Best Apps to Find Items to Flip

The best app for finding items to flip depends on where you buy. Local flippers need fast marketplace alerts, retail arbitrage sellers need store inventory data, and thrifters need a way to price items on the spot.

This list covers sourcing only. For listing, cross-posting, and bookkeeping tools, see our full list of the best flipping and reselling apps.

Flipify is our app, so we’ve explained where other tools are a better fit.

Quick picks

App	Where you source	Best for
Flipify	Local and online marketplaces	Alerts across eight marketplaces
Marketplace Monitor	Local and online marketplaces	Another multi-marketplace alert option
Swoopa	Local marketplaces	Another alert option for flippers
SearchTempest	Classifieds	Searching wide areas by hand
BrickSeek	Retail stores	Store clearance and stock
Slickdeals	Online retail	Community-spotted discounts
eBay app	Everywhere	Checking sold prices
Flippr	Thrift stores and piles of goods	Pricing items from a photo

Apps for local marketplaces

Local listings are often the best source of underpriced items, because sellers price for a quick sale. Speed matters, since a good deal can go within minutes.

Flipify

Flipify watches Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, eBay, OfferUp, Mercari, Vinted, Kijiji, and Gumtree, and sends a push notification when a new listing matches your watchlist. You can filter by keyword, excluded words, price, and location.

Premium watchlists check every minute and basic watchlists check every 10 minutes. Deal ranking compares listings with recently sold eBay items to estimate profit, and AI filtering removes spam and irrelevant results.

Best for: flippers who buy furniture, electronics, tools, and collectibles locally.

Limitation: it only finds deals. You’ll need other tools for listing and bookkeeping.

Marketplace Monitor and Swoopa

These are the other well-known alert apps. Compare them in our Marketplace Monitor alternatives and Swoopa alternatives guides.

SearchTempest

SearchTempest is a free site that searches classifieds across a wide area. It won’t watch for new listings, but it’s great for rare items. See also how to search all of Craigslist.

Apps for retail clearance

BrickSeek

BrickSeek shows stock and prices at big retailers, which helps you find markdowns before driving to a store. Our online arbitrage guide explains how this kind of flipping works.

Apps for online deals

Slickdeals

Slickdeals is a free community for retail deals. Popular deals attract lots of buyers, so set alerts for specific items. If you want more options, see these sites like Slickdeals.

Apps for pricing what you find

Finding an item is only useful if you know what it’s worth.

eBay

The eBay app is the free standard. Search for an item and filter by sold items to see what people actually paid. Here’s our guide to eBay sold listings.

Flippr

Flippr lets you photograph a shelf or box of secondhand goods, then identifies items and pulls sold prices. It’s aimed at thrift and bulk buying. Check its current pricing and accuracy on your own items before relying on it.

How to build your sourcing setup

1. Start with where you already buy. Most people only need one sourcing app at first.
2. Add eBay sold listings. It’s free, and it stops you overpaying.
3. Set narrow searches. Ten useful alerts beat a hundred irrelevant ones. Our guide to setting up alerts shows how.
4. Track your results. Keep whatever finds you profitable items and drop the rest.

Not sure what to look for? Start with the best items to flip.

FAQ

What app do flippers use to find deals?

Flippers who buy locally often use alert apps such as Flipify, Marketplace Monitor, or Swoopa, then check prices with eBay sold listings.

What is the best free app for finding items to flip?

The eBay app is the best free tool for checking prices. For finding items, Facebook Marketplace’s saved searches and SearchTempest are free, but both are slower than a dedicated alert app.

Can an app find underpriced items automatically?

Yes. Alert apps watch for new listings that match your search and price limit. Flipify can also estimate profit by comparing listings with recently sold eBay items.