The Best Directorist Alternative in 2024
A comparison of HivePress and Directorist directory plugins.
A directory is a website that lists products, services or other items that you can search or browse through. You can easily create a directory website for basically any purpose or niche. Whether it’s a real estate, events, restaurant, job board or any other type of directory website – you can create it using the right free WordPress directory plugin.
If you’re looking for a decent business directory plugin and doubting which one to choose, then this article is right up your alley. We’ve hand-picked some of the best free WordPress directory plugins and analyzed each of them by different criteria.
So, let’s dive in!
Top 8 Free Business Directory WordPress Plugins to Choose from in 2023
HivePress
HivePress is a free classified ads & business directory WordPress plugin that allows you to create any type of directory and listing websites. Whether it’s real estate, restaurants, events, cars, or a business directory, etc. – HivePress has got you covered.
The plugin has all the necessary features for starting a directory website right out of the box. Some of the most noteworthy features include:
- Front-end Listing Submission – anyone can register and add new listings;
- Messages – users can communicate with each other via private messages;
- Geolocation – website visitors can search for listings using the location-based feature;
- Rating & Reviews – users can rate listings and leave reviews;
- Favorites – any registered user can keep a list of favorite listings.
HivePress supports several business models, allowing you to monetize your directory website hassle-free. For example, you can charge vendors for adding & promoting listings or charge business owners for claiming listings, etc.
Besides the main features, HivePress is a highly customizable plugin that allows you to set up your directory website in the way you like by:
- Creating unlimited listing & vendor categories;
- Adding custom fields for listings and vendor profiles;
- Adding custom search filters;
- Creating custom emails and assigning them to different events;
- Building stunning layouts with the Gutenberg page builder.
Moreover, if you are familiar with coding, you’ll be happy to know that HivePress is built with developers in mind. There is a set of actions and filters, a collection of CSS & PHP code snippets, dev docs & tutorials, making the HivePress customization and maintenance even easier.
Themes
You can use HivePress with any theme, but it’s better to use one of the official themes to avoid any styling issues. You can choose the free default ListingHive theme suitable for building a directory of any type.
Also, you can consider using one of the premium themes. At the moment, the following themes are available:
- TaskHive – service marketplace WordPress theme that allows you to create a website like Fiverr;
- JobHive – job board WordPress theme;
- ExpertHive – freelance marketplace WordPress theme that allows you to build a website like Thumbtack or TaskRabbit;
- RentalHive – multi-vendor property rental WordPress theme for building websites like Booking.com or Airbnb with WordPress.
Extensibility
The core plugin has all the essential features for building a directory website. However, there are also 15+ free and premium extensions that you can use to extend your website functionality, depending on the type of website you’re building. Here are some of them:
- Bookings – allows users to book listings;
- Marketplace – allows vendors to sell listings;
- Requests – lets customers post custom requests and receive offers;
- Memberships – turns your website into a members-only platform;
- Statistics – provides vendors with stats on the number of unique visitors and views of their listings
So you can build a unique directory website by combining it with various extensions and using different settings.
Pricing
The directory plugin itself and its ListingHive theme are free to use and allow you to build a fully functional directory website.
There are also several premium themes and extensions that can be purchased directly from the WordPress dashboard. At the time of writing, each premium theme costs $89 per license, and the price for premium extensions varies between $29 and $39. Each license includes unlimited updates and 6 months of support.
Support
There’s a HivePress community where users can ask questions, suggest new features, report bugs, etc. It is directly supported by its developers, so any issues are resolved in the fastest and the best way possible by people who know their product inside and out.
Key Takeaways
| Active Installations | 10,000+ |
| Average Rating | 4.9 out of 5 stars (158 reviews) |
| Free Themes | ✔️ 1 |
| Free Extensions | ✔️ 6 |
Business Directory Plugin
It’s one of the most popular and long-standing free business directory WordPress plugins that comes both in free and premium versions. It allows you to build local business directories, membership websites, job portals, restaurant directories, etc.
A few years ago, a Business Directory Plugin was probably the best solution for starting a listing website. However, today it has a bit outdated design and lacks many features. For example, here are some of the essential features that are included only in the premium version of the plugin:
- Geolocation & radius search;
- Ratings & reviews;
- Listing category images.
You should find no trouble building and running a simple directory website with a free version. However, if you want to create a fully functional directory website, you’ll need some advanced customization.
Themes
Business Directory Plugin is compatible with different free and paid themes. However, its developers recommend using it with Astra, Genesis, or any of their official premium themes in order to avoid any styling issues.
Extensibility
The free version of the plugin has quite limited functionality, so you’ll probably have to upgrade to the Pro version to get some necessary features.
Pricing
Please note that there are no one-time purchases, so if you want to get access to premium add-ons or themes, you’ll have to choose one of the available subscription plans:
- Basic Package ($99 / year) – You’ll get access to one theme, one year of support and 7 add-ons;
- Pro Package ($149 / year) – You’ll get one year of priority support, one theme and 12 add-ons. Also, it allows you to have up to 3 supported sites;
- Elite Package ($249 / year) – The package includes all themes and add-ons. Additionally, 25 sites are supported.
