Millions of people around the globe were saddened by Craigslist’s decision to delete its personals section. Although it wasn’t widely regarded as one of top dating sites, it was one the most trusted ways for locals to hook up or form lasting relationships. It was discovered that Craigslist personals was no longer in use. Although there were many dating platforms and sites available, there was still a huge need for one. Craigslist has been around for so long because it is reliable. It’s gone and people are wondering what the best Craigslist personals site is.
There are far too many hookup and dating sites available in this day and age. Many recommend Tinder while others prefer bumble. Others go with unknown, sketchy websites that are filled with bots and false profiles. Don’t forget about the scam websites that will charge your credit card for your ‘free trial’. People recommend many apps and sites that are often flawed. It is not surprising that Craigslist lost its popularity. There are now better options.
Craigslist’s Best Personals Replacements and Alternatives
1. AdultFriendFinder
5.0 stars out of 5.0
When evaluating the top personals options, I considered a few key factors. First, I wanted to ensure that there was a healthy and large user base. Craigslist would not be able to replace it if it had only a few thousand users and was limited to the biggest cities in the world. Another thing I considered was the attractiveness of the users. Adult FriendFinder, or AFF, was my favorite platform for finding the most attractive matches in the shortest time. If there is one thing I have learned from all the other platforms, it is that fake profiles and finding no profiles on these platforms are both frustrating. AFF is amazing and will only get better with time.
TRY ADULTFRIENDFINDER
2. Ashley Madison
5.0 stars out of 5.0
Ashley Madison is a website that has built its reputation as a website for women. It is still largely the same website, but it has become more popular and people are using it as a Tinder alternative for grown ups. The user-base of this brand is huge and profiles are mostly legitimate. You don’t have to be married to find an affair. The scandal that exposed their profiles a few years back caused a lot of controversy and Ashley Madison’s reputation has been severely damaged. It is still one of the best and most convenient ways to hookup, regardless of what is available on the market. Ashley Madison can have a high membership fee, which is one of its biggest disadvantages. You might be told that this is the price you have to pay to reach the best quality people. It is still a good platform overall, but not as popular as it was years ago.
TRY ASHLEY MAADISON
3. DoubleList
4.8 stars out of 5.0
DoubleList is the next website on our list. This website is nearly identical to Craigslist personals. Many people use it as their primary source of dating and hookups after CP has ended. DoubleList ranks high in nearly every category of all the websites we have tried. DoubleList is similar to AFF in the fact that it has a large pool, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding new matches every day, regardless of where you live. In terms of physical attraction, however, the average quality of the girls here was lower than what I would find on AFF. This does not mean that they are ugly. They were more average/plain than the 9’s and 8’s I found through Adult Friend Finder. It’s credibility and lack of scams, fake profiles, etc. are all good points. It is definitely one of the best options and I highly recommend it.
DOUBLE LIST
4. Gays2Fuck
4.7 stars out of 5.0
Although I am unable to personally review the platform, some of my gay friends shared their experiences with me so I could write this review. To see how it works, they signed up for the free trial. Two of their three friends were extremely satisfied with the experience. It is a relatively new website, and a lot of the men they met were very experienced and of high quality. They told me that some of the men were trying to keep Gays2Fuck secret to avoid it becoming saturated with younger, less quality men. Unfortunately, I had to share their website. It is still new and caters only to gay men, so there aren’t many people on it. This platform is free from scammers and fake profiles, which is a good thing. You can also try the free trial, which is something I recommend if you are interested.
GAYS2FUCK –
5. Classifiedads.com
4.5 stars out of 5.0
Classifiedads.com, a general listing website, has been in existence since 2001. This website has been around since 2001 and was the stepbrother to Craigslist. Most people didn’t know about it until Craigslist lost its personals section. With the demise of Craigslist and Backpage, thousands of sexy people have switched to this platform. This website is not as popular as DoubleList. I found it to be a bit less user-friendly than DoubleList. There are a lot of fake profiles, the user-base is smaller, and it may be difficult to find people if your location isn’t in the top cities. If you’re lucky, this website can work in your favor. I wouldn’t say it is dead. Although it works well as a classifieds website, it is not managed as professional as larger companies. It is worth checking out if you live in big cities.
TRY CLASSIFIEDADS
6. FetLife
4.5 stars out of 5.0
Fetlife is often recommended by people who are looking for an alternative to personals. Although it is not in our top 5, we still consider it one of the best websites in 2020. If you don’t live in a large city, it’s not likely that there will be enough people who use it on a regular basis. This can look great for people living in major cities, but it’s not the only problem. Some people can be very weird. This is not always a bad thing. If you’re a very kinky person, you may just find your perfect replacement. I’m not a fan of the crazy BDSM stuff that involves whips, chains, or even tiny cuts. While I understand why some people enjoy it, and everyone is open to light slapping from time to time, the women I met through FetLife were borderline insane. FetLife might be the place for you if that’s your thing.
FETLIFE – TRY IT
7. Locanto
4.1 stars out of 5.0
Locanto was founded by Craigslist users who were desperate to find love and found it popular. Locanto is less moderated than many other sites/apps. This means you will be able to post more raunchy photos and title your posts. They still prohibit nude photos, so it’s probably a smarter choice to not try. It isn’t a large user pool and has become more crowded with scammers and fake profiles. You might be able find someone worth meeting and hooking up with if you are able to sort through the junk. There are a lot of bait-and-switch activities happening in this area.
