| Tier* ↑ | Directory ↕ | Markets | How you get on | What it costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple Business | UKFRUSIntl | You claim a profileNeeds premises | Free |
| 1 | Bing Places for Business | UKUS | You create a profileNeeds premises | Free |
| 1 | Google Business Profile | UKFRUSIntl | You create a profileNeeds premises | Free |
| 2 | Data Axle Local Listings | US | You create a profileNeeds premises | Free for 1–10 listings. 10+ locations is contact-sales. |
| 2 | Foursquare (venue claim) | Intl | You claim a profileNeeds premises | $20 one-time fee charged during the claiming process. |
| 2 | OpenStreetMap | Intl | You create a profileNeeds premises | Free |
| 2 | Wikidata | Intl | You create a profile | Free |
| 3 | 118000.frpopulated automatically via PagesJaunes (Solocal) | FR | You create a profileNeeds premises | Free base listing; a paid "offre référencement internet" exists, price not stated. |
| 3 | Airbnb | UKFRUS | MarketplaceNeeds premises | "Getting started is free. You set your price, and we only collect a fee after you've got paid." Host service fee percentage not stated on the page. |
| 3 | Better Business Bureau (free profile) | US | You claim a profileNeeds premises | Free profile. Accreditation is paid — BBB does not publish dues; a third-party estimate for a 10+ employee business is ~$965/year, set by the local BBB. |
| 3 | Booking.com | UKFRUS | MarketplaceNeeds premises | "Register for free", "No sign up fees" — but a commission is taken per stay and the percentage is NOT disclosed anywhere in the signup funnel. |
| 3 | Doctolib | FR | You create a profileNeeds premises | not stated — Doctolib publishes no practitioner pricing. Every pricing URL tried returned 404 or empty. |
| 3 | Holidu (host) | FRIntl | MarketplaceNeeds premises | Holidu fee 6% (down to 3% with exclusivity and growth discounts) + channel commission from 15% + one-time onboarding fee from €90. Holidu's own FAQ: "typically between 18% and 24%". All excluding VAT. |
| 3 | Justacoté | FR | You create a profileNeeds premises | Free — personalisation offered "gratuitement". |
| 3 | LinkedIn Company Page | Intl | You create a profile | Free |
| 3 | Mappypopulated automatically via PagesJaunes (Solocal) | FR | Already listed — check itNeeds premises | Free (indirectly, via PagesJaunes) |
| 3 | Nextdoor Business Page | UKUS | You create a profileNeeds premises | Free to create. Nextdoor Ads is a separate paid product. |
| 3 | Office de Tourisme — Espace Adhérents (commune-level) | FR | You create a profileNeeds premises | not stated — no cotisation figure published. |
| 3 | PagesJaunes (Solocal) | FR | You create a profileNeeds premises | Free tier ("Référencement non prioritaire"). Paid priority packages sold separately. |
| 3 | Petit Futé (Espace Pro) | FR | You create a profileNeeds premises | Free tier confirmed (basic page management, suggest edits, respond to reviews). Paid options for photos, offers, video and online booking — prices not stated. |
| 3 | Scoot / Touch Local | UK | You create a profileNeeds premises | Free |
| 3 | TheFork / LaFourchette | FRUK | MarketplaceNeeds premises | Performance and Enterprise tiers, both "Ask for pricing". Commission is "a percentage of your average bill per guest" on reservations from TheFork, TripAdvisor and partner channels. Reservations from your own website, Instagram and Facebook are commission-free. |
| 3 | thomsonlocal | UK | You create a profileNeeds premises | Free listing. The website backlink is NOT free — it requires a £10 + VAT purchase. |
| 3 | Tripadvisor | UKFRUS | You create a profileNeeds premises | Free to add or claim. |
| 3 | Trustpilot | UKFRUSIntl | You claim a profile | Free plan is real (50 automated invitations/month, 1 user, reply and flag reviews, 1 widget). Paid: Starter from $99/mo per domain, Plus from $319/mo, Premium from $799/mo — all 12-month commitments, billed annually. FR tiers: 79 € / 189 € / 479 € per month. |
