OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace alternatives
Users often leave OfferUp due to excessive ads, frequent app glitches, and concerns about scams. Alternatives like eBay and Poshmark offer broader reach and different selling models, while Cars.com and craigslist cater to specific item categories.
Why users look for alternatives to OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace
- Excessive and intrusive ads, including full-screen video ads, make the app annoying and difficult to use.R1R3R9R10
- The app frequently experiences lag, glitches, freezing, and slow performance, especially with scrolling, the search bar, and photo uploads.R2R5R23R35
- Users report issues with scams, fake accounts, and stolen merchandise, leading to wasted time and distrust.R6R7R31R33
- Notifications are often irrelevant, spammy, or cannot be controlled, leading to frustration.R1R10R12R21
- Selling items can be difficult, with low visibility for listings unless promoted, and some users report better luck on other platforms.R1R17R19R27
- Some users report that messaging sellers or making purchases is blocked behind a paywall or requires upgrading.R25R32
- The app has outdated posts and issues with local business spam that cannot be blocked.R4R17R40
- OfferUp no longer supports shipping for all items, limiting its use for non-local transactions.R13
The alternatives
eBay offers a broad platform for buying and selling a wide variety of items, including second-hand goods, with options for both auctions and direct sales R52. However, sellers often complain about high fees and hidden charges R53R54R57. The app can also be glitchy, slow, and some users report features being removed, like searching sold listings .
Better for: eBay is better for sellers who are comfortable with higher fees but want a larger audience and more established platform for diverse items, and for buyers looking for a wide range of new and second-hand products R52. It may be less suitable for those seeking a simple, low-cost local selling experience.
Head-to-head: OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace vs eBay online shopping & sellingPoshmark is a platform primarily for selling and buying fashion items, allowing users to make money from home and find good deals R66. It is generally considered easy to use for selling R66. However, some users feel that selling can be slow, taking six months to over a year for an item to sell, and that the platform aggressively pushes promotions and charges significant fees R65R67. Recent updates have also introduced ads and made the user interface less intuitive for some, impacting the ability to find items or see follower counts R68.
Better for: Poshmark suits users primarily interested in buying or selling fashion, accessories, and beauty products, especially those willing to engage with the platform's social features and potentially pay for promotions for better visibility R66. It may be less ideal for casual sellers looking for quick sales without additional investment, or those who dislike frequent app updates and ads R65.
Head-to-head: OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace vs PoshmarkWhatnot is a platform focused on live selling, particularly for collectibles, electronics, and liquidated merchandise, where users can find deals and interact with sellers . It is praised for being a good platform for growing income for sellers and easy for buyers to use, especially for items like Pokemon cards R84. However, some users report issues with shipping rates R81, counterfeit items R85, and a lack of support or clear guidance for new sellers, leading to account suspensions or difficulties in setting up auctions R84.
Better for: Whatnot is better for buyers looking for unique deals on collectibles, electronics, or liquidated goods through live auctions and for sellers who are experienced with live selling and have a team or are comfortable with the platform's specific tools for managing auctions R84. It might be less suitable for new sellers seeking extensive guidance or those concerned about customer service responsiveness and potential counterfeit items R84R85.
Head-to-head: OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace vs WhatnotCars.com is a dedicated platform for buying and selling vehicles, praised for being easy to navigate and helpful for finding cars, with a useful rating system R94R97. However, recent updates have been criticized for making the app harder to use, introducing bugs, freezing issues, and an 'AI' driven interface that doesn't always work correctly R93. Users also complain about uncontrollable spam notifications for vehicles they don't want and a lack of sufficient interior photos in listings .
Better for: Cars.com is ideal for individuals specifically looking to buy or sell cars, offering a focused experience for vehicle transactions R97. It is less suitable for general marketplace users or those who prefer a simpler app interface without frequent updates that may introduce bugs or unwanted features R93.
Head-to-head: OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace vs Cars.comcraigslist is a classic, simple, and easy-to-use platform for local buying and selling across a wide range of categories . It is particularly effective for selling cars and connecting with serious local buyers R108. The app includes a chat function for coordinating pickups without sharing personal phone numbers R110. However, users report issues with posts being flagged and taken down for unclear reasons R107, and recent updates have been criticized for making the app less functional, removing descriptions, and causing freezing or loading problems . Some users also find it to be ruined by dealers or used for inappropriate content .
Better for: craigslist is best for users who prioritize local, direct transactions for a wide variety of items, including cars, and prefer a straightforward, no-frills platform R108R110. It is less suitable for those who need robust customer support, are sensitive to content moderation issues, or prefer a modern, consistently updated app experience R107.
