Gumtree
Gumtree is a UK-based online classifieds marketplace founded in 2000, connecting 10 million monthly users to buy, sell, and trade goods, vehicles, property, jobs, services, and pets. Owned by Ocean Link and 58.com since September 2024, the platform is transitioning from classified ads to a fully transactional marketplace via integrated payments and delivery.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Gumtree does
Gumtree is a UK-headquartered online classifieds marketplace founded in 2000, connecting approximately 10 million monthly users to buy, sell, and trade goods, vehicles, property, services, jobs, and pets. The platform operates as a multi-category marketplace with vertical sub-brands including Gumtree Motors (automotive), Gumtree Pets, and broad property/services/jobs categories, generating roughly 30,000 new listings and 600,000 daily active users each day. Following acquisition by Asian private equity firm Ocean Link and Chinese classifieds operator 58.com in September 2024, Gumtree has been undergoing a deliberate platform transformation from a traditional classified ads model to a fully transactional marketplace, anchored by integrated payment (Mangopay wallet), delivery (Evri, ShipStation API), trust (HPI vehicle history checks, Business Seller Verification), and buyer protection services launched in late 2025.
The underlying technology stack combines a web platform with native iOS and Android applications, third-party integrations for payments and shipping, AI-assisted search relevance and ad optimization, and FCA-regulated credit/insurance broking rails. Gumtree monetizes through a diversified revenue model including listing fees for business sellers, Buyer Protection fees on transactions, promoted listings advertising, and fixed-fee commissions from auto finance (CarMoney) and insurance (Confused.com) referrals. Distribution is primarily self-serve via organic search, mobile apps, and community word-of-mouth, complemented by a subscription-based dealer model for its automotive platforms in both the UK and Australia.
Operationally, Gumtree employs 501-1000 staff primarily based in London Waterloo, with the registered entity Gumtree.com Limited headquartered at 27 Old Gloucester Street, London. The company serves both consumer-to-consumer peer-to-peer transactions and business-to-consumer segments, and is positioning to capture material share of the UK recommerce market projected to reach £12.4 billion by 2028. Strategic ownership under 58.com brings classifieds expertise from one of the world's most visited generalist marketplaces, with ongoing infrastructure investment signaling a transition toward higher take-rate transactional revenue.
Gumtree firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gumtree
- Legal name
- Gumtree.com Limited
- Website
- https://gumtree.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Gumtree is a UK-based online classifieds marketplace founded in 2000, connecting 10 million monthly users to buy, sell, and trade goods, vehicles, property, jobs, services, and pets. Owned by Ocean Link and 58.com since September 2024, the platform is transitioning from classified ads to a fully transactional marketplace via integrated payments and delivery.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Gumtree is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Gumtree business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Listing Fees (Business Sellers): Gumtree charges fees for business sellers listing items, particularly in the Pets category and for commercial listings.
- Buyer Protection Fees: A Buyer Protection fee is added to each eligible transaction at checkout, calculated at checkout and shown on the Ad. Covers secure payment processing with funds held until delivery is confirmed, dedicated customer support for disputes, and fraud prevention.
- Promoted Listings: Sellers can pay for enhanced display and placement of their ads in search and browse results. Fees for promotion vary.
- Credit Broking Referrals: Gumtree acts as a credit broker, referring customers to CarMoney Limited for auto financing. Receives fixed fee commission up to an agreed number of leads plus additional commission above that level.
- Insurance Broking Referrals: Gumtree refers users to Inspop.com Ltd T/A Confused.com for insurance products and receives fixed fee commission.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free listing for private vehicle sellers |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Buyer Protection Fee |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Delivery Fees |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Gumtree product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gumtree operates a multi-category online classifieds marketplace connecting approximately 10 million UK monthly users to buy, sell, and trade goods, vehicles, property, services, pets, and jobs. The platform supports free listings for private vehicle sellers, paid business listings, promoted ad placements, and integrated payment (Mangopay) and delivery (Evri, ShipStation) infrastructure to enable fully transactional marketplace transactions.
