The main free classified ads sites in the UK in 2026 are Gumtree (local ads for almost anything), Facebook Marketplace (free local selling), eBay (free for private sellers outside vehicles), Preloved (free second-hand ads) and Vinted (free to sell clothes and more). For a job, a flat, a house or a car, specialist sites such as Indeed, SpareRoom, Rightmove and Auto Trader reach more people. Below is each site, what it is for and what it costs to advertise, checked in October 2026.
Where you advertise for free depends mostly on what you sell: bulky items for local collection, things you can post, clothes, jobs, rooms, homes or vehicles.
In short
- Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Preloved and Vinted are the main free UK sites for selling everyday items.
- For jobs use Indeed (3 free posts a month), for rooms SpareRoom, for homes Rightmove or Zoopla through an agent, and for cars Auto Trader (paid ads).
- eBay UK is free for private sellers outside vehicles, and the buyer pays a protection fee instead, about £4.70 on a £100 item.
- Since January 2025 platforms report sellers with 30 or more sales or about £1,700 a year to HMRC, but occasional sales of personal items stay tax-free.
- Purchase scams were 71% of APP fraud cases in 2025, so meet in person, avoid bank transfers to strangers and keep messages on the platform.
Part of the guide Classifieds sites by country
UK classified ads websites compared
| Site | Best for | Cost to post | App | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gumtree | Local ads for anything | Free for most private ads; paid boosts and job ads | iOS, Android | Biggest general classifieds brand |
| Facebook Marketplace | Local selling and collection | Free for local sales | In the Facebook app | Needs a Facebook account |
| eBay | Items you can post | Free for private sellers (300 listings a month), except vehicles | iOS, Android | Buyer pays a protection fee |
| Preloved | Second-hand goods, pets | Free; optional memberships from £5 a year | iOS, Android | Newest ads go to members first |
| Vinted | Clothes, kids' items, small goods | Free for sellers; buyer pays a Vinted fee | iOS, Android | Postage-based, not local ads |
| Vivastreet | Local services, general ads | Free in most categories | Not confirmed | Large adult section |
| Indeed | Jobs | Up to 3 free job posts a month; sponsored jobs paid | iOS, Android | Free for job seekers |
| Reed | Jobs | Paid job ads | iOS, Android | Free for job seekers |
| PeoplePerHour | Hiring freelancers | Free to post a project | Not checked | Freelance marketplace, not classifieds |
| Rightmove | Homes for sale or rent | Agents only | iOS, Android | Private sellers list through an agent |
| Zoopla | Homes, house prices | Agents only | iOS, Android | Second to Rightmove |
| SpareRoom | Rooms and flatmates | Free; paid upgrades | iOS, Android | Free ads open to all after 7 days |
| Auto Trader | Cars and vans | Paid private ads | iOS, Android | Largest UK car marketplace |
| PistonHeads | Performance and enthusiast cars | Shown when you list | iOS, Android | Also runs car auctions |
Free classified ads sites for general items
Gumtree
Gumtree is the best-known general site for free classified ads in the UK. It has sections for cars and vehicles, things for sale, services, property, pets, jobs and community. A private seller's ad is free in most categories; you pay only to make an ad stand out (for example "urgent" or "featured"), and job ads are paid. It has iOS and Android apps. Gumtree UK has new owners: Ocean Link and 58.com took over in a deal effective September 2024 (Online Marketplaces).
Facebook Marketplace
For furniture, appliances, bikes and anything else the buyer collects, Facebook Marketplace is now one of the busiest places to advertise for free. Listing is free and there is no fee when you arrange payment and collection with the buyer yourself. You need a Facebook account, and it works inside the Facebook app. Because payment usually happens off the platform, follow the safety tips below.
eBay
eBay is a marketplace rather than a classifieds site, but it belongs on any UK list now that it is free for private sellers: no selling fees in every category except cars, motorcycles and vehicles, with 300 free listings a month (eBay UK selling fees). The buyer pays a Buyer Protection fee instead (see below). It is the best choice for items you can post to buyers anywhere in the country.
Preloved
Preloved has no listing fees and takes no commission. Buying and selling are free, but the newest adverts are shown first to paying members: Full Membership is £5 a year and Premium £15 a year, and business plans are monthly (Preloved memberships). It is a good alternative for second-hand household items, pets and hobby gear, and has iOS and Android apps.
Vinted
Vinted started with clothes and now covers kids' items, homeware, books and electronics too. Sellers pay nothing to list or sell; the buyer pays a mandatory "Vinted fee" at checkout (usually 3% to 8% of the price plus £0.30 to £0.80, per Vinted's price list), which replaced the old "Buyer Protection fee" name in October 2026. Optional bumps and showcase spots cost sellers extra. It works by post through the app, so it suits small items rather than local collection.
Vivastreet
Vivastreet is a free classified ads site with local listings for services, jobs, property, cars, pets and items for sale; most categories are free to post in, while some charge a fee. On Similarweb it is the UK's #1 site in the classifieds category (Similarweb, September 2026), but much of that traffic comes from its adult services section, so it is less of a family marketplace than Gumtree or Preloved.
Selling privately in the UK in 2026: fees, tax reporting and scams
The sites above are where most private UK sales happen, but the rules around them have changed in the last two years. Here is what a private seller needs to know now.
