The Craigslist personals section shut down in 2018 after Congress passed strict laws to combat online sex trafficking.
Some people still miss the convenience, anonymity, and interesting stories that came from the service. Fortunately, hookup seekers who want to stay anonymous have tons of alternatives to Craigslist.
The best hookup sites not only provide the same user-friendly experience and anonymity you enjoyed on Craigslist, but they also boost your security and safety. This makes finding what you need completely stress-free.
1. NaughtyCharm
When it comes to arranging hookups, NaughtyCharm is fast, easy, fun, and safe. This dating site has built a global network of sexy men and women who want to skip the small talk and cut right to the chase. If you’re interested in short-term romance, NaughtyCharm is the place to go and get your flirt on.
- A global network of naughty singles over 18
- Ability to blur nude and explicit content, if desired
- Advanced search filters and one-on-one messaging
- Browse NaughtyCharm profiles 100% free »
If you prefer a dating website with a flair for adult content, NaughtyCharm is the place to be. The site puts videos and photos right at the forefront, so things stay hot while you browse for your next casual hookup.
It takes less than a minute to set up your NaughtyCharm profile, and you can choose which details to provide or leave out, apart from your gender and the gender you’re seeking. For women, a profile photo opens up all the features, but men will need a premium membership to get access to everything NaughtyCharm has to offer.
Ashley Madison is a breath of fresh air for single or attached folks experiencing a sex slump. This exciting dating site and app offer tons of opportunities to mingle, match, flirt, and hook up discreetly. Over 91 million profiles await you on Ashley Madison, and it’s free to create an anonymous account.
- Discreetly arranges one-night stands
- More than 91 million profiles worldwide
- Travel-friendly features for seeking matches in other cities
- Browse Ashley Madison profiles 100% free »
Although Ashley Madison is most known for facilitating affairs, the dating platform is good for a lot more than that. Whether you’re single or married, Ashley Madison provides the tools to help you keep your sex life discreet.
Photo blurring and anonymous profiles keep your identity a secret, and browser history clearing and the panic button mean that even if someone walks in while you’re browsing, you can keep a low profile. Users also save time because each Ashley Madison member sets their relationship preferences: sexting only, casual dating, or serious dating are all options.
KinkyPeopleMeet’s motto is “anything but boring,” and its community forums live up to that promise. The hookup site is rife with sexual innuendos, explicit photos, and fantasy exploration. Kinksters are loud and proud about what they desire and expect from a potential partner, so there’s no guessing games or playing coy. Whether trading naughty photos or streaming a sex act, members have no qualms getting naughty.
- Nude photo galleries
- Video streaming by couples, singles, and groups
- Kink-based forums for like-minded adults
- Browse KinkyPeopleMeet profiles 100% free »
KinkyPeopleMeet makes it easy to find people who are just your speed if you’re looking for a low-pressure environment where you can have fun while you search for a casual hookup. Chat rooms are a low-pressure venue for making contact, letting you get to know people in your area without the stress of a first message.
KinkyPeopleMeet offers several ways to connect with sexual partners. There are kink-based search tools, niche chat rooms, and photo galleries full of people interested in mixing things up and experimenting in the bedroom.
4. SparkMeets
SparkMeets keeps things real by offering singles the chance to mix and mingle without making a big commitment. They don’t even need a subscription to join the ranks of casual daters. This tried-and-true hookup website is part of a larger network of sex-positive communities that empower individuals to find local hookups more quickly and privately than they could at a bar or club.
- Safety settings ensure accountability for users
- Free login and browsing via search filters
- Profile pictures are recommended but not required
- Browse SparkMeets profiles 100% free »
Singles who are tired of screening matches to rule out people who are looking for something more serious can turn to SparkMeets, which provides a platform where everyone is on the same page. The hookup site keeps everything simple, down to creating your dating profile.
SparkMeets isn’t your typical classifieds section; it’s a straightforward platform where you can browse, match, and message without unnecessary frills. Opting for a premium membership unlocks additional benefits, like clearing your browser history automatically and receiving read receipts.
