Craigslist Dating (2024) - What it is & is it Still Working? (2024)

Craigslist Dating was one of the most popular ways to meet new people in the 2010s, and it was the best hookup place.

Their personals section was saturated with millions of ads, and people were using it a lot more than regular online dating platforms.

However, Craigslist Personals eventually got taken down because of several scandals, but this doesn’t mean that this type of dating is dead!

How People Really Use Craigslist Dating

What Happened To The Dating Site On Craigslist?

Best Craigslist Personals Alternatives

FAQs and More

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How People Really Use Craigslist Dating

Craigslist is one of the biggest advertising companies.

It allows people to post all sorts of classified ads, whether car deals or personal ads where people are marketing themselves.

Even though it was imagined as a website where people could sell different things, slowly, it turned into the go-to place for casual encounters, and people have started using Craigslist Personals as a way to meet other people interested in hookups.

Dating apps were not that popular at the time, especially not among a bit older audience, and this seemed like the perfect place to find some casual sex without ever getting exposed.

Craigslist was one of the classified sites that had millions of users daily, and as it became a hookup site, it gathered even more active users.

All you have to do is come up with your ad, describe the type of arrangement you are looking for, leave your phone number, and post it on Craigslist Personals.

Like on any other dating service, you would soon receive a text message from people interested in the same things as you, and the casual dating process was very easy.

However, since there were no photos for a long time, you could never really know who you are meeting up with, so you may have come across some people you already know also looking for one-night stands, which could lead to some uncomfortable situations.

Their online personals seemed to be the most effective way for men to seek women and vice versa, and people of all sexual orientations could join, which led to Craigslist trending in the USA for years.

Craigslist encounters were pretty common, and Craigslist online dating replaced all the dating websites out there.

It was fast, free, and easy to use, and people looking for a serious relationship weren’t there, so you could easily find the right dater for yourself.

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However, singles on Craigslist soon encountered several problems, and the platform was shut down.

What Happened To The Dating Site On Craigslist?

The Craigslist Personals website was shut down in 2018 because of several problems, the biggest of them being sex trafficking.

As the research has shown, although the platform was a great option for meeting new people and scheduling a meet-up with other casual daters, it was also full of scammers and sex workers.

Plenty of ads on Personals were ads of prostitutes, and it seemed to be the most legal way for them to market themselves and act like they are looking for a Craigslist romance when eventually the person who meets ups with them will need to reimburse them for the encounter.

There were also plenty of scam schemes, and people ended up getting robbed when meeting with other users, and there were several cases of women becoming victims of sex trafficking this way.

These victims of sex trafficking also appeared in those Craigslist ads, and the police decided to shut down the whole Craigslist personals page.

Several sex trafficking schemes were discovered this way, and it was decided that there would no longer be untransparent places for online dating like this one.

However, if you are asking if there are sites like Craigslist Personals alternative, then we’ve got you covered!

Best Craigslist Personals Alternatives

There is no answer to what app took over Craigslist Personals because there were no more untransparent platforms like this, but we can tell you what is better than Craigslist for personals and will provide you with much better results.

1. DoubleList

DoubleList is one of the most popular options for casual dating in the USA, Australia, Canada, and Great Britain, and it gathers millions of active users.

Its whole concept is quite similar to that on Craigslist, so all you need is a short description and a simple profile pic to start meeting with new people.

The platform is reserved for casual sex and hookups, so its audience is a bit younger than on most other dating apps and platforms, but it gathers a large number of people around the world, which makes your dating process fast and smooth.

2. Ashley Madison

Ashley Madison is one of the most popular online dating platforms for affairs, and it has been around for decades, known as one of the most popular ways to meet other people interested in a hookup.

It requires you to create a complete dating profile and provide daters with plenty of information about yourself, but it is also one of the safest ways to meet new people and establish great relationships.

The platform is available worldwide, and it is completely free for all women, while men will need to invest some money into a membership.

Its success rates are pretty high, so you will easily find like-minded individuals to schedule a date with.

3. Adult Friend Finder

Adult Friend Finder is one of the first alternatives to Craigslist, and it is made with a mission to connect adult people looking for some hookups.

Users on this platform have dating profiles that are pretty simple but will still provide you with enough information that will help you decide whether this person is for you or not.

It is the most popular in the USA, but it has more users in bigger cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago, so if you are not living in bigger cities or the bay area, you probably won’t have too many matches.

AFF is free of charge, but you can also purchase a premium membership for better performance so it is a great option for everyone, whether you are looking for a free or a more expensive way of dating.

4. BedPage

BedPage is also an excellent replacement for Craigslist, but it is mainly for people looking for one-night stands and casual hookups from time to time.

You will be able to browse for people of all ages and sexual orientations, and it has an excellent location feature that will allow you to look for people closest to you.

While the platform is viral in the USA, it also has many users in Europe so you could try out your luck there too.

It works pretty much like social media, and you can send requests to people you like and see whether they are interested in the same type of arrangement or not.

The platform is also safe because you must verify your identity through a phone number or Facebook profile.

5. Locanto Personals

Locanto Personals is quite similar to casual encounters on Craigslist because it allows you to post all sorts of ads.

The personals section is made for dating, which tends to be the most frequent choice of previous Craigslist singles because it resembles this online dating platform the most.

You will be able to look for users just like you would look to find women on Craigslist, and the whole process requires you to post your ad with a few words and a profile pic and wait until other people reach out to you.

