The best free advertising sites for a small business in 2026 are the free business listings (Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Apple Business, Yelp and Nextdoor) and the free classifieds and marketplaces (Facebook Marketplace and Facebook Pages, Craigslist in most categories, and eBay's 250 free listings a month). A free LinkedIn Page and a free Pinterest business account round out the list. They all let you get in front of buyers without paying for ads. "Free" usually means free to list, though: several charge in some categories or once you sell or ship. The table below shows what each one costs to post as of October 2026, and the numbered list after it covers each site in detail.
If you are on a limited budget, start with the business listings: they show your business where people already search for it, on maps and in search results. Then add the marketplaces that fit what you sell.
In short
- The 11 free sites: Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Apple Business, Yelp, Facebook Marketplace and Pages, Nextdoor, Craigslist, eBay, LinkedIn Pages, Pinterest and OLX.
- Facebook Marketplace is free for local pickup but takes 10% (minimum $0.80) on shipped orders; Craigslist is mostly free, but in the US service ads, dealer ads and cars by owner cost $5 and job ads $10 to $75.
- eBay gives 250 free listings a month and then charges 13.6% plus $0.30 to $0.40 per sale, while Amazon is a paid sales channel, not free advertising.
- Local service businesses should complete their Google profile first, and anyone selling should work out the cost of each sale before committing to a platform.
Part of the guide Classifieds sites by country
Free advertising sites compared: what it costs to post in 2026
| Site | Best for | Cost to post | App | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | Any local business | Free; Google Ads optional | Managed in Google Maps and Search | Formerly Google My Business |
| Bing Places for Business | Showing up in Bing search and maps | Free | No (web) | Can import your Google profile |
| Apple Business | Your place card in Apple Maps | Free to claim your place; Apple Maps ads optional | Web | Replaced Apple Business Connect in 2026 |
| Yelp | Restaurants, trades, local services | Free page; ads and upgrades paid | Yes (Yelp for Business) | Reviews drive results |
| Facebook Marketplace and Pages | Selling goods locally; a free business page | Free; 10% (min. $0.80) on shipped orders | Yes (Facebook) | Local pickup has no fee |
| Nextdoor | Neighborhood services | Free business page and posts; ads paid | Yes | In 11 countries, incl. US, UK, Canada |
| Craigslist | Local goods, services, jobs, rentals | Mostly free; US: $5 services, dealer ads, cars by owner; $10-75 jobs | Yes | Fees depend on category and city |
| eBay | Selling nationally or abroad | 250 free listings/month, then $0.35; 13.6% + $0.30-0.40 per sale | Yes | You pay when it sells |
| LinkedIn Pages | B2B services, consultants, hiring | Free Page and posts; ads, Premium Page and Career Pages paid | Yes (LinkedIn) | Reaches other businesses |
| Pinterest Business | Products people plan or shop for visually | Free business account; ads optional | Yes (Pinterest) | Pins link to your site |
| OLX | Classifieds in parts of Europe and South Africa | Free in many categories; some paid, varies by country | Yes | Not available in the US |
| Amazon (not free) | Products with steady demand | Not free: $0.99 per item sold or $39.99/month, plus referral fees | Yes (Amazon Seller) | A sales channel, not free advertising |
11 free advertising sites for small business
Each site below is free to post on, at least for a basic business page or for listings in most categories. Sites 1 to 4 are free business listings: not ad sites in the classic sense, but they are where most local customers find a business, and a complete profile costs nothing. Sites 5 to 8 are for selling and local promotion, and 9 to 11 reach business buyers, visual shoppers and buyers outside the US. Fees were checked in October 2026, and the LinkedIn and Pinterest entries in November 2026.
1. Google Business Profile
Google says plainly that creating a Business Profile and listing your business is free. Your profile shows in Google Search and Maps with your hours, phone number, photos, reviews and posts. It was renamed from Google My Business on November 4, 2021 (Search Engine Journal), and is now edited directly from Search and the Google Maps app. Fill in every field, add real photos and answer reviews: that does more than any classifieds ad for a plumber, salon or tutor.
