Guide for adults
Is There a Casual Encounters Site in the UK?
Yes, and it isn’t Craigslist any more
Yes. Casual Encounters, the adult section of Encounters.uk, is built for exactly this: UK adults who want fun with no strings. Doublelist, Feeld and AdultFriendFinder serve UK adults too, and Tinder can work if you’re upfront about what you want. Craigslist is off the list: it closed its US personals in 2018, and its UK sites have none.
Which one suits you depends on how you like to meet. Some people want a profile and a stream of matches, some miss the old personal ads, and some are happy on an app where anything from a fling to a relationship might happen. Here is how the options compare, and what happened to the site people once meant when they typed “casual encounters”.
Which casual encounters sites work in the UK?
All but Craigslist work for UK adults right now. Prices live inside each app or site and change often, so the table covers how each one works, what its basic membership includes and what the paid plans add.
| Option | How it works | Basic and paid |
|---|---|---|
| Casual Encounters | The adult section of Encounters.uk, 18+: profiles, swiping and daily matches near you | Classic membership includes a set number of messages a day. VIP adds unlimited messaging |
| Doublelist | Personal ads by city, since 2018. UK cities include London, Manchester and Glasgow | The basic plan covers browsing and posting. Paid plans add extras |
| Feeld | A London-based app for open-minded singles and couples | Core features come with a basic account. The paid Majestic membership adds unlimited likes |
| AdultFriendFinder | An adult site running since the 1990s, with a UK version | Joining and browsing are included. Messaging needs the paid Gold membership |
| Tinder | A mainstream swipe app, used for anything from one-offs to relationships | The basic app lets you match and chat, with likes capped. Plus, Gold and Platinum lift the cap |
| Craigslist | Classified ads by city, UK cities included | No personals section in the UK today |
What happened to Craigslist casual encounters?
For years, “casual encounters” meant one thing online: the corner of Craigslist personals where adults posted ads for no-strings fun. In March 2018, after the US Congress passed an anti-trafficking law known as FOSTA, Craigslist took its US personals offline, saying it couldn’t take on that legal risk without putting the rest of the site in danger.
Craigslist still runs city sites across the UK, from London and Birmingham to Manchester and Glasgow, but none of them has a personals section today. The community pages run to events, groups, activities and missed connections, and that’s as close as it gets. If you’re searching for Craigslist casual encounters in the UK, they aren’t there to find.
People didn’t stop looking, of course. The options in the table are where UK adults can look now, and each works in its own way.
Which sites are like Craigslist casual encounters?
Doublelist is the nearest match in spirit. It started in the US in 2018, the year Craigslist personals closed, and works the same way: you post an ad in your city saying who you are and what you’re after, and people reply. Its UK cities include London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool and Glasgow; browsing and posting come with the basic plan, and a paid membership adds extras. Most of its cities are in the US and Canada, so look at what has been posted near you before you count on it. Encounters vs Doublelist sets the two side by side.
Feeld is a London-based app for open-minded singles and couples, and it suits people exploring open relationships as well as anyone after a fling. Its basic membership lets you browse, connect and chat, and the paid Majestic membership adds unlimited likes and shows you everyone who has liked you.
AdultFriendFinder has been running since the 1990s and has a UK version. A basic account lets you join and browse, but sending messages needs its paid Gold membership.
Tinder is the wildcard. It’s a mainstream app, so you’ll meet people looking for everything from a one-off to a long-term partner. That range is its strength, and it works for something casual as long as you say so plainly in your profile and your first messages. Encounters vs Tinder covers how the two differ.
Casual Encounters: everyone’s here for the same thing
Casual Encounters is the adult side of Encounters.uk, for people who want chemistry and fun without a relationship attached. Everyone joins knowing that, which takes the guesswork out of it. You can be clear about what you want on your profile, flirt without dancing around it, and nobody is waiting for you to suggest meeting their parents.
It’s the biggest section on the site, with over 900 members, and three in four of them are between 25 and 54. They’re spread across the UK, with London the busiest area. Your daily matches lean towards people close to you, and swiping lets you move through members quickly: right if you like what you see, left if you don’t.
Other members know you by your username, and your location only ever shows as your nearest town or city. If someone isn’t your type, a block stops them contacting you again. Take a look at Casual Encounters and see who is near you tonight.
What do casual encounters sites charge for?
Mostly the extras, and the differences show up when you want to talk. Doublelist’s basic plan lets you post and reply, Tinder caps your likes until you upgrade, Feeld charges for extras such as unlimited likes, and AdultFriendFinder keeps messaging for paying members.
On Casual Encounters, Classic members get a set number of messages each day, and can read and reply to anything a VIP member sends them. VIP takes the limit away. Our pricing page lists every plan, and our guide to whether Encounters.uk is legit explains who runs the site and how renewals work. Weighing us up against the mainstream apps too? Our dating site comparisons take Tinder, Plenty of Fish and Badoo one at a time.
How do you meet for a casual encounter safely?
Casual doesn’t mean careless. The best encounters happen when both of you feel relaxed, and a few habits make that much easier.
- Talk first, on the site. A few conversations tell you a lot, and the block and report buttons are right there if you need them.
- Agree what you both want. Casual works best when you’ve both said it out loud: what you’re up for, what you’re not, and that either of you can change your mind.
- Make the first meeting public. A drink or a coffee first. If the chemistry is there, it’ll still be there an hour later.
- Tell a friend. Send them the name, the place and the time, and check in once you’re home.
- Bring protection, and your own way home. Don’t rely on someone you’ve just met for either.
- Keep your money and your pictures to yourself. Nobody worth meeting asks for a loan or explicit photos before you’ve met.
Our safety advice covers the rest, our first date ideas include a few for a casual first meet, and the other dating guides pick up where this one leaves off.
Casual encounters sites: your questions
Is there a casual encounters site in the UK?
Yes. Casual Encounters, the adult section of Encounters.uk, is a site for UK adults who want fun with no strings. Doublelist, Feeld and AdultFriendFinder also serve UK adults, and some people use Tinder for something casual.
What replaced Craigslist casual encounters?
No single site. Craigslist closed its US personals in March 2018, and Doublelist launched the same year with a similar ad format. In the UK, the options now include Casual Encounters, Doublelist, Feeld and AdultFriendFinder.
Does Craigslist have personals in the UK?
No. Craigslist’s UK city sites have no personals section today. Their community pages cover events, groups and missed connections, but not personal ads.
Is Doublelist available in the UK?
Yes. Doublelist lists UK cities including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool and Glasgow, although most of its cities are in the US and Canada.
What do you get when you join Casual Encounters?
Classic membership: your profile, browsing, swiping, daily matches and a set number of messages each day, and you can read and reply to messages from VIP members. VIP adds unlimited messaging, and every plan is on our pricing page.
Ready for something casual?
Casual Encounters is for adults 18 and over who want fun without the strings. Start with the section that fits.