Choose your business model and start with a ready-made Osclass setup. Each solution combines the theme and plugins needed for that type of website, so you do not have to assemble the stack yourself.
Build a general classifieds marketplace for local ads, products, services, and community listings with search, seller profiles, messaging, and custom fields.
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Build a job board where employers publish vacancies and candidates search jobs, apply with a CV, and use employer profiles and messaging.
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Build a property portal for homes, apartments, land, and commercial property with sale/rent filters, map search, and agent profiles.
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Build a vehicle marketplace with make/model filters, vehicle details, dealer profiles, map search, and optional auctions.
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Build a marketplace where multiple sellers can have storefronts, communicate with buyers, receive offers, and process marketplace payments and seller payouts.
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Build a rental listings website with availability calendars, map search, host profiles, and filters for capacity, unit type, and amenities.
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Pick based on who owns the data and URLs. Self-hosted classifieds CMS software (Osclass on your PHP hosting) fits local ads boards, niche marketplaces, and job or property portals where SEO and listing rules matter. SaaS listing tools launch faster but tie listings, fees, and exports to the vendor. WordPress plus directory plugins is a third path when you already run a WP site and accept a heavier plugin stack.
Osclass is a free, self-hosted PHP/MySQL classifieds script aimed at listing publish, category search, user accounts, and moderation on your domain. OsclassPoint sells the premium layer: responsive themes (Gamma, Epsilon, Eta, Veronika, and niche skins such as CareerJob and Zeta), plus plugins for on-site chat, custom attributes, maps, SEO sitemaps, and Osclass Pay for listing fees. Download Osclass from the official site, then add only the extensions your model needs.
A custom classifieds app from scratch is often five figures once you pay for listing workflows, search, messaging, moderation, and payments. An Osclass stack is usually much lower: shared or VPS hosting, a premium theme, and a handful of plugins, or a PRO product bundle when you want many modules at once. OsclassPoint also lists installation services if you prefer someone to wire the theme and plugins on your server.
Start with listing CRUD, category trees, location or map search, custom fields per category, user registration, and admin moderation. For growth, check SEO-friendly URLs, mobile layouts, on-site buyer-seller messaging, business or agency profile pages, and optional monetization (featured ads, publish packs, memberships). Osclass covers the base CMS; OsclassPoint plugins add attributes, Instant Messenger, OpenStreetMap search, multi-vendor storefronts, and payout batches without rewriting the core.
Use themes built for Osclass, not generic HTML templates. Browse Osclass themes with live demos: Epsilon for property and multi-vendor catalogs, Gamma when you need deep plugin hooks on busy category pages, Eta and Veronika for light mobile-first boards, CareerJob for recruitment layouts, and Zeta for photo-heavy vehicle inventory. Each product page shows Osclass version support, changelog dates, and ratings so you can match template to niche before checkout.
Pros: no core license fee on Osclass, listings and database stay on your server, you set canonical URLs and noindex rules, and you can swap themes or plugins without migrating off a SaaS platform.
Cons: you choose and pay for hosting, you schedule backups and apply core/plugin updates, and premium themes or payment gateways are separate purchases. Many operators still come out ahead versus monthly per-listing SaaS fees once traffic grows.
Look for teams that ship Osclass in production, not only WordPress shops. OsclassPoint authors maintain the themes and plugins sold here and handle product support tickets after purchase. When off-the-shelf stacks are not enough, Osclass installation services cover installing the core, theme, and selected plugins on your hosting; custom work is scoped separately from standard product support.
Osclass sites commonly charge for featured placement, extra photos, category bumps, or membership tiers for power sellers. Multi-vendor setups add seller storefronts and settle shares after checkout using Osclass Pay plus the Payouts plugin. Start with one paid action (for example featured listings), keep basic publish free until you have inventory, then add payment gateway plugins when card or PayPal checkout matters.
Osclass is the free open-source classifieds engine (PHP, MySQL, Apache 2.0 license). Download the core from the official Osclass site. OsclassPoint is the commercial storefront for that ecosystem: premium themes, plugins, PRO bundles, solution starter kits (jobs, real estate, cars, rentals, general ads, multi-vendor), forums, and ticket support. You are not buying a hosted SaaS from OsclassPoint; you buy files and support, install on your host, and keep the site.
Yes. The Osclass core download is free and open source under Apache 2.0. Hosting, domain, and any premium theme or plugin from OsclassPoint are separate costs. There is no mandatory subscription to run the base classifieds script.
After checkout, download the ZIP from your OsclassPoint account (Downloads area). In Osclass admin, open Appearance / Themes or Plugins, upload the ZIP, install, then activate. Configure the product settings screen before going live. For updates, download the new ZIP from the same account, back up files and database, and upload again so settings are preserved.
Osclass supports general local classifieds, job boards with CV applications, real estate and rental portals with map search, car classifieds with make/model filters, services directories, and multi-vendor marketplaces with seller shops. Solution starter kits preselect a theme plus plugins for each model (for example CareerJob on the job kit, Zeta on automotive, Epsilon on property and marketplace kits) so you can trim the cart before payment.
Not in core. Osclass Pay (OsclassPoint plugin) handles wallet balance, bank transfer, manual offline payments, featured listings, publish packs, and cart-style checkout flows. Card or PayPal checkout needs an additional gateway plugin (Stripe, PayPal Advanced, and others among payment gateways). Turn payments on only when your fee rules are defined.
Osclass is built around classifieds objects: items, categories, expiration, contact on listings, and search filters across mixed categories. WordPress can run directories with plugins such as HivePress or classifieds add-ons, but you stack general CMS features plus listing plugins plus theme compatibility. Osclass fits when you want a standalone classifieds script, lighter admin focused on ads, and extensions from one Osclass marketplace.
Log in, open a support ticket tied to the product, and send Osclass version, PHP version, steps to reproduce, and screenshots. Product updates and downloads stay in your account; the OsclassPoint forums help with community questions. Custom coding beyond documented features is quoted separately from standard product support.
Name the business first (local board, hiring site, property portal, vehicle lot, rentals, multi-vendor). Pick the theme for that layout (CareerJob, Zeta, Epsilon, Gamma, etc.), then add plugins only for gaps: Attributes for custom filters, Instant Messenger for on-site chat, Business Profile for agency pages, Osclass Pay when you charge fees. Use a solution starter kit to load a vetted default stack, or a PRO bundle if you already know you need many modules.
