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In this post, we’ll mostly focus on the alternatives, but we’ll also touch upon why Craigslist shut down their personals section, as well as what happened to backpage.com. Thus, without further delay, let’s get started!
There has been a time when Craigslist Personals ruled the online dating scene. There was simply no competition. But as it happens with all good things, it ended abruptly with no sign of return. Although it ended with a sad outcome, the platform spawned quite a few alternatives that, in our opinion, came pretty close to the source material.
Contents
What is Craigslist Personals? Why it Shut Down?
Now for those of you who don’t know, back at the day, Craigslist was a completely different website than it is today. It used to host a section called “personals” that were primarily used for dating purposes. Yet, back then the internet (and frankly, the world) was a different place and this section sparked a lot of controversies because of a few sub-sections. The most popular sub-sections dubbed “casual encounters” and “erotic services” are the ones that caused a lot of trouble. And this is quite puzzling considering that there were sections that seemed way more controversial than “casual encounters”.
The Impact of Craigslist Personals Termination
Craigslist personals section was the place to be for quiet people who don’t even take selfies, not to mention the dating apps. These were men and women looking for someone without having to deal with tons of questions to answer, catchy usernames, profile pics, passwords all that. It’s also been a perfect place for bisexual people who were hiding this side of themselves from their spouses/partners. And when Craigslist shut down, it affected many people’s lives, clearly. But that’s not the biggest problem everyone complains about.
Personals section was closed due to a governmental regulation aimed at preventing sex trafficking. However, it also impacted lots of sex workers. The thing is, the world uses many US-based sites to run their businesses. It’s estimated by some sources that the shutdown of resources like Craigslist influenced around 10-15 million sex workers, and not just in the US but in other countries where this industry is legal. Too bad it ends this way.
Why Was Craigslist Personals so Important?
The reason why Craigslist Personals was so popular is that the service offered security as the system masked the identity of each person. Indeed, if there’s something users could count on, that was the fact that nobody knew who they are. This also added a thrill-like effect as it was always a gamble on whom you might land. Craigslist casual encounters were so popular that there was barely any criticism of the system too. Everyone enjoyed the platform, especially those who relied on anonymity.
Both doctors and high-level businessmen that had trouble meeting someone publicly loved the platform. Some described the system as the only place where they can even start searching for partners. And for good reasons too, for them, the platform was the only place where they could openly express their feelings. There is a good amount of people who actually met their soulmates and live together even today. Craigslist dating was a big deal, especially considering that nothing like it was introduced in the past.
What Opportunities did Personal Ads Provide?
There is no question that many gays found peace and comfort when it comes to dating on Craigslist Personals. To them, the system was a nice place to share not only their position but to find the like-minded people. Indeed, many formed communities were judgment-free, meaning that the platform was more than just a site where they could meet new people. It gave them a sense of belonging to a certain group.
Also, the site was practically a paradise for married men who were looking forward to trying gay sex. They didn’t have to risk revealing their identities so they also had zero trouble communicating with like-minded others. Another thing Craigslist Personals was good at is providing services such as sex workers, relationship building, and naturally, casual sex encounters. All this combined with high-level privacy made Craigslist Personals one of the best places to meet new people for flirting and sex.
Why Snapchat Can’t Be A Replacement?
First off, Snapchat was never built for meeting new people. There is no discover tab, and you won’t find a line to fill out personal information outside of your name. The main focus of the platform is to share photos and videos that you can modify with custom filters and masks. While it’s true that you can share snapshot photos with other social media platforms, you can only do so much with the app. It won’t be your Craigslist Personals replacement as it is more of a photo and video sharing platform than a dating one. So, TL;DR, it lacks the features a dedicated dating site has and the UI is simply not up for the task.
Why Backpage.com Shut Down Also?
The reason why backpage.com shut down is that it wanted to be the new Craigslist Personals. They had the same sections and even the UI somewhat resemble Craigslist but things were getting out of hand fast. Their casual encounters corner quickly gathered weirdos that advertise sex services. The government suspected that they were promoting prostitution and enforced pressure on banks that processed the transactions and warned the website to stop their activities. Yet, even so, the site continued to work and started accepting Bitcoins. Later, the CEO of the site was brought to court where the “Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act” or “SESTA” bill played a vital role in stopping the website from working.
