Remember the good old days when you could log into Craigslist Casual Encounters and treat it like an adult playground? You could simply check the personal ads, find a like-minded, consenting adult, meet up, and enjoy casual NSA sex.
But now, Craigslist is little more than a low-rent version of eBay. Luckily, though, you can still find a handful of alternative sites offering similar sex-positive adult personals.
Between well-known casual dating websites, such as Ashley Madison or Adult Friend Finder, and smaller, app-based platforms, such as Kasual, it’s still possible to find quick, easy, and anonymous sex. For anyone who prefers the classic appeal of Craigslist, there are other sites, such as Classified Ads and Oodle Personals that recreate a similar ad-centric format.
Depending on your personal style and needs, you’re bound to find something or someone in your personal area. Check out these Craigslist alternatives and don’t be afraid to start messaging anyone you find there.
Wait, What Happened to Craigslist Personals?
So, we’re going to assume that you haven’t been online in a while and, therefore, missed Craigslist’s decision to delete its adult personals section. Or, maybe you knew about it but never took the time to figure out why they deleted it. The answer is actually pretty shocking.
There’s a reason why we’ve seen a sudden rush of Craigslist personals replacements.
It all goes back to 2018 when Congress overwhelmingly voted in favor of the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA). The bill was originally drafted to fight sex traffickers by going after websites that knowingly facilitated the illegal activity. But, in practice, the bill made it nearly impossible for any website or platform to host personal ads without being held liable for any illegal activity that might occur.
So, to avoid being held liable, Craigslist simply stopped hosting personal ads altogether. The move effectively killed their adult personals and, with it, the ability to find sex partners online quickly, easily, and anonymously. In one fell blow, the web platform took away a safe space for consenting adults to explore their sexuality.
Craigslist dating was pretty much dead, and the same could be said for Backpage. Another site that had a personals section which was almost exclusively used for casual dates.
Above you can see how Craigslist Personals used to look.
It was spotlighted at the top of the homepage for every region. These boards were some of the most popular on the site:
- Strictly platonic (friendships)
- Women seeking women (W4W)
- Women seeking men (W4M)
- Men seeking women (M4W)
- Misc romance (a real pick-n-mix!)
- Casual encounters (a Wild West of one night stands and NSA sex)
What’s the Deal with Craigslist Communities?
If you run a basic Google search for alternatives to Craiglist Personal Ads, you’ll probably run into some blog recommending Craigslist Communities.
Unfortunately, these are not the same thing. In case you’re not familiar, Craigslist Communities are simply areas of the website where users post about specific topics, such as housing, jobs, for sale items, and, yes, even personals ads and dating. If you were feeling nostalgic for the old Craigslist casual encounters, trust us: it’s not the same.
The problem is that these personal ads aren’t nearly as detailed or specific as the old Craiglist Personals were.
In other words, you’re likely to find ads that say something like “looking for a buddy” with no real information about what the person is actually looking for.
And, if you do manage to find something explicitly NSFW, it’s liable to be taken down before you can reply.
This might not be a big deal if you’re just looking for a one-time hookup. But, if you’re looking for something a little more specific or kinky, you’re likely to be disappointed. The good news, though, is that there are still a few good Craiglist Personals alternatives out there.
Where to Find Easy Hookups and Casual Encounters Now?
The sudden disappearance of Craigslist Personals left a power vacuum when it comes to finding casual hookups online. With so many disappointed netizens looking for something to fill the void, it was only a matter of time before other tech companies created a replacement.
And, while they’re not exactly the same, the following few sites offer a similar experience (we mean easy sex) full of user generated content and casual sex.
Here are the best sites like Craigslist for a one night stand:
1. Adult Friend Finder
Adult Friend Finder is a behemoth in the world of online dating, casual encounters and hookups. The site has been around for nearly two decades and has a membership base in the tens of millions. A good portion of those members are actively looking for no-strings-attached hookups on a regular basis.
AFF is known as the “go to” dating site for finding the perfect casual encounter, and as a result it is brimming with adult content — and yes, most likely, personals near you.
As online dating apps go, this interface is old-school but easy to use and, like Craigslist, there’s no matching system. You create a profile with some basic information about yourself and then start browsing through other members’ profiles. When you find someone you like, you can send them a message and, if they’re interested, you can start chatting.
