{"id":31360,"date":"2022-11-06T11:55:05","date_gmt":"2022-11-06T11:55:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/?p=31360"},"modified":"2024-08-12T08:55:43","modified_gmt":"2024-08-12T08:55:43","slug":"the-best-business-directory-plugin-alternative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/blog\/the-best-business-directory-plugin-alternative\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Business Directory Plugin Alternative"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The right choice of a plugin is the most important thing to consider when launching a directory website with WordPress. We bet you&#8217;ve heard of a Business Directory Plugin that, a few years ago, has been one of the most popular tools for building listing websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, today, we\u2019ll show you a Business Directory Plugin alternative &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">HivePress<\/a>, a free business directory and classified ads WordPress plugin.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ll compare side by side the main features of both plugins, their customization &amp; monetization options, the support policies and so on.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We hope this article we\u2019ll help you to determine which directory plugin is a better choice for your future website, according to your requirements and budget. Also, please note that we\u2019ll first compare the free versions of both plugins and later show the available premium features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"message is-info\"><p>If you are in a hurry, feel free to check our brief <a href=\"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/business-directory-plugin-vs-hivepress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Business Directory Plugin vs HivePress<\/a> comparison landing.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>So, without any further ado, let\u2019s get started!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<nav class=\"post__links\"><ol class=\"content-box\"><li><a href=\"#intro\">Introduction<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#core\">Plugins\u2019 Core Features<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#customizability\">Customizability&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#monetization\">Monetization Options<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#themes\">Exclusive Themes<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#extensions\">Premium Add-ons<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#support\">Support<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/nav>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"intro\">Introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s start our article with a quick introduction of both plugins and then move to a more hands-on comparison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Business Directory Plugin<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"243\" src=\"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Business-directory-plugin_logo.png\" alt=\"Business Directory Plugin.\" class=\"wp-image-31361\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Business-directory-plugin_logo.png 750w, https:\/\/hivepress.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Business-directory-plugin_logo-300x97.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/business-directory-plugin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Business Directory Plugin<\/a> is a well-known plugin that went out with the ark since it has been on the market for more than 10 years. It comes with a minimalistic design and some common directory features that allow you to create a simple business directory site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Probably anyone who\u2019s been trying to build a WordPress directory website 5 or 7 years ago knows about Business Directory Plugin. Today it still remains one of the most popular WordPress directory plugins.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">HivePress<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"242\" src=\"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/hivepress-logo.png\" alt=\"HivePress - a business directory plugin alternative.\" class=\"wp-image-22841\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/hivepress-logo.png 750w, https:\/\/hivepress.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/hivepress-logo-300x97.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>HivePress is a free directory and classified ads WordPress plugin. It\u2019s basically an all-in-one solution for building listings websites of any kind without coding skills.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you are looking to create a directory, classifieds, job board, product catalog or any other listing website &#8211; HivePress has got you covered!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Side-by-side Comparison<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Before moving to the more detailed overview of both plugins, you can take a sneak-peak at the table below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><tbody><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>HivePress<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Business Directory<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Active Installations&nbsp;<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">10,000+<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">10 000+<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Average Raiting<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">4.9 out of 5 stars (148 reviews)<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">4.6 out of 5 stars (476 reviews)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>No Hard-coded Fields<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Custom Listing Fields<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Custom Listing Search Filters<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Custom Vendor Fields<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Custom Vendor Search Filters<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Category Images<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\ud83d\udcb2<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Monetization Features<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Listing Packages<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Claim Listings<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\ud83d\udcb2<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Featured Listings<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Geolocation<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\ud83d\udcb2<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Radius Search<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\ud83d\udcb2<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Bookmarks<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Ratings &amp; Reviews<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\ud83d\udcb2<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Private Messages<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>reCAPTCHA<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Customizable