Craigslist Personals had it all, from traditional classified listings to personal ads for local dates and casual encounters. As one of the only free classified ads sites at the time, many online-dating fans were disappointed when Craigslist Personal decided to close its doors in 2018. Luckily, there are a variety of new personals sites that have popped up to take their place.
Classified ads sites offer an alternative to conventional online dating, with personal ads that are accessible and affordable. This is a great option for those interested in casual encounters, hookups, and online chatting.
In this article, you will find a list of the best Craigslist Personals replacements. These sites have taken the best features from Craigslist and made them even better. Top features include professional ads sections, online personals, video chats, messaging, classified ads, webcams, and fetish searches.
AdultFriendFinder is hands down the best Craigslist Personals alternative. With a community of more than 100 million members, AdultFriendFinder is one of the most popular online dating sites. The site has something for everyone, no matter your gender, sexual orientation, or interests.
AdultFriendFinder has a very open-minded environment, with a community of members that do not pass judgment or criticize others. This makes AdultFriendFinder one of the best dating sites to find adult singles and couples for casual encounters, online chats, and discreet relationships.
The site offers classic dating features, along with an array of unique options. Some of the premium features include Hotlist, gifting, public live streams, advanced search functions, member webcams, and fetish forums and blogs.
AdultFriendFinder also has fun and engaging content for members to enjoy. There are various online diaries, magazines, and blogs for users to read or even write some of their own experiences. Members can also comment on these blogs, as well as user photos and videos posted on the main page.
The site has been around since the days of Craigslist Personals. Pricing was the only reason people preferred to use Craigslist Personals over AdultFriendFinder. Craigslist Personals was completely free to use, while AdultFriendFinder continues to apply certain membership fees.
Pros
- Vast community open to all types of arrangements
- Highly active member-base
- Premium membership offers extensive special features for both entertainment and pleasure
Cons
- Premium membership fees are pricey
- The site has no information-driven matching system
- Outdated website design that makes it difficult to unsubscribe
Secret Benefits
Secret Benefits is a great online dating site that caters to mutually beneficial relationships for both men and women. The site is similar to Craigslist Personals, including only the best features that allow members to easily explore their interests and desires.
Secret Benefits is great for women wanting to date mature men who can provide a certain type of lifestyle. It’s also ideal for professional, comfortable men looking for companionship and intimacy from younger women. However, the site has more men than women, making it highly competitive for females trying to find a match.
While you can register on the site and try the service for free, you cannot send messages without purchasing credits first. The credit system affords other premium features where you can view secret albums and browse hidden photos. Furthermore, your credits will never expire and can be used whenever you like.
Secret Benefits also offers several filter options that can help you narrow down your searches. With full control of available functions and features, you can customize your entire online experience.
Pros
- Quality verification process via video upload
- Responsive customer support team
- Extensive filter options while searching
Cons
- Few communication features available directly on the site
- No mobile app
- Limited profile information
You have probably heard of Ashley Madison. It is one of the most popular dating sites for people looking for discreet, extramarital relationships. While this is not considered a traditional listing site, Ashley Madison is still one of the best Craigslist Personals alternatives.
Ashley Madison takes an unconventional approach to online dating, which gives it a similar appeal to Craigslist Personals. With a diverse community and extensive search options, this platform gives you an excellent shot at finding open and exciting online encounters.
The site offers several advanced features and services. For example, you can choose specific filters instead of relying on a matching algorithm system. Additionally, all chats disappear within a certain timeframe, which helps to maintain discretion and protect your identity.
You can get started and create an account with Ashley Madison for free. However, you will need to purchase credits to initiate communication with others, send virtual gifts, boost profile searches, and use the Travel Man feature.
Pros
- Several security features to safeguard the privacy of users
- A mobile app is available and it has a modern user interface
- Premium accounts are free for women and pretty affordable for men
Cons
- Confusing payment structure
- Several fake profiles and scammers
- No auto-matching system available
Seeking is another great Craigslist alternative for finding casual encounters. Formerly known as Seeking Arrangement, this platform aims to help members find mutually beneficial relationships and other kinds of arrangements. This includes sugar dating arrangements between sugar babies and sugar daddies/mommas.
Just like Craigslist Personals, Seeking offers a non-traditional approach to online dating. For instance, this is the perfect dating site for arranging meet-ups without any unnecessary judgment or discrimination. This is not a place for singles who are mainly looking to settle down and find a long-term relationship.
The site has plenty of search options that cater to varying interests, desires, and kinks. For example, you can try the fetish matching feature and explore different things you may be into. The site also has advanced privacy filters, such as join date, online status, and an option to verify the country of where someone is logged in.
Unlike Craigslist Personals, Seeking charges a monthly subscription fee to use its premium features. Although, there are several free features available for sugar babies and female members.
Pros
- Extensive background and income verification process upon signup
- Trustworthy security features
- Highly active member community
Cons
- Some fake sugar daddies and accounts
- Imbalanced female-to-male gender ratio
- Fairly pricey compared to other dating sites
EliteMeetsBeauty
EliteMeetsBeauty is another excellent Craigslist Personals replacement. The site connects educated men and women looking to date young, attractive singles. With a massive member base, you can find singles who are interested in both serious and casual dating.