Good Craigslist Personals Alternative
Now that we’ve covered a little bit of history, let’s move on to Craigslist Personals replacements. We’ll be covering all kinds of things about these sites, including but not limited to, the date they opened, the average amount of visitors, number of users, and why it’s a good replacement. In addition, we’ll discover whom each site is for, what said website does, and finally, what unique features it has.
1. DoULike.com
Visit website
Monthly active users: 600K+
So at number one, we have DoULike.com, and suffice to say that this is a very good website for dating purposes. With monthly 600K+ active users, this is a paradise for lonely souls. It has all the bells and whistles a dating website needs and adds a dedicated mobile app into the mix. Each profile is verified a number of times, meaning that you won’t stumble on fakes. Also, the website is practically for everyone, whether you are 20 or in you mid 50, chances are that you will find someone. Couple all this will high-quality filters and an outstanding matching algorithm, and you got yourself one of the best websites around. The website makes sure that you have a pleasant experience by providing constant updates. Highly recommended for everyone who likes quality and wants to spice their life up.
2. www.bedpage.com
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Daily visits: 5000
Active users: 260,000
Bedpage is perhaps the most underrated platform we’ve seen to date. It is a very good Craigslist Personals alternative as it not only looks similar but functions in the same way, minus the controversial sections. The website has more than 5000 daily visits and around 260,000 active users. The community over this place is quite huge and for good reasons. The site offers a nice set of customization options when it comes to ads. Just like Craigslist Personals, you get the ability to create personal ads that will target exactly the type of people you’d like to meet. The website is pretty much for everyone but keep in mind that you won’t find a lot of seniors here. The site keeps everything in check and there are no bugs or broken filters. This is a good fit for those of you who missed Craigslist Personals or don’t really care for fancy UIs.
3. OutPersonals.com
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Active users: 500,000
While the site does sound like a spiritual successor to Craigslist Personals, it’s key audience are homosexuals. The site sports a massive international community that is around 500,000 members large. The site continues to grow and more than 1,000 photos are introduced every week. The key feature of the website is the blog posting option which is something that many of us will find cool. You might not use it but you can still read what other users have to say, meaning that you can easily understand their position on something, as well as you can learn what they like the most. Also as an added bonus, the micro-blog system will help you adapt to the community much faster. The site continues to grow as more people join.
4. Locanto.com
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Registered users: 450,000
Daily users: 2000
Based in Germany, this online classified network has all kinds of sections that aren’t exactly dedicated to dating. People can easily post personal ads in sales, services, jobs, and real estate sections. And just like Craigslist, you get access to a personal section that has more than 450,000 registered users. The average amount of active daily users is around 2000, making it a perfect fit for people who have just started. The unique feature of the site is that it has a few cool categories for beginners. These include friendship, men seeking men, women seeking women, men seeking women, and vice versa. You also have sections such as casual encounters and missed connections. Thus, even if you are a beginner, you will surely find a community to join. Lastly, the site also offers a mobile application that can easily be downloaded on the Google Play Store.
5. Oodle.com
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Registered users: 350,000
Similarly to how Craigslist started, Oodle was also a classified ad site where you could find all kinds of posting. Before Craigslist Personal closed, Oodle was the only true competitor, which means that it also offers a very similar experience to CL. Indeed, just by landing on the website, you’ll immediately notice that there is a ton of different ads on singles, casual encounters, men seeking men, etc. And for good reasons too, it has more than 1000 ads posted daily. The register base is also massive, clocking in around 350,000 users. Yet, what separates the site from the competition is the fact that it lets you scan the web for personal offers. The site is also very reliable and safe as the moderation team tracks it 24/7. The best part about Oodle is that it suits practically all ages and tastes, there are no limitations and you will surely find someone to talk to.
6. Doublelist.com
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Registered users: 11,000,000
Another option you might find interesting is a website calledDoublelist.com. This online space borrows some elements from Craigslist Personals but after all, most sites like Doublelist tend to share some similarities, aren’t they? If you check out some of Doublelist review pieces, you’ll notice that users particularly like it for a great UI, simple design, and reliability. In addition to that, the site has a couple of cool features, like letting users post their interests via quick Doublelist classifieds, Doublelist personals ads, and more. There’s literally everything you need for finding an online date.