Product overview
Gumtree is a UK-based online classifieds marketplace operating as a multi-category platform connecting 10 million monthly users to buy, sell, and trade goods, services, property, and vehicles. The core platform (Gumtree Marketplace) is structured around vertical sub-brands including Gumtree Motors for automotive, Gumtree Pets for animal rehoming, and property/services/jobs categories. The company is undergoing significant platform evolution from a traditional classified ads model toward a fully transactional marketplace, enabled by recent additions including Delivery on Gumtree (integrated shipping via Evri and ShipStation), Mangopay wallet-based payments, and Business Seller Verification. Supporting the marketplace are complementary content and utility modules: Gumtree Car Guides for automotive research, Gumtree Lifestyle for editorial content, and Gumtree Mobile Apps for on-the-go access. The platform also offers trust and safety tools including HPI vehicle history checks, fraud detection, and human content moderation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Gumtree Marketplace Multi-category online classifieds marketplace connecting 10 million UK monthly users to buy, sell, and trade items and services across vehicles, property, jobs, services, pets, and general goods. Supports both online transactions (via integrated payment and delivery) and local meetups.
- Gumtree Motors Automotive vertical within Gumtree featuring car listings, motorbikes, vans, campervans, caravans, trucks, and related accessories and parts. Includes HPI vehicle history checks for trust.
- Gumtree Pets Pet marketplace section featuring categories for dogs, cats, birds, fish, small furries, exotics, and horses and ponies. Includes pets for sale, rehoming services, equipment and accessories, and lost and found pet listings.
- Delivery on Gumtree Integrated delivery and payment service enabling users to buy and sell items completely online with secure nationwide shipping across the UK. Supports pick-up point options and multiple carrier integrations (Evri, ShipStation).
- Sell My Car Free online car listing service for private sellers on one of the UK's largest private motors markets. Partners with HPI for vehicle history checks to provide buyers with confidence.
- Gumtree for Business Business seller verification program and services helping business users trade with greater confidence on the platform, including dedicated support and business-specific features and listing fees.
- Gumtree Mobile Apps iOS and Android mobile applications enabling users to access Gumtree marketplace features including posting ads, messaging buyers/sellers, and managing listings on-the-go.
- Gumtree Car Guides Comprehensive automotive resource hub offering car reviews, buying guides, best-of lists, and expert advice to help users research and purchase vehicles.
- Mangopay Wallet Payment Integration Wallet-based payment system integrated through Mangopay UK Limited, enabling secure payment processing, holding, payouts, refunds, and fund transfers for marketplace transactions.
- ShipStation Delivery Integration API-based shipping integration through ShipStation enabling sellers to manage shipping directly on the platform with access to multiple carriers, automated label creation, and real-time tracking.
Quantifiable outcome
- 93% year-on-year rise in enquiries for pre-owned PS5s following Sony price hike
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Gumtree
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Gumtree technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
AI capability1 record
Feature5 records
Gumtree partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- ShipStationcoreStrategic multi-year partnership to integrate ShipStation's API for delivery functionality. Marks Gumtree's first-ever investment in delivery infrastructure. Enables sellers to manage shipping directly on the platform, connecting to multiple carriers for automated label creation and real-time tracking. Positions Gumtree to capitalize on the UK's recommerce market projected to reach £12.4 billion by 2028. Partnership transitions Gumtree from primarily offline to fully transactional online marketplace.
- EvricorePartnership to launch integrated delivery service as part of Gumtree's transition to a fully transactional marketplace. Enables secure nationwide shipping across the UK utilizing Evri's extensive logistics network. Broader rollout planned for 2026.
- MangopaycorePartnership with Mangopay to integrate wallet-based payments, aiming to transform Gumtree into a fully transactional marketplace by 2026. Move intended to enhance transaction safety and user trust, with significant platform shift from offline to digital payments.
- HPIcorePartnership with award-winning vehicle history experts HPI to provide vehicle history reports on every car listed on the site. Cars passing the HPI Check display text next to their ad, providing reassurance that the vehicle hasn't been reported as stolen, scrapped, exported, or involved in an accident and flagged as unroadworthy.
- HomelyflagshipStrategic partnership announced by Gumtree Group CEO Tommy Logtenberg to expand Gumtree's real estate listings 20-fold through integration with Homely real estate platform.
- Consumer Credit Compliance LimitedminorGumtree.com Limited is an Appointed Representative of Consumer Credit Compliance Limited, who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 631736). The permissions allow Gumtree to undertake insurance and credit broking activities.
