Classifieds Website Builder That Launches in an Afternoon
Build a classifieds site for your city, niche, or community: categories, free and paid ads, price filters, seller profiles, and a moderation queue, all without code. Charge sellers for upgrades and keep 100% of it.
Free plan available · Flat pricing, unlimited ads · 0% commission on your revenue
What is a classifieds website builder?
A classifieds website builder creates a site where people post ads for things to sell, rent, or offer, and visitors browse by category, location, and price. It handles the ad form, search and filters, seller profiles, moderation, and SEO, so you run the site instead of maintaining a script. On Directify it starts free, with paid plans from $12/month.
A classifieds site is a directory of ads, and directories are what we build
Craigslist never processed a payment. The sale happens between buyer and seller; the site's job is to make ads easy to post, easy to find, and trustworthy. Directify's Marketplace template ships that as the default, with the monetization classifieds sites have always used: free basic ads, paid upgrades.
Ads people can scan
Price-tag cards with condition badges from New to For Parts, price min/max filters, sorting by price, and category pages for every section of your site.
Sellers people can trust
Public seller profiles with star ratings, ad history, and member-since dates, linked from every ad they post. Verified badges for the sellers you vouch for.
A site that visibly moves
Sold badges, a Just Sold homepage strip showing how fast items went, and live counts of ads, sellers, and weekly sales.
Everything a classifieds website needs
AI builds the first version
"Classifieds for Austin" or "used farm equipment in the Midwest": AI generates the categories, the ad field set (price, condition, location, delivery), demo sellers with ads attached, and SEO setup in about 60 seconds.
Free and paid ad posting
A public ad form your visitors can use for free or for a fee. Every ad lands in your moderation queue, and spam protection keeps the junk out before you see it.
Sellers run their own ads
Registered sellers manage their profile and ads from their own panel, mark items sold, and renew or upgrade ads without emailing you.
Monetization built in, 0% commission
Paid ad submissions, listing packages, featured and verified upgrades, and banner ads, paid straight into your own Stripe, PayPal, Lemon Squeezy, or Creem account.
Local search and maps
Location search with a radius, an interactive map view, and city pages, so a buyer in one town only sees ads worth driving to.
Classifieds SEO by default
Schema.org markup, automatic sitemaps, RSS feeds, and clean category and city pages: the structure that ranks for "used [thing] for sale in [city]" searches.
Directify vs. classifieds scripts and themes
Most ways to build a classifieds website hand you the code and walk away. Directify is hosted, updated continuously, and ready the same afternoon.
Classifieds scripts
Osclass-style scripts and Craigslist clones are one-time downloads that make you the maintainer: hosting, PHP upgrades, security patches, spam, payment integrations, and every feature your users ask for. Cheap on day one, expensive every month after.
WordPress classifieds themes
A theme plus a classifieds plugin plus a payments plugin plus a spam plugin. It works until two of them disagree after an update. You also get no AI setup, no built-in seller profiles, and no Sold tracking without more plugins.
Hosted classifieds builders
Closest to Directify, and the right category to be in. The difference is scope: Directify is a full directory platform, so the same site can carry a blog, custom pages, business listings, and events beside the ads, and nothing is metered per ad or per sale.
Selling higher-value goods with seller storefronts? See the no-code marketplace builder. Listing businesses rather than ads? See business directory software.
Your classifieds website in three steps
Describe your site
"Classifieds for the Hudson Valley" or "used bikes and parts". AI builds the site, categories, and ad fields on the Marketplace template in about 60 seconds.
Seed the first ads
Import 50 to 100 ads from a spreadsheet or recruit a handful of sellers. Buyers only come back to a classifieds site that has stock.
Open posting, switch on upgrades
Turn on the public ad form, keep basic ads free, and charge for featured spots, bumps, and verified seller badges.
Frequently asked questions
What is a classifieds website builder?
A classifieds website builder creates a site where people post ads for things they want to sell, rent, or offer — cars, furniture, housing, jobs, services — and visitors browse by category, location, and price. A no-code builder like Directify handles the ad form, categories, search and filters, seller profiles, moderation, and SEO, so you launch a classifieds site in an afternoon instead of installing and maintaining a script.
How do I make money from a classifieds website?
The classic classifieds model: free basic ads, paid upgrades. Directify has paid listing submissions, listing packages, featured and verified placements, and banner ads built in, paid into your own Stripe, PayPal, Lemon Squeezy, or Creem account. You keep 100% — there is no commission on what your sellers earn.
Do buyers and sellers pay through the site?
No, and that is the point of classifieds. Buyers contact the seller through the listing and complete the sale directly, so you never run escrow, payouts, or transaction disputes. Your revenue comes from sellers paying for ads and upgrades.
Can users post their own ads?
Yes. Visitors submit ads through a public form that you can make free or paid. Every submission lands in your moderation queue, and registered sellers manage their own ads and profile from their own panel. Nothing goes live until you approve it.
Is a classifieds website template included?
Yes. The Marketplace template is built for classifieds: price-tag listing cards, condition badges from New to For Parts, price range filters, seller profiles with ratings, Sold badges, and a Just Sold section. It is included on every plan, including the free one.
How is this different from a classifieds script like Osclass or a WordPress classifieds theme?
Scripts and themes are self-hosted: you handle hosting, security updates, payment integrations, spam, and every new feature. Directify is hosted and updated continuously, and AI builds the first version of your site — categories, ad fields, demo listings — from a one-line description.
Can I import ads I already have?
Yes. Import listings from a CSV or Google Sheets, create them from URLs with AI extraction, or push them through the REST API. A spreadsheet of inventory becomes a live classifieds site in minutes.
How much does it cost to build a classifieds website?
Directify has a free plan, and paid plans from $12/month (billed yearly: $10/month) with a free 7-day trial. Pricing is flat: unlimited ads, a custom domain on paid plans, and no per-transaction fees.
Launch the classifieds site your area is missing
A working classifieds website in an afternoon, sellers and all. Start on the free plan, upgrade from $12/month when it is time to charge for ads.
