Craigslist vs leboncoin

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

leboncoin

France's biggest classifieds site and app for second-hand goods, cars, property, jobs and holiday rentals.

Free plan + paid

Visit leboncoin leboncoin profile

The short answer

Both are local classifieds sites where most posts are free, but they serve different places. leboncoin only serves France and adds built-in messaging, optional secure payment and shipping. Craigslist runs plain boards in hundreds of cities worldwide, with no payments, ratings or shipping. In France, leboncoin is the practical choice; in North America and most other cities, Craigslist is the one that covers your area.

Craigslist or leboncoin: our take

Craigslist and leboncoin do the same basic job: let people post ads for second-hand goods, housing, jobs and services, and let buyers find them by location. The difference is mostly where they work and how much they handle for you. leboncoin is France only, launched in 2006, and reports 28 million unique monthly visitors and 64 million ads. Craigslist runs separate local boards for hundreds of cities across the US, Canada and the rest of the world, and browsing needs no account.

The deal itself works differently. On Craigslist, sellers and buyers arrange everything directly, usually meeting in person and paying cash; there are no user ratings, built-in payments or buyer protection, and scams are common enough that the site keeps a warning page. leboncoin has built-in messaging and, for many items, optional secure payment with shipping, so a sale doesn't have to be local. Scam messages and fake buyers are still a known problem there too.

Pricing is free for most posts on both. Craigslist charges in some categories and areas: job ads cost $10-75 in the US and parts of Canada, gigs $3-10, and vehicles sold by owner $5 in the US. leboncoin keeps standard ads free for individuals and charges for visibility boosts, while professionals such as estate agents and car dealers pay for business accounts. Both run on the web with iOS and Android apps; Craigslist's pages are lightweight but dated, with basic search and photo handling.

Pick leboncoin if you live in France and want to buy or sell goods, cars or property with the option of paying through the site and shipping. Pick Craigslist if you're in the US, Canada or another city with an active board, especially for rentals, gigs and bulky items you'd rather sell for cash to someone nearby.

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 leboncoin if…

People in France buying or selling second-hand items, cars or property locally
Free to post standard ads as an individual
Covers goods, vehicles, property, jobs and holiday rentals in one place

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 leboncoin?

leboncoin is a French classifieds marketplace where individuals and businesses post ads to sell or rent almost anything locally: furniture, clothes, electronics and other second-hand goods, cars and motorbikes, property for sale or rent, holiday rentals, and job offers. Buyers search by category and location, contact sellers through built-in messaging, and either meet in person or, for many items, pay through the site's secure payment and have the item shipped. Posting a standard ad is free for individuals; sellers can pay for options that give an ad more visibility, and professionals such as estate agents and car dealers pay for business accounts. It runs on the web and in apps for iPhone and Android. Launched in 2006, it is one of the most visited websites in France and only serves France, so it is mainly useful to people living there. For clothes specifically, many French users also use Vinted, and eBay suits cross-border selling.

Side by side

Attribute	Craigslist	leboncoin
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	People in France buying or selling second-hand items, cars or property locally
Status	Active	Active