Head-to-head: OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace vs craigslistYou should stick with OfferUp if you are selling large items like cars or mattresses, as some users have found success with quick sales for these types of goods . It can also be a good option if you find welcoming sellers and fair prices, and appreciate its user interface for finding deals .
Evidence note: No alternatives had too-thin evidence.
Frequently asked
Why do users find OfferUp frustrating?
Is OfferUp a safe place to buy and sell?
Are there hidden costs or paywalls on OfferUp?
What are the common app performance issues with OfferUp?
What reviewers actually said
Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.
- [R1] OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace No good: It’s annoying how you notify about things I like but not even planning on buying. Also looks like if you dont pay for promoting your listing dont get any promotion at all and last, ads are extremely annoying
- [R3] OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace Ads: Too many Ad pop-ups and very interruptive to the app.
- [R9] OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace Click Bait: Besides the annoying video ads for cheap Chinese junk, the search engine is pretty much worthless. You have to pay for a full subscription if you wanna knock out the video ads. Heaven forbid if you tap on one of the ads, because you literally have to close the app and start all over again
- [R10] OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace ‼️Shady waste of time. Used to be great. Spammy and constant insane full screen video ads: ‼️Shady waste of time. Used to be great. Spammy and constant insane full screen video ads. Most inbox notifications are their IRRELEVANT nagging annoying spam.
- [R2] OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace Laggy: Great app, but it lags a lot sometimes overall great however. Maybe no add’s?
- [R5] OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace I can’t scroll without glitches: I’m not sure if it’s only happening to me but recently I open the app try to scroll down and I CAN’T it moves so slow and glitches so I can’t even scroll up or down smoothly I thought maybe closing and opening the app would fix it but it keeps happening😕
- [R23] OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace You were one the best: The app is just slow. The search bar is by far the slowest of its components. The app started to be bad once all the multiple ads started to appear. FB marketplace is miles away from OU.
- [R35] OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace Search bar, Ads, Notifications: Search bar typing has been really slow and laggy Ads pause podcasts. Notifications are stipid messages than don’t make me get on OfferUp until I decide to
- [R6] OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace Watch out for fraud: Within 30 minutes of posting someone had tried to pay with a “certified check” Very slow response rate but that could be due to my particular item. But definitely be aware and on your guard
- [R7] OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace Fake/stolen/scammers: Stolen merchandise and fake accounts, mostly a waste of time, worse than facebook marketplace and/or craigslist
- [R31] OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace Scam: I bought an Xbox series s and the guy told me it was fine and after he sold it he deactivated his account so thank you for not helping me
- [R33] OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace Scammers: Careful out there I keep having people try to ask for personal information such as bank details and emails during payment claiming to be business accounts
- [R12] OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace Too many notifications: Overall, I think the app is ok. however, I have been having issues with the notifications for this app where regardless of what settings you have set, the app will ignore those settings and send the notifications anyway
- [R21] OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace Why I Left: I’ve sold over 300 items. Had over 100 reviews and a 5 star rating. Here’s why I left: dark patterns. OfferUp will send notifications about things unrelated to messages or sales, but the notification still makes a cash sound, as if something sold. To make it worse, they hide those notifications under the Messages tab, so it looks like you have pending messages, but turns out they are j
- [R17] OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace Last place I look: Offer up has outdated posts and pop up ads when scrolling. It doesn’t have much competition for local searches but I tend to search eBay, Mercari, Depop, and even Poshmark. I was able to find and close one good deal on the app. All other inquiries went unanswered.
- [R19] OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace Selling: There is no luck selling stuff on here I have way better luck on Facebook marketing
- [R27] OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace Good for the first few weeks Facebook Marketplace is better!: This app is good when you first sign up, it seems as if it is showing your items around to others, so you have a lot of interest and engagement is high so it is exciting . However, after the first month there is a significant decline, so much so that you feel that if you upgrade you will get the same activity. I thought it was my pric
- [R25] OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace Messages won’t send unless you upgrade: This app and website suck! You can’t make purchases unless you pay for premium. I gave it a try; messaged sellers to make purchases and the ALL went unread. No way all would go unread unless it’s blocked behind a paywall. No thanks! Sticking with marketplace and craigslist.
- [R32] OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace App sucks: Never get any messages back. Want you to buy app to get anything
- [R4] OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace Spam: Anytime I try and search for something I see one local business spam constantly for “Financing”. It wouldn’t be an issue if I could hide the post or block the seller but no I can’t see I just have to scroll constantly until I don’t have to see the spam anymore, ridiculous.
