13 Best WordPress Directory Plugins for 2023
Looking to build a business directory website? Here are all the best WordPress directory plugins that will get you started in no time.
A directory website is one where the names, addresses, contact, and other details of like or similar individuals or organizations are grouped to be accessed from one location. Examples include a real estate listing directory, blood banks, restaurants, etc. Online directories make it easy for people to locate any listed service. If you’re using WordPress for your website, you’ll be glad of the many directory themes and plugins available for building your website. WordPress directory plugins can add a fully featured directory to your website.
Directory websites are a worthwhile venture as it’s possible to set up many revenue-generating streams with these websites. Multiple revenue-generating options exist, from selling ads and listings to businesses to charging visitors for access to content or setting up a booking site. Featured listings, sticky listings, selling ad space, private listings, membership fees, and product promotion are ways to make money with a directory website.
What to look for in a directory plugin?
WordPress directory plugins are designed to make your site user-friendly and robust. When hunting for the ideal directory plugin, aligning its features with your website’s objective and the listings you plan to showcase is crucial. Here’s a comprehensive guide to the must-have attributes:
- Determine the Purpose: Understand the main goal of your website. If you aim for a profit, consider plugins that accommodate paid listings, integrating seamlessly with payment gateways and offering subscription-based models.
- Map Integration: For directories listing numerous business locations or services in different locales, selecting a plugin supporting map integrations is paramount. This enhances user experience, enabling visitors to pinpoint locations effortlessly.
- Robust Categorization: A top-tier plugin offers efficient listing categorization, streamlining the search process for users. Whether by business type, location, or service, easy navigation is essential.
- Media Support: In today’s digital age, visual content is pivotal. Opt for plugins that not only support images but also videos, offering a richer visual experience for users.
- Front-end Submission System: Enhance interactivity by allowing users to add listings directly from the frontend, omitting the need to navigate the backend. This promotes user engagement and contributions to your directory.
- Flexibility with Form Fields: Your directory’s uniqueness might lie in the specific details. Plugins offering customizable form fields let you tailor the information displayed, ensuring it aligns perfectly with your niche.
- Monetization Options: For those looking to monetize their directory, integrated online payment support is a must. Moreover, consider plugins that support multiple payment gateways and offer flexibility in pricing models, such as one-time payments or recurring subscriptions.
Let’s check out some free and premium plugins that you can try for your WordPress directory website.
Best Free WordPress Directory Listing Plugins
The free directory plugins in this list can effectively set up a directory on your website and allow listings. Some are simple to set up, while others require adjustments of a few settings, especially if you want to customize.
1. uListing
Best designed WordPress directory plugin.
If you want to save money, time, and energy, use uListing. This killer WordPress directory plugin helps you easily create a business listing and classified ads on a WordPress website. Regarding the theme you use to make it a reality, uListing works perfectly fine with free and premium tools. Installing, activating and setting up uListing is quick and straightforward, ideal for beginners and professionals.
uListing offers full customization options. You can create your inventory grids and lists swiftly thanks to the drag and drop builder. You also need not code to make adjustments and improvements with that in mind. Additional features and functionalities of uListing are neat sorting options, Paypal and Stripe payments, a modifiable quick-search function and frontend listing submission. No need to think twice, take action now, go with uListing and make a difference once and for all.
uListing Plugin Features:
- Category and Sorting Management: Efficiently manage and categorize listings for better navigation and user experience.
- Search and Filtering Options: Provide users with advanced search capabilities and filtering options to quickly find relevant listings.
- Payment Options: Accept payments directly through the platform, likely supporting various payment gateways like PayPal and Strope
- Featured Listing Management: Highlight specific listings, giving them premium visibility and enhancing monetization opportunities.
- Front-end Submission: Enable users to submit their listings directly from the front-end, improving user engagement and content generation.
- Fully Customizable Form Fields: Tailor the information input fields based on the specific needs of the directory, ensuring versatility.
- Drag & Drop Builder: Easily design layouts for listings using a drag-and-drop interface, providing flexibility in how listings are displayed.
