Craigslist Hookup

Before hookup sites, there were Craigslist personals. If you wanted to find casual sex on the Internet once upon a time, the number one place to get them were personals pages, dating sites and hookup sites like Craigslist. And while online dating has changed drastically in the past few years, Craigslist hookups are still a thing in today's world.

Are you interested in finding casual sex on Craigslist in 2022? If you're sick of trying hookup site after hookup site and getting no results, our resident Craigslist hookup site expert is here to show you the best Craigslist hookup sites available today. This is a long one, so settle in and get ready to learn everything you need to know.

A Brief History Of Craigslist Personals

Those who've been raised on casual hookup sites might not be familiar with Craigslist personal ads, or any other personals section for that matter. Quite simply, you would make a post detailing your desires, upload a picture or two and then wait for someone in your local area to contact you. It was casual dating before casual dating sites were a thing

Were Craigslist hookup sites good? Very much so. It had everything a budding sex seeker could need to find casual hookups. Local hookups, extensive search functions, helpful filters, free chat functions, personal ads, filthy women, private video chat and much more. Craigslist hookup ads used to be the most and most efficient way to find casual and serious relationships.

What Could You Find On Craigslist Personals?

Anything you wanted. There were no limit to the kind of online dating services you could find on Craigslist, right from simple straightforward hookups to real kinky stuff. You could also find adult services like erotic massages, stripteases and sex workers on there. If it was related to adult fun, Craigslist personals had it in abundance. There were even gay Craigslist hookup sites.

But like all good things, Craigslist personals eventually came to an end. This put an abrupt stop to all Craigslist personal ads, although some sneaky people posted personals on other areas of the web page instead. They still do to this day, but the Craigslist mods are quick to shut them down. You can sometimes get away with it, but you gotta be quick.

Why Were Craigslist Personals Removed?

In 2018, US legislators passed a bill named the FOSTA-SESTA Bill (Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act and the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act) which were intended to battle unlawful sex trafficking in the United States. Condensed down to the basics, any site found to be knowingly or unknowingly fostering sex trafficking would be held personally responsible.

In order to adhere to the new rules, personals hookup sites like Craigslist removed their personal ads sections. While Craigslist wasn't the only site to do this, Craigslist was hit the hardest due it being the most active of all the online personals pages. Ever since this 2018 bill, Craigslist has never reintroduced its personals section.

What Happened When Craigslist Personals Shut Down?

The idea was assist with illegal sex trafficking, but most people considered the bill a massive failure. Instead, all it did was remove popular platforms for sex workers to advertise their services. The bill forced escorts off personals web sites and back onto the streets or into backdoor massage parlors. It made sex work significantly more dangerous for adult professionals.

Fortunately, other personals hookup sites like Craigslist popped up and took Craigslist's place. While none of them ever reached the dizzying heights of popularity that Craigslist did, these other sites were vital in that they provided a safe platform for A) sex workers to advertise themselves and B) people to post personals ads again.

Can You Still Get Sex On Craigslist?

If you’re very very lucky, you can still occasionally find sex on Craigslist. A lot of people still post personals, but since the Casual Encounters section is long gone, they have to post their ads on other areas of the site. It’s not uncommon to come across a sex ad when you’re searching for a used car or a job vacancy. However, these posts don’t stay around for long.

Mods are very quick to remove these kinds of posts, and even if the mods don’t catch it, the ads are barely seen by enough people to make it worthwhile. It’s not like the people looking for a used vehicle are going to immediately respond to a sex ad. They might do, but it would be very rare. That’s why it’s not really worth trying to find a hookup directly on CL anymore.  

The Best Hookup Sites Like Craigslist

Literally the only good thing about Craigslist personals shutting down was that hundreds of other alternative sites jumped into to take the number one spot. Many of them were successful and still facilitate casual meetups to this day, while others eventually faded to obscurity, as is the way of so many other online dating sites in the modern age.