TRY LOCANTO
8. Reddit R4R
4.0 stars out of 5.0 stars
Reddit has several “R4R” sections in different cities. We’ll discuss them last. Reddit also created a classified ads-like system in many cities, with the largest being for Southern California. This platform may be the most legit. Reddit is tightly controlled and makes it difficult for scammers, spammers, and bots get away. Reddit users tend to be more tech-savvy than most people, which means that scammers and catfishers won’t bother using the platform. Reddit could be ranked number one on this list if it works. However, it is still quite small in the main areas and not many people use it in the suburbs. Reddit is also lacking in photo sharing, which makes it more similar to Craigslist than something like Tinder when it comes to hookups and dating. While it’s wonderful when it works, it is limited to big cities.
TRY REDDIT R4R
Are you interested in dating apps as an alternative to Craigslist personals?
If you asked the average person to recommend apps to use after CP has ended, they would likely suggest Tinder, Grindr or any other app for hooking up. Although these apps may seem like great alternatives, most users find that they are a waste of their time. Studies have shown that even the most attractive men using Tinder are having trouble finding matches due to the lopsided nature of the user base. The app has too many men, so girls can become very selective and picky. Most 6/10 girls feel like they are 9/10, which leads to them feeling that this is the reality. These situations are extremely detrimental to the user experience of most people, and make a lot these dating apps very toxic. Tinder or any other dating app quickly reveals that the top 10% share 90% of the women, while the rest of us are left with nothing. These odds aren’t good for most men and they don’t make sense.
This can be good for women. Tinder is a great platform for women to meet men who are looking for love. Tinder may not be the best choice for every guy, but it’s more than enough for at least 80%.
Craigslist Personals Replacings That Aren’t Scams
It is important to remember that many fake sites are out there looking to make quick buck or lead you on. You should read as much review as possible. As of writing this article, there was a very small number of scammers or fake profiles on most sites I recommended. If you do decide to try something new, make sure to be cautious and avoid submitting your credit card details to sites that aren’t legitimate. It is best to stick with the established fish when it comes down to these matters. Also, keep in mind that there are tons of fake profiles online.
What happened to Craigslist Personals
The U.S. Senate approved HR 1865 (Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act) in March 2018. Personal sites are now criminally liable for third-party abuse of their services under the new law. Craigslist may be sued if its users are stalked, killed, or forced into prostitution via the personals section.
Craigslist warned that the new law could cause the site to be shut down. Craigslist dissolved the personals section to protect their other services after the law was passed. The same law caused backpage to be shut down and led to a surge in backpage alternatives.
Craigslist Personals will be back.
It is unlikely that Craigslist’s Personals section will ever be reinstituted. Craigslist is a global classifieds site that has millions of users around the world, so it lacks the resources and centralized control to stop abuses like those in the personals section. FOSTA can be handled by sites like Ashley Madison and AFF.
Is There Anything Truly Identical To Craigslist Casual Encounters/Personals?
Craigslist Personals is a unique platform that will never be duplicated. We’ll always remember those days when we used it to find romance or hookups. It doesn’t necessarily mean that dating today is better or worse, although that is open to debate. Some people consider this a positive thing. Others see it as a problem. But in the end, most people will adapt, just like they have done for decades. Most of these platforms achieve the same goal as Craigslist, but they do it in a different way which is not a problem.
Craigslist Personals Alternatives: Meet the People You Want
In most articles about dating platforms, we discuss the importance of what type of people you will be meeting/chatting with and what they are looking for. You should not sign up for Tinder and AFF if you’re looking for marriage or sex only for a few dates. If you are someone who is looking for an ONS and wants to keep things casual, you don’t need to sign up for eHarmony.
Craigslist Personals was around when it was still available. If so, you will know that most people used it to meet hookups. We tried our best to locate those websites for this list. Although there were some people who did find long-term relationships on Craigslist, and some of them even got married, hookups was what Craigslist was famous for. Hookup lovers love these sites, so we included them on our list.
Avoid Tinder and Mainstream Dating Sites that Don’t Replicate Craigslist Personals
Other lists that list the best craigslist replacements for personals may mention other dating platforms like Tinder, Bumble or eHarmony as viable alternatives to Craigslist. It’s impossible to believe that mainstream dating platforms are a disadvantage to you, especially if you’re male. They will drain you of all your money. These are private businesses that want to make money by making you sign up for premium memberships. It is possible to hook up on Tinder but it will not be as easy as on Craigslist. These dating apps have serious problems. There can be scammers, liars and catfishes.
Craigslist offered an unforgettable dating experience. Craigslist’s personals section offered something for everyone. If you are looking for a hookup you can find it. You could find a long-term relationship, or just a friend. Many people find themselves in a weak spot because of the new dating apps.
Craigslist Personals to Come Back!
Although no one knows the answer, it seems unlikely that Craigslist’s personals section will ever be reintroduced. Craigslist doesn’t have the business logic to keep this section of its business. Online dating has become so saturated with platforms such as Tinder, Tinder and Match that Craigslist personals wouldn’t be as popular as they once were.
Craigslist Personals was different because it felt more real than online dating. Craigslist dating back then felt more like a way to exchange notes with your crush at school. You could meet people who were very genuine and didn’t expect much. Online dating is becoming more difficult for most men. It feels more like a meat market than anything.
These are the Best Craigslist Substitutes & Alternatives For Personals This Year
There will never again be CP, but the options we have are sufficient to continue its legacy. It is amazing to be alive in the 21st Century. We have so many options in almost all aspects of our lives. We can now choose from hundreds upon hundreds of hookup and dating sites, and we can narrow down our choices to those that we like the best. People didn’t have the same luxury today as they did in the early days of the internet age.
Each of the sites we have discussed has its pros and cons, both their positives as well as their negatives. You’ll find you can have a great time with your partner(s) on most of these sites. However, your numbers may vary depending on where you live and what site you choose to use long-term. No matter which platform you choose, be safe and use your head to make these decisions.