The key audience of websites like Doublelist is the LGBT community, but there are also quite a few straights looking for a one-night stand. This means that safety and privacy are paramount for Doublelist services. Nobody wants others to know such sensitive details of their personal lives, so it’s a great thing that Doublelist took care of that. Overall, there are more than 11 million registered users because this website is completely free of charge. Can we refer to Doublelist as the new Craiglist? Maybe not, but nevertheless, this online space is extremely promising, and it has new people joining daily. You might want to check it out.
7. iBackpage.com
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Monthly users: 550,000
The last one on our list is iBackpage. This is also a free offering but unlike our previous entry, the site offers a premium user experience. In general, this site is for everyone but most features are tailored for casual encounters first. It also has a dedicated LGBT section that is very active and friendly to newcomers. The key specialty of the site is that it tries to find your partner using geolocation. This means that it will focus on your area of residence and if you want more performance out of the ad, you can opt for the premium plan, which is only $2 per post. This is a very affordable price, especially considering that similar sites usually charge triple the amount. As reported by the site, there are around 550,000 visitors monthly, and more than 10,000 ads posted weekly.
8. Classifiedads.com
Monthly users: 400,000
ClassifiedAds is a great Craigslist alternative, too. It’s one of the largest classified ads sites at the moment. More than 3 million unique monthly visitors go there every month. Their personals sections look very much similar to Craigslist with options like “casual dating”, “men seeking men”, “woman seeking woman”, “men seeking women” and vice versa. They even have “missed connections” ads, which has been a favorite of many people. ClassifiedAds is not a big ass company yet, it’s a small startup with 20 people making it work. But despite their size, they are slowly gaining popularity in classified online space. As you browse through the ads, you see dozens of adds for all tastes, from the ones looking for a sex partner with very specific requirements to those who just need someone to talk to. All in all, check out this site, you might like it.
9. Hoobly.com
Monthly users: 500,000
Another free local classified ad site that can be a good alternative to Craigslist is Hoobly.com. It has millions of classifieds on in many categories. Google says, their most popular category is pet advertisements, but there are also many other tabs. You can use this site to buy and sell various goods, look for real estate and put in on sale or for rent. The ads on this site are updated on a regular basis and it also lets users place their own ads with all the details and pics. However, there is no personals section. You won’t be able to look for potential partners on this site, at least for now. You may hit on a girl you’ve just closed the deal with, nobody will stop you if you’re feeling adventurous. But generally, this is a great site, but just not for dating.
10. Seeking.com
Monthly users: 250,000
Seeking.com or SeekingArrangement can partially make a good alternative for Craigslist. If you’ve been using it to find a sugar daddy online, this one is going to be perfect. It’s basically a dating site where sugar babes are looking for their mentors. To join the community, you need to create an account, define your terms, state the expectations, add a profile pic, and start looking for an arrangement. The site promises that people find their ideal match in less than a week. It’s not exactly a classified ads platform, but it gets the job done. And it’s even better for the people who know exactly what they want. No games, everything is honest and straightforward, all is nice and clear. The site has lots of useful features and it gathers active members from 139 countries. If you’re up to this kind of relationship, give it a try.
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Bottom Line
All in all, there are many different alternatives to Craigslist Personals but these are considered to be the best. There is no definitive answer to which one is better as each of them has a nice install base and is being actively worked on. Thus, go with whichever you like. Although, before we leave, we’d like to stress that we should make one more distinction regarding websites. There are those that provide local dating options (i.e CL) and international matchmaking type of services. Many local dating websites offer paid services but don’t be discouraged about it. Since users invest in their profiles, you are more likely to get some results. A good example would be DoULike.com, which is a high-quality option with an immense user-base.
- Amazing Dating Profile Headlines that Attract Female
- Tips to stay safe using dating sites
Are you trying out something new? Are you looking to spice up your relationship with someone else’s involvement? Maybe you’re currently unhappy with your partner, but you aren’t sure if you are ready to leave your arrangement. Whatever your choices might be, we are here to help you to find out the top 10 affair dating websites for cheating, married dating and attached people!
