15 Sites Like Craigslist to Buy (or Sell)

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Top Craigslist Alternatives

If you like to buy or sell used items locally, the initial place to look is probably going to be 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 whatever reason. Or, maybe you just 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.

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

stuff for sale on 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 huge marketplace of people buying and selling stuff. If you are having a hard time selling something on Craigslist, consider listing it on Facebook.

Simply 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 a lot 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 broadcast their listings on Facebook as well. Both buyers and sellers can receive ratings too. 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. You can also add listings to your watch list if you are not ready to buy at once.

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 website

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 publish paid ads on PennySaver as well. It is very much like the classified section you would find 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.

You will probably have the best chances with Locanto if you live in Los Angeles, Miami, or New York. 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. They also have a classified section for the print and online editions.

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.

Just choose your country first (Trovit operates around the world) and then choose your subject. You can choose to view Homes, Cars, or Jobs at the top of the page. 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 the Louisana Bayou. One downside to eBay is that they charge 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. Also, Mercari allows you to print out a prepaid shipping label for when your item sells. That means 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.

Just like other sites, you still need to do your due diligence and make sure to watch for scams. If it 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 to 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 and bring a friend or loved one with you to be safe. 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.

Summary

Craigslist is a longstanding site that’s helped millions of people sell items they no longer need or want. The simplicity of the site makes it attractive to use. The fact that it’s free to list and sell also helps to make Craigslist 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 I’ve 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, and 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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42 Comments

  1. I am a VERY small hunting ranch, retirement ranch. I tried Craigslist but got some calls but then it just dried up. Facebook marketplace does not like hunting ads. Do you have any suggestions where I can advertise my hunt?
    I like free ads until I can start making enough to pay for itself
    We would like to advertise in the middle and west us
    Thanks
    B

  2. Nunyabizness says:

    That’s great & all John Doe.
    But when I tried to sell some household items on Craigslist, I found out afterwords that the buyer was a local drug dealer. Never sold on craigslist again after that.

  3. I’ve sold tens of thousands of items on Craigslist. Sellers are trying to find alternatives but NOT because of security. That’s 99% myth pushed by large corporate retailers and the media. The truth is you have statistically 10 times more chances getting robbed, mugged, abducted, or assaulted just parking and walking into a Walmart on a Saturday Night than you do on Craigslist. I’m sure like everyone else, you’ll shove my comments under the rug and delete them, because they aren’t the society norm, but they are factual and backed up by actual crime stats nationwide. Overall Craigslist is safe. Just use common sense. If it looks shady (dark parking lot in bad section of town) then keep going, don’t stop. I’ve bought hundreds of items there and only experienced this once. I was armed, and it was a shady but decent transaction. Of COURSE it was when I bought a cellphone. ALWAYS use caution with cellphones and laptops.

    Furniture, tools, farm equipment, home décor, etc… all that goes sweet as pie.

    The real reason so many of us are leaving is that Craigslist is destroying Craigslist. They started charging for autos. People migrated to FBM to sell them. They took the rest of the items with them. Craigslist has “paid dealer” listings and those guys spam thousands of keywords (against Craigslist rules Ill add) into their paid listings, and Craigslist doesn’t allow us to flag them down. Mattress dealers posting 150 listings a day, car dealers posting with software and using flashy icon titles, nationwide dealers selling commercial equipment, and they are all allowed to do whatever they want, and break any and all rules, with no consequences. Yet those of us who list ONE ITEM, in ONE city, and follow every rule respectfully, we get our ads flagged down ruthlessly! Often flagging 10 – 20 items at a time for no reason whatsoever. Heaven forbid you forget to turn off your VPN and log into Craigslist… It will take weeks to recover. Constant recertification is also a major issue to sellers, (having to prove you are who you are by clicking a stupid little link in your email). Sites like OfferUp and LetGo make searching on a cellphone easier than ever, and many of us sellers are saying “Hey! Use your computer! SEE the pictures on a real monitor” instead of driving 2 hours just to say “Oh that’s not what I thought I saw in the pics” Maybe its because your searching on a 2″ flip phone??? When I search I use a 32″ monitor. Why waste gas?
    Anyways its hard to keep anything listed anymore. There should be guidelines and $5 and $10 items should be banned. They take up too much of the real estate of the site. Moms listing 40 items of clothing one at a time for $3 each, dealers listing glass wares at $5 and $10 by the dozens, people listing complete garbage for $5 just because they refuse to throw it away. Hundreds of “free wood” which is essentially “Im too cheap to call a tree guy”, All this clogs the system and pushes legitimate items down in less than a day. As a top seller in my state I can speak with authority that any item under $50 has a high risk of being what we call “they call but aren’t serious” while $100 – $500 items sell in the 1st couple calls. The bottom line is Craigslist needs new management and they need to ditch that horrible algorithm that flags down legitimate items. Buyers need to actually read the listings and view the pictures on at LEAST a tablet, and Craigslist needs an overhaul. Fees are fine if that’s what it takes. Make them reasonable.