Emails<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Code Snippets Collection<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Code Reference<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Hook Reference&nbsp;<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Marketplace Functionality<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\ud83d\udcb2<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Requests Feature<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\ud83d\udcb2<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Booking Functionality<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\ud83d\udcb2<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Memberships Feature<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\ud83d\udcb2<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\ud83d\udcb2<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Import Add-on<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\ud83d\udcb2<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Social Login<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\ud83d\udcb2<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Social Links&nbsp;<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\ud83d\udcb2<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Opening Hours Feature<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\ud83d\udcb2<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Statistics for Vendors<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\ud83d\udcb2<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Search Alerts&nbsp;<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\ud83d\udcb2<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>SEO Add-on<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\ud83d\udcb2<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Discount Codes<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\ud83d\udcb2<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Migrator Feature<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\ud83d\udcb2<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"section content-box content-block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/?utm_medium=referral&#038;utm_source=blog\" target=\"_self\" class=\"section__title\"><span>Wanna learn more about HivePress?<\/span><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/?utm_medium=referral&#038;utm_source=blog\" target=\"_self\" class=\"section__button button\">Learn More<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"core\">Plugins\u2019 Core Features<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In this section, let\u2019s compare the core features that both plugins include out of the box. Please note that here we compare only the free functionality that doesn\u2019t require purchasing any add-ons or membership plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Later in this post, we\u2019ll also compare the premium features of both plugins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"message is-info\"><p> Check out our guide on how to <a href=\"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/blog\/how-to-create-a-directory-website-with-wordpress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">launch a WordPress directory site<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Business Directory Plugin Core Features<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some of the most notable features that are included in the free version of Business Directory Plugin:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Front-end Listing Submission<\/strong> &#8211; the plugin allows you to accept new listings submitted by the website visitors;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>CSV Import<\/strong> &#8211; easily manage your listing data in bulk by importing CSV files;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Monetization Functionality<\/strong> &#8211; make money with your directory website by creating and selling different listing plans;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Featured Listings<\/strong> &#8211; as a website admin, you can mark any listing as featured to display it at the top of the search results page;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>reCAPTCHA <\/strong>&#8211; enable security validation to prevent spam and abuse from entering the site <em>(check our guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/blog\/secure-a-wordpress-directory-website\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WordPress website security<\/a>).<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">HivePress Core Features<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are about to build a directory website using the HivePress plugin, you can expect the following features:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Front-end Submission<\/strong> &#8211; with HivePress, you can enable or disable the front-end submission of new listings. Meaning that you can create a multi-vendor website hassle-free. Also, it\u2019s possible to enable \u201cModeration\u201d if you want to accept each new listing manually;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Monetization Functionality <\/strong>&#8211; monetize your directory website by selling listing packages <em>(with different restrictions),<\/em> by making certain listings featured for an extra fee, by charging business owners for claiming listings <em>(like Yelp does);<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Geolocation<\/strong> &#8211; easily integrate your directory website with Google Maps or Mapbox to add maps to your directory, enable the location-based search and the radius search;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Communication System <\/strong>&#8211; allow users to communicate with each other and send attachments via the built-in messages system;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rating &amp; Reviews <\/strong>&#8211; increase credibility on your directory website by allowing users to rate listings and leave reviews about them;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Featured Listings<\/strong> &#8211; display any listing at the top of the search results by making it featured;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Favorites<\/strong> &#8211; allow registered users to keep a list of their favorite listings, so they can easily come back to them;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>reCAPTCHA<\/strong> &#8211; protect your directory website from spambots.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In order to make it easier to compare both plugins, you can take a look at the side-by-side comparison table below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Key Takeaways&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>HivePress&nbsp;<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Business Directory Plugin<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Front-end Submission<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Monetization Functionality<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Geolocation Feature<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Communication System<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Ratings &amp; Reviews<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Featured Listings<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Favorites<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>reCAPTCHA<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>CSV Import<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\ud83d\udcb2<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"customizability\">Customizability&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As a website owner, you should be able to customize your business directory in the way you like. Starting from the core features that are required for your niche and ending up with the website\u2019s look and feel to match your brand.