The best websites for selling your car

Selling your car used to mean choosing between a part-exchange offer from a dealer, a classified advert in the local paper, or a sign in the windscreen and a lot of waiting.

Today, there are far more options. You can sell directly to a car-buying service, ask dealers to bid for your car, advertise it privately, list it on an auction site or use a specialist service for a damaged or scrap car.

There is no single best website for selling every car. The right choice depends on what matters most to you: getting the highest possible price, selling quickly, avoiding private buyers, reducing hassle or getting rid of a car that no longer runs.

This is a round-up rather than a ranking. We’ve included several well-known car-selling websites, each of which may suit a different type of seller.

Quick guide: which car-selling website should you use?

The biggest trade-off is usually between price and convenience. Selling privately may bring more money, but it takes more time. You also have to handle enquiries, viewings, test drives and payment yourself. Selling to a car-buying service is usually easier, but the company or dealer buying your car still needs enough margin to sell it on.

Whichever route you choose, describe your car honestly. Online valuations and offers are usually subject to inspection, so missing damage, incomplete service history or incorrect mileage can affect the final price.

Selling your car to an online car-buying service

Online car-buying services are popular because they make the process simpler. You enter your registration, mileage and condition details, receive an offer or dealer bids, and then decide whether to go ahead.

Some services buy the car directly. Others act as marketplaces, offering your car to a network of dealers who bid for it. The dealer-auction route can create competition for your car, while direct-buying services may be quicker and more familiar.

These services can be a good option if you do not want private buyers coming to your home, do not want to negotiate in person or simply want the car sold with less effort. The trade-off is that you may not always get as much as you could by selling privately.

Selling your car privately online

Private selling gives you more control over the asking price and may produce a better return, especially if your car is desirable, well presented and sensibly priced.

The downside is that you have to do more work. You need to write the advert, take good photos, respond to enquiries, arrange viewings, handle test drives and make sure payment is secure before handing over the car.

You also need to be realistic. Private buyers can be unreliable, some will try to haggle hard, and scammers do target car sellers. Avoid large cash payments, never release the car until money is safely in your account, and make sure you complete the DVLA paperwork properly once the car is sold.

So, let’s look through some of the best websites for selling your car.

The best websites for selling your car in 2026

Motorway*

URL: motorway.co.uk

Motorway is a dealer-auction service. You enter your car’s details online, complete a vehicle profile and your car is offered to Motorway’s network of verified dealers. You can then choose whether to accept the best offer.

Motorway can suit sellers who want a more competitive process than a single direct-buyer offer, but without the work of selling privately. You still need to spend time completing the car’s profile properly, including photos, condition details, service history and any finance information.

There is no upfront listing fee. Motorway charges a success fee only if the car sells, with the amount based on the final sale price. Cars sold for less than £1,000 do not carry a fee, while higher-value cars are charged on a tiered basis.

As with any online offer, the final price can change if the car does not match the description provided. Be honest about damage, missing history, warning lights, tyre condition and any mechanical issues.

Carwow*

URL: carwow.co.uk/sell-my-car

Carwow is best known as a new car-buying platform, but it also lets you sell your current car through a dealer-bidding process.

The process is broadly similar to Motorway. You enter the car’s details, provide information about its condition and service history, and dealers bid for the car. If you accept an offer, the buyer will usually arrange collection and payment.

Carwow may appeal if you want dealers to compete for your car but do not want to place a classified advert or negotiate with private buyers. As always, the more accurately you describe the car, the less likely you are to face a price reduction when it is inspected.

Autotrader*

URL: autotrader.co.uk

Autotrader (previously Auto Trader, now all one word) remains one of the best-known places to sell a used car in the UK. It now offers more than one route: you can place a traditional private advert, or you can use its car-buying service to receive an offer from dealers.

If you want to sell privately, Autotrader gives your car a large audience. Many private buyers and used car dealers check Autotrader regularly, so a well-priced car with good photos and a clear description should get attention.

The private-sale route does mean you have to manage the process yourself. That includes arranging viewings, handling test drives, negotiating the price and making sure payment is secure before releasing the car.

Autotrader’s instant-offer style route is more convenient, but it may not deliver the same result as a carefully managed private sale. The best choice depends on how much time you want to spend and how confident you are dealing with buyers.

Exchange My Car*

URL: exchangemycar.co.uk

Exchange My Car is another online service that gathers offers from dealers based on your car’s details.

You start with your registration, mileage and contact details, then provide more information about the car’s condition, service history and any modifications. Once offers are received, you can decide whether to accept one.

If you do accept, collection is usually arranged from your home or an agreed location, with payment made by bank transfer.

As with other dealer-offer services, the important thing is accuracy. A car described as excellent but found to have damage, missing history or mechanical problems may not achieve the original online figure.