Active Installations: 3,000+
Price: Basic setup is free. The Cheapest Pro version for a single website is $54.99 but with that, you can create a business, coupons, website directories, and job boards.
2. Business Directory Plugin
Easiest plugin to incorporate directory within your existing website.
If you wish to organize the content in your WordPress and make it searchable by users, the Business Directory Plugin is a good option. It helps you create local listing websites, directory listing websites, business provider listing, etc.
You can use the plugin for free and paid listings and receive payments via Stripe and PayFast Gateway, with full support for recurring payments. Multiple fee plans can be offered and assigned to categories for posting. Or you can receive a higher fee for a featured / sticky listing. For Featured, Latest and Random Listings, and Search, you can use widgets. It allows you to add fully customizable form fields and offers a reCAPTCHA option to cut down on spam registrations.
Importing and exporting listings via CSV format is possible and so is the upload of limited images that can be displayed along with categories. Users can sort within categories and listings, and listing owners can edit listings without access to WP dashboard, if they have posted any item.
Search options include a quick and advanced search that shows or hides fields. The plugin is responsive, SEO friendly supports WPML and integrates with popular navigation plugins for easy use.
Paid add-ons can display ratings for your listings, business locations, location based filtering and zip code radius. They also help manage attachments, upload PDFs, and offer additional payment gateways and discount codes.
Active Installations: 10,000+
Price: Free for simple directories. The cheapest Pro version starts at $49.50 year and comes with payment support, unlimited listings, file upload, reviews, and reatings.
3. HivePress
Plugins come with amazing read-made WordPress themes
HivePress is an all-around WordPress directory plugin that works for marketplaces and classifieds. Also, it easily caters to different industries and niches for your convenience.
Effortless customization means you tailor HivePress to your business needs precisely quickly. Note: You can even choose between dedicated free and premium themes, but you can also integrate the plugin into yours.
So many options!
What’s cool, HivePress comes with all sorts of free and premium extensions. (Or opt for a one-time payment and purchase all extensions at once – money saver.)
HivePress is excellent for quickly creating directories, marketplaces of classifieds.
Active Installations: 10,000+
Price: HivePress is a free plugin offering many premium extensions and themes. Extensions start at $39 and themes are $89 but they look amazing.
4. GeoDirectory
Best plugin with Elemntor, Gutenberg and other WordPress page builder support.
As the name suggests, GeoDirectory uses geographic location to set up an online Directory website like Yelp, TripAdvisor and YellowPages. The base plugin is available for free, but the paid extensions truly enhance the plugin’s capability. You’ll have to obtain an API key for Google maps.
GeoDirectory has robust features that enable millions of listings and offer many customization options. It has an easy-to-use frontend interface where users register, login and submit entries and reviews. They can search for listings based on zip codes or street address, and results are returned in order of proximity.
The plugin is fully responsive and compatible with multisites. It has a built-in review system, 15+ widgets (including Google Analytics Widget) and 12+ widget areas. Using the CSV format, importing and exporting listings in bulk is easy. The paid extensions help to monetize your site by selling listings. These extensions also allow event-based listings, create multi-location directories, add payment gateways, etc.
Active Installations: 10,000+
Price: Free plugin with limited functionality that can be extended via paid addons that starts at $19 but bulk package can set you back as high as $199.
5. Connections Business Directory
Great directory plugin that comes with optimization for all popular WordPress themes.
Connections is a powerful directory plugin for WordPress that can handle simple tasks such as an address book or employee directory and a full-fledged business or links directory. While the basic plugin has many features, the many paid extensions allow you to add any extra function.
The plugin is highly configurable. The custom fields with this plugin let you create almost any directory website. CSV import of nested categories and CSV export of data is supported, as well as translation into 20+ languag andnistrator dashboard can show anniversaries, birthdays and other important events. Entries can be slotted into different types – individual, organization and family. The family type of entry will allow you to group individuals. And for some custom fields like phone numbers, users and site admins can set the privacy level.
Adding a simple shortcode to a WordPress page will display the directory at the frontend. It allows you to add responsive logos and images for each entry. You can also choose your layout from the pre-built templates and then use the powerful shortcode options to customize the appearance of your directory.
