The best Autotrader alternatives we’ve tried (top 5)
Autotrader is the biggest car buying and selling website in the UK, and attracts millions of users every year. However, as good as Autotrader is, it's often worth considering an alternative website if you're looking for the best deal. We wanted to round up the best Autotrader alternatives that we've found, based on our experiences and third-party reviews from sites like Trustpilot. Let's get into it:
We Buy Any Car
Aside from having perhaps the catchiest advert jingle of all time, We Buy Any Car also happens to be a really excellent and useful site for selling cars too, and is definitely more of a specialist site for selling compared to Autotrader. Where Autotrader tries to be a website for both buying and selling cars, We Buy Any Car focuses on just the selling side of things, and we definitely find We Buy Any Car easier to use than Autotrader in this regard - all the We Buy Any Car asks for to give you a quote is your registration plate, whereas Autotrader needs your mileage and postcode to give you a quote. We definitely think that if you're selling your car, We Buy Any Car is a better choice than Autotrader. Learn more here - webuyanycar.com
Cazoo
Cazoo has grown hugely in popularity over the past couple of years, partly helped by catchy adverts and high profile celebrity endorsements, but also in part due to how good the service is. The main thing we noticed about Cazoo compared to Autotrader is that Cazoo asks for much less information before matching you with potential cars to buy - Autotrader asks for a minimum price you'd be willing to spend (which seems a bit redundant), whereas Cazoo only needs a make, model, and maximum price. And similar to We Buy Any Car, Cazoo only needs your reg plate to give you a quote for selling your car. Learn more here - cazoo.co.uk
Facebook Marketplace
We'll admit that buying or selling your car via Autotrader definitely feels a bit more polished and a bit less risky than buying via Facebook Marketplace, but you'll never unearth a gem on Autotrader in the way that you can with Facebook Marketplace. The search function within the 'Vehicles' section on Facebook Marketplace is surprisingly good and allows you to get pretty granular with all kinds of specific criteria. If you're looking to a buy a car then you'll definitely have to do a bit more sifting on Facebook Marketplace compared to Autotrader, but if you've got the time then you'll almost always find a better deal on here than Autotrader. Facebook Marketplace is less good for selling your car as you get so many timewasters, and Autotrader is really good at helping avoid those. Learn more here - facebook.com
Motorway.co.uk
Again, Motorway.co.uk is only for selling your car, and again all it asks for is your reg plate number to provide you with an instant free quote. We like how truly free Motorway.co.uk is to use - no hidden fees, free collection, and free to sell. Autotrader can be anywhere from around £30 to several hundred pounds depending on the value of your car. Motorway.co.uk also has a very impressive 'Excellent' rating on Trustpilot. Learn more here - motorway.co.uk
Motors.co.uk
Motors.co.uk is a smaller brand compared to all of the others we've included in this list, but this brand is quickly growing in popularity. The search function is very similar to Autotrader, in that it asks you for almost exactly the same things and there is the option to provide more detailed specifications such as the bodystyle and mileage you're looking for. However, what we really liked about Motors.co.uk was the 'Smart Search' function which is great for people who aren't sure what sort of car they're looking to buy and need some inspiration. Motors.co.uk doesn't have as many cars to buy as Autotrader - about half as many - but we definitely think the search function allows you to get better recommendations. Learn more here - motors.co.uk
So as you can see, there are plenty of excellent Autotrader alternatives out there that we recommend you try. Let us know if you've tried any of these or if you have any other recommendations!
Finn H
Finn is the editor of You Well and has been writing about travel, health, and more for over 10 years.