Craigslist Personals was once used as an online dating site, mainly for casual dates. The company has since announced that it was shutting down this section of the platform, leaving many people lost without their go-to casual encounters site.
Craigslist is now one of the most prominent e-commerce organizations in the broader marketplace. You can list a wide range of products and services - including furniture, used cars, designer clothes, and even local job opportunities and rental apartments.
Unfortunately, this long list of goods no longer includes online personals for casual dating purposes.
If you're on the hunt for the best online dating sites, there are plenty of Craigslist Personals alternatives that are better and safer platforms.
This article gives you the dating sites and apps for casual encounters and no-strings-attached hookups.
Best craigslist personals replacements
Seeking
If you're looking to fill a need that Craigslist Personals once held, check out the online dating site Seeking.
This platform was founded on the idea of mutually beneficial relationships. It's ideal to find an experience unique to most dating sites.
Everyone on the site is upfront about their intentions and what they're looking to find. Like Craigslist Personals, this is a judgment-free zone for non-traditional-style dating.
Seeking differs from Craigslist Personals in several ways. You will need a paid membership to access the site's premium features, such as video chat. Craigslist Personals was free.
Pros
Open and mutually beneficial relationships with no judgment
Trusted dating site for over 15 years
Cons
Monthly membership fees
Not all users are fully vetted.
Adult Friend Finder
Adult Friend Finder is one of the world's most popular adult dating sites. Millions of active users are looking for casual sex, hookups, and unique online relationships.
This platform features video streaming capabilities, chat forums, direct messaging, and detailed user profiles.
Adult Friend Finder is packed full of singles, couples, and swingers - all of whom are interested in various fetishes and kinks. You will see it all on this site feed (naughty photos, explicit video content, and more).
The site search engine is known to be a compelling resource. You can easily filter results based on your desires and preferences. For example, you can look for men seeking women, women seeking men, couples seeking singles and/or other couples, etc.
Pros
Various subscription payment options - including monthly, quarterly, and annual
Judgment-free environment to explore your sexuality
A large community of members with various sexualities and genders
Cons
Some fake accounts and scammers
A disproportionate male-to-female gender ratio
Ashley Madison
Ashley Madison is a unique platform. Most members of this community are looking for extramarital affairs and other types of discreet casual encounters. If you’re a spouse with a wandering eye, this is the perfect dating site for you.
Women get a free membership, while men have to purchase credits to participate and use the site to its full potential.
After creating an account, you can send and receive messages and virtual gifts to/from other members.
Many users wind up meeting in real life; however, some prefer to keep things online. That decision is entirely up to you.
Pros
Swinger-friendly dating site
Free site for women
Virtual gifting and direct messaging are available.
Anonymous photo/profile option
Cons
Men require a paid membership
Some security issues with user profiles
Doublelist
Doubelist is another popular Craigslist Personals replacement. This casual dating site hosts many registered users who actively post ads and send messages to other members.
Unfortunately, the user interface is pretty outdated.
But the signup process is seamless and should only take you a few minutes to complete. All you need to provide is a valid email address and phone number.
After creating an account, you can start viewing the personals sections and responding to posted ads.
Furthermore, you can post ads yourself. There are some limitations on the number of daily posts and pictures you can upload.
Pros
Some free features
Large personals section
A quick and easy registration process
Cons
Post limits
Several fake ads
Secret Benefits
Secret Benefits is one of the best-classified sites on the internet. It's a great option if you're looking for a Craigslist alternative.
There are various links to categories - including “women seeking men,” “men seeking women,” “missed connections,” and “casual dating.”
Most user profiles do not offer many details on the person behind the screen. However, they have plenty of text and messages posted for your enjoyment.
Pros
large personals section
Plenty of suggested categories to choose from
Like Craigslist Personals
Cons
Some reports of fake accounts
Oodle
Oodle is one of the best Craigslist Personals replacements, with a great personals section for posting and responding to ads.
The user profiles and personal ads on this hookup site are straightforward. You will only see the person's name, picture, age, and location for user profiles.
Furthermore, the ads include one or two sentences outlining what the user is looking for - whether that's casual sex, a virtual date, etc. - and that's it. It's all very straightforward.
Most posts are from men interested in women. However, there are some categories for women, bisexual, and gay members.
Pros
Excellent site for the gay community
Personal ads are short and direct.
Some video chat features
Uncensored content is allowed on the site feed
Cons
Some bots and scammers
RubRatings
Rubratings has become a top-rated dating service in recent years, and for a good reason. This personals site caters to everyone - from single people to married men and women.
