Peer-to-peer marketplaces are really booming right now. It’s not just us talking about the peer-to-peer revolution – news sites like Forbes, Mashable, and others are also loving this new way of doing things.
Before we look at the list of over 50 peer-to-peer marketplaces that are changing the world, what do we mean when we use the phrase: peer-to-peer marketplace? 
Typically, an online peer-to-peer marketplace brings people and/or businesses together online to deal with each other directly without having to go through a slow, expensive middle man.
Take CurrencyFair as an example. Widely used by expatriates working or living abroad and businesses dealing across borders, CurrencyFair’s peer-to-peer currency exchange allows people to cut out the middle man to get the best possible exchange rate for various currencies, whilst avoiding expensive and often hidden bank charges. Using CurrencyFair’s MarketPlace platform, buyers and sellers are brought together to exchange funds directly with each other, setting their own rates in the process. For individuals not restricted by time, they can set highly competitive exchange rates and wait to be matched with a buyer, often achieving a better rate than high-flying traders.
Another example is Kiva – a wonderful peer-to-peer micro finance website that aims to alleviate poverty by allowing everyday people in developed nations to finance budding entrepreneurs in developing nations.
On a more day to day level, here’s an example of life being made easier and more fun by a P2P (peer-to-peer) marketplace.
The family home holiday accommodation P2P marketplace Love Home Swap does these things as well as save people money . . .
So, why have peer-to-peer (or P2P) websites like these suddenly become so popular? What’s so great about them? Consider these reasons:
The biggest reason consumers flock to peer-to-peer marketplaces is to save money. Value for money is everything when making a purchase online and people will shop around for hours to make sure that they get the best deal on something. With P2P marketplaces you are effectively cutting out the middle man, taking away his commission, and replacing it with a much lower commission charged by the website for facilitating the transaction. This reduces the overall cost for the consumer and increases the profits of the provider.
Another benefit of P2P marketplaces is the convenience they offer. This means they save time for the consumers by having everything in one place, allowing them to choose and select with ease 24 hours a day.
The highly specialised nature of these websites is yet another benefit they are bringing. They do one thing, but they do it well.
It’s fun. Peer-to-peer feels a lot like sharing and who doesn’t enjoy the feeling that comes with being a little more connected to society?
Finally, to show you just how awesome P2P marketplaces are, we’re sharing a list of peer-to-peer marketplaces we like:
Travel Peer-To-Peer Marketplaces
Love Home Swap - A members-only home swapping site. Home swap holidays are revolutionising the way people travel. With 53,000+ inspiring homes listed in every corner of the globe, those looking to house swap can save themselves thousands on holiday accommodation costs.
AirBnB - Discover amazing, unique accommodations in 192 countries. With more than 10 million nights booked worldwide, AirBnB is the world leader in travel rentals.
HouseTrip - The revolutionary holiday rental online booking site, offering a wide selection of self-catering apartments, cottages, villas and chalets.
Vayable - While there are a million guidebooks and blogs out there, nothing really beats having a human point of contact when arriving in a new place.
EasyNest - To meet people to split the cost of hotels when travelling.
OneFineStay - Offering opportunities to rent someone’s house/rent out your house while on holiday.
HomeAway - Find vacation rentals worldwide, including Florida vacation rentals, Hawaii vacation rentals and villa rentals in Europe. Rent direct from owners and save with HomeAway.
Work & Service Peer-To-Peer Marketplaces
TaskRabbit - Get just about anything done by friendly, trustworthy people. Vetted TaskRabbits can help with errands, cleaning, delivery and so much more.
AirTasker - Access thousands of skilled people for your home and office tasks. From furniture assembly to data entry.
Mechanical Turk - Peer-to-peer marketplace for work. Giving businesses and developers access to an on-demand scalable workforce. Workers can work at home and make money by choosing from thousands of tasks and jobs.
Craigslist - Online classified ads.
oDesk - Find freelancers and freelance jobs on oDesk – the world’s largest online workplace where savvy businesses and professional freelancers go to work.
Elance - Access over 2 million skilled freelancers from around the world. Find rated web developers, mobile programmers, designers, writers, translators, marketing pros, virtual assistants and more.
BidWilly - A leading website for finding guaranteed quality and low cost services for handymen, maids, and lawn care services.
Freelancer - Hire freelance programmers, web developers, designers, writers, data entry and more at a fraction of the cost on the world’s largest outsourcing marketplace.
crowdSPRING - The world’s #1 marketplace for logo design, web design, and naming.
