Several directories with payments
MakeADir
Trio gives you three sites with Stripe, memberships and paid leads for $39/mo. On Directify, three sites means the Growth plan at $69/mo.
MakeADir vs Directify: which AI directory builder fits you in 2026?
Both are hosted, both start free, and both use AI to get a directory off the ground. They split on what each plan includes: how many sites, how many listings, and which money-making tools. Here is the honest version — including where Directify is the better buy.
The 30-second verdict
Three kinds of buyer, three honest answers. Find yourself, then read only the section that proves it.
One huge directory
Directify
Directify Pro removes the listing cap entirely for $39/mo. MakeADir plans count content entries — 15,000 on Solo, 45,000 on Trio, 75,000 on Business.
AI on a small budget
MakeADir
MakeADir includes 250 AI credits a month from Solo at $19/mo. Directify's AI content generator starts on Growth at $69/mo.
Pick the one that matches how you work
No hedging. If the right-hand column describes you, Directify is the better buy and you can stop reading.
Choose MakeADir if…
- You run more than one directory. Trio covers three sites with payments for $39/mo. Directify's single-site Pro is the same price; three sites is $69/mo.
- You want recurring memberships and paid leads. Membership tiers, gated listings and per-lead charging are part of Trio. Directify monetises mainly through paid submissions, featured listings and ads.
- You want AI without paying for the top tier. The AI page builder, AI blog writer and listing import from a URL run on credits included from $19/mo.
- You want SEO pages generated from your data. Dynamic Collections publishes ranked "Top 10" pages, IndexNow pushes every change on publish, and AI interlinking connects posts and listings as you go.
- You want a bigger free plan. 100 entries on MakeADir Free vs 10 listings on Directify Free — enough to test a niche with real data.
Choose Directify if…
- One directory will hold a lot of listings. Pro at $39/mo has no listing cap. That is a real advantage past a few tens of thousands of entries.
- You want the cheapest custom domain. Starter is $12/mo with a custom domain and no branding, for up to 50 listings.
- You publish in several languages. Directify includes unlimited languages from Starter.
- You need webhooks, an API and team seats. Growth adds webhooks and 10 collaborators; Agency makes both sites and seats unlimited.
- You want Lemon Squeezy or Creem as your payment provider. Directify supports them alongside Stripe; MakeADir is Stripe-only.
The differences that actually decide it
Everything in the tables below is detail. These six are why people choose one over the other.
Three sites for $39, not $69
Trio runs three directories with the full monetisation suite for $39/mo. On Directify, $39 buys one site; three sites is Growth at $69/mo.
Memberships and paid leads built in
Recurring membership tiers, gated listings and charging listing owners per enquiry all ship with Trio. Directify focuses on paid submissions, featured spots and ads.
AI from $19, not $69
Solo includes 250 AI credits a month for the AI page builder, blog writer and listing import. Directify's AI content generator is a Growth-plan feature.
Ranked Top 10 pages on autopilot
Dynamic Collections turns your listing attributes into ranked collection pages that appear as categories clear the bar you set. IndexNow tells search engines the moment they go live.
A free plan you can actually test on
MakeADir Free holds 100 entries; Directify Free holds 10 listings. Enough to judge a niche with real data, not a sample.
Real Google reviews on local listings
Pull genuine Google Maps reviews onto listings in a couple of clicks, so a new directory doesn't launch with empty review sections.
What it actually costs per month
Both are hosted and both charge 0% on your revenue. The question is which Directify plan matches Trio — so here are the two that come closest.
| MakeADir (Trio)$39/mo | Directify Pro$39/mo | Directify Growth$69/mo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What one plan gets you | MakeADir (Trio) | Directify Pro | Directify Growth |
| Websites included | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Listings | 45,000 entries | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Accept payments, 0% platform fee | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AI content tools | 500 credits/mo | No | Yes |
| Recurring membership tiers | Yes | Not listed | Not listed |
| Charge per lead | Yes | Lead capture | Lead capture |
| The total | MakeADir (Trio) | Directify Pro | Directify Growth |
| Monthly price | $39 | $39 | $69 |
| Per month, paid yearly | $39 | ~$33 | ~$57 |
| Cost per website | $13 | $39 | $23 |
Where these numbers come from. Directify prices are from its pricing page, checked October 2026: Free, Starter $12, Pro $39, Growth $69 and Agency $149 per month, with yearly billing at 10 months for the price of 12. MakeADir prices are from our pricing page.
The honest caveat. Directify's yearly discount narrows the gap, and MakeADir doesn't offer annual billing yet. And if a single directory will grow past 45,000 entries, Directify Pro's unlimited listings beat Trio outright — compare it with MakeADir Business (75,000 entries, unlimited sites, $99/mo) instead.
