IDX & MLS
WordPress IDX Plugins in 2026: Prices, How Each Works, and When You Don't Need One
IDX Broker, Showcase IDX, iHomefinder, Buying Buddy and Realtyna: published prices, where each puts listing pages, and when a plugin is the wrong tool.
Introduction
If your website runs on WordPress and you want MLS listings on it, a plugin is the obvious route. There are several, and from the outside they look alike: a search bar, a map, listing cards, a sign-up prompt.
The differences that matter are not on the demo. They are the plan price once setup and board fees are added, where the listing pages actually live (your domain, a subdomain, or a frame), and what happens to them if you cancel. This article sets out what each vendor publishes about those things on its own pages, and nothing beyond that. There is no ranking here, because the right one depends on your board and your site, and no vendor's marketing page can tell you that.
It ends with the question that comes before any plugin: whether you need one at all.
⚡ Quick answer — which WordPress IDX plugins are there, and what do they cost? The common ones publish prices from $49 a month (Buying Buddy) to $60–$149 (IDX Broker, plus a setup fee), $94.95–$124.95 (Showcase IDX) and $99 plus $850 setup (Realtyna MLS On The Fly). iHomefinder does not publish plan prices. Board fees can come on top. Whether listing pages sit on your domain or a subdomain differs by plugin; check before you buy.
What every WordPress IDX plugin needs first
Three things are true of every plugin below, according to the vendors themselves:
- You need MLS membership and the board's approval. iHomefinder's plugin listing says "Only real estate professionals who are active members of a supported MLS can sign-up for a paid account with live MLS listings." Showcase IDX describes "a paperless MLS confirmation process". The plugin connects an authorised feed; it does not create the authorisation.
- The plugin is free to install; the account is not. Each plugin connects to a paid vendor account that supplies the data.
- Your board can add a fee. Showcase IDX publishes that MLS pass-through fees "typically" range from $0 to $33 a month. IDX Broker says your monthly cost may include "MLS data fees". The board-by-board fee guide shows what boards themselves publish.
The plugins, from their own pages
IDX Broker (IMPress for IDX Broker)
Published price. IDX Broker's compare page lists Core at $60 a month, Engage at $99 and Elite at $149. It states: "All IDX Broker plans include a one-time setup fee in addition to the monthly subscription." It asks you to contact the company for the amount. It is month to month: "no annual contracts or long-term commitments required".
Where listing pages live. The WordPress plugin, IMPress for IDX Broker, says: "IDX Broker hosts your IDX data on a subdomain (e.g., search.yoursite.com)." It also says the content is "integrated, not framed".
Worth knowing. The compare page notes that IDX Broker "does not currently support Sold Listing data or Virtual Office Website (VOW) services for real estate systems in Canada", naming CREA and TRREB. The full breakdown is in IDX Broker pricing and alternatives.
Showcase IDX
Published price. Showcase IDX's pricing page lists Essentials "Starting At: $94.95/mo" with two seats, and Premium "Starting At: $124.95/mo" with five. Annual plans are "$849.50/year" and "$1195/year". The page advertises "No Setup Fees (Save $100)". MLS pass-through fees are extra where a board charges them.
Where listing pages live. Its WordPress plugin listing says: "Showcase IDX NEVER uses a subdomain (e.g. search.yourwebsite.com) or iframe."
iHomefinder (Optima Express)
Published price. iHomefinder's pricing page names three plans (Lead Essentials, Lead Maximizer and Growth Pro) but does not publish their monthly prices: "A 10-minute call gets you the right number for your business." It does publish some add-on prices, such as a hosted website on Lead Essentials at "$50/mo + $500 setup". More in iHomefinder pricing and alternatives.
Where listing pages live. The Optima Express plugin listing says: "No framing, wrappers, or subdomains are required, so all IDX listing content is indexed directly on your domain."
Buying Buddy
Published price. Buying Buddy's pricing page lists the Agent plan at "$49 Monthly" ("1 User, 1 MLS feed on 1 website + full CRM") and Team / Office at "$77 Monthly" ("2 Users, 1 MLS feed on 1 website"). Both say "No setup fee + No contract". It also publishes a $29-a-month offer for 12 months for agents licensed within the last 12 months.
Where listing pages live. The pricing page describes "SEO Friendly and Indexable content" with the note "Applies to WordPress and users of the PHP class."
Realtyna (MLS On The Fly and WPL)
Published price. Realtyna's MLS On The Fly page lists a setup fee of "$850" and a monthly fee of "$99 (Tier 1 MLSs)". It works with Realtyna's own WPL plugin and with several other WordPress real estate plugins and themes.
Where listing pages live. The page describes displaying listings "on your WordPress website" through Realtyna's MLS Router API, mapping MLS fields to WordPress posts. The base WPL plugin is listed free on WordPress.org; the MLS connection is the paid part.
Worth knowing. The page notes: "Access to MLS data is subject to approval by the respective MLS(s)."
