Craigslist revenue, traffic drops again — one-third of 2018 total

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, FL, UNITED STATES, April 2, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Revenue at Craigslist, once the worldwide powerhouse of classified advertising, dropped 20% last year to $302 million, a new AIM Group report shows. While that’s a robust number for many businesses, it’s down 70% since 2018, when it topped $1 billion.

Despite this, Craigslist is still No.1 in revenue and traffic for U.S. horizontal classified sites. Mercari is a close No. 2, and OfferUp, the Seattle-area-based classified site that’s borderline profitable, is No. 3.

“Craigslist is still a major force, but it’s a shell of its peak years,” said Peter M. Zollman, AIM Group founding principal. “It’s wildly profitable because of its unique business model — tiny staff, no spending on marketing or advertising, no sales team — but traffic and revenue have been declining steadily for the past six years and will probably keep going downhill.

“At one point, Craigslist was a household name. Now, between the growth of Facebook Marketplace and other classified apps, it’s really a has-been.”

The AIM Group, which uses proprietary methodology to estimate Craigslist’s revenue, projected 2024 revenue of $302 million for the 30-year-old website. That’s less than half of the $660 million estimate in 2021 and less than one-third of the $1.035 billion in 2018. The company makes more than one-third of its revenue ($35.6%) from job ads, with services accounting for 31% and auto ads for 20.3%.

The AIM Group, the world’s leading business intelligence company for marketplaces and classified advertising, started estimating Craigslist revenue in 2003.

Which companies are winning Craigslist’s audience and revenue? Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp and Mercari, among others. But Mercari is floundering in the U.S., and the Japanese-owned app faces a make-or-break year in the States in 2025.

The Craigslist-and-competitors research is a 15-page special report within AIM Group Marketplaces Report, including 10 charts and graphics, available for $495 at AIMGroup.com.

The AIM Group provides global business intelligence services — news and analysis, conferences and consulting — for real estate, automotive, recruitment and horizontal marketplaces and classified advertising sites. We work at senior levels with marketplace companies, investors and vendors, advising on strategic and operational opportunities and challenges. We’re a global team of almost 50 experts who follow changes in the marketplace and classified advertising industry in greater depth than anyone else. We publish AIM Group Marketplaces Report and run leading global conferences for recruitment and automotive marketplaces. Founded in 1998, the AIM Group is based in Altamonte Springs, Fla.

Peter M. Zollman
AIM Group
+1 407-788-2780
peterz@aimgroup.com
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