Directorist vs Directories Pro – A Concrete Comparative Guide

More often than not, it’s not worth picking up a tool based on its popularity. This is why you need to vet their versatility and scalability so that you can go for the one that really suits your needs. Having said that, very few directory solutions are as popular as Directorist and Directories Pro.

But these two tools shine in different hues from their own perspectives. Do you know how they differ from each other? If not, grab a cup of tea and give a shot to this comparative guide so that you can get to know which one gives you the better value for money. Now, let’s get the ball rolling. But before we move any further…

A Brief Intro to Directorist

Directorist is a WordPress-based directory solution that allows you to build any kind of directory website, such as local business listings, a restaurant directory, an automobile directory, classified ads, and many more. It comes with a free version, including a free directory theme (OneListing), which is enough to create a directory website with a few advanced features.

The best part is that it’s scalable through a host of premium extensions and themes. If you want to customize things your way, you can do it very easily with the free directory builder. Additionally, Directorist ships with 19 Gutenberg blocks and 25+ Elementor widgets, plus integrations for Bricks, Oxygen, and Divi 5, so you can feel comfortable if you’re using any of the major page builders. Last but not least, it can also turn your directory website into a native mobile app.

The tool now has more than 20,000 active installations with a 4.6 customer satisfaction rating out of 5 on WordPress.org, based on nearly 700 reviews. Directorist has come a long way since joining the market, and it’s still gaining momentum. If you’re planning to create a directory website like Yelp, Craigslist, or Google Business Profiles, then it’s a solid solution to consider.

A Brief Intro to Directories Pro

Directories Pro is another WordPress plugin that enables you to create any kind of directory website, just like Directorist. It’s a directory solution built by developer onokazu (an Elite Author on Envato Market, previously known for the Sabai Directory plugin) that helps you create directories similar to Google Business Profiles, Yahoo, or Yelp. It ships with a solid set of features that make the plugin versatile and scalable.

Directories Pro ships with notable features like fast loading speed and responsiveness, advanced search and facet filters, custom fields management, a content display editor, paid listings, a frontend dashboard, claim listings, multi-directory support, and guest posting. The plugin has 9,150+ sales on CodeCanyon with a 4.75-star rating across 284 reviews, which indicates it’s also a well-established directory solution.

If you want to build a directory and don’t mind a one-time purchase without a free trial version, Directories Pro is worth considering, since it doesn’t offer a free tier.

Directorist vs Directories Pro (When They Stand Toe-to-Toe)

You’re here because you know there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, aren’t you? That’s why we’re comparing these two tools so you can make a better-informed decision. Now, let’s break down the comparison based on the following criteria:

1. Free version availability
2. Pricing plans
3. Support duration
4. Mobile apps availability
5. Drag & drop page builder
6. Multi-directory facilities
7. Unlimited custom fields
8. Listing importer
9. CSV bulk importer
10. Search with advanced filters
11. Multiple mapping sources
12. Frontend listing submission and management
13. Private directory
14. Exclusive plugins
15. Exclusive themes
16. Page builder support
17. WooCommerce multivendor plugin compatibility
18. Booking system
19. Built-in checkout and popular gateways
20. Earn through monetization
21. Live chat
22. Ads manager
23. Social login
24. More premium features
25. Integrations
26. Growth rate
27. Miscellaneous

1. Free version availability

It’s a common pattern in the WordPress plugin space that most premium developers build on top of a scalable core version. In most cases, the core version is free, and premium features ship as paid extensions or modules.

In this regard, Directorist includes a free core version, but Directories Pro does not.

Feature	Directorist	Directories Pro
Free version	✔️	❌

2. Pricing plans

Directorist is licensed on an annual subscription, priced by number of sites: $110/year for 1 site, $127/year for 5 sites, and $142/year for unlimited sites (first-year promotional pricing; renewal pricing is slightly lower). There’s also a lifetime option from $379 one-time for 1 site, which covers you permanently with no yearly renewal. Every paid plan, annual or lifetime, includes all 30+ official extensions and every premium theme. Directorist also offers a 14-day money-back guarantee.

Check the current pricing on the Directorist Pricing page

Directories Pro works differently: it’s sold exclusively through CodeCanyon (Envato Market) as a one-time purchase for $39, not a recurring subscription. That price includes 6 months of support, which can be extended for an additional fee if you want continued help and updates beyond the initial period. There’s no lifetime-vs-subscription choice here, since the license itself is already a single one-time payment; the only ongoing cost, if any, is the optional support extension.

