Craigslist has now become so useful in today’s society that you probably wonder how we ever lived without it. Whether you’re looking for a new apartment or a new job, you want to unload your couch or car, or you’re in search of a Portuguese interpreter or clock maker, Craigslist is the place to go.
There are a number of apps now that allow you to take your Craigslist to go, whether you’re more of a poster, browser, or both, and here we look at eight of your options. Click through to see how they stack up.
For Browsing and Posting
Craigslist
Featuring bold and attractive newspaper-inspired graphics, this app includes a locked search bar and the ability to navigate from one listing to the next without returning to the previous list. If you find an ad that interests you, circling it with your finger will add it to your Favorites. Users can also take advantage of the smart location feature, as well as the ability to reply and post from within the app.
Price: $0.99
Developer: Lifelike Apps
Download: iTunes
CraigsPro+
With an engaging interface, very thorough search options (including the ability to search multiple cities at once and save and edit searches), smart location and sophisticated bookmarks, this app makes tending to all your Craigslist business a breeze. You can also access maps, call phone numbers, email listings and share ads via Twitter right from the app. The real draw here, though, is that you can set up numerous push notifications.
Price: $1.99
Developer: Escargot Studios
Download: iTunes
Craigslist Mobile
Another of Escargot’s many Craigslist-focused apps available on iTunes, Craigslist Mobile is free and offers limited features, but that’s not to say it’s any less effective. Perform multi-city searches, favorite ads with notes, use smart location to auto-select your Craigslist area, post (with photos) directly from your phone, save searches and set up alerts.
Price: Free
Developer: Escargot Studios
Download: iTunes
Craigslist Mobile
Despite displaying graphics that aren’t quite as visually cohesive as some of the other options on this list, YYH Creative’s app includes capabilities for posting with or without a Craigslist account, browsing, searching, emailing posts, saving posts and more. And like many of the other apps here, it includes a timestamp and brief preview for posts before you click through.
Price: $0.99
Developer: YYH Creative
Download: iTunes
CraigsApp
Originally designed for browsing only, CraigsApp by SnapTap now makes posting to Craigslist possible, too. The overall aesthetic is very sleek and clean, with landscape support and beautiful display for images attached to ads — particularly useful when viewing postings quickly using Grid View. Users can also save searches, view ads you’ve marked as as favorites later offline, add notes to favorites, and more.
Price: $2.99
Developer: SnapTap
Download: iTunes
Craigslist!
Available as of Sept. 29 (and one of the sleekest Craigslist apps we’ve seen to date), Craigslist! by iCandy Apps features gorgeous graphics, including its own set of homepage icons for the respective categories, plus smart location, advanced searching, sophisticated posting options, and use of email, phone numbers and maps straight from the app.
Price: $0.99
Developer: iCandy Apps
Download: iTunes
For Browsing Only
Craigslist+
On the plus side, the app is very easy to use and displays images well. You can browse according to your neighborhood, as well as call phone numbers, open addresses on a map and add Craigslist URLs directly to an email from within the app. Unfortunately, this version doesn’t include a way to navigate the standard Craigslist subcategories other than doing a keyword search, but the developer asserts the navigation features will be updated next time around.
Price: $0.99
Developer: Bixby Apps
Download: iTunes
CribQ – Craigslist Housing Maps
This app hasn’t been updated since December 2010, so it either works like a charm, or its developers have abandoned it. But if you live in one of the 20 supported cities, CribQ will making searching for a house or apartment a cinch. See housing options on a map or filter by price, number of bedrooms, keywords and more; plus, create favorites and call or email directly from the listing.
Price: Free
Developer: Hug Sandwich
Download: iTunes
Conclusion
If the visual is most important to you, I’d say Craigslist by Lifelike Apps and Craigslist! by iCandy Apps are the clear frontrunners, with their themed graphics and organized, uncluttered interfaces. But then, if you want to keep things super simple purely for the sake of browsing, CraigsApp by SnapTap or Craigslist+ by Bixby Apps might be the way to go. And of course, if you’re specifically looking for a new “crib,” the ultra-focused CribQ scores points.
For me, personally, and for others who like to narrow down a lot of the information on Craigslist quickly, Escargot Studios’ CraigsPro+ and the developer’s free version, Craigslist Mobile, are the way to go — maybe their layouts aren’t the most stunning in the bunch, but their sophisticated search and save features, plus alert notifications, make accessing specific information a quick process.
Ultimately, finding your perfect Craigslist app will depend on what’s important to you and what you want to use the app for. Tell us, which app do you use to conduct all your business on Craigslist, and which features are most important to you?