Apps like Gem: the best Gem alternatives for secondhand search

Four Gem alternatives, what each one is actually for, and a plain answer on which to open first. Checked October 2026.

If you are reading this you already know Gem - Search Vintage: a free app that searches across the secondhand internet. It runs on iPhone, iPad, Android and the web, searches what it describes as thousands of online vintage and secondhand stores and marketplaces, and keeps up to 120 saved searches with push and email alerts. It has been around since 2019 and its App Store listing quotes The New York Times, Vogue and New York Magazine. It is a good tool. So why do people look for Gem alternatives?

Four reasons come up. Coverage: Gem's own pages do not name its sources; the last public list we found, a 2022 founder interview, said Depop was not included then and did not mention Vinted, Mercari or ThredUp, and we could not confirm the current list. Judgment: Gem's listing describes keyword search over titles plus filters, and nothing about checking a listing's photos against what you asked for. Scope: some want new and used prices compared in one place. Place: some want the tool inside the browser tab they are already shopping in. Each app like Gem below answers one of those.

ThriftX: six peer-to-peer and consignment apps, with AI that checks the photos

ThriftX is ours; weigh this section accordingly. It is iPhone only and searches six marketplaces at once: Depop, Poshmark, Vinted, eBay, Mercari and ThredUp. It does not cover Grailed, Etsy, The RealReal or Vestiaire Collective, and there is no Android app, web search or browser extension yet. You type in plain language ("90s carhartt detroit jacket under 60"); standard search is free and unlimited, 50 a day fair use, no card. Photo search is 2 credits. AI Search (4 credits) reads the listing photos to confirm a real match before you tap and says why; Thinking mode (15) digs deeper. Cross-posted items appear once at the cheapest listing, with "also on" prices.

Watches are on every plan and never cost credits: one on Free, checked daily; six on Pro ($6.99 a month, 140 credits); twelve on Power Thrifter ($19.99 a month, 400 credits). Paid-plan watches also check ThredUp and eBay every hour with an instant push. ThriftX launched in July 2026: new, few ratings. Results are source-neutral: some marketplaces pay a small commission when you buy through our link, and it never changes results or ranking.

Beni: alerts and a Safari extension

Beni - Shop Secondhand, from Beni, Inc., is a free download (App Store, October 2026) for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision, with a Safari extension. Its listing claims listings from 40+ resale marketplaces but names none. It stands out on alerts: item alerts to track specific pieces, brand alerts that its listing describes as real-time when new pieces get listed, and price-drop alerts. Image Search works from a photo or screenshot, and the share sheet saves items from other apps into Beni. The rating is 4.4 from about 86 ratings (October 2026). Its listing does not say how Beni makes money; press has reported an affiliate model.

Phia: deal hunting across new and secondhand

Phia: Fashion Deals & Rewards is a free iPhone app (App Store, October 2026) that also works inside Safari, where its "Should I Buy This?" check runs while you browse. It is a deal-finding app first, not a thrift-only search: it claims to compare prices across 350 million items and 220,000+ sites, new and secondhand, though its description does not name the secondhand marketplaces. You get price-drop alerts to a target price, Phia Lens photo search from screenshots or the camera, Phia Rewards points at participating retailers, redeemable for gift cards, and a Closet that saves items and builds outfits, including from Gmail receipts. The rating is 4.8 from about 23,000 ratings (October 2026). If the question is "is this cheaper elsewhere, new or used?", Phia is built for it.

The marketplaces' own saved searches

The free Gem alternative nobody writes articles about. eBay, Depop, Vinted, Poshmark and Mercari each let you save a search of their own inventory and be told when something new matches. Coverage is one marketplace per saved search, setup is five apps and five notification styles, and nothing compares prices across apps or checks the photos for you. But it costs nothing, comes straight from the source, and for a hunt you know lives on one app it is hard to beat. Our guide to searching all the thrift apps at once covers the manual version.

Side by side

Which one?

• Designer resale or dealer vintage, Android or web, or dozens of free saved searches: Gem.
• Someone's closet on Depop, Vinted, Mercari or ThredUp, photos checked, cheapest cross-post first: ThriftX. Full head-to-head: ThriftX vs Gem.
• Browsing in Safari and want a ping when a brand lists something new: Beni.
• Deciding between new and used, price compared across both: Phia.
• Already know which single app your item lives on: that app's own saved search, for free.

None of these replaces knowing what you are looking for; our search-term guide covers that part.

Frequently asked

What is the best Gem alternative?

There is no single best. ThriftX fits a focused hunt across Depop, Poshmark, Vinted, eBay, Mercari and ThredUp with AI photo checks. Beni suits tracking brands and items in Safari. Phia suits deal hunting across new and secondhand. All three are free to download (App Store, October 2026).

Is there a free app like Gem?

Gem is a free download with no price shown on its listing (October 2026). ThriftX, Beni and Phia are also free to download. ThriftX's standard search is unlimited; its AI photo-check searches use credits, with 15 at signup and paid plans from $6.99 a month.

Do any Gem alternatives search Depop?

ThriftX does: Depop is one of its six marketplaces, with Poshmark, Vinted, eBay, Mercari and ThredUp. Beni claims 40+ resale marketplaces but does not name them on its listing, and Phia's description does not name its secondhand sources either. Gem's last public source list (2022) did not include Depop.