N.B.: Pricing for both products is subject to change over time — check each vendor’s page directly before buying.

3. Support duration

Feature	Directorist	Directories Pro
Support duration	1 year (annual plans) or ongoing (lifetime plan)	6 months included, extendable for an additional fee

Directorist bundles support with its annual plans for a full year, and lifetime-plan customers get ongoing support without needing to renew a license. Directories Pro, following the standard Envato/CodeCanyon model, includes 6 months of support with the initial $39 purchase, with the option to extend coverage afterward at an extra cost.

4. Mobile apps availability

Mobile apps for your directory solution indicate how efficiently you can reach more customers on the devices they actually use.

Directorist has a full-fledged native mobile app (Android and iOS) that connects to your existing directory site. Directories Pro does not offer a mobile app.

Feature	Directorist	Directories Pro
Mobile apps	✔️ (Android + iOS)	❌

5. Drag & drop directory website page builder

An advanced drag-and-drop directory page builder matters if you want to customize your add-listing page, single listing layout, all-listings page, and search form without touching code.

Directorist gives you a drag-and-drop form builder for these key pages. Directories Pro comes with a drag-and-drop Content Display Editor that covers the basics of page customization, though it’s not as extensive as Directorist’s builder.

Features	Directorist	Directories Pro
Drag & drop input fields	✔️	✔️
Advanced drag & drop search form builder	✔️	❌
Customizable listing card for grid view	✔️	✔️
Single page layout and list layout builder	✔️	✔️
Personalized builder settings panel	✔️	❌

6. Multi-directory facilities

You may start with one directory type but later want to expand into other categories. Both solutions support this.

Feature	Directorist	Directories Pro
Multi-directory facility	✔️ (free)	✔️ (paid)

7. Unlimited Custom Fields

If preset fields aren’t enough, custom fields are the key. Both Directorist and Directories Pro let you add custom fields with drag-and-drop functionality, and you can add as many as you need.

Feature	Directorist	Directories Pro
Custom fields	✔️ (free)	✔️ (paid)

8. Listing importer

Populating a new directory from scratch is one of the slowest parts of launching, since it usually means researching businesses and copying names, addresses, phone numbers, and photos in one at a time.

Directorist addresses this with its Listing Importer extension, which pulls listings in two ways: a keyword + location + radius search against the Google Places API (with a preview step so you choose which businesses to import), or a connected RSS/Atom feed that can be imported once or kept in sync automatically. Imported data can include business name, photo, address, phone number, website, ratings, and Google reviews, and existing imported listings can be refreshed later without creating duplicates. It’s priced separately from the core plans, starting at $29/year for one site. Directories Pro has no equivalent bulk-import-from-external-source feature.

Feature	Directorist	Directories Pro
Import listings from Google Maps	✔️ (Listing Importer)	❌
Import listings from RSS/Atom feeds	✔️ (Listing Importer)	❌

9. CSV bulk importer

If you’re migrating from another directory solution, you’ll want to export your existing data and import it into the new one. Both directory solutions support CSV bulk import.

Feature	Directorist	Directories Pro
CSV bulk importer	✔️ (with field mapping)	✔️

10. Search with advanced customizable filters

An advanced, customizable search is table stakes for a directory website. Both tools support it, and both let you decide which fields appear on the search form.

Features	Directorist	Directories Pro
Search filters	✔️	✔️
Advanced custom filters with a drag & drop builder	✔️	❌

11. Multiple mapping sources & mapping styles

Each of these directory tools gives you multiple mapping sources and styles.

Features	Directorist	Directories Pro
Multiple mapping sources	✔️	✔️
Google Maps	✔️	✔️
OpenStreetMap	✔️	✔️
Customizable map styling	✔️	✔️

12. Frontend listing submission & guest submission

With frontend and guest listing submission, users can post their listings immediately, which helps your sales funnel. Keeping users off the WordPress backend also reduces your site’s attack surface.

Other benefits include:

• Submitting a listing with just an email
• Submitting from a frontend dashboard instead of the default WordPress admin
• Managing submitted listings entirely from the frontend

Both Directorist and Directories Pro support this:

Features	Directorist	Directories Pro
Frontend listing submission	✔️	✔️
Guest posting	✔️	✔️
Frontend listing management	✔️	✔️

13. Private directory

If you want to build an email list, restricting listing visibility to logged-in users only is an effective lead-generation tactic.

Directorist supports this; Directories Pro does not.

