How I Started Looking Beyond Mercari
I joined Mercari in late 2021 after my first pandemic clean-out. Within three months, I’d sold 110 items — mostly sneakers and vintage hoodies — straight from my phone. But by summer 2022, sales slowed.
One Thursday night, I relisted the same jacket on eBay and Poshmark. It sold the next morning — at the same price Mercari had buried for weeks.
That’s when I realized Mercari wasn’t the problem. I was. I was limiting my visibility. So I set out to test every major resale platform — from Poshmark to Depop to Facebook Marketplace — and track actual performance data.
Why Mercari Still Matters in 2025
Here’s where it gets interesting. Mercari still leads in “low-friction” reselling — no social following, no need for live sales. Their Android and iOS apps let you post in under two minutes. But growth has flattened.
Buyers now scatter across niche apps: Depop for style, Whatnot for auctions, Facebook Marketplace for local. That fragmentation created opportunity — if you’re willing to cross-list intelligently.
Apps Similar to Mercari for Reselling — Real Performance Breakdown
Between Jan and Nov 2024 I tracked 1,200 listings across six platforms.
| Platform | Avg Sale Price | Sell-Through Rate | Payout Speed | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poshmark | $34 | 52 % | 2–4 days | Fashion + accessories |
| eBay | $46 | 61 % | 1–3 days | Electronics + collectibles |
| Depop | $29 | 43 % | 3–5 days | Gen Z streetwear |
| Facebook Marketplace | $57 | 48 % | Instant (local) | Furniture + local items |
| Whatnot | $21 | 35 % | Instant post-sale | Live auctions |
| Vinted (US beta) | $31 | 39 % | 5–7 days | EU brands + vintage |
So, yes — there are several apps similar to Mercari — but each demands a different listing rhythm and tone.
Poshmark: Social Selling With Style
My first Poshmark week (Dec 2022) was chaotic. Followers, “shares,” and “Posh Parties” felt like a different language. But once I learned the rules, my sales per item beat Mercari by 18 %.
Pros
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Strong community for fashion and home decor.
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Flat 20 % fee (so no math surprises).
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Reliable buyer base for women’s clothing.
Cons
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Manual sharing burns hours unless you automate it.
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Trend-driven (quiet months between seasons).
I now automate sharing through Closo’s Poshmark module — it keeps my items circulating while I list elsewhere.
I use Closo to automate Poshmark sharing and delisting — saves about three hours weekly and prevents duplicates when items sell on Mercari or eBay.
eBay: Still the Data King
eBay taught me discipline. Precise titles, item specifics, and pricing matter more here than anywhere else. After a month of A/B tests, I saw sell-through rates jump from 42 % to 63 %.
My eBay routine
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Use “Sell Similar” on recently sold items.
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Front-load keywords in titles (brand + type + size).
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Turn on Best Offer to increase engagement by 20 %.
It’s not pretty — but it’s profitable. And for mid-priced inventory ($25 – $120), eBay still outperforms everything else.
Depop: Youth Culture and Aesthetics
Depop feels like Instagram met e-commerce. Photos rule. Captions barely matter.
When I tested 20 items in March 2023, the listings with a mirror selfie out-sold flat-lays by 2.6×.
But Depop buyers expect “curation.” Upload too many random categories and your profile looks like a thrift dump.
Tip: Use consistent photo ratios (1:1 square), tone down filters, and tag three styles max per item.
Depop’s fees are lower than Poshmark (10 % total), but buyer volume leans Gen Z. Great for streetwear or Y2K aesthetic.
Facebook Marketplace: Local First, Then National
I ignored Marketplace for a year because it felt “casual.” Big mistake. Once I added Facebook shipping in late 2023, my sell-through rate for home goods and electronics hit 54 %.
The catch: Messages. Endless “Is this available?” spam.
To filter it, I set pre-approved responses and moved serious buyers to checkout quickly. For bulky items or furniture, it’s still the best Mercari alternative.
Whatnot: Live Auctions and Impulse Energy
I joined Whatnot in April 2024 after watching other sellers flip Funko Pops in real time.
It’s chaotic but fun. Sales happen during live streams; viewers bid fast.
My first live brought $280 in one hour — then zero sales for a week after.
Consistency is everything. Go live three times weekly or don’t bother.
Fees run ~11 %, but buyers pay instantly. Think of it as QVC for resellers.
Vinted (US Beta): Quiet but Growing
Vinted arrived late to the U.S. but crushed in Europe. I used a VPN to test the beta in 2024.
