Brilliant Directories vs Directorist (2026): Which Pays Better?
Both are popular . Here is how Brilliant Directories and Directorist stack up on requirements, what you keep, payout terms, strengths and weaknesses, and which one we would pick.
Brilliant Directories
Hosted directory and membership-site builder with zero platform fee: from $97/month, or a one-time lifetime plan.
7.2 /10
Pricing: Paid from $97/mo
Pros
- Zero platform fee: keeps 100% of membership, listing and sponsorship revenue beyond processor fees
- Turnkey hosting and 1,000+ built-in features, purpose-built for directories rather than a generic site builder
Cons
- $97/month (or a $997 lifetime buy-in) costs far more than a self-hosted plugin like Directorist
- Specific supported payment gateways, refund and cancellation terms aren't detailed on the public pricing page
Directorist
WordPress plugin for building monetized business directories and job boards; free core plugin, paid tiers from about $10/mo billed annually.
7.0 /10
Pricing: Free plan, paid from $9.67/mo
Pros
- Free core plugin: unlimited listings, custom fields, multi-directory and Elementor support with no credit card
- Built-in monetization: submission fees, featured/upgrade listings, claim fees and a Pay Per Lead extension
Cons
- Requires a self-hosted WordPress site and your own Stripe/PayPal/Authorize.net setup
- Doesn't publish whether the Pay Per Lead extension takes any cut of transactions
Brilliant Directories vs Directorist at a glance
| Brilliant Directories | Directorist | |
|---|---|---|
| Editor score | 7.2 / 10 | 7.0 / 10 |
| Pricing model | Paid | Freemium |
| Starting price | $97/mo | $9.67/mo |
| Web rank | #523k | #700k |
| Minimum traffic | None | None |
| Revenue share / fee | 0% — Brilliant Directories takes no cut; only the connected payment processor's fees apply | – |
| Commission | – | – |
| Payout | Not applicable — membership, listing and sponsorship revenue is collected directly via your own connected payment processor; Brilliant Directories does not hold or remit funds | Not applicable — listing and lead payments settle directly via your own connected Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net or bank transfer; Directorist itself never holds funds |
| Methods served | directory listings, job board, memberships subscriptions | directory listings, job board |
| Niches accepted | General, Tech & SaaS, E-commerce & Retail | General, Tech & SaaS, E-commerce & Retail |
| Reader upvotes | 0 | 0 |
| Best for | directory, membership site, no-code | wordpress, directory, job board |
Our pick
Brilliant Directories edges it with a score of 7.2 versus 7.0. Brilliant Directories is the better fit if you value: zero platform fee: keeps 100% of membership, listing and sponsorship revenue beyond processor fees, turnkey hosting and 1,000+ built-in features, purpose-built for directories rather than a generic site builder. Choose Directorist instead if you need: free core plugin: unlimited listings, custom fields, multi-directory and elementor support with no credit card, built-in monetization: submission fees, featured/upgrade listings, claim fees and a pay per lead extension.
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