Features	Directorist	Directories Pro
Private directory	✔️	❌

14. Exclusive plugins

Extensions let you extend your directory’s functionality well beyond the core plugin.

Directorist has 30+ official extensions, including:

• Mailchimp Integration
• Multi-Directory Linking
• BuddyPress Integration
• BuddyBoss Integration
• Oxygen Builder Integration
• Authorize.Net Payment Gateway
• Directorist Coupon
• Directorist Ads Manager
• Compare Listings
• Rank Featured Listings
• Booking (Reservation & Appointment)
• Live Chat
• Mark as Sold
• Social Login
• Post Your Need
• Listings with Map
• Image Gallery
• Listing FAQs
• Listings Slider & Carousel
• Google reCAPTCHA
• Business Hours
• Claim Listing
• Stripe Payment Gateway
• PayPal Payment Gateway
• Pricing Plans
• WooCommerce Pricing Plans
• WPML Integration
• GamiPress Integration
• Digital Marketplace
• And more

Directories Pro, by contrast, is fully paid, and all of its features ship as part of the core plugin rather than as separate add-ons.

Feature	Directorist	Directories Pro
Modular plugin add-ons	✔️	Not applicable

15. Exclusive themes

Themes matter because they’re what visitors actually see and interact with.

Directorist currently offers 13+ integrated themes, including:

• OneListing (free)
• OneListing Pro
• dJobs
• dHotels
• dClassified
• dPlace
• dRestaurant
• dRealEstate
• dCar
• dList
• dService
• dDoctors
• dLawyers

Only OneListing is free; the rest are included with any paid Directorist plan (or purchasable individually starting at $69/year).

Directories Pro doesn’t ship with any integrated themes of its own — it works with standard WordPress themes instead.

Feature	Directorist	Directories Pro
Theme integrations	✔️ (13+, 1 free)	❌

16. Page builder support

People increasingly design their directory pages with builders like Elementor, Bricks, Oxygen, Divi, and the Gutenberg block editor. Support varies between the two tools.

Feature	Directorist	Directories Pro
Page builder support	✔️ (Gutenberg, Elementor, Bricks, Oxygen, Divi 5)	✔️ (Elementor, Divi, Oxygen Builder)

17. WooCommerce Multivendor Plugin compatibility

If your directory tool is compatible with popular WooCommerce multivendor plugins like Dokan, WC Marketplace, WCFM, WC Vendors, or YITH WooCommerce Multivendor, you can run a directory and a multivendor marketplace side by side.

Feature	Directorist	Directories Pro
Compatible with popular multivendor plugins (Dokan, WC Vendors, WC Marketplace, WCFM, YITH WooCommerce Multivendor)	✔️	❌

18. Develop booking system

If you’re planning a booking-based directory, you’ll want support for:

• Restaurant reservations
• Doctor appointments
• Service bookings
• Event ticket bookings
• Hotel and apartment rentals

Directories Pro has no built-in booking system, while Directorist offers one as an official extension.

Feature	Directorist	Directories Pro
Booking system	✔️	❌

19. Built-in checkout & popular gateways

Your directory solution should support multiple payment gateways to reduce cart abandonment.

Payment gateways	Directorist	Directories Pro
PayPal	✔️	❌
Stripe	✔️	❌
Authorize.Net	✔️	❌
Offline / bank transfer	✔️	❌
WooCommerce payment gateways	✔️	✔️

Directories Pro’s monetization runs entirely through WooCommerce’s own gateway ecosystem — there’s no native PayPal, Stripe, or Authorize.Net integration built into the plugin itself, so you’ll need a WooCommerce store configured alongside it to accept payments.

20. Earn through monetization

The more ways you have to monetize a directory, the more revenue potential it has.

Features	Directorist	Directories Pro
Paid listings	✔️	✔️
Featured listings	✔️	❌
Rank featured listing	✔️	❌
Claim a listing	✔️	❌
Pay per submit	✔️	❌
Recurring payment support	✔️	✔️ (via WooCommerce Subscriptions)
Charge for upgrading or downgrading a listing plan	❌	✔️

21. Private Live Chat

Live chat lets visitors message listing owners directly, which makes a directory feel more engaging and helps retain paying customers.

Directorist offers this as an official extension. Directories Pro doesn’t currently include it.

Feature	Directorist	Directories Pro
Private live chat	✔️	❌

22. Ads manager

An ads manager lets you monetize your directory’s traffic directly, on top of listing fees.