Internet dating has been a well-endowed concept ever since the early days of the internet, where it has manifested through all sorts of different forums. Long gone are the days of the old internet, and everything connected to it has improved.
We’ve evolved from forums into applications and complex services. So, you’re pretty likely to find a well made and advanced dating website that fits all of your needs. There is a dating website for every niche out there, and married people looking to have a little fun on the side have always been a popular demographic.
1. AshleyMadison
Best Online Dating Williamstown Massachusetts
AshleyMadison is one of the oldest dating websites around, period. It has been around since the early days of 2001. Since it’s creation, it has provided its users with a safe, fun, and discreet place to find some potential fun on the side.
It is primarily based in the USA with its incredibly vast user base of over 24 million different and unique users, with over 2 million joining each month. The gender demographics on this website are predominantly male. If you’re a lady looking for a little something, you’re sure to find a potential partner here. If you’re an attached man, you just have to try hard and stand out from the competition.
The registration process is free and straightforward, as it won’t take more than a couple of minutes from start to finish. Once you’ve signed up, you can get into mingling with your peers or editing your profile further. The profile editing tool is terrific and offers you numerous choices you can fill in.
Ashley Madison also offers its users with a mobile application that supports both iOS and Android, and it is one of the better dating apps around. It has a very simple and well-made interface that helps you take your dating needs on the go.
Since the website has been hacked in 2015, creating a scandal and releasing information about its users, it’s security has been updated massively. We assure you, you’re completely safe on this website and discretion is their top priority!
AshleyMadison functions on a credit/point-based system. This, in turn, means that registration and basic functions are free, while other actions require you to pay in “points.” Virtual points cost real money, but they’re reasonably priced. One hundred credits will only set you back about 60$.
2. HeatedAffairs
HeatedAffairs is an online dating website that is primarily catered to people who are currently in relationships. It does not discriminate tho, as anyone and everyone can join this website and be part of its beautiful community.
It has a grand userbase of over 45 million different and unique users for you to engage in conversation with (And hopefully, something else.), and boasts an extremely active and fun-loving community. A real gem in the dating scene, HeatedAffaris boasts a more than fair male to female ratio and is predominantly 30+ when it comes to the age demographics of the website.
The best benefits of this website come with its usability. The website and the application it offers are incredibly user-friendly and contain a whole lot of exciting features for you to explore. It is a commercial website, meaning unless you pay up, you can only browse profiles.
The website suffers from one common flaw. The website itself is free to sign up to and make your profile, but you really need to cough up some dough to get the full benefits.
3. IllicitEncounters
IlicitEncounters is a UK based cheating dating website and service that is catered to people in any relationship. It is the biggest website in the UK dedicated to this purpose, boasting over one million unique members.
Since it is much more local than any USA based affair dating website, IllicitEnoucnters has an extremely tight-knit community with over 1000 unique users. If you’re a member of the website, you’re much more likely to be known by other members. If your tactic is to blend in with the numbers, this might not be the best website for you.
Unlike other websites, most of these users are looking for a hookup or something casual as opposed to advanced and long-lasting affairs. The sign-up process is quick and simple and does not require a lot of your personal information. At this moment, IlicitEncounters does not offer a mobile application.
Like all good things in life, IlicitEncounters membership does not come cheap, and it most certainly does not come free. Memberships start from 170 GBP a month. It does function on a hybrid payment system in which you can do some things for credits and some things with a premium membership. Credits start at a much more reasonable 20 GBP for 3000 credits.
4. HornyWife
HornyWife is an excellent online matchmaking service that matches people who are in existing relationships. The website itself has existed for a little longer than the competition, having its roots set in the early 2000’.
It boasts over a million unique users all across North America and is one of the primary hookup websites when it comes to cheating on your spouse or SO. Its userbase is mostly focused on short term affairs and relationships, so if you’re looking for a new chance at love, this might not be the website for you.
It does offer some exciting features such as 2-way webcam chatting and a good DM service. The cybersecurity team is very active and responsive. It is available to you 24/7.
The website is free to sign up, but not free to use. It will set you back a couple of dollars a month to a couple of hundred, depending on what you decide to do with the website.