- [R40] OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace Outdated postings: Old postings from years ago still showing! Now you have ads! Not current.
- [R13] OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace No shipping: No shipping which super bad if you want from the east coast they can’t ship anymore
- [R52] eBay online shopping & selling Great shopping app: Nice second hand shopping, but today it’s been glitching not coming up where I can review a purchase and see where my other ones are?!
- [R53] eBay online shopping & selling Fees: The selling fees these days are truly something to behold
- [R54] eBay online shopping & selling Shipping policies are horrible: I hate the user experience with the shipping policies, adding them, modifying them. I find these impossible to locate in the website and app and change. Mobile app very limited with how much you can do as a seller, have been pretty upset with this and all the hidden fees they slap on the sellers. Also, if they make you pay for postage and it’s more than the value of
- [R57] eBay online shopping & selling Fix you stuff: You have a ai that help so I did it though the ai becauns I did know know what it was and it give 4 oz when it is 3 pounds how and now you want me To pay that after your hidden fees that took 8 dollars off my 20 thing so I don’t ever get 50% umm if you plane to seek to make a quick noce 10 bucks you are losses-10 bucks eBay sucks and don’t used it ever or many they can fix they st
- [R65] Poshmark Aggressive upselling: The casual seller who is clearing out their closet will find that it can take six months to over a year to sell an item. Every time a listing is created or edited Poshmark pushes promotions. With millions of listings this is an absolute waste of money. Unable to opt out of the constant invitations to “posh parties”. So even if you just want to know if your listing sold, you
- [R66] Poshmark AMAZING: This is such a good app idea! I have been wanting to save money but also make money from home. Now I can do both in one single app! I definitely recommend this app so everyone and it’s super simple to use!
- [R67] Poshmark Poshmark: It’s not like EBay or marketplace at all. You pay a lot in my opinion to post something most of the time not worth it.
- [R68] Poshmark I hate every update: I hate every new update. I dislike that you can no longer see how many followers a person has. I dislike that you can no longer see how many likes you have at first glance. I dislike that you can't see how many a new alert you have. It used to show a number. No one seems to follow anyone anymore and no one seems to share anything anymore. The ease of use and the community fe
- [R81] Whatnot Shipping rates: New rates are not great
- [R83] Whatnot Great platform: 5 stars all around, would love any kind of brand deal someday and to sell for them in the future. I think it would be an insane experience to be at shows and in person events and meet other sellers around the world. Will continue to use whatnot and support the platform!
- [R84] Whatnot Ok App: What an app for buyers, easy to use to buy items especially Pokemon cards. But for sellers the tools suck for each auction you have to pre-create them or have a team of people to make it for you. And don’t let me get started with how to set everything up and explanation of how everything works is severely lacking, also there is no set-up guide or premade auctions or any copy auctions. So,
- [R85] Whatnot No help with purchase: Counterfeit items
- [R93] Cars.com New style is horrible: The app works like some weird psuedo-social media app now. Much harder to just select a car and trim and see what’s out there. Terrible design change and it now has a bunch of bugs.
- [R94] Cars.com You asked: I love it and the ratings system is so helpful.
- [R95] Cars.com I would have given 5 stars but it annoyed me into writing a review so now you get 3: The app is fine, better than carvana, screw carvana.
- [R97] Cars.com Cars.com: Cool reasonable easy to find cheap cars.
- [R107] craigslist Posts: My items keep getting flagged and taken down the same day after posting for no reason just because people are rude and it just gets taken down immediately just because one person doesnt like it. They all went by guidelines it doesnt matter if it does or not if it gets flagged by 1 person it gets taken down. Ive reposted it multiple times and it keeps getting taken down just because one salt
- [R108] craigslist This works: Great experience! My car sold quickly for my full asking price. The platform was easy to use, and I connected with serious local buyers. I would definitely recommend Craigslist to anyone selling a vehicle.
- [R109] craigslist Randomly stopped working “credibility check error?”: I have no idea why I’m unable to login any longer on the app. Keep getting a “credibility check error.” It was working fine awhile ago.
- [R110] craigslist App works great!: No complaints with this app. It simply works. Appreciate the chat function, which allows us to select a unique notification just for craigslist. though we usually still use the anonymized email relay, the chat in the app is great for fast moving items and coordinating pick ups without giving out our phone number.
- [R29] OfferUp Buy & Sell Marketplace Too expensive, low value.: After paying $50 I’m disappointed that I cannot even post my phone number. Difficult for interested parties to contact me.
Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store