Feature	Directorist	Directories Pro
Google AdSense	✔️	❌
Facebook Ads	✔️	❌
Affiliate marketing	✔️	❌

23. Social login

Social login removes friction from registration — no email verification, just a one-click sign-up and login.

Directorist supports this; Directories Pro doesn’t.

Feature	Directorist	Directories Pro
Social login via Google	✔️	❌
Social login via Facebook	✔️	❌

24. More premium features

Some other notable features worth comparing:

Features	Directorist	Directories Pro
Business hours	✔️	✔️
Mark as sold	✔️	❌
Spam protection (reCAPTCHA)	✔️	✔️
Listing FAQs	✔️	❌
Image gallery	✔️	❌
Listings slider & carousel	✔️	✔️
Compare listings	✔️	✔️
WPML support	✔️	✔️
RTL support	✔️	✔️

25. Integrations

Integrations with other platforms give your directory more flexibility.

Directorist integrates with:

• Google Maps
• OpenStreetMap
• Yoast SEO
• Rank Math SEO
• BuddyPress profile pages
• BuddyBoss profile pages
• WPML
• Mailchimp
• FormGent
• Elementor
• Bricks (via AddonsKit)
• Oxygen Builder
• Divi 5
• Gutenberg
• GamiPress

Directories Pro integrates with:

• Google Maps
• OpenStreetMap
• WooCommerce (My Account page)
• BuddyPress profile pages
• Ultimate Member profile pages
• PeepSo profile pages
• WPML

Directories Pro’s integration list above reflects what’s documented on its own site; we couldn’t independently confirm every item still ships as described, so treat this list as directionally accurate rather than exhaustively re-verified.

26. Growth rate

“Growth rate” is hard to compare apples-to-apples between a freemium WordPress.org plugin and a paid CodeCanyon item, since the two platforms track completely different metrics. With that caveat upfront, here’s what each side’s own numbers show as of this update:

Directorist reports 20,000+ active installations with 500+ review on WordPress.org. Directorist’s core plugin is free, so “installs” mostly reflects new sites being started, not necessarily paid customers.

Directories Pro reports 9,150+ lifetime sales on CodeCanyon — each sale representing an actual purchase, since there’s no free tier to inflate the count. Its 4.75-star rating across 284 reviews is also a good sign.

Read together, both products have grown meaningfully: Directorist’s free-to-use model is pulling in a larger volume of new sites, while Directories Pro’s paid-only model means its growth number reflects direct purchases rather than free trials. Neither number alone tells you which plugin is “better” — they measure different things — but both indicate active, well-maintained products rather than stagnant ones.

27. Miscellaneous

A standard directory tool should also cover these smaller but still important features:

Features	Directorist	Directories Pro
RTL language compatibility (Arabic, Aramaic, Azeri, etc.)	✔️	❌
Ratings & reviews	✔️	✔️
Guest submission	✔️	✔️
Private directory	✔️	❌
Custom badges	✔️	❌
GDPR ready	✔️	✔️
Renew listings	✔️	✔️
Email notifications	✔️	❌
Scheduled listing expiration	✔️	❌
Save & bookmark	✔️	✔️
Setup wizard	✔️	✔️
Directions & contact info	✔️	✔️
Invoicing	✔️	✔️
Tax-ready checkout	✔️	❌
Flag & report listings	✔️	❌
Fully responsive design	✔️	✔️
Author public profile	✔️	❌
Custom user registration and login	✔️	❌
Social media sharing	✔️	❌
Events manager	✔️	✔️
Franchise manager	❌	✔️

Final Verdict

These two directory solutions shine from different positions. Directorist gives you a genuinely free, feature-complete starting point with an annual or lifetime paid path, a wide extension and theme library, native mobile apps, and built-in payment gateways beyond WooCommerce. Directories Pro is a mature, actively updated, one-time-purchase alternative with a strong CodeCanyon track record, though its features are less modular and its monetization is tied to WooCommerce.

We’d suggest trying Directorist’s free version first, since Directories Pro doesn’t offer one, before committing to a purchase on either side. If you’re already using either plugin, your own experience with it is worth more than any comparison table — feel free to share it in the comments.

However, if you are using Directories Pro or Directorist, make sure you share your experience in the comment section below. If you liked our posts, don’t forget to subscribe to our blog so that we can notify you once any post is published. Directorist is now on Twitter & Facebook! You can also join the Directorist Community for sharing your thoughts and experiences relating to the directory niche. Come and join us to see what we’re up to.