Hailo - Use Hailo to get a taxi wherever you are, whenever you want. All it takes is two taps on your iPhone or Android phone. Pay cash or card, with no hidden fees.
Uber - Connects passengers with with drivers of vehicles for hire or ride-sharing. P2P taxi service
LiquidSpace - Find meeting rooms, office rentals & co-working spaces booked by the hour or for the day. LiquidSpace provides high quality temporary workspaces and office rentals.
ShareDesk - Rent short term, affordable, on-demand, flexible offices, private studios, co-working spaces, shared workplaces, and meeting rooms.
DesksNearMe - A convenient solution for individuals looking to list or rent office space from anywhere in the world.
PivotDesk - Pivotdesk helps startups and small businesses find affordable, short-term office space by helping companies drive income from their excess office space – all without long-term leases.
Commerce Peer-To-Peer Marketplaces
eBay - Online auction site (used to be fully P2P, now also used as a shop front by companies).
Etsy - Buy or sell homemade and vintage items.
Quirky - Invent and sell/shop for invented products.
The Grommet - Shop for unique gifts, innovative tech gadgets, and more. The Grommet discovers products everyday by makers worth supporting.
Car Sharing Peer-To-Peer Marketplaces
BlaBlaCar - Connects drivers who have empty seats with people looking for a ride through the largest car share service in Europe.
Sidecar -Matches everyday people in their own car with people nearby for shared rides.
Car2Go - The pioneer of free-floating car sharing
Zipcar - The world’s largest car sharing and car club service. It is an alternative to traditional car rental and car ownership.
DriveNow - The innovative mobility venture from BMWi, Mini and Sixt. Get in and out wherever you like. Experience urban driving pleasure.
GetAround - Social car sharing: Rent cars by the hour from people around you. Start renting out yours today and earn cash.
Money Peer-To-Peer Marketplaces
Bitcoin - Bitcoin uses peer-to-peer technology to operate with no central authority or banks; managing transactions and the issuing of bitcoins is carried out collectively by the network. Through many of its unique properties, Bitcoin allows exciting uses that could not be covered by any previous payment system.
CircleUp - A leader in equity-based crowdfunding, CircleUp focuses on angel investments in consumer products companies.
Kickstarter - The world’s largest funding platform for creative projects. A home for film, music, art, theatre, games, comics, design, photography and more.
CurrencyFair - Peer-to-peer currency exchange. CurrencyFair gives you cheap, fast and secure international bank transfers. Avoid costly foreign exchange charges when sending money abroad.
IndieGogo - International crowdfunding platform
GoFundMe - The #1 do-it-yourself fundraising website to raise money online.
Education Peer-To-Peer Marketplaces
Skill Share - Online learning, offering classes in a wide range of subjects.
PopExpert - Face-to-face video lessons with hand-picked experts.
Loan Peer-To-Peer Marketplaces
Lending Club - Apply for a low, fixed rate personal loan or invest to earn solid returns.
Kiva - Make a loan to an entrepreneur across the globe for as little as $25. Kiva is the world’s first online lending platform connecting online lenders to entrepreneurs across the globe.
Prosper - Personal loans meet online investing at America’s leading online destination for borrowing money and investing in personal loans.
Zopa - The UK’s largest peer-to-peer lending service. Zopa matches sensible borrowers looking for low rate loans with smart savers looking for high interest on their savings.
Gambling Peer-To-Peer Marketplaces
Betfair - Online betting exchange.
Recreation Peer-To-Peer Marketplaces
VoulezVousDiner - An open and social marketplace for eating with locals everywhere in the world. Try a unique and authentic food experience.
Shapeways - Online 3D printing community. Make, buy and sell products.
Breather - Shared rooms to give you a chance to take a rest.
Pet Peer-To-Peer Marketplaces
DogVacay - Better than a kennel, find a real home for dog boarding while you’re away. Get peace of mind with insurance, photo updates and emergency support.
Clothes Peer-To-Peer Marketplaces
Rent The Runway - Rent designer dresses and accessories.
RocksBox - Unlimited jewelry on subscription.
Finally, the Search For Aliens!
SETI@home – Scientific experiment that uses Internet-connected computers in the Search for Extra-terrestrial Intelligence (SETI).
As a leading peer-to-peer marketplace that helps people save money, we say: Vive la révolution!
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