Craigslist wasn’t the first to introduce online personal ads, but for years, it remained the most popular platform for selling and buying old furniture, finding roommates, and getting instant hookups or casual dates.
If you still miss the thrill of Craigslist Personals, let us introduce a few alternatives. They’ll work for online dating, long-distance relationships, and even marriage down the line.
What Has Replaced Craigslist Personals?
Some say Craigslist would never survive the competition once dating sites and apps like Ashley Madison became mainstream. After all, there are significant advantages to using a reliable platform instead of a listings board. Let’s go over a few reputable dating apps that can replace Craigslist Personals for you.
SofiaDate
At first glance, SofiaDate seems like a direct opposite of Craigslist Personals. It’s designed for people looking for long-term commitment, not casual relationships, and it connects American and European guys with Slavic girls instead of producing local matches. At the same time, SofiaDate emphasizes profile descriptions and personal details to bring together like-minded people with similar interests.
Generous profile photo galleries are another advantage of SofiaDate. There are lots of public and private pictures, and live chat and mail can include photo and video messages to build stronger connections across borders.
SakuraDate
We will argue that SakuraDate is a much better option for searching for Asian dates than Craigslist Personals. For one, most profiles include at least five photos to accompany extensive self-descriptions and partner preferences.
For another, SakuraDate comes with impressively flexible search features. Instead of scrolling through endless profiles or personal ads, you can use 15 filters to narrow down the dating pool and find compatible matches quickly. Even if you decide to use the Tinder-inspired swiping tab, you can use wide and fast filters to make your search more targeted.
LatiDate
If you were using Craigslist Personals to find hot Latina dates, LatiDate can be an excellent replacement. Over 100,000 Latina singles from all across Central and South America are looking for friendship, romance, and long-term relationships.
LatiDate combines extensive dating profiles with impressive photo galleries and flexible search tools. You can sign up and start browsing within a couple of minutes, and it is absolutely free. There’s a favorites list to save the loveliest ladies and likes to get their attention. Live chat and mail include audio, photo, and video messages, but there’s no video chat.
TheLuckyDate
Easy setup and user-friendly navigation are two things TheLuckyDate and Craigslist Personals have in common. The dating site is free of the confusing bells and whistles but is chock-full of dating profiles filled with gorgeous photos and videos.
At the same time, TheLuckyDate incorporates some neat tools from Snapchat and other popular platforms. Disappearing photos and videos are great for spicing up live chat and mail. Unlike most platforms on this list, TheLuckyDate is open to daters globally, so you don’t have to limit yourself to one country or region.
La-Date
La Date is a mix of social and dating features that are in perfect balance. You can scroll through photo feeds like you would on Instagram or swipe through random matches like on Tinder. There are just enough personal details to get you excited about meeting Latina singles without overwhelming you with extra information.
Unlike Craigslist Personals, the La Date signup process is designed to set you up for success. Once you fill out your profiles, potential dates will start lining up, and you’ll just need to sort through the inbox to find the most likely candidates.
GoldenBride
For some reason, GoldenBride gives off the same vibes as Craigslist Personals, though they have little in common. It’s likely caused by the Latest Updates tab you see after the first log-in. You’ll notice the latest photos, videos, and other updates, which help find matches among the most active GoldenBride members.
Beyond this first impression, GoldenBride is a traditional international dating site, complete with chat and mail interfaces, swiping tab for fast matching, as well as call and gift delivery services. Like other platforms on this list, it comes with free registration and a trial.
Ukrainian Charm
As its name suggests, UkrainianCharm welcomes singles from Ukraine, along with women from other Slavic countries looking for men from the US, EU, Canada, or Australia. Most are interested in flirting and romance, though some are looking for something serious.
UkrainianCharm has all the tools you need to match with a compatible partner: straightforward search, fun swiping tools, and a photo feed to rival Instagram. Members can exchange letters, chat, and send and receive photos and videos. There are even virtual and real gifts to make the experience more tangible. Profile verification is a nice touch, and so are other security measures.
UkraineBride4You
If you miss the retro looks and feel of Craigslist Personals, UkraineBride4You should be right up your alley. Its layout and navigation are a throwback to the early 2000s, but it’s still pretty intuitive and user-friendly.
Despite its name, the platform welcomes singles from all Slavic countries. It prioritizes serious relationships and marriage over casual hookups, and the profiles and communication tools perfectly reflect that.
You can enjoy live chat and emails, schedule calls or video chats, swap presents, and get personal details, including a home address, as long as you have serious intentions about one of your matches.
BravoDate
Like Craigslist Personals, BravoDate is especially popular among older daters in their 40s and 50s. The dating site incorporates other popular features, like a photo feed. Instead of relying on personal details and text blurbs, BravoDate lets users upload recent photos and scroll through endless posts, much like Instagram.
It’s a great way to find potential matches without going through profiles one by one or using search filters. Besides, as BravoDate is mostly geared toward international dating, its virtual gift catalog and present delivery features are extra helpful.
NaomiDate
NaomiDate leverages detailed profiles and flexible search, which we never got with Craigslist Personals. It’s designed for people interested in long-term relationships, so compatibility is the prime objective. With over a dozen search filters, it’s easy to find potential matches who fit your type to a T and share your interests.
NaomiDate claims to verify personal profiles, but you can still block and report suspicious users to avoid trouble, which makes it a much safer option than Craigslist. Besides, the communication features support audio, video, and photo messages like the best messenger apps.
What Happened to Craigslist Personals?
Craigslist stopped listing personal ads in March of 2018 after Congress passed the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA). The company wanted to avoid liability for third parties misusing online personals for illegal activities. It was an attempt to protect other services. Although Craigslist expressed hope that Personals would one day return, there have been no changes in the past six years.
When Did Craigslist Stop Personals?
The Craigslist Personals section was suspended in early 2018 in response to the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act. Before that, in 2009, Craigslist stopped listing “erotic services,” which were renamed “adult services” and suspended in 2010. Only the “missed connections” section remains, but it’s nowhere near as popular as Personals.
Expert Opinion
Author
Craigslist Personals were only good for casual encounters and quick local hookups. It was especially popular among the LGBTQ+ community, though there were plenty of straight couples who met through Craigslist.
You can find many Craigslist Personals alternatives, especially if you’re over casual dating and want to forge connections before bringing intimacy into your relationship. Be honest about your priorities and relationship expectations before choosing the dating platform, and you will be happy with the matches you get.
Conclusion
Craiglist Personals was the perfect storm of unresolved sexual tension and adrenaline from never knowing who was waiting for you on the other side. It was good while it lasted, but the inherent risks were too high, making it an unsustainable dating solution. Luckily, plenty of dating platforms continue to bring people together, but in a much safer way.
Our list of Craigslist Personals alternatives is better suited for people who know what they are looking for and are ready to settle down. Still, there are plenty of sites and apps out there for those who miss the hookup opportunities and the thrill of intimacy with strangers.
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