Freecycle, Freegle, Olio and Trash Nothing are all free to use for giving things away locally in the UK. They differ in who runs them and how listings work. Freecycle and Freegle are volunteer-run local groups for any household item. Olio is a company-run app that started with food. Trash Nothing is an app for using local giving groups. YoungPlanet is a free marketplace only for children's and baby items.
YoungPlanet publishes this guide, so we are one of the services being compared. We have kept to what each service says on its own pages, which we checked on 12 November 2026. Features and prices change, so check the service before you sign up.
The short answer
- For children's clothes, toys and baby gear, a children-only service means the people browsing are families looking for exactly that. That is what YoungPlanet is for.
- For general household items, such as furniture or a bag of kitchen things, Freecycle and Freegle accept a broad range of reusable items. Check which local groups are active near you.
- For food and everyday household extras, Olio is built around food sharing and surplus food from shops.
Many families use more than one. A cot might go on YoungPlanet, a spare desk on Freegle and leftover party food on Olio.
How they compare
Scroll the table sideways on a small screen to compare all columns.
| Service | Cost | Who runs it | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freecycle | Free | Non-profit, with volunteer moderators | Local town groups where members post offers and wanted requests | Any reusable household item |
| Freegle | Free | UK volunteer-run groups | Local groups with their own site and apps | Any reusable household item, UK only |
| Olio | Free core app; optional paid Supporter plan | A company (certified B Corp) | Nearby listings in an app; volunteers also share surplus food from shops | Food, plus some non-food items |
| Trash Nothing | Free | Independent app | One app to use local giving groups | People who belong to several groups |
| YoungPlanet | Free to give and receive; optional membership for family offers and 24-hour early access to new listings | A UK company | Children's and baby items only, with requests and messages in the app | Children's clothes, toys, books and baby gear |
Freecycle
Freecycle describes itself as a grassroots, non-profit movement of local groups, and membership is always free. Each town has its own group run by volunteer moderators. Members post an "offer" or a "wanted" message and agree the handover between themselves. In London, use the Freecycle town finder to find a group covering your area, then check its current offers and posting rules before joining.
For children's things: posts sit alongside other household items. The response depends on what people in your group need, and each group sets its own posting rules.
Freegle
Freegle began in 2009, when a number of UK Freecycle groups formed their own network. It is made up of local volunteer-run groups that are free to join, and everything given away has to be free. It is UK-only and has its own website and apps.
For children's things: it works much like Freecycle. If both have an active group near you, posting in both reaches more people.
Olio
Olio started as a food-sharing app and now also lists non-food items such as books, toys and toiletries. The core app is free. An optional Supporter subscription costs £2.99 a month or £17.99 a year and adds features such as ad-free use and a map view. Olio is a company and a certified B Corp. Volunteers also collect unsold food from shops and share it through the app.
For children's things: Olio supports both food and non-food sharing. Check the current children's listings near you rather than assuming that every area has the same range of items.
Trash Nothing
Trash Nothing is a free app and website for using local giving groups, with optional contributions to remove adverts. Many Freegle groups can be used through it. It is useful if you belong to several groups and want to post once.
YoungPlanet
YoungPlanet is only for children's and baby things, so the people browsing are families with young children. Giving and receiving are free. You list an item with a photo and description, a family asks for it in the app, and you agree a collection time in a message. Optional membership adds family offers and lets members see new listings 24 hours before they become visible to everyone. Items remain free, and early access does not guarantee availability. See the current membership benefits for details.
London families share through YoungPlanet. You can see current offers on the free stuff in London page. Read how sharing works, or see our guide to giving away children's things in the UK.
Whichever you choose
The same habits make any free handover go smoothly:
- Describe the item honestly, including size, condition and missing parts.
- Check bigger items and toys on the government recall list.
- Agree a time and a place you are comfortable with, and keep your home address private until you are ready to share it.
- Tell the other person if your plans change.
For toys specifically, our guide to where to donate toys in London also covers charity shops, baby banks and Christmas appeals.
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