- Free: your profile, photos, posts and replies to reviews.
- Best for: any business with a location or a local service area.
- Paid upgrade: Google Ads, which is optional.
2. Bing Places for Business
Bing Places is free and puts your business on Bing Search and Bing Maps. Microsoft relaunched it at bing.com/forbusiness in October 2025 with a faster import from Google Business Profile (Search Engine Journal, October 2025), so once your Google profile is done, this takes a few minutes. You may still need to verify by phone or postcard.
- Free: your listing on Bing Search and Bing Maps.
- Best for: local businesses that already have a Google profile to import.
- Paid upgrade: none needed for the listing.
3. Apple Business (formerly Apple Business Connect)
Apple Business Connect is now part of Apple Business, which combines it with Apple's device-management tools (Apple Support). You can claim your place card in Apple Maps and set your logo, photos, hours and actions such as bookings. Claiming your location has been free since Business Connect launched.
- Free: claiming your place card and editing its logo, photos, hours and actions.
- Best for: shops, restaurants and services that iPhone users look up in Apple Maps.
- Paid upgrade: Apple Maps ads and extras like more storage.
4. Yelp
Yelp's business site says "It's free to be on Yelp": you can claim your page, add photos and respond to reviews at no cost. It matters most for restaurants, home services and other businesses people choose by reviews.
- Free: claiming your page, adding photos and responding to reviews.
- Best for: restaurants, home services and other review-driven businesses.
- Paid upgrade: Yelp Ads and page upgrades.
5. Facebook Marketplace and Facebook Pages
Facebook has more than 2 billion daily users (Meta Q2 2026 earnings call), and Marketplace is where many of them buy and sell locally: furniture, appliances, clothes, cars and rentals. Listing is free, and local pickup sales have no fee. If you ship through Marketplace checkout, Meta takes 10% of the order (minimum $0.80), a rate in place since April 15, 2024 (Value Added Resource). A Facebook Page for your business is also free.
- Free: Marketplace listings, local pickup sales and a business Page.
- Best for: selling physical goods to people nearby.
- Paid upgrade: boosted posts and ads; 10% (minimum $0.80) on shipped orders.
6. Nextdoor
Nextdoor offers a free Business Page with unlimited free posts to the neighborhood feed, direct messages and neighbor recommendations (Nextdoor Business). It works best for local services such as cleaners, gardeners and handymen. Casual providers like dog walkers need business documents to verify before they can post.
- Free: a Business Page, unlimited posts to the neighborhood feed and messages.
- Best for: cleaners, gardeners, handymen and other neighborhood services.
- Paid upgrade: ads, which Nextdoor says can start under $5 a day.
7. Craigslist
Craigslist is still a classic for local ads, but it is no longer free for many business posts. Most categories cost nothing, but in the US it charges $5 for service ads, for-sale ads by dealers, cars, trucks, RVs and motorcycles by owner, and commercial real estate; $10-75 for jobs; $3-10 for gigs in some areas; and $5 for apartment rentals in Boston, Chicago and New York (Craigslist posting fees). In Vancouver, dealer car and furniture ads cost $5. Craigslist does not publish traffic figures.
- Free: ads in most categories, including for-sale items by owner.
- Best for: local goods, rentals and one-off sales.
- Paid: there are no upgrades, but US service ads, dealer ads and cars by owner cost $5 each, and job ads $10 to $75.
8. eBay
eBay had 136 million active buyers in the quarter ended June 30, 2026 (eBay results, August 2026). Your first 250 listings each month are free in most categories; after that each costs $0.35. When something sells, eBay charges 13.6% of the total in most categories plus $0.30 per order ($0.40 over $10) (eBay fees). Good for testing demand for products you can ship.
- Free: 250 listings a month in most categories.
