Creating a directory website can be an exciting business and a quality directory WordPress plugin makes the process easier. If you do it in the right way, it can be a sustainable business with amazing recurring revenue.
When you create a business directory site, it needs a lot of attention initially; once you are able to create a brand most of the content will be created by users.
Creating an effective directory site can be a win-win for you as the admin and the users. They will get a platform to list their business and create a new customer base while you get the commission on listing and business done on your site.
Now, if you go for custom development of your directory site, it will surely cost you thousands of dollars as a directory site needs a lot of detailed development in terms of features and design.
From the custom search option to the listing forms, it needs to be perfect so that you are able to make it easier for your users to use your site and at the same time you are able to control spam.
The best solution is to use WordPress as there are a number of amazing WordPress directory themes and plugins that will help you to create your directory business in a day with all the features and options that you need on your site.
Using a directory plugin will save a lot of money for you, it will make the process a lot quicker and you will be able to use your favorite WordPress design to create your directory site.
In this article, we will have a look at the best directory WordPress plugins that you can use to create your business listing site.
What Are the Best Directory WordPress Plugins?
There are a number of quality free directory plugins that you can use to create a directory site using WordPress. We have listed the top free & premium directory plugins for WordPress.
In this article.
What Makes a Quality Directory Plugin?
As we are looking at a long-term business it is important to use a quality plugin that will be safe for your site and offers you all the required features for your site.
These are a few important and must-have options in a quality directory plugin.
So, let’s have a look at the best directory WordPress plugins.
Directory Plugin Vs Themes
If you are planning to start a directory site, you will surely have the question in your mind whether to use a plugin or a theme. And this is a valid question because you can create a directory site using a plugin or a theme that comes with all the directory-related features built-in.
The Advantage of Using a Theme
Disadvantages of Using a Theme
Advantages of Using a Plugin
The List of Best Directory Plugins
Directory Pro
Directory Pro is an advanced WordPress directory plugin that you can use to create a comprehensive directory site with all modern options.
It is a fully responsive mobile-friendly design to make sure that your site looks great on mobile devices. The plugin gives you the option to allow your users to submit content from the front-end of your site which is an important requirement for any directory site.
You can create different listing packages and take payment through Paypal or Stripe to list businesses on your directory site.
The plugin also comes with a review module so that other users can write reviews on the listings to guide users. Overall, the Directory Pro is a very handy and comprehensive option for your directory business.
Top Features of Directory Pro
- Mobile-friendly design
- Front-end listing option
- Claim listing option
- Review module
- Free and paid listing option
- Payment system integration
- And more
GeoDirectory
The GeoDirectory is one of the best directory WordPress plugins available in the market. This plugin is constantly getting updated with new features.
It is one of the most comprehensive directory plugins in terms of features, it is sustainable and scalable to make a profitable long-term business.
The plugin is created for high-traffic sites, so even if your site gets millions of traffic each month, it will perfectly handle it without any issue.
You can use this plugin to create a location-specific directory site like YellowPages, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and many others.
The plugin is lightweight and SEO friendly. It is quick and simple to get started. Your directory site will be ready in a day with all the amazing features that you see in world-class sites.
The GeoDirectory plugin works perfectly with any WordPress theme, so you don’t have a change the basic design of your site.
The plugin offers the front-end listing submission option, and you as the admin will have an amazing drag-and-drop interface to create the listing form with custom fields as per your business need.
As the plugin is created for the geo-targeted directory sites, it offers you very deep integration. You can go upto to the street, city to list the business making it easier for the users to find the business in a target location.
The plugin offers you ready to use WordPress theme that you can use with the plugin to scale your directory site easily.
It comes with a number of premium add-ons that you can use to bring amazing features to your site.
Top Features of GeoDirectory
- Custom widgets and custom widget locations
- Deep geo-specific integration
- Drag-and-drop form builder
- Amazing Google Map integration
- Built-in user review options like Yelp
- Multilingual support, 100% WPML compatible
Business Directory Plugin
One of the best directory plugin options, the Business Directory Plugin comes with all the features that you need to create a top-quality directory business.
This plugin gives you all the features that the top directory sites come with. You have the option to create different packages for your users and restrict the submission type and capability depending on the package they select.
So, making recurring revenue from your directory business will be super simple and easy with this plugin.
The plugin offers you easy to use drag-and-drop submission form builder which will make it easy for the users to list their business quickly.
You can add custom fields to the form depending on your niche. The plugin also gives the option to add images in the listing just like the top directory sites, and you have the option to restrict the number of images depending on the package selected.
Business Directory Plugin comes with a built-in option to collect payment for your directory users.
Top Features of Business Directory Plugin
- Create packages and collect money for listing
- Multi-language support
- Custom search option with filterable fields
- Front-end listing option
Sabai Directory Plugin for WordPress
A fully featured powerful directory WordPress plugins that will help you to create a Yelp type of directory site in a day.
