Craigslist review

Craigslist is still where many cheap private party cars change hands. Browsing is free, and since sellers pay $5 to post a car, truck, RV or motorcycle by owner in the US, and dealers pay $5 per by-dealer posting, listings are a little less cluttered than a fully free board. You can search by category, text and location, use Boolean operators and filter results, and choose between by-owner and by-dealer sections. That is about all: there are no price ratings, no vehicle history reports and no buyer protection, so every deal is between you and the seller. Craigslist publishes safety pages on in-person transactions and online scams, and you should follow them: meet in public, run the VIN yourself and never wire money. It ranks ninth because the tools are basic, but for a sub-$5,000 car it often turns up sellers who do not list anywhere else.

Who it is for

Buyers on a tight budget who are comfortable dealing directly with private sellers.

Price

Free to browse; car and truck postings cost sellers $5 in the US.

Cars/trucks, RVs, and motorcycles by-owner in the US—$5
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 10, 2026.

Key features

• Separate by-owner and by-dealer car and truck categories
• Category, text and location search
• Boolean operators and result filters
• Safety guides for in-person deals and online scams
• Mobile app

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Free to browse, with a flat $5 fee for sellers
• Strength: Strong local private party inventory, often at lower prices
• Strength: Simple, fast pages with Boolean search
• Weakness: No buyer protection, history reports or price ratings
• Weakness: Scams are common enough that Craigslist publishes scam guidance
• Weakness: Search tools are basic compared with the marketplaces

Key facts

• Buyer cost: Free
• By-owner car posting: $5 in the US
• By-dealer car posting: $5 in the US
• Search options: Category, text, location, Boolean
• Payments accepted: Visa, MasterCard, American Express

Where it ranks

Craigslist is No. 9 in our Best Used Car Websites verdict and No. 8 in Best Websites for Cheap Used Cars.