Dirstarter vs Softr (2026): Which Fits a Directory Business?

Dirstarter vs Softr is really a question about what you're building. Softr is a no-code platform for business apps like client portals, internal tools and dashboards, and it can also produce a simple directory. Dirstarter is a Next.js boilerplate built only for directory websites, sold as a one-time payment, with the full source code.

My short answer: pick Softr for a private or community directory where Google traffic doesn't matter. Pick Dirstarter for a public directory you want to grow through search and monetize for years.

Bias disclosure: I built Dirstarter and sell it, so I have a stake in this comparison. I also run OpenAlternative, a directory with 200,000 monthly visitors, and I've already written a full Softr review and a list of Softr alternatives. This page is the head-to-head decision, not another tour.

Pick Dirstarter if:

• Your directory will grow through Google search
• You want to own the code and move hosts whenever you like
• You need paid and featured listings that work out of the box
• You plan to run several directories

Pick Softr if:

• You don't write code and don't want to
• Your data already lives in Airtable, Google Sheets or Notion
• The directory is private, gated or part of a client portal
• You want a working version this weekend for $0

Dirstarter vs Softr at a glanceCopy Anchor Link

I checked the Softr column against its pricing page in October 2026. The Dirstarter column comes from the docs.

The "logged-in app users" row matters more than it looks. A directory where listing owners create accounts to submit or manage listings counts those owners as client users on Softr. Basic includes five. Pro includes 50, and extra users cost more each month.

Pricing comparedCopy Anchor Link

Softr changed its plans since I wrote my review. The current pricing page lists Basic at $25/month, Pro at $119/month and Business at $395/month on monthly billing. Yearly billing brings those down to $19, $99 and $329 per month. The plans include hosting and unlimited apps per workspace. A public directory realistically needs Pro, because Basic keeps Softr branding and blocks custom code (so no custom analytics or schema markup).

Dirstarter is a one-time payment from $150 (Basic list price; Pro is $200, and the current launch discount is on the pricing section). You pay for hosting separately. The free Vercel Hobby plan is for non-commercial use only, so a paying directory needs Vercel Pro at $20/month, which allows unlimited projects. The database can start on Neon's free plan (1 GB per project), and Neon's paid plan has no monthly minimum.

Softr has two perks worth knowing. It refunds in full within 14 days of a first monthly payment or 30 days of a first yearly payment, and non-profits and education get 50% off.

I used yearly Softr prices below because they're the cheaper option. Domain registration costs the same either way, so I left it out.

3-year cost for one directoryCopy Anchor Link

• Dirstarter: $150 + ($20 × 36 months) = $870
• Softr Pro, billed yearly: $99 × 36 months = $3,564
• Softr Basic, billed yearly: $19 × 36 months = $684, with Softr branding and no custom code

3-year cost for three directoriesCopy Anchor Link

• Dirstarter: $150 + ($20 × 36 months) = $870, since one license and one Vercel Pro seat cover all three
• Softr Pro, billed yearly: $3,564 + (2 extra domains × $13 × 36 months) = $3,564 + $936 = $4,500

Softr's three-directory figure assumes all three apps fit in one Pro workspace, sharing 500,000 records and 50 client users. If they don't fit, you move up to Business at $329/month. On the Dirstarter side, heavy traffic can add Vercel and Neon usage charges, and maintenance takes your time. OpenAlternative takes me 2-3 hours a week.

Where Softr is the better choiceCopy Anchor Link

You're not technical. Softr's blocks and AI co-builder get a non-developer to a working app without touching a terminal. Dirstarter needs a deploy, environment variables and a database. I can make that easier with docs, but I can't make it disappear.

The directory sits inside a bigger app. If your "directory" is a member list inside a client portal, or a vendor list in an internal tool, Softr handles the permissions, user groups and workflows around it. Dirstarter only builds directories.

Your data already lives in Airtable or Google Sheets. Softr puts an interface on top of it in an afternoon, and your team keeps editing the spreadsheet they already know.

You're validating an idea. The Free plan costs nothing. If the idea dies, you've lost a weekend, not a purchase.

Where Dirstarter is the better choiceCopy Anchor Link

Google is your growth channel. A public directory makes money because thousands of listing pages rank. On OpenAlternative, about 65% of revenue comes from ads and sponsorships and about 35% from $197/month featured listings, and both depend on search traffic. Dirstarter gives you every URL, template, meta tag and sitemap to shape. The SEO docs show what ships by default, including structured data and a split sitemap.

Monetization is ready on day one. Paid listing tiers with Stripe subscriptions, featured placement and an ad system are already wired up. On Softr you'd assemble that from integrations and workflows.

You own everything. Softr apps can't be exported as code. If Softr changes its pricing (it already has since July) or its direction, you rebuild. With Dirstarter, the code and the database are yours to move.

You'll run more than one directory. One purchase covers unlimited directories. I run four directories built on it: OpenAlternative, EuroAlternative, DevSuite and TerminalDock.

You want AI assistants to send you traffic. Dirstarter runs a public MCP server that lets assistants like Claude and ChatGPT search your catalog and link to your listings. A second, admin-only server lets you manage the directory from an AI agent. Softr's MCP access is aimed at building and managing apps, not at recommending your listings to the public.

Costs stay flat as you grow. Listing owners can sign up without counting against a user limit, and you don't hit a record cap or pay per domain.

Switching from Softr to DirstarterCopy Anchor Link

The data moves easily. The pages don't, so plan for a rebuild.

1. Export your data. If your directory runs on Airtable or Google Sheets, export the base or sheet as CSV. If it uses Softr Databases, use a table block with a download action or Softr's API.
2. Map the fields. Match each column to Dirstarter's Prisma schema, and add niche-specific fields to the schema first.
3. Import. Dirstarter's docs include a seed script example for importing a CSV file. Run it, then spot-check a sample of listings.
4. Redirect old URLs. Your Softr URLs won't match Dirstarter's routes. Export every indexed URL and add 301 redirects in next.config.ts to the new listing pages, so you keep whatever rankings you've earned.
5. Move users last. Anyone with a login needs a new account on Dirstarter. Tell them before the switch.

My verdictCopy Anchor Link

For Dirstarter vs Softr, the deciding question is whether the directory is your business or a feature of something else. Softr is a good tool for portals and internal apps, and it can carry a private or small directory well. For a public directory that has to win on Google and earn money through listings and ads, Dirstarter costs less over three years, removes the user and domain limits, and leaves you owning the code.

I'm biased, so test both. Build a rough version on Softr's free plan, read the Dirstarter docs, and see which one fights you less. If you're also looking at hosted directory platforms, read my Dirstarter vs Brilliant Directories comparison.