5. AffairDating
AffairDating is one of the most pristine and established websites in the online affair dating community. It is an excellent option if you want a discreet and safe site to have your little online affair in.
It does place its primary focus on real-life encounters, but it does not place a ban on sexting and other forms of communication between its big member-base. It is one of the cheapest websites around, but registering itself is not free. It will set you back a very modest 30$ a month.
This is a great way to practice caution and security. Pay to access websites are far less likely to attract dangerous people such as scammers or people looking to blackmail you. Other websites that allow browsing but not viewing are always in potential danger to show your webpage to everyone who looks.
6. Gleeden
Gleeden is an affair dating website that is exclusive to France. It is a niche website set in a niche country. So, if you’re either French or visiting France for one reason or another, you’re sure to find your next affair on this website.
It does operate outside of France, but not with much success. It has over 5 million different and unique members for you to interact with. It is very female friendly and orientated, as the admin team is exclusively female and pro-feminist. All sorts of abuse will result in a quick and swift ban, so your safety is of the utmost concern.
It is that type of dating service that is also focused on the social aspect. It is used as a popular social media platform in France to establish love or platonic relationships between people. It is marketed as a “Divorce Alternative.”
It functions on a credit-based system, and the smallest package you can buy will set you back a measly 5 euros.
7. VictoriaMilan
After AshleyMadison, VictoriaMilan is the second most popular affair dating website on the market. It is unprecedented in its beautiful design and user-friendliness and is exceptionally highly populated with about Five million unique and real profiles.
Five million might not seem like much. But, considering that VictoriaMilan’s members are confirmed worldwide while most others aren’t, this is a staggering number. VictoriaMilan places most of its eggs in one basket, affair dating for people who are in unhappy and unfulfilling relationships.
The signup process is stupidly simple, and anyone can do it in a couple of minutes. After you’ve signed up, you will be met with an extremely advanced search that will help you filter out everything you are and aren’t looking for in your potential affair partner.
Privacy and discretion are of the utmost concern. Unlike the competition, VictoriaMilan has never had a scandal concerning its userbase. The web security team is ever vigilant in rooting out dead profiles, fake profiles, and scammers.
The price of this amazing website is also rather low, with membership options starting from 30$ a month if you opt for a yearlong membership.
8. FirstAffair
FirstAffair is one of the oldest and most set names in the industry. Gaining ti’s fame and notoriety through rigorous advertisements on adult websites, FirstAffair is a well-established website in the internet affair and cheating community.
It has over 2 million members, and its age and gender demographics are very fair at an almost perfect 50/50 split. When you’ve finished the simple sign up process, you will be met with an advanced profile editing tool that lets you make your profile. You can add as much or as little information about yourself.
The website offers some interesting and unique features to itself, such as live video, two-way webcam, and live chat. It is not free, but won’t set you back by a lot if you opt for the longer membership.
9. MarriedSecrets
MarriedSecrets is an up and coming website in the married dating website community, with over one million different and unique users. It advertises itself as a website to help you recapture the feeling of when you have first fallen in love.
The website boasts over 2 million unique users and helps people establish long-lasting affairs with each other. It’s almost exclusive to North America but does offer a minuscule European population.
If you’re married and you’re unhappy with your relationship, this might be the perfect website for you. It places its concern into discretion and anonymity, so if this is a big concern, this is the website that will fulfill your needs. It helps that the website is highly praised and reviewed, but don’t trust us, read it for yourself!
10. FindNewPassion
FindNewPassion is a great website that provides a much-needed service for people who are married, but not dead. It advertises itself as a matchmaking service that is catered to cheating and affairs.
The sign-up process is a bit more detailed than most of the competition. But, it’s a great way to root out scammers and other people looking for your private information. It offers a lot of features, and it is a great and viable option if you’re looking for a little something on the side.
There are chat-rooms to the website, so establishing the first contact is very simple and easy to do. Breaking the ice might not always be the simplest of things, but this greatly reduces the headache!
Unlike most of the websites in the dating industry, using this website is completely free. While you can opt for a premium membership, the website itself is completely free and usable in this way. You can send messages, view profiles, and partake in numerous other features free of charge. What a lifesaver!
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