What Happened to Wilcity?

What Happened to Wilcity?

If you were building a directory in 2018 or 2019, Wilcity was the default recommendation. It was the "ListingPro killer." It had a great mobile app, a modern design, and it promised to turn your WordPress install into a SaaS-level platform.

So, where is it now?

Directly speaking: Wilcity is effectively in maintenance mode. It hasn't been abandoned—you can no longer buy it on ThemeForest, and they push occasional patches to keep it compatible with the latest WordPress versions. But the innovation has stopped. The "next-gen" features that were promised years ago haven't materialized. The support has become fragmented (moving between different ticket systems like Ticksy and their own portal), and the community momentum has shifted elsewhere.

If you own it, it still works. If you are starting a new project today, do not buy it.

The directory space moves too fast for stagnant software. You need a theme that is actively fighting to be the best, not one that is just trying to keep the lights on.

The New Standard: What You Should Use Instead

The market has split into three distinct camps. Depending on your technical skill and your goal, here is what you should be using in 2025.

1. The Power User's Choice: Voxel

If you want to build a serious business—something that can scale to 50,000 listings without crashing—Voxel is the only real successor to Wilcity.

• Why it wins: It abandons the "everything is a plugin" mess. It has its own search engine, its own payment logic, and its own database structure. It is significantly faster than Wilcity ever was.
• The trade-off: It is harder to learn. You are building an application, not just installing a theme.
• Best for: Niche directories, custom data structures, and performance freaks.

2. The Designer's Choice: MyListing

If your main grievance with Wilcity was that it looked a bit "generic," MyListing is the remedy.

• Why it wins: It is visually stunning out of the box. The "Explore" page (search interface) is arguably the best UI in the WordPress directory ecosystem. It uses Elementor for everything, making it very easy to design custom single-listing layouts.
• The trade-off: It relies heavily on Elementor and third-party plugins, which can make it slower than Voxel if you don't optimize it properly.
• Best for: Boutique directories, local city guides, and projects where aesthetics matter more than raw database power.

3. The "All-in-One" Choice: ListingPro

If you liked Wilcity because "everything was included," ListingPro is the logical lateral move.

• Why it wins: You don't need to buy extra plugins. It has a built-in checkout, built-in reviews, built-in events, and a built-in form builder. It is a "walled garden." You install it, and you have a directory.
• The trade-off: It is rigid. If you don't like how their checkout flow works, you can't really change it.
• Best for: Beginners who want a "Yellow Pages" style site up and running in 48 hours.

Comparison Table: Wilcity vs. The Modern Stack

Final Verdict

Wilcity had its run. It was a great product that pushed the industry forward, but it got tired.

In software, you are either growing or dying. There is no middle ground. Wilcity is no longer growing.

If you want to replicate the feel of Wilcity but with modern tech, go with Voxel. It shares the same DNA of "customizability" but runs circles around the old architecture.

If you want something easier, go with MyListing.

Do not start a new business on a legacy foundation.

Would you like me to analyze the migration path from Wilcity to Voxel for an existing site?