Directory software comparison
JReviews vs Directorist for WordPress directories
JReviews is the all-in-one, first-party directory and reviews suite for WordPress and Joomla. Pick it over Directorist when reviews are central to what you're building — a review-driven directory of restaurants, clinics, outfitters, schools, or service providers where the rating system is the reason people visit. JReviews leads with a deep reviews engine: editor and user reviews, multi-criteria scores like quality, value, and service, rating histograms, owner replies, and moderation — and reviewers can attach photos, video, audio, and files to a review, not just to the listing. It runs on WordPress or Joomla, so the same suite covers both platforms, and Professional bundles every add-on with one-click installation.
Directorist is a WordPress-only business-directory plugin with a free core on WordPress.org and paid plans on top. It's a strong fit when you want to start free, stay on WordPress, and build a listings-led directory — a business directory or classifieds site where the main job is submitting, categorizing, and monetizing listings. Its reviews are a built-in feature rather than the centerpiece. If a free starting point, the lowest entry price, or built-in translation matter most, Directorist is worth a look. If the public directory is review-driven, or you need Joomla as well as WordPress, JReviews is the one designed for it.
Side-by-side comparison
How JReviews and Directorist stack up for directory owners.
| Category | JReviews | Directorist |
|---|---|---|
| Product model | First-party directory and reviews suite for WordPress and Joomla, built around a deep reviews engine. One integrated suite where listings, custom fields, search, reviews, media, maps, and payments are designed to work together. Professional bundles every add-on with one-click installation. | WordPress-only business-directory plugin with a free core on WordPress.org and a multi-directory system. Listings, custom fields, search filters, and monetization are the focus; reviews are an included feature rather than the core of the product. |
| Platform reach | ✓ Runs on both WordPress and Joomla. One directory suite covers either platform, so agencies and multi-site builders aren't locked to a single CMS. | WordPress only. There is no Joomla edition, so a Joomla site can't run Directorist. |
| Reviews and trust signals | ✓ Reviews are the core of the product: user and editor reviews, multi-criteria scores (e.g. quality / value / service), rating histograms, smarter top-list ranking, reviewer ranks, review discussions, owner replies, and moderation. | Includes a listing review and rating feature, but it's one feature inside a listings-first plugin rather than a multi-criteria editorial review system. |
| Media depth | ✓ Photos, video (upload your own self-hosted files or embed from YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, Twitch, and Cloudflare Stream), audio, and file attachments — on both listings and reviews, as core features. Reviewers, not just listing owners, can attach photos, video, audio, and files to a review out of the box. | Listing images and galleries are core, with video added through a custom field. Letting reviewers attach photos to a review requires the paid Advanced Review extension and is limited to images — no video, audio, or file attachments on reviews. |
| Directory depth | Multiple directories, listing types, custom fields, advanced filters, media, claims, inquiries, related listings, comparison pages, structured data for Google, and full control of how each listing page looks. | Multi-directory system with custom fields, configurable search filters, geolocation and radius search, and a listing form builder — a capable, well-rounded listings toolkit on WordPress. |
| Maps and monetization | MapsPro and PaidListings are bundled on Professional and paid extras on Standard — for distance-from-here search, map views, trail/route files (GPX, KML, GeoJSON), paid submissions, listing upgrades, featured placement, coupons, taxes, and subscriptions. | Built-in monetization in the paid plans: paid listings, featured upgrades, subscription pricing, and payments through Stripe, PayPal, and offline methods, plus geolocation and radius search. |
| Pricing model | Annual software licensing: Standard at $179/year, Professional at $427/year with every paid add-on bundled. Hosting and CMS maintenance are your responsibility. | Free core on WordPress.org, with paid plans roughly $97/year (1 site) to $142/year (unlimited sites) and lifetime options; premium themes and extensions are bundled in the paid plans. |
| Free version and entry price | No free edition. The try-before-buy path is the live WordPress and Joomla demos plus a 30-day money-back guarantee. Entry licensing starts at $179/year. | ✓ Free core plugin on WordPress.org and a lower paid entry price, so you can start at no cost and add paid extensions later. |
When JReviews is the better pick
Choose JReviews when reviews are the point of the directory. A restaurant guide, a medical-specialist directory, an outfitter or tour-operator directory, a school or course directory — anything where visitors come for ratings and opinions — needs more than a star field bolted onto a listing. JReviews gives you editor and user reviews, multi-criteria scores, histograms, owner replies, reviewer ranks, and moderation as the core of the product, not an add-on afterthought.
