Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · Directory Software

Classified Listing vs Brilliant Directories

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 7 checks side by side
Higher score Classified Listing #2 in Directory Software 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 6 of 6 features Visit site
Brilliant Directories #3 in Directory Software 8.7/10 7-day trial Free trial✓ 0 of 6 features Visit site

Classified Listing leads on 1 check, Brilliant Directories on 0, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 7 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreClassified Listing · 8.8/10
  • Free planonly Classified Listing
  • Free trialonly Brilliant Directories
  • Most featuresClassified Listing · 6 of 6

Classified Listing scores higher on our rubric for directory software: 8.8 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #3.

Classified Listing offers free plan; Brilliant Directories doesn't.

Classified Listing is the better fit for directories needing mobile apps and AI tools. Brilliant Directories is the better fit for membership communities and gated directories.

  • Classified Listing fits best

    Directories needing mobile apps and AI tools

  • Brilliant Directories fits best

    Membership communities and gated directories

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Classified Listing 8.8/10 Visit ↗ Brilliant Directories 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.8 8.7
Ranking #2 in Directory Software #3 in Directory Software
Best for Directories needing mobile apps and AI tools Membership communities and gated directories
Pricing model Free plan + paid Paid
Starting price $39/site/yr $40/mo
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial — 7 days
Money-back guarantee 30 days 7 days
Deployment Self-hosted, Mobile Cloud
Platforms Web, iOS, Android Web
Support Email, Docs Email, Live chat, Tickets, Community, Docs
Integrations 14 integrations 5,000+ integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Classified Listing 6/6 · Brilliant Directories 0/6
Custom listing fields ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Search and filters ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Location features ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Public submissions ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Paid listings ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Import and export ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Specs
Listing limit Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Custom forms, filters, maps, submissions, and listing monetization
  • AI generation, semantic search, and image enhancement tools
  • Native iOS and Android support plus multiple payment integrations
  • Recurring billing, coupons, trials, and prorated upgrades
  • Gated pages, member permissions, and searchable profiles
  • REST API, webhooks, MCP, and no-code integrations
Cons
  • Requires a WordPress website and self-hosted setup
  • Some annual plans limit the license to one site
  • The broad feature set may exceed the needs of simple directories
  • Starts at $40/month with no free plan
  • Advanced analytics and developer tools require the Pro plan
  • Annual pricing is shown as 50% discounted without regular amounts
Our verdict

Classified Listing is a WordPress plugin for creating classified-ad, business-directory, marketplace, real-estate, car, job, and service-directory websites. It combines frontend and guest submissions with custom fields, configurable…

Read the review →

Brilliant Directories is a hosted platform for membership websites, online directories, communities, and premium-content sites. It brings together member profiles, dashboards, permissions, recurring payments, searchable listings,…

Read the review →
  1. Classified ListingDirectory Software 8.8Free plan
  2. Brilliant DirectoriesDirectory Software 8.77-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Classified Listing — where it wins

    • Custom forms, filters, maps, submissions, and listing monetization
    • AI generation, semantic search, and image enhancement tools
    • Native iOS and Android support plus multiple payment integrations

    Where it doesn't

    • Requires a WordPress website and self-hosted setup
    • Some annual plans limit the license to one site
    • The broad feature set may exceed the needs of simple directories

  • Brilliant Directories — where it wins

    • Recurring billing, coupons, trials, and prorated upgrades
    • Gated pages, member permissions, and searchable profiles
    • REST API, webhooks, MCP, and no-code integrations

    Where it doesn't

    • Starts at $40/month with no free plan
    • Advanced analytics and developer tools require the Pro plan
    • Annual pricing is shown as 50% discounted without regular amounts
  • Classified Listing8.8/10 · Free plan

    A broad directory toolkit with AI, monetization, and native mobile app support.

    Visit siteFull verdict →
  • Brilliant Directories8.7/10 · 7-day trial

    A hosted directory platform for gated memberships, payments, content, and email.

    Visit siteFull verdict →

More comparisons

All directory software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update