Craigslist vs Gumtree

Updated November 2026 · AppBreakup editorial

Craigslist

Long-running local classifieds site for things for sale, housing, jobs, services and community posts.

Free plan + paid

Visit Craigslist Craigslist profile

Gumtree

UK local classifieds site for things for sale, cars, property, jobs, services and pets.

Free plan + paid

Visit Gumtree Gumtree profile

The short answer

Craigslist and Gumtree are both free-to-post local classifieds sites, but they serve different places. Craigslist runs local boards for hundreds of cities, mostly used in the US and Canada; this Gumtree site covers the UK only. Pick by location first: Craigslist for North America, Gumtree for UK sellers of furniture, household items and used cars.

Craigslist or Gumtree: our take

Both sites do the same basic job: list something locally, talk to a buyer, and arrange collection and payment yourself. Both cover items for sale, housing, jobs, services and community posts, and both run in the browser with apps for iOS and Android. Neither offers buyer protection on most local sales, so meeting safely and checking items before paying is up to you.

The experience differs. Craigslist is plain and text-heavy, with fast, lightweight pages, basic search and limited photo handling. Buyers browse without an account, and there are no ratings or built-in payments. Scams are common enough that the site keeps a dedicated warning page. Gumtree has in-site messaging between buyers and sellers, and a strong cars and vans section with car reviews and buying guides. It also has a pets category, and some sellers offer delivery rather than collection only.

Most listings are free on both. Craigslist charges for some categories in some areas: job ads cost $10-75 in the US and parts of Canada, gigs $3-10, and vehicles sold by owner in the US $5. Gumtree charges for some categories, sells optional upgrades that push an ad higher in results, and sells business packages to dealers and agencies. In busy Gumtree categories, paying to stand out is often needed.

Location usually decides it. In the US or Canada, Craigslist has the local boards and the audience, particularly for rentals, gigs and bulky items. In the UK, Gumtree is the better-known general classifieds site, with a large audience for local collection sales and used cars. Note that the Australian and South African Gumtree sites are separate from the UK one.

Choose Craigslist if…

Locals selling bulky items, finding rentals or hiring for gigs without fees or accounts
Most posts are free and browsing needs no account
Covers housing, jobs, gigs and services as well as items for sale

Choose Gumtree if…

UK sellers of furniture, household items and used cars who want local buyers
Big UK audience for local collection sales
Strong cars and vans section with guides and reviews

What is Craigslist?

Craigslist is the plain, text-heavy classifieds site that runs separate local boards for hundreds of cities across the US, Canada and the rest of the world. Each board has the same sections: items for sale, housing and rentals, jobs, gigs, services, community notices and discussion forums. Buyers browse or search without an account, and sellers post a listing and arrange the deal directly, usually meeting in person and paying in cash. There are no ratings, built-in payments or shipping, which keeps it simple but puts more of the safety burden on users. Most posts are free; Craigslist charges small fees for some categories in some areas, such as job ads, dealer listings, vehicles sold by owner in the US and apartment rentals in a few big cities. It works in any browser, and there is an official app for iOS and Android.

What is Gumtree?

Gumtree is the UK's best-known general classifieds site. Its listings cover goods for sale, a large cars and vans section, property to rent or buy, jobs, local tradespeople and services, pets, and community posts such as lost and found or rideshares. Most item listings are local collection, with some sellers offering delivery, and buyers contact sellers through Gumtree's messaging. It is especially busy for furniture, household items and used cars, and has car reviews and buying guides alongside the motors listings. Posting most ads is free; Gumtree charges for some categories and for optional upgrades that push an ad up the results, and dealers and agencies pay for business packages. It runs in the browser and through apps for iOS and Android. This entry covers the UK site; separate Gumtree sites operate in Australia and South Africa.

Side by side

Attribute	Craigslist	Gumtree
Pricing	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Open source	No	No
Self-hostable	No	No
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android
Best for	Locals selling bulky items, finding rentals or hiring for gigs without fees or accounts	UK sellers of furniture, household items and used cars who want local buyers
Status	Active	Active