But we're here to show you some of the hookup sites like Craigslist that have stood the test of this thus far. Some of them are almost carbon copies of Craigslist while others have gone their own way since their conceptions. But either way, if you want to find casual sex on a personal ads site, these are places to make it happen:

1. Bedpage
2. Tryst
3. Locanto
4. Adult Friend Finder
5. Grindr
6. Ashley Madison
7. DoubleList
8. Adult Search
9. BDSM.com
10. Hookup.App
11. Flirty Mature

After Craigslist and the equally-famous Backpage went out of business in 2018, Bedpage became the hottest Craigslist alternative on the market. Bedpage looks almost identical to Craigslist and functions in mostly the same way. However, you'll first need to pick your geographical location before you can filter down to the individual categories.

Going by the name alone, you'd be forgiven for thinking Bedpage was for romantic ads and nothing more. However, Bedpage is as much a buying and selling page as it is for meeting new people. The site also offers a range of other categories such as Business Services, Automotive, Jobs, Musicians, Real Estate, Local Places, Community, and much more.

But the Adult Dating section is where you need to be. In here, you'll find the Craigslist-inspired sub-categories like M4W, W4M, M4M, etc. There are also sections for Adult Massage, Adult Jobs, Dom & Fetish play, Escorts, Strippers & Clubs and more. Given that you'll find anything and everything you want on here, Bedpage is your one-stop shop for adult activity.

Bedpage pros:

• Best site to replace Craigslist
• High hookup success rate
• Very active Internet site

Hookup sites like Craigslist were great places for escorts to advertise their sexual services. One of the reasons Craigslist was so popular was because it made it very easy to find cheap and accomodating ladies of the night. in your city. But since Craiglist shut down, escorts have migrated elsewhere. One of the most popular platforms they now advertise on is Tryst.

Tryst is entirely about the sex workers and nothing else. You won't find any personal ads for regular sex parters on here. But if you're looking for an escort to spend the night with, or even a dominatrix to spank your bare ass, Tryst has your needs in mind. Like Craigslist, it's broken down by region and you can either scroll through ads or keyword search for your ideal partner.

You'll find a massive choice of available services on offer, from your standard vanilla services to couples and fetish services. Just send a message to whichever escort grabs your eye and you can arrange the finer details through the in-site message system. No need to go through an agency or anything like that.

Tryst pros:

• Exclusive platform for escorts and sex workers
• Efficient search function
• Huge choice of escorts and sex services

If Craigslist is Tinder, then Locanto is Bumble. Locanto came along after CL died down, and not only took its place as a top platform to replace Craigslist, but actually improved its approach in the process. Locanto operates almost identically to Craigslist, even down to the particular category sections on the site. However, to post personal ads, you have to upload pictures.

This was one of Craigslist's pitfalls. Most personal ads were posted without images, so you didn't always know what the person on the other side of the screen looked like. But with Locanto, you'll be able to see the other person in all their glory before sending that first message. It's as close to the online dating experience as any possible.

Locanto may definitely be a better hookup site than Craigslist was for this reason alone, but it's not quite as poplar as predecessor. But even so, it's still a fantastic place to find casual sex (and pretty much any other adult interests too). It's not the best Craigslist replacement site in the world, but it's damn close. You can check it out completely free today.

Locanto pros:

• Requires Craigslist hookup pictures to post ads
• Easy searching capabilities
• High success rate of meetups

Adult Friend Finder

Not a classifieds site as such, but AdultFriendFinder still works as a great Craigslist hookup replacement site. AFF is a reputable hookup site, but it's also got a great ads section which works a lot like Craigslist personals did. Simply post in the classified ads section and wait for the messages to pile up in your inbox.

You can then browse through the proiles, find the people who take your fancy and start chatting. It's a convenient way to find a hookup partner for the night.The only difference is that AFF isn't broken down by geographical region like Craigslist personals was. So, while a lot of users might see your ad, you're reliant on statistical probability of some people being local.