Also, keep in mind that no add-ons or themes can be purchased separately.
Support
The Business Directory Plugin developers offer free support via the WordPress.org forum. There is also a knowledge base on the plugin’s website and the support ticket system for paid customers.
Key Takeaways
| Active Installations | 10,000+ |
| Average Rating | 4.6 out of stars 5 (477 reviews) |
| Free Themes | ❌ |
| Free Extensions | ❌ |
Connections Business Directory
It’s a simple yet effective free business directory WordPress plugin that allows you to build either a small local directory or an extensive one with thousands of listings. It has a user-friendly interface, so it’s easy to navigate and set up a directory. Connections Business Directory is more focused on building member directories or address books and already has the necessary features for that, like:
- CSV Import & export of addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and dates;
- Repeatable fields for address, phone numbers, email, IM, social media, etc.;
- Multiple entry types;
- Admin dashboard.
The plugin is integrated with different page builders, such as Elementor, Beaver Builder, Brizy, and Visual Composer. Meaning that you can customize your page layouts hassle-free.
Themes
There are 9 official themes powered by Connections Business Directory, and three of them are free. Also, this business directory plugin is compatible with any theme, including popular themes such as Avada and Divi, so no styling issues should occur when combining it with third-party themes.
Extensibility
There are 10+ paid add-ons. Here are some of the add-ons:
- Contact – allows users to email entries in the directory;
- ROT13 Email Encryption – protects your base of emails from spambots;
- Custom Category Order – list your categories in a specific order.
Pricing
Generally, it’s a free business directory WordPress plugin, but there are different premium extensions and templates available. An individual template costs $19,99, and extensions’ price starts at $2,99. However, if you need everything at once, you may save by buying one of the bundles.
- Extension Pro Pack ($29,99) – includes all add-ons;
- Template Pro Pack ($59,99) – contains 6 themes;
- Pro Pack ($74,99) – you’ll get access to all the current templates and extensions.
Support
There’s free support offered via the WordPress.org forum, and you can find a documentation section on the plugin’s website. Additionally, there’s a support forum available for paid customers.
Key Takeaways
| Active Installations | 10,000+ |
| Average Rating | 4.9 out of 5 stars (419 reviews) |
| Free Themes | ✔️ 3 |
| Free Extensions | ❌ |
uListing
It’s a pretty modern free business directory WordPress plugin that is built on Vue.js and helps you create and display listings for different niches. It has a user-friendly interface with a lot of different features and settings. Some of its features include:
- Customizable form fields;
- Advanced search forms;
- Geolocation;
- Page statistics;
- Custom email templates.
If you are looking to build a directory website, uListing may be a good option for you. But you’ll have to purchase the plugin’s premium version in order to monetize a directory in several ways.
Themes
The developers sell several different themes if you’re starting a site from scratch. But you don’t have to limit yourself only to the official themes suggested by developers since the plugin is fully compatible with most WordPress themes.
Extensibility
The free version is pretty functional by itself, but there are also 5 premium extensions that you can purchase from your WordPress dashboard. The list of suggested add-ons contains:
- Subscription – allows to create and sell subscription plans;
- User Roles – create different user roles and attach listings limits to each of them;
- Wishlist – allows users to collect their favorite Listings;
- Compare – create a comparison between two or more different listings;
- Social Login – allows visitors to log in and register with social media applications.
Pricing
It’s a free business directory WordPress plugin, but if you want to extend its functionality with premium add-ons, you have to purchase a subscription plan. The annual subscription plan costs $54,99. It includes 5 premium extensions, one year of support and updates.
Please note that the add-ons cannot be purchased separately, only via an annual bundle subscription.
Support
Developers offer free support on the WordPress.org forum, or you can use a support ticket system on the official website as well.
Key Takeaways
| Active Installations | 3,000+ |
| Average Rating | 4,1 out of 5 stars (24 reviews) |
| Free Themes | ❌ |
| Free Extensions | ❌ |
Classified Listing
It’s a responsive free business directory WordPress plugin with an easy-to-use interface and powerful features needed to create a business directory website. At the same time, the plugin lacks several important features in its free version, especially those related to monetization. For example, such essential features as featured ads and custom field options are available only in the premium version.
Themes
The plugin should work with any well-coded WordPress theme without any styling issues. However, the developers also offer several paid themes built for the Classified Listing plugin for a more seamless setup. You may take a look at the available premium themes in the WordPress dashboard and check their live demos.
Extensibility
You can extend the plugin’s core functionality by purchasing its premium add-ons. At the time of writing, there are 10+ different add-ons available. Here are some of them:
- Bookings – adds booking system to your website;
- Coupons – allows creating coupons;
- Seller Verification – allows checking seller’s identity;
- Multicurrency Add–on.
Pricing
You can purchase any of the official themes for $39, and the price for plugin extensions starts at $19.
Support
As usual, you can use the WordPress.org forum if you have any trouble with setting up the plugin. You may also create a new support ticket on the plugin’s website.
