20 New Backpage Alternatives Websites for Dating, Buying & Selling


backpage alternative websites

Backpage.com was once one of the most popular discreet websites for adult services, casual encounters, and other businesses or solutions that people needed. It functioned a lot like Craigslist, but with a much more adult focus, and was designed to help people connect with people and services that they needed. However, as of April 2018, Backpage and all of the affiliate sites owned by the company were seized as part of a broad investigation into a human trafficking operation.

Summary:

Although the details of the legalities remained sealed, for the most part, scandals and information circulated freely throughout the years regarding the site’s alleged involvement in facilitating prostitution and sex trafficking. Even Craigslist and Reddit shut down their personal ads sections after law changes that put them at a higher risk of lawsuits or other issues. Backpage was advised to do the same, but it never followed suit. Then, it was accused of getting involved in or at least turning a blind eye to illegal activities. Thus, it was eventually just shut down.

What Was So Great About Backpage?

While there are a lot of great hookup websites out there and Craigslist and other online bulletin boards are still popular, so many people are lamenting the loss of Backpage because it was really popular for the adult-natured ads and connections that it offered. It’s hard to find those things online, and especially when you’re looking for free websites, as opposed to those sites that require a membership or make you pay to post.

Backpage did it all for free. There were premium features available and you could advertise with them in professional ways if you desired. They also had affiliate programs and other services, and the good majority of it didn’t cost a thing. Finding that again is proving to be difficult for several people. Fortunately, the Internet today is ripe with those wishing to fill such big shoes and give people the bulletin board that they need.

You’d think that in 2020, when apps are king, and people are barely accessing desktop versions of websites that an online classifieds site might be a thing of the past. However, the fact of the matter is that they’re still a useful tool and they’re probably going to be around for a long time. However, it’s not always easy to find the best ones. If you were a fan of Backpage and you’re looking for a new alternative, keep reading to learn about possible alternatives and what they have to offer, as well as how they compare to the original.

What Now? New Backpage Alternative Websites 2021-2022

Although this site is gone, there are some sites like Backpage and other places that you can find casual sex or post free personal ads. The Internet is ripe with hookup apps and sites that remove the hassle of posting an ad and waiting for a reply, but there are still plenty of advertising options for those who need to advertise. The new Backpage equivalent that suits your needs will depend on exactly what you are looking for in a personal ads site.

Some of the backpage alternatives are pretty legitimate and offer similar features and services as Backpage once did. Others are typical almost-there URLs that capitalized on the popularity of the name, such as sites like ebackpage and Doublelist. These sites offer free classifieds and claim to provide a great alternative to the original site without all of the bad things that got it shut down in the first place.

If you’re looking for a replacement for Backpage to post personal ads or services, consider the two mentioned above. They seem to have a decent reputation and can be broken down by the city so that you can get the local attention or results that you are looking for. They’re not the top picks on our list, but they deliver the basics, for sure. To help you find the best alternatives to Backpage, we’re going to break the sites down into different categories: sites for hooking up, for adult advertising, and everything else.

For Hooking Up

If you’re looking for something like the former Casual Encounters section of Craigslist or the personals section of Backpage, the sites here will give you the connections that you need. In no particular order, we’ve found the following sites that are great for casual encounters if you like the Backpage style.

aff backpage replacement for adult hookup

AdultFriendFinder

AdultFriendFinder is the original adult hookup site, and now has a member network of all kinds of sites for adult-oriented dating, casual encounters, and more. The original site offers a free signup for all members, although paid membership is required to access all of the features of the site. It’s more like a social network than a classified site, but it is great for hooking up and casual encounters.

99flavors.com

This site has a unique set of users, including everything from vanilla folks to people with secret (and not-so-secret) kinks. The mobile-friendly site makes it easy to register for singles or couples, and you don’t even have to complete the entire profile to get started. However, this could prove to make it more difficult to find others, since they’re not required to fill out a profile, either.

Fling

This site functions like a dating site AND a hookup site in one, giving you the chance to have fun or get serious no matter what you want. Whether you’re looking to have a good time or find your kinky companion for a long time, the site is free of charge for females and only charges males for premium features. It’s also quick and easy to sign up, so you’ll be able to test it without a lot of effort invested.

For Adult Ads

If it’s the classified ad style that you like, there are still plenty of options. In addition to the two sites that we mentioned in the section above, tons of websites have come out of the woodwork after the Backpage shutdown to help meet the demand. Some of the best are listed here.

Locanto

This app and website are among the biggest classified platforms that you will find available today. It has apps for Android and iOS, as well as a desktop platform, and is available in 60 countries and counting. The app even offers personal ads where you can make connections and find local “friends” near you.

Bedpage

Although this site gets a lot of flak for spam, it’s actually still one of the most popular backpage replacement choices for those looking to connect with adult-oriented personal ads in a free setting. The site has plenty of categories of services, items for sale, and even the personals section where you can make friends and more.

Classifiedads

Classifiedads is a free classifieds directory that allows you to search for a variety of services, including adult services. You can find dating, hookups, websites and adult phone services, and plenty of other adult services that are all verified by the website. Anytime you’re working with adult ads, you need to be careful, and this site does a great job of doing things by the book but still keeping it fun.

For Other Needs

If you’re just looking for free advertising options outside of dating or adult interests, there are plenty of sites for that, as well. The three listed here are the most popular and the least likely to have dangerous spam--while some spam is inevitable, you can at least avoid the worst of it here.

seductive girl

Craigslist

Believe it or not, there are plenty of people who still use Craigslist. You will have to sort through a fair amount of spam, as usual, but that’s true of any free advertising site. It has the reputation of being a longstanding member of the free advertising community and it has plenty of local sites for various cities and regions throughout the country.

Freeadstime

Free Ads Time overs all kinds of free classifieds in locations around the country. As alternative to backpage, users can browse ads based on their interests and location, and find several different services, items for sale, and more. The site, as the name states, is entirely free and it’s fairly simple to use, as well.

Hoobly

Hoobly also has all kinds of classified categories where people can post items for sale, services available, services they need, and other ads. The site allows users to search by location to find just about anything that they want, with more than a dozen different categories. To send messages, you simply have to register and verify your email address.

Must Read: Craigslist Personal Ads Alternatives

Must Read: 20 Best Free Swinger Sites for Couples

There are more backpage replacement sites you could use: Oodle, Geebo, Gumtree, Olx, Pennysaverusa, UKclassifieds, Kijiji.ca, 2backpage.

The Final Verdict

Although we can’t tell you which classified site is going to be ideal for your needs, we can tell you that any of the ones listed here are worth a look. Depending on what you have in mind, you’ll be able to narrow down your options and get the Backpage substitutes that you need. Amid all the fake and junk Backpage replacement websites, these and others are waiting to provide you with legitimate adult advertising solutions, including casual encounters and adult services if that’s what you have in mind.