But even so, with such a massive user base and a community of sex-addicted kinksters, AFF makes for a fantastic way to find a Craigslist hookup tonight. This is one of the few adult dating sites on this list that isn't free, but AFF has remained the number one dating platform in the US for years for good reason.

AdultFriendFinder pros:

• Established and reputable Internet site
• Can restrict unwanted users
• Great all-rounded Craigslist replacement

Before gay hookup sites made it easy to find local cock, Craigslist sites were the backbone of gay hookup culture. You couldn't go a few minutes without seeing a new post for a local gay guy looking for easy sex. Of course, Craigslist was at the heart of this, as it's Men for Men sction was actually the most popular personal ad page on the entire platform.

But with CL gone, a new gay dating site has jumped in to take the crown. That site is Grindr, and it remains one of the best gay hookup sites not just today, but of all time. With a mind blowing 50 million users and its quick and accurate matches system, grindr makes finding gay sex partners in your local easier than even Craigslist made it.

Unlike typical dating apps, Grindr also features a personals section for people to find potential matches. And with more people looking for hookups than there in Craigslist's day, Grindr is one of the few other dating sites that can actually match Craigslist's huge numbers. With new active users every second of the day, Grindr is the perfect dating platform for gay guys.

Grindr pros:

• Great Craigslist hookup app for gays
• Very active user base
• Completely free to use

Ashley Madison

Not really a personal ads site, but an excellent place to find a Craigslist hookup with a twist. As you probably already know, Ashley Madison is an affairs website. All of the other users on here are looking to cheat, cheat on or used to cheat with. 87% of users are married, 10% are with a long term partner and 3% are single.

As one of the most successful online dating sites in the modern day, Ashley Madison has everything you could from a hookup site. It's got easy messaging, discreet profile browsing, valuable insights into user activity and boasts a very high success rate when it comes to facilitating hookups. Maybe because these horny women need sex and need it right now.

What makes Ashley Madison such an attractive platform is that these cheating babes only have small windows of opportunity to get laid. Like when their husbands are at work or playing golf, that's when these slutty wives strike. So, there's no time for personal ads, but if you're in the right place at the right time, you can find hookups galore.

Ashley Madison pros:

• Best affairs site
• High success rate for easy meetups
• Free for women

DoubleList is all about the sex workers. Since the 2018 bill we mentioned earlier, lots of Craiglist hookup sites have been reluctant to host sex worker ads out of fear of being closed down or fined. Not DoubleList. This site skirts around the laws proposed in the aforementioned bill because they're not located in the US so they don't apply.

You won't find any adverts for used cars or job vacancies on DoubleList. Everything about the site is catered towards finding sex workers in your area, allowing independent escorts and dominatrices to post their services and interact directly with potential clients. Layout wise, it's very similar to the Craigslist personals section, but it's purely escort ads and nothing more.

Advertising on DoubleList is completely free and the site even includes free public chat rooms to help meet other local punters and even some local working girls too. It's purely independent girls that post on here too, so you don't have to worry about having to go through an agency to meet up with a hot escort.

DoubleList pros:

• Exclusive escort platform
• Very few fake ads
• Ideal Craigslist hookup sites replacement

Adult Search

Adult Search makes its intentions very clear right from the word go. This Internet site is entirely dedicated to adult fun, finding local sex hotspots and finding an easy hookup online. Not is it one of the most popular Craigslist casual encounters alternative sites, but it lists pretty much every adult establishment in every town and city in the world.

Sex shops, massage parlors, swingers clubs, brothels, escort hotspots, escort advertisements and much more. If it's related to the adult industry, you can be your backside it'll be listed on Adult Search. Sections are broken down by state, city and then town, allowing you to find your own location with ease.

And interestingly, Adult Search isn't a pure Craigslist hookup site when it comes to its personals. There are just as many local women on here looking for a romantic date and serious relationships as there are those who just want something quick and easy. Adult Search is half online dating site, half adult-oriented phone book.

