Where to look for dates? Below, we’ve made a list of the top options for those who miss the convenience of the free Backpage personals. But first, here’s a look at the website’s controversial backstory.
Backpage was the best adult classified ad website, starting in 2004. However, US authorities, including the FBI and Department of Justice, took control of the site in April 2018 after an investigation found that adult Backpage allowed — and even helped — people post ads for prostitution and human trafficking. Backpage CEO Carl Ferrier pleaded guilty to conspiracy and money laundering.
Since then, former Backpage users have sought a better, more trustworthy option. So, we decided to list nine sites we think can give an experience like Backpage used to — but without deceit, untrustworthiness, and horrible crimes.
- Flirt.com
Flirt.com is similar to adult Backpage because it’s free to join and doesn’t need people to browse under their real names. You don’t even need to upload a photo if you don’t want to.
The casual dating site keeps things as secret as possible — by asking for age instead of a birthdate, for example — so that singles feel comfortable looking for sex in this online place. It won’t cost anything to look around the hookup site and make an account if you want to start chatting with people looking for the same.
User Base Gender Ratio Popularity (Visits/Mo.)
All Singles*
48%* 52%* 1 million*
Browse profiles for free
Go to Flirt.com »
- AdultFriendFinder
They say you can never have too many friends, and AdultFriendFinder can help you find some if by “friends,” you mean “sex buddies.” The company was started in 1996, and it’s always been about letting people show their desires without feeling shame. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for a one-time hookup, long-term affair, swinging relationship, or any other casual meeting — you can be yourself on AdultFriendFinder.
User Base Gender Ratio Popularity (Visits/Mo.)
All Singles*
65%* 35%* 25.5 Million*
3 Months @ $19.95/Mo
Go to AdultFriendFinder »
- BeNaughty
BeNaughty has been around for years and has mastered the art of hookup matching. The site uses your location and preferences, looks through its users for compatible people, and sends them to your inbox daily. If interested, you can send flirty winks, suggestive icebreakers, or private messages (more than 8.5 million messages are sent on BeNaughty daily).
User Base Gender Ratio Popularity (Visits/Mo.)
All Singles*
48%* 52%* 13.3 Million*
Browse Profiles Free
Go to BeNaughty.»
- FriendFinder-X
FriendFinder-X is one of the biggest adult Backpage alternatives in the world, and you can join the community in just a few steps: 1) Select your gender and relationship status (couples are welcome, too). 2) Choose the gender and relationship status you’re interested in. 3) Upload a photo or two. You can then fill out more details, or you can start looking right away. The whole journey is up to you!
User Base Gender Ratio Popularity (Visits/Mo.)
Singles & Couples*
64%* 36%* 1.2 Million*
Browse Members Free
Go to FriendFinder-X »
- MenNation
For horny gay, bisexual, and sexually curious men, it doesn’t get any better than MenNation. The site is free to use, and your communication options include live chat, videos, groups, voice introductions, and private messages. You can find new matches every day in the My New Member Matches section, and MenNation lets you see who’s online when you are and who’s viewed your profile.
User Base Gender Ratio Popularity (Visits/Mo.)
Singles & Couples*
95%* 5%* 780,000*
Start for Free
Go to MenNation »
- SaucyDates
SaucyDates, as you can probably guess from the name, doesn’t mind things getting a little naughty in chats. It’s all about quick, casual connections — nothing serious. Singles of different ages and backgrounds from all over the world have signed up for the site — and more are joining daily. You can sort them by age, background, type of encounter, location, appearance, and many other identifiers. SaucyDates checks photos and profiles to ensure a good dating experience free of scams that brought Backpage down.
User Base Gender Ratio Popularity (Visits/Mo.)
All Singles*
67%* 33%* 46,500*
Download FREE
Go to SaucyDates »
- Match
Backpage wasn’t all about hooking up. If you’re interested in dates leading to relationships, try Match. Launched in 1995, Match was one of the 1st escort sites, leading to more romantic connections than any other dating site. Once you make your free profile, you can start looking for matches based on what matters to you (education, looks, lifestyle, etc.), and Match will recommend Top Picks, who can chat for free.
User Base Gender Ratio Popularity (Visits/Mo.)
All Singles*
49%* 51%* 39.7 Million*
Get 3 Days FREE
Go to Match »
- Ashley Madison
Ashley Madison is a global escort site that helps you not only find affairs but also threesomes and other exciting sexual and romantic meetings. It’s very popular (over 80 million users) and free to sign up and browse profiles. Many features are free for men to use, and all the features are free for women to use. Your safety is paramount at Ashley Madison; it has been encrypted to help protect your details. You can also blur or hide your face in photos if you wish.
User Base Gender Ratio Popularity (Visits/Mo.)
All Singles & Attached*
71%* 29%* 65 Million*
Browse FREE
Go to Ashley Madison.»
- ClassifiedAds
Head to the Personals section of ClassifiedAds, and from there, you can pick Casual Dating, Men Seeking Men, Men Seeking Women, Missed Connections, Women Seeking Men, or Women Seeking Women. Browse through the listings until someone catches your eye. Then you can see when they made their listing when it was last updated, when it expires, and how many times it’s been viewed. You won’t have to pay to send a response, either.
classifiedads.com
What Do People Use Now That Backpage Is Gone?
Any of the sites on this list would be a good Backpage alternative for dating, but if you’re looking for more of a chat room experience, here are some extra options:
Chatlib
321Chat
YesIChat
I suggest trying apps to meet people. Apps benefit from the use of text verification to stop fake profiles. You’re unlikely to see phony accounts on Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge, very popular dating tools.
What Happened to Craigslist Personals?
Craigslist Personals was another victim in the 2018 government crackdown on online sex trafficking. Craigslist saw what happened to Backpage’s team and chose to take down their personals for dating. The official statement claimed they couldn’t control what their users did nor take responsibility for any bad actors misusing the site. RIP.
You can find plenty on the web if you’re looking for a site like Craigslist Personals or Backpage. Bedpage, Oodle, Classified Ads, Pernals, and Doublelist are all trying to be the top replacement for dating classifieds online.
Doublelist is the best option in the group because it has a two-factor profile verification built into it (hence the name Doublelist), so it offers more security than the typical classifieds.
What Is Bedpage?
Bedpage looks familiar to those who used to visit Backpage’s listings. The setup is a copy/paste job, but what’s different is the security behind the scenes to stop bad behavior. Bedpage promises to watch for criminal activity and kick out anyone misbehaving.
We’re All Better Off Without Backpage
What Backpage’s team did was despicable, and we’re all in a better place now that the government got involved. However, if you’re missing some of the real resources Backpage gave, like adult-focused personals, you’ve come to the right place. The hookup sites in this article can help with that, and they promise to have your safety and best interest at heart.