Everything done on the site is entirely discreet. Members use a private communications system, ensuring all their information remains safe and secure.
Most people post classified ads for massage services - such as full-body rubs and facials - but you can find hookups on RubRatings as well.
Pros
Plenty of classified ads to choose from
Similar platform to Craigslist Personal ads
Erotic massage services are available.
Cons
Some fake accounts
Erotic Monkey
Erotic Monkey is another great Craigslist Personal alternative. Most of the people using this site are looking for sex classifieds and escorts.
Unfortunately, you can't do anything on the Erotic Monkey website for free. For example, you will need to upgrade to a premium profile to respond to personal ads.
Pros
Premier escort site
Cons
No free services or features
Some reports of fake accounts
Locanto
Locanto Personals has a similar concept to Craigslist Personals, with an updated user interface and better features.
This classified ads site offers various categories to choose from, including casual encounters, sex ads, and other personal ad types.
Every major city has its version of Locanto, helping you narrow down options based on your local area, making it easier to meet up with other members in real life.
Because of this, Locanto has various safety and security measures in place. For example, when you respond to a message, the site launches a popup that outlines essential online dating safety tips.
Pros
Free for escorts
Some social media site features
Locations-specific
Plenty of uncensored content
Cons
Increased danger when meeting in person
Rub Maps
Rub Maps is a robust platform featuring an interactive map to explore and find various massage parlors throughout the United States.
This site has helped develop the erotic massage industry, providing users with helpful resources and search tools.
While using Rub Maps, you will gain access to advanced search options. You can filter results based on specific keywords - such as "masseuse" or "extra services'' - or on your location. There are over 25,000 places to sort through, all with recent reviews from previous customers.
Users can also access the site's online forum to learn more about massage parlor slang vocabulary, cancellation policies, escort reviews, and more.
Pros
Available in every state
Extensive messaging capabilities
Detailed reviews on the massage places
Anonymous accounts available
Cons
Expensive service to use
No mobile app is available.
Bedpage
Bedpage is an excellent alternative to Craigslist Personals and the Craigslist website more broadly. You will find listings for cars, job opportunities, rental apartments, business services, and more.
In addition to all their other services, you can also find ads for casual sex and encounters in their personals section.
This platform is exceptionally diverse and inclusive. There is a wide range of dating categories, interests, and types of people, including men seeking men, men seeking women, women seeking men, women seeking women, and transgender members.
Anyone can post personal ads or respond to one. There is even a specific section for phone sex and cybersex.
Pros
Inclusive platform and diverse user base with various sexualities and genders
Great site to find casual encounters
Similar layout to Craigslist Personals
Cons
Some fake ads and accounts
Tryst
Tryst is one of those dating apps that's completely casual - and free! With plenty of active users looking for fuck buddies or another kind of casual encounter, it's one of the best Craigslist alternatives.
There is one downside, however. Because the site only offers free account options, it lacks some of the more advanced features you might find on dating apps with paid membership options. For instance, you can't stream videos, share photos, or voice chat with other members.
Pros
Free Craigslist alternative
A large community of members
Hookup culture and judgment-free environment
Cons
No special features or services are available
Craigslist personals FAQs
Why did Craigslist shut down its personals section?
Craigslist decided to close the doors to its personals section due to the Online Sex Trafficking Act passed in 2018. The law applies to websites and seeks to enact criminal and civil liability when third parties (a.k.a, the site users) misuse online personals unlawfully.
The company found it difficult to strictly monitor the personals section when it has many other sections for job postings, furniture sales, etc. Monitoring those ads is generally easy, but it gets increasingly harder to crack down on personals messages that may be unclear. For these reasons, Craigslist Personals was shut down.
Do People Still Use Craigslist?
Yes. Craigslist now limits buying and selling capabilities to other services and products on its platform.
Luckily, several hookup sites and personals sites have replaced Craigslist Personals.
What are some Craigslist personals alternatives?
Since shutting down, Craigslist has not replaced its personal ads section. Don't worry; many alternative sites are available online, including Ashley Madison, Seeking, Adult Friend Finder, and more. For a complete list, you can reference our recommendations above.
Craigslist alternatives conclusion
Are you interested in a Craigslist replacement? Look no further than the dating sites listed above.
Even though Craigslist Personals is no longer available, other popular alternatives help people find hookups and casual encounters. And most of these personals sites provide even better features, services, and options.
Just remember to stay safe and enjoy these exciting adult dating platforms. Good luck!