  4. Lillian Aurite says:

    Hi, I am a housebound senior citizen confined to a recliner and need to supplement my social security. Can you suggest which would be the best and easiest way of buying and selling that can be done without face to face transactions or deliveries. I don’t have a working computer so all work would need to be done on my Android. Thanks

    1. It would depend on what you are buying and selling. If you are reselling items that are new as for a business you could use ebay or craigslist. Also you may want to call and speak with you local business chamber of commerce to see if they have better suggestions for your local area if you are mainly interested in selling locally.

  5. Thank you for sharing this helpful information. I recently tried Mercari. Its was not a good match for what I needed in a selling site. My sales were quick but the payment was dependent upon the buyer’s rating and if the buyer didn’t rate after 3 days, Mercari rated it. It took 10 days from the day I shipped until the funds were deposited into my checking account. I found the site to be difficult to navigate.

  6. I live in France and I want to sell in the United States. Except ebay what else?
    Thanks for the suggestion!

    1. Check out some of the options in this article to see what works best for you!

  7. Ronald Maurice Sendak says:

    Your headline offered 18 alternatives but I don’t see them. Do you really have 18?

    1. We just updated the article to have 19! We’re always looking for great, new ways to help people make money!

  8. There’s a new website called Steve’s Weave that describes itself as the green craigslist, all the ads are about green or sustainable things. It’s simple but good.

    1. Thanks for the suggestion!

  9. Trevor Mcaine says:

    Great list for Craiglist alternatives. I used Craig’s in the past. Nowadays I prefer eBay and Classified ads because they are safer.

    1. Thanks! Glad you have found some success with some alternatives.

  10. I need help. I need a classified site in Canada to buy use items.

    1. Try checking some of these to see if they work in Canada. There should be a site map or the information may be in their terms and conditions, polices, or FAQ’s. Or, you could ask them directly through their contact info on the site. Additionally, try looking for buy and sell Facebook groups or other online listings in your area. 🙂

  11. christiana says:

    Please, more sites are needed here.

    1. There are eighteen on the list for you to choose from. However, if you search the internet you are almost sure to find others. You might check our site for other options as well.

  12. Pennysaver USA is horrible. When you do a local search you get all states, cities and towns in your search EVEN if you search only your local town or area.

    1. I’m sorry you are having trouble with them. Did you contact them about it? They might have some search suggestions that would help.

  13. Akhter Munna says:

    I would like to post some ads in real estate which will be good sites in the USA. Please let me know some sites, man.

    1. You could start by checking out the sites in this blog post. Good luck!

  14. Have you heard of Apknite’s KSL Classifieds? It seems popular. BTW, thanks! I have used Ads Globe most often and it’s good.

    1. I might have to check out that site you mentioned. Thanks for sharing and I’m glad you are liking Ads Globe.

  15. Peggy Evans says:

    Can you recommend a good site to sell used items for sailboats, like sails, chains, anchors, and all the stuff applicable to sailing? I also have old navigation maps.

    1. What I would do is check out some of the links in this post and then look to see if anyone is selling anything like that. It can give you a good ballpark idea of how much to ask for your stuff and whether they are the best site to sell on or not. I hope that helps you get started. Good luck selling your items.

  16. Lisasolis says:

    Thank you. I’m looking for trampoline parts. This list will help. Thank you.

    1. I’m glad we could help! I hope you find the parts you are searching for.

  17. Cristy Skinner Smith says:

    Please help me! I have a $25 Target gift card and need the money for my grandbaby.

    1. If you are wanting to sell the card for cash, try Gift Card Granny, CardPool, CardCash, or eBay. We have a post on this site that can help and it gives additional sites to try too.

    1. Josh Patoka says:

      I haven’t, but it sounds like a good one!

    2. John Longoria says:

      Yes, here we go: losangeles-ads.com. This is for local classified ads for Los Angeles, California. I have been using Los Angeles Ads and it has been working well for me. It can be a really good alternative to Craigslist in Los Angeles.

      I HIGHLY recommend it!

      1. Thanks for sharing this with everyone, John. It is much appreciated!

      2. Clitton rose says:

        You are weclome

  18. There’s a great one up here in Canada called Varagesale. I’m not sure if it’s available in the US or not, but there’s a lot of good stuff on there.

    1. Yeah, it’s available world-wide, I believe, including the US. It’s a great idea. Many communities also have sale pages that can reach people in your general area of the country. Of course, for more exposure, you’d need to hit some of the sites mentioned in the article.

  19. This is a good list. I have been using Classopia.com in Michigan, and it has been working well for me. It can be a good addition to the list.

    1. Josh Patoka says:

      If you live outside the U.S., Gumtree is a good option.

      They literally only have a handful of listings at any given time on the U.S. site.

  20. This is a great article! Another great website to use is a site called Luxury Resale Network.

    1. Deacon Hayes says:

      I’ve never heard of that site. I will be sure to check it out!