Vinted vs. Depop: Which Secondhand Platform is Right for You?

Vinted vs. Depop: The Ultimate Showdown for Buyers & Sellers

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In the bustling world of secondhand fashion, two platforms consistently dominate the conversation: Vinted and Depop. Both offer a treasure trove of pre-loved clothing, but they cater to different styles, sellers, and shoppers. If you’re wondering what is depop and vinted and which app deserves a spot on your phone, you’ve come to the right place. This comprehensive guide breaks down the ultimate depop vs vinted debate to help you decide where to list your items or find your next favorite outfit.

We’ll dive deep into the fees, user experience, audience, and unique features of each platform. Whether you’re a seasoned reseller or just looking to clear out your closet, understanding the nuances between them is key to your success.

Table of Contents

At a Glance: Vinted vs. Depop Quick Comparison

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, here’s a quick overview of the key difference between depop and vinted.

Feature Vinted Depop
Best For Everyday fashion, decluttering, bargain hunting. Vintage, streetwear, unique, and Y2K styles.
Seller Fees None. Sellers keep 100% of their listing price. 10% Depop fee + transaction fees.
Buyer Fees Mandatory Buyer Protection Fee (variable %). None (seller fees are often priced in).
Vibe Digital car-boot sale, casual, practical. Curated online boutique, trendy, social media feel.
Shipping Buyer pays; integrated shipping labels are common. Seller often arranges and pays (or charges extra).
Audience Broad, including families and casual shoppers. Gen Z, fashion-forward, trend-conscious.

The Core Difference: Vibe and Target Audience

The most significant distinction in the vinted vs depop debate is the atmosphere. They are two different worlds.

Vinted is your friendly neighborhood digital thrift store. It’s a massive marketplace focused on clearing out closets and giving everyday clothes a second life. The vibe is practical and value-driven. You’ll find everything from high-street brands like Zara and H&M to kids’ clothes and household items. The question of what sells best on vinted is often answered with well-known brands, childrenswear, and good-condition basics that people search for by name. It’s less about curating a cool aesthetic and more about shifting unwanted items quickly and easily.

Depop, on the other hand, is the cool kid’s curated closet. It functions more like Instagram, with a heavy emphasis on aesthetics, photography, and personal branding. It’s the hub for vintage finds, rare streetwear, Y2K fashion, and one-of-a-kind, altered pieces. Sellers on Depop are often "Depop famous," building a following based on their unique style. If you’re selling niche, trendy, or high-demand vintage items, you’ll likely find that what sells better depop or vinted is, well, Depop.

Fees and Earnings: Who Takes a Bigger Cut?

For sellers, the fee structure is arguably the most critical factor when considering depop or vinted for selling.

Vinted’s primary selling point is its zero-fee policy for sellers. You list an item for £10, you get £10. This is a game-changer for casual sellers. The cost is passed to the buyer through a mandatory "Buyer Protection Fee," which typically includes a fixed amount plus a percentage of the item’s price. This model encourages lower listing prices, as sellers don’t need to inflate costs to cover fees. Many will argue this is why is vinted better than depop for those just starting out.

Depop operates on a more traditional model. Sellers are charged a 10% commission on the total transaction value (including shipping). On top of that, there’s a payment processing fee from either Depop Payments or PayPal. While these fees eat into your profit, Depop’s audience is often willing to pay more for curated and in-demand items, which can offset the cost. For serious resellers, the higher price potential can make Depop more lucrative despite the fees. So, is depop or vinted better for sellers? It truly depends on your inventory and profit goals.

The Buying Experience: Searching for a Bargain

From a buyer’s perspective, the choice between vinted or depop depends on what you’re looking for.

If you’re a bargain hunter, Vinted is your paradise. The no-seller-fee structure leads to incredibly competitive pricing. It’s not uncommon to find high-street items for just a few pounds. The search function is straightforward, letting you filter by brand, size, and condition. While you have to pay the Buyer Protection Fee, the final price often still comes out lower. Answering is depop or vinted cheaper is easy: Vinted almost always is for comparable items.

