So after several failed attempts of building directories, I came to the conclusion that directories don’t have to be complicated, don’t have to be super niche, they just need to be well executed and built for businesses that actually have clients (you can’t really make money with a directory in the pottery niche because there are no monetization options outside visual ads).
So I decided that I need to copy the big dogs like google and yelp, because although you ain’t got a chance against them, the search results have 10 slots on the first page, so after the first 2 slots the rest is up for grabs.
I literally tried every plugin and software there is available, but they have either their own CMS that is not for WordPress, or have their own theme, or some other {redacted}, that I don’t like. The ones that work on WP are to complicated, slow and have no or little automations, basically glorified template pages for directories, but none of them help you build and scale a business directory fast.
I need something simple, fast, that can handle huge numbers of business listings, preferably that I don’t need to build myself one page at a time, a software or plugin that is not dependable on other slow themes and stuff like that, that can be easily replicated on 10 other websites in 10 different niches. Something that doesn’t cost and arm or a leg, or don’t have ownership on it.
Does something like this exist? Or do I have to build 10k listings myself one by one?
Hi @kwagner0,
Thank you for posting to the Community!
After looking into this further, I was able to find this thread where @johnelmer mentions using this resource to build a Directory in Hubspot.
I’d also, like to tag in some of our Top Contributors to see if they have any other suggestions on this -- @jonchim @alyssamwilie @nickdeckerdevs1 Have any of you all had any good experiences with Business Directory plug-ins that integrate with Hubspot?
Thank you!
Cassie, Community Manager
Hey Cassie,
thanks for the suggestions. I am actually looking for a directory solution that I can add to my existing WP website.
Lol “glorified template pages”. Totally agree! I had the same experience. I think most of these service providers never really built an actual directory on their own.
What I did differently from your experience, is that I kept looking further, because most people falsely advertise some of these old dinosaur softwares because of their affiliate program. So I kept digging and found some new alternatives that are not yet so popular, but absolutely smash when it comes to business directories. Just recently found a WP plugin that basically does it all on auto pilot. You just feed it your scrape data and it does the rest for you. Works on wordpress, it’s independent of any themes or additional plugins and blazing fast. I think it goes up to like 40-50k business listings, fully built for you on autopilot in just minutes, which is honestly unheard-of in WP, but apparently they are using some kick **bleep** virtual page tech or somethin that makes it possible. Nowadays there is a solution for everything, you just need to find it!
Glad that I’m not alone in this boat 
You kinda made me curious with that plugin, what’s it called? I might have to give it a try
If I remember correctly this particular one was called turnkey directories or something, don’t quote me on that 
Just google it, you’ll surely find it 
Good luck with your build!
Yea, I’ve got it. Looks promising.
Thanks
@OTaylor5 It looks like they’re rippin it. The’re aren’t joking about the results, if you check out their demo page. How do they even created 47000 pages on wordpress? Is that even possible? Pagespeed insights are in the green with 90+. LOL. How did you find these guys and why aren’t people talking about this?
@OTaylor5 I’ll be honest, this gem was hard to find! Just tried their free version. It’s a bit confusing with that scraper data file upload thingie, but once you get passed that, it’s really awesome! Was able to create 5000 business listings on the free version in an afternoon 
You can check out HivePress, pretty versatile but open source and listed on WordPress repository, can be used with their starter theme ListingHive or third-party themes (styles with third-party ones may be basic though).
@kna238 Yea, I’ve just checked them out but besides some themes and extensions, there is no real directory building automations that I’ve seen.
Their live demo directories consist of 6 listings and very weak pagespeed insights score and loading times.
It’s a hard NO for me, at this point. Has nothing to do with comprehensive business directories, in my opinion.
But thanks for the suggestion
If you need something that scales fast and isn’t complicated, check out the Classified Listing Plugin by RadiusTheme. It’s robust enough to handle large directories but remains user-friendly.
To save you time on design and setup, they also offer a free WordPress theme called “Radius Directory”. It pairs perfectly with the plugin, so you don’t have to worry about theme compatibility or bloat. It’s a solid option for replicating across different niches efficiently.
@haibd Just checked them out, but honestly this looks like exactly what we were talking about earlier. Super complicated, tons of useless features and add-ons dependent on their own themes. Checked out their demo website, which is not only slow, limited but have on average 4-5 listings live. If you ever built a directory, you know that creating business listings one by one is a pain, not to mention the fact that it would probably cap out at around 1000 listings with that kind of page loading speed. Sure smells like another glorified template. Are you using it yourself or why are you shilling it? I would definitely like to see a live directory with 10k+ listings using this plugin.
@kwagner0 For your kind information, over 10k businesses are using the Classified Listing plugin by RadiusTheme. I am sharing sites that is over 60k listings built with this plugin. Here it is :
Skill issue. Search for Frey Chu on YouTube, and you’ll find more than one video where he shows exactly how to scrape, enrich data and populate an Online Directory database. He builts Direcories both with AI tools or with a popular WordPress plugin. All tools that promise automagic listings creation are useless. You’ll get a site populated with a bunch of duplicate data that Google won’t even consider ranking.
@GnarlyWP I don’t know who Frey Chu is, but I’ll check it out, thanks.
If you’re using WordPress, GeoDirectory and Business Directory Plugin are two of the better-known options, depending on whether you need location-based listings or a simple directory setup. The “best” one really depends on your features, scalability, and budget. That said, if your main goal is getting your business listed and improving online visibility, you don’t necessarily need to build your own directory. Submitting your business to established directories can be more effective for local SEO and brand exposure. I’ve had good experiences using LocalPage UK as a business listing platform. It provides UK business listings that can help businesses increase their online presence and make it easier for potential customers to discover them.