Focused directory operations or a full membership platform?
Brilliant Directories is a mature directory and membership platform with member signup, recurring billing, reviews, maps, events, email marketing, and a large admin. Directoryz is intentionally smaller and best suited to teams that want a focused public directory attached to a website they already run. Disclosure: Directoryz is our product. Brilliant Directories details below come from its own pricing and features pages, checked 31 October 2026.
The short answer
Brilliant Directories is the stronger product when the directory is a paid membership business: members sign up, pay every month, manage their own profiles, and get leads. Directoryz is the better fit when you want a curated directory on a site you already have, at a much lower price, without running a membership platform.
- Pick Brilliant Directories for unlimited membership plans with recurring billing, member self-service profiles, reviews, map search, events, classifieds, job listings, built-in email marketing, and Stripe, PayPal, or Authorize.net.
- Pick Directoryz for a free plan, 10 directories with 1,000 listings each from $9.99/month, publishing at a path such as company.com/resources, submission review, lead forms, and one-time paid listings through your own Stripe account.
- Neither product takes a percentage of your listing or member payments; only the payment processor's fees apply.
Directoryz vs Brilliant Directories feature comparison
Checked against the Directoryz product and plans, and against Brilliant Directories' public pricing and features pages on 31 October 2026. Brilliant Directories may have changed since, and it runs frequent lifetime-plan promotions.
| Directoryz | Brilliant Directories | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan or trial | Free plan: 1 directory, 50 listings, no card | No free plan; free demo and a 7-day trial |
| Entry price | Pro $9.99/month: 10 directories, 1,000 listings each | $97/month |
| Lifetime option | No (monthly or annual plans) | $997 one-time, setup included |
| Higher tier | Scale $19.99/month: 50 directories, 5,000 listings each, 5 seats | Same platform; multi-site discounts on request |
| Member accounts and self-service profiles | No; staff manage listings and review submissions | Yes, up to 100,000 members |
| Recurring membership billing | No; one-time paid and featured listings | Yes, unlimited membership plans with recurring payments |
| Payment providers | Stripe (your own account) | Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net |
| Platform fee on payments | None (Stripe fees apply) | None (processor fees apply) |
| Map search | No | Yes, list or interactive map view |
| Reviews | No | Yes, comments and reviews |
| Events, classifieds, job listings | No (a job board starter publishes role listings with outbound links) | Yes, as member-generated content |
| Email marketing | No (lead emails, webhooks, CSV export) | Built in |
| Publish on an existing website | At a path such as company.com/resources, a subdomain, or a full domain | Your own domain for the whole site |
| Custom listing fields | Text, long text, URL, number, select, yes/no | Yes |
| Submission review | Yes, nothing goes live until approved | Yes |
If memberships, renewals, reviews, or a map are core to your plan, Brilliant Directories covers them and Directoryz does not today.
Different product scopes
Brilliant Directories combines a directory with a full membership website: membership plans, recurring payments, member self-service, reviews, events, classifieds, content publishing, email marketing, themes, and large-scale member administration. Directoryz concentrates on listings, submission review, leads, analytics, one-time paid listings, domains and paths, and team collaboration.
Price and what you pay for
On list prices checked 31 October 2026, Brilliant Directories costs $97/month or $997 once for its lifetime plan, and it has no free plan. Directoryz has a free plan with one directory and 50 listings, Pro at $9.99/month for 10 directories with 1,000 listings each, and Scale at $19.99/month for 50 directories, 5,000 listings each, and 5 seats. The gap reflects scope: Brilliant Directories includes a membership platform that Directoryz does not try to be.
Choose Brilliant Directories for membership depth
It is the stronger candidate when membership levels, renewals, coupons, paid content, member messaging, recurring billing operations, and a full community website are central to the business model.
Choose Directoryz for a focused directory layer
Directoryz fits when an organization already has a website and wants to add /partners, /experts, /vendors, or /resources without adopting a second full website and membership system. Listing pages are server rendered on your domain or path, with canonical URLs, structured data, and a sitemap.
Avoid buying complexity you will not operate
A large feature inventory is valuable only when the team needs and maintains it. For a curated professional directory, a smaller schema, moderation, analytics, leads, and publishing workflow can reduce training and governance cost.
Moving from Brilliant Directories to Directoryz
Export your member or listing data as CSV, rename the columns to the Directoryz import headers (name, short_description, description, website_url, category, location, tags), and import the file. Extra profile columns become custom fields filled in the editor or through the API. Recurring member billing does not carry over, so plan how existing paying members will be handled before you switch, then redirect old listing URLs to the new ones.
Product details were reviewed against the vendor's official site. Capabilities can change.
Review Brilliant Directories' current pricingFrequently asked questions
What is a good Brilliant Directories alternative?
It depends on what you need to keep. For a curated directory on an existing site at a lower price, Directoryz fits. For a hosted directory business with maps, reviews, and claims, Directify. For WordPress, Directorist or GeoDirectory. Directoryz is our product.
How much does Brilliant Directories cost compared with Directoryz?
Brilliant Directories lists $97/month or a $997 lifetime plan, with no free plan. Directoryz is free for one directory with 50 listings, $9.99/month on Pro, and $19.99/month on Scale. Prices were checked on 31 October 2026.
Does Directoryz replace membership billing?
No. Directoryz supports one-time paid listing submissions and featured upgrades through your own Stripe account, not membership dues, renewals, or member self-service.
Does Directoryz have reviews and map search like Brilliant Directories?
No. Directoryz does not offer visitor reviews, ratings, or map search today. Brilliant Directories includes reviews and a map view.
Can Directoryz support association member directories?
Yes for curated member listings, custom fields, teams, submissions, leads, and public publishing. Organizations needing full dues and member self-service should compare membership-first platforms such as Brilliant Directories.
Can Directoryz live on an association's existing site?
Yes. Paid plans can publish at a connected full domain, subdomain, or scoped path such as association.org/members.