| 3 | Yell.com | UK | You create a profileNeeds premises | Free basic listing; paid packages sold on the follow-up call. |
| 3 | Yelp for Business | USUK | You claim a profile | Free to create and claim a Business Page. Yelp Ads is a separate paid product. |
| 3 | YP.com / Superpages / DexKnows (Thryv) | US | You claim a profileNeeds premises | Free claim; heavy paid upsell to Thryv marketing services. |
| 4 | ACCA Find an Accountancy Firm | UKIntl | Already listed — check it | Free |
| 4 | AITO — Association of Independent Tour Operators | UK | Qualification-gated | Application fee from £250 + VAT (£100 non-refundable if rejected). Annual subscription based on turnover, not published. |
| 4 | annuaireagences.fr | FR | You create a profile | First 500 agencies free ("les 500 premières agences référencées gratuitement"). Partner tier from 9 €/month. |
| 4 | Appvizer | FR | You create a profile | Free — "Vous éditez une solution ? Référencez-la gratuitement sur Appvizer !" |
| 4 | Avvo | US | You claim a profile | Free profile. ProVantage and WebVantage are paid. |
| 4 | CFP Board — Find a CFP® Professional | US | You create a profile | Free |
| 4 | Chalets Direct | FRIntl | You create a profileNeeds premises | £225 + VAT per rental property per year (sale slots £179 + VAT/yr). Explicitly no commission and no click-through charges. |
| 4 | Chambers and Partners | UKUSIntl | You create a profile | "Submitting to Chambers is free." |
| 4 | Classement de meublés via l'Office de Tourisme | FR | Qualification-gatedNeeds premises | A fee exists — the "Grille tarifaire" is published as a downloadable document and the amount is not printed on the page. Invoiced with the classement decision. |
| 4 | Clutch | UKFRUSIntl | You create a profile | Basic $0. Verified $499/year. Advertiser custom. |
| 4 | Counselling Directory | UK | You create a profile | £24.50 per month rolling (30 days' notice to cancel), or £245 per year. Free for registered charities. |
| 4 | Crunchbase | Intl | You create a profile | Profile creation free; premium features gated behind a trial. Price for the basic profile is not stated. |
| 4 | Expertise.com | US | No submission route | Free provider portal. |
| 4 | Federation of Master Builders | UK | Qualification-gated | £62.69 + VAT per month. First year adds a £14.85 + VAT monthly inspection fee, or a one-time £178.20 + VAT inspection fee on the annual route. No annual contract. |
| 4 | FreeIndex | UK | You create a profile | Free tier with paid upgrades; prices not stated on the signup page. |
| 4 | G2 | Intl | You create a profile | Free to claim. "You can claim your profile for free." |
| 4 | G2 Digital Markets (Capterra + GetApp + Software Advice) | Intl | You create a profile | not stated — pricing is gated behind the application. |
| 4 | GetYourGuide (supplier) | FRUKUSIntl | Marketplace | "There is no cost for adding and maintaining an activity... You will only be charged a commission fee for bookings that are successful." The rate "may vary depending on your country of operation — the exact amount will be shared after you sign up." Monthly payouts free. |
| 4 | GoodFirms | Intl | You create a profile | Free $0/forever. PRO $49/month or $588/year. Sponsors custom. |
| 4 | Justia Lawyer Directory | US | You create a profile | Free — "Take Advantage of the Standard Directory Features — All Free". Paid placements (Justia Connect, Platinum/Gold, Elevate, Amplify) not priced publicly. |
| 4 | Justifit | FR | You create a profile | Offre Découverte free — "Sans engagement et sans limite de durée". Offre Essentielle (min. 2 months) and Offre Premium (min. 1 year) are paid; prices not published. No per-lead commission: "Aucune commission n'est perçue par Justifit, peu importe le nombre de mises en relations." |
| 4 | Kompass | FRUKUSIntl | You create a profile | Free company registration. Paid EasyBusiness / KSales tiers quoted on request; 7-day free trial without card. |