5. Fling.com
Fling.com is a casual dating network with a sleek interface and fast matchmaking. The website boasts having over 2 million verified photos, ranging from car selfies to bikini pics. There’s also live video available to spice things up. Members who are feeling flirty can send pictures and videos in the private messaging windows. Fling profiles put turn-ons and kinks front and center, so members can cut right to the chase and start sexting.
- Fun video technology
- Free anonymous browsing
- No location limits on searches
- Browse Fling.com profiles 100% free »
Finding sex online can feel like a daunting experience, but Fling.com aims to make it easier with a safe space to explore sexy photos and sexier conversations via text or video. The hookup site cultivates an open, inviting atmosphere to get explicit about desires, kinks, and fantasies.
You can explore profiles anonymously for free with just a username and a quick selfie. Since profiles lack much personal information, physical attraction often becomes the primary connection driver. Fling.com assists in finding hot matches by offering a hotness rating, showing how active and responsive users are.
FriendFinder-X offers sexy singles the gratifying experience of meeting hot dates within a few clicks. This hookup site is designed to excite people’s imaginations and fill them with sexual energy. Whether you’re chatting privately or in a group forum, singles and swingers can be upfront about their sexual desires, fetishes, and fantasies.
- A casual personals site for singles, couples, and groups
- Profiles have suggestive photos and strip tease videos
- Chat live via a two-way webcam or private messaging
- Browse FriendFinder-X profiles 100% free »
FriendFinder-X offers up a judgment-free atmosphere and lots of sexy content to keep things going. Whether you’re single or in a couple, this playground for hookup seekers allows you to find the right people in your area to unlock your fantasies, without judgment or harassment.
Think of FriendFinder-X as a combination of a porn hub and online dating site. It’s filled with user-generated X-rated content and erotica for those looking for some excitement.
Free membership on FriendFinder-X is easy and quick, but a premium membership unlocks a lot of benefits, including unlimited access to erotic photos, stories, and videos, and unlimited private messages.
Registering for an account on Adult Friend Finder (AFF) is like speeding into the fast lane of the online dating world. This hookup site puts you in the center of action and encourages sexy singles and swingers to satisfy their secret fantasies. Anyone over 18 can join AFF and browse millions of profiles for free, but only full-fledged members have access to the revealing content in the community forums and chat rooms.
- One of the largest adults-only sex communities
- Free and fast registration process
- Dating forums and live chats foster live flirtation
- Browse Adult Friend Finder profiles 100% free »
Adult Friend Finder has been in the business of helping local singles, couples, and groups for more than 20 years, and the adult dating site continues to offer the biggest platform for casual encounters in the world.
It’s easy to sign up and post a personal ad in the forums, or take part in spicy chat rooms full of sexy people, all for free. Although the popular site has had scandals in the past, users can be confident that AFF has learned from its mistakes, and the security and privacy features mean you can stay anonymous while you search.
LGBTQ+ Hookup Sites
Seeking a same-sex match can be difficult in the mainstream dating world, and that’s why certain niche spaces have become popular for LGBTQ+ mingling. We rank the following sites highly because they have great reputations for inclusivity and sexual exploration.
8. MenNation
MenNation has tons of X-rated content to arouse the senses and stimulate conversation. The hookup site attracts single men and gay couples all over the world and has grown its network to include over 93 million people. Free members can browse these profiles for as long as they want and send flirts to anyone who catches their eye.
- A massive men-only sex and swinger community
- Browse profiles and send private messages to your favorites
- Profiles feature erotic videos and sexually explicit blogs
- Browse MenNation profiles 100% free »
Gay men in search of casual sex have a lot of options, but MenNation stands out from the pack by combining sex with community. If you’re a man seeking men for a hookup or just want to talk, MenNation welcomes you to the dating service, regardless of your sexual orientation.
In addition to hookup ads in the forums, MenNation offers live video content and photos to get your motor running. Premium members get access to Buzzmode, a tool that lets you control a wearable sex toy that a live streamer on the site is using.
9. Grindr
Grindr facilitates hookups by telling local singles where the hottest guys in town are and giving them a direct line of communication. It’s easy to jump into this active dating pool and start flirting with gay and bisexual men near you.
