Please note: The information provided in the 58+ pages on this website was written in 2008 and contains old and out-dated information. I will be releasing new updated information soon that will show you how to get around the problems facing most of the web directories online today. So please sign up to the newsletter to get the soon-to-be released update!There are many different web directory scripts out there, both free and paid. Both have advantages and I will go over some of the most popular scripts that are out there, first free than paid.
Free Directory Scripts
Free directory scripts have one main advantage… they’re free! If you are on a limited budget then these are the way to go. You can get your feet wet before diving in and purchasing a paid directory script. There are disadvantages though to using free scripts. Usually free scripts aren’t that robust, are not supported, require you to link back to the script owner’s site and a lot of the time have bugs in them. Another thing you want to be aware of is that when you do use a free directory script you run the risk of having to stick with it even after your site makes money. It can be hard to migrate data later on if you decide you want to upgrade to something more robust. So be warned.
I started out using paid scripts but have tested a few free ones. I can say that I prefer to use paid scripts because they are supported, have more templates and for the most part have a large user base that create mods and are more helpful on forums if you need it.
If you are on a tight budget and want to start with a free script then I recommend the scripts highlighted below. The first three are free and offer an easy way to upgrade to their paid versions later on.
List of Free Directory Scripts (My recommendations are highlighted.)
- PHPLinkDirectory 2.0 (link to download is on the left hand side of homepage)
- Nicecoder Indexu Free Version (It’s towards the bottom of the page)
- eSyndicat (download their free version from their homepage.)
- Freephpdirectoryscript.com (download zip)
- Site Sift Listings (download page)
- Linker (download page)
- cpLinks (download page)
- cpDynaLinks (download page)
- LinksCaffe3.0 (download page)
- Duncan Carver’s Link Management Assistant
- AEDirectory (download page)
List of Paid Directory Scripts
- PHPLinkDirectory – $25 per license
- Nicecoder Indexu – $99 per license
- PHPMyDirectory – $99 per license
- eSyndicat – $75 per license
- MrCGIGuy HotLinks SQL – $49.95 per license
- K-Links Directory – $79 basic license
- BosDirectory – $49 per license
- WSNLinks – $99 per license
- Gossamer Links – $450 per license
Multiple Domain License Costs
- PHPLinkDirectory – None
- Nicecoder Indexu – 10 domains $299, 25 domains $499, Unlimited domains $1499
- PHPMyDirectory – 3 domains $189.84, 10 domains $499.50
- eSyndicat – 5 domains $199, 10 domains $299, Unlimited $499
- MrCGIGuy HotLinks SQL – Unlimited domains $149.95
- K-Links Directory – From $297 to $597 for unlimited domains
- BosDirectory – None
- Gossamer Links – None
If you are new to working with scripts I’d suggest starting with one directory and working your way up. Multiple domain licenses only need to be purchased if you really plan on building up a network of directories.
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