Feature by feature
Only rows where the two genuinely differ, plus a few where people assume they do. "Not listed" means we couldn't find it on Directify's public pricing and feature pages.
| MakeADirfrom $0 | Directifyfrom $0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Getting live | MakeADir | Directify |
| Free plan | 100 entries | 10 listings |
| AI builds the directory from an idea | Yes | Yes |
| Custom domain from | $19/mo | $12/mo |
| Listings on paid plans | 15,000–75,000 | 50, then unlimited |
| Filling it with listings | MakeADir | Directify |
| Bulk import | CSV with upsert | CSV + Google Sheets |
| Add a listing from its website URL | Yes | Yes |
| Google Maps reviews on listings | Yes | Google Maps import |
| Owner claim listings | Yes | Not listed |
| Getting found | MakeADir | Directify |
| Structured data and XML sitemaps | Yes | Yes |
| IndexNow submission on publish | Yes | Not listed |
| Auto-generated ranked Top 10 pages | Yes | Not listed |
| AI internal linking as you publish | Yes | Not listed |
| Making money | MakeADir | Directify |
| Paid listings and featured spots | Yes | Yes |
| Recurring membership tiers | Yes | Not listed |
| Banner ads | Yes | Yes |
| Payment providers | Stripe | Stripe, Lemon Squeezy, Creem |
| Living with it | MakeADir | Directify |
| Drag-and-drop and AI page builder | Yes | Custom pages (Pro+) |
| MCP server for AI agents | All plans, incl. Free | Starter and up |
| Webhooks | Not yet | Growth and up |
| Multiple languages | Not yet | Starter and up |
Where Directify is the better answer
Not the things both platforms do well. The three reasons Directify still wins for the right project.
No listing cap at $39
Directify Pro has unlimited listings on one site. If a single directory will hold tens of thousands of entries, that beats every MakeADir plan on price.
Several languages from $12
Unlimited languages from the Starter plan up. If your directory has to serve more than one language, Directify does it today.
Webhooks and team seats
Growth adds webhooks, an API and 10 collaborators; Agency makes sites and seats unlimited. Built for teams wiring a directory into other tools.
Already running a Directify directory?
Three steps. For a few hundred listings it is an afternoon; allow a full day if your listings carry a lot of custom fields.
Export and map
Export your listings to CSV from Directify. Download the MakeADir template, line your fields up against it, and add custom attributes for anything that doesn't fit. About 45 minutes.
How import worksImport, check, re-import
Upsert matches on listing name, so you can re-run the same import as many times as it takes to get it right. Minutes per run.
Redirect and resubmit
301 your old URLs to the new ones. IndexNow pushes every change the moment it goes live, so search engines usually catch up in days. About an hour.
Questions worth asking before you switch
The objections that come up most, answered straight.
Directify has unlimited listings. Why would I accept a cap?
If one directory will outgrow 45,000 entries, you shouldn't — compare Directify Pro with MakeADir Business (75,000 entries) instead. Most niche directories sit well under 15,000 listings, where the cap never bites and Trio's three sites matter more.
Isn't Directify's AI builder the same thing?
Both build a starter directory from an idea. The difference is what's included after launch: MakeADir's AI page builder, blog writer and listing import run on credits included from Solo at $19/mo, while Directify's AI content generator starts on Growth at $69/mo.
Will I lose my rankings when the URLs change?
Not if you redirect. Set 301s from every old URL to its new one before you switch the domain over. MakeADir ships structured data, auto-generated sitemaps and IndexNow submission, so the new URLs are usually discovered within days. Expect a short dip while redirects are processed, then recovery.
Can I take payments through Lemon Squeezy?
Not today — MakeADir payments run through Stripe, connected from the dashboard, and the money goes straight to your account. If you need Lemon Squeezy or Creem as merchant of record, Directify supports them.
Do I need the $39 plan?
Only if you charge for something. Solo at $19/mo covers a custom domain, the AI assistant, analytics and IndexNow. Trio at $39/mo is where Stripe payments, paid listings, memberships, paid leads, custom forms and claim listings switch on — and it covers three sites.
Can I try it before migrating anything?
Build the whole thing on the Free plan first — one site, 100 entries, the page builder, custom attributes and MCP access, on a free subdomain. Import a slice of your listings, see how the pages look, and only then decide. Paid plans add a 7-day trial and the Free plan needs no card.
So, which one?
If you want several directories, recurring memberships or paid leads, and AI tools without paying for a top tier, MakeADir gives you more for the same $39. If the plan is one very large directory, or you need multiple languages, webhooks or a team of collaborators, Directify is the stronger fit.