Turning Wordpress into a directory CMS
Besides specialized software that have their advantages, Wordpress provides a huge quantities of plugins and themes, when you turn it into a directory CMS.
And specialized software can make use of undesirable conditions while the GPL license of Wordpress makes it completely free.
There are actually several plugins to transform WP into a directory, here are those that have been updated more recently, and if they can present live demos it is mentioned.
Allowing to display all articles organized into categories, it turns Wordpress into a directory.
Authors, who can submit an article describing a single website, if that is the purpose assigned to it, do not go through the admin interface but have direct access to entry fields.
A live demo is available. The reviews are positive and also the number of downloads.
Contributions are displayed in list form and not by categories. However users can make a selection by category.
The installation is more complex than for other Wordpress plugins.
It is well noted by users and has a large number of downloads and a live demo, which is hidden in the screenshot page.
A plugin that allows webmasters to add a link and a description of their site, in a separate category, alongside the posts, the site remaining a blog. Displays various information of questionable SEO, based on link trading and comparisons of PR.
The reviews are favorable and the number of downloads average. The demo is empty and will probably give an idea of what the software look as when we start from a blank page!
It supports taxonomies, Ajax for easier submissions, a future spam control is expected.
Three sites use it, according to his own references. This is little. Not updated since 2009, it is, however, compatible with the latest version of Wordpress.
Conclusion
No leading software in this domain but several plugins that probably will require some customization.
With the new features of page types and custom fields in Wordpress, and taxonomies that seem intended to this purpose, creating a directory plugin should not be very difficult now. Infinitely less than a CMS directory entirely realized oneself.
See also