- CarMoney LimitedminorGumtree acts as a credit broker referring users to CarMoney Limited (FRN 674094) for auto financing. Receives fixed fee commission up to an agreed number of leads, plus additional commission for those above the agreed level.
- Confused.com (Inspop.com Ltd)minorGumtree refers users to Inspop.com Ltd T/A Confused.com (FRN 310635) for insurance products. Receives a fixed fee commission for each referral.
- Mangopay UK LimitedcorePayment service provider partnered with for secure payment processing, holding, payouts, refunds, and fund transfers under Mangopay UK Limited's terms. Users may be required to complete Know Your Customer (KYC) checks.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Gumtree competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- OLX: Global horizontal classifieds platform operating across emerging markets and Europe. Closest international analogue to Gumtree's generalist P2P model, with similar revenue mix from promoted listings and dealer subscriptions.
- Rightmove: UK's dominant property portal. Directly overlaps Gumtree's property vertical for rentals and sales, with deeper agent relationships and listing depth — making it difficult for Gumtree to scale property monetization despite the Homely partnership.
- Craigslist: Original horizontal classifieds platform. While primarily US-focused, it represents the same generalist P2P classifieds archetype that Gumtree operates in the UK, including free private listings and category-based browsing.
- Auto Trader UK: UK's leading automotive marketplace, competing directly with Gumtree Cars in vehicles. Publicly traded (LON: AUTO), it dominates serious car buyer intent with deeper dealer tools and vehicle data — squeezing Gumtree's automotive vertical monetization.
- Facebook Marketplace: Meta-operated horizontal C2C marketplace integrated into Facebook's social graph. Most direct competitor to Gumtree's generalist listing model in the UK, offering free listings with built-in identity and messaging.
Regional players
- Marktplaats: Netherlands' leading classifieds platform, also owned by Adevinta historically. Operates the same horizontal marketplace model as Gumtree but focuses on the Dutch market — useful as a regional comparable for marketplace unit economics.
Emerging players
- OpenRent: UK rental property platform offering a self-serve model for landlords competing with Gumtree's ~15,000 rental listings. Faster-growing disruptor in the rentals vertical with transparent pricing that pressures Gumtree's property category.
- Depop: Peer-to-peer fashion resale marketplace owned by Etsy. Targets Gen Z sellers competing with Gumtree's clothing and accessories categories, with a stronger social/trend-driven brand position among younger UK consumers.
- Vinted: Fast-growing recommerce platform specializing in fashion. It competes head-on with Gumtree's clothing category and has captured significant UK Gen Z and millennial resale demand with a commission-based seller-friendly model.
Broad incumbents
- eBay UK: Global transactional marketplace with strong UK presence. Historically owned Gumtree under eBay, and remains a horizontal competitor with deeper transactional infrastructure (managed payments, shipping labels) that Gumtree is now attempting to replicate.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Gumtree social profiles
Digital presenceGumtree compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Gumtree financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gumtree leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Gumtree funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gumtree M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Gumtree
What does Gumtree do?
Gumtree operates a multi-category online classifieds marketplace connecting approximately 10 million UK monthly users to buy, sell, and trade goods, vehicles, property, services, pets, and jobs. The platform supports free listings for private vehicle sellers, paid business listings, promoted ad placements, and integrated payment (Mangopay) and delivery (Evri, ShipStation) infrastructure to enable fully transactional marketplace transactions.
Is Gumtree a public or private company?
Gumtree is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Gumtree founded?
Gumtree was founded in 2000. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Gumtree based?
Gumtree is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Gumtree make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Listing Fees (Business Sellers) is the primary driver. The others are buyer Protection Fees, promoted Listings, credit Broking Referrals and insurance Broking Referrals.
Who are Gumtree's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are OLX, Rightmove, Craigslist, Auto Trader UK and Facebook Marketplace. Marktplaats is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are OpenRent, Depop and Vinted. eBay UK is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Gumtree have an API?
Yes. ShipStation API integration enabling Gumtree sellers to manage shipping directly on the platform, connecting to multiple carriers for automated label creation and real-time tracking. This is Gumtree's first investment in delivery infrastructure via API, transitioning from a primarily offline service to a fully transactional online marketplace.