Connections Business Directory is one of the best WordPress directory plugins available today. It is compatible with most standard WordPress themes and is SEO friendly. Several free and paid add-ons can extend the plugin’s functions. With over 180 filter hooks and 300 filters, the plugin is developer friendly too.
Active Installations: 10,000+
Price: Plugin is completely free. However, many paid extensions start at $29.99 for a single website. There are many premium templates that you can purchase for $59.99.
6. Advanced Classifieds & Directory Pro
Simple yet universal plugin for both directories and classifieds
Regarding Advanced Classifieds & Directory Pro plugin (ACADP), there are no limits to what kind of directory website you would like to put together. From cars, real estate, travel to restaurants, review sites or yellow pages, the list goes on and on. Also, ACADP allows you to organize your listings across many categories and subcategories. It also has no boundaries regarding how many fields you want to include. ACADP is a powerful and versatile WordPress directory plugin.
Other goodies of ACADP are locations and regions settings, search widget and a fully customizable layout. There are also different revenue options, payment methods and email notifications incorporated in the gem. You can start with your directory platform immediately; you only need to download and activate ACADP.
Active Installations: 4,000+
Price: Plugin is free via WordPress.org. More premium features like payment gateway, paid listings, WooCommerce integration, and CSV import/export cost $95.88/year.
7. Directorist
Plugin has its own premium directory themes that are sold separately.
Directorist is an exclusive WordPress directory plugin for different business purposes. With the numerous amazing and practical features, it will be pure enjoyment putting together the must-have platform with Directorist. Thanks to regular updates, you can expect new features and amazing updates that you can take to your advantage. Your platform will easily stand the test of time, always looking fresh and modern.
Now let’s see what is unique about Directorist. Featured listings, monetization, catchy design, email notifications, responsive layout and unlimited custom fields are some goodies to get the hype going. While building a directory might sound foreign to you, with Directorist, all will become much clearer as soon as you start using it. In other words, Directorist ensures that it applies to beginners and professionals.
Active Installations: 10,000+
Price: Free plugin available via WordPress plugin repository. Directorist has many premium extensions and themes that you can purchase for $99/year. That way you get access to all extensions and themes. Those include paid listings, payment gateways, memberships and much more.
8. Name Directory
Great tool for creating glossary-type pages on your website.
Name Directory is an attractive WordPress directory plugin for building unique and practical glossaries/index pages (with a search function). Upon installing and activating the plugin, it appears in the left sidebar of your WordPress installation. You can access all the features and functions this tool has in store for its users. With Name Directory, you can create multiple directories/glossaries to decorate your website with unique new content.
In the settings section, you will find many customization options to fine-tune the layout and the overall functionality. You can enable the search function, select the number of columns, get the directory to start with a particular letter, and even translate it. For a directory that aims more toward a glossary/index style, Name Directory is one of the best solutions you can get your hands on.
Active Installations: 10,000+
Price: Completely free and open source directory plugin.
Premium Directory WordPress Plugins
With so many free plugins, you may not need to search among the premium plugins. But these plugins have a lot to offer, with additional features and greater support. So let’s check out a few top-selling premium directory plugins.
9. Sabai Directory Plugin
Most popular premium directory plugin for WordPress.
Sabai Directory is a feature-rich premium business directory plugin that helps create not one but many beautiful directories on WordPress. It displays listing in a beautiful list, grid, and map view. You can switch between list and map modes.
A helpful dashboard is available for users to manage their listing and bookmarks. Users can bookmark reviews, listing, and photos and search the listings by keywords, category, distance, and location. They can also vote on the pictures and reviews of listings. The most attractive feature of this plugin is its ability to build community-based local directories such as Google+ Places, Yelp, and Yahoo! Local.
The plugin provides multilocation support, allows uploading photos for listings, and shows directions on maps. You can have featured listings and custom single page listing and pricing tables on your directory. Contact form and 27 customizable email notifications are available for contacting listing owners. The plugin supports RTL, CSV import and export, and BuddyPress user profile and activity integration.
