TrustRadius Announces Gen Z Buying Report Highlighting How to Gain Buyer Trust in the Age of AI

As Gen Z asserts its buying power, B2B tech companies will benefit from
understanding this generation's specific preferences and buying habits

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- TrustRadius, an HG Insights company and the most trusted B2B buyer intelligence platform, today announced a new research report analyzing the emergence of Gen Z software buyers and how their preferences differ from previous generations. Tech sellers interested in connecting with this rising demographic can adjust their marketing strategy and outreach accordingly based on these new insights.

The report, From Boomers to Zoomers: Gen Z Enters the Software Buying Process, details who Gen Z software buyers are, the role of AI's rapid expansion, Gen Z's reliance on social proof, and the increasing importance of understanding this generation's mindset while capturing their attention.

Who makes up Gen Z software buyers?
Born between 1997 and 2005 and ranging in age from 20 to 27 years old, the Gen Zs surveyed are the youngest generation currently in the workforce. Many have some professional experience, with at least a job or two on their resume.

AI use and trust is highest among Gen Z
Not surprisingly, strong links emerged in the survey data between Gen Z and AI. TrustRadius research confirms that Gen Z utilizes AI tools more than any other generation.

• 15% of Gen Z buyers report using AI a lot (nearly double the 8% of all surveyed buyers).
• 30% of Gen Z buyers report that they "always" or "very often" trust AI-generated content, compared to 20% of all surveyed buyers.

This data makes sense considering their tech-centered upbringing, and bolsters the idea that Gen Z has spent their lives learning new technologies, which now extends to their professional careers.

Comparing Gen Z's unique preferences
Gen Z views software buying as a riskier prospect than other generations due to the potential negative career consequences of making the wrong recommendation. As a result, the trust gap is noticeably wider with Gen Z.

57% of Gen Z buyers speak with someone who uses (or used) the product, however, only 28% talk to a vendor-supplied reference. They also look to their professional networks for these conversations, in addition to leaning on AI tools and peer reviews. 

The role of social proof in Gen Z
Two key resources for software buyers — peer reviews and user conversations — were a focus of this research report.

• 83% of Gen Z buyers looked at user reviews, compared to 77% of all buyers.
• 57% of Gen Z buyers talked to someone who used the product before, versus 54% of all buyers.
• While vendors think that only 38% of buyers are speaking with a user of the product, that number is actually 49% or higher across every generation.

Besides vendor-supplied references, where do buyers find users to talk to? Based on TrustRadius' research, the majority of these conversations likely take place in communities and untraceable sources such as:

• Emails and text messages
• Messaging platforms like Slack or Teams
• LinkedIn InMails
• Online forums like Reddit

Part of Gen Z's reliance on social proof could be as a way to fill in the missing gaps if they haven't personally used a product. For tech sellers and B2B marketers, now is the time to make an impression on this rising generation of buyers by ensuring social proof is easy to find, ROI calculations are effortless, and spelling out why endorsing a product will boost their reputation.

What gives Gen Z confidence?
Due to more limited prior experience, Gen Z buyers often look to other factors for confidence in their purchase.

• Gen Z, at 24%, are less likely to rely on previous relationships with vendors, compared to 31% of all buyers.
• Gen Z prioritizes obtaining the best price (69%); confidence from customer reviews (35%); and the product being the safest, most trusted option (34%).
• If they could change anything about the buying process, 37% of Gen Z buyers said they wished for easier ROI calculations, versus 33% of the general sample.

"Gen Z has a highly tuned BS filter. The instinct they use to flag an Instagram post as doctored is now flagging polished case studies and gamified review sites as untrustworthy. If vendors want to credibly prove to Gen Z buyers that their product works, they need to provide highly relevant, substantive, and verified customer evidence and deliver that proof in a consumable, personalized, snackable package," said Evan Huck, CEO at  UserEvidence.

Compared with previous generations, several other notable differences emerged in the data, including:

• 54% of Gen Z buyers care about transparent pricing from vendors, while that is the case for 62% of all buyers.
• 39% of Gen Z are uneasy about vendors contacting them before they're ready to talk, compared to 44% of all buyers.
• 24% of Gen Z are interested in organizing and tracking their research, in contrast to 18% of the general sample.
• 90% of buyers said they clicked through to sources from AI summaries.
• 33% of Gen Z buyers wish it was easier to calculate ROI when purchasing enterprise software.

"The rapid ascent of Gen Z represents a significant moment of change in the market, as they've already surpassed boomers to become the third-largest generation in the workforce," said Allyson Havener, VP of Corporate and Customer Marketing at TrustRadius (an HG Insights company). "We're excited to share this new report with B2B tech sellers who can utilize these fresh insights to reach this rising and influential group of buyers."

About TrustRadius
TrustRadius is a buyer intelligence platform for business technology. We enable buyers to make confident decisions through comprehensive product information, in-depth customer insights, and peer conversations. We help technology brands capture and activate the authentic voice of customers to improve their products, build confidence with prospects, and engage in-market buyers to improve ROI.

TrustRadius is an independent subsidiary of H.G. Insights

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SOURCE TrustRadius