Choose JReviews when you need both WordPress and Joomla, or want the option later. The same suite runs on either platform, so an agency or a multi-site owner isn't tied to one CMS. Directorist can't follow you to Joomla.
Choose JReviews when you want one integrated suite rather than assembling a directory from separate pieces. Custom fields, advanced search, reviews, media, claims, inquiries, maps, and paid submissions are first-party and designed to work together, and Professional bundles every add-on with one-click installation.
When Directorist is the better pick
Choose Directorist when starting free is the priority. Its core plugin is free on WordPress.org, so you can stand up a basic business directory at no cost and add paid extensions as you grow. JReviews has no free edition.
Choose Directorist when you're committed to WordPress only and want the lowest entry price. Its paid plans start below JReviews' entry licensing, and if a Joomla option never matters to you, that reach isn't worth paying for.
Choose Directorist when built-in translation is a hard requirement. Directorist is translation-ready, so if your directory has to run in multiple languages, it fits a need JReviews doesn't cover. If, instead, you're building a review-driven directory and want depth in the rating system — or you need Joomla as well as WordPress — JReviews is the better pick.
Frequently asked questions
Is JReviews a Directorist alternative?
Yes. JReviews and Directorist both build directories, but they lead with different strengths. Directorist is a WordPress-only, listings-first plugin with a free core. JReviews is a reviews-first directory suite that runs on both WordPress and Joomla, with a multi-criteria review engine at its center. JReviews is the stronger alternative when reviews drive the directory or you need Joomla as well as WordPress.
What is the best Directorist alternative?
It depends on what you're building. For a review-driven directory — restaurants, clinics, outfitters, schools — JReviews is a strong Directorist alternative because reviews, multi-criteria scoring, owner replies, and moderation are its core, and it runs on WordPress or Joomla. For a free, WordPress-only listings site, other WordPress directory plugins compete directly with Directorist on price. Pick by whether reviews and dual-platform support matter to you.
Does Directorist work on Joomla?
No. Directorist is a WordPress-only plugin with no Joomla edition. JReviews runs on both WordPress and Joomla from the same directory and reviews suite, so a Joomla site can build the same kind of directory.
Which is better for a review-driven directory, JReviews or Directorist?
JReviews. Its reviews engine is the core of the product: editor and user reviews, multi-criteria scores such as quality, value, and service, rating histograms, reviewer ranks, review discussions, owner replies, and moderation. Directorist includes a listing review feature, but it's one part of a listings-first plugin rather than a full editorial review system.
Can reviewers add photos and video to reviews in JReviews?
Yes. In JReviews, reviewers can attach photos, video (uploaded or embedded), audio, and file attachments to their own reviews — built in, on every plan, with no extra add-on. The same media types also work on listings. In Directorist, letting reviewers add media to a review requires the paid Advanced Review extension and is limited to images, with no video, audio, or attachments on reviews.
Is JReviews free like Directorist?
No. Directorist has a free core on WordPress.org; JReviews does not offer a free edition. The way to try JReviews is the live demos — the Joomla demo at demo.jreviews.com and the WordPress demo at wp-demo.jreviews.com — backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. JReviews licensing starts at $179/year.
How does Directorist pricing compare with JReviews?
Directorist starts free, with paid plans roughly $97/year (1 site) to $142/year (unlimited sites) plus lifetime options, and bundles premium themes and extensions in those plans. JReviews is annual software licensing — Standard at $179/year and Professional at $427/year with every paid add-on bundled. Directorist is cheaper to start; JReviews costs more and leads with a deeper reviews engine and support for both WordPress and Joomla. Both require your own hosting.
Are premium features like maps and paid listings included with JReviews?
On the Professional plan ($427/year), every add-on is bundled with one-click installation, including MapsPro and PaidListings. On the Standard plan ($179/year), those premium add-ons are available as paid extras. MapsPro adds distance-from-here search, map views, and route files; PaidListings adds paid submissions, featured placement, upgrades, coupons, taxes, and subscriptions.
Can I see JReviews running before buying?
Yes. Use the hosted Joomla demo at demo.jreviews.com and the hosted WordPress demo at wp-demo.jreviews.com, then compare current plans on the JReviews pricing page. Current plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Related solutions
- JReviews for classifieds directories Build a classifieds marketplace on WordPress or Joomla with paid ads, expiration, featured upgrades, per-category plans, and payments through PayPal, Stripe, or Mollie.
- JReviews for healthcare directories Build a provider directory where patients filter by specialty or location and rate each provider on bedside manner, wait time, and clarity of advice with multi-criteria reviews.