Best of all, unlike Ashley Madison (below), you don’t have to pay anything to message someone. You can also use the site’s search feature to find potential matches by age, location, and interests. The only downside is that, because the site doesn’t require any sort of verification, there are a lot of fake profiles.
To navigate around the many catfish, just use the same common sense you would use when hookup on Craigslist. If something seems fishy, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Pros:
- Active casual encounters dating section
- Free to message anyone
- The search feature makes it easy to find a quick hookup
- Wide range of different ads for specific kinks
- Large membership base of active users
Cons:
- No verification system leads to a lot of fake profiles and sex workers
- Not as many features as some other sites
2. Ashley Madison
For what it’s worth, a good portion of the people looking for Craigslist hookups were “happily” married in public, or in long term relationships, but secretly wanting more behind the scenes.
Even if it wasn’t a full-blown affair, countless husbands and wives turned to online dating sites to find something taboo, unspoken, and nefarious. Without Craigslist Personals, those same adulterers have found a similar home on Ashley Madison.
The now-notorious site is home to tens of millions of profiles, all of them belonging to people who are married or in a relationship but are looking for something on the side. Like Craigslist, Ashley Madison offers a no-strings-attached service complete with anonymity and discretion. It’s an ideal destination for anyone who doesn’t want to deal with the public embarrassment that comes with an affair.
Ashley Madison is pretty simple to access and use. You create a profile with some basic information about yourself and then you’re given a list of potential matches and casual encounters.
If you see someone you’re interested in, you can send them a message and, if they’re interested, you can start chatting. Women get the benefit of free messaging whereas men have to pay for credits.
Every message costs 5 credits or you can call for 1 full hour for 50 credits. This might be an instant turn-off for a lot of guys coming from Craigslist’s free and open format but, if you’re willing to pay for your explicit relationships, Ashley Madison is about as close to guaranteed as you’ll get to screwing around with married women.
Pros:
- Specifically designed for married men to find quick and easy hookups
- Reputable and less risky than some random meet-up
- Offers a live call option
Cons:
- Website is a lot more structured than Craigslist
- Cheap for women, but can be quite expensive for men
See our full Ashley Madison review.
3. Kasual
Kasual is a new app-based approach to casual hookups. The idea is similar to Tinder or Bumble but, rather than having to sort through hoards of singles looking for something serious or romantic, or “just friends”, it’s entirely set up for quick and easy sex.
The online dating app is available on both iOS and Android and, like most hookup apps, it’s pretty straightforward to use.
You create a profile with some basic information about yourself (including sexual preferences) and then start browsing through other members’ profiles. When you find someone you like, you can send them a message and, if they’re interested, you can start chatting. The app also has a “match” feature that uses GPS to find potential matches for a casual encounter near you.
Unlike some other hookup dating sites, Kasual doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles. There’s no search feature to filter users and, other than messaging, there aren’t any other ways to connect with local women. But, if you’re just looking for a quick and easy hookup, it’s a great option. After all, you wouldn’t be able to enjoy those features on Craigslist anyway.
Pros:
- User friendly app-based hookup platform makes it easy to use
- “Match” feature uses GPS to find potential matches nearby
Cons:
- No search function to easily browse interesting matches
- Limited ways to connect
4. Classified Ads
We know what you’re thinking and no—don’t go put a classified ad in your local newspaper looking for NSA hookups.
What we mean by Classified Ads is the website of the same name. The platform is very similar to Craigslist in that it’s an online classified ad site. But, instead of just selling furniture or finding a new job, the site offers a specifically sexual personals board like the old W4M or M4W.
The interface is old-school but easy to navigate and, like Craigslist in the early days, there are no matching features. You simply browse through other members’ ads and, when you find a woman you like, you can send them a direct message. This makes it about as close to Craigslist for casual encounters as you can find without actually pouring through Craigslist Community to find nothing.
Classified Ads is available in 30 different countries and it’s a great option for anyone who wants to post personal dating ads but doesn’t want to deal with the hassle of Craigslist.