Adult Search pros:

• Covers all range of adult establishments
• Very active personals section
• Chat rooms and forums available

One thing Craigslist did really well was cater to the alternative crowd. Not many local hookup sites have a strong kink or fetish presence because vanilla preferences far outweigh that of the kinksters of the world. However, if you're looking for online dating services with a fetish twist, BDSM.com has enough active users to keep you busy for a long time.

The tagline, 'Kinky Community & Personals' says it all. BDSM.com is less of a dating website and more of a social media community that allows people to search for kinky sex partners in their local areas. As well as personals, it's got forums, chat rooms, video chat functions, full fledged browsing profiles and much more. It's one of the most versatile dating platforms around.

BDSM.com also has a big gay and lesbian presence, so it's great for LGBTQ men and women. Free membership is available to all, all the site asks for is a handful of personal information. Most users report a high success rate in hookups on here, something quite rare for any exclusive alternative dating site. If you're into alternative fun, BDSM.com is worth it.

BDSM.com pros:

• Great alternative community
• Chat rooms, forums and video functions available
• Can send free winks to other users

There are thousands of casual hookup sites in today's world, but the truth is that a lot of them promise big and don't always deliver. We'd take up a whole article listing the casual sex sites you shouldn't use, so instead we'll just list the ones that actually get results. Right near the top of the pile is the simplistic and straightforward Hookup.App.

As the name suggests, this is a place to find impulsive hookups with local women (or men). It doesn't bog you down with unnecessary features or anything like that. It simply attracts the kind of promiscuous locals who aren't interested in the dating game anymore, they just want discreet fun with someone on the same page as them. If that's you, get on Hookup.App.

Like other Craigslist hookup sites, Hookup.App has a section for hookup ads too. So, if you're not interested in browsing profiles and matching, just throw up an ad and waited for the replies to pile up in your inbox. There are millions of registered members, hundreds in your local area too. You'll never be short of other users to meet up with on here.

Hookup.App pros:

• Dedicated hookup platform
• Vast worldwide user base
• Personals section for easy hooking up

Flirty Mature

It’s no surprise that during its final days, Craigslist catered to an older demographic. Most of the people who used Craigslist in its infancy continued using it right up to the end, and those people aged about 15 years in that time. Even today, for whatever reason, it’s largely an older audience that use personal ads to find sex.

If you’ve got a taste for older meat, then Flirty Mature has your needs covered. This hookup app caters entirely to older folks looking to meet their special someone for the night. Most mature-oriented apps specialize in helping facilitate long term relationships, but Flirty Mature is all about the casual sex and the impulsive hookups.

It’s a direct hookup app, not a personals site, but it does have a section for personal ads who still want that Craigslist-inspired touch. It’s not 100% free, but it’s only a small monthly cost for access to hundreds of thousands of mature singles from all over the world. Don’t expect to find your future wife on here, but you’ll find someone to fuck the blues away.  

Flirty Mature pros:

• Exclusively for older people hookups
• Low cost monthly subscription
• Majority of users looking for casual arrangements

Your Craigslist Hookup Handbook

So now you know exactly where to find your next Craigslist hookup, the question is - how exactly do you do it? Well, that's what we're here to tell you. Finding your next fuck buddy through a personals site doesn't have to be difficult. In fact, it can be much easier than using a direct dating site.

There are a whole host of advantages to finding hookups via personals pages instead of dating apps. The most appealing aspect is that you can be as specific as you like in your personal ad and you don't have to worry about alienating anyone. You'll only get responses from people who are suitable to your needs. But of course, there are lots of other reasons to use personals too.

Rules To Getting Laid On Personals Sites

To make it easy for you, we've put together a short list of rules to follow when finding your next hookup. It doesn't matter which Craigslist alternative site you're using, the rules are always the same. Hell, it doesn't even matter if you're using a standard dating app instead. Keep these points in mind and set yourself up for sexual victory.

