Backpage Hookup

For years, the number one place on the internet to hook up for casual sex was Craigslist personals. Then, “Craig” and his bros decided that they were taking a little too much heat and decided to eliminate the casual encounters classifieds section of the site.

This wasn’t entirely unjustified. Around the world, there were incidents of crimes and sex trafficking perpetrated through the website, and they simply didn’t want to inadvertently provide their support for any illicit or harmful activities. The problem was that many people used the personals section to fulfill their sexual desires through a casual encounter, and posed no threat to anyone.

The Rise and Fall of the Backpage Hookup

A quick and easy Craigslist replacement was Backpage. Unfortunately, Backpage itself ran into a whole bunch of legal problems, including a dramatic 2016 arrest of the CEO at the Houston International Airport orchestrated jointly by the Texas Attorney General of the time and the future Vice President and then California AG, Kamala Harris. With all the bad publicity for the site, people’s prospects for a Backpage hookup dwindled rapidly

So, what’s a Backpage replacement for people looking for a hookup site? Rest assured there are plenty of options for a Backpage replacement, and many of them are even free! We’ve got all the info you need to find an adult services site.

What is a Backpage Hookup?

First, let’s get this out of the way. When people visit online dating sites, they are often looking for a no-strings-attached relationship or meeting. This is called a hookup. A Backpage hookup site posts advertisements for people seeking this type of dating in their location. 

Backpage Alternatives That Really Work

Ever since Craigslist personals closed its doors on it’s sexual advertisements and adult services section, a host of other sites of sprung up for casual dating. Some are better than others. Some are gay friendly and others tend to cater more to straight people. We’ve done the hard part for you, browsing some of the best sites you’ll want to visit.

Each site has some pros and cons. There’s also the matter of which site will work best in your location. Go for the one with the most local users, since you want to hook up with other users for real, not just to become pen pals!

There’s really two types of dating sites that supplant what Backpage and Craigslist used to be. The first is a classified ads page. These are usually free sites where people post ads, explaining what they are seeking. They may also have sections for adult services like massage. The other type is a membership-based site where you can search for users; message; chat; view pictures and videos; then hopefully, hook up!

One drawback to the classifieds ads approach is a serious lack of things like pictures and videos. Posting pics is pretty cumbersome, and there may not even be a way to post videos. So, while some people love the clean look of the Craigslist style page, many people feel the membership site is really better geared towards dating.

Ashley Madison

One Backpage alternative that’s really working for people is Ashley Madison. In its early days, it was built as a website to browse married people looking for affairs. These days, the site has expanded its reach to women and men who are just looking for a potential partner, whether they are dating outside of their marriage or not. You don’t place ads on this site. Rather, you post a profile, which can include pictures and videos.

While this website is a good Craigslist replacement, it has a totally different look and feel. Most importantly, it’s not free! You are going to have to pay for the app to access interested women. You can, however, register for free so you can get a sense of what the site is like and who the users are.

One of the most popular choices for adults looking for relationships and hookups is certainly Tinder. It has a huge user base, and a great app design. As the app has exploded in popularity, You’ll find users of every age, from 18-65. Obviously, though, the age distribution curve does skew towards the younger side. 

Like the others, Tinder is not free. You’ll have to pay when you create an account if you want to use all the services and search for other users.

Probably the closest Backpage alternative website you’ll find to Craigslist is Doublelist. It’s presented in a classifieds format, so it’s easy to browse through the personals section. It really is really a lot like Craigslist personals, so if you were a former user of that page, you’ll feel right at home.

Unlike Tinder and Ashley Madison, this site is free! The downside is that like the classifieds, you won’t really find a great deal of media like videos here.

Backpage Alternatives That Don’t Work at All

There are a ton of dating sites that bill themselves as a Backpage alternative website that are total scams. Most of these serve as a way to link to another site. Don’t waste your time with these other sites.

If a website claims to offer free classified ads, but you don’t actually see any local singles, you’ll know you’ve reached a fake Backpage website. Most of them actually have the name “Backpage” in the address. They typically have a whole list of multiple categories like things for sale, jobs, rentals and lots more. What you’ll find is that when you actually search the listings, there isn’t a single actual posting. 

For the most part, if you are looking for a Backpage alternative, you’ll need to pay. This is one situation where if an online dating site seems too good to be true, it definitely is. 

Free or Paid?

There’s no shortage of real and fake sites where you can search personal ads and classifieds. The problem with these is that when it’s free to post ads, you’ll find so many fakes, bots and trash. It might sound harsh, but both in life and dating sites, you really do get what you pay for.

This is especially true for men. If you browse the advertising for “women seeking men,” you’ll certainly find a lot of ads. Just how many of those ads do you think are real? So when you browse dating sites, just remember that the person you are talking to could look and act quite a bit differently in person than they do on the site!

