Directory software comparison
JReviews vs ListingPro for WordPress directories
JReviews is the all-in-one, first-party directory and reviews suite for WordPress and Joomla. Pick it over ListingPro when you want the directory to be a plugin that runs on the theme and CMS you choose — not a theme you have to build the whole site around. 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.
ListingPro is a WordPress directory theme sold on ThemeForest as a one-time purchase. It's an appealing starting point when you want a complete, good-looking directory site out of the box for a low up-front price, you're happy to build on their theme, and features like built-in booking come in handy. The tradeoff is that the directory is tied to the ListingPro theme and to WordPress. If you'd rather keep your own theme, run a review-driven directory, or keep the option of Joomla, JReviews is the one designed for that.
Side-by-side comparison
How JReviews and ListingPro stack up for directory owners.
| Category | JReviews | ListingPro |
|---|---|---|
| Product model | A first-party directory and reviews plugin/suite for WordPress and Joomla. It adds the directory to the site you already run and works with your theme, so listings, reviews, custom fields, search, media, maps, and payments aren't tied to one specific design. Professional bundles every add-on with one-click installation. | A WordPress directory theme sold on ThemeForest. The directory features come bundled into the theme, so the site is built on the ListingPro theme itself rather than added to a theme of your choosing. |
| Theme and platform freedom | ✓ Works as a plugin alongside your chosen WordPress theme — or on Joomla — so you keep control of the site's design and aren't locked to one look. The same directory and reviews suite runs on both platforms. | The directory is the theme. Switching themes means leaving ListingPro behind, and there is no Joomla edition — it's WordPress-only. |
| 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 reviews and ratings feature as part of the theme, which covers listing-review needs but is not 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. Reviewers, not just listing owners, can attach photos, video, audio, and files to a review. | Listing galleries and images are part of the theme, with video supported through listing fields. Reviewer-uploaded media on reviews isn't a core part of the review feature. |
| 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. | A capable directory toolkit built into the theme: listings, custom fields per category, advanced filters, geolocation search, an ads system, and built-in appointment booking. |
| Maps and monetization | MapsPro and PaidListings are bundled on Professional and paid extras on Standard — for distance-from-here search, map views, route files (GPX, KML, GeoJSON), paid submissions, listing upgrades, featured placement, coupons, taxes, and subscriptions. | Monetization is built into the theme: paid pricing plans, paid claims, an ads campaign system, and Google Maps with proximity search — a strong out-of-the-box package for a single WordPress site. |
| 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. | ✓ A one-time ThemeForest purchase around $69 that includes the theme, bundled plugins, and six months of support (extendable). Lower up-front cost, with the usual ThemeForest support and update model. |
When JReviews is the better pick
Choose JReviews when you don't want the directory tied to one theme. As a plugin, it adds listings, reviews, custom fields, search, media, maps, and paid submissions to the WordPress theme you already use — or to Joomla — so you can redesign the site later without rebuilding the directory. With ListingPro, the directory and the theme are the same thing, so changing the look means changing platforms.
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 needs more than a star field on a listing — editor and user reviews, multi-criteria scores, histograms, owner replies, reviewer ranks, moderation, and reviewers who can back up what they say with their own photos, video, audio, and files.
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 multi-site owner isn't tied to one CMS — and isn't tied to one theme. ListingPro is WordPress-only and theme-bound.
When ListingPro is the better pick
Choose ListingPro when you want a complete, good-looking directory site out of the box for a low one-time price, and you're happy to build the site around their theme. For a first directory on a tight budget where booking, an ads system, and a ready-made design matter more than flexibility, ListingPro's packaged theme can get you live quickly.
Choose ListingPro when you're committed to WordPress only and don't expect to switch themes. If the ListingPro look is the look you want and a Joomla option never matters to you, the theme model keeps everything in one place.
Choose ListingPro when built-in appointment booking is a hard requirement out of the box. If, instead, you want a review-driven directory, the freedom to keep your own theme, or the option of Joomla as well as WordPress, JReviews is the better pick.
Frequently asked questions
Is JReviews a ListingPro alternative?
Yes. Both build directory websites, but they take different forms. ListingPro is a WordPress directory theme — the directory is built into the theme. JReviews is a directory and reviews plugin that works with the WordPress theme you choose, and also runs on Joomla. JReviews is the stronger alternative when you want to keep your own theme, run a review-driven directory, or have the option of Joomla.
Is ListingPro a theme or a plugin?
ListingPro is a WordPress theme sold on ThemeForest, so the directory features come as part of the theme and the site is built around it. JReviews is a plugin/suite that adds the directory to a theme you choose, on WordPress or Joomla. That's the core difference: a theme you build the whole site on versus a directory you add to the site you already have.
Does ListingPro work on Joomla?
No. ListingPro is a WordPress-only theme 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 ListingPro?
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 — plus reviewers can attach photos, video, audio, and files to a review. ListingPro includes reviews and ratings as a theme feature, but it isn't a full multi-criteria editorial review system.
How does ListingPro pricing compare with JReviews?
ListingPro is a one-time ThemeForest purchase around $69 that includes the theme, bundled plugins, and six months of support. JReviews is annual software licensing — Standard at $179/year and Professional at $427/year with every paid add-on bundled. ListingPro is cheaper up front; JReviews costs more but isn't tied to a single theme, leads with a deeper reviews engine, and runs on both WordPress and Joomla. Both require your own hosting.
Will I be locked into the ListingPro theme?
With ListingPro, the directory lives in the theme, so changing your theme means leaving the directory behind. JReviews works the other way around: it's a plugin that runs alongside the WordPress theme you choose — or on Joomla — so you can redesign the site later without rebuilding the directory.
Can I see JReviews running before buying?
Yes. Use the hosted WordPress demo at wp-demo.jreviews.com and the hosted Joomla demo at 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 travel directories List restaurants, hotels, and attractions across a city or region. Visitors rate places on what actually matters per category — food, service, value — and find what's nearest them on a map.
- JReviews for professional and trade directories List dentists, lawyers, contractors, or trade-association members with custom profile fields, claims, inquiries, and multi-criteria review workflows.