Rule #1: Post Your Own Ads

A lot of people think that by browsing the personals section every night and responding to as many ads as possible, they’ll guarantee themselves a hook up. Well, that could very well happen, but if you want to play the odds, you need to put your own ads out there too. It’s much easier to get laid when hook up opportunities are coming at you, not the other way around.

The reason is that by posting your own ad, hookup opportunities will come at you passively. That means you could be going about your day at work when an invitation from a hot chick arrives in your box, securing you an easy lay for the night. Not only that, but your ad will stay up for months on end, meaning the opportunities will keep coming at you long term.

Rule #2: Include Relevent Info

There’s nothing worse than a personals ad that doesn’t tell you anything. The person who’s posted the ad could be the hottest, wildest chick in the world, but you won’t know unless she actually gives you a clue. The same goes for your own ads too. People want to know as much detail as possible about their potential fuck partners, so give it to them.

Important things to include: age, location, sexual orientation, whether you’re single or married, whether you have an empty house available, whether you drive, how far you’re willing to travel, and anything else you deem important. Also, include at least one good photograph of yourself. No fancy angles or Photoshops.

Rule #3: Safety First

Sure, hooking up is fun, but you know what’s cooler? Staying safe. It might sound lame, but before you head out to meet your new fuck partner for the night, you need to do everything you can to ensure you’re not walking into the arms of a serial killer. The chances of that actually happening are microscopically small, but it pays to be safe.

Converse with them back and forth a little before deciding whether to meet them. Make sure they’re real adults who have a little brain power in their heads. Don’t just meet up some drugged-out whore just because she’s offering it on a plate. Only meet up with real, consenting people who understand the risks as much as you do.

Rule #4: Another Kind Of Safety

You know what we’re talking about. Hooking up is all about playing safe, whether that means carrying a can of mace or a pack of condoms. When you bang someone new, you absolutely need to rubber up because you have no idea what the other person has been up to. The last thing you want to do is come home with a constant reminder of your impulsive bang.

If someone’s hooking up impulsively, chances are they’ve done it with other people too. Sure, diseases like chlamydia can be remedied quite easily these days, but something like herpes will stay with you forever. Not to mention there’s more serious diseases like HIV going around. Always pack protection. It’s not worth the risk.  

Rule #5: Don’t Be Pushy

Sometimes, arrangements break down. You might have arranged to meet up at 9pm and she might cancel on you at 8pm. This happens in the hookup world, and it’s a lot more common than you might think. Emergencies can happen. Other priorities might crop up, and that means your hookup is left scattered to the wind. If it happens, deal with it.

If it does happen, don’t push things. Just accept it and move on. Sure, you can voice your disappointment, but don’t ruin any further hookup chances with that person by accusing them of wasting your time. A lot of guys tend to get overly emotional when guaranteed sex is pulled from under them, but it doesn’t always mean that opportunity is completely lost. Stay respectful.

Rule #6: It’s Just Sex, Not Marriage

Most people use hookup sites to get laid. They’re not looking for long term love, and for some guys, it can create confusing emotions. Sex naturally creates an emotional bond between people, and sometimes, one party might experience this bond more than the other. When this happens, it can lead down some complicated paths.

If you do fall in love with your one-time fuck partner, don’t push things. Of course, you can always ask her if she wants to meet up with you again, and she’ll probably say yes (providing you have a good time). But don’t expect a fruitful relationship to flourish from your filthy sex in the back of your car. Most hookups don’t result in marriage, so don’t expect it to.

Know Your Abbreviations

Spend enough time browsing personals pages and you'll come across a few abbreviations and acronyms you're not familiar with. A lot of these terms come from the old days when people would advertise in local newspapers and they didn't have endless space to detail their desires. Here's a quick crash course in some of the more common terms used today.

ASLP means 'Age, Sex, Location, Picture.' Basically, if you're responding to an ad, the poster expects you to include all of these things in your initial message. Even if the poster doesn't mention ASLP in their post, it's probably still a good idea to include this information anyway.