- Sexually active men can create free profiles
- Matching system uses GPS information to find local dates
- Millions of prospects available in 192 countries
- Browse Grindr profiles 100% free »
Grindr is a well-known name when it comes to gay hookup apps — and for good reason. The swiping app brought the convenience of Tinder to the gay community, while still keeping the community at the heart of what it does.
The Grindr app remains one of the most popular apps for gay, bisexual, and queer men to cruise, no matter their sexual orientation, and it offers all the basic services for free within your local area.
10. Plenty of Fish
Plenty of Fish’s claim to fame is its free communication. Lesbians will never have to pay a cent to read or send messages on this dating site and app. This dating field is brimming with activity, and it doesn’t take a lot of effort make a match and start a conversation. Thanks to its values-driven matchmaking, Plenty of Fish creates over 57 million new connections every week.
- Supports single lesbians seeking love and relationships
- A popular dating site for meaningful conversations
- Ability to report and block any unsavory characters
- Browse Plenty of Fish profiles 100% free »
Plenty of Fish is a free dating site that attracts a casual dating crowd. If you’ve only heard of Plenty of Fish from the namedrop in the Lady Gaga video for “Telephone,” it’s worth looking at for an alternative to Craigslist.
The 4 million active daily users on the platform increase your chances of finding attractive singles nearby, and signing up is a breeze. You might need to spend a bit more time avoiding fake profiles, but for a no-cost platform, it’s a reasonable trade-off.
11. OkCupid
OkCupid is a staunch ally of the LGBTQ+ community. The dating site and app made headlines in 2013 when it introduced 22 gender options and 13 orientation options to dating profiles. Few dating platforms have gone to such lengths to ensure that it represents everyone across the sexuality spectrum, and we give it props for connecting gay, bi, and queer men around the world.
- Gay men can express themselves in lengthy profiles
- Expanded orientation options includes pansexual and demisexual men
- Match lists only show guys who meet your criteria
- Browse OkCupid profiles 100% free »
OkCupid launched in 2004 with the goal of keeping every essential feature free, and every CEO who has jumped on board has held to that promise.
OkCupid perfectly blends the ease of a personal ad board with the added security of a dating site, letting you share who you are and what you’re seeking without spending a penny. While free messages now require a mutual match for a follow-up, you can still browse, chat, and connect with genuine people at no cost.
My experience using OkCupid was a positive one as my husband messaged me on the app in 2019. The personality quiz questions and dating profile setup ensure you know a lot about another person before you even say hello.
Other Sites Like Craigslist to Consider
We’ve dived deep into the online dating scene, and let me tell you, there are way more than just 11 options for casual connections. The sites we’ve recommended above fall mostly in the category of “online dating apps” or “hookup sites.”
If you’re more interested in classified listings similar to Craigslist, here are the most popular ones:
These sites all have a classifieds feel and are geared toward casual romance. But their verification and moderation policies provide more security than the paid sex ad forums of old.
FAQs: Why Did Craigslist Remove Its Dating Personals?
In 2018, Congress cracked down on websites that harbored sex workers. And the Craigslist team began to feel the pressure. The Craigslist personals section didn’t have much moderation, and it had devolved into a space for recruiting Johns.
After the passage of the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act and the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act in 2018, Craigslist made the decision to remove the personals section entirely, citing the danger to the overall website over the actions of unsanctioned users.
Mounting pressure against Backpage, which ultimately resulted in the site being seized a month later, almost certainly played a role.
Where Can I Safely Meet Someone on Craigslist?
Although Craigslist shut down the personals section in 2018, enterprising people continue to use the platform to advertise for casual encounters, usually through a fake ad for something else. It’s hard to completely eradicate such behavior.
We suggest you exercise caution when meeting people on Craigslist. Ever heard of the Craigslist killer? This space isn’t known for ironclad security.
Before you agree to meet, try to arrange for a phone call or a quick video call to check things out first. Once you decide to meet up, make sure to meet in a public place. Take reasonable blind-date precautions and make sure you have an exit strategy just in case.
Dating Sites Offer More Security Than a Craigslist Hookup
Many singles still miss the Craigslist personals section. However, numerous alternatives now offer anonymity and a judgment-free environment, ensuring you can safely and securely find hookup partners.
Don’t put your body at risk while working on your body count! Try a hookup site or app and get your casual sex fix safely.
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