Doublelist Alternatives: Where to Go When Doublelist Isn't Working for You

Why People Look for a Doublelist Alternative

When Craigslist shut down its personals section in 2018, millions of people needed somewhere new to post. Doublelist was one of the sites that copied the familiar format: simple text posts, categories for men, women, couples and groups, and no swiping. That familiarity is why it grew. You can read the full backstory in our guide to what happened to Craigslist personals.

The complaints users raise most often are consistent:

• Spam and bots. Replies that push you to another site, a webcam link or a "verification" page.
• Thin local boards. Busy in large cities, often quiet everywhere else.
• Imbalance. Far more posts from men seeking women than the reverse, so many messages go unanswered.
• Moderation friction. Posts removed or accounts restricted without much explanation.

None of that makes it useless. It means the right alternative depends on what you were using Doublelist for in the first place.

If You Want Classifieds-Style Personals

Skip The Games

If what you liked about Doublelist was browsing local posts by city rather than swiping on faces, a classifieds site like Skip The Games is the closest match. You pick a city, scroll ads and reach out directly. It leans toward adult personals and companionship rather than the broad mix of Doublelist, so it suits people who already know what they are looking for. Start with how Skip The Games works if you are new.

Other classifieds boards

There are several boards built in the post-Craigslist mould. Quality varies wildly by city, and some are little more than scraped copies of each other. Our look at the Backpage replacements explains how to tell an active board from a ghost town.

If You Want a Casual App

Apps built for casual meetups have more active users than most classifieds sites, at the cost of profiles, photos and often a subscription.

• Feeld is popular with open-minded singles and couples and is generally considered one of the better-moderated options in this space.
• Pure is built around short-lived, low-commitment chats.
• Tinder, Bumble and Hinge are not designed for this, but many people use them that way, especially in smaller towns where nothing else is busy.

The trade-off is time. Apps reward photos and conversation, and the process is slower than answering a direct personals post. For more on that, see our dating app alternatives guide.

If You Are Part of the LGBTQ+ Community

A large share of Doublelist's traffic has always been men seeking men, and much of that community has moved to dedicated apps. Grindr remains the largest by far for gay, bi and queer men, with Sniffies popular for its map-based, browser-first approach. For queer women and non-binary people, HER and Lex are the most commonly recommended, with Lex keeping the text-first, personals-ad style many people miss from Craigslist.

If You Are Into Kink or Want Community

FetLife is the long-standing social network for the kink community. It is not a hookup site and members will tell you so quickly, but it is where local groups, events and munches are organised. If your Doublelist use was mostly about finding like-minded people, an in-person munch through FetLife is often far more productive than any classifieds board.

Safety Rules That Apply Everywhere

Changing sites does not change the risks. The same scams follow people from Doublelist to every alternative:

• Anyone who asks you to "verify" on another website by entering a card number is running a scam.
• Anyone who asks for a gift card, crypto or a payment-app transfer before meeting is running a scam.
• Reverse image search photos before you meet. Our fake profile guide shows you how.
• Meet somewhere public first when you can, and tell a friend where you will be.
• Keep your real phone number and main email out of it until you trust someone. The privacy guide explains how.

Which Doublelist Alternative Is Right for You?

• You want direct, local, no-swiping personals: a classifieds site like Skip The Games.
• You want the biggest pool of active people: a mainstream or casual-focused app.
• You are a gay, bi or queer man: Grindr or Sniffies.
• You are a queer woman or non-binary: Lex or HER.
• You are into kink: FetLife groups and in-person events.
• You are a couple: Feeld, or see our guide for couples and women.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Doublelist the same as Craigslist personals?

No. It is an independent site that copied the format after Craigslist closed its personals section in 2018. It has no connection to Craigslist.

What is the closest thing to Craigslist personals today?

Text-first classifieds boards, including Doublelist and Skip The Games, are the closest in format. Lex is the closest for queer women in spirit.

Why do I get so many bot replies?

Any free, open posting site attracts automated replies that try to send you elsewhere. Never click links in a first reply, and never enter card details to "prove" anything.