Freegle vs Freecycle
Freecycle is the original free-reuse network, started in the US back in 2003. Freegle actually grew out of it. We were set up in 2009 by the UK volunteers who wanted something run here, for here.
Which should you use?
Same lovely idea, both free, neither lets you sell. In the UK, Freegle tends to have more members, UK-based volunteers and support, and, we’d like to think, a nicer website and apps. Outside the UK, Freecycle is your option.
What’s a bit different about Freegle
We’re UK-only, and that’s rather the point. The volunteers, the support, and the people who answer when something goes wrong are all here. Freecycle is a worldwide network with the UK as one corner of it.
Freecycle works on towns: you find yours, join it, and that’s your patch, up to five of them if you live near a boundary. We don’t make you guess. Your post starts near you and spreads outwards along the roads if nobody nearby takes it, so somebody two streets the wrong side of a town boundary still gets a look in, without having had to join the right list first.
We build our own website and apps and keep chipping away at them. Freecycle has never had an official app of its own, so people tend to use a third-party one or plain email.
In short
| Freegle | Freecycle | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it works | UK | Worldwide |
| Started | 2009, by UK volunteers | 2003, in the US |
| Run by | A UK charity | A US-based non-profit |
| Cost | Free, no selling | Free, no selling |
Questions people ask
Is Freegle the same as Freecycle?
No. Freegle is a separate UK charity, set up in 2009 by former UK Freecycle volunteers.
Which one covers my UK town?
Almost certainly Freegle. Most UK towns have a Freegle community.
Are both free?
Yes, both are completely free and neither allows selling.
Got a question we haven’t covered? Have a look at our help section.
Honestly, we just like seeing things reused instead of binned. If the other lot work better for you, grand, use them with our blessing. And if you fancy giving Freegle a go too, come and say hello.