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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

5miles vs Mercari

5miles 4.7★ · Free + IAP · ⚠ stale 30
Winner Mercari
Mercari 4.8★ · Free to download 70

Mercari is the better choice for both buyers and sellers due to its larger user base and more reliable transaction process, despite some customer service issues and fees.

Full reviews: 5miles · Mercari

Mercari offers a more active marketplace with easier selling and buying experiences, though users report issues with customer service and shipping fees. 5miles, while praised by some for local sales, suffers from a significantly diminished user base, technical glitches, and scam concerns, making it a less viable option for most.

Head to head

User Base & Activity edge: MercariR1R3R4R26
5miles Many 5miles users report a severe lack of views on their listings and a general feeling that the app is a 'ghost town' or 'dead,' making it difficult to sell items R1R3R4R26. Some users even question if the app is still working .
Mercari Mercari users generally find the platform active for both buying and selling, with many reporting quick sales and a wide variety of items .
Ease of Use & Features edge: MercariR6R9R11R12
5miles While some users praise 5miles for being easy to use and having good features like boosts R11, many recent reviews highlight significant technical issues. Users report problems posting items due to inability to select condition R6, the app freezing or crashing , sign-in failures , and general unresponsiveness . The app is also criticized for excessive ads R9R12.
Mercari Mercari is widely described as user-friendly and easy to navigate for both buying and selling . Listing items is generally considered a breeze . However, some users wish for more payment options like Affirm/Klarna and a dark mode .
Reliability & Trust tieR7R10R13R16
5miles 5miles is plagued by reports of scams, fake accounts, and counterfeit goods R7R10R20. Users also express concerns about the inability to delete accounts and personal data R7R13R53R55, leading to accusations of the app being a 'scam website' or 'predatory' R7R13. Some sellers report issues with payment processing and sketchy requirements like minimum bank account balances R16.
Mercari Mercari faces significant criticism regarding scams and untrustworthy sellers, with buyers receiving counterfeit or incorrect items R78R82R86. Sellers also report issues with Mercari siding with buyers in disputes, even when evidence suggests otherwise R88. There are also reports of accounts being flagged or banned without clear reason, and money being withheld .
Customer Service & Support tieR10R19R20R28
5miles Many 5miles users report unresponsive or non-existent customer service R20R28. Some even encountered fake customer service accounts within the app R10. However, one long-term seller praised 5miles' customer service as 'top-notch' for business, citing protection against fraudulent customers R19.
Mercari Mercari's customer service receives widespread negative feedback. Users describe it as 'horrible' R61R64R88R92, unhelpful, and often providing canned responses R88. Issues include lack of assistance for lost packages R92, disputes over item descriptions R86, and account issues . In contrast, some users report positive experiences with quick resolutions and helpful support .
Fees & Pricing tieR1R15R16R63
5miles 5miles has introduced fees, auction features, and '5miles cash' over time, which some users understand as necessary for revenue R1. However, sellers express frustration over needing to use coins to boost items R15 and the requirement of a minimum of $200 in a bank account to sell R16.
Mercari Mercari's fees and shipping costs are a frequent point of contention. Buyers complain about high shipping costs and additional fees R63. Sellers are frustrated by unexpected shipping surcharges , Mercari changing shipping options , and the overall feeling that fees are 'crazy' and make it hard to predict earnings . The requirement for buyers to rate sellers before payout is also disliked by sellers .
Pick 5miles if

you are looking for a highly localized marketplace and are willing to navigate potential technical issues and a smaller user base for a chance at quick local sales .

Pick Mercari if

you want a more active and user-friendly platform for buying and selling a wider variety of items, and are prepared to deal with potential customer service frustrations and shipping fee complexities .

Evidence note: Recent reviews for 5miles are overwhelmingly negative, focusing on app functionality issues and low activity, which contrasts with its high lifetime rating. Mercari's reviews are more mixed, with strong positives for ease of use balanced by significant negatives regarding customer service and fees. The free-to-use nature of both apps means some negativity might stem from users unwilling to pay for premium features or better support.

Frequently asked

Is 5miles still active?
Based on recent user reviews, 5miles appears to have significantly reduced activity, with many users reporting zero or very few views on their listings and describing the app as a 'ghost town' or 'dead' R1R3R4R26.
Are there many scams on Mercari?
Mercari users report encountering scams, including receiving counterfeit products and items different from what was advertised R78R82R86, and some sellers feel Mercari's policies often side with buyers in disputes, potentially enabling fraudulent claims R88.
Can I delete my account on 5miles?
Multiple 5miles users report significant difficulty or inability to delete their accounts and associated personal data, even after submitting requests R7R13R53R55.
Why is Mercari customer service bad?
Mercari's customer service is frequently criticized for being unhelpful, providing canned responses, and failing to resolve issues such as lost packages, shipping disputes, and account problems R61R64R88R92.

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.

