart, or other shopping sites.
• Security risk. Old extensions that no one patches anymore can become a target for scammers who repackage them with malware.
• No customer support. If something goes wrong, there’s no team behind it to fix it.

In short, avoid installing any app or extension claiming to be Fakespot in 2026. If you see one in a browser store, treat it as abandoned software, not a working tool.

How to Use Fakespot Today (You Can’t — Here’s the Workaround)

Since there’s no official way to use Fakespot anymore, this section covers what actually works right now. Think of it as the new “how to use Fakespot” guide, just built around today’s tools instead.

Step 1: Check Reviews Manually

Before you reach for any app, you can catch a lot of fake reviews with your own eyes. Look for these red flags:

• A flood of 5-star reviews posted within the same short time window
• Reviews that repeat the same odd phrases, almost like a script
• Profiles of reviewers who have posted only one review.
• Reviews that mention a completely different product

For example, if a phone case has 200 reviews and 150 of them showed up in the same week, that’s a pattern worth questioning.

Step 2: Use an Independent Review-Checking Tool

Several tools now do a similar job to what Fakespot did. They’re not official replacements, and each one works a bit differently, so it’s worth trying more than one before you trust the results fully.

• ReviewMeta – Analyzes Amazon reviews and flags suspicious patterns, similar to Fakespot’s old approach.
• Trustpilot – Useful for checking a brand or seller’s overall reputation, not just one product.
• Keepa or CamelCamelCamel – These track Amazon price history, which can indirectly reveal shady sellers who spike prices around fake review campaigns.

Step 3: Cross-Check Outside the Shopping Site

Search the product name along with the word “review” on Google or YouTube. Independent bloggers and video reviewers often catch problems that a review-checking algorithm might miss.

Best Fake Review Detector Tools to Try in 2026

Since Fakespot is gone, people naturally want to know what the best fake review detector is now. There isn’t one single tool that does everything Fakespot did, but a combination works well.

For Amazon Shopping

ReviewMeta remains one of the closest tools to what Fakespot offered. You paste in a product link, and it breaks down suspicious review patterns for you.

For Brand Trust

Trustpilot is better suited to checking whether a company as a whole has a track record of complaints, refund issues, or scam reports.

For Price Manipulation

Keepa and CamelCamelCamel won’t tell you if reviews are fake, but they’ll show you if a “flash sale” price was inflated first, which is a trick often paired with fake reviews.

Because this space changes quickly, it’s worth checking that any tool you pick is still actively maintained before you rely on it. Newer alternatives keep popping up, and not all of them last.

Fakespot Alternatives: A Quick Comparison

None of these fully replicate Fakespot’s simple A-to-F grade. However, using two or three together gets you close to the same protection.

Best Practices for Spotting Fake Reviews Without Any Tool

Even the best fake review detector app can’t catch everything. So it helps to build a few manual habits too.

• Sort by “most recent,” not “top reviews.” Sellers sometimes buy a wave of fake 5-star reviews early on, and Amazon’s default sorting can bury more honest, recent feedback.
• Read the 3-star reviews first. These tend to be the most balanced and least likely to be fake, since they’re not extreme praise or extreme complaints.
• Check for verified purchase tags. A review with no verified purchase label deserves a bit more skepticism.
• Look at the reviewer’s history. If someone has reviewed twenty totally unrelated products in the same week, all glowing, that’s a pattern worth noticing.

In short, no single signal proves a review is fake. But when you see three or four of these red flags together, it’s usually a strong hint.

FAQ

Is Fakespot still available in 2026?

No. Fakespot shut down on July 1, 2025, and Firefox’s built-in Review Checker feature shut down even earlier, on June 10, 2025. There is no official version of Fakespot running today.

Is Fakespot safe to download if I find an old copy?

It’s best to avoid it. Since the service is unmaintained, any extension or app claiming to be Fakespot could be outdated, broken, or even repackaged with malware by someone other than the original developers.

What is the best fake review detector now that Fakespot is gone?

There’s no single direct replacement, but ReviewMeta is one of the closest tools for Amazon reviews specifically. Pairing it with Trustpilot for brand reputation checks covers most of what Fakespot used to offer.

Why did Mozilla shut down Fakespot?

Mozilla said the tool “didn’t fit a model we could sustain,” meaning it was too costly to keep running without a clear way to make money from it. Mozilla chose to focus its resources on Firefox instead.

Can I still use the Fakespot Chrome extension?

No, the Fakespot Chrome extension was removed from the Chrome Web Store and stopped functioning after July 1, 2025. If you see a listing under that name today, it is not an official or supported product.

Conclusion

To sum up, Fakespot is no longer active, so it can’t be “the best fake review detector” in 2026, simply because it isn’t running anymore. Mozilla shut it down in mid-2025 as part of a broader move to focus on Firefox.

The good news is that you still have solid options. Tools like ReviewMeta and Trustpilot, combined with a habit of reading reviews carefully yourself, can keep you from getting fooled by fake ratings.

Before your next online purchase, try running the product through one of these alternatives and see how the results compare to what you’d expect from a Fakespot-style grade. It only takes a minute, and it could save you from a disappointing order.