Hosted vs self-hosted classifieds software, compared fairly.
Hosted vs self-hosted classifieds software comes down to who runs the server. With a hosted service (SaaS) you rent a working site; with a self-hosted script you buy or download the code and run it yourself. Both can make a good classifieds site. This guide sets out what each costs, what each asks of you, and a checklist to decide.
Free for 15 days · No credit card · Plans from $19 a month
A SaaS rents you a running site. A script gives you the code.
Self-hosted classifieds software is a script, usually PHP and MySQL, that you install on a server you rent: Osclass (free and open source), Flynax and LaraClassifier (licences), or a WordPress plugin or theme such as Classified Listing, HivePress or ClassiPress. You own the copy, you can change any line, and you are responsible for keeping it online, secure and updated.
Hosted classifieds software, often called SaaS, is a service you sign up to. The provider runs the servers, installs updates and makes backups; you configure the site from an admin panel and pay a monthly or yearly plan. Yclas works this way, and so do Sharetribe and Brilliant Directories in their own markets.
We know both sides. Yclas began in 2009 as Open Classifieds, a free script, and sold a self-hosted version for years. In October 2026 we stopped offering it, and Yclas now runs as a hosted service only.
Hosted vs self-hosted classifieds, point by point.
Neither column wins every row. Read it with your own site in mind: who will do the work in the left column, and whether the limits in the right one matter to you.
| Topic | Self-hosted script | Hosted (SaaS) |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Free to a one-time licence, plus paid themes and plugins | None: a free trial, then a plan |
| Running cost | Hosting, renewals for updates and support, your time | The plan price; hosting and updates included |
| Server, SSL and backups | Yours to set up and check | Done by the provider |
| Security fixes | You apply them, on the script and every plugin | Applied for you |
| Changing the code | Anything, with a developer | Settings, design tools and custom code where offered; no server access |
| Features | Core plus the plugins you buy and keep compatible | What the plan includes; you wait for or request the rest |
| Your data | In your database, always | Exported on request or from the admin; check this before you sign up |
| If the vendor stops | Your copy keeps running, without updates | You need an export and a new home |
| Time to launch | Days to weeks | Minutes to days |
Script prices vary a lot; our comparison pages list each one's prices with sources.
See every comparison →A free script isn't free, and a monthly plan isn't the whole story either.
Compare what a working site costs over two or three years, not the price tag of the software. On the self-hosted side, add up:
- Hosting that can run PHP, a database and cron jobs, with enough memory for search and image resizing.
- Themes and plugins for payments, messages, reviews, maps and social login, which many scripts sell one by one.
- Renewals: many licences include 6 or 12 months of updates and support, then charge to continue.
- Your time or a developer's for installs, updates, broken plugins after an update, and backups you have tested.
On the hosted side, check what the plan leaves out: listing limits, transaction fees, features on higher plans, and the price after an introductory offer. On Yclas, Starter is $19 a month for up to 5,000 listings, Professional $99 and Marketplace $149, with no commission on what your site earns.
Classifieds website cost, line by line →Self-hosting gives you the code. Hosting has to give you your data.
The strongest reason to self-host is control: the code is yours, the server is yours, and no one can change a price or a feature under you. If your site needs deep changes, such as a custom checkout or an integration with your own systems, a script and a developer can do things no hosted service will.
The fair worry about hosted software is lock-in. Ask any provider three things before you sign up: can I export everything, in what format, and do I keep my domain? On Yclas, Export everything builds a ZIP of your listings, users (without passwords), categories, locations, custom fields, pages, blog posts and photos, and your domain stays with you: you register it yourself and point it at your site.
The work of self-hosting starts after launch.
Launch day goes well on either model. The difference shows later: a PHP version your host retires, a plugin that breaks after a core update, a security fix that needs applying the same week, spam that needs new filters, a backup you never tested. With a script, those are your jobs or your developer's.
On a hosted service they are the provider's jobs, and you see the result in your admin instead. Yclas checks your site's SEO health on the dashboard, applies updates to every site, and keeps backups. What stays with you is the part that grows the site: categories, sellers, prices and marketing.
A checklist to choose between hosted and self-hosted.
Self-hosted is likely the better fit if
- You or someone on your team is comfortable with PHP, MySQL, server updates and backups, every month.
- You need changes to the code itself, or must keep the data on your own servers for a legal reason.
- You already pay for a server or a WordPress site, and its upkeep costs you little.
- You want to pay once and accept that updates stop when support ends.
Hosted is likely the better fit if
- You want to spend your time on sellers and buyers, not on servers.
- The features you need are on a plan: payments, messages, moderation, SEO, your own domain.
- You want security fixes and new features without doing an update.
- You can export your data and keep your domain if you leave.
Unsure? Start a hosted trial with your real categories and a few real listings. If you hit a limit you can't live with in 15 days, you have lost nothing, and you know which script features to look for.
Moving from a script to hosted, if you decide to.
- ExportYour database as .sql or .sql.gz, or your listings as CSV.
- ImportOsclass, Flynax, LaraClassifier and four WordPress plugins are read directly, with a dry run.
- RedirectOld addresses to the new pages, with the redirects manager and the 404 log.
- SwitchPoint your domain at the new site; SSL is set up for you.
What is the difference between hosted and self-hosted classifieds software?
Self-hosted software is code you install and run on your own server, so you handle hosting, updates and backups. Hosted software (SaaS) is a service: the provider runs the servers and updates, and you manage the site from an admin panel for a plan price.
Is SaaS or a script cheaper for a classifieds site?
A script is cheaper to start, especially a free one. Over two or three years, hosting, paid plugins, renewals and the time spent on updates often close the gap. Compare the total for a working site, not the software price.
Does Yclas still sell a self-hosted version?
No. Yclas Self-Hosted is no longer offered or supported since October 2026. Yclas runs as a hosted service only, and its importer reads databases from the old Open Classifieds and Yclas scripts.
Can I change the code on a hosted classifieds site?
Not the server code. On Yclas you change design, fields and pages yourself, and Professional and Marketplace add custom code sections and webhooks. For bigger changes our team does custom development.
What happens to my data if I leave a hosted service?
That depends on the provider, so ask before you sign up. Yclas exports your listings, users, categories, locations, custom fields, pages, blog posts and photos as one ZIP, and your domain stays yours.
Is self-hosted more secure?
Only if it is kept up to date. A script is as secure as its last update and the updates of every plugin on it. On a hosted service the provider applies fixes to every site.
Is there a free option?
Osclass and several WordPress plugins are free to download; you pay for hosting. Yclas has a 15-day free trial with no credit card, and is free for schools and universities.
Related pages.
Read more before you choose.
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