Depop vs. ThredUp: Best Choice for Consignment and Resale

Depop vs. ThredUp: Which Online Thrift Store Is Best for You?

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The world of online thrifting is booming, offering a sustainable and budget-friendly way to refresh your wardrobe. But with so many options, choosing the right platform can be overwhelming. Two of the biggest names in the game are Depop and ThredUp, and while both help you buy and sell secondhand clothes, they operate in fundamentally different ways. The depop vs thredup debate often comes down to one simple question: do you want convenience or control?

Whether you’re looking to clean out your closet for some extra cash or hunt for your next favorite outfit, this guide will break down everything you need to know. We’ll compare the selling process, buying experience, fees, and unique features of each platform to help you decide which is the best platform to sell clothes for your needs.

Table of Contents

What Is ThredUp and How Does It Work?

ThredUp bills itself as the world’s largest thredup online thrift store. Think of it as a massive, streamlined online consignment service. The core of the thredup how it works model is convenience. Instead of you doing the work of selling, ThredUp does it for you.

Here’s the basic process for sellers:

  1. Order a Kit: You request a "Clean Out Kit" from their website, which is essentially a large bag with a prepaid shipping label.
  2. Fill It Up: You fill the bag with women’s and kids’ clothing, shoes, and accessories from any brand that are in good condition.
  3. Send It In: You drop the bag off at a post office or with a carrier.
  4. ThredUp Takes Over: Once ThredUp receives your bag, their team handles everything. They sort, inspect, photograph, price, list, and ship the items to buyers.

For buyers, shopping on ThredUp is like browsing any other major online retailer. The site features professional, standardized photos and a massive inventory with up to 90% off estimated retail prices. It’s one of the most popular websites like thredup for those who love a good deal without the P2P hassle.

What Is Depop and How Does It Work?

Depop, on the other hand, is a peer-to-peer (P2P) social marketplace. If ThredUp is an online consignment store, Depop is like a curated, shoppable Instagram feed. Sellers are individual entrepreneurs who create and manage their own shops.

Here’s how depop works for sellers:

  1. Take Photos: You photograph your items, often modeling them to show the fit and style.
  2. Write a Listing: You write a creative description, set your own price, and add relevant hashtags.
  3. Manage Your Shop: You communicate directly with potential buyers, answer questions, and negotiate prices.
  4. Ship It Out: Once an item sells, you are responsible for packing and shipping it to the buyer.

For buyers, is depop safe to buy from is a common question. The platform has buyer protection policies in place, but the experience is more personal and relies heavily on individual seller reputation and depop reviews. It’s the go-to app for finding unique, vintage, streetwear, and Y2K-style pieces directly from other fashion lovers. For many, it’s the best site to sell vintage clothes.

The Selling Experience: ThredUp vs. Depop

Your experience as a seller is where these two platforms differ the most. Choosing the right one is crucial for maximizing your earnings and minimizing your effort. This is often the core of the thredup vs poshmark vs depop discussion.

Selling on ThredUp: The Hassle-Free Option

If the idea of photographing, listing, and shipping sounds like a chore, ThredUp is your answer. It is arguably the easiest website to sell clothes.

  • Effort: Extremely low. The entire process of how to sell on thredup is designed to be hands-off. You just fill a bag and send it in; ThredUp does the rest. It’s perfect for anyone wanting to declutter their entire closet at once.
  • Control: Very low. ThredUp’s proprietary algorithms set the prices based on brand, quality, and past sales data. While you have a 12-hour window after processing to adjust the listing price, you don’t control the photography or description.
  • Payouts & Fees: Your earnings are a percentage of the final selling price. This ranges from 3-15% for items under $20 to as high as 80% for items over $200. A service fee (currently $14.99 for a standard bag) is deducted from your total earnings once items sell. If you earn less than the fee, you aren’t charged the difference.
  • What Sells: ThredUp is one of the companies like thredup that accepts a huge range of items. They take in over 55,000 brands, from Gap to Gucci. According to their selling guide, in-season items, handbags, shoes, and popular mall brands like J.Crew, Madewell, and Lululemon do very well. Does thredup take shoes? Yes, it does.

Selling on Depop: The Creative Entrepreneur’s Choice

If you have a distinct style, enjoy creative marketing, and want full control over your sales, Depop is the best platform to sell clothes online for you.

  • Effort: High. Is selling on depop worth it? It can be, but it requires a significant time investment. You are the photographer, copywriter, customer service rep, and shipping department all in one.
  • Control: Total. You control every aspect of your shop: pricing, photos, descriptions, and branding. You can build a following and a reputation as a trusted seller.
  • Payouts & Fees: Depop takes a flat 10% fee from the total transaction amount (including shipping). You’ll also pay a standard transaction fee through Depop Payments or PayPal. This clear structure makes it easy to calculate your earnings.
  • What Sells: Depop is the king of trends. Vintage (90s, Y2K), streetwear, rare sneakers, handmade items, and unique, one-of-a-kind pieces thrive here. It’s one of the top clothing selling sites for younger audiences.

The Buying Experience: Shopping on Each Platform

For shoppers, the choice between depop or thredup depends on what you’re looking for and how you like to shop.

