In days gone by, your only choices for classified adverts would have been your local newspaper, a card in a newsagent’s window or maybe a poster on your window.
Nowadays, the internet has changed all that. It’s quicker – most classified adverts get approved instantly or – at worst – within an hour or so.
Craigslist dominates the classified ad scene in America, but in the UK they’re not so strong.
Before placing your next classified advert, take a look at our comparison chart:
| Craigslist | Gumtree | Vivastreet | |
Free ads |
 |
|
|
Advert duration |
30 days | 120 days | Unlimited renewals |
Email anonymised |
|
|
|
Approval time |
Email confirmation sent | Email confirmation sent | Email confirmation sent for first advert, added to your account for subsequent ads |
Pictures allowed |
|
Up to 3 pictures |
Up to 12 pictures |
Add video |
 |
|
|
Easy to repost ad? |
Advert runs for 30 days |
Adverts need to be reposted |
Email reminder for one-click reposting of advert |
Range of locations |
Very generalised locations |
Major cities only |
Location drill down to districts within towns |
Featured listings offered |
|
Extra cost |
Extra cost |
Advert alerts |
|
|
Daily email alert of new adverts meeting your criteria |
| Craigslist | Gumtree | Vivastreet |
Verdict
In the UK, it’s a fairly close call between Gumtree and Vivastreet.
They each have their strengths and weaknesses. But since basic adverts are free, it’s worth placing your advert on both.
Adverts drop down the list on Gumtree, often quite fast, unless you pay extra for a premium listing.
Vivastreet’s one click reposting makes it really easy to push your advert back up to the top of the list every few days. Whereas with Gumtree you have to place a new advert or pay for a featured listing. This means that whilst Gumtree may initially seem to have more listings, in some sections that may not be the case as people post new adverts to stay near the top.
Vivastreet also wins hands down for location selection. You should be able to easily set your town or location, rather than having to choose a city that’s close (or not so close) on the other two sites.
