adforavscraigslistThe two best and largest free classified ad sites on the Internet today are craigslist.com and rapidly expanding adfora.com. Both are similar in many aspects but a few key things do standout when comparing the two. First I’ll discuss the similarities.

Both Adfora and Craigslist are free to join and use, and both are very easy to sign up to. Just give each one your email address and a password and they will send you a confirmation email. Once you confirm your accounts you can start using both sites.

The sites are almost similar in they way they are setup. They both offer classifieds ads in all the major cities and areas in the United States. If you are willing to place a free ad you need to choose your city or area and the category your ad should be placed under. Then you fill out your ad info and correctly repeat the Captcha and your ad will appear live in a few minutes and you will receive a confirmation email.

Now here are the major differences between these two classified ad sites.

Adfora has far fewer rules to follow than Craigslist

In general Craigslist has more rules users must follow in order to stay in good standing on the site. For example if one wants to advertise a service on Craigslist one is usually required to confirm their account by phone.

So before you can place an ad for certain services on Craigslist one must give them your phone number. They will then auto-call you and give you a code which you must then enter at your account on Craigslist. As soon as they have your phone number confirmed which happens instantly you are approved to place your ads for services. For me personally this is a long and exhausting process.

Also on Craigslist the rules for where ads are placed are strict. If you place an ad for a service on a Community page your ad will likely get flagged and removed immediately. The rules are community enforced and the community can be very tough.

On Adfora the rules for placing ads are much less strict and no phone numbers are required to be confirmed. In general it is much harder to run afoul of the rules on Adfora than it is on Craigslist.

Moreover, Adfora has amazing features which Craigslist never offered. Here are some of Adfora’s features.

  • Apply to jobs – Unlike Craigslist, Adfora users can search and apply for jobs in three easy steps. After they have applied they are assigned a unique AIN (Applicant Identification number) which will allow them to apply for additional jobs in the future without having to go through the whole application process again. This is a very convenient feature which saves all kinds of time, let alone the fact that the only way to apply for jobs posted on Craigslist is to send an email to the employer. Which isn’t the best  practice and sometimes makes you look awkward.
  • Applicant Tracking System –   Adfora has an ATS (applicant tracking system) for employers. Adfora’s ATS collects and organizes job applications sent by candidates when they apply for a job. It also helps employers rate each and every candidate based on their skills and experience. Employers can schedule interviews, send emails, view job posting analytics, keep track of job pipelines and much more.
  • Send Offers – If something is listed for sale, you can send the owner an offer, and if the owner likes your offer he or she can accept your offer and you will be automatically notified. This feature helps you find the right item for the right negotiated price, before spending the time to meet with the seller.
  • Visibility Report – Adfora sends a weekly visibility report to users showing their post visibility and views. This feature is helpful for users that want to know how many times their ad has been viewed by others.
  • Auto Loan Calculator – Adfora automatically calculates the estimated monthly payments on all listed vehicles. This feature helps people shop for a car based on their monthly budget.
  • Featured Ads – Adfora allows you to post ads and promote their visibility in search results. This gives your ad more chances to be noticed by others.

Usability 

  • Design – Adfora has a nicer design and cleaner interface.
  • SPAM – You will likely get less spam and scam replies on Adfora.

Both Sites 

Here are some nice advantages of both sites.

  • Both sites are easy to sign up with and use.
  • Both sites are free or cheap to post ads.

My Own Personal Experience Using both Craigslist and Adfora

I’ve used both Craigslist and Adfora to place many classified ads for a number of years. Overall without any doubt Adfora has been far more fun for me. Nevertheless I still use both sites to reach as many people as possible with my classified ads.

I’ve also used many other classified ad sites and while Adfora is clearly number one there is also no doubt that Craigslist is clearly number two. As I mentioned before, Adfora has less rules to follow and is less strict about placing your ads than Craigslist is, but it’s well worth to make sure you are using Adfora properly in order not to get banned, because the site delivers results.

By Techwacky

Editor-in-Chef of TechWacky.com