Like the top directory sites, this plugin also gives you the option to claim your business if it is already listed. If a business if not already listed, the users will be able to list it using the front-end submission form.
The plugin comes with a fully responsive design so that your directory site looks great on all devices. As far as the presentation is concerned, you have all the options, the classic list view, grid view, map view making it as good as the top directory sites.
You can use this plugin to create a deeply integrated geo-location-based business listing site with a powerful search option to find the businesses in a specified location in the world.
The Sabai directory plugin comes with a highly flexible submission form builder with a visual customizer, and as far as the fields are concerned you have all the options the image upload option, HTML, text, date, and a lot more.
As the admin, you will be able to create an unlimited number of categories and make your directory site a comprehensive business
The Sabai plugin offers you easy payment integration options so that you can collect payment from your directory users through Paypal, Authorize.net, 2Checkout, Stripe payment gateways.
Top Features of Sabai Directory Plugin
- Visual form builder with unlimited custom fields
- Easy payment integration option
- The amazing review option like Yelp
- Comment and voting option on the reviews
- Option to upload photos on the directory listing
Web 2.0 Directory Plugin for WordPress
Another high-quality premium directory plugin that you can use to create your directory site. This plugin can be used for any niche directory site.
You can also create an extremely deep geo-targeted directory site using this amazing plugin. You have the option to show the listings with maps and markers.
You will get a highly customizable business listing form and custom search option to make it easier for the users to use your site effectively.
The plugin gives you the option to add images, YouTube videos, and AJAX attachments to the listing to make them even more comprehensive.
You have the option to create custom packages and limit the listing depending on the package selected. You will be able to create a strong sustainable business with this powerful directory plugin.
Top Features of Web 2.0 Directory Plugin
- Frontend dashboard for the users
- Powerful integration of the WooCommerce plugin
- Highly flexible listing forms and search option
- User review and rating system
- Multimedia support in the listing
Everest Business Directory
The Everest Business Directory Plugin is a WordPress plugin that allows you to create a business directory on your website. You can add businesses, categories, and tags, and then allow visitors to search for businesses with the advanced search option that the plugin comes with.
The Everest Business Directory Plugin can be used to create any kind of directory, be it a local business listing directory or some kind of product directory. If you have a website about a specific city or town, the plugin can help you create a business directory for that city or town.
Some of the top features of the plugin include:
- Easy-to-use interface
- Create unlimited categories and subcategories
- Add unlimited listings
- Allow users to submit listings
- Approve or reject listings
- Control what information is displayed in the listing
- Charge for listings
- Easily manage listing payments
- And more!
Some of the pros include:
- Easy-to-use interface
- Wide range of features
- Can create unlimited listings
- Can charge for listings
Some of the cons include:
- Does not offer support for multiple languages
- Cannot export listings to CSV or other formats
Overall, the Everest Business Directory Plugin is a great tool for creating and managing online directories. If you are looking for an easy-to-use plugin with a wide range
Simple Directory
A simple free WordPress directory plugin, a great option for local business listing sites. If you ever wanted to create a yellow page kind of site in your locality, this is a great plugin option for you.
This plugin creates a new custom post type on your WordPress site for the business listing making it simple and quick.
I would not recommend this plugin for big directory sites as it comes with its own limitations in terms of the fields and scalability.
However, if you just need an option to capture the content information of a business and show the location with Google Map, it will do that job perfectly.
Advanced Classifieds & Directory Pro
We have already listed the best-classified WordPress plugins on WPaim, here is a plugin that you can use to create a classified or a business listing directory site.
You can use this plugin to create a fully functional deeply integrated directory site with an unlimited number of categories and category levels.
It’s free to use directory plugin but it offers the options to create a top-quality site. You have the option to add an unlimited number of custom fields on your form to make it suitable for any niche directory.
The users of your directory site will have the option to manage their listing, edit, delete listing as per their requirement.
Top Features of Advanced Classifieds & Directory Pro
- Charge your users to list their business on your site
- Option to add images, and videos on the listing
- Complete self-dependent listing by users
- Listing management by the users
Gravity Forms Directory
Gravity Forms, is one of the most popular and widely used form builders for WordPress. You can use this plugin to create any kind of form on your site.
This plugin is an add-on to the main Gravity Forms plugin that will help you to create a fully functional directory site on the WordPress platform.
Top Features of Gravity Forms Directory
- Built-in custom search option
- Easily add a directory with a shortcode
- The easy option for the users to submit a listing
Connections Business Directory
Another simple free directory WordPress plugin. This plugin can be used with any quality WordPress theme to make your directory site quickly.
So, you don’t have to change the design of your site. Also, another advantage is that it blends perfectly with the powerful website builders such as the Elementor plugin, the Visual Composer, etc.
Final Word
These are some of the best directory WordPress plugins that you can use to create your own directory site. You can create any niche site using these plugins.
As already mentioned, creating a directory site can be a long-term business that you can use to make a recurring revenue from your site.
