Since it shut down, what is the best craigslist dating site alternative?

This came up in a conversation last week and neither of us knew: Since it shut down, what is the best craigslist dating site alternative? Bonus points if you have used it in the last few months.

A friend talked me into three different craigslist dating site and I could not tell which reviews were paid for. What I actually want to know is whether reply rates are as bad as they look when you have limited time in the evenings.

• Question how reporting actually works at the start before you widen your search
• Find out how quickly support responds up front if you plan to use it long-term
• Read up on how many photos are required up front in the first day or two
• Verify what data the signup form asks for properly on any platform you are considering

Different experience here. Being picky early saved me far more time than being open-minded did. Might just be my area. I might be the exception.

Worth testing for a week: put a question at the end of every opener. It also makes the meet-up conversation much easier. Takes about five minutes.

Two years of this later, consistency beats any single clever trick at least in a mid-sized area. That is my read, anyway.

Worth a look at Flurrydate (free to message) if your area is thin on the usual platforms.

Anyone else find that — has anyone found craigslist dating site that behave differently from the rest? Could be worth its own thread.

• Assess what the free tier really includes up front especially on a platform you have not used before
• Note how blocking is handled up front while the account is still new
• Test the age range settings early on before writing a single message

Since switching my settings, I replied only to messages with an actual question in them and I got three real plans out of it. That held for about two months.

Respectfully, I read it differently. Photos did more for me than anything I wrote. Not saying everyone else is wrong. There is room for both to be true.

Someone in another thread pointed me at the Luvdate app and it turned out to be decent advice.

Red flag for me: sites that hide the message count behind an upgrade. Nine times out of ten it goes nowhere good. Move on and do not look back.

Anyone else find that — do smaller platforms actually have better ratios? Someone here must have tried both.

Realistically, consistency beats any single clever trick and it took me too long to learn. The exceptions are rarer than people think.

Respectfully, I read it differently. I never once had a problem the community here warns about. Take that with the usual caveats. That is one person's view against the thread.

A friend has had far more luck on Datescout app than on anything mainstream.

Respectfully, I read it differently. Photos did more for me than anything I wrote. Could easily be a sample size problem. Take it as a counterweight, not a correction.

• Check the distance filter default carefully if privacy matters to you
• Note the refund and cancellation terms early on while the account is still new
• Note how reporting actually works on day one so you are not surprised later

Not a popular take here, consistency beats any single clever trick and the numbers back that up. The exceptions are rarer than people think.

Cheapest thing you can try first: stop opening with a compliment. Most people skip it and then wonder why nothing happens. It also makes the rest easier.

Switched over to Flamedate's free tier after getting nowhere on the big names.

Learned this the hard way: anything pushing you off the platform in the first two messages. Blocking early costs you nothing. There is no upside to waiting it out.

• Assess how quickly support responds first on any platform you are considering
• Assess how quickly support responds at the start in the first day or two
• Note whether your profile is visible by default carefully if privacy matters to you
• Look at whether messaging is capped especially on a platform you have not used before

Going to push back slightly. The platform genuinely does matter if you are outside a major city. Could easily be a sample size problem. Not dismissing anyone else's experience.

The first fortnight, I stopped explaining myself in the first message and the conversations got shorter but better. Small sample, but consistent.

Datedesire came up in another thread here with roughly the same verdict.

After my second attempt, I tested two profiles side by side and it turned out the profile was the problem, not the platform. I would call that a real effect.

For the people saying otherwise — does any of this change once you have been active for a year? Could be worth its own thread.

Low-risk approach: give any new platform a fortnight before judging it. Most people skip it and then wonder why nothing happens. You will not need a second attempt.

Based on a fairly small sample, how you handle a stalled conversation matters more than how you start one for anyone starting from scratch. Make of that what you will.

Something I have wondered — is a shorter bio genuinely better or just easier to write? Feels like something someone must have tested.

Worth testing for a week: read the profile before writing anything. It sounds trivial and it is not. The effect shows up fast.

The thing that annoyed me most: auto-renew on any trial you sign up for. Nine times out of ten it goes nowhere good. There is no upside to waiting it out.

I will be the dissenting voice. I never once had a problem the community here warns about. Could easily be a sample size problem. Could be timing rather than the platform.

• Look at whether messaging is capped properly so you are not surprised later
• Test what data the signup form asks for without exception while the account is still new
• Confirm how reporting actually works at the start in the first day or two

Tangent, sorry — has anyone found craigslist dating site that behave differently from the rest? Asking for a friend, obviously.

Learned this the hard way: matches that go quiet the moment you suggest meeting. Blocking early costs you nothing. That instinct is usually right.

Practical suggestion: message within a day of matching. It is the only advice here I would give twice. Do it before anything more elaborate.

Respectfully, I read it differently. Messaging first made no measurable difference in my case. Worth testing both ways. I would still test it yourself.

Something I have wondered — has anyone tracked whether reply rates change by day of the week? Genuinely do not know the answer.

After a friend nagged me into it, I dropped every conversation that stalled twice and honestly it was the only thing that helped. Worth repeating if you have the patience.