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this section, we\u2019ll compare how customizable both plugins are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Business Directory Plugin Customization Options<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Business Directory Plugin gives you control over the following parts of your website:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Listing Categories<\/strong> &#8211; add your own listing categories, describe them and add parent categories if necessary. Please note that if you want to upload category images, you\u2019ll need to purchase a premium membership;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Listing Fields<\/strong> &#8211; easily add your own listing fields to the listing submission form. Also, each field will be used as a search filter in the advanced listing search;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Listing Tags <\/strong>&#8211; create custom listing tags;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Website Appearance<\/strong> &#8211; customize the website look and feel with the WordPress Customizer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">HivePress Customization Options<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The HivePress plugin allows you to customize the functionality of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Listing Fields<\/strong> &#8211; create your own custom listing fields that are required for your website;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Listing Search Filters<\/strong> &#8211; add various search filters to make the search on your website even more precise;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Vendor Profile Fileds<\/strong> &#8211; add vendor profile fields if you want to require extra info from vendors <em>(e.g., email address, phone number, etc.);<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Vendor Search Filters<\/strong> &#8211; similarly to listing search filters, create several for vendors to allow users to search for vendors as well;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Layouts <\/strong>&#8211; customize the layout of your website using the Gutenberg drag-and-drop feature. Also, HivePress allows you to override and customize any HivePress-specific page with the WordPress block editor;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Appearance <\/strong>&#8211; easily change colors, fonts, and a header image with the WordPress Customizer;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Emails <\/strong>&#8211; create custom emails and assign them to different events on your website.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, you can find a collection of <a href=\"https:\/\/gist.github.com\/search?q=user%3Ahivepress\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">code snippets<\/a><em>(CSS &amp; PHP)<\/em> on the official HivePress website. With code snippets, you can customize your website even more to get a truly unique functionality and appearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Key Takeaways<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>HivePress<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Business Directory Plugin<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Unlimited Listing Categories<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Category Images<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\ud83d\udcb2<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Custom Listing Fields<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Custom Search Filters<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Custom Vendor Profile Fields<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Custom Vendor Search Filters<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Listing Tags<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\ud83d\udcb2<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Page Builders Integration<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>WordPress Customizer<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Visual Editor<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Custom Emails<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"monetization\">Monetization Options<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When choosing a plugin for your future directory website, you should always check what monetization features it includes out of the box. In this section, we\u2019ll compare how you can monetize your website with each of the plugins <em>(free versions)<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Business Directory Plugin Monetization<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This plugin allows you to monetize your website by charging users for adding new listings. You can easily add different plans with various restrictions like listing expiration period, the number of allowed images, etc. Also, you can make category-specific plans if you want to charge users differently depending on the listing category they choose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">HivePress Monetization<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>With HivePress, you can make money in at least 3 different ways. You can apply each method separately or use several of them at the same time:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Paid Listings<\/strong> &#8211; create listing packages <em>(with various per-category restrictions) <\/em>and charge users for adding new listings;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Listing Promotion<\/strong> &#8211; charge vendors for making their listings featured, so they appear at the top of the search results page;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Claim Listings<\/strong> &#8211; allow business owners to claim listings on your website for a fee.