Key Takeaways
| Active Installations | 8,000+ |
| Average Rating | 4.8 out of 5 stars (57 reviews) |
| Free Themes | ✔️ |
| Free Extensions | ❌ |
GeoDirectory
Here’s one more well-known free business directory WordPress plugin on our list that has been available since 2011. It was designed to display information about different businesses, especially those that are tied to a particular location, since its core features are mostly related to geolocation.
Themes
The developers offer 8 official themes, and 3 of them you can use for free if you don’t want to design your directory from scratch. GeoDirectory is also compatible with many different themes, allowing you to choose the design tools you prefer.
Extensibility
GeoDirectory is extensible by design, and there is a bunch of free and premium extensions available for installation via the WordPress dashboard. Free extensions include:
- WPML integration
- Directory converter
- Google Analytics integration
However, if you want to monetize your directory and make it fully functional – you’ll need to use some premium add-ons, like Claim Listings, Advanced Search, Location Search, etc.
Pricing
It’s a free business directory WordPress plugin, but you can purchase some premium add-ons and themes. The price for a premium theme or add-on starts at $19. There’s also an option to buy a membership plan for $199 per year that includes all the add-ons and themes.
Support
Free support is constantly provided on the WordPress.org forum. There’s also email-based support on the official website that requires filling out the contact form to open a new support ticket.
Key Takeaways
| Active Installations | 10,000+ |
| Average Rating | 4.7 out of 5 stars (537 reviews) |
| Free Themes | ✔️ 3 |
| Free Extensions | ✔️ 4 |
Directorist
Directorist is one of the really powerful free business directory WordPress plugins listed in this article. Its free version has quite a lot of features that allow you to build a solid directory website. For example, the following features are already included:
- User dashboards;
- Rating & reviews system;
- Bookmarks;
- Location-based search;
- Custom listing fields.
With the free version, you’ll be able to create and run a pretty functional directory website based on different factors like location, category and interests. However, if you want to monetize your directory be ready to pay for it since some premium add-ons will be required.
Themes
This free business directory WordPress plugin is compatible with most themes, including popular ones like Astra, Avada, Divi, etc. However, if you’re going to use Directorist, you may want to check its official themes first. The developers offer several free and paid themes.
Extensibility
You can extend the functionality of this free business directory WordPress plugin by using some of its add-ons. There are 15+ premium extensions that you can purchase individually or in a bundle. Some of the most useful ones include:
- Pricing Plans – allows you to monetize a directory by setting pricing plans;
- Listings Slider & Carousel – allows you to display different listings via the sliders and carousels;
- Booking (reservation & appointment) – allows you to set up a booking system and create an appointment booking platform.
Pricing
You can use this business directory WordPress plugin with its basic settings for free. But if you want to combine it with one of its official themes, you’ll have to pay from $25 to $69, depending on the theme. There are also premium extensions that range in price but don’t go anywhere above $29 for a single website.
You may also buy one of the membership plans that starts at $99 per year and includes all premium themes, extensions and one year of priority support.
Support
As usual, there’s a support forum on WordPress.org. Also, developers provide support via the support ticket system on the official website.
Key Takeaways
| Active Installations | 10,000+ |
| Average Rating | 4.7 out of 5 stars (364 reviews) |
| Free Themes | ✔️ 2 |
| Free Extensions | ❌ |
Advanced Classifieds & Directory Prо
Advanced Classifieds & Directory Pro is one more free business directory WordPress plugin on our list. It has a simple interface for businesses to manage their listings on your website.
It was a popular plugin a few years ago, but now it lacks tons of features in its free version. So you’ll have to purchase a premium subscription plan to build a pretty-functional business directory which has payment features and gateways for monetizing your website.
Themes
There are no official themes that you can purchase or use for free when building a directory website using ACADP. However, the plugin’s developers assure that it has been designed to work with any theme. So you can integrate it with your existing theme or any other popular one.
Extensibility
This free business directory WordPress plugin is extensible by design, but there are not so many add-ons that you can add. For example, if you want to monetize your directory, you’ll need to subscribe to one of the paid plans, as most of the payment features are only available in the premium version.
Pricing
The price for the Professional Plan starts at $95.88 per year. It includes 2 payment gateways, 4 extensions and WooCommerce integration. There’s also an option to get lifetime access for $289,99. Also, bear in mind that all extensions are available only in the subscription bundle and cannot be purchased separately.
Support
You can use the WordPress.org forum for support if you have any issues with setting up this free business directory WordPress plugin. Also, there’s a support ticket system on the plugin’s website that you can use for free.
Key Takeaways
| Active Installations | 3,000+ |
| Average Rating | 4.8 out of 5 stars (90 reviews) |
| Free Themes | ❌ |
| Free Extensions | ❌ |
Wrapping Up
That’s it! As you can see, there are many free business directory WordPress plugins out there. Each of the mentioned plugins here has its own pros and cons. So, use this guide to narrow your search and choose the best option for you according to your needs, budget, and tech skills.
However, if you are looking for a lightweight and highly customizable free business directory WordPress plugin, you may want to consider HivePress. It has tons of different features and allows you to build any type of directory and listing website in a breeze.
Additionally, feel free to check our overview of the most popular free classifieds WordPress plugins.
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