Comparison
Directorist alternative: run your directory from your own AI
Directorist is a WordPress directory plugin with a free core on WordPress.org and paid yearly or lifetime plans by number of sites, including Directorist AI to set up a directory and AI search. Directories.ai is built for running a directory from your own AI assistant: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini or a local model does the imports, cleanup, content and claim outreach over MCP, and you pay a flat price per directory with no AI credits.
What Directorist does well
From Directorist’s own site, checked October 2026. See their pricing page for current plans: directorist.com/pricing
- Free core plugin to start with
- Runs inside WordPress with your theme
- Yearly or lifetime licences by number of sites
- Directorist AI to describe and build a directory, plus AI search
What Directories.ai does differently
Every item below is a shipped feature you can try on the Growth plan.
- Bring your own AI: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, a local model or a model router connects over MCP with OAuth sign-in or an API key. No AI credits, no markup.
- Close to 80 MCP tools plus guided playbooks, so the AI can import, score, dedupe, categorize, write content and run claim campaigns, not just draft text.
- Real businesses in, not filler: a free open-data source, or Google Places, Apify and Outscraper on your own key. Contact details are never guessed.
- Your site can live anywhere. Host on directories.ai with a custom domain, or keep your own site and database: Directories.ai syncs listings from a Postgres or Supabase database and proposes site changes as pull requests to your repo.
- A flat price per directory: Starter $29/month, Growth $99/month with the full MCP server.
When Directorist is the better fit
Pick Directorist if you want a low-cost WordPress plugin and you’ll handle hosting, updates and listing research yourself.
Directories.ai doesn’t yet bill members or listing owners for you: there is no built-in membership-dues or paid-listing checkout, so a directory that sells memberships today needs its own payment setup.
When Directories.ai is the better fit
Pick Directorist’s AI for setting up a site; pick Directories.ai if you want an AI that keeps working after launch, importing real businesses, scoring and deduping them and running claim campaigns from Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini.
Moving from Directorist
Export your Directorist listings and import them with a saved mapping. The migration page covers keeping your URLs and SEO.
Try it on your own directory
- 1
Connect your AI assistant
Add https://directories.ai/mcp to Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini or any MCP client and sign in.
- 2
Bring your listings
Import an export or connect your database, or start fresh from real business data.
save_import_mappingrun_import_mappingstart_listing_import - 3
Clean and score
Let the AI find duplicates and the weakest listings, then fix them.
find_duplicate_listingsscore_listings - 4
Run a claim campaign
Invite owners to claim their listings in daily batches with follow-ups.
list_claim_outreachinvite_listing_claim
Frequently asked questions
Is Directories.ai a WordPress plugin?
No. It’s a hosted platform with an MCP server. Your directory can run on directories.ai with your own domain, or on your own site with listings synced in.
Which AI does Directories.ai use?
Yours. Connect Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, a local model or a router; you pay your AI provider directly.
Keep reading
Ready to run your directory with AI?
MCP access is included on the Growth plan. Pay per directory, cancel any time.