Shopping on ThredUp: The Ultimate Treasure Hunt

Shopping on ThredUp feels like browsing a massive online department store with endless racks.

  • Selection: The inventory is enormous and constantly changing, with thousands of items added daily. You can find everything from everyday basics to designer handbags.
  • Experience: It’s a traditional e-commerce experience. Items are professionally photographed on mannequins, and you can use detailed filters to narrow your search by size, brand, color, and condition.
  • Quality & Trust: Because every item is inspected by ThredUp’s team, you can be confident about the quality. Is thredup legit? Absolutely. They have clear condition descriptions ("Excellent," "Very Good," "Good") and a standard return policy, which offers peace of mind. Is thredup used clothes? Yes, it’s a marketplace for secondhand items.

Shopping on Depop: The Curated Style Edit

Shopping on Depop is a social experience. You follow sellers whose style you admire and discover items through a personalized feed.

  • Selection: The inventory is highly curated by millions of individual sellers. It’s less about finding a specific item from a specific brand and more about discovering unique pieces that fit a certain aesthetic.
  • Experience: It’s interactive and community-driven. You can message sellers to ask questions, see items styled on real people, and often negotiate prices. It’s one of the most popular apps you can sell clothes on because of this social element.
  • Quality & Trust: Quality varies from seller to seller. Trust is built on seller ratings, reviews, and clear communication. Depop offers buyer protection, but resolving issues often requires direct communication with the seller first.

At a Glance: Key Differences Between Depop and ThredUp

Feature ThredUp Depop
Business Model Online Consignment Peer-to-Peer Marketplace
Seller Effort Low (Done for you) High (DIY)
Pricing Control Low (Platform sets prices) High (Seller sets prices)
Best For Selling Mall brands, contemporary styles, kids’ clothes Vintage, streetwear, unique & trendy items
Fees for Sellers Tiered commission + service fee per bag 10% commission + transaction fee
Buyer Experience Traditional e-commerce, huge inventory Social, curated, community-focused
Return Policy Standard 14-day returns Varies by seller; platform protection

When considering poshmark vs depop vs thredup, Poshmark operates similarly to Depop as a peer-to-peer marketplace but with a slightly different community feel and fee structure, making the thredup vs poshmark comparison also centered on convenience versus control.

Who Should Choose ThredUp?

ThredUp is the best website to sell clothes on for you if:

  • You value convenience above all else.
  • You have a large number of items to sell and want to get rid of them in one go.
  • Your items are from popular, mainstream brands in good condition.
  • You don’t have the time or interest in photographing, listing, and shipping.
  • You’re a buyer looking for great deals on well-known brands and prefer a traditional, reliable shopping experience.

Ultimately, is thredup worth it? For those seeking a hassle-free way to participate in the circular economy, the answer is a resounding yes.

Who Should Choose Depop?

Depop is the best platform for selling clothes for you if:

  • You want complete control over your pricing, branding, and listings.
  • You enjoy the process of curating a shop and interacting with customers.
  • You sell vintage, unique, or trendy items that cater to a specific aesthetic.
  • You want to build a personal brand and following as a reseller.
  • You’re a buyer who loves hunting for one-of-a-kind pieces and enjoys a social, community-based shopping experience.

Alternatives to ThredUp and Depop

While these two are giants, there are other thredup competitors and apps like depop to consider:

  • Poshmark: Another major peer-to-peer marketplace. The poshmark vs thredup debate is similar to the Depop one, with Poshmark being very social and DIY.
  • The RealReal & Vestiaire Collective: For those looking for the best platform to sell designer clothes, these luxury consignment sites are the top choice.
  • eBay: The original online marketplace, great for a wide variety of items, especially vintage and collectibles.
  • Mercari: A simple P2P marketplace known for its ease of listing and broad range of categories.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Depop or ThredUp better?
Neither is definitively better; it depends on your goals. Which is better depop or thredup? Choose ThredUp for convenience and a hands-off experience. Choose Depop for control, creative freedom, and selling unique or vintage items. Is thredup or depop better for you depends entirely on what you’re selling and how much work you want to put in.

Does ThredUp have men’s clothes?
No, does thredup have men’s clothes is a common question, but the platform currently only accepts and sells women’s and kids’ clothing and accessories.

What percentage does thredup take?
What percentage does thredup take is based on a sliding scale. The payout can be as low as 3% for items under $20 and as high as 80% for items over $200. A service fee is also deducted from your total earnings per Clean Out Kit processed.

How does ThredUp get their clothes?
How does thredup get their clothes is simple: they source them directly from the public. Individuals who want to clean out their closets send their gently used items to ThredUp using the company’s Clean Out Kits.

Is ThredUp reputable?
Yes, is thredup reputable is a question many first-timers ask. It is a well-established and legitimate company, recognized as one of the largest online consignment and thrift stores in the world with millions of customers and a thorough inspection process.

Is it worth selling clothes on ThredUp?
For many, is selling on thredup worth it comes down to time versus money. You may earn less on individual items compared to selling them yourself, but you save countless hours of work. It is an excellent option for convenience and decluttering.