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, we recommend checking out our article on how to <a href=\"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/blog\/how-to-monetize-a-wordpress-directory-website\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">monetize a WordPress directory website<\/a> to get a better idea of the most popular business models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, please note that we only mentioned monetization options available in the free version of each plugin. However, both plugins support extra business models in their premium versions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Key Takeaways<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>HivePress<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Business Directory Plugin<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Paid Listings<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Listing Promotion<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Claim Listings&nbsp;<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u2714\ufe0f<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">\u274c<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"themes\">Exclusive Themes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s not a secret that each directory plugin works best with its own WordPress themes that are created by the same developers. Within this section, we\u2019ll take a look at the themes that both plugin offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Themes Powered by Business Directory Plugin<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>At the time of writing, there are <a href=\"https:\/\/businessdirectoryplugin.com\/premium-themes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">8 premium themes<\/a> on the official plugin\u2019s website. Let\u2019s briefly check each of them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Business Card<\/strong> &#8211; a simple business directory theme that displays all the listings in the form of business cards;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Elegant Business<\/strong> &#8211; one more business directory theme;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Elegant Grid<\/strong> &#8211; it\u2019s another version of the Elegant Business theme, which allows you to display listings in a grid;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Restaurant<\/strong> &#8211; a restaurant directory theme;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Modern Filtered<\/strong> &#8211; a directory theme with a modern sidebar and extra search filters;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tabbed Business Theme<\/strong>;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mobile Compact Theme<\/strong>;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Modern Business Theme<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>All of the mentioned themes go with a minimalistic and sometimes a bit outdated design, but they can be a good choice for you if you are looking for something simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Themes Powered by HivePress<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Currently, HivePress developers offer 5 <a href=\"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/themes\/?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=blog\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">handcrafted WordPress themes<\/a> that work like a charm with HivePress. Let\u2019s check each of them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/themes\/listinghive\/?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=blog\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>ListingHive<\/strong><\/a> &#8211; a free multipurpose theme for building directory and listing websites of any kind. At the time of writing, it\u2019s one of the most popular free directory themes in the WordPress repository, with more than 7000 active installations;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/themes\/experthive\/?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=blog\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>ExpertHive<\/strong><\/a> &#8211; a premium service marketplace theme that allows you to create websites like Thumbtack or Airtasker;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/themes\/rentalhive\/?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=blog\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>RentalHive<\/strong><\/a><strong> <\/strong>&#8211; a premium booking marketplace theme for building rental websites for any niche <em>(e.g., real estate, clothes, sports gear, etc.)<\/em>;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/themes\/taskhive\/?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=blog\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>TaskHive<\/strong><\/a> &#8211; a premium freelance marketplace theme, suitable for creating platforms of digital downloads and Fiverr-like sites;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/themes\/jobhive\/?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=blog\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>JobHive<\/strong><\/a> &#8211; a premium job board platform that allows you to create a job portal in next to no time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Each premium HivePress theme already includes different premium HivePress add-ons that provide you with all the necessary features for building a website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"extensions\">Premium Add-ons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Often, when building a website, you realize that you need some extra features to make your site work in the way you want. That\u2019s why it\u2019s crucial to choose an extensible directory plugin that has different official add-ons that you can use to enhance your website with additional features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s check which add-ons both plugins offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Business Directory Plugin Premium Add-ons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You won\u2019t be able to purchase different add-ons separately, but you can buy one of the membership plans that contains various features. Here, we\u2019ll mention some of the features included there:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Enhanced Categories<\/strong> &#8211; allows you to set parent &amp; child hierarchy navigation, category images and more;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ratings <\/strong>&#8211; let your users express their opinion of listed businesses;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Discount Codes<\/strong> &#8211; offer discount codes for listings, in percent or fixed amount;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Claim Listings<\/strong> &#8211; allows businesses to claim existing listings on your site, just like Yelp or Foursquare;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Restrictions <\/strong>&#8211; allows you to make features like ratings, maps, form fields, images, or character counts only available to certain listing plans;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Google Maps<\/strong> &#8211; this add-on allows your listings to display a Google Map for their address and show search results on a map;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Regions <\/strong>&#8211; enables location-based filtering of listings;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>ZIP Search <\/strong>&#8211; adds location-based listing search by radius <em>(miles or km)<\/em> from a postal\/ZIP code;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>File Attachments<\/strong> &#8211; allows users to add file attachments to listings&#8211;such as PDF, TXT, RTF and images;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Migrator <\/strong>&#8211; exports all settings from one site and imports them into another;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>PayFast Payment<\/strong> &#8211; allows you to accept payments on PayFast <em>(South Africa)<\/em>;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>PayPal Gateway<\/strong> &#8211; allows you to accept payments via PayPal;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stripe Payment<\/strong> &#8211; allows you to accept payments using Stripe.