Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

The 5 best websites like Craigslist in 2024

For years, Craigslist has been the go-to website for scoring a free sofa or finding an apartment. But there are plenty of other alternatives to Craigslist that do an equally fine job, oftentimes with a more attractive interface and fewer spam postings. The 5 best Craigslist alternatives are:

  1. Facebook Marketplace
  2. OfferUp
  3. Locanto
  4. Mercari
  5. Recycler

While these sites may not offer the sheer number of listings or familiarity of Craigslist, or even the ability to pay in Bitcoin, but they may provide a new audience and additional options not offered elsewhere.

Whether you’re merely looking for a used computer to buy or want to post your ad both online and in print, you’ll want to read on to hear about why we’ve picked these sites as the best alternatives to Craigslist.

Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace screenshot
screenshot

Facebook Marketplace has been around for years. You’ll need to have a Facebook profile to get started, but it allows buyers and sellers to interact in the Marketplace via their Facebook profiles, adding a name (and often a face) to a listing, unlike the anonymous Craigslist format. This alone makes Facebook Marketplace a great alternative to Craigslist.

Simply set your filter options and search your local Marketplace up to 500 miles from your current location. It’s also become a popular place for advertising rentals, so stop by if you are looking for a new place to live.

OfferUp

OfferUp webpage screenshot
screenshot

OfferUp is a robust app available for both Android and iPhone. One of our favorite features is the “Make Offer” option, which allows you to negotiate a lower price with a seller. If an item hasn’t sold in a few days, you might feel more comfortable asking someone to lower the price. OfferUp also allows users to rate one another using a basic five-star system, enabling individuals to buy and sell more confidently.

Locanto

Locanto screenshot
screenshot

Locanto is basically Craigslist but with a far, far better interface. The search options will be very familiar to anyone who has used Craigslist, but they now feature beautiful menus, search bars, and buttons that make the whole experience far more enjoyable than Craigslist’s tiny text. Search by product, state, city, popular hashtag, and more — or set search alerts for what you really want to find. Likewise, the “Post Free Ad” option is easy to use if you are willing to create an account or log in with your Google account. Like Craigslist, there are options to find everything from jobs and events to personals and houses.

Mercari

Mercari screenshot
screenshot

If you’re primarily looking to buy and sell merchandise, then Mercari is a good choice for you. It is a listing app that allows you to say bye-bye to all the unnecessary extras and focus on buying and selling. The app’s (and site’s) design and features are superb, and Mercari makes things easy with a quick shipping system that greatly expands the number of people you can reach. Yes, there is a 10% selling fee and some other possible seller fees, but the extra functionality makes this worthwhile. On the buying side, it’s a great place to find cheap used tech, discounted clothes, and many other items.

Recycler

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Recycler lets you design advertisements for your products and list them at assorted prices. The app lets you access your preferred city or town in addition to the distance you are actively searching. These useful settings make Recycler an easy-to-use option for both consumers and traders. You can also move swiftly through numerous distinct categories and sub-categories to find what you’re searching for and enter price ranges.

You can save ads you view if you have an account and you can contact the owner directly for more details. The site allows you to navigate through ads quickly and efficiently as you conduct your product search, which is a significant benefit.

Recycler also collaborates with various print publications in the United States, enabling you to establish the same promotion online and in print. The list of available publications is relatively limited, but it’s important to remember that any type of ad exposure helps.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best alternative to Craigslist?

The best alternative to Craigslist, in our opinion, is Offer Up. The app offers a robust array of listings, is easy to use, includes a verified account feature, and includes buyer ratings. Other worthy alternatives to Craigslist include Facebook Marketplace, Locanto, Mercari, and Recycler.

Who is Craigslist biggest competitor?

The biggest Craigslist competitor in terms of user base may very well be Facebook Marketplace, although OfferUp is incredibly popular and robust as well. Other alternatives to Craigslist include Locanto, Mercari, and Recycler.