Side by side
| Plugin | Published monthly price | Setup fee | Listing pages, per the vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| IDX Broker | $60, $99, $149 | Yes; amount not published | Subdomain (search.yoursite.com) |
| Showcase IDX | From $94.95, from $124.95 | None advertised | Your domain; no subdomain or iframe |
| iHomefinder | Not published | Not published for core plans | Your domain; no framing or subdomain |
| Buying Buddy | $49, $77 | "No setup fee" | Indexable content on WordPress |
| Realtyna MLS On The Fly | $99 (Tier 1 MLSs) | $850 | MLS fields mapped to WordPress posts |
WordPress.org also shows how many sites run each plugin. On the day this was checked, it listed 10,000+ active installations for Optima Express (iHomefinder), 7,000+ for IMPress for IDX Broker, 2,000+ for Showcase IDX, 1,000+ for WPL and 500+ for Buying Buddy. That is a measure of use on WordPress, not of quality.
How to choose between them
- Start with your board. Ask each vendor, in writing, whether it holds an active feed with your board today and what the board passes through. A plugin that does not serve your board is not an option at any price.
- Decide whether the domain matters to you. If you want listing and area pages to rank as part of your site, a plugin that puts them on a subdomain gives that up. The plugin-vs-platform comparison explains why.
- Add up the first year. Plan price times twelve, plus any setup fee, plus any board pass-through.
- Ask what happens when you cancel. Remove a plugin and its listing URLs go with it. That is true of all of them.
- Ask where leads go. Most of these vendors include a CRM or lead manager; if you already use one, ask how leads reach it.
When you don't need a plugin
A plugin is the right tool when you have a WordPress site you want to keep, and listings are an addition to it. It is the wrong tool in three situations:
- You are building or replacing the site anyway. Then a plugin means assembling a theme, hosting, a plugin, a CRM and updates. An IDX website platform delivers the site, the feed, the area pages and the CRM as one system.
- Your site exists to rank for neighbourhoods and produce leads. You need area pages you can write, on your domain, and enquiries that arrive with the visitor's activity attached. Some plugins support part of this; a platform is built around it.
- You run a team or brokerage. Routing, roles and what happens to a departing agent's leads matter more than the search widget.
MLS Plugin vs IDX Widget vs Direct MLS Integration sets out those trade-offs format by format, and it is the article to read before you pay a setup fee.
Where RealFoyer fits
RealFoyer is not a WordPress plugin, and it does not plug into a WordPress site. It is an IDX website, CRM and marketing platform: the site itself. If you want to keep your WordPress site, one of the plugins above is the route, and RealFoyer is not.
If you are replacing the site, RealFoyer Starter is $39 a month in US dollars or $49 in Canadian dollars, with no setup fee on annual plans. RealFoyer has integrations with TRREB, through PropTx, and MLS PIN; a feed is activated for each agent after that agent's board approves it, and other boards are on the roadmap. Check the coverage list first.
FAQ
Is there a free WordPress IDX plugin? The plugins are free to install from WordPress.org, but each needs a paid vendor account to receive MLS data. Realtyna's WPL base plugin is free; its MLS On The Fly connection is $99 a month plus $850 setup.
Which WordPress IDX plugins avoid subdomains? By their own descriptions, Showcase IDX and iHomefinder's Optima Express put listing content on your domain without a subdomain or frame. IDX Broker's IMPress plugin says IDX Broker hosts IDX data on a subdomain.
Do WordPress IDX plugins include MLS fees? Generally not. Showcase IDX says pass-through fees typically range from $0 to $33 a month and are listed at signup. IDX Broker says MLS data fees may be added to your monthly cost.
Does IDX Broker charge a setup fee? Yes. Its compare page says all plans include a one-time setup fee and asks you to contact it for the amount.
Can I use a WordPress IDX plugin in Canada? Some vendors serve Canadian boards. IDX Broker states it does not support sold listing data or VOW services for Canadian systems, including TRREB. Ask each vendor about your board.
Does RealFoyer have a WordPress plugin? No. RealFoyer is a hosted website and IDX platform that replaces the site rather than adding to it.
In short
Five vendors, five published price structures, and two answers to the question that matters most: whether listing pages live on your domain or on a subdomain. Showcase IDX and iHomefinder say your domain; IDX Broker says a subdomain. Pick by your board first, the domain question second, and the first-year total third. If you are replacing the site anyway, compare a platform before you buy a plugin.
Read the plugin-vs-platform comparison before you pay a setup fee, or check whether your board is supported.
Related reading
- MLS Plugin vs IDX Widget vs Direct MLS Integration
- IDX Broker Pricing and Alternatives (2026)
- iHomefinder Pricing and Alternatives (2026)
- How Much Does an IDX Website Cost? (2026 Fees)
- How to Add MLS Listings to Wix, Squarespace or WordPress
Research Integrity
Published 21 October 2026 for the "wordpress idx plugin" search family. The title avoids "best" because this site's writing rules avoid superlatives and the article does not rank the vendors. Every price and quoted phrase was retrieved on 21 October 2026 from the vendor's own page linked beside it: IDX Broker's compare page, Showcase IDX's pricing page, iHomefinder's platform pricing page, Buying Buddy's pricing page and Realtyna's MLS On The Fly page, together with each vendor's own WordPress.org plugin listing (IMPress for IDX Broker, Showcase IDX, Optima Express, Buying Buddy, and Realtyna WPL). Active-installation counts are WordPress.org's figures on that date. No feature is attributed to a vendor beyond what its own page states, and no vendor is described as better or worse than another. Diverse Solutions and MLSimport were also checked; neither showed a price in the page as fetched, so they are not listed. RealFoyer is described only by its published Starter price, its no-setup-fee annual plans, and its published board integrations.