1. Fees have moved from sellers to buyers
eBay UK, once the "expensive auction site", now charges UK private sellers no transaction fees in every category except Vehicles, with 300 free listings a month. The buyer pays a Buyer Protection fee instead: £0.10 per item plus 7% of the price up to £20, 4% of the part from £20 to £300 and 2% of the part from £300 to £4,000 (eBay UK help). For example, the buyer of a £100 item pays £0.10 + £1.40 + £3.20 = £4.70 on top. Vinted works the same way. When comparing Gumtree, Preloved, Vinted and eBay, look at the total the buyer pays, not only your own fees.
2. Platforms now report sellers to HMRC
Since January 2025, platforms send HMRC details of users who in a year sell 30 or more items, earn about £1,700 or more, or provide paid services. HMRC has said this creates no new tax (4 December 2024): occasionally selling unwanted personal items is tax-free. Self Assessment applies only if you are trading (buying to resell, making items to sell, or offering services) and that income is over £1,000 in a tax year. Keep simple records of what you sold and what you originally paid, in case HMRC asks about a report.
3. Purchase scams are the most common bank-transfer fraud
UK Finance's Annual Fraud Report 2026 (15 June 2026) found purchase scams made up 71% of all authorised push payment (APP) fraud cases in 2025, with £118.1 million lost, up 20% on the year. It says this fraud often starts on marketplace sites and calls on marketplaces to verify sellers and use secure payments.
Template
Stay-safe tips page for buyers and sellers
Publish this as your safety page and link it from every listing and message screen; add your own payment and reporting details.
4. Where the audience is now
- Property: Rightmove reports an 89% share of time spent on UK property portals (Comscore, December 2025; 75% on Similarweb/Data.ai/Sensor Tower) and 16.8 billion minutes on its platform in 2025 (Rightmove 2025 results). Zoopla and OnTheMarket are secondary channels.
- General goods: Gumtree is the UK's #2 site in Similarweb's classifieds category, behind Vivastreet, and #114 site overall (Similarweb, September 2026).
- Rule of thumb: bulky items for local collection sell best on Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace, clothes on Vinted, and items that can be posted reach the most buyers on eBay now that private selling there is free.
Safety tips for buyers and sellers on UK classified ads sites
- Meet in person for local deals, in daylight and somewhere public where possible, and see the item working before you pay.
- Don't pay strangers by bank transfer. If a site offers its own checkout with buyer protection (eBay, Vinted), keep payment inside it.
- Sellers: wait until the money has actually arrived before handing anything over. Fake "payment sent" emails and overpayment requests are common scams.
- Keep messages on the platform and be wary of anyone who wants to move to WhatsApp or email straight away, or who sends you a payment link.
- For cars, check the registration and MOT history on GOV.UK and the V5C logbook before paying.
Classified ads for jobs
Indeed
Indeed is free for job seekers to search jobs, upload a CV and research companies. Employers posting directly can publish up to three free jobs per calendar month, each live for up to 30 days; free posts may lose visibility over time, and sponsored jobs are paid (Indeed UK employer FAQ).
Reed
Reed is one of the UK's best-known job boards, with vacancies from private and public sector employers and recruitment agencies. It is free for job seekers and has a job search app. For employers, job ads are paid: its recruiter page listed a single job credit at £89 + VAT as a new-customer offer in October 2026 (Reed advertise a job).
PeoplePerHour
PeoplePerHour is a UK-based marketplace for hiring freelancers by the hour or by project. It is not a classifieds site, but if you want to advertise for free for a designer, developer or writer, you can join and post a project at no cost and compare quotes; the platform charges fees on work paid through it.
Real estate classified ads
Rightmove
Rightmove is the largest property portal in the UK for buying, selling and renting. Only registered estate and letting agents can list, so a private seller or landlord reaches it through an agent, including fixed-fee online agents. Browsing is free, on the web and in its app.
Zoopla
Zoopla combines property listings with house price estimates and local market data. Like Rightmove, listings come from agents, so private sellers use an agent to appear on it. It is the second-largest portal after Rightmove.
SpareRoom
SpareRoom is the place to find a room or a flatmate. It is free to use and to post an ad. Free ads under 7 days old can only be contacted by "Early Bird" users who pay for an upgrade, and upgraded users can post Bold Ads that rank higher and anyone can reply to (SpareRoom: how the site works).
Classified ads for cars
Auto Trader
Auto Trader is the UK's largest marketplace for new and used cars, used by private sellers and dealers, with reviews, valuations and advice. Private adverts are paid, in packages from about two weeks up to "until sold", with the price depending on the car's value; check the current price for your car on its advertising prices page.
PistonHeads
PistonHeads is the enthusiast's choice for performance, classic and prestige cars, with classifieds, auctions, news and a busy forum. It has been owned by CarGurus since 2019 and runs as an independent brand. Its app, launched in 2025, covers classifieds and auctions. The cost of a private ad is shown when you start selling.
How we checked these sites
For each site we visited its home page or its own help and pricing pages to confirm that it still operates in the UK, its current address, what it is for, what posting costs and whether it has an app. Where a site's own page could not be read, we used recent coverage and noted it. Traffic rankings come from Similarweb's public pages for September 2026. We did not test buying or selling on these sites. Checked in October 2026; fees change often, so confirm the price on the site before you post.
Start your own local classified ads site
If none of these fits your town, community or niche, you can start your own classifieds website with Yclas, with a free 15-day trial. If you are looking at cars further afield, see our list of the best car dealers in Australia.