  1. [R1] 5miles 1/5 · US My Posts Get No Views. What Happened To This App?: I've used this app during the earlier days. It worked great! I had no issues posting ads, getting views, or selling. Then changes were made: auction, boosts, 5miles cash, fees, and so on throughout the years. Fine, developers need to generate revenue, I get it. However, this app seems to be a scam or is broken. None of my ads receive hits, v
  2. [R3] 5miles 3/5 · US Needs to be updated: Used to get a lot’s of customers who would view my items, now I only get 1 view each time . Since 5miles doesn’t fix their many broken issues, they are loosing customers!
  3. [R4] 5miles 1/5 · US Good app, low exposure: App is good but like one user noted there’s just not much traction. Creator needs to add more users using incentives. So much potential
  4. [R26] 5miles 1/5 · US Items sold here are years old.: I’m on here looking for a playstation 5 pro and all of the listings here have been posted longer than 2 years ago. There’s no listing’s on the app that are recent, i haven’t been able to find a listing that’s recent or found reliable enough to pursue farther, i doubt anyone will get back to me let alone meet up with me to sell the item to me. That goes for almost an
  5. [R6] 5miles 3/5 · US Glitch: Idk why but everytime I try to post something on here it won’t let me choose the condition for some reason and I can’t post my product. If you can please fix it asap it would be so helpful
  6. [R9] 5miles 3/5 · US Anunció: Estaría mejor si no te diera tanto anuncio!
  7. [R11] 5miles 5/5 · US Amazing app: This app it’s the easiest quickest and best way to sale or buy anything you need thanks 5Miles
  8. [R12] 5miles 3/5 · US Meh...it's ok for what it is: Starting with the good...when scrolling thru posts, you get to see the price before having to click on the listing. This saves time & energy. The bad, ADS! Trying to search for something and game ads hijack the experience. I don't have time for that. I get it though...free to use isn't free....the developers need to make money. But I probably would prefer a banner to
  9. [R7] 5miles 1/5 · US Scam website: I couldn't even enter my bank card details properly; even after entering the full link provided, the system wouldn't proceed and just kept making me wait. It’s far too complicated, after finally managing to list an item for sale, the system wouldn't let the listing go through. I suspect this secondhand marketplace app is actually just a way to harvest users' personal data; even after
  10. [R10] 5miles 1/5 · US Waste of time.: As a seller, it’s pretty much a waste of time. The app is chock full of scam accounts. There are even fake 5miles customer service accounts that have been active all month. They won’t even shut those down. At least they took the counterfeit goods auctions off the home page. I’m sure that chased away a lot of legit buyers. Used to be a great app. Those days are long gone.
  11. [R13] 5miles 1/5 · US Predatory app: I am writing to formally demand the immediate deletion of my 5miles account and all personal information associated with it, including but not limited to my name, phone number, email address, profile information, and any other personal data maintained in your systems. I have previously submitted multiple requests for account deletion. Despite those requests, my personal information
  12. [R16] 5miles 1/5 · US Wtf: You have to have a min of $200 in your physical bank account to sell your items, and they want your card info before you’re allowed to speak with the person who wants to by the item. Sketchy AF!
  13. [R19] 5miles 5/5 · US Customer service is top notch for business.: As many of my colleagues know it’s a tough world out there and all it takes is one unhappy or fraudulent customer to try and ruin. Your reputation and business on this platform. I must commend 5 Mile for I have maintained above a 93% rating since 2016 and generate revenue off of here because the platform rewards performance and also protects you by re
  14. [R20] 5miles 1/5 · US Complete scam: Ordered an item almost 3 months ago, still haven’t got anything in the mail and customer service won’t ever respond to you. If you like getting ripped off, wasting your time waiting for nothing and being ignored this is the app for you
  15. [R28] 5miles 1/5 · US Orphan app: Developers are MIA. Don’t bother with this.
  16. [R15] 5miles 3/5 · US Sales: I wish i could make more sales on here and also list my items without using coins to boost my items. But other than that 5miles is great .
  17. [R63] Mercari 3/5 · US Shipping cost: Other apps offer free or very low shipping So there are more buyers. This app the item and shipping are priced higher
  18. [R78] Mercari 1/5 · US Policy is backward: You buy item not knowing if it’s actually available from seller. Wait up to 2 weeks for seller to respond. Untrustworthy sellers send items that are different than what is advertised. No action available to buyer if item is incorrect bc Mercari policy is once package is open, sale is final. Yet bad seller continues to be able to sell on Mercari platform.
  19. [R82] Mercari 1/5 · US Scams Promoted: Mercari has more scams than any app I’ve seen, I bought from a high rated seller and they gave me a counterfeit product, so Mercari support made sure to not provide a refund or allow returns to ensure the seller can continue to scam without any repercussions after blocking me.
  20. [R86] Mercari 1/5 · US Item Received Oxidized: Received an expired perfume set. Two of them to be exact. Tried to work with seller. That went no where. She was even suggesting the oxidation happened on my end when I literally had the item and opened it the day it was delivered. Oxidation happens over time. Reached out to customer service, submitted every picture they requested to only receive a, “item as described”. I h
  21. [R88] Mercari 2/5 · US Terrible customer service: Horrible experience as a seller. They believe anything a buyer says even when that means a buyer has stolen items and claim they weren’t in the package. Good luck speaking with someone over the phone…they use over seas help that answer in canned responses and do not problem-solve. I shipped out 3 items and the buyer claimed one was missing and that another wasn’t a large
  22. [R53] 5miles 1/5 · US Why do they doesn't have option for the account delete: I just want to delete my account ...
  23. [R55] 5miles 1/5 · US Weird site: Won’t allow u to delete account
  24. [R61] Mercari 1/5 · US Horrible customer service: They need to train their staff. They don’t know whether dues are within 3 days or 3 business days. And when they made a mistake, not apologetic at all.
  25. [R64] Mercari 1/5 · US Horrible Customer Service: I’ve been a customer of Mercari for many years and I’ve had nothing but positive feedback as a frequent buyer on the app, with over 350 5-star ratings; however, despite this, Mercari has only supported me in claims I’ve had to make a handful of times for merchandise arriving smashed to pieces, or not arriving at all. This latest time, I didn’t receive the order, but Merc
  26. [R92] Mercari 1/5 · US Customer service is terrible: I have had a few issues with this platform. Customer service help is lacking, with an oh well attitude. Item sent and was lost in transit. They said there’s nothing they can do and to wait for up to 30 days. Showing them proof of the item circling the states. They cancelled the order leaving the seller without the item and refunded the buyer. Just after cancelling th

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store