Shipping integration is smooth; fees are low (5 % avg).
Downside: Limited buyer pool so far.
Still, for Zara, H&M, and European labels, it’s the closest thing to Mercari’s simplicity.
Here’s Where It Gets Interesting: Cross-Listing Across Apps
Running separate accounts for each platform was madness until I added automation.
Cross-listing apps like Closo, Vendoo, and List Perfectly let me duplicate listings to every marketplace in seconds.
When I synced inventory through Closo in June 2024, my average weekly sales jumped 33 %.
Because every item was now visible to different buyer segments without extra labor.
Tools I use daily:
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Closo Crosslister — sync + auto-delist on sale.
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Vendoo — analytics and profit tracking.
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Canva — photo cleanup and templates.
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Google Sheets — inventory log by SKU.
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PirateShip — discounted shipping labels.
Honest Failure: The Week Everything Desynced
August 2024 — Mercari changed its API and my manual cross-listings failed to delist.
Two buyers paid for the same pair of Nike Dunks. Refunded one and ate $110 loss.
Since then, I only cross-list through verified automation (like Closo’s official Mercari integration).
Lesson: automation is only safe when it talks directly to marketplace APIs.
Comparison Table: Mercari vs Similar Apps
| Platform | Ease of Use | Fees | Mobile Experience | Cross-List Friendly | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercari | ★★★★★ | 12.9 % | Excellent | ✅ | Casual resellers |
| Poshmark | ★★★★ | 20 % | Great | ✅ | Apparel |
| eBay | ★★★☆ | 13 % + fees | Good | ✅ | Electronics |
| Depop | ★★★★ | 10 % | Excellent | ✅ | Streetwear |
| Facebook Marketplace | ★★★ | 5 % | Good | ❌ | Local goods |
| Whatnot | ★★★ | 11 % | Fair | ❌ | Live sales |
| Vinted | ★★★☆ | 5 % | Good | ❌ | EU fashion |
People Always Ask Me: “Which App Sells Fastest?”
For me, eBay. But speed depends on niche:
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Clothing → Poshmark or Depop
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Shoes → Mercari or eBay
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Vintage collectibles → eBay
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Furniture → Facebook Marketplace
Cross-listing turns that either/or into a both/and.
That’s why my inventory rarely sits longer than 30 days now.
Common Question I See: “Are Cross-Listing Apps Safe?”
Yes — if they’re API-integrated. Avoid browser extensions that mimic clicks (violates TOS).
Closo and Vendoo run secure OAuth connections with eBay and Mercari directly.
Security matters once you scale. Losing accounts is worse than losing sales.
Honest Opinion: Mercari vs Its Alternatives
Mercari still wins on mobile speed and buyer trust.
But if you want volume, cross-listing is non-negotiable.
The best strategy I’ve found is to treat Mercari as your entry point — not your ceiling.
How Closo Fits Into the Mix
Once I connected Closo to my reseller stack (around March 2024), it became the hub.
Mercari lists sync to eBay, Poshmark, and Depop automatically.
Price adjustments follow market data from Google Trends and Closo’s Demand Score.
I use Closo to automate cross-listing and repricing — saves about three hours weekly and keeps my inventory synced without manual checks.
That single integration cut my error rate to zero.
Honest Limitation: Each App Has Its Ceiling
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Mercari caps search visibility for older listings.
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Poshmark demands daily sharing.
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eBay requires precision and patience.
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Depop depends on aesthetic consistency.
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Facebook relies on local logistics.
So don’t “pick the best.” Pick the combination that aligns with how you work.
Here’s What I Learned After 3,000 Listings
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Listing speed beats perfection.
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Photos sell items, not descriptions.
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Cross-listing is leverage, not complexity.
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Automation pays for itself within weeks.
When I finally stopped treating apps as rivals and started treating them as distribution channels, my income stabilized.
Final Thoughts
Finding apps similar to Mercari is less about replacement and more about reach.
Every marketplace pulls a different audience — and cross-listing turns that diversity into predictable sales.
If you’re just starting, stick to two apps. If you’re scaling, connect five through automation.
Because in 2025, reselling isn’t about where you list — it’s about how fast you sync.
Worth Reading
Dive deeper with Vendoo Cross Listing: Complete Guide to Smarter Crossposting and Flyp Reseller Tools: How I Actually Used Crosslisting Apps to Scale Faster inside the Closo Seller Hub for real-world automation workflows.