Billy Dukes of
Taste of Country gave the song three out of five, writing that "one senses him trying to do something new, something totally unique, but still not quite wanting to give up the sound and style his longtime fans appreciate." Dukes stated that "lyrically, he starts strong, but levels off, relying more on attitude than substance by the midway point." Matt Bjorke of
Roughstock gave the song four stars out of five, saying that "with low booming bass lines and a percussive arena-rock melody backing up Dierks Bentley's lyrics, 'I Hold On' is the kind of song that showcases Dierks Bentley in a new way." Bjorke called it "a strong lyrical song, a song which showcases the artistry of Dierks Bentley that sometimes gets dismissed when he's chasing radio airplay but is held up when he records and release stuff that doesn't." In 2017,
Billboard contributor
Chuck Dauphin placed "I Hold On" at number one on his top 10 list of Bentley's best songs. In 2024,
Rolling Stone ranked the song at #182 on its 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time ranking. ==Live performances==