| 4 | Médoucine | FR | Qualification-gated | not stated — practitioners sign a "contrat d'adhésion"; terms not published. |
| 4 | Product Hunt | Intl | You create a profile | "It's 100% free to use." |
| 4 | Psychology Today Therapist Directory | US | You create a profile | "Members pay a fixed monthly fee of $29.95." No contracts. |
| 4 | Qualibat | FR | Qualification-gated | "à partir de 250 € HT/an par qualification". |
| 4 | Qualit'EnR (QualiPAC / QualiSol / Qualibois / QualiPV) | FR | Qualification-gated | Annual instruction fee 83 € HT, plus 83 € HT per brand per year. Audit 323 € HT for most qualifications (travel included). QualiPV 36 / under 500kWc: first audit 273 € HT, subsequent 233 € HT. QualiPV 500: 700 € HT. Qualisol CESC: 500 € HT. |
| 4 | ReviewSolicitors | UK | You claim a profile | Free tier confirmed. Premium is "Contact Sales" with a firm-size calculator; price not published. |
| 4 | RICS Find a Surveyor | UK | Already listed — check it | "You do not have to pay to appear on Find a Surveyor." Basic and Standard listings are both free. |
| 4 | Semrush Agency Partners | Intl | You create a profile | Free — "Verification is on us". No Semrush subscription stated as required. |
| 4 | Sortlist | UKFRIntl | You create a profile | not stated — "Flexible plans that grow with you". The /pricing page 404s. |
| 4 | SquareMeal | UK | You create a profileNeeds premises | Free to submit. |
| 4 | Super Lawyers | US | No submission route | Free. Court-tested: "It is absolutely clear from this record that [Super Lawyers does] not permit a lawyer to buy one's way onto the list." |
| 4 | The Good Food Guide | UK | No submission routeNeeds premises | n/a — you cannot buy in. |
| 4 | The Manifestpopulated automatically via Clutch | Intl | You create a profile | Free |
| 4 | Travel Trust Association | UK | Qualification-gated | not stated. |
| 4 | TrustATrader | UK | You create a profile | not stated — application form then callback (01438 870097). |
| 4 | TrustRadius | Intl | You claim a profile | Free Profile tier confirmed. Premium requires a demo; price not published. |
| 4 | VouchedFor | UK | You create a profile | not stated. |
| 4 | Which? Trusted Traders | UK | Qualification-gated | £248 inc. VAT one-off non-refundable assessment fee, then monthly by headcount: 0–3 staff £66/mo, 4–9 £86/mo, 10–19 £114/mo. Annual: £797 / £1,029 / £1,363. |
| 4 | Zocdoc | US | MarketplaceNeeds premises | Basic free. Growth: new-patient booking fee, no monthly platform fee. Advanced: new-patient booking fee + $250 per provider/month. The per-booking fee amount is not published. |
| 5 | Annuaire de l'Ordre des experts-comptables | FR | Already listed — check it | Free |
| 5 | Annuaire RGE (ADEME / France Rénov') | FR | Already listed — check it | Free to be listed. The RGE qualification behind it is paid — see Qualit'EnR and Qualibat. |
| 5 | avocat.fr — Annuaire des avocats de France (CNB) | FR | Already listed — check it | Free |
| 5 | Care Quality Commission | UK | Already listed — check itNeeds premises | not stated on the registration guidance page. CQC does charge annual fees. |
| 5 | Companies House | UK | Already listed — check it | Free to search. Incorporation costs £100 online / £124 by post. |
| 5 | Déclaration de meublé de tourisme en mairie (Cerfa 14004) | FR | Already listed — check itNeeds premises | Free. Failure to declare is punishable by a fine of up to €450. |
| 5 | FCA Financial Services Register | UK | Already listed — check it | Free |
| 5 | Gas Safe Register | UK | Already listed — check it | not stated — registration fee pages blocked automated access. |
| 5 | General Dental Council online register | UK | Already listed — check it | Free to appear. The GDC annual retention fee applies to registration itself. |
| 5 | INPI — Guichet unique des formalités | FR | Already listed — check it | "Les coûts des formalités de modification sont réglementés et varient selon la nature de la modification." Figures not published on the page. |
