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OfferUp vs. Facebook Marketplace: A Data-Driven Comparison for Sellers

When it comes to selling your used stuff locally, two platforms dominate the market: OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace. Both offer a free and easy way to list items for sale to people in your community. But which one is actually better for sellers? To answer this, we conducted a data-driven comparison, analyzing key metrics like user base, seller fees, and common user complaints to determine which platform gives sellers the best chance to make a quick and profitable sale.

The Goal: A Fast, Safe, and Profitable Sale

For a seller, the ideal platform excels in three areas: it has a large pool of potential buyers, it's easy and safe to use, and it doesn't eat into your profits with excessive fees. Our comparison will focus on these key areas to declare a winner for the average local seller.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Deep Dive Analysis

Round 1: Audience Size and Buyer Pool

This is the most critical factor. A seller needs buyers, and this is where Facebook Marketplace has an insurmountable advantage. Nearly everyone has a Facebook account, and Marketplace is integrated directly into the app they already use every day. OfferUp has a large and dedicated user base, but it simply cannot compete with the sheer scale of Facebook. More potential buyers means more views on your listing and a higher probability of a quick sale.

Winner: Facebook Marketplace

Round 2: Seller Fees

For local, in-person cash sales, both platforms are completely free to use, which is fantastic. The difference comes when you want to ship items to a non-local buyer. Here, Facebook Marketplace is the clear winner again. OfferUp charges a steep 12.9% service fee for shipped items, while Facebook Marketplace charges a much more reasonable 5%. If you plan on shipping your items, Facebook Marketplace will leave significantly more money in your pocket.

Winner: Facebook Marketplace

Round 3: Safety and Trust

This is a more nuanced category, but Facebook Marketplace has a slight edge. Because it's tied to a user's real Facebook profile, you can often get a better sense of who you're dealing with. You can see their profile picture, their friends, and how long they've been on the platform. OfferUp uses usernames and has an internal rating system (TruYou), but it still feels more anonymous. This link to a real-world identity on Facebook provides a small but important layer of comfort for many sellers when arranging a local meetup.

Winner: Facebook Marketplace

Round 4: The User Experience (The "Flake Factor")

This is where the data gets more subjective, based on common complaints found on forums and social media. Both platforms are plagued by "flakes" and lowballers.

• Facebook Marketplace's biggest annoyance is the infamous "Is this still available?" message. Because it's an automated, one-click response, you will receive dozens of these inquiries from people who have no real intention of buying.
• OfferUp seems to have a culture where extreme lowball offers are more common. If you list an item for $100, you can expect to receive multiple offers for $20. Users also report a high incidence of "ghosting," where a buyer agrees to a time and place to meet and then simply never shows up.

While both are frustrating, the "Is this available?" issue on Facebook is slightly less infuriating than coordinating a full meetup on OfferUp only to be left standing alone in a parking lot.

Winner: Slight edge to Facebook Marketplace