With this one, you can connect with users through the chat feature or through your phone number, just like you would do on Craigslist.

Its user base is diverse, so you can find people of all ages and sexual orientations, which makes it an excellent option for everyone.

6. Oodle Personals

Oodle Personals is one of the platforms that connect older singles and helps them find not only people for casual encounters but also for something more serious.

Its users are 35 years old and above, and they are primarily looking for more serious arrangements.

The whole platform invests a lot in safety checks and requires everyone to confirm their identity when joining, so you can be sure you will be safe from any scam.

It is available in all English-speaking areas, so you will be able to meet new daters in the USA, Great Britain, and Canada easily.

7. Tinder

Although it is one of the most popular dating apps at the moment, Tinder doesn‘t seem to be that popular among previous Craigslist users, even though it works similarly.

The platform is free of charge and is perfect for hookups (likeBeNaughtyorAshley Madison), so all you will need is a few words and one profile picture to start your hookup journey.

As you can see, there are plenty of alternatives to Craigslist Personal, and some may even provide you with much more success than this platform.

What is better than Craigslist for personals is pretty much any of these platforms, so if you are looking for the best dating option, then one of these will work for you.

FAQs

1. How does a person find a Sugar Daddy on Craigslist?

Craigslist was probably one of the most popular options for dating, and it was good for finding a sugar daddy, but this is also the reason why it got taken down for good.

2. Is Craigslist good for dating?

Craigslist was one of the best options for dating, but if you are looking for something with similar results, try out Double List, Adult Friend Finder, or Tinder.

3. What is the difference between craigslist and pof?

Craigslist was mainly an ads platform, while POF was where you could find people for serious relationships and get involved in the actual dating pool.

Craigslist Dating (2024) - What it is & is it Still Working? (2024)

FAQs

Why did Craigslist get rid of dating? ›

Craigslist Shuts Down Personals Section After Congress Passes Bill On Trafficking : The Two-Way Craigslist says it made the change because of the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, which is meant to crack down on sex trafficking of children. Free speech advocates are critical of FOSTA.

Does anybody use Craigslist anymore? ›

Do People Still Use Craigslist? Absolutely. You can search your local area on Craigslist and find used furniture, cars, rentals, and even jobs.

Is Craigslist still successful? ›

With more than 80 million new classified advertisements each month, Craigslist is the leading classifieds service in any medium.

Is Craigslist only in America? ›

Craigslist.org, originally a San Francisco community electronic newsletter, is now one of the most visited English language Web sites, with local classifieds for more than 450 cities worldwide.

Why is Craigslist losing popularity? ›

In December 2022, Craigslist saw 191 million total monthly visits, down by around a third year-on-year, according to SimilarWeb. That's Craigslist's biggest one-year drop since 2017-2018, when the company's popular personal ads were dropped due to liability concerns related to prostitution and human trafficking.

Is Craigslist good for dating? ›

Conclusion. While Craigslist might not be the first platform that comes to mind when you think about online dating, it certainly offers a unique way to meet women. With the right approach and safety measures, you can navigate your way to successful encounters.

Do people still use Craigslist in 2024? ›

Yes, craigslist.com is a legitimate website that is well known and used by millions of people each year. Each individual post does not get vetted before going live, so many posts on the website are not legitimate and require additional caution. What if you see a job listing and know it's a scam?

What does everyone use instead of Craigslist? ›

1. Facebook Marketplace. Overview: Launched in 2016, Facebook Marketplace has emerged as one of the largest online classified advertising platforms. As of 2022, it has over 1 billion users worldwide.

Is Craigslist declining? ›

Craigslist's traffic is also falling steadily. In 2019, it was as high as 437 million monthly visits, according to Similarweb; in January this year it was just 173 million. Still impressive, but down more than 60%. Even so, it's the leader in both revenue and traffic, ahead of Mercari and OfferUp.

Why is Craigslist so shady? ›

Anyone can list an item or service on Craigslist, which can make you more vulnerable to potential scams. Ultimately, if a listed item seems too good to be true… then it probably is.

Is Craigslist better than Facebook? ›

Facebook Marketplace doesn't allow listing of services, they only allow physical items. If you want to list jobs or other services, then Craigslist is the better option. Craigslist is more popular than Facebook Marketplace for some categories such as sale of vehicles and renting houses.

Who owns Craigslist? ›

2020 Billionaires Net Worth

Craig Newmark is the founder of online marketplace Craigslist.

Is Craigslist cash only? ›

Accept or pay only with cash. If you accept a cashier's check or money order, you may fall victim to a common Craigslist scam that involves depositing a fake money order into your account and leaving you with nothing in the transaction.

Why was Craigslist post removed? ›

Free classified ads sufficiently flagged are subject to automated removal. Postings may also be flagged for removal by CL staff or CL automated systems. Millions of ads are removed by flagging monthly, nearly all of which violate the CL terms of use.

Why is Craigslist being blocked? ›

Reason #1 – Posting Too Much

Craigslist states that “you may post to one category and in one city, no more than once every 48 hours.” So, if you attempt to post too many ads in a day or post the same ad multiple times, it's going to trigger Craigslist to remove them and block your IP address.

What is a Tinder account? ›

Tinder is an online dating and geosocial networking application launched in 2012. On Tinder, users "swipe right" to like or "swipe left" to dislike other users' profiles, which include their photos, a short bio, and some of their interests.

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