| 5 | INSEE — correction du code APE/NAF | FR | Already listed — check it | Free. "Un délai de 20 jours ouvrés est requis pour instruction de votre dossier". |
| 5 | J2Ski Directory | Intl | You create a profile | Basic listing free. A paid "Boost" promotion exists at /directory/promotion. |
| 5 | Kiwitaxi (transfer companies and drivers) | FRIntl | Marketplace | "What's the commission? We do not charge any commission." You set your own prices per car class and route. Payouts twice monthly via SWIFT, SEPA or Payoneer. |
| 5 | L'Annuaire des Entreprises (data.gouv.fr) | FR | Already listed — check it | Free |
| 5 | Mozio (transport providers) | FRIntl | Marketplace | not stated. |
| 5 | ORIAS — Registre unique des intermédiaires | FR | You create a profile | Free to appear; annual registration process. |
| 5 | Pappers.frpopulated automatically via INSEE — correction du code APE/NAF | FR | Already listed — check it | Free |
| 5 | REVTC — Registre des exploitants VTC | FR | Already listed — check it | Free. The site warns: "REVTC n'adresse jamais de facture ni par mail, ni par sms, ni par courrier postal." |
| 5 | Societe.com | FR | Already listed — check it | Free to appear. |
| 5 | SRA Register | UK | Already listed — check it | Free |
| 5 | Transferz (transfer company registration) | FRIntl | Marketplace | "Joining is free, with no monthly fees or customer-acquisition costs." You set your own rates. Payouts every two weeks. |
| 5 | Your state contractor licence board (e.g. California's CSLB) | US | Already listed — check it | not stated — fee schedules not published on the reachable pages. |
* Tier is our ordering, not a finding. No published study ranks listing sources this way — it is a sound order for fixing data errors (correct the source before its mirrors), standing in for suggestion order only because nothing better exists yet.
Never recommend
The ones we tell customers to stay away from
These are live, real and self-serve — which is exactly why they need naming. Each reason states what we read on the directory's own pages: observable facts, not opinions about anyone's character.
The rule, rather than the blocklist.
Reject any destination whose value proposition is volume of links rather than a record a human or an assistant would actually consult. Three tests:
- Would a real person land on this page from anything other than a search for the business's own name?
- Does the site verify the submission at all before publishing it?
- Is the pitch about the listing, or about the link? If the marketing leads with Domain Authority, backlinks, or a count of sites — reject.
Brownbook
Publishes an unverified entity from three fields. 44.6m listings; only name, category and country are required; no address, no phone, no verification before publication. A directory that will publish anything is not corroborating anything — it is manufacturing a citation.
UK Small Business Directory
290,000+ listings, open submission with no editorial vetting, Bronze/Silver/Gold upsell ladder.
Bizify
Free open-submission listings with "verified" sold as a paid upgrade. When verification is a product rather than a gate, the free tier carries no trust signal.
Cylex UK
Refused inspection (403 on four separate fetches), appears on essentially every bulk-submission list, and runs one subdomain per town (paisley., reading., edinburgh.) — a textbook doorway-page pattern.
chamberofcommerce.com
Not affiliated with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce despite the name. A private commercial directory borrowing the authority of a national institution, with a free listing that funnels into a 30+ site bulk-distribution trial. There is an active BBB consumer alert about Chamber-branded solicitations to small businesses.
annuaire-google.com
Passing off — trades on Google's name with no affiliation. Hard exclusion regardless of whether the site functions.