What is safer than Craigslist?

Facebook Marketplace, for one, appears safer than Craigslist due to the fact that it requires a Facebook account to use. That is, you get a name, and usually a picture, to go along with whatever you’re buying. Similarly, OfferUp has both a verified account feature (TruYou) and a buyer rating feature that make the app a safer affair than Craigslist. If you’re seeking an apartment, Zillow and Trulia may be safer, and wholly worthwhile, alternatives to Craigslist.

Does anybody use Craigslist anymore?

Craigslist is still going strong and used by people the world over. While a number of competitors have sprung up (OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace, Locanto, Mercari, and Recycler, NextDoor), Craigslist was the first to offer an all-in-one site for selling things online, and still the first place many people think of when they’re looking to sell a bed frame or find an apartment.

Editors' Recommendations

Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale is the Evergreen Coordinator for Computing, overseeing a team of writers addressing all the latest how to…
How to find archived emails in Gmail and return them to your inbox
A smartphone sitting on a wooden table, showing the Gmail app's inbox on its screen.

If you’re looking to clean up your Gmail inbox, but you don’t want to delete anything permanently, then choosing the archive option is your best bet. Whenever you archive an email, it is removed from your inbox folder while still remaining accessible. Here’s how to access any emails you have archived previously, as well as how to move such messages back to your regular inbox for fast access.

Read more
Samsung Spring Sale: Save on monitors, phones, TVs, and more
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in Titanium Gray with S Pen on back.

Samsung, one of the most trusted brands in the electronics industry, has rolled out monitor deals, phone deals, TV deals, and price cuts for other types of devices in the Samsung Spring Sale. While it's going to run until March 10, it's highly recommended that you finish your shopping as soon as you can because for some of the popular offers, there's a chance that their stocks run out quickly. To help you make a quick decision, we've highlighted our favorite bargains below, but feel free to look at everything that's available in the ongoing sale -- just do it fast to make sure that you don't miss out on the savings.

What to buy in the Samsung Spring Sale

Read more
Is there a Walmart Plus free trial? Get a month of free delivery
Walmart logo.

Take a moment and think about how often you shop at your local Walmart. Is it weekly? Daily? If either of those is the case, it might be time to upgrade your shopping experience. The Walmart Plus free trial is your chance to check out what the retail giant has to offer. Walmart Plus is basically Amazon Prime for Walmart. You get free shipping on most orders, early access to deals and new product drops (like PS5 restocks), the best grocery delivery, and more. If Walmart is your go-to option for the best smart home devices or the best tech products in general, you should get a membership. If you want to test out the service, you can sign up for a free trial. We have all the information you need right here.
Is there a Walmart Plus free trial?
There is a Walmart Plus free trial available, and it’s one of the best free trials we’ve seen in terms of how many great features and conveniences you’re able to access. This is really a reflection of how great the Walmart Plus service is, as the Walmart Plus free trial is essentially a 30-day experience of what it would be like to be a paid Walmart Plus subscriber. A Walmart Plus membership can help you save over $1,300 per year, so taking advantage of the 30-day free trial is a great way to get in there and see what those savings will look like. And if grocery delivery is what you're really after, an alternative you might consider is the Instacart free trial -- they have more than one program to try!

As part of a Walmart Plus free trial, you’ll get free shipping with no minimum order, so even small orders will qualify for free shipping. You’ll get fresh groceries and more with no delivery fees, and all at the same low in-store prices Walmart shoppers are used to. Walmart Plus members, and Walmart Plus free trial members, get exclusive access to special promotions and events, as well as a savings of up to 10 cents per gallon on fuel. A new addition to the perks of being a Walmart Plus member is free access to Paramount Plus, a top-notch streaming service with more than 40,000 TV episodes and movies. All of this is accessible for 30 days through a Walmart Plus free trial, and once those 30 days are up, Walmart Plus is just $8.17 per month or $98 annually.

Read more