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Best Free Site Selection Tools for Small Businesses
Most professional site-selection platforms are priced for enterprise customers. These free and freemium tools are the realistic starting point for a founder or first-time franchisee evaluating a single location.
Try Spotfic free — 2 reports →
Ranked list
1. Spotfic (free tier) — 2 free reports — most complete
Pricing: Free — 2 reports, then credits · Best for: Complete decision report on any address
2 free reports per account with no credit card. Each report covers competitors, foot traffic, demographics, rent and a Go/No-Go score — the same coverage as a paid report.
2. MapNexus free franchise tool — Free franchise location screening
Pricing: Free tier · Best for: Quick franchise screening within the US
Free franchise location analysis tool used as a lead-gen wedge. Lighter-weight than a full report but useful for early shortlisting.
3. Google My Business — Popular Times — Free competitor foot-traffic proxy
Pricing: Free · Best for: Eyeballing when nearby competitors are busy
Look up nearby competitors and check the Popular Times chart on their Google listing. Cheap proxy for foot-traffic patterns by hour.
4. Census Bureau / Open Government Data — Free demographic data
Pricing: Free · Best for: Raw demographic look-ups
Official sources for population, income and age distribution — raw datasets you’ll need to clean and join yourself.
5. Google Trends — Free demand signals
Pricing: Free · Best for: Macro demand for a business category
Useful for sanity-checking whether interest in your category is rising or falling in your target city.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free Placer.ai alternative?
Yes — Spotfic offers 2 free reports per account, no credit card required. Each report includes the same competitor, foot-traffic, demographic and rent context as a paid report. MapNexus also offers a free franchise screening tool for the US.
What is the best free tool to analyse a business location?
Spotfic is the most complete free option: a 14-section report with a Go/No-Go score on any address, with no payment required for the first 2 reports. For deeper analytics ongoing, paid tiers and tools take over.
Start free — run a real report on your address →
Related: Placer.ai alternatives · Site selection software