Best SearchTempest Alternatives

SearchTempest is a free search engine for classifieds. You enter an item and a location, and it searches Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and more across a wide area. It’s a good tool for finding rare items.

People usually look for an alternative for one of two reasons. Either they want a different way to search widely, or they’re tired of running the same search every day and want something that watches for them.

This guide covers both. Flipify is our product, so we’ve listed it first and explained where other tools are a better fit.

Quick comparison

Tool	Type	Best for
Flipify	Alert app	Hearing about new listings across eight marketplaces
Browse Marketplaces	Search site	Nationwide Facebook Marketplace searches
Search World Marketplace	Search site	Searching Facebook Marketplace across countries
ListHopper	Search site	Searching classifieds across areas
Google site search	Free method	Quick one-off searches
Marketplace Monitor	Alert app	Cross-marketplace alerts
Swoopa	Alert app	Marketplace alerts for flippers

Features and prices change, so check each tool’s site before you commit.

Alert apps: if you repeat the same searches

Flipify

Search tools show you what’s listed now. Flipify tells you when something new appears, which matters most when good deals sell quickly.

You save a watchlist with keywords, words to exclude, a price range, and a location. Flipify then checks Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, eBay, OfferUp, Mercari, Vinted, Kijiji, and Gumtree, and sends a push notification when there’s a match. Premium watchlists check every minute and basic watchlists check every 10 minutes.

Good fit: you buy to resell, or you want a specific item at a good price.

Not a good fit: you want to browse the whole country once, for free. SearchTempest does that better.

Marketplace Monitor and Swoopa

Both are alert apps aimed at flippers. We compare them on speed, marketplaces, and pricing in our Marketplace Monitor alternatives and Swoopa alternatives guides.

Search sites: if you want to look across a wide area

Browse Marketplaces

Browse Marketplaces focuses on nationwide Facebook Marketplace searching. It’s worth trying if Facebook is the main place you’re searching and you don’t need Craigslist results.

Search World Marketplace

As the name suggests, this site searches Facebook Marketplace beyond your local area, including other countries. It’s most useful for collectors hunting a specific item.

ListHopper

ListHopper is another site for searching classifieds across multiple areas. Try it if you want a second search tool alongside SearchTempest.

Free methods: if you don’t want another tool

Google site search

Google can search all of Craigslist with one query, such as site:craigslist.org "fender telecaster". It’s free and fast, but it misses plenty of listings and shows new posts late. Here’s our full guide on how to search all of Craigslist.

Facebook’s own filters

Marketplace’s shipping filter shows items from across the country. For other approaches, see how to search all of Facebook Marketplace.

How to choose

• You search for something once or twice a year: stick with SearchTempest or a Google search.
• You mainly use Facebook Marketplace: try Browse Marketplaces, or set alerts for your city.
• You source items to resell: use an alert app. Searching by hand means you’re looking at what other buyers have already passed over.

Many flippers use both kinds of tool. They use a wide search to research what’s out there, and marketplace alerts for the items they buy regularly.

FAQ

What is SearchTempest used for?

SearchTempest searches classified sites across a wide area in one go. People use it to find items on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and eBay beyond their own city.

Is SearchTempest free?

Yes. SearchTempest is free to use and shows ads.

Does SearchTempest send alerts?

No. Its help pages suggest running your search there, then setting up Craigslist’s own email alerts for each area. For push notifications across several marketplaces, use an alert app such as Flipify.

What’s the best SearchTempest alternative for flipping?

For flipping, an alert app usually beats a search site, because speed decides who gets the deal. Flipify covers eight marketplaces from one app.