Freegle
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
Freegle firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Freegle
- Legal name
- Freegle
- Website
- https://ilovefreegle.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Freegle is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Freegle business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others
Revenue model
- Donations: Freegle is a registered charity (HMRC ref. XT32865) funded by donations from users and supporters
- Partnerships: Strategic partnerships with organizations that share Freegle's mission may contribute operational support
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free platform for all users |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
Freegle product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Freegle operates a free, UK-only online reuse marketplace where individual users can post OFFERs to give away unwanted household items or WANTED requests to find free items locally. The platform is accessible via a website, native iOS and Android apps, and email, using a geographic spread algorithm that propagates posts along roads if no nearby recipient is found. The service is volunteer-moderated, completely free to use, and operated as a registered UK charity funded by donations.
Product overview
Freegle operates a free reuse marketplace connecting people who want to give away items with those who need them. The offering consists of a unified platform available through a website, native iOS and Android mobile apps, and email-based community access. Users can post OFFERs (items to give away) or WANTED requests (items they're looking for), with posts appearing in their local community. The platform uses location-based matching where posts start nearby and spread outward along roads if no one nearby claims them. Freegle's core value proposition is that everything is always free with no selling, no listing fees, and active volunteer moderation to keep the community safe.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Freegle Website Platform Primary web platform enabling UK users to post and browse free local item offers and wanted requests, with volunteer moderation and geographic spread of posts along roads.
- Freegle iOS App Native iOS mobile application that lets users post, browse and manage free local item listings on the go.
- Freegle Android App Native Android application available on Google Play Store for posting, browsing and managing free item listings.
- Email-Based Community Access Email-based access channel allowing users to participate in Freegle communities by posting and receiving listings via email rather than the website or apps.
Quantifiable outcome
- Keeping usable items out of landfill
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Freegle
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Freegle technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability2 records
Feature1 record
Freegle partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- LoveJunkcoreFreegle shares free offers over to LoveJunk so their users can see them and reply. When users offer something free on Freegle, it is automatically shared to LoveJunk. The relationship is one-way: Freegle to LoveJunk content sharing. This extends reach of free items to LoveJunk's user base.
- Trash NothingminorTrash Nothing is a separate, ad-funded app that displays Freegle posts alongside other networks. Freegle posts are automatically shared to Trash Nothing, reaching their users. Trash Nothing operates independently with different business model.
- KrystalminorKrystal is a UK-based hosting provider that supports Freegle. Displayed as a 'Kindly supported by' sponsor, providing infrastructure support for the platform.
- Mythic BeastsminorMythic Beasts is a hosting provider that supports Freegle. Displayed as a 'Kindly supported by' sponsor, providing infrastructure support for the platform.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Freegle competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Streetbank: UK neighborhood sharing platform focused on lending and giving items locally. Smaller scale than Freegle but overlapping mission of hyperlocal, free reuse between neighbors.
- Warp It: UK reuse platform aimed at organisations and public-sector bodies redeploying internal assets. Adjacent to Freegle's council-and-business partnership motion; serves institutions rather than consumers but operates in the same UK reuse value chain.
Broad incumbents
- Gumtree: UK classifieds platform with a free-items section. Overlaps with Freegle on UK local listings but is a broad horizontal classifieds site rather than a curated, charity-run reuse network.
- Nextdoor: UK neighborhood social network with a 'For Sale & Free' section. Comparable local-discovery use case and UK coverage, though adjacent rather than a direct reuse-first platform.
- Facebook Marketplace: Massive-scale generalist marketplace that includes a free-items category and built-in social distribution. Offers a much larger audience than Freegle but lacks charity positioning, free-only curation, and volunteer moderation.
Direct peers
- Freecycle Network: The original global free-reuse network that Freegle's UK founders split from in 2009. Most directly comparable in mission (free local reuse), moderation model, and target audience, though Freecycle remains global and Freegle is UK-only.
- Olio: UK-based sharing app for free food and household items between neighbors. Comparable free-only model with mobile-first UX, UK coverage, and a circular-economy mission that closely overlaps with Freegle's.
- LoveJunk: UK platform connecting people with licensed waste carriers for bulky item collection. Direct integration partner of Freegle and operates in the same UK free-reuse/waste-prevention space, though monetized through carrier leads rather than donations.
- Trash Nothing: Ad-funded app that aggregates free listings across multiple reuse networks including Freegle. Comparable free-item exchange use case; differs in business model (ad-funded) and cross-network aggregation.
Regional players
- Craigslist: Global classifieds platform with a free section, but primarily US-focused. Comparable free-listings use case but not a UK competitor; serves as a benchmark for global reuse-classifieds dynamics.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Freegle social profiles
Digital presenceFreegle financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Freegle leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Freegle funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Freegle 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 Freegle
What does Freegle do?
Freegle operates a free, UK-only online reuse marketplace where individual users can post OFFERs to give away unwanted household items or WANTED requests to find free items locally. The platform is accessible via a website, native iOS and Android apps, and email, using a geographic spread algorithm that propagates posts along roads if no nearby recipient is found. The service is volunteer-moderated, completely free to use, and operated as a registered UK charity funded by donations.
Is Freegle a public or private company?
Freegle is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Freegle founded?
Freegle was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Freegle based?
Freegle is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Freegle make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are partnerships.
Who are Freegle's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Streetbank and Warp It. Broad incumbents are Gumtree, Nextdoor and Facebook Marketplace. Direct peers are Freecycle Network, Olio, LoveJunk and Trash Nothing. Craigslist is listed as a regional player.
Does Freegle have an API?
No public API is recorded for Freegle.