Business Directory Plugin vs HivePress
Features, use cases, pros and cons, and pricing side by side — and which one to pick.
Best for: Local business directories similar to Yelp or Yellow Pages, Staff, team, member, or church directories
Read the full Business Directory Plugin reviewBest for: Local business directories, Classifieds and listings sites
Read the full HivePress reviewCommission may apply at no extra cost
Business Directory Plugin vs HivePress: features compared
Compare key features side by side
Feature Comparison Summary
Which should you choose?
Choose Business Directory Plugin if
- You want built-in payments like PayPal, Stripe, or Payfast without extra plugins.
- You build client directories across up to 25 sites with Multisite.
- You want a 14-day money-back guarantee backing your purchase.
Choose HivePress if
- You're building a marketplace, job board, or booking site.
- You prefer one-time theme payments over yearly subscriptions.
Business Directory Plugin vs HivePress: pros and cons
Business Directory Plugin
Business Directory Plugin makes it easy to build a WordPress directory without code, with free or paid listings, location search, and built-in reviews. Tier-gated features, site limits, and full-price renewals are the main drawbacks. Overall, it's a solid pick for WordPress owners who want a directory they can run themselves.
Pros
- Works with almost any existing WordPress theme, so you don't need to buy or learn a dedicated directory theme
- Supports free listings, paid listings, or a mix of both, with recurring subscriptions handled through gateways like PayPal, Authorize.net, Stripe (Pro), and Payfast (Elite)
- Built-in location search lets visitors filter listings by zip code, city, state, or country, with Google Maps pins shown in search results, category pages, and individual listings
Cons
- Runs only on self-hosted WordPress — it won't work on any other platform, so it's not an option for Shopify, Wix, or custom-built sites
- Deeper layout customization may require some coding skills according to the vendor's own FAQ, despite the no-code claim for basic setup
- Key monetization features are gated by tier — Stripe checkout and discount codes require Pro, while Payfast, Claim Listings, and plan restrictions are Elite-only
HivePress
HivePress packs monetization features like paid, featured, and claimed listings into its free core, with niche themes from $69 to $89 and 18 add-ons for extras like bookings and memberships. The trade-offs are self-hosting, WooCommerce dependency, and add-on costs that add up. Overall, it's a strong pick for WordPress users building directories or marketplaces without paying upfront.
Pros
- Monetization features — paid listings, featured placements, and claim listings — ship in the free core plugin rather than being locked behind paid plans, unlike several competing directory plugins.
- Core customization is no-code — custom listing and user fields, search filters, unlimited categories, and Gutenberg-based layouts can all be adjusted without touching PHP or shortcodes.
- Switching between niche themes like RentalHive, ExpertHive, or MeetingHive doesn't delete your listings or user data, so you can start free with ListingHive and rebrand later.
Cons
- Advanced functionality like bookings, memberships, marketplace selling, and user requests requires separate add-ons (up to 18 free and premium extensions), so the total cost grows beyond the base theme price.
- It's a self-hosted WordPress plugin, not a hosted platform — you handle your own hosting, maintenance, and updates, and payments depend on WooCommerce being part of your stack.
Business Directory Plugin and HivePress in detail
Business Directory Plugin
Business Directory Plugin is a WordPress plugin for building directory websites of nearly any kind — local business listings, staff or member directories, review sites, and more. It's made for self-hosted WordPress users, from small business owners to developers building client sites. No coding is required for basic setup, and a free version is available. The company reports over 20,000 users and a 4.6/5 rating from 500 WordPress.org reviews.
Standout features
- Listings That Publish Themselves
- Free and Paid Listings, Your Way
- Help Visitors Find Listings Fast
- Reviews That Build Trust
- Make It Match Your Brand
Use cases
- Launch a local business directory
- Earn revenue from paid listings
- Build a review site people trust
- Organize people and client projects
HivePress
HivePress is a free, all-in-one WordPress plugin for building directories, classifieds sites, marketplaces, and job boards. It's built for two groups: website owners who want a listing platform without coding, and developers who want a clean, extensible framework. The core plugin is free, with premium themes and 18 add-ons available. It's listed on WordPress.org and powers more than 10,000 websites.
Standout features
- Monetization is built in, not bolted on
- Customize everything without touching code
- Start small, then extend as you grow
- Redesign anytime without losing your data
- Built with developers in mind
Use cases
- Build a local business directory
- Run a classifieds site
- Launch a rental or service marketplace
- Start a job board or booking site
Pricing compared
List prices from each vendor's pricing page, before taxes and add-ons. Costs are per month.
| Pricing compared | Business Directory Plugin | HivePress |
|---|---|---|
| From (cheapest paid plan) | $12.42/mo Basic | $69/mo JobHive |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| Money-back guarantee | 14 days | Not stated |
| Annual billing savings | — | — |
| Pricing model | Flat price | Flat price |
| Cost for 1 user | $12.42/mo Basic plan, billed annually | FreeCheaper ListingHive plan, billed annually |
| Cost for 5 users | $12.42/mo Basic plan, billed annually · price per account (user limit not stated) | $69/mo JobHive plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) |
| Cost for 10 users | $12.42/mo Basic plan, billed annually · price per account (user limit not stated) | $69/mo JobHive plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) |
| Cost for 25 users | $12.42/mo Basic plan, billed annually · price per account (user limit not stated) | $69/mo JobHive plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) |
| Plans | 3 | 6 |
| Prices checked | Checked Oct 12, 2026 | Checked Oct 12, 2026 |
| Price history | Tracking prices since Oct 1, 2026. No price change detected yet. | Tracking prices since Sep 8, 2026. No price change detected yet. |
- Cheapest plan that fits each team size. Per-user plans are multiplied by the number of users (respecting stated minimums and seat packs). Plans that include some users cost their base price plus the extra-user price for each user beyond those included. Flat-priced plans with no stated user limit are counted as one licence per user.
Cheaper for your team size
For 1 user (billed annually), HivePress costs $0/mo vs Business Directory Plugin at $12.42/mo.
- Only HivePress has a free plan.
Computed from published list prices on the dates shown. Excludes taxes, add-ons and promotions.
More comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Do both work outside WordPress?
No. Both are self-hosted WordPress plugins. Neither runs on Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, or any other platform.
Which offers a refund guarantee?
Business Directory Plugin includes a 14-day money-back guarantee on paid plans. HivePress advertises no money-back guarantee, so check its Terms of Service before buying.