A free business directory is a website that lists your business name, address and phone number at no charge. We tried 21 directories on 30 October 2026. We could read 14 of them and six confirmed a free listing a UK trade can use. Apple Business, Yell and FreeIndex are the three to claim first, in our view, once your Google Business Profile is done.
The list below shows what’s free, what’s paid and where the upsell sits. Prices and terms change, so check each page before you sign up.
Do this today
- Copy your business name, address and phone number from your Google Business Profile into a note.
- Search Yell and FreeIndex for your business before you sign up, to see if you’re already there.
- Set up Apple Business, Yell and FreeIndex using the details in your note.
- Say no to any paid upgrade for now. You can decide later.
- Keep a list of every site you join, so you can update them all if your number changes.
Which free business directories are worth it?
Your Google Business Profile comes first, because it’s the listing that shows on Google Maps. Our guide to set up a Google Business Profile for your trade covers that. Everything here comes after it.
In our view, a directory earns your time if a customer might really use it. Apple passes that test because customers use Apple Maps. Yell and FreeIndex pass because people go there looking for a trade. Nextdoor passes because neighbours ask each other for recommendations there.
Google also builds profiles from more than your own input. Its sources include “licensed data from third parties“. We can’t say which directories feed that data, so treat every listing as a place your details need to be right.
The list, checked 30 October 2026
Each row comes from the directory’s own page, opened on 30 October 2026. We didn’t sign up to any of them.
| Directory | What’s free | What’s paid |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Business (launched as Apple Business Connect) | Claiming and editing your Apple Maps place card, “all for free”. | Nothing named for Maps |
| Yell | A business listing, with customer reviews. | An upgrade to a marketing package, offered on the same page |
| FreeIndex | A profile page, reviews and lead alerts. | Premium at £9.95 a month or £99.50 a year |
| Nextdoor | A Business Page shown to neighbours. | Advertising, no price shown |
| Top Tradespeople | A profile and a directory listing. | Lead contact details, by credits. SMS alerts and premium membership. |
| The Trade Finder | A free listing. | Top placement in your category, from £10 plus VAT |
Apple says its tools cover businesses “even those without a brick-and-mortar presence“. That matters if you work from a van. A new Apple location needs a phone number, and your organisation may need verifying first.
Three more sites say they’re free, but the pages we could read don’t name the UK, so they aren’t in our six. Bing Places calls itself “a free online platform”. Facebook says setting up a Page is “simple and free”. Yelp says “It’s free to be on Yelp”, and its UK site has a claim link that doesn’t mention cost.
Directories for your trade
In our view, Top Tradespeople and The Trade Finder are the two on the list closest to a trade directory. Top Tradespeople charges for leads, so your listing is free but winning work through it may not be.
Trade body search tools are a different thing. You get listed by joining or registering, not by filling in a free form:
- Federation of Master Builders. Its Find a Builder search shows members. Membership costs £62.69 plus VAT a month, plus an inspection fee in the first year.
- NICEIC. Its contractor search covers NICEIC-registered tradespeople.
- Find a Competent Person. This search covers electrics, heating, plumbing, gas, glazing and more. GOV.UK calls competent person schemes “a way for tradespeople to prove their ability“.
If you already belong to one of these, check your entry today. Paid lead sites are a separate decision, covered in Checkatrade vs MyBuilder vs Bark vs TrustATrader for trades and Checkatrade alternatives for UK trades.
Keep your details the same everywhere
NAP consistency means your name, address and phone number read the same on every listing. When sources report that your profile details are wrong or out of date, Google says “Google may update your profile“. In our view, an old number on a forgotten listing is worth clearing up.
- Pick one version of your name. In our view, use it letter for letter on every listing.
- Use one phone number. If you change it, work through your list the same day.
- Get it right first time on Yell. Yell says it “will distribute your business data” to partner sites. In our view, that means a mistake may travel.
To check what’s already out there, run the listings step in our local SEO checklist for a trade business.
What to skip
- Free listings that aren’t open. UK Small Business Directory’s homepage offers free listings. Its advertising page says “Sorry – Free Listings are Currently Invite Only”.
- Anyone selling hundreds of submissions. Google’s spam policies list “low-quality directory or bookmark site links” as an example of link spam.
- Top-placement offers while you sign up. The Trade Finder’s form asks if you’re sure you don’t want to be listed at the top. You can decline and keep the free listing.
- Anyone promising a Google position from listings. Google says “third parties can’t promise nor directly influence” your ranking.
Questions about free business directories
What are the best free business directories in the UK?
The best free business directories in the UK, in our view, are Apple Business, Yell and FreeIndex, after your Google Business Profile. Apple Business covers your Apple Maps place card, and Yell and FreeIndex are directories we’d expect people to use when looking for a trade.
Are free business listings worth it?
Free business listings are worth it if you stick to a short list you can keep up to date, in our view. A few correct listings beat dozens you’ve forgotten about.
What are local citations in the UK?
Local citations are listings of your business name, address and phone number on other websites. Every row in the table above creates one. How to rank higher on Google Maps for trades shows where they sit alongside everything else.
Do free business directories help you rank on Google?
We don’t claim free business directories help you rank on Google. Google says “there’s no way to request or pay for a better local ranking“. List your business so customers can find correct details, not for a promised position.
Can you do this for me?
Yes. Keeping your details right across the main listing sites is part of our local SEO for trades.