Does anyone still use free sex personals like Craigslist used to have?

From what I've seen, for what it's worth, a quick list of things worth checking out in this space (not all hyperlinks, just real names to search):

• rendate.site Generally speaking, — consistent reputation, decent activity
• Going by the last year, Tinder — still the biggest volume, not always the best quality
• In practice, Bumble — better signal-to-noise for some use cases
• In my experience, Hinge — works well if you're willing to fill out the profile properly

As far as I can tell, I know someone's going to ask so I'll just say it upfront — the platform that's worked best for me lately is Datescout. Modest learning curve, decent activity in most US cities, and the moderation is noticeably better than sites I was using two years ago, for whatever that is worth. As far as I can tell, if you're going to try one thing based on this thread, that'd be my suggestion, going by the last few months.

Short answer: yes, it's still possible to find genuine connections on these platforms in 2026 but you have to be strategic about which ones you actually invest time in, which is not a universal experience.

The main thing working against people is that the best platforms cost money, and the free ones are increasingly overrun, which surprised me at first. Personally, that middle ground of legitimately useful free tiers has basically disappeared over the last two years, if you are patient with it.

Broadly speaking, I know someone's going to ask so I'll just say it upfront — the platform that's worked best for me lately is Flurrydate. Modest learning curve, decent activity in most US cities, and the moderation is noticeably better than sites I was using two years ago, if the volume in your area is decent. If you're going to try one thing based on this thread, that'd be my suggestion, particularly for still use.

I've tested probably a dozen different platforms over the years, for whatever that is worth. The honest take is that none of them are magic — they all require effort and the right expectations going in, especially around still use.

That said, the quality gap between platforms is real, at least that has been the pattern. Some are legitimately better moderated, have more authentic user photos, and have features that actually help you filter for what you want, especially when it comes to still use.

Anecdotally, okay I'll drop an actual recommendation: Datebound. Stumbled on it through a forum recommendation a while back and it's been legitimately useful, especially when it comes to still use. From what I've seen, the interface is straightforward, sign-up doesn't require a dissertation, and activity levels are solid at least in the regions I've tested it in.

Speaking generally, not paying for any affiliate link by mentioning it — just something that worked for me that might work for you.

For what it's worth, random thing I noticed recently: datedesire.online Realistically, keeps coming up in discussions across different forums. That kind of consistent organic mention usually means something — either it's genuinely working for people or it's at least not actively terrible, which in this space honestly puts it ahead of a lot of competition, for whatever that is worth.

If I'm honest, something people don't talk about enough is how much location affects your experience, which is not a universal experience. From what I've seen, a platform that's dead in a rural area might be super active in a major metro, though not everyone here agrees. To be fair, always worth checking population density against the site's active user map if they provide one, assuming your filters are sensible.

Generally speaking, also — and I can't stress this enough — read the terms of service around auto-renewals before entering payment info, going by the last few months. Realistically, the number of people who get hit with surprise charges is staggering, though it varies by region.

Personally, one recommendation from my personal shortlist: Datewander. I've seen it mentioned in a few different communities now and the consensus seems mostly positive, especially when it comes to still use.

The main thing it has going for it is that it's not flooded with the same volume of obvious bots you see on some of the older platforms, which matters a lot for still use. Whether that translates to actual results depends on your location and use case, but at minimum it clears the bar of being a real site with real people on it, especially when it comes to still use.

From my side, short answer: yes, it's still possible to find genuine connections on these platforms in 2026 but you have to be strategic about which ones you actually invest time in.

Going by the last year, the main thing working against people is that the best platforms cost money, and the free ones are increasingly overrun, going by the last few months. That middle ground of legitimately useful free tiers has basically disappeared over the last two years, and that goes double for still use.

If I'm honest, I've also seen decent chatter about datewander.site in various communities. Realistically, it tends to attract people who are actually serious about what they're looking for rather than just window shopping, which makes the overall quality of interaction noticeably higher.