When I first started looking for free stuff, I was honestly overwhelmed. There are so many platforms, groups, and apps. They all promise the same thing but work differently. After a few years of experience, I now know what works best for what.
Here's what I've learned.
nimms.ch – The Swiss Classic
This platform has been around for years, and many people know it. The principle is simple: people list items, others can request them.
What works well: nimms.ch has a large community. Especially in German-speaking Swiss cities, you'll find plenty of listings. The categories are sensibly organized, and the search works.
What's less great: You have to write a request for every item and hope the seller responds. That can take a while. Sometimes nobody replies, sometimes someone responds after a week when you've long since found the thing elsewhere.
I mainly use nimms.ch when I'm looking for something specific. A particular IKEA dresser, for example. Then I can afford to wait.
Facebook Groups – The Wild Option
Almost every city has at least one free stuff group on Facebook. "Verschenken Zürich", "Gratis in Bern", that sort of thing.
The advantage: Massive reach. In large cities, these groups have tens of thousands of members. When you post something, a lot of people see it.
The disadvantage: Chaos. You scroll through a feed of offers, requests, and sometimes spam. There's no map, so no overview of what's near you. And because everything is based on "first to comment", things get hectic.
I mainly use Facebook groups for giving things away, less for searching. When I want to get rid of something quickly, I post it there and get inquiries within minutes.
tutti.ch – The Marketplace Giant
tutti.ch is actually a selling platform, but there is a free category. The problem: It's buried among all the paid listings.
What sometimes works: For niche items like musical instruments or collectibles, tutti is useful because a different audience is there compared to pure giveaway groups.
What's annoying: Lots of spam, lots of inquiries from people who aren't seriously interested. And as a searcher, you constantly see things that cost money after all – the filter isn't reliable.
PIKITUP – The Map Approach
Okay, I'm biased because I work on PIKITUP. But let me explain why we built it.
The problem with the other platforms: You never know what's currently available right near you. On nimms.ch you have to enter a postal code, on Facebook you scroll through everything.
With PIKITUP you see a map. You open it and it's immediately clear: There's a sofa, 500 meters from me. There are books, just around the corner. That makes a difference when you don't feel like traveling across the city.
What's also different: No messages. First come, first served. That might sound rude, but it saves an incredible amount of time. No "Is this still available?", no waiting for replies.
Of course, PIKITUP is still young, so there are fewer listings than on established platforms. But that grows with the community.
Brockenhäuser and Free Shops
Often forgotten, but important: The offline world.
In many cities there are free shops or giveboxes. These are physical locations where you can drop off or pick up items. Anonymous, no online accounts, no coordination.
Brockenhäuser (thrift stores) do sell items, but sometimes they also give things away for free. Especially during household clearances, when more comes in than they can sell. It's worth asking.
What I Use and for What
After all these experiences, I've settled into a system.
When I'm looking for something specific, I go to nimms.ch or check PIKITUP to see if it's currently available nearby.
When I want to spontaneously browse what's available, I open PIKITUP and scroll through the map. I sometimes do this just out of curiosity – it's interesting to see what the neighbors want to get rid of.
When I want to give something away quickly, I post in Facebook groups AND on PIKITUP at the same time. Double the reach, faster to get rid of things.
When I have larger quantities – after spring cleaning or something – I call the Brockenhaus. They pick up, and I save myself the hassle of coordinating individual pickups.
An Honest Thought to Close
No platform is perfect. They all have their quirks. What matters is finding the one that fits your style.
Some people like the back-and-forth messaging because they want to know who their things are going to. For them, nimms.ch is ideal.
Others just want it quick and efficient – they feel more comfortable on PIKITUP.
And others are on Facebook all the time anyway and stay there.
In the end, it doesn't matter which platform you use. The main thing is that you use one. Every item that's given away instead of thrown out is a small win.
Do you use other platforms I haven't mentioned? Write to me at hello@pikitup.ch