Registering for an account with EliteMeetsBeauty is fast and easy. Members must upload a profile photo, provide some basic information, and verify their email addresses. You can also enable location access, though this is optional.
EliteMeetsBeauty has limited free services and offers four different premium membership packages. You can create an account, browse user profiles, send likes, test search features, and add members to a favorites list all for free. With a premium plan, however, you will be able to send messages and winks, see who liked your profile, ask for private photos, and receive gifts from other members.
Pros
- Fast and free sign up process
- Search filters are automatically saved for future use
- Private photo albums available
Cons
- No verification process
- No match suggestions
- Some fake profiles
Plenty of Fish is one of the most popular dating sites across the globe. The site caters to all singles, including those that simply want to have fun and those who are seeking serious relationships. Essentially, Plenty of Fish provides “ponds” of singles to connect with.
The site has an active pool of users and a diverse community where you can find all different types of people. Plenty of Fish also offers plenty of exciting and unique features, some quite similar to Craigslist Personals. This includes a forum and diaries page, where members can post about their experiences.
The site allows you to send one free message per day, but only to suggested matches. To get more compatible matches, members can outline all their likes and preferences in their profiles. This information will enable the matching system to bring you more personalized matches.
Upgrading to the premium membership will give you access to the best features and services on the site. You can send unlimited messages, see who has viewed your profile, and get read receipts while chatting. Just remember to cancel your subscription if you want to opt-out because the subscription automatically renews itself every month.
Pros
- Extensive features for free accounts
- Vast and diverse user base
- Personalized matching system available
Cons
- No verification process at sign-up
- Unreachable customer support
- No free trial option
eharmony caters to singles who are seeking meaningful connections and serious relationships. The site has a more mature audience compared to most online personals, where those joining the site are largely interested in engagement and ultimately marriage.
eharmony has an advanced matchmaking algorithm that uses scientific research for better, more compatible matches. The matching system goes off of the information you provide during sign-up. This also means that the registration process will take longer than on other dating sites.
When signing up, eharmony requires you to answer an in-depth compatibility quiz. You will be asked about your personality, interests, lifestyle, etc. These answers will help tailor suggested matches.
Once you have an account, the site offers plenty of great features. For example, you can send automated questions to suggested matches to ease the flow of conversation. Another great feature is the video chat option, where you can chat live with a suggested match. On the video chat, members can do whatever they are comfortable with.
Pros
- Large user base
- Mobile dating app available
- Advanced matchmaking algorithm and compatibility system
Cons
- Lengthy signup process
- Limited free membership
- Difficult for existing members to cancel
Match.com is a leading online dating site, with a large community that includes more than 8 million members worldwide. With such an extensive reach, there are plenty of open-minded members who are looking for different things. This makes Match.com one of the best Craigslist Personals alternatives.
Match is a well-known dating site for singles interested in both committed relationships and casual encounters. If you are looking for a potential partner, love, or even a casual relationship, this dating platform has something for you.
The site offers various communication features, including video chat, direct messaging, and MatchPhone. You can also use the Compatibility Rating feature to see similar interests between matches.
Signing up for Match.com is free, but you will have to pay a subscription to use site features. Some of the unique features made available by the premium membership include instant messaging, anonymous browsing, and daily matches.
Pros
- Profile builder for easy account creation
- Several communication features
- Effective matchmaking system
Cons
- Some fake profiles and bots
- Subscription required to use the features on the site
- Not as many female members
Happn
If you are looking for a Craigslist Personals alternative, Happn is a great option. This site uses a location-based application that helps you find missed connections.
The interactive map allows you to trace people whom you crossed paths over the previous 7 days. With over 50 million users throughout the world, your next relationship could be right around the corner and you don’t even know it.
Most of the dating app’s features are free to use. You can send messages for free and view matches that meet your criteria. Premium members can send 10 Hellos per day, schedule invisibility, remove ads when browsing, and more. Happn members can also purchase a profile boost to increase the visibility of the profile.
Pros
- Advanced ‘missed connections’ feature
- Quality matches
- Several free features and services
Cons
Zoosk is an online dating app with over 35 million members worldwide. With an extensive user base, singles are looking for both short-term hookups and long-term relationships.
The site offers several unique features, such as SmartPick™ Introductions via Behavior Matchmaking™. This matchmaking system picks up on your preferences when you send a chat, make a new connection, or express interest in someone. With this information, Zoosk provides better matches than other dating sites.
Zoosk offers both free and paid membership options. The free version allows you to create a profile, send smiles/hearts, and view full profiles. For a better experience, you can subscribe to the premium membership option. Then, you can send messages, access SmartPIcks, browse in incognito mode, and see who likes your profile.
Pros
- Advanced behavioral matchmaking technology
- Several communication features
- Mobile app available
Cons
- Several inactive profiles
- Hard to reach customer support
- Some fake users
Conclusion
Thanks to these great Craigslist Personals alternatives, you can have a similar experience at little-to-no cost. These dating sites bring you the best of Craigslist Personals, plus more features, services, and technology.
Many of these websites target different audiences. However, most offer advanced matchmaking systems to help you find personalized and compatible matches. Whichever Craigslist Personals alternative you decide to go with, always take necessary safety precautions both online and in-person.
