Selling a car in Ireland: DoneDeal and the alternatives

Selling a car privately usually gets you more than a trade-in, but it takes a bit of work: good photos, a fair price, a few phone calls and a safe handover. The first decision is where to advertise. For most people in Ireland, that starts with DoneDeal, and for good reason. Here's an honest look at DoneDeal and the other options, what each costs, and a checklist so the sale goes smoothly wherever you list.

DoneDeal

DoneDeal describes itself as "Ireland's #1 site for Cars & Marketplace" (home page title, 17 Oct 2026), and it's where a lot of Irish car buyers start their search.

• Ad length: most ads stay online for 72 days, and some sections or bundles run for 30 (DoneDeal help).
• Bundles: Lite (no bumps), Standard (4 automatic bumps and a weekly refresh, which DoneDeal says gets three times more views than Lite) and Premium (8 automatic bumps plus Spotlight placement for the first 5 days). There's also a Super Booster add-on with 5 bumps and 1 spotlight (DoneDeal help).
• Price: DoneDeal says bundle pricing varies by section and is shown on the Place Ad screen (DoneDeal help). We haven't quoted a figure because it changes. Check it when you place your ad.

DoneDeal's strength is reach: if you want the biggest pool of car buyers, it's hard to leave out.

Adverts.ie

Adverts.ie charges private sellers an upfront fee for vehicle ads, based on the car's price:

This covers cars, motorbikes, vans, campers, boats, quads, plant machinery and more (Adverts.ie help, checked 17 Oct 2026).

Facebook Marketplace

Free to list, with a big local audience. Our research found it's arranged and paid locally in Ireland, with no checkout (12 Oct 2026 research citing Facebook Help; not re-checked on 17 Oct because Facebook needs a login). Be extra careful with payment: fake banking-app "transfer complete" screens are a known scam on Irish buy-and-sell sites, so wait until money has actually cleared in your own bank account.

SellOrSwap.ie

SellOrSwap.ie is a newer Irish marketplace. It's smaller than DoneDeal today, so expect fewer buyers for now. Here's how car ads work:

• €10 for vehicles priced over €500; free at €500 or under, paid once before the ad goes live. If our team rejects the ad, the €10 comes back automatically (pricing).
• Every vehicle ad is checked by a person before it goes live. Moderators look for things like undisclosed write-offs, misleading mileage, NCT, year or condition, and photos copied from elsewhere.
• Bicycles, electric scooters, parts, accessories and tyres list like any normal ad.
• Open to swaps. Switch on "accept swaps" and someone can offer their car, or their car plus cash, for yours. Swaps with no cash, or with cash paid in person, are free. If the cash part is paid by card in the app, whoever adds the cash pays a swap fee of €2 or 3% of the cash part, whichever is greater. Treat a car swap like two car sales: check the other car's history and condition before you agree, and each of you completes the change of ownership for the car you're handing over, using its Vehicle Registration Certificate (see the checklist below).
• Safe meeting suggestions and an optional ID Verified badge (€2 passport or driving licence check with a selfie) help buyers trust you, and help you trust them.

Side-by-side

Sources (17 Oct 2026): ¹ DoneDeal ad duration, bundles, home page · ² Adverts.ie vehicle fees · ³ Facebook Help (12 Oct research) · ⁴ SellOrSwap pricing, help · ⁵ Adverts.ie category description. "Not stated" = not found on that site's own pages.

Your private car sale checklist

1. Get the paperwork ready: the Vehicle Registration Certificate (VRC), NCT certificate, service history and receipts for recent work.
2. Price it fairly. Compare similar cars (same year, engine, mileage) on more than one site.
3. Photograph it well: clean car, daylight, all four sides, interior, dashboard with the mileage showing, tyres.
4. Be honest in the ad about faults, accident history and any finance. An undisclosed write-off or outstanding finance can unravel a sale later.
5. Meet safely. Do viewings in daylight, ideally somewhere public, and bring someone with you. Check the buyer's licence and insurance before a test drive.
6. Get paid safely. Never hand over the keys until the money has cleared in your own account. A screenshot isn't proof. Be wary of overpayment "refund the difference" offers.
7. Register the change of ownership. The seller is legally responsible for this. Private owners can do it online (the seller gets a one-time PIN by email, and the buyer completes it with a verified MyGovID), or both of you sign the back of the VRC and the seller posts it to the Department of Transport (Citizens Information; CCPC). Until it's registered, you may still be liable for tolls, fines and motor tax (Galway County Council).
8. Cancel or transfer your insurance and motor tax once the sale is complete.

List your car on SellOrSwap.ie: free at €500 or under, €10 over →