Reciprocal-backlink annuaires (Annuaire du Conseil, Meilleur du Web, Secous, Mes Annuaires, Coodoeil, WebWiki, FranceSurf, TopLien)
The tell is verbatim: "L'inscription est gratuite contre un lien retour" — free in exchange for a backlink. A directory that charges in backlinks is a PageRank scheme with a search box. Any article listing thirty-plus directories at once is describing a mass-submission ecosystem, not a curated set.
StarOfService
Lead-gen marketplace presented as a directory, with no pricing disclosed anywhere on the public site despite 180,000+ listed professionals. Trust signals: 21 reports and 96 comments on signal-arnaques.com; scamdoc rates it "Indice de confiance faible : 18 %".
Digital Agency Network (DAN)
Standard $680/yr, Gold $580/yr, Premium $1,980/yr, Platinum $2,980/yr — with listing breadth metered by price tier (Standard buys 1 city + 4 services; Platinum buys 8 cities + 16 services). No free tier and no editorial gate. The only variable is spend. This is paid link placement dressed as a directory.
Bulk "directory submission" services (500+ sites, "high DA", "get cited by AI")
The exact pattern WHAT_TO_AVOID condemns. These rank targets by Domain Authority and describe the exercise as "off-page SEO technique". Google's own spam policies list "low-quality directory or bookmark site links" as link spam. One 2026 study found only ~24.3% of bulk-submitted listings were ever indexed. The 2026 mutation — "get cited by AI answers" — is the same auto-approve farms with new copy.
No list here
Where the honest answer is that there isn't one
Padding these cells would be the easiest thing in the world and the most damaging. A short true list beats a long plausible one, and naming the empty cells is as useful as filling the full ones.
No dedicated management- or strategy-consultancy directory verified in any country. Falls back to the agency directories under consulting/IT-services categories.
As above.
As above.
Stops at Yelp and Nextdoor. Bira has no consumer-facing member directory (verified). Totally Locally has no individual listing route. Faire is B2B. Etsy is a product marketplace.
Petit Futé, Office de Tourisme and PagesJaunes. Ma Ville Mon Shopping is dead — DNS does not resolve.
Yelp and Nextdoor. No third credible sector-specific option verified.
Only two involve any action (CFP Board opt-in, NAPFA membership). AIA has no public architect finder (aia.org/find-an-architect 404s) and AICPA has no public firm directory. For architects and surveyors specifically, the US cell is empty.
What to do instead. Ask your own buying question in ChatGPT and in Google. See which lists and directories come back. Claim the ones that already rank. If nothing comes back but competitors' own websites, that's your answer — there is no directory layer in your market, and your effort belongs on your own site.
One niche in full
Ski and airport transfer
Worth showing in detail because it is the sharpest example of why this research exists — roughly half of a plausible-looking candidate list turned out not to be a listing opportunity at all.
There is no ski-transfer directory. Not one. Every ski-transfer name checked — Mountain Drop-offs, Cool Bus, Alps2Alps — is an operator running its own vans. The marketplaces (Kiwitaxi, Transferz, Mozio, GetYourGuide) are supply channels where you appear as inventory inside a booking funnel, not as a named business on a citable page. The only citable rows are REVTC and the FNTV répertoire, both French-establishment-gated. For this niche the product must teach the method, not show a list.
Which five apply to you?
This page is the map. The work is narrower: the three to five rows that fit your sector, your country, your premises situation and the registrations you actually hold — with your details written once and reused identically, and each listing tracked from submitted to live. That's what Ghostart does, alongside measuring whether AI engines start reading them for your buyers' questions.
Get your five, with the copy written