Personal ads & casual dating in Cincinnati: what replaced Craigslist

Understand why the old board is gone

Craigslist took its personals offline after Congress passed FOSTA (HR 1865). The site said it couldn’t risk liability for users misusing personals without jeopardizing its other services (craigslist.org/about/FOSTA). It wished well to “the millions of spouses, partners, and couples who met through craigslist.”

What filled the gap in Cincinnati splits two ways. Ad boards let you post a request. Match apps open chat only after both people like each other.

Compare the four options at a glance

App	Format	Identity checks	Free use	Refunds
Doublelist	Web ad board	None, per its terms	Web sign-up; fees shown only after login	None for prepaid or unused days
Feeld	Mutual-match app	Biometric/photo verification	“Fully functional” without paying	Not stated in our sources
Pure	Ad-based app	Optional photo badge; manual review of suspicious accounts	Subscription needed for all features	14 days, EU/EEA/UK only
Tinder	Mutual-match app	Photo and ID verification	Profile, likes, matches free	Not stated in our sources; auto-renews at full price

No platform publishes prices outside its app. We won’t guess. Check the in-app price before you pay.

Get the closest Craigslist replacement: Doublelist

Doublelist says it started in 2018, claims “3 Million users in the USA” and lists Cincinnati among its Ohio cities (doublelist.com). Ads are sorted by who-seeks-whom categories, like the old board. Sign-up is on the web; its homepage shows no App Store or Google Play links.

The trade-off is trust. Its terms state it “does not conduct criminal background screenings” and does not verify identity (terms). Its guidelines ban paid services, massage ads and account-selling, impersonation, contact details in posts and posting in multiple cities (guidelines).

Watch out: Doublelist subscriptions renew monthly unless you cancel at least 1 day before the next term (terms), and it gives no refunds for unused days (refunds). Deleting your account only queues it for deletion; logging back in reactivates it (terms). Cancel from Settings first.

Get verified, open-minded matches: Feeld

Feeld claims a community of “14M+”, supports singles and couples, and says it uses biometric identity verification (feeld.co). Chat opens only after a mutual like. It says it never ranks profiles and runs a 24/7 safety team.

You can connect, browse and message free (Majestic). The paid Majestic tier adds see-who-liked-you, Incognito and filters; price is shown only in the app and varies by location.

Post an ad with privacy tools: Pure

Pure is built around ads: you must post one to see others (FAQ). Chats expire after 24 hours unless both turn off the timer, and screenshots are blocked. It flags scam-style words in chat and advises against moving to outside messengers.

Its terms say full access needs a subscription and free trials auto-convert to paid (terms). Try it only once you’ve read the in-app price.

Use the mainstream fallback: Tinder

Tinder is free to profile, like and match (FAQ). Plus, Gold and Platinum add unlimited likes, see-who-likes-you and more (tiers). Its terms say pricing varies by region, past purchases and account activity, so two people may see different prices (terms).

Know why we don’t recommend AdultFriendFinder

Its own footer says “Persons appearing in photographs and videos may not be actual members” (adultfriendfinder.com). Its terms describe AI chats and virtual-friend features “generated without human verification” and prices revealed only after registration (terms). That fails our no-fake-profile test.

Meet people in person in Cincinnati

Our Cincinnati directory shows the current listings by venue category. The venue data was audited against primary pages on October 18, 2026. For Bloom OTR, Home Base Tavern and Good Judy’s, see the gay dating guide’s venue section for published hours and entry-age limits.

Club SinDay’s own rules require membership approval before attending and photo ID. Its minimum entry age remains unverified. Check current event listings before making plans. A stated background-check process is not a guarantee of anyone’s safety. Sources: Club SinDay rules, venue page.

Your pre-date safety checklist

1. Use your first name only and don’t link social media (Doublelist safety).
2. Use fresh photos; reused ones can be reverse-image searched.
3. Reverse-image-search their photos too (FTC).
4. Insist on a video call. Refusal “might be a red flag” (Pure security).
5. Meet in public, get yourself there and back, and tell a friend. Tinder’s Share My Date and Pure’s Safety Signal can send these details to a trusted contact.
6. Never send money, gift cards, crypto or a photo of your bank card.

Watch out: The FTC’s red flags: rushing you off the app, excuses for never meeting (abroad, oil rig, military), then requests for money for tickets, visas or medical bills, or crypto “investments” (FTC). If you paid, call your bank right away and report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Tip: Set a calendar reminder two days before any renewal date. Cancel inside the app store or the platform’s account settings; deleting the app alone does not stop charges.

Key takeaway: Start free, verify by video, meet in public, and never pay a person. Pay a platform only after you’ve seen the in-app price and renewal terms.

What we couldn’t verify: Any subscription prices (none are published publicly), active Cincinnati user numbers on any app, the share of fake or bot profiles on each platform, Feeld’s refund terms, and whether Club SinDay’s membership rules or fees have changed since our listing check.