Shopping on Depop is more of an exploration. It’s less about finding a specific item at the lowest price and more about discovering unique pieces. You follow sellers whose style you admire and browse curated collections. Prices are generally higher to account for the item’s rarity, the seller’s effort in sourcing and styling, and the platform’s fees. If you want a specific vintage band tee or a pair of rare trainers, Depop is the place to look. Therefore, is depop or vinted better for buying depends entirely on whether your priority is price or style.

Ease of Use: Listing and Managing Your Shop

Both platforms are mobile-first and relatively user-friendly, but they have different strengths.

Vinted offers a simple, utilitarian interface. Listing an item is a quick, step-by-step process that can be done in minutes. The platform provides helpful prompts for sizing, brands, and conditions. For sellers, the availability of vinted seller tools is focused on efficiency and simplicity.

Depop requires more effort to create a successful shop. Because it’s so visual, high-quality photos, detailed descriptions with relevant hashtags, and a consistent aesthetic are crucial. Building a brand and engaging with followers is part of the experience. A sophisticated depop selling tool or strategy often involves modeling the clothes, creating a cohesive feed, and understanding trend cycles. Many sellers find it takes more work, but the payoff can be greater.

Shipping Logistics: A Seller’s Guide

Shipping is handled quite differently across the platforms, a key point in the depop vs vinted uk comparison.

Vinted has streamlined the process with integrated shipping. When a buyer makes a purchase, they choose and pay for a shipping option at checkout. Vinted then provides the seller with a prepaid shipping label. All the seller has to do is print it, pack the item, and drop it at the designated location (like an InPost locker or Evri ParcelShop). This system is incredibly convenient and removes the guesswork for sellers.

Depop traditionally gave sellers more autonomy. You could set your own shipping prices and choose your carrier. While this offers flexibility, it also adds a layer of complexity. However, "Ship with Depop" now provides a more integrated option similar to Vinted’s, but many sellers still handle shipping independently.

User Base and Popularity: A Global Perspective

When it comes to sheer numbers, the question of who has more users vinted or depop has a clear answer. Vinted officially reports having a significantly larger global user base than Depop. This means a potentially wider audience for your items. Is depop or vinted bigger? Globally, Vinted takes the lead.

However, popularity is regional and demographic-specific. For instance, is depop or vinted more popular in uk? Both are incredibly popular, but Depop has a very strong foothold with the Gen Z and student populations, while Vinted’s user base is broader across all age groups. In other regions, the balance can shift; for example, the conversation around depop popularity poland compared to vinted often shows Vinted having a much stronger market presence. So, while Vinted has more users overall, Depop might have more of the right users for your specific style of clothing.

Safety & Support: How Your Transactions Are Protected

Both platforms have protection policies in place to secure transactions, but they work a bit differently.

Vinted’s Buyer Protection is automatically applied to every purchase. It covers buyers if an item doesn’t arrive, is damaged, or is significantly not as described. Buyers must raise an issue within a specific timeframe to be eligible for a refund.

Depop offers Depop Protection for transactions made through its native payment system. If you use PayPal, you are covered by PayPal’s Seller and Buyer Protection. Both systems offer a robust way to dispute issues, and many users feel secure on either platform. The question of is depop or vinted safer doesn’t have a definitive winner; both offer solid protection, provided you follow their rules and keep all communication and transactions within the app.

Using Both: The Art of Cross-Listing

Why choose? Many savvy sellers use both platforms to maximize their reach. This strategy, known as cross-listing, involves listing your items on Vinted and Depop simultaneously.