Relationship / Gender Identity

Some people put letters in their ad titles to tag their posts. Some of them are straightforward, others not so much. Here are some common letters and what they describe:

• D: Divorced
• M: Married
• S: Single
• W: Widow/Widower
• BI: Bisexual
• F: Female
• G: Gay
• L: Lesbian
• M: Male or Man
• TG: Transgender
• TS: Transsexual
• TV: Transvestite
• W: Woman
• CD: Crossdresser

LMIRL means 'Let's Meet In Real Life.' If you're chatting to someone and they drop this line, it means they're ready to get down to business right away. In the context of a hookup, it usually means they want to meet and fuck that very night.

NSA means 'No Strings Attached,' a pretty common term used in a lot of personal ads. If the other person puts NSA in their message, it means they're not looking for anything serious and they just want some fun without the commitment.

Sometimes stylized as Ds, D&S means 'Dominant and Submissive.' If someone uses this in their ads, it means they're not on the hunt for vanilla hookups of any kind. Instead, they're into something a little more kinky. They'll usually mention whether they identify as the D or the S.

LTA is an abbreviation of 'Long Term Arrangement.' You won't find this on most hookup platforms, but you might find it on the sites that deal with serious dating and long term commitment. Basically, the poster is looking for something serious rather than quick fun.

You won't see this one often, but it's important to spot when you do. A lot of escorts disguise their services inside hookup ads, and they'll write things like "tribute expected." Basically, they're asking for a small token payment for their time.

Frequently Asked Craigslist Questions

You've probably got some questions about the whole process. Here are the most common FAQs about Craigslist, hookups and personal ads in general.

Was Craigslists Encounters Legit?

Very much so. Craigslist was one of the most trustworthy places to find easy sex back before dating websites became mainstream. Like any other popular site, it had its fair share of fakes and scammers, but on the whole, Craigslist ads were posted by real people on the hunt for real sex.

Will Craigslist Personals Be Reinstated?

Unfortunately not. Craigslist personals will never come back due to the 2018 FOSTA-SESTA bill that prohibits places from hosting ads that may be A) the result of sex traffickers or B) used to solicit sex trafficking. However, plenty of other platforms have come along to take Craigslist’s place (please see our full list up above).

Is Craigslist a Safe Hookup Platform?

Yes, Craigslist was mostly a safe hookup platform. It was very easy to verify whether the user on the other side of the screen was legit within one or two messages. Most fake accounts will link you to an external website or try and extort money from you immediately. You can also determine if someone is real by whether or not they answer any questions you’ve posed.

Is It Illegal to Use Hookup Sites?

No, it’s not illegal to use hookup sites providing you’re of legal age. This age will vary depending on your country, but most hookup platforms require you to either be 18 or 21 years of age to join. The only other issue around the legalities of hookup sites is if they contain illegal or offensive materials (such as underage porn or content that deals with non-consensual sexual assault).  

Which Craigslist Hookup Sites Are Free?

The following Craigslist hookup sites are all completely free to use:

• DoubleList
• Adult Search
• Locanto
• Tryst
• Hookup.App
• VIP Favors
• Bedpage

How to Choose Craigslist Hookup Sites?

find the best hookup sites like Craigslist you should always study the following factors:

• Cost
• Number of profiles
• Types of people who use the site
• How easy it is to sign up and navigate the platform
• What features are on offer
• Is there a free version?
• What features does a paid account unlock?

A World Of Casual Encounters Are A Few Clicks Away

We hope our extensive Craigslist hookup guide has taught you everything you need to know about finding easy sex through a personals page tonight. While Craigslist isn’t the number one place to find local hookups in the modern age, there are enough replacements to choose from that you’ll never be short of sex opportunities for a long time to come.

Whether you choose a personals page or a straightforward hookup app, it’s never been easier to find a like-minded person for adult fun that it is right now. We’re lucky to live in such interconnected times that we can forge these bonds and meet new people from the buttons at our fingertips, so make the most of it and start improving your sex life today!