The only downside is that most people don’t upload NSFW photos, which was more common on Craigslist Personals. This means that you’re even less likely to know what you’re getting so be careful and use some common sense.
Pros:
- The old-school platform is remarkably similar to Craigslist Personals and easy to use
- Available in 30 countries throughout North America, Australia, and Oceania
- Good option for finding casual sex with local women
Cons:
- We’re not sure how this site evades the same sex trafficking bill that brought down Craigslist and Backpage personals.
- No matching function
- Not as popular for casual dating as some other sites
- Vast majority of people don’t share a photo
5. Oodle Personals
Oodle is another platform that’s been around for a while. Like Craigslist, it started out as a classified ad site but in recent years has evolved into much more. The site now includes a robust personal ad section that’s very similar to what you would find on Craigslist Casual Encounters back in its heyday.
You can browse through other members’ ads, send them messages, and, if they’re interested, they’ll reply.
Oodle is available in more than 1,000 cities throughout the world and, because it’s been around for a while, it has a large and active user base. The only downside is that the site doesn’t offer any sort of verification system so it’s more likely that you’ll run into fake profiles.
But, if you use some common sense (“Why does this drop dead gorgeous woman want to meet me after 5 minutes?“), you should be able to avoid any of the potential problems that are notorious on adult dating services.
We should also point out that, like any hookup service, you’re more likely to find people if you live in a densely populated area. For example, if you live in New York, you should be able to find a lot of casual encounters in a short amount of time.
But, if you live in rural Wisconsin, you might not have as much luck meeting many users. Nevertheless, give it a try and you might get lucky.
Pros:
- Services a large and international user base
- Closely mirrors Craigslistpersonals as a dating tool
Cons:
- No verification system but more people do upload photos than on Classified Ads
- Access to fewer ads in rural or sparsely populated areas.
- Some of the ads are quite spammy (and likely by sex workers)
Other Sites Like Craigslist For Hookups
For a full list of sites like Craigslist, here are some more options for hooking up:
| CraigsList Alternative | What Is It Good For? |
|---|---|
| Double List | Double List used to have a reputation as the #1 Craigslist Personals Replacement – until they started charging. There’s strictly no sex work allowed on the platform in keeping with FOSTA requirements. |
| Reddit Personals | A very different crowd to the type of users who previously frequented Craigslist and Backpage. The ‘R4R’ is a rapidly growing personals board promoting: Activity Partners, Groups, Dating, Hanging Out, Soulmates, FWBs (friends with benefits). |
| Free Ads Time | A somewhat clunky Craigslist alternative. It looks like Wikipedia. We’re told that there’s options for personals, but we couldn’t find any. Let us know if you’ve had any luck! |
| Locanto | A worldwide classifieds platform with a decent adult personals section. It’s run by a German company. |
| BedPage | This page looks and feels exactly like Backpage, and it was launched just months after Backpage closed. They’ve even mugged the name off. Cute. |
As with all these services – YMMV!
What Would We Recommend For Personals Near Me?
So what is the best Craigslist replacement site for finding casual encounters?
At the end of the day, it all depends on what you’re looking for and what you’re willing to pay.
If you just want a quick and easy hookup, then we recommend Ashley Madison or Adult Friend Finder. Both are reputable Internet sites with larger membership bases. You may have to pay for a premium casual dating site but, at least you know the women you’re talking to are actually interested in sex.
If you’re looking for something a little more specific or kinky, then we would recommend the Kasual. The app is specifically designed for quick and easy hookups and, because it’s app-based, it’s very easy to use. The only downside is that it doesn’t have a lot of features.
Finally, if you’re looking for something that’s completely free, then check out the personals section on Oodle Personals or Classified Ads.
Both sites offer a similar experience to Craigslist or Backpage and because they’re not as popular, you’re more likely to find someone who’s actually interested in sex. Just be careful and use your common sense and you should be able to avoid any potential problems.
Final Thoughts on Craigslist Personals Alternatives
Congress may have killed the Craigslist Personals section but horny and consenting adults will always find a way to hook up behind closed doors (or in the open) with or without the help of the Internet.
So, if you’re looking for some NSA fun, check out some of the casual dating sites and hookup dating apps on our list.
With any luck, you’ll soon find something or someone in your personal area.
