While Craigslist remains extremely popular, there’s no denying that plenty of other free services are now giving it a run for its money. Not to mention, Craigslist is littered with spam, so much so that it gets difficult to distinguish legitimate ads from fraudulent ones. Today, you’ll find plenty of sites like Craigslist that offer a more user-friendly and modern-looking interface. Many of them also support multiple payment methods, such as paying in Bitcoin. If Craigslist has given you nothing but headaches as of late, then perhaps it’s time to move on to these Craigslist alternatives.
1. Facebook Marketplace
A few years ago, Facebook was just a social media platform that made it easy to stay connected with family and friends. But as we all know, the company has grown so much, and they keep finding ways for users to never leave their website. Facebook Marketplace was an old feature, but it didn’t get any traction until it was relaunched in 2016. Since then, it has grown exponentially. This comes as no surprise considering that more than a billion people use Facebook. It’s safe to say that many people, or at least those with a Facebook account, now turn to Marketplace to buy and sell stuff online. One of its best features is that you can use filter options to scour your local Marketplace. For instance, you can set it up to 100 miles from your location, ensuring that you can find the right buyer or seller without having to travel too far. The downside is that you absolutely need a Facebook account, which means you won’t be anonymous.
2. OfferUp
OfferUp is relatively new to the online classifieds game, but don’t let its age fool you. It’s now one of the most used apps on both Android and iOS devices. It works just like any other Craigslist alternative. But one neat feature is the haggle option. This allows you to talk to the seller and negotiate about the price. For all you know, you might get the item you want at a much lower price than you’d expect. The app also lets buyers and sellers rate each other using a standard five-star system. For example, you can give a seller five stars for an easy and smooth transaction. The seller can also give you a rating depending on his experience transacting with you. The more stars you get, the more confident other users will feel when doing business with you.
3. Letgo
Letgo is one of the most popular sites like Craigslist. One of the reasons behind its success is the fact that it comes with both a classifieds website and a mobile app, both of which are simple to use. The only catch is that you need to set up a Letgo account to use their services. This is a small price to pay in exchange for an outstanding platform where you can easily find what you’re looking for or sell any item you want to get rid of. Adding a listing on Letgo is always fun. All you need to do is take a photo of the item you want to sell and then set a price. You can also add a negotiable option to inform potential buyers that the price is still up for negotiation.
4. Mercari
If what you need is a no-nonsense listing app, then Mercari should rank on top of your list. It’s a site similar to Craigslist that removes unnecessary features so users can focus completely on buying and selling. As soon as you visit the site or fire up the app, you’ll be impressed by its intuitive user interface. All of the things you need can be accessed with one tap on your screen. Another reason why Mercari is such an excellent classifieds website is that it comes with a quick shipping system. This proves to be an excellent feature that helps you reach out to more potential customers. The catch is that it asks you to pay a 10% selling fee. That might turn off some people. But considering how easy it is to buy and sell things on their platform, this appears to be a reasonable price for their services.
5. Recycler
Recycler is another easy-to-use online marketplace. It has attracted more and more users over the past couple of years, thanks to how straightforward it is to create ads and find secondhand items at incredibly low prices. Recycler lets you use their filters to specify what city in the US you want to search. The products are also placed in categories and sub-categories. You can also set price ranges to help you avoid spending beyond your budget. When you click on an ad, you can save it or contact the owner to request more information. Moving from one ad to the next is such a smooth experience. You might find yourself scouring Recycler for hours on end. What’s more, Recycler has teamed up with print publications across the country, allowing you to convert your online ads into print and reach an even wider audience.
6. Poshmark
If you’re specifically looking for used clothes and accessories, then you should definitely visit Poshmark. It’s new to the online shopping scene, but you can rest easy knowing that it’s a legitimate website. Just remember that only clothes, accessories, and makeup can be sold on the platform. Such a niche-specific platform means you won’t be wasting any time sifting through products you’re not interested in. Poshmark protects buyers by allowing them to return an item. The payment to the seller isn’t released until the buyer receives the item and approves it. Sellers are given ample protection as well. The site offers shipping options, and when sellers use the pre-paid shipping labels, they’re shipments are protected.
7. Oodle
Oodle takes pride in reinventing online classifieds. They have a strong presence on various social media platforms, leveraging their reach to grow their user base. In fact, the platform boasts of 15 million unique users each month. Needless to say, you can expect to see a ton of listings and also reach out to a vast pool of potential buyers when you plan on selling your own stuff. One of the things that makes Oodle stand out is that it focuses on specificity. This means that when searching for items, you can be as specific as possible so you can find exactly what you’re looking for. When finding jobs, for instance, Oodle lists the job title and company name right away.
8. Close5
Close5 is a Craigslist alternative that makes it easy to buy and sell locally. It has a familiar user interface, so you won’t find yourself lost when using their website. Listing your items is as simple as snapping a photo and setting your price. You can also choose the “best offer” option to allow potential buyers to input the amount they’re willing to pay. As soon as you create your listing, you can share it on Facebook to reach more people. Setting up your ad and sharing it on social media takes less than a minute. And once the offers start rolling in, you can either reject or accept them using your smartphone.
9. Locanto
When you visit Locanto, you will be reminded of Craigslist right away. Both websites offer the same feel. The interface looks a bit dated, but you can find a ton of listings for pretty much anything under the sun. From used cars and apartment rentals to job listings and even personal services, you can find them on Locanto. While it isn’t the most popular alternative to Craigslist, Locanto is immensely popular. The Locanto network is well-established in multiple countries. Just take note that plenty of spam also litters the site.
10. Gumtree
If you have old items sitting in a corner and collecting dust, you can use Gumtree and turn your clutter into money. Gumtree is a complete free online classifieds platform where you can easily connect with buyers. Of course, you can also find some amazing secondhand stuff here. As a buyer, all you have to do is to visit the site and start searching. If you have a particular item in mind, just type its name on the search box, hit the return button, and sift through the results. You can adjust your search radius if you want to find local sellers. As a seller, meanwhile, you can easily create an ad for free. But to speed up the process, you can decide to pay to increase your listing position in the search results. Additionally, you can upload more pictures to make your ad more attractive.