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These are all the add-ons that you can use with the Business Directory Plugin. Now let\u2019s move on and check what HivePress has to offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">HivePress Premium Add-ons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>At the time of writing, there are 10+ premium HivePress extensions that you can purchase directly from your WordPress dashboard or by visiting the official HivePress website. Let\u2019s take a closer look at each of them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Bookings <\/strong>&#8211; turns your website into a booking platform. It lets users book listings, while vendors can accept or decline booking requests, set booking restrictions and, of course, manage the booking calendar;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Marketplace <\/strong>&#8211; with this add-on, you can create a marketplace of fixed-priced services <em>(like Fiverr)<\/em> or digital assets <em>(like Creative Market)<\/em>;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Requests <\/strong>&#8211; allows customers to post requests, while vendors can make offers;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Memberships <\/strong>&#8211; turns your website into a members-only platform where you can charge users for viewing listings, using certain features <em>(e.g., sending messages or submitting reviews)<\/em>;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Statistics <\/strong>&#8211; provides vendors with stats on the number of views of their listings;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social Login<\/strong> &#8211; allows your website visitors to sign in via different platforms like Facebook or Google;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social Links<\/strong> &#8211; lets users add their social media links to listings and vendor profiles;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Search Alerts <\/strong>&#8211; this feature allows users to set search alerts and get notified when new listings are added;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>SEO <\/strong>&#8211; improves SEO of HivePress-specific content;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Import <\/strong>&#8211; enables CSV import of listings;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tags <\/strong>&#8211; allows users to set listing tags;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Opening Hours<\/strong> &#8211; lets vendors add opening hours to listings while users can search listings that are currently open.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, there\u2019s a bundle that includes all the HivePress extensions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"support\">Support<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, let\u2019s compare the support policy of both plugins. When choosing a directory plugin for your website, it\u2019s vital to take a look at its support policy because you\u2019ll probably need some help with setting up your website before you make it up and running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Business Directory Plugin Support<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are using the free version of Business Directory Plugin, you can expect the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Access to an extensive knowledge base that can help you set up many parts of the website on your own;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Support is provided via the ticketing system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, users with a premium membership plan will have a priority level of support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">HivePress Support<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The HivePress plugin is supported directly by its developers, so any possible issues are resolved in the best possible way. Users can use the knowledge base or reach for support via email or the community forum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, there\u2019s a community of website owners who built their websites using HivePress. Any community member can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ask questions &amp; give answers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Suggest features<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Vote for the suggested features<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Report bugs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, on the official HivePress website, users can find developer docs, code &amp; hook references and a collection of code snippets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final Words<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>That wraps up our article! We hope it was helpful to you and that now you know a little more about both plugins. So, if you are looking for a Business Directory Plugin alternative, you can take a look at HivePress. It\u2019s a modern directory and classified ads plugin that is jam-packed with all the necessary features for building listings websites hassle-free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, you may want to check out our rating of the best free <a href=\"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/blog\/best-wordpress-directory-plugins\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">business directory plugins<\/a> and an overview of the most popular free <a href=\"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/blog\/best-free-wordpress-directory-themes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">directory themes<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some other comparisons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/blog\/the-best-geodirectory-alternative\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GeoDirectory vs HivePress<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/blog\/the-best-directorist-alternative\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Directorist vs HivePress<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A side-by-side comparison of HivePress and Business Directory plugins.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":686,"featured_media":31366,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[146,147],"class_list":["post-31360","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviews","tag-business-directory-plugin","tag-business-directory-plugin-alternative"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31360","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/686"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31360"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31360\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33618,"href":"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31360\/revisions\/33618"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/31366"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hivepress.io\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}