Craigslist personals alternative
Encounters vs Doublelist: Casual Encounters Close to Home
Doublelist is for posting a personal ad on a city board, the old Craigslist way. Casual Encounters, our adults-only section, gives you a profile, daily matches and private chat with UK adults near you.
Where the old personals went
Craigslist’s personals once included a category called “casual encounters”. In the United States the whole personals section went offline on 23 March 2018, after Congress passed FOSTA, a law that could hold websites liable when users misuse personal ads. Craigslist’s London pages still carry missed connections today, but no personals at all.
Doublelist set out to fill that gap. It says it started in 2018, it’s run by Interlaced Social LLC from San Francisco, and its own app listing describes it as inspired by the classic Craigslist personals. You browse ads by city and category, from friendships and relationships to casual encounters, with categories for every orientation and for couples. It lists seven countries, the UK among them, with boards for cities such as London, Birmingham and Glasgow.
Casual Encounters is our answer for the UK. It’s the adult section of Encounters.uk, online since 2014, with over 900 members who joined for fun, chemistry and no strings. Instead of posting an ad and waiting, you make a profile and the site brings likely matches to you. Comparing more than one option? Our comparisons also cover Tinder and Badoo.
Ads or profiles: see the difference
Doublelist’s details come from its own pages and app listings.
| Casual Encounters | Doublelist | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Profiles, daily match suggestions, swiping and messages | Personal ads on city boards, sorted by category |
| Where | UK adults, with the most in London | Boards in seven countries, UK cities included |
| Online since | 2014 | 2018 |
| What others see | A username and your nearest town | Your ad, on a public or semi-public board |
| Messaging | A daily allowance for Classic members, plus replies to VIP members | Private messages, with Super Messages sold on top |
| Paid options | VIP and VIP Plus | Starter and Ultimate plans, and a lifetime subscription |
| Where it runs | Any browser | Website and apps |
| Minimum age | 18 | 18 |
Doublelist’s iPhone app, on Apple’s US App Store, has the words Casual Encounters in its name, but it has nothing to do with our Casual Encounters section. Its Android app is on Google Play.
Let the matches come to you
On a personals board you write an ad, choose a category and browse what others have posted in your city. It’s direct, and it suits people who know exactly what they’re after and like to say it in a few lines.
Casual Encounters works the other way round. Tell us what you’re into and who you’d like to meet, and fresh match suggestions arrive every day, weighted towards people close to you and those who’ve been active lately. Swipe right for yes and left for no, browse members nearby, or post a status update or a photo and see who comments. When someone catches your eye, send a message.
Extras for when the chat heats up
Doublelist sells paid plans called Starter and Ultimate, along with a lifetime subscription and one-off Super Messages, which its iPhone app lists as in-app purchases.
On Casual Encounters, Classic membership lets you build your profile, add photos, browse, swipe and send a limited number of messages each day, and you can answer any VIP member who writes to you. VIP adds unlimited messaging, search by city, distance and what people are open to, chat rooms and group chats for up to 50 people. VIP Plus goes further, opening up exclusive matches and putting your profile first in other members’ match stacks. Every plan is listed on our prices page.
Discreet from the first hello
A personal ad is written to be read, and Doublelist’s own terms describe the service as public or semi-public, with a reminder not to put identifying details in what you post.
On Casual Encounters you’re a username and a nearest town. Your real name, email address, home address and live location stay off your profile, and the photos you share are your call. Block anyone and they can’t reach you again, or report a profile or message from inside the site if something feels off. With no app to install, there’s no dating app sitting on your phone unless you add the site to your home screen yourself.
Keep the fun on your terms
Whichever site you use, the same habits look after you. Chat for a while before you meet, and agree what you both want so there are no surprises. Make the first meeting somewhere public, let a friend know where you’ll be, and get yourself there and home again. Never send money or intimate photos to someone you haven’t met. Our safety page has more advice for meeting up.
When Doublelist may suit you better
Doublelist suits you if you like the speed of a classified ad, if you want categories for every pairing, couples included, or if you’re looking outside the UK, where it has boards in the US, Canada, Australia and beyond. If you only ever want to answer an ad and never keep a profile, it does that simply.
Casual Encounters suits you if you’re in the UK and want people nearby, if you’d rather have matches suggested than read every post, and if you like keeping your name and address out of view. Three in four of its members are aged between 25 and 54.
Get started tonight in four steps
- Head to Casual Encounters. It’s for adults aged 18 and over, and it has its own quick sign-up.
- Build a profile that flirts. Add photos you’re happy with and say what you’re after.
- Check your daily matches. Swipe, browse who’s nearby and comment on the posts you like.
- Say hello. Make the most of your daily Classic messages, and keep the chat on the site until you feel sure.
Doublelist and casual encounters: your questions
What happened to Craigslist casual encounters?
Craigslist took its personals offline in the United States on 23 March 2018, after Congress passed the FOSTA law. Casual encounters was one of the personals categories, so it went too, and Craigslist’s London pages have no personals section today.
Does Doublelist work in the UK?
Doublelist lists the United Kingdom among the seven countries it covers, with city boards including London, Birmingham and Glasgow. The company behind it is based in San Francisco.
Is there a casual encounters site in the UK?
Yes. Casual Encounters is the adult section of Encounters.uk, for anyone aged 18 and up, with over 900 members who want fun without commitment. Our guide is there a casual encounters site in the UK covers your other options too.
Do I post an ad on Casual Encounters?
No. You create a profile, and the site suggests matches every day based on what you want, how far away people are and more. You can still post status updates and photos for other members to comment on.
Something casual could be closer than you think
Start with Casual Encounters, or pick the section that fits you best.