Using the Visual Form Builder, you can add custom fields and filter results using these fields. It includes a fully interactive map that can display details on hover. The map can be embedded into any page using a short code. You can choose between 16 map Google map types and add a custom marker icon to the maps. The plugin supports multiple payment gateways and currencies to receive payments.
Active Installations: 9,200+
Price: $29
10. Directory Pro
Directory Pro helps you build responsive layouts for your directory while allowing you to make money by selling listings innovatively. Users can subscribe for varying periods such as daily, weekly, monthly, or annually or opt for one-time payments. You can also offer free or paid trials and tailor user roles to align with the packages. The subscription can cover services like Adding a listing, accessing the site, making a reservation, selling a VIP badge, etc.
The plugin allows custom post type and is SEO friendly, fully responsive, WPML compatible and integrated with WPBakery Page Builder and MailChimp. Users can add or edit listings from ‘My Account’ at the front end and pay for listings via the Paypal payment gateway or the Stripe payment gateway. They can also contact the listing owner via a note. You can place the listing details page on a touch slider to make it easy for visitors to view on mobiles.
When it comes to new listings, you can add a badge and specify the number of days the badge is to display. The plugin also includes 7 pricing tables, 2 signup styles, coupons for signup, 11 email templates, and a host of other features and settings.
Active Installations: 1,800+
Price: $39
11. GravityView
Best tool if you are already using the GravityForms plugin.
Many of us use Gravity Forms to add forms such as Contact Forms to our website. These forms collect loads of data. The GravityView plugin helps display this data in Table view, List View, Data tables and Google Maps to serve as a directory. Using a paid add-on, you can instantly have a paid directory.
Admins will find it easy to work with this plugin. You can search entries, sort columns by values and filter entries, and opt to approve or reject entries. Add a star to an entry in the Admin Panel to display it as a featured entry. Site admins and users can edit entries right inside the original Gravity Forms. It’s possible to upload multiple media elements like images, audio and video and display them in a gallery. A drag and drop builder helps in content layout. Users can rate entries.
This plugin works well with other Gravity plugins like GravityFlow, Gravity PDF, and GFChart to do even more with your form data. GravityView allows deep integration with DataTables, a quality script for working with tabular data, for certain levels of licenses purchased. This lets you browse, filter, and sort entries with live updates. With a paid add-on, you can import entries in CSV format. The plugin is highly customizable with a 30 day refund guarantee.
Active Installations: 500+
Price: $69 (billed annually)
12. Classifier
As the name suggests, Classifier is the ideal WordPress plugin for building classified ads websites. If that is something you are considering, now you can with the all-around, feature-rich and easy to use Classifier. The directory listing you are about to start could be a niche or generic, Classifier handles them both without a hitch. You can focus on one industry or create multiple, offering many businesses, agencies and freelancers to submit listings.
Some superb features of Classifier include private chat, five home page designs, seven search page layouts, review system and a convenient user dashboard. Of course, your impressive creation will also operate smoothly on desktop and mobile devices and popular web browsers. Feel free to peek at the demo first and see how robust Classifier is.
Active Installations: 400+
Price: $59
13. Directories Pro
Best directory WordPress plugin for SEO
Directories Pro is a sophisticated and feature-rich WordPress directory plugin with all the necessary amenities. With Directories Pro, you can go after establishing any directory you want. From such similar to Yelp and Google Places to user, property, restaurant and local business directories. The web design you create with Directories Pro is also mobile-ready, fast performing, and in tune with web browsers.
Following are just a few of the features you gain access to. Directories Pro ensures advanced search with filtering, custom fields management, content editor, custom maps and a frontend user dashboard. It also accepts paid listings, CSV import and export, reviews and Better Notification for WordPress. Moreover, Directories Pro is also compatible with SEO and other modern web and tech practices.
Active Installations: 6,700+
Price: $39
In Conclusion
Developing a directory from scratch is both costly and time-consuming. This is where WordPress Directory plugins can be handy and enable anyone to start with their directory listing website. Check out this list if you prefer a WordPress theme to handle your directory. If it’s a more specific classifieds directory you need, there are themes for that.
If your favorite plugin is not on this list, let us know about it in the Comments section.
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