15 Best Sites Like Craigslist To Buy (And Sell)

If you like to buy or sell used items locally, the initial place to look is sites like Craigslist. Craigslist has a lot to offer sellers. It’s free to list and sell on Craigslist.

And because most transactions are local, you can get your money and get rid of stuff quickly.

However, you may not be comfortable with Craigslist for some reason. Or, maybe you want more classified sites to choose from.

These Craigslist alternatives allow you to buy, sell, or trade online if you’re looking for something different.

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Top Craigslist Alternatives

If you are looking for sites like Craigslist, here are several Craigslist alternatives you can consider. Check out the details of these sites. You might find them a better way to sell your stuff online.

1. Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace is a popular platform where you can buy and sell items.

Since nearly everyone has a Facebook account, there is a massive marketplace of people buying and selling stuff. If you have trouble selling something on Craigslist, consider listing it on Facebook.

Type in the name of your local city and online yard sale to find local selling groups. Or use the “Buy and Sell Groups” button in the Explore menu. Or, click the Marketplace tab on the left sidebar of your Facebook page. You can search for specific keywords within the group if you are looking for a certain product to buy.

2. Offerup

Offerup has tons of product listings and has become more popular recently, with 23 million app downloads. It was also awarded App of the Year by Geekwire.

Sellers and visitors can also broadcast their listings on Facebook. Both buyers and sellers can receive ratings. This can help make the sales process feel more secure and keep scammers to a minimum.

To live up to its namesake, Offerup allows you to accept the seller’s listed price or make your own offer. If you are not ready to purchase, you can also add listings to your watch list.

3. Swappa

Swappa helps you buy and sell a wide variety of electronic items, such as:

cell phones
cameras
watches
video games
tablets

And more. They even help you buy and sell smart home equipment such as voice assistants, streaming devices, and thermostats. As a seller, you won’t pay any fees to sell on Swappa.

Buyers pay a small fee when buying on Swappa, as Swappa helps assist with the sale to ensure all goes smoothly.

4. Recycler

If you live in a large U.S. city, Recycler is another good option. Recycler started as a local classified newspaper in Southern California. It became a national marketplace in 2010 and now boasts 18 million monthly users.

You can use Recycler to buy or sell pets, find houses to rent, and even sell used cars.

When you sell on Recycler, you can quickly post your listings on Facebook and Twitter. To boost your exposure on Recycler, it’s also possible to use paid ads to target specific buyers or markets.

5. Oodle

Oodle has a slightly different take on helping you buy or sell locally. With other sites, you only see listings that sellers posted on that marketplace. On Oodle, some listings are posted directly to Oodle, but they also comb other sites, such as Craigslist, to expand their listings.

For example, you might see vehicles listed on Cars.com in addition to those sold by actual Oodle members.

Oodle can also be a good way to buy or sell antiques, as they also list products from eBay for local pickup.

6. Bookoo

Bookoo is geared as a family-friendly Craigslist alternative. You can list items to sell one at a time or advertise a yard sale.

There are Bookoo locations located all across the country. Many locations are in towns with military bases. This makes it easier for military members to buy or sell belongings with their most recent move.

To help become more personal, Bookoo has sellers create a profile that includes a short bio and picture. The profile also lists the types of items you have listed in the past.

7. Geebo

Geebo allows you to buy or sell merchandise, heavy equipment, vehicles, real estate, and services in 160 communities.

You might want to try Geebo if you live in a major city like L.A. or Chicago. Geebo could also be a good choice if you live in a mid-major city such as Virginia Beach, Tulsa, or Cincinnati.

As a way to make buying and selling safer than other online classified sites, Geebo offers “SafeTrade” transactions. A “SafeTrade” occurs when buyers and sellers agree to meet at a local police department.

8. Hoobly

In comparison to the other alternatives listed in this article, Hoobly probably has an almost identical look and feel to Craigslist. You can search for just about anything on this site.

In addition, there are product listings in Canada and Europe.

You might have the most success with Hoobly by selling or buying pet animals, as there are arguably more listings for this category than any of the other merchandise categories listed. It is free to post or shop on Hoobly.

9. PennySaver USA

Maybe, back in the day, you picked up a free PennySaver newspaper from the newspaper stands at the street corner or grocery store. Now, they have moved to online classified ads, and you can find local deals by entering your zip code.

They still publish a printed edition as well.

You can also publish paid ads on PennySaver. It is very similar to the classified section in your local newspaper.