We Buy Any Car*

URL: webuyanycar.com

We Buy Any Car is the UK’s best-known online car-buying service, helped by years of TV and radio advertising.

The process starts online, where you enter your registration, mileage and vehicle details. You then receive an initial valuation and book an appointment at a local branch.

Unlike dealer-auction services, We Buy Any Car is not asking a network of dealers to bid for your car. It makes an offer directly, then inspects the car before confirming the final amount.

The company has long had a reputation for reducing offers after inspection, particularly where cosmetic or condition issues are found. Competition from other car-buying services has increased in recent years, but you should still expect the final price to depend on the car matching the information you entered online.

There is no home collection service, so you need to take the car to a branch. We Buy Any Car also charges a transaction fee on most sales, and faster payment costs extra. Check the current fee structure before accepting an offer.

eBay Motors

URL: ebay.co.uk/motors

eBay Motors lets you sell your car through an online listing, usually by auction or fixed-price sale.

You create a listing, upload photos, describe the car and choose whether to run an auction or set a fixed “buy it now” price. You can also set a reserve price if you do not want the car to sell below a certain amount.

eBay can work well for older, unusual, modified or enthusiast cars where a standard car-buying service may not understand the market. It also gives buyers a chance to ask questions before bidding.

However, you still need to manage the practical side of the sale. That means arranging viewings if needed, agreeing collection and making sure payment is secure before the car leaves you.

Gumtree

URL: gumtree.com

Gumtree is a general classified site, but it remains a popular place to advertise lower-value used cars.

Creating an advert is straightforward. You add the car’s details, photos, price and description, then deal directly with interested buyers.

Gumtree can be useful for lower-priced cars, where paying for a larger classified advert may not feel worthwhile. It can also work well when buyers are looking locally.

The trade-off is that Gumtree is simply introducing buyer and seller. It does not manage payment, inspect the car or handle disputes. Treat enquiries carefully, avoid suspicious payment requests and do not release the car until cleared funds are safely in your account.

Facebook Marketplace

URL: facebook.com/marketplace/vehicles

Facebook Marketplace has become a common place to sell cheaper used cars, largely because listings are free and the platform is already used by millions of people.

You create a vehicle listing through Marketplace, add photos and details, and respond to interested buyers through Facebook.

The main attraction is cost. For lower-value cars, a free advert can make sense. Buyers can search by location, vehicle type, price and mileage, which can help your advert reach people nearby.

However, Facebook does not manage the sale. You are responsible for dealing with enquiries, arranging viewings, negotiating the price and taking payment. You can look at a buyer’s profile, but that is not the same as having proper buyer verification or payment protection.

Car Converter and Car TakeBack

Car Converter and Car TakeBack are more specialist services for cars that are damaged, broken, failed their MOT or ready for scrap.

These services are not really competing with Auto Trader or Motorway for clean, desirable used cars. They are useful when the car is damaged, uneconomical to repair, no longer roadworthy or worth more as salvage than as a normal used car.

You may not get much money, but using a specialist service can be easier than trying to arrange disposal yourself. Collection is usually available, which is especially useful if the car cannot be driven legally or safely.

Before accepting an offer, check whether collection is included, how payment works and whether the company will deal with the necessary paperwork.

How to choose the right website for selling your car

Start by deciding what kind of sale you want. If convenience matters most, an online car-buying service or dealer-auction platform is likely to be easier than a private advert. If getting the highest possible price matters more, a private sale may be worth the extra effort.

It is usually sensible to get more than one valuation. Try a couple of dealer-offer services and compare those figures with similar cars advertised privately. That gives you a better idea of whether the convenience of a quick sale is worth the difference in price.

Also check the fees. A higher headline offer may not be better if there are transaction fees, payment fees, collection costs or likely price reductions after inspection.

For private sales, safety and payment are more important than squeezing out the last few pounds. Meet buyers carefully, avoid handing over keys for unaccompanied test drives, check insurance before anyone drives the car, and make sure money is cleared in your account before the car leaves.

Once the car is sold, tell the DVLA straight away and remove any personal data from the car’s infotainment system, navigation history, phone pairing and connected services.

The bottom line

The best website for selling your car depends on what you want from the sale.

If you want convenience, a dealer-auction or car-buying service may be the easiest route. If you want more control and are prepared to deal with buyers yourself, a private advert through Auto Trader, eBay, Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace may be worth considering. If the car is damaged or ready for scrap, a specialist disposal service is likely to make more sense.

Whatever route you choose, compare your options, describe the car honestly, check the fees and do not hand over the car until payment is secure.

Additional reporting by Stuart Masson and Tom Johnston. Originally published in May 2022, last updated June 2026.

*Autotrader, Carwow, Exchange My Car, Motorway and We Buy Any Car are commercial partners of The Car Expert. If you click on one of the links above and end up selling your car via their platforms, we may receive a commission. This does not affect the price you receive for the car.