The ability to watch videos is usually only found on paid sites. This is because it takes up a lot of storage and bandwidth to display them, so it makes sense.

Strategies That Will Get Other Users Interested in You

Unfortunately, you can’t just create an account on one of these sites, post advertisements, and expect to get laid in a couple of hours. You really need to put some work into it.

First, when posting, be honest about certain things. Certainly, you want to hold back important personal information, but when it comes to things like age or appearance, just tell it like it is. When you actually meet up for dating, it’s not like you are going to hide the fact you’re 50 when you were advertising yourself as being 25! 

Same goes for appearance. If you are a big beautiful woman or big handsome man, just own it! Be proud of it! Plenty of people are looking for just that in their dating!

When you are creating your ad or profile, try to think of it from the perspective of someone reading it. Does it make you sound interesting? Is it too long? Too short? Try to look at it a few times before posting it.

Looking for a Sex Worker?

The stigma of being a sex worker has decreased substantially in the last decade. Many Americans have taken a more liberal approach to the idea of consenting parties offering money in exchange for sexual services. The early wild west days of the internet made advertising sex for money on places like the Backpage website pretty easy. The powers that be soon intervened, which is why most of these websites have gone deep underground.

The practice of sex for money is still illegal everywhere in the US except certain rural counties in Nevada, so it can be a bit of challenge to post advertisements for escort services or sex work. There are workarounds, for sure, but just be aware that law enforcement knows about these too. So, you’ll have to weigh the costs and advantages of seeking sex from a member of the world’s oldest profession!

One advantage is that it’s a sure thing. You pay, and you get what you want. Negotiate a price, and sit back and enjoy the fun! It’s reasonably safe, as many sex workers go to great lengths to require protection and make sure discretion is assured.

Sadly though, sex work is riddled with many more disadvantages than advantages for many of its participants. Many victims of sex trafficking are forced to work as prostitutes. Worse yet, many are under age. So, if you want to make the world a better place, it may not be a good idea to not support the nefarious individuals who work as pimps and traffickers.

LGBTQIA+ Classifieds

It might have been the queer community that suffered the most with the loss of sites like Craigslist personals. As LGBTQ people can often attest to, it can be really hard to meet other people seeking hookups or long term relationships.

Gay people can have just as much fun as their straight allies when they chose a website that caters to them. There’s several choices, and we’ll give you some of the best.

As we discussed earlier, this site is one of the closest to Craigslist when it comes to the classifieds format. The good news is that this website totally legit, and gay friendly. The personal pages are divided into different categories, for example:

• Guys for guys
• Gay for straight
• Straight for gay
• Platonic guys for guys

This app is geared towards just about anyone gay, of any age, 18 and up. It isn’t a free dating site. You will need to pay for a membership. The great news is it has a ton of great features like the ability to record and watch videos, plus great chat. It’s definitely one of the top dating apps for the LGBTQIA+ community!

Things to Be on the Lookout for When Browsing a Personal Section

Reading a personal ad can be really exciting. It’s hard not to picture what casual sex is going to feel like! While it’s fun to indulge, you need a healthy dose of skepticism until you are sure the person is actually real and not a scammer. New members really need to watch out for this

Backpage personals style websites are riddled with fake profiles and scam artists. Accept that, so when you read the personal section, you’ll be prepared. Here’s a few tips on what to look for:

Pictures That Look Too Good to Be True

Let’s face it: models are not using personals! Sorry to have to confirm what you already knew! So, if you see pictures of women in the classifieds that look like they were professionally shot, chances are, that picture was just stolen from somewhere else on the web. Try to picture the real person behind the chat! It’s probably some dude offshore working in a cramped and crowded office.

Anyone That Appears Under Age

Someone on an adult site who is a minor is a very serious matter. Do not contact them directly. Instead, make sure to flag any classifieds that appear to be from someone under the age of 18. You can also reach out to the customer support team to let them know. If you suspect that someone on the site is in danger, don’t hesitate to call the FBI or local law enforcement so they can investigate.

People That Ask for Personal Data

If someone replies to your ad, seeking to know things like your credit card numbers, social security, address, job, etc., that should set off alarm bells. You need to be really protective of giving out personal information on any website, especially one with an adult section. People prey on users because they know they might be too shy to report anything suspicious as they’re trying to stay anonymous. 

It takes all of us to keep the classifieds safe for everyone!

It’s really important to assist in self-policing your favorite sites. The users are really the first line of defense when it comes to keeping under age persons or nefarious individuals off the sites. There’s no reason to become a cyber vigilante. Simply flagging posts and letting customer service know about something that doesn’t seem right is often all it takes to make the dating world a better place for everyone!

There’s Still Hope For A Backpage Hookup!

When Craigslist closed its personals section, many people gave up. You don’t have to be one of those users. The best alternative is the one that works for you! So, take fire pics, post tempting advertisements and you can hook up tonight!