This allows you to tap into two distinct audiences. A basic top from Zara might sell faster on Vinted, while a vintage jacket could fetch a higher price on Depop. The key is to manage your inventory carefully and remove a sold item from one platform as soon as it sells on the other. Tools and guides on how to crosslist from depop to vinted are available online, but it can also be done manually. You can essentially perform a depop to vinted or vinted to depop transfer of your listings to see where they perform best. Some sellers even try to import vinted to depop using third-party apps, though this should be approached with caution.

The Wider Marketplace: Vinted & Depop Competitors

While this article focuses on the vinted depop rivalry, it’s worth noting they aren’t the only players. The landscape of vinted competitors and depop competitors is vast.

  • Poshmark: A major competitor, especially in North America. The vinted vs depop vs poshmark debate often centers on Poshmark’s social features ("Posh Parties") and its 20% commission fee.
  • eBay: The original online marketplace. The vinted vs depop vs ebay comparison highlights eBay’s massive, diverse audience but also its more complex fee structure and listing process.
  • Mercari: Similar to Vinted in its focus on decluttering, the vinted vs mercari discussion often points to Mercari’s simple interface and competitive seller fees.

Other platforms like Grailed (for menswear) and Vestiaire Collective (for luxury) also serve niche markets.

Final Verdict: Should I Use Vinted or Depop?

So, after all that, is vinted or depop better? The honest answer is: it depends entirely on you.

Choose Vinted if:

  • You want to sell without paying any fees.
  • You are selling high-street brands, kids’ clothes, or everyday items.
  • You prioritize a quick, easy listing and shipping process.
  • You are a buyer looking for the absolute lowest price.

Choose Depop if:

  • You are selling vintage, streetwear, or unique, trendy items.
  • You enjoy the creative process of styling, photography, and building a brand.
  • Your items have a higher price potential that justifies the 10% seller fee.
  • You are a buyer looking for curated, hard-to-find pieces and are willing to pay more for them.

Ultimately, the debate over which is better depop or vinted is personal. The best approach might be to try listing a few different types of items on both platforms to see what works for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are depop and vinted the same?
No. While both are secondhand clothing apps, they are not the same. They have different fee structures, target audiences, and platform aesthetics. Vinted is more for casual decluttering with no seller fees, while Depop is a curated, style-focused marketplace with a 10% seller fee.

How is depop different to vinted?
Depop is different primarily in its focus on curated style (vintage, Y2K, streetwear) and its social, brand-building features. Vinted is more of a straightforward marketplace for everyday items. The biggest practical difference is the fee structure: sellers pay a 10% fee on Depop, whereas selling is free on Vinted.

Is it better to sell on depop or vinted?
It depends on what you’re selling. For everyday high-street brands and decluttering, Vinted’s no-fee model is often better. For unique, vintage, or trendy items that command higher prices, Depop’s style-savvy audience can be more profitable, even with the fees. The question of is depop or vinted better for selling clothes hinges on the type of clothes.

Do things sell faster on vinted or depop?
This varies greatly. In-demand, fairly priced basics can sell in hours on Vinted due to its large user base. Trendy, well-photographed items can sell just as quickly on Depop. There’s no single answer to what sells faster vinted or depop, as it depends on the item, price, and photography.

What came first vinted or depop?
Vinted was founded first. Vinted was launched in 2008 in Lithuania, while Depop was founded in Italy in 2011.

Which is better for sellers depop or vinted?
For maximizing profit on every sale, Vinted is technically better as sellers keep 100% of the price. However, for professional resellers with niche inventory, Depop can be better as it allows for higher pricing and brand building. So, which is better for sellers depop or vinted is subjective to the seller’s business model.

What sells better vinted or depop?
Generally, everyday brands, kids’ clothes, and practical items sell better on Vinted. Vintage, designer, streetwear, and unique Y2K-style items sell better on Depop.

Is depop or vinted more popular?
Vinted has more registered users globally. However, in certain demographics, particularly among Gen Z in the UK and US, Depop has a very strong and "cool" cultural presence, making it feel more popular within those circles.