10. ClassifiedAds.com

This site is free to use, and you can buy or sell almost anything.

ClassifiedAds.com has a very simple layout and is reminiscent of the classified ads you would see in a newspaper except with pictures uploaded.

As with many sites like Craigslist, you will have the most success using ClassifiedAds.com if you live in a large city. Although, they do have boards for many smaller regions across each state as well.

11. Locanto

This site offers online classifieds in over 60 countries. Most large U.S. cities have a Locanto board. This site does accept paid ads from national retailers, so not every listing will be local.

If you live in Los Angeles, Miami, or New York, you will probably have the best chances with Locanto, as those cities are their featured boards.

Posting your ad on a city board is free. But you can pay extra to extend the advertisement to additional cities. You can also pay to remove third-party ads from your listing. You can pay an additional fee to send your ad to the top of a buyer’s search results.

12. USA Today Classifieds

USA Today is one of the most widely circulated newspapers. It does a great job of presenting the latest news in a digestible format. The print and online editions also have a classified section.

This option is probably only best if you have a big-ticket item to sell since it will cost you to publish your listing. However, you can get wide exposure to prospective buyers.

13. Trovi

Trovit is a classified search engine and is ideal for buying. With Trovit, you can search multiple online classified databases for homes, cars, or jobs. The site is fairly well-organized and easy to use.

First, choose your country (Trovit operates worldwide) and then your subject. At the top of the page, you can choose to view homes, cars, or jobs. After that, you’ll be directed to narrow your search to find listings for your item near you.

Note that not all areas have listings on Trovit at this time. This fact could impact whether or not you find cars, homes, or jobs close by your area of residence.

14. eBay

The vast majority of eBay auctions and sales are delivered via mail. But, there are local pickup options for items that are too large or bulky to ship at a reasonable cost.

You might consider this option when looking for or selling antiques, flat-screen TVs, and automobiles (eBay motors).

eBay can also be a good option if your products don’t sell on Craigslist or one of these other sites. While it’s possible to sell almost anything on a local classified site, there might be weak demand in your market.

For example, a winter parka or snow shoes will probably sell for a higher price in Alaska than in the Louisana Bayou. One downside to eBay is that it charges listing and selling fees in most instances.

15. Mercari

Mercari is a selling app that makes it really easy to sell just about anything online. When you sell through Mercari, you only sell shippable items, so there are no in-person meetups.

Listings on Mercari are free, but you’ll pay a 10 percent flat fee when your item sells. Mercari also allows you to print out a prepaid shipping label, so you’ll want to take into account shipping costs when pricing your items on Mercari.

One interesting thing about Mercari is that when someone buys your item, you need to rate them using the Mercari rating system. The buyer also has to rate you once they receive your item.

Learn more: Mercari Review: Is It A Legit Way To Buy And Sell?

Frequently Asked Questions

When it comes to finding places to buy or sell your goods, you may still have questions. Here’s a look at common questions.

Is Craigslist a good site to sell and buy?

Yes, Craigslist has been around since 1995.

Like other sites, you still need to do your due diligence and watch for scams. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

What is the best alternative to Craigslist?

There are so many options these days. From Mercari, Facebook and more. If you like to buy and sell clothes, Poshmark is a great option.

If you are looking for sites that have local options, then Nextdoor and Facebook may be your best bet.

How do you sell stuff locally online?

If you live in a large neighborhood, they typically have a Facebook Marketplace group specific to your neighborhood. Many neighbors sell via porch pick up (ppu), where you can leave items for sale on your porch and get paid using Venmo.

If you have larger items to sell, many buyers and sellers meet at local public places. To be safe, bring a friend or loved one with you. Always listen to your gut if you are not comfortable with a sale. And watch for pay-ahead scams for things like puppies and antiques.

Sites Like Craigslist – Summary

Craigslist is a longstanding site that’s helped millions sell items they no longer need or want. The site’s simplicity makes it attractive to use, and the fact that it’s free to list and sell also helps to make it popular.

Craigslist’s long buying and selling history and easy-to-use site make it popular among many buyers and sellers. You can find just about anything you want on the site.

I’ve used the site dozens of times. I’ve sold (and given away) items that needed to be gone and purchased items for my home.

For example, I once bought a large extension ladder for $75. The guy was downsizing from a single-family home into a townhome. The ladder was in great shape; a new one would have cost me about $300.

If you’re willing to sort through the not-so-good deals, you can find some gems on the site. And possibly just when you need them.

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