- Best for: products you can ship to buyers nationally or abroad.
- Paid: $0.35 per listing after the first 250, and 13.6% plus $0.30 to $0.40 when an item sells.
9. LinkedIn Pages
LinkedIn says you can create a Page for free: Company, Showcase, Service and Product Pages cost nothing, and you can post updates, articles, images and videos from them (LinkedIn Pages). It is the free option on this list that reaches other businesses rather than consumers.
- Free: a Company, Service, Showcase or Product Page, and posts from it.
- Best for: consultants, agencies, B2B suppliers and firms that hire.
- Paid upgrade: LinkedIn ads, a Premium Company Page and Career Pages.
10. Pinterest Business
Pinterest says business accounts are free and that you set your own budget only if you decide to run ads (Pinterest Business). Your pins link back to your website, so it suits products and ideas people plan visually, such as home decor, weddings, food, crafts and fashion.
- Free: a business account and organic pins.
- Best for: visual products and small online shops.
- Paid upgrade: Pinterest ads, with a budget you choose.
11. OLX
OLX is a big classifieds brand outside the US. As of October 2026, OLX Group runs OLX and its sister brands in seven markets (OLX Group), with OLX sites in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Portugal and Ukraine. Other OLX sites are run by other companies: OLX India has belonged to CarTrade since August 2023 (Inc42). Posting is free in many categories; some categories and all promotions are paid, and the rules differ by country.
- Free: listings in many categories.
- Best for: businesses selling in an OLX country, such as Poland, Romania or Portugal.
- Paid upgrade: promotions, and listings in some categories.
Not free: Amazon
Amazon often appears on lists like this, but it is not a free advertising site: individual sellers pay $0.99 per item sold and Professional sellers $39.99 a month, plus referral fees that vary by category (Amazon seller pricing). Choose it when you want access to Amazon's buyers and your margins can absorb the fees.
Which one fits your business?
- Local service businesses (plumbers, salons, tutors): complete Google Business Profile first, then Bing Places, Apple Business, Yelp and a Nextdoor page. All free. On Craigslist, US service ads cost $5 each.
- Selling physical goods locally: Facebook Marketplace stays free as long as the buyer collects in person. Once you ship through checkout, plan for the 10% fee.
- Selling nationally: eBay's 250 free listings a month make it cheap to test demand, but you pay a commission on every sale.
- Selling to other businesses: a free LinkedIn Page, plus your Google profile.
- Visual products sold online: a free Pinterest business account linking to your shop.
- Amazon is a sales channel with fees, not free advertising. Choose it if you want access to Amazon's buyers and can afford referral fees.
A simple rule: list where it is free, but work out the cost of each sale before you commit stock or time to a platform.
Template
A classified ad that answers the buyer's questions
Use it whenever you post an item or service; replace every bracket and delete any line that does not apply.
Write the title last, after the details, using the exact words you would type if you were searching for this item yourself. More free tools →
Safety tips for free advertising sites
- Keep conversations and payments inside the platform where you can; scammers often ask to move to text or email.
- Never send verification codes to a buyer. "Prove you're real" code requests are a common way to take over your phone number or account.
- Be wary of overpayments, checks and "my courier will collect" offers. Wait until the money has actually cleared.
- Meet buyers in a public place, or have someone with you when a stranger comes to your home or business.
- Don't put your home address or personal phone number in public ads; use a business number or the site's messaging.
How we checked these sites
We, the Yclas team, checked in October 2026 that each site is online, what it is for and whether it has an app, and took the posting costs from each site's own fee or help pages. We added LinkedIn Pages and Pinterest Business in November 2026 after checking on their own business pages that a basic account is free. User figures come only from company results, with their dates. We left Oodle out: its site looks unmaintained and its current posting terms are unclear. Fees change often, so check the linked fee page before you post.
If you would rather run your own local classifieds site for your town or niche, you can set one up with Yclas, which is hosted and has a free 15-day trial.
